MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16567, 16 June 1917, Page 5 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

if SOAP AND WATER. Just as a stately mansion may be con- , tamed by a conflagration starting from a glowing match in. the waste-paper basket, I # an enormous boil may start from a £'/ microscopic black-head. This suggests -':' the treatment. .Those- clogged-up pores st be attacked heforo they become abuses, and the attack is made "with soap Pmust be attacked before they become to jcesses, and the attack is made with soap and water. There is no doubt that to deanso pores and expel blackheads something more than ordinary washing is 1&l needed- It requires friction with a rough J||§tbwel, rubbing and squeezing for some, minutes at a l™'- The treatment || ; should be vigorous. . . < CORRECTING UNSHAPELY NOSES. plfe In Paris there is a surgeon who claims B?'.:- success in correcting all ungraceful forms of nose, leaving the skin intact. He classi;S' fies unshapely noses into five principal ~-.- groups— crooked, saddle-shaped, W#Slon?, and broad.- To improve them M. ,"V % >: Julian Bourguet operates through ; th* nares under local anaesthesia, separating V/'- the skin from the subjacent framework, * -'■ removing exuberant bono and cartilage '". by means of a small saw or file in the case ©Ifefof bosses, and reapplying skin and sub•lvK'V cutaneous tissue to the amended framework. Saddle-backed noses are corrected 1-lPtby taking a fragment, of the. required size lilt from the tibial crest enveloped in its periosteum and grafting it under the skin of the nose. In dealing with a nose that L§fff'is too long, Mr. Bourguet removes a tri.vV;-'" angular piece of the septum and-triangu-fSsSp-lar cirtimge, so as to restore the nose to tj a too long, Mr. Bourguet. removes a triangular piece of the septxim and triangular cirtilage, so as to restore the nose to ita normal proportions. 1111 l ABOUT ADENOIDS.

I' Adenoids are much more common nowadays than formerly—a fact due, it is said, to increased rood dust These growths occur most frequently in the cas6 of delicate children, and it •is l much • the • wisest course to have them removed without delay. : The presence of adenoids is easily docognisable by snuffling and snoring. ■ Also the mouth it constantly open, the air pas We from the, nose being almost blocked up. Deafness follows,in time. |r If the adenoids are allowed to remain, health is bound to be badly affected. Th 6 air breathed*■ in*at the mouth, instead ol through the nose, vis not. filtered, and consequently disease germs jass direct to the " lungs arid breathing passages. The blood not being properly aerated is not duly purified, and the system becomes liable to attacks of all'sorts.: *;:•' ■'. :Tt Many dull, puny, and generally un-, healthy children are teen to become rosy, ■ bright.'and intelligent;*, as soon as ade- . noids have been removed. /« 7 .«" k: .' Enlarged tonsils ; and-adenoids-are not ," the same thing.. They may exist together, though,: and both, of course, require prompt medical treatment, ; r> I*; CASE 07 THE EYES. Defective sight is a drawback at any age, and 'whatever work one may -do. Even leisure cannot be thoroughly enjoyed without good sight, either with or without glasses. ,It is the greatest mistake, from every point of view, not to wear glasses as soon as one feels the need for them. The right glasses will preserve the sight formally, years. Do not wear any glasses which happen to be handy— may actually injure your tight without your finding it out »until u';. too late. 'It is,a very good plan to give the eyes a few minutes' ' rest several times a day. Turn your bead from the light and close the eyes—that's .all.. It makes such a difference to : them—keeps them useful ":*!' and bright and free; from tired lines: "Crows feet"" are tho.surest.-.sign that i the eyes are being misused in some way. I. A daily wash 1 with an eye-bath (obtain', ■ able at the chemist's) is also of wonderp|M benefit. AVboracio acid solution is » w -. the best lotion for bathing the eyes—and Ist many people recommend cold tea.. The Wms eyeballs • should not' bs rubbed with the vgK knuckles on awakening—or when : washing lllfll'the face. The less pressure put on the " '".' eyes at any time the better, and if massage is ever resorted to in: order to keep W§mL the eyelids . firm, it , should '■. be done, with fffpl the lightest possible touch. , V«:L ,' ~

