Mother's Remedies Part 63

Varieties.--These arise from differences in the nature, causes, severity and location of the disease process.

Causes.--They are many. (1.) The poison that comes from infectious diseases such as typhoid fever, diphtheria, smallpox, leprosy, la grippe, etc. (2) From poisons such as alcohol, lead, a.r.s.enic; phosphorus, mercury, coal gas, etc. (3) From anemia, cancer, tuberculosis, syphilis, septicemia, diabetes. (4) From cold, over-exertion, etc.

Symptoms.--Acute febrile multiple neuritis. A typical case: This comes on from exposure to cold, over-exertion, or in some cases spontaneously.

There are chills, headaches, pains in the back, limbs and joints, and the case may be called rheumatism. Loss of appet.i.te, coated tongue, constipation, and other symptoms of stomach and bowel trouble. The temperature rises rapidly, and may go to 103 to 104 degrees. The limbs and back ache, but intense pain in the nerves are not always constant. The pain is usually sharp, severe, and located in the limbs, and is worse from moving and pressure. There are tingling feelings in the hands, feet and body, and a feeling as if ants or insects were crawling over them, and there is also increased sensitiveness of the nerve trunks or entire limb.

There is loss of muscular power, first marked, perhaps, in the legs, and it extends upwards and reaches the arms. Sometimes it first begins in the arms. In typical cases the extending muscles of the wrist and ankles drop.

(Wristdrop and foot-drop). In severe cases there is a general loss of muscular power, producing a flabby paralysis. This may extend to the muscles that control speaking, swallowing and hearing resulting in impairment of these functions. The muscles soften and waste away rapidly.

Disorders of nutrition are frequent, like watery swelling (oedema), glossy looking skin, sweating, hives, etc.

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Recovery.--The course of the disease varies considerably. In mild cases the symptoms disappear very soon. In the worst form the patient may die in a week or ten days. As a rule, in moderately severe cases after persisting for five or six weeks, the condition remains about the same for a few months, and then improvement slowly begins and recovery takes place in six to twelve months. In neuritis from alcohol drinking there is a rapid onset as a rule, with delirium and delusions. The result is usually favorable and after persisting for weeks or months improvement gradually begins, the muscles regain their power, and even in the most desperate cases recovery may follow. The mental symptoms are very severe in alcoholic cases.

Delirium is common. It takes much longer for such cases to regain what they call their normal condition.

Neuritis following diphtheria and other infectious diseases. The outlook in cases from these diseases is usually favorable, and except in diphtheria, fatal cases are uncommon. It is most common from diphtheria.

Recovery, in neuritis from diphtheria, takes place in about three months, but some cases are fatal.

Neuritis from lead.--The first symptoms are those of intestinal colic, lead line on the gums, "dropped-wrist." The recovery is quite gradual and the poison may be cast out in three to four months.

In Neuritis from a.r.s.enic.--We have disturbance of the stomach and bowels first, then the legs and arms are about equally affected, weakened; may recover in two to six months.

Treatment for acute kind.--The first thing to do is to rest in bed and control the pain and acute symptoms. Hot applications help to relieve the suffering. Patient must be kept comfortably and constantly warm and quiet.

Hot applications of lead water and laudanum.

Medicines.--It may be necessary to use morphine to control the pain.

Remedies such as antipyrine or aspirin are often used. A physician must be called. When the disease is caused by a.r.s.enic and lead and alcohol, of course you must remove the cause before you can hope for any improvement.

Caution.--Any one can readily understand from reading this description that the thing to do is to be careful not to needlessly expose yourself to taking cold. One subject to rheumatism or neuritis, even in small degree, should take care not only not to take cold but not to overdo in laboring; cold, wet and over-exertion cause the majority of the acute attacks. But some are caused by diseases, such as diphtheria, typhoid fever, etc., and a great many cases of neuritis following these and other infectious diseases can be avoided if proper care is taken during and after these diseases. Such care can easily be taken. Keep your rooms warm and comfortable, and the patient in bed or in a comfortable room until all danger is past. How often I have heard a doctor blamed for such results when in most cases it is the patient's or nurse's fault. Certain results will follow certain diseases and only proper care can keep such results from following. Dropsy frequently follows even a light case of scarlet fever. Why? Simply because, on account of being a light case, the child is left to roam at will about the rooms and catches cold, takes la grippe. If people would only take care of themselves this disease would not leave so many lifelong victims. I have seen men and women who have just recovered from this disease stand on the street corners on a cold, damp day, and talk an hour, and the next day they wondered how they could possibly have taken cold. We cannot disobey the laws of nature safely. Persons who are subject to neuritis or rheumatism should be especially careful on cold, damp, wet days and of over-exertion.

