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16
4.—Where the drinking water is open to suspicion it should be
boiled before use.
Personal cleanliness is important. Babies and their clothing
should be kept specially clean. Do not give them dirty toys nor
allow them to play in dirty places.
Household cleanliness is also necessary. Give extra attention
to the living-room floor, pantry, sink, and utensils for food. Baby's
feeding bottle and teat require scrupulous cleaning every time they
are used. Ventilate the house well day and night.
The yard and outside premises should be kept clean and free
from rubbish. Drains should be flushed with water. Foul ashpits
and privies or other nuisances should be reported.
Animal and vegetable refuse should be burned. Dirty water
should not be thrown on to the yard or street, and slops should never
be put into the ash place.
If a child gets diarrhoea, send for a doctor, Summer Diarrhoea
is rapidly fatal in young children.
Recently I came across a cutting from a Japanese newspaper,
"How to live 100 years." So excellent are the rules laid down
that they are worthy of reproduction:—
"Spend as much time as possible in the open air. Go to bed
"early and rise early.
"Sleep at least six hours, and at most seven and a half, in
"a dark room, with the windows open.
"Be moderate with tea and coffee ; avoid tobacco and
"alcohol altogether.
"Take a bath as hot as can be borne every day. (A cold
one is more stimulating to us).
"Wear clothes made of very coarse cloth.
"Observe in every week one day of rest on which you must
"neither read or write.
"Marry; widowers and widows marry again immediately.
"Avoid rooms that are too hot, and above all those that are
heated by steam pipes."
A notable omission from these rules, the observance of which
would not make merely for a longer life, but for a happier, fuller
life, is any reference to the matter of over-eating. Probably it is
regarded as superfluous. The Japanese are an extremely abstemious
race, and the over-eating, bordering on gluttony, so common in this
country would probably be regarded by them as impossible.
The deaths for the last five years will be found in Table I.
Table II shews the cases of infectious disease notified during
the year.
Table III. gives the various causes of death at all ages, and
Table IV. those under one year.