MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14223, 20 November 1909, Page 7 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

.;,- _ ■ _—. ■♦' ■ '?.. LOSS of appetite; • . Vis all recognise that a good appetite, vine certain rare cases, is to be regarded Z> sign of health. The exceptions to this lie »re found in some curious instances in : Uich » person's appetite is unduly infused, so much so that ordinary supplies Mood do «hot satisfy him. Hunger and ,Hir4 are nature's warnings that, the time w arrived for the work of repair. to .begin, Ind what we term appetite really represents what wemight call the mental state of hunran thirst in that we experience a satisfaction at the idea, of consuming food, and of a certain pleasure in giving to the body What is needed for its support. In most cases a sick person does not require , anything like the amount of food he consumes -when lie is well, but in many instances the taking of such food even ■ where appetite is present, might lead to increasing the severity of his symptoms, Hence when mature deprives a sick person '/appetite, such a proceeding really represents -part of lire's cure. The stomach ..-rested and the weakened digestive system, ae well as the other organs of the body, are not troubled to discharge their usual duties- TJie'cases, however, of loss of ap- ' petite which it is our business to discuss today, are those found in instances where no " actual \illness of any serious kind is pre- ; sent.. Children frequently exhibit this peculiarity, and such cases are extremely puzzling jo mothers on account of the difficulty experienced in ascertaining why the child's I ; appetite ; has apparently vanished. "-•']' SOME c.vrsKs.

The causes of loss of appetite are frequently of mental kind. We cannot expect a person who is worried in mind over any of the affaire of life to enjoy hie food, and appetite in such a case naturally disappears. When Cardinal Wolsey fell into disgrace with his King, and was told to go to breakfist with what appetite he could furnish, ;! Shakeepere thereby indicated a true knowledge of physiology in the sense of the declaration that the appetite of the agitated j, join is practically abolished. In the second !place' we find physical or bodily causes for the loss appetite. Illness has already been mentioned as one of Hies?, and it may "he said that perhaps a natural lessening of the appetite is to be found occurring in the ! summer season, seeing that the amount of i food we consume in the hot weather is les- ' sened as compared with the amount we take :- ; in the : colder season of the year. Our tastes in hot weather rim in the direction of light foods, aid of less meit eating than in the i winter season, and although it may be going .too, far to assert that the lessening of ap- ;. petite in the summer is in anv sense an un--1 natural tains, ; we are nevertheless entitled to assume that our taste for food is less active in the wanner than it is in the cooler season, of the year. v The difficult cases of ijws'of appetite are found where no apparent -itaiise exists why a person's appetite should fail. But where liver troubles exist, where constipation has been allowed to become of a moreor less lasting or chronic nature, we j\find:the appetite either in itself disordered . or largely lessened. r ""treatment." - "' ' v Tornincr once more to the mind or mental , aspect of appetite, we may note that noth- ' ing; cloy* or destroys the'natural taste for food ;so: much as a monotonous ; diet. Howe housewives may well take the hint v that a variation in the diet, and the presenting of something new to the palate, will very frequently have the effect of restoring the appetite which has either been temporarily lost .or has been in abeyance. ;: Where \ the appetite requires to be encouraced a..caution should be given against the taking, ■ any alcoholic or spirituous fluids oefrapjiaimg. Nothing is more prejudicial - totlfergrkof.the stomach* than to find personsvjbttfng " nips " of this or that by way of a stimulant to the appetite. Such a proceeding tends rather to limit digestion and to prevent-J he 'flow of the gastric juice, which, taking place in the stomach, certain-' ly forms one' of the most important conditions for easy digestion and stimulation of l^a^ij^l^asvwell."^^^The v medicines which are chiefly relied on bv way, of restoring a lost . appetite, arc tonics amongst ..which qtfintnft"ranks'highly.'' A combination of qarnine,"s«tTycrmme, and other drugs" is often used, and a teaspoonful of the compound - syrup ofthe hypophosphites taken in a wine glassful of* water half:an hour before meals; instead of after meals will be found to act as, a tonic ,A, little Quinine wine takes -half an: hour before meals also forms an excellent and simple tonic, whilst lastly a good all-round mixture acting as a general tonic, and amongst other things tending to the betterment of the appetite, is. that repceeened bv one drachm of sulphate of ntjioine. 1£ drachms of dilute sulphuric acid. '% drachms each of syrup' of orange peel and tincture of orantre peel and water to 6oz. A :i iteserfswionfnl should be taken half an hour before food thrice daily. '■ F®l¥; ============