Item 10: General William Holmes diary, 23 August 1914-22 February 1915 - Page 174
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[Page 174]
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE
G.R.I.
BRITISH ADMINISTRATION - German New Guinea
TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE POST AS AN ORDINARY NEWSPAPER.
OBTAINABLE AT ALL POST OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE COLONY.
PUBLISHED ON THE 1st AND 15th OF EACH MONTH.
Vol. I. - No.2 1st NOVEMBER 1914 Price 6d.
HOW TO KEEP HEALTHY.
HINTS ON HYGIENE.
By Major Maguire, A.M.C., P.M.O.
It should be a point of honour with all soldiers to always be fit and healthy and to be able to fight and march with the best. So it is very necessary for every man to learn the simple art of keepinh heath. I say simple, because if we only follow certain plain rules and take a few precautions, we can all guard against those milder forms of disease, and even the serious disease which so quickly cripple a fighting force, and turn it from an efficient fighting machine into an invalid's home. Therefore, it is important to learn, and more important still to practice the simple art of healthy living. If we own a valuable horse or a good dog we take great care to keep it clean, see it gets good food regularly, and given in a proper manner, and that its living quarters are clean and sanitary. But, unfortunately, many men who will cheerfully and willingly do this, neglect the most obvious of their own and their comrades health.
In this article I propose to point out some of the simplest and most important facts in connection with this subject, so that you may help yourselves to keep healthy. It should be the pride of a soldier to do everything in his power to avoid being sick in hospital, his ambition should be to beat duty in the ranks. Your officers will help you, the Army Medical Corps will help you, but the greatest part lies with yourselves, Therefore make your motto always "KEEP FIT."
If I were asked to name the one thing above all others which men should remember if they are going to "keep fit" and be healthy, I should unhesitatingly say "Cleanliness," This applies not only to men as individuals, but also to men as a body. Working as we are as a force, the importance of cleanliness cannot be exaggerated, for the carelessness of one man may cause the ill health of a dozen innocent comrades who are doing all in their power to keep fit. Unfortunately the culprit not infrequently escapes the results of his regard, and so every man should see that those around him are doing their duty to him as well as to themselves.
When we speak of cleanliness, we infer the presence of dirt which has to be removed. Now what is dirt? Dirt is simply matter which is in the wrong place. Sand in the street is clean, but if it gets into the works of a machine it is dirt and must be removed. The most dangerous form of dirt from our point of view is the refuse and waste that accumulates about men and their dwellings, for this is the main cause of preventable disease; for nearly every disease that cripples an army is preventable, and yet very many more men are put out of action on service by disease than by