MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17348, 20 December 1919, Page 12 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

; A MOUTH-WASH. ; If " the mouth and teeth axe nob clean, the stomach suffers from catarrh as a consequence. The discharge from septic teeth is quite enough to give the pains of indigestion. Therefore, you must try and cure your pains "by using a mouthwash frequently. A very weak solution of potassium permanganate, coloured a faint pink, may.be used for this purpose. TbJPjlif Tame" touse it I ' is 'after' meals; so is to wash away any hits of food that maijr, adhere to the teeth. It is surprising, what a good Effect this has. The stoflaach is really quite grateful for the cutting Q$ of the supply of poisons that have been coming down from the mouth.

{ SALT AHB LONGEVITY. Mr. William Mugfur, of Colan, Cornwait who is in his 100 th year, and who is irobably the oldest active farmer in EBttLaad, recently stated that, in his briiS 'to'cß'plerity of salt was a good thing-i^one*•'wanted to live to a good old age? " Many people imagine that salt is a prophylactic, against ill-health, and that thejfc cannot wjell consume too much of -it. With delicate people/j-however, __ the habfjual ingestion of more- salt than is required by the system is sure to produce dl ejects. The amount of salt that cart be consumed daily with safety depends upon the constitution of the individual. Ongfche whole the idea that salt prolongs lifo<jis a fallacy.-"- - v. - ..-,

THEIR REMOVAL. Freckles are so "Veil known that they need nut be described, though perhaps a remarks, with suggestions as to treatment, may bo useful. Freckles are Ed to the action of- light, so consequently are found on the exposed parts of theikin, such as face and backs of hands. Though often abundant in childhood, they may; disappear in adult life, but when developed., they are permanent, and will* recur under certain conditions even whoa removed by. treatment. Prevention is gscumDlishgd i by ,the wearing of brown, redi or yellowish veils when the face is concerned j- for * the hands' gloves are needed. The removal of freckles is brought about by producing a desquamationsl of the skin, which exposes tho pigment cells' 'and .renders it easy to then des&oy them*. •> A. simple* method is to paidt the spots twice daily with a halfpercent, 'solution of sublimate Of mercury in spirit, stopping as soon as desquamation!- is complete, when the skin can be aoomed with cold cream.

* it CHILD WELFARE. Children should be * allowed to follow theft own instincts when theae are right. Few? mothers realise* the risk; of overcaution and over-attention to their children aftsr they are old enough to play and romp about, .being happier with a few simple playthings- than with a multitude of Complicated toys. . There is no such good fun or good training as making oneself: useful,.in..little, things. , Brain and body*can"be trained through hand, foot, andi^e3ffllS , a carpenter's bench, encourage girls to do housework. Children spend much' s of their time in sleep,£ but care and v watchfulness are necessary. Children are often put to sleep always on the same sido.,.v^T£e;.mother.' finds', them restless, and-thppghtlessly layfcthein that way. No cMaiarev on uarth the slave of habit than a tiny soft-baby that you may||aJigo6e could! not .'possess any distinct cfJJ&llfijt;. A mother may find it ' more the little.one on its left sid&'&nr about three days, sayj on the fourth day master baby decides there is something wrong if he is pat en his right side, and forthwith fidgets till he is awake. Placed on his left side, he serenely settles himself. Constantly lying on one side will make a difference in the size of the limbs on that side; and will even causa one side of the face to remain smaller than the other. Many.:children contract the habit of drawing up one leg in their sleep. This, too, may become a fixed habit, and by the time the child has learnt to walk a difference in the length" of the legs is noticed— misfortune that might have been avoided if the habits of the sleeping baby had been corrected. If a baby ia fractious and will not go to sleep, prepare a tepid bath and put him in it. As a rule, this has a very soothing, effect, and usually when returned, to its cot the child gives no further trouble. . HOUSEHOLD REMEDIES. Before the chemist's shop became the well-organised and universal institution it is to-day, most households kept their own medicine chest and their own stock of ample remedies." These, more often than not, were 'prepared at hose irom recipes handed down- from generation ,to generation. * Practical housewives, m those days, Collected and exchanged these recipes and wrote them out for reference m a book very much as nowadays the good housekeeper keeps a record of useful cookery recipes! \. Those old. books contained a good disa! of sound, commonsense and provide us with an \ interesting commentary on the life of those times. Written in the ragulaltsloping handwriting or our we .find instructions for the making of this/or that favourite uish of preserve, side by side with otheo for the preparation f or'simples, coughcures andSjother medicinal remedies. In many couhtry -districts; the habit still angers anjf tjle household remedy is preferred very 'Jjften to that made up from a doctors-, prescription by a chemist. With the itorwn-dweller things ar different. _ The : chemistis so handy. .«-He can go into hi* i shop and buy remedies for every conceivable eorqplairifc as", easily as he can purchase any other domestic Commodity. Stillj there are occasions when it is not only - convenient but important to nave to hand in the house certain simple remedies and-, to know at once which to choose and just 'how to administer them. And quite a art from this, it is of the utmost importance very often that someone in the house should know what to do in the tase of, a sudden accident or emergency. Everyone should know for example, what to do.in the case of a bad burn or scald and how to deal with cuts bruises and sprains. '' ' ' '" ' Burns and scalds ar 6 of frequent occurrence and require above all prompt and sensible treatment. Having sent for the doctor, the first and most important thing to remember is that the sufferer has sustained a bad shock, considering of course, a, serious case. Anything which might add unnecessarily to that, shock such as difficult attempts to remove the clothing must be avoided. The patient should be placed as soon as possible m a hot bath—about Wood heat in temperature, say/-b>twe.en 98 and 100 degrees *abrenheit>—and kept there until skilled assistance arrives or until tho pulse temperature and general condition show sure signs of recovering. - The head should be supported by a sling attached to the sides of the bath. I am aware that this may seem a startling idea to some people. Popular conceptions on this subject run almost diametrically opposite to those which science... and experience have recently established;! and many people *ouJd be horrified at the suggestion that water in good and oil very harmful in connection .with burns. Nevertheless it is so. Oil should never bo applied indiscnminately to.a burn, for this reason Iho two chief dangers of severe bums or scalds are the .shock to the system and subsequent..infection of the wound by dirt or germs If , oil is taken at random and apphed-directly to the raw flush, it is '>bv. o second ri.sk mentioned is <listincfcfc.-eneonr.iged, since sterility is not as a rule an-important consideration in the manufacture' and sale of oils for domestu, use.- Water, on the other hand, win aid in the subsequent removal of such P°rt«o|BL«Hhe charred clothing as may %■ ■ *ABSffuFV doctor or Berere ca^ *%" s i S-?S!fi- t<7 a doctor or niwso. ■• '- «^i&'r fMt ' in whi< * "hock bo 4SiS f ;! actor, l the in ' ur -V should MEH& ? ,c^?e d with clean warm * a B, psWFW* £**» * gauze, or clean :' ; v, ater ? °l«tion,of 1 per ,:^^Pued.'V'' r i,W u^x A-estate should K« '.^ feta. ,^%l®®'^^^»''&r o tl VPIT H|k ,l w'-V'tßionaUv with fw« Ik *S' i>**^ - «»«i».t«.i, *iwi iiie Hk;;,,"^—' ...... J-