Hygiene and health

BOOK ONE By

CHARLES P. EMERSON

School of Medicine

and

GEORGE HERBERT BETTS

ILLUSTRATED

INDIANAPOLIS

Printed in the United States of America r

*•

PRINTERS AND BINDERS

I

INTRODUCTION t

The distinguishing feature of Hygiene and Health is its outstanding aim and plan of causing the pupils to form right habits of physical living. In order to achieve this end, they must be led from day to day to do the things that lead to health and vigor, and to avoid the things that injure and weaken.

Each lesson therefore provides for certain suitable activ¬ ities to be carried out. The children are asked to learn by doing , which is not only good pedagogy, but even better hygiene. The exercises provided are an integral part of the text, and are of the practical sort that find a setting in the daily life of every child. A skilful carrying out of the many simple experiments and projects given will not only bring zest and motive to the work, but will .serve to carry the facts learned over into every¬ day practise. The wise teacher will, therefore, bend every effort to make the lessons take hold from day to day as they are taught. She will measure her success by the extent to which the children live better physically, here and now, because of the lessons learned, and by the extent to which they are forming right hygienic habits as they are passing through the text.

Those familiar with the texts in this field will note the avoidance in the present volume of two extremes: first, the over-emphasis on physiology and anatomy which character¬ izes the older type of text; and, second , the equally dangerous method of certain more recent texts, which offer a collection of mere stories and illustrations combined with sets of hygienic rules. This book stresses hygienic practise above all else, but does not fail to give the underlying facts and explanations for which the child’s mind is at this stage ready, and which his curiosity demands. While immediate habits of right living are the great aim sought, the pupil is, step by step, led to an intel¬ ligent understanding of his own body and the laws which govern its welfare. The authors offer this volume as one small contribution to the present national movement to build up a better physical basis of life for our nation.

The material in Chapter XXXI, on Good Health Games at end of book, should be used throughout the school term.

The Authors.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Grateful acknowledgments are made to the fol¬ lowing organizations for permission to use photo¬ graphs supplied by them: the National Tubercu¬ losis Association, for pictures appearing on pages 5, 7, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 111, 123; the Massachusetts Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, for pictures appearing on pages 17, 43, 52, 97, 98; the National Girl Scouts, for the picture appearing on page 50; the Committee on Public Information, for the picture appearing on page 110; the Indiana State Board of Health, for the picture appearing on page 80, and the Boston Public Schools for the pictures appearing on pages 134 and 136.

The Authors.

CHAPTER

Contents

PAGE

I Making Our Habits Our Friends . . 1

II Ready for “Inspection”. 8

Chapter I Making Our Habits Our Friends

Did you ever notice which shoe you put on first in the morning? Or which arm you first put into your coat? Not that it matters which comes first in either case, but it is likely that you do put on your shoes and your coat in the same way every time.

This is because you have formed the habit of doing these things in a certain manner. Acts that we come to do without stopping to think about them, or with¬ out intending to do them we call our habits .

How habits are formed. —My friend Tom has a chum who stammers. Tom was thoughtless and unkind enough to mimic his chum several times. He did it in fun, of course, and had no notion of learning to stammer himself. But it was not long until Tom’s mother noticed that he was stammering. When she spoke to him about it, Tom said he didn’t mean to do it, and that it “just did itself.” That was true. After he had performed the act of stammering a few times

it went on and did itself without Tom intending it.

I

The habit was formed, and Tom is having much trouble in breaking it.

We can form either good habits or bad habits. If we perform only the right kind of acts our habits will be good. If we do things that ought not to be done and continue doing them for a little time we will have habits that are bad. For day by day our habits are growing out of our acts.

“Friend-habits” and “enemy-habits.” — Dr.

William James tells us that the great thing is to make our habits our friends instead of our enemies. Horace Mann once said, “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day and it becomes so strong we can not break it.”

The real purpose of your studying physiology and hygiene is to help you form right habits of living. The way we care for our bodies to-day, to-morrow and the days that lie ahead quickly becomes habit; and our good health is after all largely the result of good habits.

Signs of good and bad habits. —I can explain what I mean in this way: If I should go about your school and examine the teeth of the boys and girls I should find that some have white, clean and attractive teeth. Their teeth are not discolored, they do not have holes in them, nor do they ache. I am quite sure that those who have teeth of this kind are the ones who have formed the habit of washing their teeth and keeping their mouths clean.

