Title: War Surgery and Medicine

Author: Stout, T. Duncan M.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1954, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

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HYGIENE IN 2 NZEF IN SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC

The areas involved were first New Caledonia (20–22 degrees from the Equator), and later the New Hebrides, the Solomons, and up as far as the Green Islands group (4 degrees off the Equator). The areas were all tropical and ranged from coral atolls to larger islands of volcanic origin with distinct mountain areas.

In the Pacific area New Zealand troops were faced with many of the same hygiene problems as those already mentioned, some of them somewhat different owing to the humid tropical conditions of the islands. Gastro-intestinal tract infections and skin diseases, including septic sores, had to be especially guarded against, and a high standard of field sanitation was called for. Flies were very prevalent in the jungle, and the Japanese had a high incidence of dysentery and contaminated the areas in the Solomon Islands which they had been occupying. It was considered that all streams were contaminated and troops in the jungle required individual water-sterilising tablets or small filters. Chlorination was not effective against amoebic cysts, which required filtration for their removal. As the troops advanced from one island to another in the Solomons they took with them portable latrines, but free use was made of sea latrines. On active operations the individual soldier showed, in spite of training, a lack of appreciation of field hygiene, and in particular of disposal of faeces and the treatment of water for drinking.