Papers on Health Part 27

Where the chest muscles that cover the ribs are sprained, rubbing and moist heat should be applied over the back and round the side where the sprain is, paying especial attention to the spine opposite the sprain, and using hot olive oil before fomentation and after, as well as to rub with.

If the belly be sprained, similar treatment should be given lower down the back.

If the back muscles are sprained, then the same treatment should be applied, taking special care to stimulate with moist heat and rubbing the part of the spine on a level with the injury, where the roots of the nerves lie which supply the sprained muscles. Care must ever be taken to avoid giving pain--to give pain is to increase the injury. To produce a glow of heat all through the parts is to cure it. (_See_ Muscular Pains.)

For a sprained heel, when there is some degree of inflammation about it, we should pack the whole foot in fine soap lather. Let it be in this all night, and also during the day when resting. Wash the foot with a little weak acetic acid, after being packed in the lather, to keep it quite clean. Now rub the whole limb from the ankle upwards in such a way as to press the blood onwards in the veins. Use a little oil, so that the skin may not suffer till a fine heat is raised in the whole limb. This may be done for a quarter-of-an-hour twice or thrice a day. It relieves the heel of all congestion, and lets good arterial blood flow to it, as it would not otherwise. An elastic bandage, not very tight, put on above the knee will help the cure. Sprained joints and muscles should have _perfect rest_ for a fortnight, and be used very cautiously for some time longer.

Spring Trouble.--Many persons are distressed by some form of eruption or inflammation in the skin in spring. The change of atmosphere and temperature at this time greatly increases the demands made upon the skin as an organ of perspiration, and this strain it is in many cases unable to stand--hence the trouble referred to. To prevent this, the skin must be brought into a better state of health and fitness for any extra work, so that it can bear without injury even very great changes of air and temperature. This may be done by regular application of soap lather (_see_ Lather and Soap) to the _entire_ skin each evening for three or four days, and then twice a week through all the season. Good olive oil may be rubbed on before and after the lather, or even mixed with it in rubbing on; if the cooling effect is found too great, two or three thick coats of lather should be put on, and then gently wiped off, and the oil applied. This, continued during the later winter and spring, should entirely prevent eruptions. But if these do appear, or have already come on, the irritation is apt to be so great that only very fine and carefully made lather can be used. It is better then to use _b.u.t.termilk_ instead of lather. But the b.u.t.tERMILK (_see_) must be _new_, and if necessary weakened by addition of sweet milk; if old and strongly acid b.u.t.termilk be used, harm may be done. Do not _rub_ the milk on: _soak_ it into the parts by gentle _dabbing_ with a pad of soft cloth. This done frequently, even twice or three times a day, will almost always effect a cure.

It should be remembered that no amount of washing or bathing will do in this state of the skin. Water somehow, especially hard water, fails to produce this fine state of the surface. When spring trouble has set in, we would keep water entirely from the skin. Nothing does so well as good b.u.t.termilk. In some forms of spring eruption, a strong mixture of salt and water may be freely applied with great advantage. If this irritates, it should at once be discontinued, but in many cases the eruption will disappear under a few applications. The salt solution should be gently rubbed on, and left to dry on the skin (_see_ Skin, Care of; Underwear).

With the increasing warm weather the body ceases to require as much food as in the cold days. Heavy stimulating food in warm weather will certainly cause an unhealthy skin.

Squeezing.--_See_ Rubbing.

Stammering.--This trouble is simply a loss of command of the vocal organs, and is distinctly _nervous_ in its cause. Especially must we look to the _roots_ of the nerves controlling the vocal organs, if we are to see the real difficulty. There is evidently a state of irritability and undue sensitiveness in these nerves which must be soothed down, if a cure is to be obtained. The roots of such nerves lie in the back of the head and neck, and they are best soothed by application of soap lather (_see_ Lather; Soap). This must be well wrought, and applied warm to the back of the head and neck in three or four coats. Then mix some _hot_ OLIVE OIL (_see_) with the lather, and apply with the brush gently to the parts. Altogether, in applying the various latherings, and the final oil-and-lathering, an hour should be spent, so as to continue the soothing effect during that time. The head may be soaped one night (_see_ Head, Soaping the), and this treatment given the alternate night. Where the case is of long standing, it may take long to cure it, or a cure may be impossible, but some mitigation will result from this treatment. The Sabbath should in all cases be a day of rest from treatment, and generally common sense will indicate that it be not continued too long. The patient may do a great deal for himself by the strictest watch on his enunciation, speaking slowly and deliberately, and breathing deeply. This will be difficult to maintain at first, but practice will make the habit unconscious. An instrument called a metronome may be had from a music shop (used for keeping time in practising), if a book be read aloud by the stammerer, p.r.o.nouncing one syllable only to each beat, he will soon gain complete control of his voice.

