Papers on Health Part 28

We know of a case where the brain seemed gone, and the medical man abandoned hope; but the head was cooled with ice cloths, while the feet and legs were kept in a hot fomentation, for a whole night, and all danger was pa.s.sed by the morning. So that, even in very bad cases, this should be perseveringly tried.

For diet, in teething, the child must get easily digested food, and all "rich" foods--brandy, beef-tea, etc.--must be avoided.

Involuntary starting, and the manifestation of great fear on waking out of sleep, frequently arise from irritation of the spine during teething. The cold compress applied along the spine when the child is warm in bed will relieve this. It may be applied (_see_ Towels, Cold) twice or thrice a day. If the feet are cold, these may be fomented at the same time. If the head is cold, it may be fomented also. If it is hot, cool it. This treatment relieves the irritation of the mouth, as well as removes the starting. If _both_ head and feet are hot, then you need only cool the spine.

In all cases, common sense must be used, but we think we have given sufficient indication of principles to enable a thoughtful nurse or mother to treat successfully almost any case. Where very cold cloths on application cause shivering and crying, either use tepid cloths, slightly cooler than the skin, or warm the _surface_ of the cold folded cloth by holding for a short time to a fire, and then apply to the patient. The warm surface thus first touches the skin, and afterwards the cold in the body of the cloth penetrates gradually.

Temperature (_see_ Heat, Internal).

Tempering Treatment.--Much, if not all, of the success in any case of treatment depends on its being properly tempered to the strength of the patient. In putting on LATHER (_see_), for instance, a delicate and nervous child will be greatly annoyed if soaped all over at once. But if one arm be done and finished, then the other, then the breast, and so on to the abdomen, the back, and the legs, _bit by bit_, the effect will be soothing in the extreme. So with Ma.s.sAGE (_see_); so also with applying a cold towel. If it chills and terrifies the patient when suddenly "clapped on," common sense would suggest holding it to the fire till the _surface_ is warm. This warm surface will give no shock when applied to the skin, and the cold in the body of the towel will gradually penetrate and do its work. Also, as we have frequently repeated, the _strength_ of ACETIC ACID (_see_) must be carefully looked to, when it is used. It must ever be remembered that some of the finest and n.o.blest spirits are inhabitants of frail bodies, which, with right treatment, are strong enough, but suffer terribly in rough hands.

Thirst.--This forms a severe feature in many cases of illness, and has to be treated variously according to its kind. It may be due first to _dryness_ in the membranes of the throat and stomach; secondly it may be due to a _concentrated_ or _deranged_ state of the juices of the body; thirdly, it may be the result of a _burning heat_ in the body. It will not be difficult for a careful person to say in any case which of them is the cause. The nature of the disease will indicate it. A little cold water may be given first. If this fails, a cold cloth over the stomach (_see_ Changing Treatment) may be tried. If these are not successful, a few tablespoonfuls of hot water may be given. The first of these meets the simple dryness, the second cures the burning heat, the third meets the case of concentrated and deranged juices in the body. A few drops of vinegar, lemon juice, or other fruit acid (_see_ Drinks), will often greatly a.s.sist the hot water in its duty. All alcoholic drinks are worse than useless in real thirst. Any power they possess is either due to the effect they have on the artificial thirst they create or to the water they contain. And the danger of rousing or creating the dreadful desire of the drunkard is so great, that they ought never to be given to relieve a patient's thirst.

If the cold water is known, from any cause, to be dangerous to the patient, then hot water will do equally well. If the thirst arises from some drug which has been taken, then hot water should always be given.

Again, the _locality_ of the dryness causing thirst indicates the best method of quenching it. If only the mouth and tongue be dry, then it will be sufficient to wash out the mouth with the water, or acid drink, not swallowing, so as to avoid unnecessary loading of the stomach. If throat and mouth are cool, and only the stomach burns, then the cold towel above that is the best treatment.

There is no need, except in very special cases, for iced water. Tap water is generally cool enough, unless stored in heated cisterns. In this case a little ice may be used to bring it down to a temperature of 45 deg. or so, but not below 40 deg.

Throat Hoa.r.s.eness.--This is best treated by a good large BRAN POULTICE (_see_) on the back of the head and neck. While the patient lies on this, cold towels must be changed on the front above the "apple" of the throat. Do this for an hour twice a day. Or, if the feet be cold, give treatment as in Teething. There must also be _rest from talking_.

Procure a good camel's-hair throat-brush from the druggist, and brush the back of the throat well with weak ACETIC ACID (_see_) several times a day, or simply gargle if there is difficulty with the brushing. The brush must be carefully cleansed, and dipped in the _strong_ acid after use.

Especially is it necessary to give up, in such cases, the use of tobacco. Where the trouble has lasted for years, it may be slow to heal, and the poulticing may be done only once a week. In ordinary cases, a day or two's treatment should cure.