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GENERAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN DISEASES. NERVOUS PROSTRATION. NERVOUS EXHAUSTION.

NEURASTHENIA.

NERVOUS PROSTRATION.--Is a condition of weakness or exhaustion of the nervous system, giving rise to various forms of mental and bodily inefficiency.

Causes. 1. Hereditary causes.--Some children are born of parents who are weak themselves, and who have led fast lives through business or pleasure and these parents have given their offspring a weakened body, and the children are handicapped with a nervous predisposition and furnish a considerable proportion of "nervous" patients.

2. Acquired.--It is acquired by continual worry and overwork, s.e.xual indiscretion, excesses, irregular living and indiscretion in diet. A great many business men, teachers and journalists become "neurasthenics." It may follow infectious diseases, particularly influenza, typhoid fever and syphilis. It also follows operations sometimes. Alcohol, tobacco, morphine may produce a high grade of the disease, if their use is abused.

Symptoms.--These are varied. The most prominent symptom is fatigue. The patient feels so tired and complains of being unable to do any mental labor. It is almost impossible to put the mind on one subject for any length of time. There are headache, dizziness, want of sleep, and there is great depression of spirits; patient is gloomy, irritable in temper with manifestations of hysteria. Sometimes there are marked symptoms of spinal trouble. Pain along the spine with spots or areas of tenderness. Pains simulating rheumatism are present. There is frequently great muscular weakness, great prostration after the least exertion, and a feeling of numbness, tingling, and neuralgic pains. In spinal symptoms, there is an aching pain in the back, or in the back of the neck, which is a quite constant complaint. Then there are the anxiety symptoms in many cases.

There may be only a fear of impending insanity or of approaching death, or of apoplexy, in simple cases. More frequently the anxious feeling is localized somewhere in the body, in the heart region, in the head, in the abdomen, in the thorax (chest, etc.). In some cases the anxiety becomes intense. They are so restless they do not know what to do with themselves.

They throw themselves on the bed, complain, and cry, etc. Sometimes the patients become so desperate they commit suicide. Some patients do not wish to see anyone. Some patients cannot read, reading wearies them so much, or they get confused and dizzy and must stop. Some are very irritable. They complain of everything. Remember they cannot help it, usually. Some are easily insulted and claim they are misunderstood. The circulation may be disturbed in some cases. Then there is palpitation of the heart, irregular and very rapid pulse, pains, and feeling of oppression around the heart, cold hands, and feet. The heart's action may be increased by the least excitement and with the fast pulse and palpitation there are feelings of dizziness and anxiety and such patients are sure they have organic disease of the heart. No wonder. Flashes of heat, especially in the head, and transient congestion of the skin are distressing symptoms. Profuse sweating may occur. In women, especially, and sometimes in men, the hands and feet are cold, the nose is red or blue, and the face feels "pinched." Nervous dyspepsia is present in many cases. The digestion is poor and slow and constipation accompanies it.

Sometimes there is neuralgia of the stomach. The s.e.xual organs are seemingly affected, many men are "almost scared to death" and they use all sorts of quack remedies to restore their s.e.xual vigor. Spermatorrhea is their bugbear. They usually get well if they stop worrying. In women there is the tender ovary and the menstruation may be painful or irregular. The condition of the urine in these patients is important. Many cases are complicated with lithaemia (sand-stone in the urine). It is sometimes also increased in quant.i.ty.

