MEDICAL NOTES.

Mataura Ensign, 14 May 1913, Page 4

MEDICAL NOTES.

EARACHE. Headache may often be relieved applying a blister the size oT a 2biili«J on the bone behind the en- Tim i.u * on long enough to riS^ At"?? mer ° ly I,mkc tbe BKin red. At the same time nut W w?r 'H 4 drops °' 1 ,lot Cw ear. Ihe most convenient way to ( l<> this is to put the tenapoon into l M >ilina hot and then jxjur tlie oil out Of the bottle into tl.«. hot M* K) n Lc>ave it in the spoon for a-minute and then pour into the ear. ' d SLEEPLESSNESS. Sleep is a state of relative rest, and ' s ess «ntial for the well-l)eing of every organ of the body. We may, perEs* do with second-rate food, but we must have first-rate sleep or there will probtlmy \ Durin g s<»«nd sleep less rW.%\ nioro sl " wly and wi A less vigor; the brain in m a conditio., of relative repose; the breathing is slower and more gentle; an d the gland# aHeft TO* 6 W y ar ° m Paratively at rest. The whole constitution is r<£ gating after the stress and fatigw affitbif a^ R and We ro]y yP° n for affecting those processes of repair which are needful, to avert the decadence of body and of mind. All sleep is not one and the same—it varies in depth and ff'w u 1 be Inoasur by the <Jock. We ought not to ask "How lona did you sleep last night?" but "How slfvm'' ie o;u '' lor hours o# sleep are the deepest and best, and th« phrase "beauty sleep" is founded a physiological truth. The hard w<ff€riS» i. • a sleeper; the man ual laborer is generally so. The chemical by-products of muscular action form a natural hypnotic of which the kK or Wng m the open air all day obtains the full benefit. The bS worker who would woo sleep should take this to heart, and substitute the work of his hands for that of his brain a £ vnnta &° that it has no X 1 A UiW primT pies which will conduce to sleep will be welcomed by many a sedentary work er. in some form or other is one of the most common deterrents' This is the cause of most dreams, and! m the majority of cases, the cum of dyspepsia, or the abolition of a I-n^ 1 1, L< hl' ? rst Csson tial for procuring heajthy sleep. At least an interval of three hours should intervene between a heavy meal and bedtime. D*. layed digestion serves to stimulate tfa* brain, and cerebral stimulation is debt* mental to sleep. It is true that tk» lower animals almost invariably assoriate digestion and sleep, and the neaMr we approacli to them the more closely may we expect to copy them. TOom whose sleep Js precarious would do well to avoid the use of tea, coffee and possibly cocoa, m the latter part of the day. Alcohol is a narcotic, but m s V s a - is very ill-advis-able. Especially is this true in the insomnia of elderly The sen£f w oftei J kee I > one a»ake; cold feet, for example, frequently cause offence. Ihe skm generally should be warm, but not too warm. U one is too hot in bed it is impossible to nlfirm over- f' 11 f at , i l A °° ld •PO»8»7S •fi ' If by a good rub down W - L + ? ene , y hj« followed by a eooci night s sleep. External stimuli of all j 1 . 3 ?!'S " to sleep. Hence th* desirability of opaque blinds for the bedroom windows to shut out the light a "d freedom from street " V and other disturbing sounds, li, 16 a { , jm _ mon practice to deaden the latter br keeping the windows closed. fffcm may possibly follow but it is largely +V ' 6tew i w ß. one's own and the awakening m the morning is of the headachy, unrefreshed type. eep the windows open, and, if necessary , wear cotton-wool plugs as earhds : if comfortably appW they will be found most effective. The abolition ot sinking clocks at night time would o© a boon to many, and especially to those who are inclined to be neurasthenic—a class particularly prone to over-sen sit lveness to sounds. Overwork of itself is seldom, if ever, a cants ot sleeplessness; it is the worry, or the emotion of hope or joy, which so frequently aecompany it. If the brainworker must work late let hia reserve for the end of his working day the work of a dial! or routine character. Creative work is too exciting to bo permitted; this should be relegated to the earlier hours of the day.