Stiffness, General.--This is often an adjunct of old age, and sometimes occurs in the young and middle-aged as the result of chills. In _neither_ case is it incurable, but for a cure _rest_ is a first necessity. If there be standing and working for twelve or fourteen hours a day, we should not expect a cure at all. Rest must be had, at least twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and it is well if sixteen or even eighteen hours' rest can be taken (_see_ Rest). Then there must be heating the spine with moist heat (_see_ Fomentation). This is done to revive the organs which supply oil to the joints, by giving fresh vitality to the roots of the nerves which control these organs. But the heating requisite to do this must be gently and persistently applied.

An hour's gradual heating is worth far more than half-an-hour's _half-burning_. Then, after the spine fomentation, which must be applied in bed, rub (_see_ Ma.s.sage) the back with hot olive oil for a considerable time--say half-an-hour, if the patient can bear it (_see_ Exercise). Then the joints may be similarly fomented and rubbed at another time, back and joints being treated, say, every other day. If there be costiveness, treat as in Constipation, and give easily digested food (_see_ a.s.similation; Digestion; Nourishment). Such treatment daily should remove stiffness, even in very bad cases.

Stimulants.--_See_ Alcohol; Narcotics.

Stomach Trouble.--If you would cure thoroughly, you must first make sure that the skin is doing its part well. Very often indigestion arises from irritation of the stomach, caused by the impurities in the blood which arise from defective skin action.

With strong people, exercise causing perspiration will often suffice to cure, in other cases where exercise cannot be had the Soapy Blanket (_see_) is effective. After the blanket, give a warm, gentle rubbing with hot vinegar or diluted acetic acid; and, finally, a similar rubbing with warm olive oil. This rubbing may be given by itself, where the patient is too weak to endure the blanket, or where the lather cannot be well applied. Even the rubbing with oil alone will do much to cure.

The problem in this case is to remove from the blood the irritating waste which is inflaming the stomach, and this is better done by cleansing and stimulating the skin than by means of drastic drugs. A lazy man will swallow a peck of pills rather than go through an ordeal of cleansing like this, but in that case he need not be surprised if his poor stomach become only poorer still, while his purse will not get any heavier. Besides this cleansing, take sips of hot water as recommended under Indigestion. A very plain and sparing diet should be taken, and great attention given to chewing all food till reduced to a liquid. For it must be remembered that the majority of stomach troubles have their origin in abuse of this organ, through overloading with food, or other dietetic errors. _See_ Diet; a.s.similation; Biscuits and Water; Constipation; Cramp in Stomach; Diarrhoea; Digestion; Flatulence; Indigestion; Weariness.

Stomach Ulcers.--Generally the _tongue_ will tell whether the stomach is ulcerated or not. If the tongue is fiery-looking, and small ulcers show themselves on it, while food produces pain in the stomach, there is little doubt of the presence of ulcers there. The tongue may at once, in such a case, be brushed with weak acid (_see_ Acetic Acid) or vinegar, so as to cleanse the surface and produce a _gentle_ smarting.

This brushing will quickly produce a healing change in the tongue, which guides us to the cure of the stomach. This will be attained by swallowing teaspoonfuls of the same weak acid. Two or three of these should be taken at intervals half-an-hour before food. If the case is severe, the skin over the stomach must be carefully soaped, as directed in article on HEAD SOAPING (_see also_ Lather; Soap). The four-ply flannel BANDAGE (_see_) should also be worn. Do not use drugs, such as iron, a.r.s.enic, or soda, and avoid all narcotics. Persevere with the weak acid, and a cure will come unless in very obstinate cases indeed.

