Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools

by Francis M. Walters

3. With the arms at the sides and the feet side by side and touching, bring the hands in a circular movement to a vertical position over the head, and lock the thumbs. Keeping the knees straight and the thumbs locked, bend forward, letting the hands touch the ground if possible, and then bring the body and hands again to the vertical position. Then by a backward sweeping movement, return the hands again to the sides. Repeat.

While these exercises may be practiced whenever convenient, it is best to set apart some special time each day for them, as on retiring at night or on rising in the morning.

Hygienic Footwear.—A necessary aid to erectness of position in standing and walking is a properly fitting shoe. Heels that are too high tilt the body unnaturally forward, and shoes that cause any kind of discomfort in walking lead to unnatural positions in order to protect the feet. Shoes should fit snugly, being neither too large nor too small. Many shoes, however, are unhygienically constructed, and no attempt should be made to wear them. Certainly is this true of styles that approach the "French heel" or the "toothpick toe" (Fig. 107). However, many styles of shoes are manufactured that are both hygienic and neat fitting. Rubber heels, on account of their elasticity, are to be preferred to those made of leather.

Fig. 107—Heels and toes of unhygienic and of hygienic footwear.

The Skeleton in Childhood and Old Age.—Certain peculiarities are found to exist in the bones of children and of old people which call for special care of the skeleton during the first and last periods of life. The bones of children are soft, lacking mineral matter, and are liable to become bent[pg 239] For this reason, children who are encouraged to walk at too early an age may bend the thigh bones, causing the too familiar "bow-legs." These bones may also be bent by having children sit on benches and chairs which are too high for the feet to reach the floor, and which do not provide supports for the feet. Wholesome food, fresh air, sunlight, and exercise are also necessary to the proper development of the bones of children. Where these natural conditions are lacking, as in the crowded districts of cities, children often suffer from a disease known as "rickets," on account of which their bones are unnaturally soft and easily bent.

On account of the accumulation of mineral matter, the bones of elderly people become brittle and are easily broken, and from lack of vigor of the bone cells they heal slowly after such injuries occur. This makes the breaking of a bone by an aged person a serious matter. Old people should, as far as possible, avoid liabilities to falls, such as going rapidly up and down stairs, or walking on icy sidewalks, and should use the utmost care in getting about. In old people also the cartilage between the bones softens, increasing the liability of getting misshaped. Special attention, therefore, should be given to erectness of form, and to such exercises as tend to preserve the natural shape of the body.

Treatment of Fractures.—A fractured bone always requires the aid of a surgeon, and no time should be lost in securing his services. In the meantime the patient should be put in a comfortable position, and the broken limb supported above the rest of the body. Though the breaking of a bone is not, as a rule, a serious mishap, it is necessary that the very best skill be employed in setting it. Any failure to bring the ends of the broken bone into their normal[pg 240] relations permanently deforms the limb and interferes with its use.

Dislocations and Sprains.—Dislocations, if they be of the larger joints, also require the aid of the surgeon in their reduction and sometimes in their subsequent treatment. Simple dislocations of the finger joints, however, may be reduced by pulling the parts until the bones can be slipped into position.

A sprain, which is an overstrained condition of the ligaments surrounding a joint, frequently requires very careful treatment. When the sprain is at all serious, a physician should be called. Because of the limited supply of blood to the ligaments, they are slow to heal, and the temptation to use the joint before it is fully recovered is always great. Massage[82] judiciously applied to a sprained joint, by bringing about a more rapid change in the blood and the lymph, is beneficial both in relieving the pain, and in hastening recovery.