Papers on Health Part 5

This deep breathing may be practised several times each day (say ten breaths at a time) till the habit of correct breathing is acquired. It will be found to have a wonderfully soothing and calming effect (_see_ Worry). Such exercise should always be taken in the open-air, or in a room with a widely open window. A good plan is to take them in bed before rising, with little or no clothes on, while lying flat on the back.

Paleness, langour, irritability, and general ill-health result from insufficient breathing. Furthermore, the system becomes unable to resist disease. We know no aid to beauty more effective than the practice of deep breathing.

Breathing, in Going Uphill.--_See_ Breath, and Nerve.

British Cholera is to a certain extent epidemic--that is, it affects a large number of people in a particular place, being, it is believed, conveyed mainly by the common house flies. War should be waged against these, and great care taken to guard food, especially that of children, against them, by using covers, etc. If this were done the appalling death-rate in summer from this disease among the young would be largely reduced. Typhoid fever and other diseases are probably also spread by flies. Care should be taken to remove promptly all refuse from about the house, and so prevent flies breeding on it.

In ordinary diarrhoea, injections of cold water by the enema will usually cure, especially if a little vinegar or a few drops of acetic acid be added to the water. But in British Cholera this proves insufficient.

This is not an affection of merely one part of the system, but of the whole. If, then, you brace with the cold enema one part, no doubt so far you do good and not harm, but you cannot by this, cure an affection of the whole system. British Cholera is a sweating from the surfaces of the whole alimentary organs. This internal sweat flows into the stomach and causes vomiting, and into the bowels causing purging that cannot be stayed by any application to the lower part merely.

The problem to be solved is how to give more life force. Whenever the injection of cold water fails, and especially when it rather increases the complaint, and vomiting or sickness shows that the attack is of the nature of British Cholera, you will do well to pack feet and legs in a good blanket fomentation. Put a little olive oil on before and after such a packing. One application may be sufficient; but it may be necessary to repeat the packing. Give frequent sips of hot water. It will be well also to use the cold injection, as it will be found to take good effect whenever the vital force has been increased by the hot packing. If cramp has shown itself, it will be needful to cool the spinal nerves (_see_ Angina Pectoris), but this only when you are effectually heating the limbs.

The first injection may be followed by even an excessive motion, but if that is followed up with another injection still of cold water, there will be nothing experienced after but perfect comfort, and no more trouble with the bowels.

The violent irritation that follows after a very simple over-action of the lower bowel is quite prevented when this remedy is effectually used. In less severe cases, where fermentation of food is the cause of the disease, frequently a dessertspoonful of castor oil, or other simple purgative, will prove sufficient to cure.

Brandy often gets the credit of curing in such cases. It does so simply because the cases in which it _kills_ are not taken into account. It always _lessens_ vital energy, and in British Cholera increase of this is urgently required.

Bronchitis.--This frequent and severe trouble results most usually from chill to the skin throwing overwork on the lungs and bronchial tubes.

These last become inflamed and swollen. A fiery heat and pain in the chest follows, the whole system becomes fevered, and breathing is difficult, and accompanied by severe cough.

Kneipp linen underwear, which is porous, and has a stimulating effect on the skin, a.s.sists it to perform its functions, and will therefore prove useful to sufferers from Bronchitis.

Abundance of fresh air will often entirely prevent Bronchitis. We have known people who suffered from it every winter for years who never had it again after learning the value of the constantly open window.

At the earliest stage, when the chill is first felt, let the patient go to bed. First sponge up and down the back quickly with hot soap and water. Dry this off, and sponge or rub gently with hot vinegar. Dry this off, and rub with warm olive oil. This will often ward off an attack entirely.

When the trouble has fairly obtained hold, treatment must be applied to the back and chest as follows. Place on the upper part of the back a BRAN POULTICE (_see_), large enough to cover the entire shoulders and upper back. Let the patient lie in bed comfortably on this. Then apply towels wrung out of _cold_ water on the chest where pain and breath-catching are felt. Let the towels be large, and at least four ply. Change for a fresh one as soon as that on the chest becomes heated. When this has been done as long as the poultice keeps hot, take all off, rub back and chest with hot vinegar, dry off, rub with hot oil, dry off, and cover all with warm new flannel. If needful, repeat the application. We have seldom seen it required twice.

If the fever is very great, use no olive oil, and for a strong patient the cold towels may be used without the poultice. But immediately these reduce the fever, the poultice should be used as directed.

In many cases where medical men have given up hope, this treatment has effected a cure.

Brow, The Weary.--Sometimes in the case of a child at school, the result of overwork shows itself in a weariness and weight in the brow.

Often parents are glorying in the school successes of their children, when these are having their brains destroyed. Careful watching should ever be given to the young. The aim in education should be to draw out the faculties, and teach the young to think for themselves, rather than to cram in a ma.s.s of facts which will enable them to take prizes and pa.s.s examinations with honours.

The results of continued overwork are fatal, but in its earlier stages it is easily remedied. Hence the need for watching and treating such an early symptom as head weariness. For treatment see that the feet are warm, bathing them if necessary (_see_ Bathing Feet). Stop school at once, and give as much exercise in the open air, at play, as possible.