Many times we have seen a good fomentation of feet and legs alone give very sensible relief. Never be satisfied with putting a hot bottle or brick to the feet. This is a lazy way of dealing with a serious case.

Have the feet and legs up to the knees rubbed with vinegar and olive oil, and wrapped in a large blanket fomentation. It is not the mere dry skin of the soles of the feet that needs warming: the whole legs, especially the muscles, require the moist heat of a thorough fomentation. Circulation is at once accelerated just where it is wanted, so as to lessen the pressure where the vital stream is pressing too heavily and lodging in a dangerous congestion. It is good even if the feet are not very cold, but only cool, to ply this part of the remedy well. Where the patient is strong enough to sit out of bed, a good hot foot-bath will do instead of this fomentation.

Throat, Sore.--The first question in any case of sore throat, is, What is the temperature of the patient? (_see_ Heat, Internal). If this cannot be ascertained, at least we can say whether the patient is feverish or not.

Let us first take the case where there is no fever. Get the patient warmly to bed. Foment (_see_ Fomentation) carefully all round the neck, first rubbing on a little olive oil. Renew the fomentation every five minutes for three-quarters-of-an-hour at least. Allow rest for an hour.

Then foment thoroughly the feet and legs up over the knees. When this is done, and the heat kept up, cool the throat with constant fresh cold towels. Let this go on for an hour. Finally sponge the whole body with warm vinegar. Rub lightly over with olive oil, dry, and allow to rest.

Probably the throat will be cured. If not, repeat the treatment the following day.

Where there is fever with the sore throat, first make sure whether the feet are hot or cold. If cold, put on fomentations as above. Even if the feet are only cool this should be done. While the feet and legs are thus fomented thoroughly, change cold towels on the throat every three minutes for an hour. Sponge all over as above directed, and allow to rest. If the feet are hot, cold towels alone are applied to the throat; but if the feet get at all chilled while such cooling is going on, they must be fomented.

If there is vomiting and sickness along with the sore throat, the other symptoms of scarlet fever should be looked for, and medical aid obtained if possible.

But here is a case where the most experienced eye, aided by the best possible instrument, sees nothing wrong in the throat itself, but the cough and difficulty of breathing point to the throat. The trouble is not there, but in the roots of the nerves by which vital energy is supplied to the windpipe and other vocal organs. You must go to the back of the neck, and to the back between the upper parts of the shoulders, and there affect the roots that are really in a state of distressing over-action. If you are skilful enough in applying cold, and your patient has plenty of general warmth, you need nothing more than a cold towel, changed pretty often, and nicely pressed over the proper parts. If this fails, have recourse to a cloth with mustard spread like thin b.u.t.ter on it, say about six inches broad and a foot long. Lay this gently on the spine at the back of the neck, and down as far as it goes. Apply your cold compresses now over this as well as you can, and the violent spasmodic symptoms will be mitigated. If one trial is not sufficient, sprinkle the cold cloth with cayenne. If the result can be reached by the cold cloth alone, it will be best. If mustard or cayenne must be applied, observe very carefully that they should never distress the patient. As much as can be borne quite easily, and no more, should be employed. Whenever a remedy becomes seriously distressing, we may be pretty sure it has ceased to be remedial, for the time at least.

Throat, Sore (Clergyman's).--Those who are in the habit of using their voice much should be very careful to produce it in the proper way. It is noticeable that actors (who learn to produce their voice properly) do not suffer from what is known as clergyman's sore throat.

The voice in speaking should be pitched, as a rule, considerably lower than is usually done, especially if speaking in public. Any tightening of the throat muscles should be avoided, and the voice sent out from a full chest well expanded.

Those who are musical should take a note on the piano enunciating the vowels in their natural order ([=a], ay, ee, o, oo) on this note. Then proceed to the next note; the whole of the octave may thus be gone over. Choose an octave most consonant with the range of the voice.

Then add the consonants: b[=a], bay, bee, c[=a], cay, etc., etc. Thus a perfect command over all the possible combinations of vowels and consonants may be attained.

There is absolutely no reason why any musical person should have an unmusical voice, especially since this bad production of the voice often strains the muscles and inflames the mucous membrane of the throat. In connection with this question of music, it should be remembered that almost irretrievable injury to the voice may be done by allowing a boy to continue singing after his voice has begun to "break."

It is not a good plan to be constantly "clearing" the throat whilst speaking. One gets to imagine after a while that it needs clearing when it really does not.

Alcohol and tobacco are both undoubtedly injurious to the voice. A little honey and lemon juice will be found the best gargle if a gargle is required.

Deep breathing is of great a.s.sistance in endeavouring to produce the lower note, in fact it is not possible to produce a full note except from a full chest. In this connection it may be said that it has been observed that deep-chested, deep-breathing, slow-speaking people are frequently possessed of certain estimable points of character, such as prudence, firmness, self-reliance, calmness. If one is going to be angry, ten deep breaths might save a world of trouble. (_See_ Breathing, Correct method of).

