NO. 23 INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERE ON HEALTH 85 



in cold weather. Every three-quarters of an hour the school-rooms 

 should be emptied and the scholars set to drill or exercise for a 

 few minutes in the open air, or under open sheds, and the air in the 

 rooms should be blown out by opening all the windows and doors. 

 This lowers the bacterial count very greatly, and relieves the mon- 

 otony of the conditions. The exercise invigorates the circulation of 

 the children and antagonizes the ill effects which a sedentary occu- 

 pation has on the metabolism. 



The suitability of the clothing is of the greatest importance not 

 only to the comfort but to the efficiency of man as a working 

 machine ; for example, the power of soldiers to march. On a still 

 day the body is confined by the clothes as if by a chamber of stag- 

 nant air, for the air is enclosed in the meshes of the clothes and the 

 skin layer becomes heated to body temperature and saturated with 

 moisture. 



The observations of P'embrey : show that himself and four soldiers 

 marching in drill order on a moderately warm day (dry bulb 69° F., 

 wet bulb 59 F.) lost more water and retained more water in their 

 clothes than on another similar day when they worked with no jacket 

 on (dry bulb 67 ° F., wet bulb 5S F.). The average figures were 

 loss of moisture 1,600 against 1,200 grams and water retained in 

 clothes 254 against 109 grams. With no jacket the pulse was on 

 the average increased 28 against 41 in drill order, and rectal tem- 

 perature i° against 1.5 F. The taking off of the jacket or throw- 

 ing open of the jacket and vest very greatly increases the physiologi- 

 cal economy of a march. It is absurd that on a hot summer day boy 

 scouts should march with a colored scarf knotted round the neck. 

 Nothing should be worn for ornament or smartness which increases 

 the difficulty of keeping down the body temperature. The avoidance 

 of fatigue of the heart, the power to march, and the efficiency depend 

 on prevention of heat stagnation. 



A series of experiments carried out by one of us (L. Ff.) and Mr. 

 R. H. Davis on the Fleuss rescue apparatus (for use in mines) 

 show the danger which arises from heat stagnation in fighting fires 

 in mines. The wearer of this apparatus breathes through a mouth- 

 piece, fitted with inlet and outlet valves, in and out of a vulcanized 

 rubber bag. The bag contains sticks of caustic soda, and a continu- 

 ous supply of oxygen is maintained within it by means of oxygen 

 cylinders (worn on the back) and a reducing valve. The CO., in 

 the inhaled air is kept down under 0.5 per cent. 



1 War Office Committee on Physiological Effects of Food, Training, and 

 Clothing on the Soldier, 4th report, 1908. 



