HEALTH HINTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 3 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

HEALTH HINTS.

LIVEE TEOUBLES

First and foremost, there is a common trouble dependent upon lessened secretion of bile. The Lver's work is decreased, and less bile is poured into" the bowel. - One ■ notable result of this decrease is constipation. The bile, let us remember, is a kind of natural aperient. We see this very aptly illustrated in the case of the young infant, but this function of the bile remains constant throughout life. When less than the proper amount of bile , is secreted, constipation follows. The remedy for this state of things—associated with headache, a foul tongue and breath, and a sallow and dry skin—is to stimulate the liver into working order. The blue pill and black draught- may be tried, although sundry authorities will teil us that the blue pill does not act as an agent tending to stimulate the bile-secretion. That may or may not be, all I know (says Dr. Andrew Wilson) is that it acts very favourably in many cases, Where it fails, 1 should try euonymin, which is combined with" cascara and other drugs in the form, of tabloids* .> Two tabloids taken at night. and followed in the morning by a dose of some aperient mineral water will suffice. Occasionally, podophyllia acts with great advantage, taken in the form of a couple of pills at night, and followed by the morning , aperient. If any other medicine be needed—l need not say no medicine is to be taken continual y — then try the following:" Dilute nitrohydrochloric acid, two drachms; tincture of gentian, three, and a-half drachms; decoction of dandelion, six ounces. Label:. "A tablespoonful twice daily after mea.ls."

But in case of suppressed bile we must note that the regulation of our food and other habits is of as great, if not greater, importance, than mere drugging. "The outside of a horse is the best thing for the inside of a man," is a saying which was evidentily meant to apply to a person suffering from this form of liver trouble. Exercise is necessary, and ihe horse exercise shakes up the liver. An attack of sea sickness has cured many a ca.ee on the same principle, therefore plenty of exercise is needed. Also care in diet must be observed. Not any excess of butcher meat, but fish, arilk puddings, and light diet at large, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, form the basis of treatment here. Once cured it remains for us to keep well by attention to the points just named. *

THE GOLD BATH OVEEDONE

There is altogether too much coW bathing, so says a doctor. Some persons can take daily or occasional cold baths with impunity.' Many who do so are hurt by it. Indeed half the people who bathe, he says, aside from the negative benefit of removing dirt, get more harm than good in the process, as conducted by them. A good many persons have destroyed their little remaining health by injudicious bathing. The use of cold water" in 'bathing is not essential to cleanliness. If tepid water, could be. substituted for that which is cold, the idea becoming so popular of the benefits in bathing, the public health would be promoted as a consequence. Whoever finds himself or herself exhilarated, refreshed, toned up, strengthened by the cold bath, and yet some hours later feels unstrung, debilitated, or depressed, may_ conclude with certainty that to him or her the cold bath is injurious.

TOBACCO BT2ART

The characteristic signs of tobacco heart are more than the rapidity of its strokes, nervous palpitations, and waste of vital force, irritability being always present, and. one of the most conspicuous effects is irregularity of the heart's normal, rhythmic pulsations. By the prolonged use of tobacco, hypertrophy or thickening of the left ventricle, or even of the entire heart, may obtain by the disturbed innervation and over-action of this organ. Th*! treatment is for the most part negartive — total abstinence. Even disappearance of the hypertrophy, says Osier, may disappear upon the discontinuance of the use of tobacco. This, together with a proper observance of the laws of hygiene, and occasional appropriate* internally administered doses of strychnine, prescribed a competent physician, may suffice •fVrr a complete r^ovory.