TALKS ON HEALTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1937, Page 3

TALKS ON HEALTH

PREVENTION OF CHILBLAINS Chilblains must be prevented. First of all you. must try to tone up. your general system, and, above all, improve the circulation by regular exercise., Stick to your cold baths in the morning and have a brisk rub down; that makes the blood spin through the veins. Chilblains are found in people whose circulation is sluggish. Next, you must have mercy on your poor feet. Stockings must be worn thick to protect the feet from cold, and you must have them the proper size. Sinal’-pointed stockings compress the feet as much as tight shoes (io. See the stockings nave square toes. It is cheaper in . the long run to discard socks that arc too narrow. A MATTER OF CIRCULATION The importance of rest in the cure of sore places and ulcers on the feet and legs is not sufficiently recognised. When the blood circulates through the ulcerated area it performs a double function; it brings nourishment to the diseased tissues to build them up, and carries away the poisonous products of the ulceration. The faster the blood circulates, the better are these two functions performed. But the foot, being the lowest point in the circulation, is where, the blood has most difficulty, and where the bloodstream is most sluggish. In order to get back to the heart it has to climb uphill, that is why the ulcers always occur in the legs and feet; you never saw one on the top of the head. Hence the circulation is encouraged, and the rapid supply of healthy blood does more to heal the ulcers than any application. Rest is essential for sores on the leg, especially in elderly people.

VARICOSE VEINS In the treatment o£ varicose veins only two methods need be considered, stocking or bandage and operation. A bandage will give relief but will not cure; an operation will, by removing the enlarged veins, cure once and for all. Not all cases are suitable for operation; the surgeon must decide the point for you. But you will be foolish if you do not avail yourself of the opportunity of having an operation when it has been recommended. I have seen scores of people who have been cured by a simple operation. Tight garters should not be worn; suspenders which do not compress the leg are far more sensible. If it is possible to arrange it, women with varicose veins should try and find some occupation which does not keep them on their legs all day. A SHINGLES SUPERSTITION Shingles is a complaint which is undoubtedly connected in some way with the nerves, as the spots and blisters always appear directly over the course of a nerve as it runs along under the skin. The spots may appear on the forehead or the trunk. They are almost unknown on the limbs. A very common situation is the side of the body, the line of spots running parallel with the ribs. There is a, silly superstition that if two rows of spots, one on each side of the body, meet in the centre, the patient will die. It is so silly that it would be hardly worth mentioning if it were

not that unnecessary mental suffering is caused to people who believe such nonsense. Shingles lias never caused death; and, as a matter of fact, the spots never do meet in the mid-line. OVERWORK OR WORRY Shingles is a mysterious complaint, and the cause is not definitely known. It is quite certain that in some cases the complaint is brought on by overwork or mental worry, but this is not the explanation in every case, as the shingles may appear in children who have not reached a worrying age. The pain associated with shingles is often very acute, and it is felt some days before the spots appear. Hence the diagnosis is not easy at first, because the case looks like one of simple neuralgia before the breaking out of the rash reveals its true nature. The best application is zinc ointment, or, if the pain is very acute, cocaine ointment. A dressing should be worn to prevent the chafing of the underclothes. TOO MANY CIGARETTES Smoking too many cigarettes may result in the appearance of one or more of the following symptoms: — Tickling cough at the back of the throat. Catarrh of the nose, throat, and larynx. Hoarse voice. Breathlessness on slight exertion. Waking up at night with pain in the side. Palpitation of the heart and pallor of the skin and sweating. Weak memory, and inability to concentrate attention on work. Inflamed eyes from the irritation of the smoke. Colour blindness. Sleeplessness and loss of appetite. Lowering of general vitality, opening tiie door to many complaints. DANGER OF HEAVY FALLS

If you are present when a man has a seizure, the first thing, if it is possible, is to prevent him from falling to the ground with a crash. Put your arms round him and gently lay him on the ground. A severe wound on the head may be inflicted ff the man falls heavily on the kerb. This is a cojnmou experience; a man, for instance, may have a fit and fall, striking his head on the ground. When he is picked up It looks as though the wound on the head made him unconscious. As a matter of fact, the bursting of the blood-vessel made him unconscious first, and then he fell, so that really the wound 011 the scalp has nothing to do with his unconsciousness at all. When the patient is on the ground, loosen everything around the neck, carry him into a shady place, out of the sun; place a coat under his head to prevent him from bruising his head, but do not. roll the coat too high: splash some cold water on the head and face: make no attempt to pour brandy down his throat, and, after he has lain quiet, in a safe place for about half an hour, have him removed with all care and gentleness to a hospital. It is not much good waiting for him to recover consciousness,, as he may be in a sleepy condition for hours. It is sometimes important to pull the tongue forward if the face is blue ami the breathing of a snoring type.