[Illustration:  The Morning Dip]

CHAPTER XIII—­HEALTH AND HYGIENE

Physical examination
hospital tent and equipment
physiological facts
pulse rate
the tongue
temperature
pain
surgical supplies
medical stores
simple remedies
first aid to the injured
drills
health talks
red cross society
prevention from drowning
personal hygiene
bibliography

Better to hunt on fields for health unbought
Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught. 
The wise, for cure, on exercise depend;
God never made his work for man to mend. 
—­Dryden

Examination

A boy should be examined by his family physician before going to camp in order that he may receive the greatest good from the camp life and be safeguarded from physical excess.  An examination blank like that shown on the next page is used in many of the large camps.  When the boy arrives in camp the physician or physical director examines the boy.  Take his height, weight, lung capacity, condition of heart, lungs, condition of muscles, whether hard, medium or soft, and state of digestion.  For this purpose you will need a wet spirometer, measuring rod, stethoscope and platform scales.  A second blank with carbon duplicate, is kept of every boy.

[Illustration:  Wisconsin Boys’ Camp Physical Examination Record]

Give dates of first examination on arrival and final examination before departure from camp.  The original is given to the boy to take home and the carbon copy is retained by the camp, filed in alphabetical order.  Most remarkable gains have been made by boys, particularly in lung capacity, height, and hardening of muscles.  The active life of the camp is not conducive as a rule to great gain in weight.

Each tent leader should be given the important facts of the examinations of the boys in his tent, so that there may be intelligent cooperation between the physician, or physical director, the tent leader, and the boy in securing health efficiency.

Average physical types for boys of 5 to 16 years
(Compiled from the measurements of 5,476 school children.)

—–­Lengths (Inches)—–­
Age Weight Height Height  Span of  Breadth  Breadth   Breadth
Sitting   Arms    Head     Chest     Waist
16  116.38  64.45  33.55   66.25    5.95     9.85      9.15
15  103.29  62.25  32.15   63.15    5.90     9.30      8.65
14   87.41  59.45  30.70   60.00    5.85     8.95      8.25
13   78.32  57.10  29.60   57.50    5.80     8.70      7.95
12   72.55  55.25  28.95   55.30    5.80     8.50      7.70