HEALTH HINTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 249, 17 October 1908, Page 13

HEALTH HINTS.

CRAMP. Tho very painful contractions of the muscles which arc known as cramp are pasy to remedy for tho moment, hut very difficult to cure permanently. They are. generally brought on by fatigue of the affected muscle, and are most likely to occur when a muscle which is unaccustomed to use is for any rerson worked very hand. Thus, after prolonged indulgence in any unfamiliar exercise, cramp is likely to follow. The attack may generally be stopped by extending tho affected part, generally the leg, arm. finder, or toe, and by rubbing and vigorous massage. Warm baths arc pood in bad cases, and also as a slight preventive, I and thp free drinking o f water is sometimes good. Cramp is also found as a symptom in cases of serious disease, such as cholera, and influenza ; in such cases it U the sign of some form of blood poisoning. WEIGHING THE BABY. It is an excellent rule to weigh a baby once a week for the first few months of its life. Nothing better indicates whether a baby is getting on than does the alteration which occurs in the body weight. The best scales for the purpose are those that are used with weights, not those with a di;:I and index. All clothing should be removed from the baby for the purpose of weighing, and it is a good plan to keep a shawl of known weight for tho purpose of wrapping the baby in while in the scale pan. The average healthy boy weighs about seven and a quarter pounds at birth. During the first week the weight commonly falls by a few ounces, but afterwards there is a pain of about four ounces a week. At five months a normal baby weighs double its weight at birth. BLEEDING FROM A TOOTH-SOCKET. It is not infrequent, after a tooth has been extracted, for the socket to begin to hleed. cither a short time after the first flow has stopped or for several hours afterwards. Sometimes the bleeding will recommence when the patient c oe.s to bed, the recumbent position aiding the flow of blood to the gum.. Th 0 bleeding is sometimes very troublesome-, to stop, often lasting some hours, and being weakening in tho extreme. A method which is often successful in stopping the flow of blood is to take a small pad of cotton-wool, dip it in a weak carbolic acid solution, and press it into the tooth-socket. This should then he covered with another pad of lint, and the mouth shut firmly down on it. If the bleeding continues in spite of this a doctor should be sent for, as the loss of blood may have serious results. INTERCOSTAL NEURALGIA. This form of neuralgia is not uncommon among young women and girls, and lakes the form of pain in the side., as its name implies. The. pain is sharp and stabbing, passing front back to front of tho chest, tho attacks ooming on at intervals of varying length. They will often occur with frequency for months at a time, and great care is necessary if they are to be The treatment of the attack consists in rest in bed. warmly covered, with a hot-water bottio at the feet, and iv some cases a mustard plaster placed on tho affected side. The I ; general treatment is chiefly in the direc-, ition of the improvement of the health: tonics are given, exercise- and nourishing food being essential. Fresh air, avoidance of over fatigu";. and care in avoidia« |d.-tcip and chills wil] do much to effect a i W€k