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PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Nervous Prostration.--The patient must be a.s.sured and made to believe that the disease is curable, but that it will take time and earnest help on the part of the patient. Much medicine is not needed, only enough to keep the system working well. Encouragement is what is needed from attendants. Remove the patient from the causes that produce the trouble, whether it be business, worry, over-study, too much social duties, or excesses of any kind. The patient must have confidence in the physician, and he must be attentive to the complaints of the patient. It is the height of foolishness and absurdity for a physician to tell such a patient before he has thoroughly examined him or her that the troubles are imaginary. I believe that is not prudent in the majority of cases. I have heard physicians talk that way to such patients. I thought, what fools! The patient needs proper sympathy and sensible encouragement.

You must make them believe they are going to get well. If you do not wish to do this, refuse such cases, or you will fail with them. If there are any patients that need encouragement and kindly, sympathetic, judicious "cheering up," these patients are the ones, and they generally are "laughed at and made fun of" by people who should know better. Remember their troubles are real to them, and are due to exhaustion or prostration of the nervous system and this condition, as before described, produces horrid feelings and sensations of almost every part of the body. The patient must be made to believe that he may expect to get well; and he must be told that much depends upon himself, and that he must make a vigorous effort to overcome certain of his tendencies, and that all his power of will will be needed to further the progress of the cure.

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First, then, is rest.--Both mental and physical diversions, nutritious though easily digested food, and removal of baneful influences as far as possible. Physical exercise for the lazy. Rest for the anemic and weak.

For business or professional men the treatment is to get away and far off, if possible, from business. It will often be found best to make out a daily programme for those that must remain at home, something to keep the mind busy without tiring, and then times of rest. The patient, if it is possible, should be away from home if home influences and surroundings are not agreeable. Dr. S. Weir Mitch.e.l.l, of Philadelphia, has devised and elaborated a cure, called a rest cure, for the relief of this cla.s.s of patients, and it is wonderfully successful especially in thin people. "Be the symptoms what they may, as long as they are dependent upon nerve strain, this 'cure' is to be resorted to, and if properly carried out is often attended with surprising results." "A bright, airy, easily cleaned, and comfortable room, is to be selected, and adjoining it, if possible, should be a smaller one for an attendant or nurse. The patient is put to bed and kept there from three to six weeks, or longer as may be necessary, and during this time is allowed to see no one except the nurse and doctor, since the presence of friends requires conversation and mental effort. The patient in severe cases must be fed by the nurse in order to avoid expenditure of the force required in the movement of the arms. No sitting up in bed is allowed and if any reading is done it must be done by the nurse who can read aloud for an hour a day (I have seen cases where even that could not be done). In the case of women, the hair should be dressed by the nurse to avoid any physical effort on the part of the patient. To take the place of ordinary exercise, two measures are employed, the first of which is ma.s.sage or rubbing; the second, electricity. By the kneading and rubbing of the muscles and skin the liquids in the tissues are absorbed and poured into the lymph s.p.a.ces, and a healthy blush is brought to the skin. This pa.s.sive exercise is performed in the morning or afternoon, and should last from one-half to an hour, every part of the body being kneaded, even the face and scalp. In the afternoon or morning the various muscles should be pa.s.sively exercised by electricity, each muscle being made to contact by the application of the poles of the battery to its motor points, the slowly interrupted current being used.

Neither of these forms of exercise call for any expenditure of nerve force; they keep up the general nutrition. The following programme for a day's existence is an example of what the physician should order:

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7:30 a. m.--Gla.s.s of hot or cold milk, predigested, boiled or raw as the case requires.

8:00 a. m.--The nurse is to sponge the patient with tepid water or with cold and hot water alternately to stimulate the skin and circulation, the body being well wrapped in a blanket, except the portion which is being bathed. After this the nurse should dry the part last wetted, with a rough towel, using some friction to stimulate the skin.

8:30 a. m.--Breakfast. Boiled, poached or scrambled eggs, milk toast, water toast, or a finely cut piece of mutton chop or chicken.

10:00 a. m.--Ma.s.sage.

11:00 a. m.--A gla.s.s of milk, or a milk punch, or egg-nog.

12:00 m.--Reading for an hour.

1:00 p. m.--Dinner. Small piece of steak, rare roast beef, consomme soup, mutton broth, and any one of the easily digested vegetables, well cooked.

3:00 p. m.--Electricity.

4:30 p. m.--A gla.s.s of milk, a milk punch or egg-nog.

