MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10127, 9 May 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

COLDS, HOW TO AVOID THEM. ! There are two very simple ways of avoid* ing pain and colds (said a well-known medico). One of these is to shut your eyes and the other is to shut your mouth. The man who comes out of an over-heated room, especially late at night, and breathes through his mouth, will either catch a bad cold or irritate his lungs sufficiently to cause considerable annoyance and unpleasantness, If he will just keep his mouth shut and breathe through his nose this difficulty and danger are entirely avoided. Nine chills out of every ten are the result of people talking freely while oub of doors just after leaving a room full of hot air, and theatre-goers who discuss and laugh over the play on their way home are inviting sickness.

It is just the same with regard to shutting tho eyes. Every man who travels a long distance gets dust or something worse in his eye occasionally, and proceeds to take everyone's advice to get it out, sometimes rubbing it, and sometimes pulling one lid over the other. The next time you get a spec of dust or metal in your eye just shut it and keep it shut for over a minute. Nature will then come to your relief, and there Will be enough tear-like moisture to get rid of the obstruction, which will be found in one of the corners when the eye is finally opened. The worse of these two proscriptions is that they are entirely too simple. Mankind loves martyrdom in connection with medicine or surgery. There is no doubt that many of the colds which people catch commence at the feet. So to keep those extremities warm, therefore, is to effect an insurance against the endless list of disorders which spring out of a slight cold. The first and golden rule is, never be tightly shod. Boots or shoes when they fit closely prevent the free circulation of tho blood by pressure. When, on tho contrary, they do nob embrace the foot too firmly, they get fair play, and the space left between the boob and stocking gets a good supply of warm air. The second rule is one much neglected, and is— never sib in damp shoes. It is often supposed that unless shoes are positively wet it is unnecessary to change them while the feet are at rest. This is a great fallacy, for when the least dampness is absorbed into the sole, in its evaporation it absorbs the heat from the foot, and thus perspiration is dangerously checked. Any person may prove this by trying the experiment of neglecting the rule, and the feet will feel cold and damp after a few minutes, although, on taking off the shoe and examining it, it will appear to be quite dry.

FRUIT AS A FOOD. Especially in winter people are apb to take too little fruit and vegetables, with the result thab they become constipated, and their complexions suffer inconsequence. Green vegetables and fruib should be taken every day, unless there is some reason in the state of the general health why ib is disallowed. Fruit should be taken alone, or form the principal part of the meal; taking it as we do generally, only as dessert after a heavy meal, half of its virtue is wasted. An orange or apple the first thing in the morning is a very excellent thing, and for lunch ib is a good plan to bake a little fish, and finish the meal with a couple of bananas, pears, or grapes, with buscuits, or bread and butter. Fruib is not very nourishing, and its value does nob lie in the direction of forming fab or flesh, bub in the presence of vegetable acids, namely, tartaric and citric, the salines, potash, soda, calcium, and phosphates, and in vegetable jelly. Apples, which are particularly cheap this year, are one of the most useful fruits. They may be taken as a drink, cooked in a variety of ways, raw, or in the form of jam or jelly; and a curious value of the apple has recently been proclaimed by German physicians, who sbabe that a dieb largely consisting of apples is oao of the best means of combating the tendency to alcoholism.

DANGERS OF ALCOHOL. As an outcome of a long-continued discussion upon this subject, it was acknowledged by a considerable number of the most learned and observant physicians and surgeons that no man or woman could be considered as quite beyond the reach of setting up either acute or chronic forms of alcoholic poisoning who regularly took their beer, wine or spirits containing more than the quantity of an ounce and a-half of alcohol per day. Of course, beers, wines, and spirits vary agood deal in strength, but, in a general way, and erring on'the side of excess, it may be said that three half-pints of beer would form the quantity suitable; three ounces, that is, six tablespoon!uls of brandy; perhaps seven tablespoonfuls of gin or whisky; seven ounces of port or sherry, and three-quarters of a pint of claret, would contain about the same amount of absolute alcohol, of which proof spirit is equivalent to about half alcohol and half water. These quantities may often be taken for years by healthy persons without harm. In disease much less may cause mischief, while in a few ailments' drinks containing alcohol may do muoiigood, bub taken as a medicine, and nob for pleasure, or as a custom. The death rates of our cities show the truth of this statement—as, for example, the death, rata of those habitual drunkards who are between twenty and thirty years old is five times the rate of the general community. Total abstainers have a life advantage at every period of life. One very curious point, however, seemed to be shown some' years ago—that the class of communicable diseases seemed to be more prevalent.ambhg abstainers than among moderate drinkers, and the' suggestion was made that the reason was that so much impure water was. dr.Bn.k, v " ■.- ..c/^'.'^j