HYGEIA 



2891 



HYGIENE 



roams through Southern Asia from Abyssinia 

 to India, while the other two, one spotted and 

 one brown, are found over much of Africa, 



THE SPOTTED HYENA 



south of the^ Sahara Desert. All three species 

 have a very disagreeable odor, which is another 

 of their unpleasant characteristics. 



HYGEIA, hije'ya, in Greek mythology, the 

 goddess of health and the daughter of Aescu- 

 lapius, with whom she was worshiped at Athens, 

 Corinth and elsewhere. She is represented in 

 art accompanied by her father, or sometimes 

 alone, with a snake at her side, the symbol of 

 healing power delegated to her from Apollo. 

 Originally Hygeia was an independent goddess, 

 but later was joined with other deities who 

 were identified with the cure of disease. The 

 origin of the modern word hygiene is thus ac- 

 counted for. 



HYGIENE, hi'jien, or hi' jeen, from a 

 French word and a Greek word which mean 

 to be healthy, is the name applied to that 

 branch of medical science which concerns 

 itself with the preservation of health. Though 

 it does not include the practice of medicine or 

 of surgery, it is regarded as a branch of medi- 

 cal science because it has to do with the pre- 

 vention of disease. Medicine is administered 

 and surgical operations performed to make the 

 sick well; the well apply the laws of hygiene 

 in order to keep well. 



Hygiene may be divided into four main 

 branches: personal, domestic, public and mili- 

 tary hygiene. 



Personal Hygiene. To live hygienically one 

 must understand the needs and character of 

 his physical organism. First of all, he must 

 know how to select his daily food, for good 

 health depends primarily on proper nourish- 

 ment. The elements, nutritive and fuel value, 

 and digestibility of the foods in common use 

 are fully treated in these volumes in the arti- 

 cles FOOD and DIET. Closely connected with 

 the subject of foods is that of beverages. Tea 

 and coffee are both stimulants, but neither has 



nutritive qualities. Excessive use of either is 

 as much to be avoided as indulgence in wine, 

 beer and distilled liquors and narcotic drugs. 

 Every person who desires to keep well should 

 drink at least six glasses of pure water each 

 day, one on rising, two between breakfast and 

 luncheon, two between luncheon and dinner 

 and one on retiring. The moderate drinking 

 of water at meals is also advocated by many 

 physicians. 



The selection of clothing is another factor 

 in personal hygiene. One should vary his 

 dress according to his age, occupation and the 

 season of the year. Common sense requires 

 that rubbers be worn in damp weather and 

 that warm underwear be chosen for the cold 

 months. The clothing should not be too tight- 

 fitting nor should it in any way restrict the 

 freedom of the bodily movements or the circu- 

 lation. Women and girls should shun ex- 

 tremely high heels, which throw forward the 

 weight of the body to an abnormal degree, 

 long walking skirts that gather up the filth 

 germs in the street, and the tight stays that 

 by their pressure may injure the internal 

 organs. 



Everyone who works indoors the greater part 

 of the day should take some form of daily 

 exercise, preferably in the open air. Physical 

 activity is a necessity if the bodily organs ar& 

 to develop properly and carry on their func- 

 tions regularly. Rest and sleep are equally 

 important. The person who is weakened by 

 overwork and insufficient sleep is in just the 

 'condition to succumb easily to disease. One 

 should sleep at least eight hours a day, as a 

 rule, and care should be taken to have the 

 sleeping room thoroughly ventilated. No one 

 who sleeps in stagnant air can rest properly. 



Personal cleanliness is all important. Unless 

 the entire body is bathed frequently the oil 

 and waste products secreted by the glands of 

 the skin will clog up the pores and prevent 

 the skin from doing its share of eliminating 

 waste matter. The hair, nails, nose and mouth 

 cavities and teeth should all be looked after 

 carefully. Inasmuch as dirt and dead particles 

 of skin are continually being rubbed off on 

 the clothing, the garments worn next to the 

 skin should be changed frequently, and the 

 clothing worn during the day should always 

 be removed when one goes to bed. 



Domestic Hygiene. This division covers the 

 hygiene of the home, and includes such mat- 

 ters as the preparation of meals, the cleaning 

 and airing of rooms, ventilation and heating, 



