The cummerbund is a useful article of clothing, especially for men in the
evening. It does away with the need for a waistcoat, which often proves
hot and uncomfortable, and yet provides the necessary safeguard against
chill to the abdominal organs.
A word as to the use of a flannel cholera belt, about which opinions
differ. Experience in many tropical countries leads the writer to
recommend its use at night, and at night only. Even so, it is unnecessary
and uncomfortable in places where the nights are invariably hot and
steamy, and is chiefly of value in dry, desert climates where there is a
great difference between the day and night temperatures.
_Effects of the Sun._—It is difficult to overestimate the importance of
the protection of the head from the direct rays of the sun. It is best,
where possible, to avoid going out in the heat of the day, but where this
is necessary the head should be protected by a suitable helmet, which
should be light in weight and colour, which should be ventilated, and
which should have a good protection for the back of the head. A large
green leaf inside the helmet might be an additional protection, and a
sun umbrella should also be used wherever practicable. A helmet should
as a rule be worn when going out during the day-time in the tropics.
Sometimes, however, the helmet is found very troublesome, as, for
example, by the sportsman in the bush. He may then have recourse to a
double Terai hat, or even to an ordinary wide-brimmed felt hat provided
he inserts a crumpled-up handkerchief in its crown. This will usually
afford a reasonable protection.
_Errors of Diet._—The lassitude which is often so much felt by Europeans
resident in the tropics too frequently tempts them to the abuse of
alcoholic stimulants and highly-spiced foods. The habit is a most
pernicious one, for such indulgence is one of the most fruitful causes
of the permanent ill-health so often wrongly attributed to the mere
residence in a hot climate. There is no doubt that food should be taken
with greater moderation in hot than in cold climates; heat-producing
articles of diet, such as fat, should be taken in far smaller quantity,
but an ample supply of vegetables is essential. The meals should never be
heavy, especially during the heat of the day, and intervals of about four
hours should always separate consecutive meals.
Cooking should always be conducted with great care in the tropics, for
the stomach and liver are less able to bear any extra strain, such as
would be induced by the attempt to digest imperfectly-cooked food.
Parasites are often introduced into the system by insufficiently cooked
food.
Natural milk must be boiled; condensed milk should be mixed with boiled
water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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