Mother's Remedies Part 57

Diet.--This should be good and varied to suit the special taste, and as the stomach and bowels are usually disordered such food should be chosen as will best agree. Diet plays a very important part.

PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA.--This is characterized by great decrease of the red cells of the blood with a relatively high color index and the presence of large number of germs. The causes are unknown.

Condition.--The body is not emaciated. A lemon color of the skin is usually present. The muscles are a dark red, but all the other organs are pale and fatty. The heart is large and fatty. The liver and spleen are normal in size, or only slightly enlarged with an excess of iron in the pigment. The red cells may fall to one-fifth or less of the normal number.

The rich properties of the blood are fearfully decreased.

Symptoms.--Stomach and bowels, dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, or constipation, may precede other symptoms or they may last throughout the case. The onset is gradual and unknown, with gradually increasing weary feeling, paleness and some difficulty in breathing and palpitation of the heart on exertion. There is paleness of the skin and the mucous membranes, the lips look pale, no color. The paleness becomes extreme, the skin often having a lemon yellow tint. The muscles are flabby; the ankles are swollen, you can see the arteries beat. Hemorrhages may occur into the skin, mucous membrane and retina of the eye. Nervous symptoms are not common. The pallor and weakness become extreme, sometimes with intervals of improvement and death usually occurs. The following is Addison's description given by Dr. Osler:

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It makes its approach in so slow and insidious a manner that the patient can hardly fix a date to the earliest feeling of that languor which is shortly to become extreme. The countenance gets pale, and white of the eyes become pearly, the general frame flabby rather than wasted. The pulse perhaps larger, but remarkably soft and compressible, and occasionally with a slight jerk, especially under the slightest excitement. There is an increasing indisposition to exertion, with an uncomfortable feeling of faintness or breathlessness in attempting it; the heart is readily made to palpitate; the whole surface of the body presents a blanched, smooth and waxy appearance; the lips, gums and tongue seem bloodless, the flabbiness of the solid increases, the appet.i.te fails, extreme languor and faintness supervene, breathlessness and palpitation are produced by the most trifling exertion, or emotion; some slight oedema (swelling) is probably perceived about the ankles; the debility becomes extreme. The patient can no longer rise from the bed; the mind occasionally wanders; he falls into a prostrate and half torpid state and at length expires; nevertheless, to the very last, and after a sickness of several months' duration, the bulkiness of the general frame and the obesity (fat) often present a most striking contrast to the failure and exhaustion observable in every other respect. The disease is usually fatal.

Treatment.--The patient should remain in bed and should use a light nourishing diet, taking food in small amounts and at stated intervals.

Rest in bed is essential. Dr. Osler treated a case in the following way: I usually begin with three minims (drops) of Fowler's solution of a.r.s.enic three times a day and increase the dose to five drops at the end of the first week; to ten at the end of the second week; to fifteen at the end of the third week, and if necessary go up to twenty or twenty-five. Symptoms of an overdose are rare; vomiting and diarrhea occur. Then the medicine must be discontinued for a few days.

SECONDARY ANEMIA. Causes.--Hemorrhage form (bleeding). (a) Rapid bleeding from the rupture of an aneurism, from a blow, or eating into the blood vessels by an ulcer. (b) Slow bleeding as from nose-bleed, flow from the womb, piles or in "bleeders" people who bleed readily.

2. Inanition form.--Not nourished because of interference in taking food or a.s.similating food, from cancer of the gullet, or disease of the stomach.

3. Toxic poison cases; from acute and chronic diseases, such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis, rheumatism, syphilis, malaria, nephritis; or chronic lead poisoning, mercury, a.r.s.enic, and copper poisoning.

Symptoms.--There is pallor, dizziness, headache, palpitation and dyspnoea, difficult breathing on exertion; there is weakness, tendency to fainting, poor appet.i.te, dyspepsia and constipation. The red blood cells are diminished, also the haemoglobin. Death may occur from a single hemorrhage.

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Treatment.--Remove the cause and rest. Good fresh air, good easily digested food. The bowels must be kept regular. Iron and a.r.s.enic are good remedies if necessary. It is not possible to give special directions. A person in this condition needs a good physician. There is no time to waste. Iron and a.r.s.enic are good remedies, but they must be used intelligently and in proper doses. Blaud's pill is good in some cases. It contains iron. Also Fowler's solution of a.r.s.enic.

LEUKAEMIA.--An affection characterized by persistent increase in the white blood corpuscles, a.s.sociated with changes, either alone or together, in the spleen, lymphatic glands and bone-marrow.

1. Spleen and Bone-Marrow, (Spleen-Medullary) type.--The changes are especially localized in the spleen and in the bone-marrow while the blood shows a great increase in elements which are derived especially from the latter tissue.

2. Lymphatic Type.--The changes in this type are chiefly localized in the lymphatic apparatus, the blood showing an especial increase in those elements derived from the lymph glands.

Causes--Unknown. It is most common before middle age.

Symptoms.--Either type may be acute or chronic. The invasion may be gradual, sometimes with disturbance of the stomach and bowels, or nose-bleed. (a) The first type is the common one. The spleen generally becomes enlarged; it is sometimes tender and painful, it may occupy over half of the abdominal cavity and varies in size after a hemorrhage, diarrhea or after a meal. There may be paleness of the face, etc., early and late nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dysentery are common, as is also ascites (dropsy in the abdomen). The pulse is rapid, full and soft. Fever is usual. Hemorrhages occur in the skin, retina, pleura, peritoneum, etc.

Headache, dizziness, short breathing, and fainting may occur from the anemia. The liver may be enlarged. The blood shows a great increase in the white cells. Sometimes they are more numerous than the red blood cells.