Then rub gently with both hands up and over the brow and sides of the head over the ears, then up the back and over top of the head. Rub all over the head with the finger points (not nails), so as to raise a glow in the skin of the scalp. This treatment is best done while the patient sits, and the operator stands behind or beside him. Gentleness of touch there must be, and no irritation of the patient. With abstention from all lessons, it will soon cure.

Bruises.--For slight bruises, such as children frequently get by falling, a little b.u.t.ter or vaseline, applied immediately, is an excellent remedy. For more serious injuries, such as bruised nails of the fingers or toes, or such as result from violent knocks on any part, the best remedy is hot fomentation or hot bathing, whichever may be most convenient in application. Persistent and repeated treatment in this way, with oil dressing, will cure in almost any case not so severe as to be beyond remedy. Even where it is thought wise to send for a surgeon, this bathing is the proper first treatment, and will do much to relieve the inevitable pain.

Burns.--For _slight_ burns, immerse the injured part in cold water, and keep there till the pain abates. This is where only redness of skin is produced. In case of a blister forming, do not break or cut it, but perseveringly cool with cold water, and leave the blister till it comes away of itself, when the sore will be found healed beneath it.

Where a large surface is injured, some other part of the body must be _fomented_; best the legs and feet, or the back, while the injured part is persistently cooled. Thus a dangerous chill is avoided. The ARMCHAIR FOMENTATION may be used, or a large BRAN POULTICE (_see both these_), and thus the heat of the body kept up while cold water is applied to the burns. If these cannot be immersed, as in the case of the face, cover them with an air-tight covering, and apply iced or cold cloths above this. The linseed oil and lime-water known as "Carron Oil" forms the best dressing to apply. If a burn has, however, gone so far as to become, owing to neglect, a festering sore, then warm water treatment is required, as recommended for ABSCESS (_see_). _See also_ Wounds.

b.u.t.termilk.--Where we prescribe this, either for drinking or for external use in poultices or bathing, it is very important it should be pure and fresh. If kept too long, it causes often terrible pain when applied to eruptive sores. There must be no "watering" or doctoring with cream of tartar, if good results are desired. If the milk be too long kept, and cannot be had fresh, it may be mixed with a little sweet milk and all churned well together. Then it may be used. If still painful, mix again with more sweet milk. To soak diseased skin in good fresh b.u.t.termilk is so powerful a means of cure, that to procure it a good deal of trouble is well spent. It is also invaluable as a daily drink for regulating the bowels, and maintaining health. Sterilise all sweet milk used.

If b.u.t.termilk cannot be had, acetic acid or vinegar, or the juice of lemons, may be mixed with sweet milk or even water, until the mixture attains about the usual sourness of b.u.t.termilk. This makes an efficient subst.i.tute.

b.u.t.termilk Poultice.--Boiled potatoes beaten up with fresh b.u.t.termilk make an excellent poultice for all eruptive sores, scabbed heads, and heated skin affections. After these always apply soap lather (_see_ Lather). If b.u.t.termilk cannot be had, use acetic acid or vinegar, as above.

Cancer.--Swellings in the breast often arouse fear of cancer, but are generally very simple affairs and easily yield to treatment as in article Breast, Swelling in. If not, we should chill the diseased growth so as to arrest it. Now this, as we have proved, may be effectually done, and the sorely tried patient may be saved a world of pain, and perhaps cured. We have seen more than one apparently desperate case, even where the breast had been cut off and the evil was again showing itself, in which effective cooling arrested the growth and saved the sufferer. When a growth of this kind has gone a certain length, there is severe pain. The cooling removes this, and secures the patient unspeakably precious rest without narcotics. But this is not all: it puts an effectual stop to the swelling. If the case has not gone very far, the swelling falls, and may disappear; but even when it has gone too far for this, the disease is stayed, and all symptoms of it are lessened. All swelling but the actual separate growth is removed. For instance, when the swelling has pa.s.sed from the breast into the armpit it has been dispelled, and entirely confined to the actual substance of the tumour. This is managed simply by the persistent and vigorous use of cold towels. They must be large enough to allow of fourfold covering of the whole breast. They are wrung out of cold water at first, and, if possible, cooled with ice instead of being wrung out after. One at a time is kindly pressed all round and over the swollen breast. It is heated in one or two minutes, and must be changed. The second is pressed round and all over the breast in the same way. It is soon heated too, but you may have three of them in a circle, and if you have a bit of ice for those that are cooling, you have cold enough. Some would put on an ice-bag, and let it lie, but we have never been able to advise this, as it is very apt to destroy the outer skin by too severe cold. This treatment requires work--no doubt of that--but the effects are well worth it.