Care must be taken to avoid irritating food. Milk, or milk and boiling water is the best diet. A general symptom is severe pain after eating, relieved by vomiting.

No fluid should be taken hotter than the finger can be held in it. This is indeed a good rule always in matters of food and drink, which are often taken too hot, to the injury of the stomach.

Stone.--_See_ Gravel.

Stoutness.--_See_ Breath, and the Heart.

Strangulation or Hanging.--Often accidentally caused in children or intoxicated persons. Waste no time in going for or shouting for a.s.sistance. At once cut the rope, necktie, or whatever else causes the tightening. Pull out the tongue and secure it, commence artificial respiration at once (_see_ Drowning), open the windows, make any crowd stand back.

St. Vitus' Dance.--This proceeds from a simple irritation of the spinal nerves, and is to be cured by soothing the spine with persistent cooling. In mild cases this cooling is easily applied with towels wrung out of cold water, and folded so as to lie at least four-ply thick along the whole spine. If narcotic drugs have been largely used, and the nervous system spoiled thereby, a severer form of the trouble comes on, and requires a good deal of care and persistence in cooling. In all cases the cooling of the spine must only be done when the patient is _warm in bed_.

It will be of great importance, in carrying out this process, to use olive oil in such a way, all over the body, as to help in maintaining the general normal heat. In addition to these suggestions, it may be well to remark that the appearances in such cases are, as a rule, worse than the reality. For instance, the motion of the eyes and of the tongue makes one imagine that the sufferer has lost all reason, and even consciousness of normal character. But this is not so; the brain may not be affected at all, and the worst feeling is that of weariness.

We have seen a patient smiling through the most distressing contortions--that is, most distressing to the ordinary observer. It is of great importance that any one who treats such cases should be _cool_ and _kind_.

It will sometimes be impossible for one person to keep the patient in bed and covered with the clothes so as to keep warm. If so, two must do it. It is, however, to be remembered constantly, that the patient feels it much more agreeable to be held within even close limits than to be allowed to throw arms and legs, and head and body about in all directions. This is a most invaluable truth in such cases. It will not do to hold as with an iron grasp, so that no degree of movement is allowed; but you may hold softly, so that no motion, such as will even disturb the bedclothes, shall take place. This must be done so that all the body shall be comfortably warm when the cold towel is laid along the spine and pressed gently to the centre of the back. In comparatively mild cases, we give an hour of this cooling process every morning only, and the warm washing and anointing with olive oil at bedtime; but in such cases as we sometimes meet with, where drugs have done their mischievous work, it is necessary to cool much more frequently. For instance, when the morning cooling has laid the irritation, and the patient is quiet for an hour, or, perhaps, only half-an-hour, the movement returns. The persons applying the cure are afraid to repeat it till another morning has come. But they need not be so. Or, they apply it for five minutes, and are afraid to continue it longer. They may quite safely apply it as long as they can keep the rest of the body comfortably warm. If they can keep nice, soft blankets well round the patient, as a rule it will not be difficult to keep up all general heat. Let us suppose that, when warm in bed and asleep, the patient wakes up, and the diseased movement begins; it will be well then to ply the back with the cold towel. If the movement is perfectly still in half-an-hour, a rest may be given. If the movement soon returns, the cold can be applied till perfect quiet is had again. This will, perhaps, be secured in twenty minutes or so. A rest and comfortable warming may be given again. If the movement still returns, it may be met by the same cooling process again. If only the heat is kept up all right, the cold towel may be used till the spinal irritation is finally gone.

This simple mode of treatment we have found to be perfectly successful, not only in removing every symptom of nervous irritation, but in giving most vigorous health to patients who, to begin with, were truly miserable-looking subjects. This may be looked for, as well as the mere removal of the malady.

It should be noted that one outstanding feature of St. Vitus' Dance is that the movement ceases _during sleep_. If this is not the case, other treatment is called for. _See_ Paralysis, and articles under Nerves; Spine, etc.