|%:f A EHZTJIUTIO PATIEIIT.\ ; !"'- The diet must' be* carefully' studied; the rheumatic ' patient ; snould; : : partake ms( freely; of • animal -:• food "■ and',; fat,Mand :he ■' should eat 'very slowly. - Generally speaki alcohol;should bo': avoided. Exercise \ "in the open' aii... should be ■■ encouraged; > ■ some rheumatic joints require '.movement, h . rather than rest/ The; natural'stiffness | I due to the rheumatism is increased 'tenfold The diet must be carefully studied; the rheumatic patient should partake freely of animal food and fat, and he should eat very slowly. Generally speaking, alcohol should be avoided. Exercise in the open air should be encouraged; some rheumatic joints require movement rather than rest. The natural stiffness! due to the rheumatism is increased tenfold i by the' : enforced '- immobility. which. is L' . foolishly adopted by the patient. •. To live in a. bright, sunny room, well Sf ! sired and ventilated, will go a long way towards improving v the 'general.•; tone id ff • the system, and thus relieving some of the |l|!lPlrheumatic troubles. Then, the clothing is of paramount importance." It is useless ; :.-> bunding the patient' up with a multitude illltFof coverings,. and, on the,- other hand, M?^% chills must be avoided by. wearing sum- £'.'. cient clothing. A garment that is light, warm, and absorbent should be worn next |M»i! to the skin. Tonics are useful,' and variLp jous drugs . have been tried with varying ||||ip? success, but too much reliance should not $Jp*'"! be placed on drags. In many cases cod liver oil improves the : general _ nutrition ; '"" and makes the patient feel he is getting - better. Hot air baths give great relief, and electric light baths, •which combine ',S' - ■ heat and light, are often beneficial. The beneficial effects of baths is due more to the warmth of the water than to the saline constituents. Each individual must be studied as a separate entity. To some Sb' sufferers harm has been done by mineral 3yfjj. baths.', • . ' \ ;*'-i ' In the "early stages of acute inflammation rest must be strictly enjoined, but at the |jfii|jj|&firat possible moment, provided you have ' the permission of your • medical attendant, you should move the joints. You think that because a joint is stiff, stiff it must , * remain, and it is very hard to get it into f^llllyour'heads that you must exercise the ||||||||]ant to prevent it getting stiff ' -'Vj ( —:/; .:■..■' '£»§£ CASE OF THE NAILS. ~ , ' ' A little attention paid to the nails and .■'-'■; finger tips will not only greatly improve IfPiPp'tKeir appearance, but will. often save a {:,'' great deal of discomfort and actual pain. \'» Most people have, suffered from "hang- - : ' nails'.'—those painful inflamed fragments * of skin at the side of the 'nail itself—and most of us need not have so suffered if our finger tips had been properly cared :^^^for'.".;; The nails and finger tips participate so largely in all our work that they run lllllpl'many risks. The commonest ailment from . which they suffer is dryness and crack- . lll§|tSing; a condition in which the nails be- | come **! «d brittle either splitting ; l|K|s*i downwards or breaking into layers at the I edges, while the skin round them and ! lilipjppver' the joints of the fingers cracks and \ grows sore and inflamed. This condition \ |§||||fl(9ften accompanies work which entails the plunging of the hands many times a day hot water, particularly when soda is with & Peo P le employed in such must take steps to restore to then *kin and nails the natural oil which had taken from them by constant soakI often accompanies work which entails the '•. plunging of the hands many times a day it' ■ into hot water, particularly when soda is WjL used with it. People employed in such work must take steps to restore to theii ffHr B^n an( * na 'k natura ' °tt wn icb had Ifl been taken from them by constant soakr ' ing, and they should make a habit of ap plying to the parts involved a little glycerine—when it is obtainable—some lanollllplP^ or vaseline, frequently throughout the ||M|jp?|(^ a and should wear at night a pair oi y!p^»i: old white gloves with the insides of the il^ilpfl:% well greased with one of the above. <■' ,'.. :■."' w named dressings. I The nails should always be kept neatly I Silf'< trimmed with a air of sharp scissors, an( 1. llpllf^ all ragged ends of skin round them shoulc I WimW^ ' cut away. The cuticle below the nail m -•which in many people has a tendency «t< 8 ■' grow over it, should be pressed bad 1 ' with a finger-nail of the other hand eacl 1 lii^o— 0? washing. It will be found quit( g *° m lll1 '? 111^6 while wefc - _nails should never be cleaned wit! ffl^^r-'i v! "'ytbing such as a wet. or scissor The nails should never be cleaned witl anything sharp, such as a knife or scissor blade. '.. This roughens the inner surfac< s?li^^s'H 0 the nail, so that it catches all dust anc IllPSSi® ffi' ??d soon gets worse than before p^pJs|^|tThe'best, way, of, . cleaning ' them is witl M lot water,. soap, f and a stiff nail-brush ||«if>s^&" 1 * -'next best is with a smooth-pointe< V; ■ itick of some hard wood.