On Duty Under a Tropical Sun, Some Suggestions for the Maintenance of Health and Comfort, by S.L. Hunt and A.S. Kenny (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. General Remarks On Diet. In the preceding pages we have frequently had occasion to refer to the important part diet plays in the maintenance of the health of the individual. As a general rule, people pay but little attention to what they take as meat and drink. In the tropics, however, the question of diet is a very serious one. In these countries errors in this particular may be followed, not only with temporary inconvenience and discomfort, but by permanent injurious results. The importance of this fact has become so generally recognised that there are now many valuable books which discuss every aspect, and enter into every detail of this comprehensive and intricate subject. Such being the case, it will only be necessary for us to put forward very briefly those suggestions which our own tropical experience may have led us to regard as interesting and important. 1. As regards what a man should take to drink. All authorities are now pretty well agreed that the less anyone who may be called upon to visit tropical countries takes in the way of alcohol, the better it will be for him. Apart from the fact that alcohol in any considerable quantity is prejudicial to even the healthy body, it must be remembered that we have to resort to its use during many critical periods of disease, and the benefit derived from its administration on these occasions will depend, in no small degree, upon the amount we were accustomed to take when in a state of health. Pew, however, will be found who will altogether dispense with the use of alcohol, and, indeed, there seem to be very many people who derive a certain amount of benefit from partaking of a moderate quantity in the course of the twenty-four hours. Assuming, then, that by far the greater number of people w...