Item 10: General William Holmes diary, 23 August 1914-22 February 1915 - Page 68
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[Page 68]
[Lecture notes by Colonel Howse]
TROPICAL DIETARY
1. - Milk and water must be boiled for 20 minutes before using, and if stored, the vessels should be washed out each day with boiling water and kept covered.
2. - Tinned food must be eaten as soon as opened to prevent ptomaine poisoning, but salt food taken from tins will keep for 24 hours if in ice chest.
3. - Fruit. Paw Paw is the best fruit as it materially aids digestion. When ripe it is of a deep orange color. Unripe paw paw when boiled acts as an excellent substitute for vegetables.
4. - Wild-fowl. Decomposition sets in quickly, particularly in wounded parts and must not be eaten if its flavor is at all "high", as it is likely to set up severe intestinal inflamation.
5. - Bath. The best time to take this is a warm bath if possible at night and if clothing is sweaty, change it.
6. - Vegetables. When eaten raw should be thoroughly cleaned by repeated washings in boiled water.
8. - All Food must be protected from flies as the fly is the chief source of infection in food by the dysenteric germ.
9. - Alcohol should be treated as a poison and only taken medicinally.
10. - All Men must report immediately if they feel ill, to their company officer.
CAMP SANITATION
1. SITE. See para 2 (2) of instructions regarding malaria.
2. ELEVATION. ditto.
3. Protection from Mosquitos. - See instructions regarding prevention of malaria.
4. Water Supply. See para. 1 of instructions re Tropical Dietary.
5. Clearing of Compound. See para. 2 (2) of instructions regarding Malaria. In addition, get rid of empty tins, broken bottles, and other rubbish which cannot burn. Collect them daily, and put them in pits at border of compound, and cover them each day. The pit must be in dry ground, and away from the water supply. It should not be more that three feet deep, and it should be covered when full, by a mound. All rubbish should be collected and burnt six times daily, to prevent collecting too much.
6. Position of Servants (Native) Dwellings. - To leeward side of European dwellings, 200 yards or more distance. Children not to go near them.
7. - Position of Latrines; - To leeward of European dwellings, and not too close. Supply of dry earth with scoop should always be beside trench. All Faecal matter must be burnt when possible, in the latrines.