6:30 p. m.--Supper. This should be very plain, no tea or coffee, but toast and b.u.t.ter, milk, curds and whey, or a plain custard.

9 :30 p. m.--A gla.s.s of milk or milk punch.

In this way the day is well filled, and the time does not drag so heavily as would be thought. If the stomach rebels at over feeding, the amount of food must be cut down, but when all the effort of the body is concentrated on respiration, circulation, and digestion a large amount of nourishment can be a.s.similated by the exhausted body, which before this treatment is undertaken may have had its resources so shattered as to be unable to carry out any physiological act perfectly. For the treatment to be successful the rules laid down should be rigidly followed, and the cure should last from three to six weeks or longer."

HYSTERIA.--A state in which ideas control the body and produce morbid changes in its functions.

Causes.--It occurs mostly in women, and usually appears first about the time of p.u.b.erty, but the manifestations may continue until the menopause or even until old age. It occurs in all races. Children under twelve years are not very often affected. A physician writes: One of the saddest chapters in the history of human deception, that of the Salem witches, might be headed, "Hysteria in Children," since the tragedy resulted directly from the hysterical pranks of girls under twelve years of age.

During late years it has been quite frequent among men and boys. It seems to occur oftener in the warm and mild climates than in the cold. There are two predisposing causes that are very important--heredity and education.

Heredity acts by endowing the child with a movable (mobile) abnormally sensitive nervous organization. Cases are seen most frequently in families with marked nervous disease tendencies, whose members have suffered from various sorts of nervous diseases.

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Education.--The proper home education is neglected. Some parents allow their girls to grow up accustomed to have every whim gratified, abundant sympathy lavished on every woe, however trifling, and the girl reaches womanhood with a moral organization unfitted to withstand the cares and worries of every-day life. And between the ages of twelve and sixteen, the most important in her life, when the vital energies are absorbed in the rapid development of the body, the girl is often "cramming" for examinations and cooped in close schoolrooms for six or eight hours daily; not only that, but at home she is often practicing and taking lessons on the piano in connection with the full school work. The result too often is an active bright mind in an enfeebled body, ill-adapted to subserve the functions for which it was framed, easily disordered, and p.r.o.ne to act abnormally to the ordinary stimuli of life.

Direct Influences.--Those influences that directly bring on the attack are fright, anxiety, grief, love affairs, and domestic worries, especially in those of a nervous nature. Diseases of the generative organs and organic diseases in general, and of the nervous system especially, may be causes of hysteria.

Symptoms.--These may be divided into two cla.s.ses: 1. Interparoxysmal or time between the paroxysms (spells). 2. Paroxysmal. During the time of the attack. First variety--The will power seems defective. In bad cases self-control is lost. The patient is irritable, and easily annoyed by the slightest trifle; is very excitable and easily moved to laughter or tears without any apparent cause for either. Easily discouraged and despondent.

She wants lots of sympathy. Second--Loss of sensation is frequently present, and it is most commonly one-sided; it may involve certain parts, as one or two limbs, the trunk escaping, or part of one limb. Various spots of want of sensation (feeling) may exist. The skin of the affected side is frequently pale and cool and a pin p.r.i.c.k may not cause bleeding.

In some cases they feel the touch of the hand, but there is no feeling from heat. There may also be oversensitiveness to pain and of the skin. It may be one-sided or both, or only in spots. The left ovarian region is a common sensitive point; also over the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, lower positions of the ribs, on top of the head and over many portions of the backbone. Pain in the head is a very common and distressing symptom, and is usually on the top. Pain in the back is common. Abdominal pains may be very severe and the abdomen may be so tender as to be mistaken for peritonitis. Various parts of the body may have neuralgic pains. There may be intense pain around the heart. There may be complete blindness, the taste and smell may be disturbed or complete loss of hearing. Third--Paralysis is frequently present. It may be one-sided or only of the lower extremities, or only one limb. The face is usually not involved when it is on one side. The leg is more affected than the arm. Sensation is lessened or lost on the affected side. Paralysis of the lower extremities is more frequent than one-sided paralysis. The power in the limbs hardly ever is entirely lost; the legs may usually be moved, but the legs give way if the patient tries to stand.