Skin infections and eye affections are also very commonly seen in the refugee camps. Many of these are the result of lack of another vitamin in the diet, namely, vitamin A. The cheap way to prevent this is to supplement the rice diet with some of the following vegetables: turnip greens, beet greens, alfalfa shoots, pea shoots, small cabbage, spinach, onion, mustard leaves, sweet potatoes, carrots and so on. Practically all these fresh vegetables when not subjected to prolonged cooking will also serve to prevent the disease scurvy, exhibiting bleeding gums, subcutaneous hemorrhage and so on. This disease is the result of the lack of vitamin C from the diet. When fresh orange peels are available, a fresh watery infusion should serve as a cheap but good prophylactic as well as a therapeutic agent. Such infusions may replace tea.
To complete further the rice diet it is advisable to add to it a daily amount of, say, 2 ozs. of well fried small fish (2-3 inches long) to be eaten entirely, including the bores. This. will supply certain animal protein, calcium and other mineral salts, all of which are important for the proper function of the body.
The attention of te various guilds and other charitab.e bodies who are generously feeding refugees in the Settlement is earnestly requested to this matter, Nutritional diseases ere easily prevented, but once they have caused symptoms, are very difficult to cure.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.