illness among the fremen

[Emperor Harkonnen]

Illness has got to be a large problem among the fremens, due to the lack of washing. don't you guys think so too?

[Andrew]

That could be true. But this is in the future when they probably have vacinations of common illnesses. Also they do clean them selves when in a sietch.

Maybe because they are isolated from each other in a way, there may not be much transferral of diseases.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

that can be true. but how did they clean themselves without water?

[Dante]

Remember that the pathogens that cause disease would probably need water too. Without it they die. And the enviroment is just as hostile to them as the Fremen.

Also, being a hardy people, chances are the Fremen worked up a resistance to most diseases.

[Alia Atreides]

Also I believe it had something to do with thier high consumption of spice as well that fought off many diesases and made them immune to other diesases as well.

[nemafakei]

Recall that the fremen were also descended from the Zensunni wanderers, and would ahve come across many, many diseases beforehand, so little is likely to get to them that hasn't already been fought off. Furthermore, any diseases caught and brought into the sietch communities would have to be through contact with those not part of the sietches - which would not have been too common.

[Tio_Holtzmann]

paradoxically i think the less hygienic you are the better your immune system is cos youre exposed to more stuff. i dont mean like washing your face in sewage AFTER shaving every day, but like just not washing very often isnt a bad thing in fact it can be beneficial. they think thats why kids immune systems these days are shoddy.

[Andrew]

Good answer Tio_Holtzmann, if they are more prone to illnesses by not getting "cleaned" everyday (or less than non-desert people) The more exposed to illnesses, the more of an immune system they would have.

Take native americans for example. When Europeans came Natives all got sick, cause they didn't have a good immune system to fight the diseases.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

well I would rather clean myself every day than to expose myself to diseases, even though I get imunity from them.

but a fremen has to clean himself once in a while, how do they do that without water?

[Big D]

perhaps they use the sand

[NHJ BV]

perhaps they use the sand

Yeah, sand works for cleaning. Remember that it's very fine and dry sand.

[Tio_Holtzmann]

perfect. and maybe there's a soap dispenser built into their stillsuits.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

yeah but still. today it would seem pretty strange to never wash oneself with water.

[Tio_Holtzmann]

strange to us but not to them! ;D

[Duncan_ghola]

I agree with Alia, i think its the spice which fights off the diseases, the sietches would contain moisture because the fremen took measures to prevent any moisture from escaping, so it couldve been a breeding ground for diseases

[Terror]

agreed, the spice made people immune to many poisons... perhaps also immune to certain deseases.