(b) Lymphatic type is rare, various groups of the lymph glands are enlarged, usually separate, but sometimes matted together; others, such as the tonsils may become large. The blood shows an increase of the white cells, but less than in the other form. The spleen is usually somewhat enlarged. Recovery is rare; the lymphatic cases may last only six or eight weeks. The course is usually progressive for two or three years.

Treatment.--The same as for Pernicious Anaemia.

FALSE LEUKAEMIA. (Pseudo-Leukaemia).--Also called Hodgkin's disease, malignant lymphoma, and general lymphadenoma. This is a progressive anemia and enlargement of the lymph glands and the skin, with secondary lymphoid growth in the liver, spleen and other organs.

Causes.--Males are more affected than females, and usually young persons.

Continual local irritation causes a local enlargement of the gland, but the actual cause is unknown.

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Symptoms.--The lymph glands of the neck, arm-pit or groin are enlarged and without any pain, followed by anemia, loss of strength and slight fever.

The glands enlarge slowly or rapidly, forming large ma.s.ses, while the growth extends to other regions. The spleen may be felt; the skin may be bronzed. In cases with involvement of deep seated nodes the first symptoms may be those of pressure on blood vessels, nerves, trachea, bronchial tubes or other structures.

Treatment.--Cut them out if they are small and localized. a.r.s.enic, quinine, cod-liver oil are good medicines.

PURPURA.--This is not strictly a disease, but a symptom. This includes a group of affections characterized by hemorrhages into the skin.

Symptoms.--There are hemorrhages into the skin, and this takes the form of small blood spots underneath the skin, (petechia) and spots like the bursting of a blood vessel shows vibices or ecchymoses. The first are in small minute points and appear, as a rule, in the hair follicles and unlike the erythemas (redness) do not disappear upon pressure. Another kind occurs as streaks, while the ecchymoses are larger, but similar in nature to the first kind. They may be larger than a split pea, and they range from a deep red to a livid bluish tint. They a.s.sume a yellowish brown, then a yellow color, as they fade away and finally disappear. This eruption appears in a series of crops and the legs are the usual seat.

1. Symptomatic Purpura. (a) Infectious. Occurs in typhus fever, endocarditis, cerebro-spinal meningitis, typhoid fever, etc. (b) Toxic; from snake bites, iodide of potash, quinine, copaiba, bella donna, ergot, etc., and with jaundice. (c) Cachectic; with cancer, tuberculosis, leukaemia, false leukaemia, scurvy, etc. (d) Neurotic; with hysteria, neuralgia, and some organic disease. (e) Mechanical; due to violent effort and poor venous circulation.

2. Type arthritic purpura. (a) Simple Purpura. A mild form usually occurring in children, sometimes with pains in the joints, rarely any fever. There is anemia, disturbance of the stomach and purpuric spots on the legs, often on the arms and trunks. (b) Rheumatic purpura; this usually occurs in men from twenty to forty years old. There is usually pain and swelling of several joints, temperature 101 to 103 degrees, purpuric eruption chiefly on the legs and about the affected joints, often with hives and digestive disturbances: (c) Henoch's purpura; usually in children and is sometimes fatal. There are recurrent joint pains and swelling, disturbances of the stomach and bowels, skin troubles resembling it, and hemorrhage from mucous membrane.

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PURPURA HAEMORRHAGIC.--This is a severe form, usually seen in delicate girls. The cause is unknown.

Symptoms.--Weakness, extensive purpuric spots (small blood spots in the skin), eruption, hemorrhages from the mucous membranes which may cause secondary anemia, slight fever, slow clotting of the blood. The duration is from ten to fourteen days. Death may occur within a day in cases marked by profuse bleedings into the skin and prostration.

Treatment.--Remove the causes. Fresh air, food and tonics, etc. This disease is serious and needs careful treatment from a physician.

HAEMOPHILIA. "Bleeders."--This is a hereditary disorder characterized by a tendency to persistent bleeding, spontaneously or even after a slight injury.

Causes.--Usually hereditary through many generations. It is transmitted through daughters, themselves usually not "bleeders," to their male children. It is found most often in the Anglo-German races.

Condition.--The blood vessel walls are thin; the skin is delicate, clotting of the blood is usually r.e.t.a.r.ded.

Symptoms.--It comes spontaneously or after only slight wounds; the person is extremely delicate. The bleedings occur from the skin, or mucous membrane, or from wounds, but rarely during menstruation or confinement.

They vary from small spots to bleeding which may end fatally, or in recovery with marked anemia. There may be pain and swelling of the joints, etc., and this may leave deformities resembling deformed arthritis. The result is worse the earlier the disease shows itself. They may live to old age.

Treatment.--Avoid, as much as possible, wounds and operations in "bleeding" families. Marriage of the women should be discouraged. For bleeding: rest, ice, tannic or gallic acid or adrenalin locally if the bleeding points can be reached. Plug the nostrils for nose-bleed both behind and in front.

SCURVY. (s...o...b..tus).--A const.i.tutional disease characterized by weakness, anemia, sponginess of the gums and tendencies to bleeding.

Causes.--This disease has been called "The calamity of sailors." It has been known from the earliest times, and has prevailed particularly in armies in the field and among sailors on long voyages. It has become a very rare disease in the United States.

Predisposing Causes.--Overcrowding; dark unhealthy rooms; prolonged fatigue; mental depression.

Exciting Cause.--The lack of fresh vegetables, poisoning from slightly tainted food, or an infection. The gums are swollen, sometimes ulcerated, skin is spotted, bluish, etc,