Sunshine.--Is a most valuable aid to health, acting as a physical and mental tonic. The sunbath, for either portions of the body at a time, or for the whole body, will be found very beneficial to nervous sufferers, and also to those having a tendency to certain skin diseases. Its tonic effect is very noticeable on the hair, giving it better growth and richer colour. Sunlight should be admitted freely into bedrooms and sitting-rooms, for it is hostile to the growth of many of those microbes which cause disease.

Tapeworm.--The only sure sign of the presence of this parasite in the intestine is the pa.s.sing from the bowels of some of its joints or ova.

Its presence in the body is a serious matter, always giving rise to more or less inconvenience and disturbance to health. We mention it here because we know of a very good and harmless remedy which will completely expel the worm. This may be obtained from D. Napier & Sons, herbalists, 17, Bristo Place, Edinburgh, postage paid, for 2s. One dose will be sufficient.

We dislike _secret_ preparations, yet when we come across a remedy which never fails, we confess to putting aside our dislikes and getting it.

The best thing is, however, to prevent the worm obtaining access to the body. All food, especially beef and pork, should be thoroughly cooked, and all cooking processes, and all places where meat is kept should be thoroughly clean. Where this is the case, tapeworm will never occur.

Tea.--Tea should not be infused longer than three or four minutes, and cream should be used with it. The alb.u.minous matter in milk tends to throw down some of the tannic acid in an insoluble form. It should not be taken too hot, and if taken at a meat meal (which is undesirable), not till quite the conclusion of the meal. Much tea-drinking produces nervousness and indigestion. If taken _very_ weak it forms a pleasing addition to the morning and evening meal, but taken as it usually is, and especially between meals, such as at afternoon tea, it is a serious cause of ill-health.

Teeth.--In order to prevent decay, the teeth should be carefully brushed at least once a day, preferably at night, but better still after each meal. There is no better dentifrice than pure soap, and M'Clinton's tooth soap, being specially prepared from the ash of plants and a pure vegetable oil, does not leave the objectionable soapy taste in the mouth which all soda soaps do.

The prevalence of bad teeth is believed by many to be due to processes of milling, which remove the bone and enamel making properties of the grain. So much of the natural salts of the grain are removed to make bread white that it ceases to be the staff of life. A contributory cause is the consumption of large quant.i.ties of sweets or candies, especially between meals. White bread lodging in the teeth and thereby producing acid fermentation, is believed to have a bad effect on them, also too hot or ice-cold liquids. Remember also that the teeth cannot be healthy if they are not exercised. The Scotch peasant when he ate hard oat-cake had splendid teeth, as the Swedish peasants who eat hard rye-bread still have. Sloppy foods hastily bolted will ruin the digestion and thereby the teeth, besides depriving them of the work essential to their good condition. If teeth do decay they should be seen to by a dentist at once, as their presence in the mouth is injurious to the general health.

Teething.--At the outset, it must ever be remembered that this is _not_ a disease. It is a natural growth, and often is accomplished without any trouble at all. It is, however, a comparatively _quick_ growth, accomplishing much in a little time, as a plant in flowering. This _rush_ of growth in one place draws upon the vitality available for general purposes in the child's body, and if this vitality is not very large, trouble ensues. Diarrhoea, cold feet, and lack of spirit and appet.i.te thus arise. If at this stage the lower limbs and body be carefully fomented (_see_ Fomentation), all trouble may cease at once; at least a very great deal will be done to relieve it. Give three teaspoonfuls of warm water, slightly sweetened with pure CANE SYRUP (_see_), three times a day. A little of the confection of senna will do instead of this if desired. The fomentation must never be so hot or so long at a time as to cause discomfort. Irritation is bad for a teething infant, and all must be done soothingly if success is to be gained.

Also it will not do to foment and rub with oil a _feverish_ child. Such cases must be treated differently, as we shall see, and it is easy to distinguish them from cases without fever. Meantime we would say that in many cases where vital force is low without fever, the treatment by fomentation as described is of great value.