When the cooling treatment, given twice a day, or oftener if it can be without discomfort, has reduced the swelling and put back the tumour, till it may fairly be regarded as capable of absorption, it will be well to try the effect of hot fomentation by bathing (_see_ Breast, Swelling in). This will not do harm, but good, if it is only used so far as to try whether the stage for hot treatment has been reached. If the hot bathing is agreeable, and instead of causing pain, rather soothes and comforts, it may be strongly tried. But this will be only if the effectual cooling has put back the disease, or if it has been really mastered. So long as it shows a tendency to increase, it will be well to continue the cooling.

Even if it be not possible to remove the disease, its progress may be arrested, and it may be rendered dormant for the rest of life. We know persons sent off to die with growths who are now quite well and have been so for many years, with these growths only rendered dormant. Even if this is not possible, it may be that we render the growth so slow that it shall come to nothing important in the remainder of even a long life. We should never hesitate to do our utmost in any case.

Besides the local treatment given above, vital action in the whole bodily system has to be increased on a definite line. This is the ripening and removing used-up substance from the body. It is sluggish ripening of substance to which we trace the morbid living growth; that sluggishness must be overcome. The first and most important means for this is fresher air for the lungs. The seaside home, if there are no drugs or drinks prescribed in ignorance, nor any other drawback, will be found of immense value here.

Next in importance to fresh air is pure distilled water. It should be used both in preparing food and for drinking. This constant use of distilled water is one of the most important remedies in cases of cancer. Comfortable clothing (_see_ Underwear) should be worn by night and day, and damp avoided. The food should be such as can be most easily a.s.similated. Whole wheaten meal in various forms and pure water work wonders on "hopeless cases."

But when all these conditions have been supplied, "pack" the whole body at eight o'clock at night in cloths lightly wrung out of hot vinegar and water, half and half, and covering these with dry sheets and blankets, give the patient an hour in this "pack." On taking out of this, rub gently all over with hot olive oil, dry that off and put to bed. In the morning, at half-past seven or so, pack in a soapy blanket for an hour, then sponge with vinegar and rub with oil. Take a stick of good liquorice, with half an ounce of senna leaves, and put these in a quart of water, boil the whole down to a pint, giving a teaspoonful of this in a little hot water three times a day.

Cancer in Face.--Treat as far as possible as recommended for breast cancer.

Cancer in Foot.--We have noted one case in which "Cancerous Gangrene"

in the foot, p.r.o.nounced incurable by the medical attendant, was cured by our instructions in the following simple manner. b.u.t.termilk poultices (_see_) were used over the whole foot to thoroughly cleanse the sores. These were then carefully lathered with soap (_see_ Lather and Soap). Vinegar or weak acid was applied with sponges and syringe after this, and made thoroughly to penetrate all the sores to the bottom. This was done twice a day, and in one week improvement set in.

In a comparatively short time the patient could walk miles without fatigue. This treatment may be applied to all angry sores.

Cane Syrup.--In the original edition, good treacle was recommended as a laxative. This treacle, which was prepared from cane sugar, we understand is now not to be had--what is sold as treacle being largely mixed with glucose. We therefore recommend instead the use of golden syrup made from pure cane sugar. This can be had (in tins), guaranteed by the makers to be genuine.

Carbuncle.--_See_ Boil.

Catarrh.--Is simply an inflammation due to impurity of the blood. These impurities arise from bad air or wrong food, and remain in the body till a chill of some kind or other forces the blood and the impurities with the blood to some part, resulting in inflammation. Catarrh in the mucous membrane, connected with respiration, is commonly called a "cold," and is decidedly infectious (_see_ Air). A cold must be regarded as an effort of Nature to get rid of these impurities.

Breathing of fresh, even cold air, will expedite, not hinder the cure.

Washing the hands and face in _cold_ water, and drying vigorously, will often cure it when beginning as "cold in the head." Cold, applied in a certain way, cures the after effects of chill, but it must be so applied as only to affect the part to which it is applied, while the general heat of the body is kept up. Catarrh may occur in any internal membrane of the body. If these can be reached, as the nostrils, or even the bowels, may be by syringing, then nothing is better to effect a cure than cool water and vinegar, or weak acetic acid. Brush the nostrils often with this, and cold in the head will soon be cured. It can be applied still better by means of a nasal douche. Syringing the bowels with this cool acid mixture in the more serious catarrh of these will also cure. Patient perseverance is wanted, however, in the latter case. Get also the external skin to act thoroughly. Where the cause of internal catarrh is exhaustion, through overwork or worry, the cause must be removed. Let the sufferer learn trust in a living Heavenly Father, and cast all burdens upon Him, and the physical treatment will have a fair chance to cure. _See_ Breath and Skin.

Cauliflower Growths.--These begin like warts, and in the earlier stages poulticing and soaking with weak acid almost invariably cure. After some months the growth looks like the head of a cauliflower, and becomes dangerous if on a vital region. It is not really a parasite, but rather a diseased state of the skin, which is perfectly curable.

First every part is carefully cleansed with a small camel's-hair brush and weak acid (_see_ Acetic Acid). Then the b.u.t.termilk poultice is applied all night, or even night and day (_see_ b.u.t.termilk Poultice).

Cleanse again after poulticing. Careful and persevering continuance of this treatment will effect a cure.