MAKING OUR HABITS OUR FRIENDS 3

It is probable that I should also find some with teeth that are not very clean nor attractive. Particles of food are lodged between the teeth, many of them have cavities, and some ache quite frequently. Is it not likely that the boys and girls who have teeth of this undesirable kind are the ones who have not formed the habit of caring for their teeth regularly?

The fine looking soldiers who stand so straight, look so spick and span, and carry themselves so well must pass “inspection” every morning. When the officer comes along every button and buckle must be in place, every uniform spotless, every shoe shined, and everything about each soldier neat, clean and in order. Soldiers quickly form these habits. It is a part of their training.

Looking after our habits.—Many schools are coming to have morning “inspection” like the soldiers. Suppose we should have inspection in your school room this morning. I am sure I should find some boys and girls whose hands and nails are clean and wellkept, whose hair shows care, and whose clothes are neat. They could pass “inspection”; they have formed right habits about these things.

Is it not possible that I should also find others with hands and nails that show less care, with hair that looks stubborn and untrained, and with clothes that need brushing or mending?

The difference is one of habits. If we have formed the habit of cleaning our teeth and nails and of brush¬ ing our hair, so that we would no more think of starting our day without doing these things than we would of

going without our meals or our sleep, then we may be sure that we can pass “inspection.”

Let us not forget that anybody who sees us can tell the kind of personal habits we have formed by noticing how we keep our hair, nails, teeth, shoes and clothes.

These things al¬ ways tell on us.

A good rule.—

Ready for Inspection A very simple rule

for habit forming is this: Anything that we want to keep on doing, as sleeping with open windows or sitting and walking straight, we should go at it and do until the habit is formed. Then the desirable act will go on of itself without care or effort.

Clothes clean and neat, hair brushed, teeth and nails attended to, faces good-natured and smil¬ ing.

“Friend-habits” forming

MAKING OUR HABITS OUR FRIENDS 5

Anything that we do not want to keep on doing, as putting pencils in our mouths or eating too rapidly, we should be careful not to do at all because the habit will surely form in that direc¬ tion. Things that we go on doing for a little time result in habits no matter whether we wish them to or not; they finally come to “do themselves.”

All of us have many habits that are good and some that are bad. It is a good thing for each of us to make a list of the habits that he ought to form; also another list of the habits that he would like to break.

Habits to make our early to Bed

friends. — Some of the habits that we may make our friends are these:

Opening our bedroom windows at night. Brushing the teeth after each meal.

Sitting so that the light will not fall in the eyes when we read.

Bathing several times a week.

Twelve hours’ sleep for young children, ten for all others. This is one of the best “friend-habits” we can form

Learning to say please, thank you, beg pardoa and other kindly expressions.

Being on time.

Going to bed and getting up at regular hours. Keeping clothing, shoes, hair and nails neat. Eating slowly and learning to like different kinds of foods.

Keeping good-natured and happy.

Habits to shun. —These habits are always our enemies; if we have formed any such habits we should go about it at once to break them:

Sprawling bent forward over our desk when we study.

Sliding down in our seat with the body cramped.

Biting the finger-nails or picking at the nose. Coughing or sneezing near other people.

Not speaking our words clearly and distinctly. Keeping our desk or room in disorder.

Being sullen, sour, cross or easily angry. Carelessness about errands or other duties.

/' Eating candy or having soda fountain treats between meals.

The use of tobacco or liquor in any form.

Now stop and think a minute. How many of the “friend-habits” can you honestly say you have formed? How many of the “enemy-habits” have you?

MAKING OUR HABITS OUR FRIENDS 7

No doubt you can think of still other habits that you would like to form, and some that you ought to break. Try writing down at least five of each kind.

A letter from the authors. —At the very beginning the authors wish to give a personal message to the boys and girls who study this text. Our message is this: We want you not only to learn the things the book tells you, but we want you to do them. When the lessons tell you how to keep your bodies well, how to make them grow, how to be strong, do not be satisfied until you have put the lessons into practise. Do the right things until they become habits; refuse to do the things that injure you, so that you may not form wrong habits. Break off your ‘'enemy-habits’’ now; form many new “friend-habits” just as fast as you can.

Up Smiling

No loitering in dressing or chores. Another good “friend-habit”

Chapter II Ready For “inspection”

Whether we have daily “inspection” in school or not we are, nevertheless, “inspected” every day by other people. Our classmates, our teachers, the visitors who call at our home, the people who notice us on the street— all these observe whether we are neat and clean and attractive.

