Outlines of Naval Surgery Author:John Wilson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. PART III.—PROPHYLAXIS. Pkophylaxis, or that branch of medical science which investigates the causes of disease, and the various modes of evadin... more »g or counteracting them., must be to all interesting. In every situation, the knowledge of the cause of disease, and of the means or mode to counteract or crush it, must be important, but particularly so among multitudes, or dense bodies of men, as in ships of war or barracks. Men in masses are always more prone to disease, and to its virulence, than when isolated, detached, or spread. As primary surpass in their importance secondary causes, or their effects, so does the knowledge of the cause of disease, and the means to counteract it, surpass in its importance the means curative. To the naval surgeon, situated as he is, in a dense population, influenced by diet, habit, and climate, and the chances and changes of war, it is not difficult to see the cause of disease must be important. Circumstances influencing the health, or the efficiency of seamen, are two-fold : first, those relating to the person, cleanliness, clothing, temperance, and provision, its quantity or quality ; second, those relative to the ship, cleanliness, dryness, ventilation. Cleanliness.—For comfort and health this is indispensable. By ablution with water, freely and frequently performed, impurity, or noxious perspired matter is wiped off, the surface cleaned, the pores opened, a healthy perspiration following, the surface, and, with it, the constitution invigorated. Sailors are naturally or habitually slovenly, washing seldom, unless constrained, and then sparingly, whence originates itch, herpes, excoriation. Cleanliness in clothing is not less essential to health, than in person. Dirty, damp flannels, or under garments of any descr...« less