MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9497, 28 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

AIDS TO LONGEVITY. The philosopher may balance the advantages and disadvantages of long life, and may decide in favour of a short time of human existence. But it is clearly a prime part of the business of the physician to make life as long as possible, and as comfortable. There are two sorts of pressure which tend to shorten life : blood pressure within and atmospheric pressure without. In advancing age the circulation of the blood and lymph tends to become slow, and the enfeebled heart finds its embarrassments increased by this condition. Especially do the more vascular organs, such as the lungs, the liver, and the kidneys, pub skids on the wheels of the blood circulation. Plainly then an important condition of cardiac easement, and therefore of lifeprolongation, is the maintenance of an uncongested state of lung, liver, and kidney. Thus are internal pressures relieved, and thus is cardiac energy conserved. Of almost equal importance is the question of atmospheric pressure and moisture to aged persons. Situations which are at once low-lying and damp give, of course, a maximum of atmospheric pressure. Such pressure weighs down at a single stroke body, mind, and life. The difference to aged persons between living at the sea level and living 500 feet above it, between living in a moist atmosphere and living in a dry one, is sometimes quite incalculable. Not seldom life may be lengthened by five, or even ten years by living in an atmosphere which is both light and dry. These physiological considerations are commended to the aged and to the physicians of the aged. Whilst physiological explorers are busy in the laboratory clinicians must not imagine that new discoveries can be applied in practice without constant and intelligent efforb on their part. Knowledge, like freedom, "filters slowly down," bub there is no objection to a little artificial acceleration of the pace. The Hospital, A REMEDY FOR CANCER. The Echo contains the following, which, if true, ought to be widely known : — " According to a medical paper, the intolerable pain which accompanies cancer is to be subdued by citric acid in the form of lemon juice, of which it is the active ingredient. The discovery is due to Dr. Brandini, of Florence, who ' tried the remedy upon a female patient, aged 73, who for years had suffered from an ulcerous cancer in the breast, pronounced incurable, the torments of which were such that she not only got no sleep at night, but prevented the other patients from getting any. A piece of lint soaked in lemon juice was applied to the afflicted parb and produced immediate relief. The pain absolutely disappeared for seven hours, and, when it recurred, fresh applications dispelled it for successively longer periods, until eventually ib ceased altogether. In a number of other cases of similar nature the results were the same.'" THE DELUSION OF GROWING FAT. The man or woman who is gradually putting on flesh will be interested in the following paragraph. It is entitled The Delusion of Growing Fat." If you continue your present dietary and habits, and live five or seven years more, the burden of fat will be doubled, and that insinuating tailor will be still congratulating you. Meantime you are "running the race of life" figure of speech less appropriate to you at the present moment than ib formerly was—handicapped by a weight which makes active movement difficult, upstairs ascent troublesome, respiration thick and panting. Nob one man in 50 lives to a good old age in this condition. The typical man of 80 or 90 years, still retaining a respectable amount of energy of body and mind, is lean and spare, and lives on slender rations. Neither your heart nor your lungs can acb easily and healthily, being oppressed by the gradually gathering fab around. And this because you continue to eat and drink as you did, or even more luxuriously than you did, when youth and activity disposed of that moiety of food which was consumed over and above what the body required for sustenance. Such is the import of thab balance of unexpected ailment which your tailor and your foolish friends admire, and the gradual disappearance of which, should you recover your senses and diminish ib, they will still deplore, half-frightening you back to your old habits again by saying, "You are growing thin ; what can be the matter with you ?" Insane and mischievous delusion. ' r ' "■' ,'