We come to be known by the habits we form.—

Just now, for example, without even glancing around the school room you know that there are certain ones of your friends who are pleasant to look upon, because they have clean clothes, clean bodies and neat appearance. You know this about them because they always arc that way, and you know what to expect of them. Their “friend-habits” make them ready for “inspection” at any time.

On the other hand, it is just possible that, also without glancing around the room, you know that there are cer¬ tain ones of your schoolmates who lack neatness, who are not so clean, and who are therefore not so attractive as the others. You know this about them without waiting to look at them because they usually are this way. They have not formed the right “friend-habits,” but have allowed “enemy-habits” to creep in.

Preparing for “inspection,” —Of course one should be neat and clean and tidy just because one is ashamed for one’s own self to be any other way. Boys and girls who really care about being clean would feel uncomfortable and ashamed to have unbrushed teeth or bodies that had missed a bath or clothes that had been neglected even if no one else knew about it.

No danger from bad air in this outdoor school

Besides wishing to be clean for our own sake, how¬ ever, it is right that we should think about the impres¬ sion we are constantly making on others by our appear¬ ance. Possibly your school is one of the many in which the first ten minutes of each morning is given to health

IO and hygiene inspection. If so here are some of the things that will be done and the points that will be observed:

Class inspection. —When school has been called and the pupils are in their seats with coats, sweaters and rubbers removed the teacher will stand in front and give the signal, “Attention!” Every boy and girl sits erect, with head well up, feet flat on the floor and hands clasped, resting on the desk.

This schoolgirl is shown in five different postures from good (i) to very bad (5). Note how much taller she is when standing correctly

Clothing. —The teacher will then look down each line of seats to notice such things as these: Are the blouses , shirts, dresses and collars all neat, clean and in order? Are there buttons off or hanging loose? Are there torn or worn places that should have been mended?

READY FOR “INSPECTION”

ii

Are there soiled spots that should have been sponged or washed? These points will tell whether one takes pride in his clothes or is careless. They will tell whether one is forming “friend-habits” or “enemy-habits.”

Ties, ribbons, hair. —Next, the teacher will observe for the ties, the hair ribbons and the order of the hair. Sometimes the ties and ribbons are badly wrinkled and need pressing; sometimes they are tied carelessly and are crooked; sometimes they do not even look very fresh and require cleaning. It may also sometimes happen that some one’s hair may have had only a “lick and a promise” instead of real brushing such as will make it stay in order.

Handkerchiefs. —Perhaps the teacher will ask all those who have brought fresh clean handkerchiefs to stand. This ought to include everybody, for even if one’s nose is not unruly from a cold, one is likely to have to sneeze or cough. And of course one should never sneeze or cough without covering the nose and mouth with his handkerchief.

Tooth-brushes. —Those may next be asked to stand who have an individual tooth-brush; and then those to remain standing who have that morning brushed their teeth before coming to school. Surely those who can not truthfully say that they have a tooth-brush and that they faithfully use it will want to form this “friend-habit” immediately.

The feet .—The shoes and stockings may come in for observation next. Row after row may be asked to stand while the teacher notes whether the shoes are clean, laces not broken, stockings whole. For even our feet tell the story of our care or neglect in forming right habits.

Individual inspection.—It is possible that besides the class inspection your school may have individual

.

“Play while you play, but when you work do not play at all”

inspection. In this case the teacher will look more closelv concerning each boy and girl.

READY FOR “INSPECTION”

Hands and arms.—The signal, “ Attention!” is given; sleeves are rolled up to the elbows; hands and arms are placed on the desk top, palms down. Are your hands and wrists clean? Are your finger-nails properly trimmed, and are they clean ? Do your nails show biting and tearing? Are there any cuts, bruises or sores that are not having proper treatment? Is there any rash, or breaking out, that needs attention? What stories a pair of hands can tell on their owner!

The teeth.—Teeth that are regularly well cleaned are shiny and white. To have your teeth inspected, draw your lips well apart so that they may be easily seen. It is well to remember that even if the school does not have daily “inspection” our teeth are observed by every one who cares to look, whenever we laugh or smile or speak. Well kept even teeth are beautiful and attractive.

Head and neck.—Of course every one washes his face before coming to school. Yet sometimes inspection shows that some spots have been missed. Did you ever sit behind a person and notice that the back of his neck was dirty? Or that he had failed to wash behind his ears! Or that you could see dirt and grime and dan¬ druff sticking to the scalp!

