Personal Hygiene 1 The Eye, its use and abuse. 2 How to care for the Teeth. 3 Breathing and pure air. 4 Microbes and keeping clean. 7 The health of the Skin. 8 Some facts about the Nose. 9 Our Lungs. 10 Eating. 11 Alcohol. 12 Tobacco and the Human Body. 13 The Use and Care of Finger Nails. 14 Cause of Colds.

The American Red Cross Society, 715 Union Trust Bldg., Washington, D. C., issues a series of five handsomely lithographed wall charts mounted on linen and heavy rollers.  These charts are numbered as follows and may be purchased for $2.50 for the set.

Chart I. The Skeleton;
Chart II.  The Muscles;
Chart III.  Scheme of Systematic Circulation;
Chart IV.  Fracture and Dislocation;
Chart V. Arteries and Points’ of Pressure for Controlling Hemorrhage.

These charts will make the talks doubly attractive.  Honor points are given boys for essays written upon the Health Talks.  Some camps found that boys were desirous of taking examinations in First Aid.  In one camp twenty-three boys won the Certificates of the American Red Cross Society.  For information write to the Educational Department of the International Committee, Young Men’s Christian Association, 124 East 28th Street, New York, or the American Red Cross Society. (See address above)

CHAPTER XVI—­PERSONAL HYGIENE

Eating
teeth
hands
eyes
ears
nose
hair
feet
internal organs
bathing
sleep
clothing

Eating

Very little thought is given by the boy to what he eats, as long as it suits his taste, and there is an ample supply.  The causes of most skin diseases are largely traceable to diet.  Chew the food slowly.  Don’t “bolt” food.  Your stomach is not like that of a dog.  Food must be thoroughly masticated and moistened with saliva.  Hasty chewing and swallowing of food makes masses which tend to sour and become poison.  This often accounts for the belching of gas, sense of burning and pain, and other forms of distress after eating.  Drink before or after meals.  Don’t overeat.  Conversation aids digestion.  Eating between meals is detrimental to good digestion.  Regular meal hours should prevail.  After dinner is the best time to eat candy or sweets.

[Illustration:  Camp Tooth Brush]

The Teeth

If the tooth brush gets lost make one out of a dry stick, about six inches long, which can be frayed out at the ends like the illustration.  A clean mouth is as important as a clean body.  The teeth should be cleaned twice a day, morning and evening.  Insist upon the bringing of a tooth brush to camp.  Impress upon the boys that time spent upon teeth cleansing will prevent hours of agony upon a dentist chair.  Cleansing the teeth of sticky deposits by running fine threads between them, in addition to the use of a brush and a simple powder, prevents deposits from becoming the starting point of decay.