Thumb, Bruised and Broken.--Frequently a tradesman will strike the thumb or finger a serious blow with a hammer, in missing a stroke. If not treated properly, the whole hand may be destroyed, but if promptly plunged into warm clean water and kept there, even the broken bones can be handled quite comfortably, and all pain and uneasiness pa.s.s away ere very long. Plenty of bathing in clean warm water, and proper setting and dressing, are all such an injury requires.

Toothache.--This trouble appears in two opposite characters. In the one it is cured by rightly applied heat, and in the other by cold. If it is merely the soft substance in the tooth which is affected, local cooling applications will cure, if persisted in. If it be the nerve terminating in the tooth which is irritated, then even the extraction of the tooth may fail to give relief. Both cold and hot applications to the tooth or cheek will then probably prove useless.

In such a case, apply COLD TOWELS (_see_) gently pressed over the head and back of the neck. If the case be a bad one, the feet may be put in a hot bath, or fomented. Persevered in for an hour, this treatment is almost certain to cure. It may take away all pain in a few minutes.

After the pain is cured, dry well, and keep the head moderately warm.

But if the toothache is caused by a severe chill to the head, and that be still cold, it should be packed in a hot fomentation. This gives almost instant relief. Rub on a little oil when the fomentation comes off, and keep the head warm.

It should not be difficult to distinguish the cases requiring heat from those requiring cold. In any case, if the first application of either increases the pain, try the other.

Towels, Cold Wet.--A towel of the ordinary kind, and full size, is soaked in a basin of cold water and carefully wrung out until it is merely damp. Prejudice against this treatment is often aroused by putting on the cloths wet, and in a slack, blundering way, so as to make the patient most uncomfortable. It is then folded and applied to the skin, as directed. While applying the first, a second towel may be in the water. It is then wrung out and applied, while the first is placed to soak afresh. In prolonged cooling, care must be taken that the water in the basin does not get too warm. It should be frequently changed. The nurse should gently press the towels on the part, frequently changing the position of her hands. They should not merely be laid on, but gently pressed, unless this causes pain. The towels will need to be changed when hot, and will take from two to five minutes to lose their cooling effect, according to circ.u.mstances. Where cold increases the patient's distress, it is almost always safe to subst.i.tute heat. _See_ Cooling in Heating; Fomentation.

Tumours.--A large, soft, fleshy tumour is usually simply an acc.u.mulation of waste material, which should have been excreted from the body if all the organs were in healthy working order. Where such a swelling exists, the first consideration is diet. For this, Barley (_see_) as chief food will do very well. Lemon and orange juice (_see_ Drinks) should be the drinks. The barley must _not_ be cooked with milk, and the drinks must be made with _pure water_. This plain diet will help very much towards the removal of the tumour.

Then the back should be rubbed (_see_ Ma.s.sage) with hot olive oil twice a day. This treatment alone has often removed the disagreeable swellings on the neck so often afflicting women.

Also, fine soap lather (_see_ Lather; Soap) should be gently rubbed repeatedly over the tumour itself. This _alone_ we have known remove tumours, so it is important.

The three forms of treatment, all applied carefully, will cure all but very obstinate cases. _See also_ Armpit Swelling; Hydrocele.

Where fibrous tumours exist, the treatment is to _douche_ cold water on the part affected, while the rest of the body is kept warm. In case of such a growth in the abdomen, the patient sits in cold water, while the feet are placed in hot water, and the whole body warmly wrapped in blankets. Cold water is then thrown against the spot where the tumour lies. If the tumour is discovered early, its growth may be entirely stopped by this means. Such treatment for several minutes twice a day has in our own experience cured cases p.r.o.nounced incurable. _See_ Sitz Bath.

Turnip Poultice.--Part of a raw turnip is grated down to a pulp. As much of this is prepared as will cover the inflamed part. It is put on next the skin, and covered with a soft cloth. All is then tied nicely up in another cloth. In violent inflammation of the knee joint, this is a most valuable soothing application. Placed on discoloured and shrivelled skin, it is marvellously curative. When applied, the patient must be _thoroughly warm_. This warmth must be maintained while the poultice is on, as it has a powerful cooling effect.

Typhoid Fever.--_See_ Fever, Typhoid.

Ulcers.--An ulcer is an "eating sore": that is, a sore containing matter which eats away the skin and flesh, thereby extending itself, and increasing in depth as well. To stop this diseased process, the virulent matter in the ulcer must be killed or neutralised, and this can usually best be done by means of vinegar or weak ACETIC ACID (_see_), which is most powerfully antiseptic. The only difficulty is to avoid irritating the sore by the application of too strong acid. The treatment by weak acid is very effective, but it must be a fairly prolonged and thorough soaking. Apply a little at a time to the sore.

Use warm water if pain be caused. Continue the soaking for even an hour at a time, twice or even three times a day. The wound may be dressed with good fresh olive oil after each soaking. Usually, nothing else will be required, but it must be thoroughly done.