So when you are sure that you are clean you will be proud to bend your head forward when the teacher comes by for inspection and prove that your “friend-habits” are on the job. You will be glad to have your hair and scalp examined because you know they are clean and fresh and that you can be proud of them instead of ashamed.

Interesting things to do.—i. Whether your school has “inspection” or not, “inspect” yourself when you are ready for school to make sure you areready for “inspection” by your schoolmates and others.

2. Go to your mother or father when you are ready for school and offer yourself for “inspection” on the points mentioned in this chapter.

3. As you think the matter over, try to decide what points you need to be most careful about in order that you may be ready for “inspection” at any time.

4. As you think over a list of your friends are there some “enemy-habits” which make them less at¬ tractive than thev would be without them ?

5. Now try to determine whether you yourself have some “enemy-habits” which your friends or fam¬ ily would like to have you cure.

I. Tom wanted his hair to look well for morning school inspec¬ tion, so he wet it and gave it two or three strokes with the brush. By the time he got to school his hair looked bristly and stiff and stuck straight out instead of lying down on his head. How could Tom make his hair less unruly?

2. A certain boy came to school for a week with a large threecornered tear in his coat sleeve. What would you recommend ?

3. Hilda’s teeth are of good shape but they are discolored and do not look clean. When it comes time for inspection she tries not to open her lips wide. What “friend-habit” do you think Hilda must lack?

4 . Jack has a handkerchief, but it is rolled up in a tight ball and so soiled one can hardly tell its original color. A few mo¬ ments ago Jack sneezed just back of where Mary was sitting, and he did not cover his nose and mouth with his handker¬ chief. Perhaps he was ashamed to show his handkerchief!

5. When the teacher asked those who had an individual tooth¬ brush to stand, nearly every one stood up. When she asked that only those who had brushed their teeth that morning should remain standing nearly a dozen sat down. The ques¬ tion is, What is the use of having a tooth-brush if one doesn’t use it?

Chapter III Health, Size And Growth

Nearly every one can tell how big he is—how many pounds he weighs and how many inches he is tall. But how many of you can tell how big you ought to be at your particular age?

When the baby is born it usually weighs about seven or eight pounds. If the baby is well it grows so fast that it has doubled its weight in six months and trebled its weight by its first birthday. So the baby weighs twenty or twenty-five pounds when it is a year old.

What our size ought to be. —But growth does not keep on at this rapid rate, and it is well it does not, for we should soon become too large to move about. When you entered school at the age of six you probably

I

weighed forty or forty-five pounds, and your height should have been about forty-three or forty-four inches.

One of the things that each of us wants to know is whether our growth is keeping up. No one wants to be puny and undersized. We all desire to be as large and strong as others of our age.

Should we find out that our size is less than it ought

HEALTH, SIZE AND GROWTH to be, we shall naturally wish to find out the cause, and if possible remedy it. If, on the other hand, we are up to standard, we shall try to avoid doing anything that might hinder our growth or les¬ sen our strength. We should take pride in strong, well-built bodies.

Our size at different ages.—

The school boys and girls of sev¬ eral large cities have been care¬ fully measured and weighed, so that we are able to tell the size of American school children of various ages. You are to under¬ stand that the figures given are averages , some children being larg- Gaming weight every

07 o o day, and proud ot the

er and some smaller. f ac t-

For example, girls of ten years (to nearest birthday) run all the way from 47 to 59 inches in height; boys of ten years run all the way from 47 to 60 inches in height. In weight, girls of ten years vary all the way from 53 to 89 pounds; and boys from 54 to 91 pounds. The average height for girls of ten is 53 inches; for boys of ten about 54 inches. The average weight for girls of ten is 68 pounds; for boys of ten about 70 pounds.

Even more important than your exact height or weight is the proportion between your height and weight, and whether or not you are gaining steadily.

i8

Right Height and Weight Right Height and Weight

for Girls* for Boysf

If

your

hAip*h t

If

Your weight should be: Your

Your weight should be:

UUlfeill is

12 is inches

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs. inches

yrs

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

. 42

. 44

. 45

. 47

61 50

64 51

67 52

69 53

72 54

75 55

79 56

83 57

87 58

91 59

95 60

101 61

106 62

111 63

115 64

Girls from eight to eleven years of age should gain about eight ounces each month; from eleven to fourteen

years of age they should gain about twelve ounces a month.

♦Weight and measures should be taken without shoes and in usual indoor clothes.

fA chart for keeping monthly height and weight records for your school for one year may be obtained for a few cents from the Child Health Organization of America, 370 Seventh Ave., New York, by whose courtesy these tables are published.

