PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. This book has been prepared for the use of the layman in order that he may know what measures he should take to protect himself from disease and what he should do in case of sudden illness, where it is difficult or impossible to secure the services of a physician. Written directions very imperfectly supply the place of the physician and surgeon. No one should depend, if it can be avoided, upon the information that can be obtained from a medical handbook. When there is sickness always send for a physician, if one is within reach, in order that the patient may receive the best attention available. A supplement on first aid to the injured has been added to the book in order that it may be of use in case of accident, and so that means may be employed to make the injured person as comfortable as possible. The works of Anders, Osler, Rosenau, Harrington, Thompson, Keefer, Gatewood, and other authorities have been freely drawn upon, and the author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to them and to the officers of the Public Health Service for the valuable assistance given in the preparation of this book. While most of the articles on disease are new, parts of some of them have been taken from the Handbook of the Ship's Medicine Chest, prepared in 1904 by Surgeon George W. Stoner, and from the revised edition of this book, published in 1915 for the use of the United States Lighthouse Service. JULY 20, 1917. W. G. STIMPSON. 15 PREFACE TO FIRST AID TO THE INJURED. In addition to strictly first-aid measures, in many instances brief notes on after treatment have been added in the hope of making this publication more useful to the masters of vessels, lighthouse keepers, and others, who by force of circumstances are sometimes compelled to undertake the treatment of injuries without the expectation of medical aid.. In preparing this manual, numerous surgical authorities have been consulted, but special mention should be made of Da Costa's Modern Surgery, and Scudder's Fractures and Dislocations, from which sources much valuable material and many illustrations have been taken, and for which due acknowledgment is gratefully made. MAY 15, 1918. 16 M. H. FOSTER. PREVENTION OF DISEASE. INTRODUCTION. Sickness causes loss of time, great expense, much suffering, and, frequently, death. When the misery and distress produced by it are taken into account, the importance of its prevention can not be overestimated. It may often be easily avoided by simple means. Scurvy, which was once the scourge of the seas, now rarely occurs on vessels. This is due to the addition of fresh fruits, vegetables, or lime juice to the seaman's ration. Necrosis of the jaw, or phossy jaw, which was formerly so common among workmen in match factories, is now prevented by the use of red phosphorus instead of white phosphorus in this industry. Yellow fever has been stamped out of many places by killing the mosquitoes which convey the disease. To protect ourselves against disease, it is necessary to know what agencies are harmful to the human body and what measures should be taken to protect the body from them. It has been ascertained, for instance, that in order to keep well, the temperature and humidity of the air in buildings must be regulated; sewage must be disposed of in such a manner as not to contaminate the water supply or pollute the soil; the body must be protected from the bites of insects which spread disease; and precautions must be taken to prevent the transmission of disease from one person to another. It will thus be readily seen that freedom from disease depends upon conditions intimately associated with the body and its environment. SANITATION OF BUILDINGS. Construction. Buildings should not be placed upon made land on account of the organic matter which such land is liable to contain. Clays, alluvial soils, and badly drained places should be avoided, if possible. The best sites are those where the ground is composed of gravels, sand, or where it is underlaid by granite, limestone, or other rock. The building should be surrounded on all sides by an open space, if possible. It should have a cellar underneath with a cement floor. The walls of the cellar should extend several feet above the surface of the ground 129054-19 -2 17 |