In regard to the artificial "cutting" of the gum by surgical instruments, we would say that such should only be resorted to when the tooth is very near the surface indeed, and by a careful surgeon who knows what he is about. The irritation in the gums which makes it thought of at all can be usually allayed by simple means. Let the mother dip her finger in good vinegar and water, just strong enough to slightly smart the lips, and rub it on the irritated gum. This can of course be done often, and is most powerfully soothing. It may indeed do all that is required. But if more general symptoms appear, such as sleeplessness and heat in the head, cooling of the head is required.

Have two little caps made of _thick_ cotton cloth, one slightly larger, so as to fit on above the other on the child's head. Wring the smaller out of cold (but not ice-cold) water, and put it on. Press it gently on the head, and if the heat and restlessness continue, cool it again, perhaps twice or three times. When the restlessness is relieved, leave the damp cap on the head, and place the dry one on over it. If the heat returns, repeat the process. This treatment, though a mere cooling of the brain, has saved ere now both reason and life, and should never be lightly thought of or despised.

Often the stomach is seriously disordered during teething, both vomiting and purging resulting. In small degree these are not dangerous, but they are better avoided. If severe, they are the beginning of often fatal trouble.

To quiet the excited bowels, nothing is better than enemas of cool water. It need not be too cold, but just a little under blood heat, with a little vinegar added. One tablespoonful of vinegar to a pint of water. Also a "baby's bottle," prepared with water at blood heat (98 deg.), _without any milk or sugar_, will greatly a.s.sist the stomach if given to be sucked. In such cases infants usually suck this water greedily. It is most soothing to the stomach. Half a teacupful at a time is enough. In the evening wash the child with warm water and SOAP (_see_) rub all over with warm olive or almond oil, especially the back up and down. Then place a BRAN POULTICE (_see_) over all the back, taking care to have it just comfortably warm. When this is fastened on, an ordinary pocket-handkerchief wrung out of cold water is folded and laid over the bowels. This is changed for a fresh one as soon as heated, and _gently_ pressed all over. The milk, if the child is brought up on the bottle, may be given now, reduced in strength for a time. This treatment will often cure without enemas, which may then be dispensed with. Great improvement in health may be expected after a few days of such treatment. A cool handkerchief, similar to that on the bowels, may also be applied to the head, if that is heated.

Some form of head eruption often comes on after a long time of heated head. A little sour b.u.t.termilk, vinegar, or weak acetic acid, not stronger than to cause a slight smarting _tried in the nurse's nostrils_, will relieve almost instantly the itching which accompanies this. If strong acid be used, matters are made worse, and great pain caused. The acid, weak as we have described, at once neutralises the irritating substance exuded from the eruption. It also prepares the way for a cure. If astringent lotions are employed, drying the sore, and driving it in on the brain, serious injury may be caused. But if healing takes place under soaking with weak acid, no such result need be feared, for this simply removes the unhealthy state of the part.

Water, especially _hard_ water, must be absolutely kept away from such a head. No more must be used than is necessary to dilute the acid; and, if it can be got, the acid of b.u.t.termilk is decidedly preferable. The whole body, when feverish, may be cooled in a tepid bath, several times a day if necessary, having the water just at blood heat.

Besides these outside effects, teething often causes brain disorders.

(_See_ various articles on Children.) The infant should be watched carefully, and if the eye be dull, and the head heavy with feverish symptoms, the head should be cooled at once as above directed, and if the feverish symptoms are not marked, and the feet cold, the feet, legs, and lower body should be wrapped in a good warm fomentation.

Where the trouble has gone so far that insensibility comes on, the treatment is the same, only the cloths had better be wrung out of _iced_ water if available. It is important to not only lay the cloths on the head, but to _press_ them. Take the little head in your two hands, and so bring the cool cloth close to every part of it, while you lift up a prayer for help from the Great Healer. Keep at this till your feeling tells you it is time to change the cloth. Take off the hot one and put on the cool one. Go on with the gentle pressure again. It does require work, but it is well worth work to save a precious life. You must so work that you will cause the least disturbance possible to the little sufferer. It may be you may require to keep this up for many hours, but you will probably find that some signs of sense appear ere you have gone on very long, and you may see that natural sleep has succeeded the drowse that lay in the worn-out brain. If so, you will allow the head to lie still in the cold cloth, and change only when it gets very warm. If natural heat has been fully restored to the legs and feet, you will let these rest also.