HEALTH, SIZE AND GROWTH

Boys from eight to twelve years of age should gain about eight ounces each month; boys from twelve to six¬ teen years should gain about sixteen ounces a month.

These tables of figures are not given for you to learn them, but that you may compare your own height and weight with the standard for your age. Your weight should be taken on good scales, and you should be in your indoor clothing. Your height should be taken with¬ out your shoes, when you are standing straight against the wall or on a measuring ma¬ chine.

Two things that affect your size. —Whether you are large or small for your age will depend largely on two things: First, whether your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were naturally large or small of stature; second, whether you have kept well, received good care and had plenty of good food to keep you growing.

Taking his height on a measuring machine.

Be sure to stand straight when your height is measured

HYGIENE AND EIEALTH

Your heredity, or the tendency to size and growth given you by your parents and grandparents, you can not help nor hinder. But you can do much toward keeping well, eating the right foods, and thus giving nature a chance to bring you to your full size and strength.

Finding out about our family.— Now, after in¬ quiring of your father and mother about the size of the members of their families, write down the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the weight of your father? His height?

2. What is the weight of your mother? Her height ?

3. The weight of each of your grandparents? Their height?

4. Is your weight greater or less than the average for your age, and how much ?

5. Is your height greater or less than the average for your age, and how much?

1. The boys and girls of the countries that were recently at war in Europe were nearly all found to be underweight. Can you tell why they were underweight ?

2. The boys and girls who are being treated in children’s hos¬ pitals, average less in size than those of the same age in school. Can you tell why?

3. It has been found that when milk is selling at a very high price many babies and young children, especially in the poorer

HEALTH, SIZE AND GROWTH section of cities, show more sickness and do not grow so well. Why is this?

4. If you are larger or if you are smaller than the average for your age, how do you account for it?

5. It was found that during the European War the children took diseases more readily than in ordinary times. Can you account for this ?

6 . One of the chief things in treating a person for tuberculosis is to make sure that he has plenty of nourishing food. Is this also a safeguard against taking tuberculosis?

7. Bad complexion and pimples on the face are sometimes caused by wrong diet. What rules can you give for one who wants a good complexion ?

Interesting things to do. —I. Take your weight

carefully and discover whether it is greater or less than the average for your age (to nearest birthday).

2. Measure your height and discover whether it is greater or less than the average for your age.

3. Compare with the table and discover whether the proportion of your weight to your height is what it should be. If you are as much as ten per cent. under the average for your age and height you should give special attention to building up for you are under weight. If you are twenty per cent, over the average, you are over weight and your food and exercise may need to be modified. In either case it would be well to consult a physician.

Chapter IV

We never miss the water till the well runs dry, says the old adage. In like manner we never know the value of health until we are ill.

There are at any one time about three million people sick in the United States. This is three persons out of every one hundred. If you live in a town of one thousand inhabitants, there are about thirty of your neighbors sick to-day and under the doctor’s care.

Why we should keep well. —Sickness brings sor¬ row, worry and trouble. It checks the growth of the young. It wastes time and money. The cost in the United States of unnecessary sickness, or sickness that could have been prevented, is estimated at a billion dollars a year. This is nearly twice as much money as is spent on our schools.

At times sickness may come upon us through no fault of our own. But many of our aches and pains are the result of our own carelessness or lack of knowl¬ edge.

Planning for good health. —The other day a boy

ll know went skating. He is a fine skater, but there was water on the ice and he got his feet wet. Instead of changing his shoes and stockings when he came home, he sat through the evening with his feet damp. He is now down with a severe cold, and the doctor fears pneumonia.

And all because Harryhad not formed the habit of attending to wet feet the moment he came into the house!

Have you ever eaten something you knew you ought not to eat, and then found yourself ill because of it? Have you never had tooth¬ ache from a decayed tooth which had been

neglected? it is even

c Recess

possible that your ^ , f „ ,.

Play hard. Put nothing dirty in your weight and height are mouth

less now than they

should be on account of some sickness which a little care might have prevented.

Things to be proud of. —The girls and boys who read this book should be well. They should plan for good health. They should be strong, and not easily tired. They should grow fast, and be free from aches and pains. They should not take cold easily, nor be subject to headaches, earaches, toothaches. They should be hungry for every meal, and enjoy their food. They should not easily take contagious dis¬ eases to which they may be exposed. They should have the habit of being healthy and happy!