HEALTH HINTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 15

HEALTH HINTS.

OVERWORK. I wiJl give a few timely warnings for tire benefit of those who are, peroape, a unknowingly suffering from overwork, "> •writes "MJD." in the "Scotsman":— . It is a skrn that the brain is being over- .} taxed when: s 1. Tlie day's work becomes a toil ra- i ther than a pleasure. ,t 2. There is a felt strain during tne last j hour, and a special effort is needed to £ concentrate the mind upon the work in ] hand. \ S. One is unnecessarily irritated by * trivial annoyances. i 4. There is .an occasional difficulty in re- < numbering names—places and persons, j This is a sure sign that some relaxation « is needed, and should not be overlooked. 5. An inability to sleep, or a restless sleep haunted by anxious dreams occurs night after night. This should never be allowed to go on for more than a month i or -softening of the brain may be the re- i suit. A holiday should be taken at I once, when change of scenes and taking i of physical exercises will probably restore the brain to its normal power. BABY'S WEIGHT. i The weight of an Infant is the best means we possess for forming a proper estimate of its progress, especially during the first two years of life. At birth the average weight of a full term, healthy female child is a little over seven pounds, while that of a male in similar circumstances is just over seven pounds and a half. For the Erst ten days after birth there is no increase, and indeed during the first two days an actual loss of weight is recorded. If the lose of weight continues after the second day, then the child is nox deriving enough milk from the breast, and it requires supplementing by some artificial means. Weakly children" do not begin to show an increase on their birth weight for three or four weeks, but thereafter rapid improvement should manifest itself. During the first year the period of most rapid increase is during the first three months, and it is no unusual thing to find that at the end of this period, a couple of infants, one of whom has only weighed seven pounds at birth, whilst the other scaled ten, should both weigh about twelve pounds. After the third month the improvement in weight goes on, 'but at a slower rate, although the ■rate of increase i-s maintained till the end of the twelve months at a fair rate, excepting, strange to say, between the sixth and nine months when, doubtless, due to teething and the change in the diet, it is very slow. At the end of the first year, the average child weighs nearly three times as much ac at birth, and no one should be satisfied unless during the first six months an average of four ounces be added each week, and slightly less during the second six months. Twins wouM naturally grow at a slower rate, although this is not always the case, and it is no unusual thing' for one of the twins to grow at a rapid rate, whilst the other only makes progress slowly. A teaspoonful of I olive oil once or twice a day often works wonders.