HEALTH MOTES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1626, 29 April 1903, Page 68 (Supplement)

HEALTH MOTES

(By Dx. Andrew Wilson. J'.E.S.E.)

I ST, VITUS’ DANCE. j Iu my former article on. the nervous system I described, the two great elements of which it was composed. —nerve ceils ana nerve fibres. I showed, that of the two the nerve cells were obviously the more important, the duty of nerves being merely to carry the messages gemg to or coming from the brain cells. An apt illustration of a nervous trouble of common occurrence, and regarding winch, various correspondents have written to me of late from time to timf . is the affection known as St. Vitus’ Dance. This trouble is known to medical men under the name of “Chorea/’ a term derived from the Greek word meaning dancing" or jumping. It is a curious affection, often causing a good deal of alarm and trouble to mothers, seeing that it generally oc-' curs in girls between the fifth and sixteenth years of life, although, it may be found, but not so frequently, in the case of bovs. One curious point about St. Vitus’. Dance is that it mav occur after rheumatism, and as this is a trouble that certainly affects the muscles we mignt j judge here rightly enough of the relation j between cause and effect. I also find that it is more frequent when rheumatism comes on after the attack of scarlet fever. Regarding the cause of this curious trouble there is a pretty fair agreement amongst medical men that it is the result of some kind of mental shock. Children have been known to be affected with it by receiving a severe fright, but there are cases known in which no such distinct cause for the ailment is traceable. Whatever, however, be its origin, there cannot be the slightest doubt that it gives us an excellent ex- ! ample of a nervous trouble, the exact seat i of which is by no means clear. ITS NATURE. The chief feature of St. Vitus’ Dance is, of course, the want of power to control the movements of the muscles. Muscles j form the flesh of our body. and. as my readers must knew, they form our means of movement. When they col tract or ! grow shorter they pull together the parts between which they are attached, and thus enable us to discharge all the ordinary duties of life. In a healthy body "tve have these muscles well under command. If we wish to move a muse le of t

the arm, the leg, head, or neck, or other j part we know that, not being paralysed, 1 we have the power to execute this move- ; ment. In plain language, the ordinary i muscles of the body are called voluntary j muscles, because they are brought into j play, and are so stimulated at the command of our will. When we do not wish, j to move them, or to call them into play, \ they remain perfectly quiescent. We j miedit, therefore, readily suppose that the ! brain or the spinal cord, which is the ; extension of the brain downwards, exercises over the muscles when not in use ■ what we may call an inhibitory action , •—that is to say, an action restraining any j independent movement. Suppose this | action from one cause or another is al- ; tered, and suppose that the break, so to j speak, is removed from the muscles, then left to their own device they may proceed to contract, being stimulated so to do by some part or other of the nervous system over which the brain has for the time being lost control. Also, we must note that the child who has St. Vitus’ Dance, in addition to being unable practically to sit still, cannot use the muscles properly. The movements are what we call spasmodic, or jerky, in their nature. . Thus the walking will rather be a process j of dragging the feet after the patient, i and even when sitting the hands are not j kept still, but exhibit various irregular i movements. The jaws are also affected in the same way by the irregular action of the muscles, and speech, breathing, and swallowing may all in turn be imperfectly performed owing to the same action or condition affecting the muscles . through the nerves. THE TREATMENT. i i A trouble of this kind, though not neces- j sarily dangerous, it must be confessed is extremely annoying, not merely to the patient herself. Imt also to those surrounding her. In a severe case it might bo necessary to feed the subject of this trouble. Happily in many cases it does not last long. Its duration is set down at from two to three months as a rule. Under proper treatment it might probable be cured at an earlier stage; but the

danger which exists is that it may become chronic and lasting, in which case, ot ! course, the ailment assumes, a much more 1 serious character. Amongst the causes ot i St. Vitus’ Dance worms have been 'n- ! eluded. It is more than probable that ! this opinion is correct, because the pres- ] once of worms 1 in the bowel, whilst ordinarily not giving rise to grave nervous I symptoms, are often associated with dis. ! turbance of health, and if we assume that i an easily excitable, nervous system exists ! in the child or youth the presence of these i parasites might in this way act as a ! cause of the affection we are considering. ! Having these latter facts in mind, it i may therefore be well to caution parents ! to make due inquiry and examination to I see whether or not worms may be ie- | presented as a cause of the ailment. If | the presence of these parasites be de- ; 1 acted it is more than probable that their ; treatment and removal may cure the case, | OTHER HINTS, j There seems to be little doubt that in ; ordinary cases a tonic treatment is tout i which is best adapted to secure success. 1 In the first place, the life of the patient ! must be duly regulated. All excitement | jnust.be avoided, and existence must be lived in a quiet’and regular fashion. A child affected with this ailment is, of course, not a fit subject for school, and all lessons should for the time being be stopped, the aim being as far as possible to give the nervous centres com--1 plcte rest. The doctor’s advice naturally should be taken, and the probability is that ho may prescribe arsenic in some form or other, this being a remedy in much favour amongst physicians for the cure of this disease. I may here mention that arsenic cannot at all ..be used I without the consent and advice ox a doc- ! tor being a medicine of a character l which cannot be sold to the public direct ion account of its otherwise poisonous J properties. The arsenic seems to exeit j some special action on the nerve centres 1 involved in the disease, whilst, oi course, ; in itself it also forms a very powerful I tonic. In cases winch are noc or a very • severe character a considerable amount of j benefit may often be derived by giving j bromide of potash, a dose of this for say, j a child above six years being about live | or six grains given twice or tnr.ee daily. ! Doctors nowadays, however, are fond of I combining bromide with another sub- ! stance so as to form a medicine called ! chloTobrom (not chloroform note). I ins ! medicine also should only be given under i the advice of a doctor. Very good results ! appear to have been derived from its ! use in St. Vitus’ Dance, especial y where i there is a want of sleep, and where the j movements are very violent. Arsenic, of ! course, in such a case would probably j also be ordered by the doctor as a tonic, j The food must be light, but nourishing, ■ but I need hardly say the most important, i point in this disease must be the careful ! toning up of the patient’s system through ! medical advice and home treatment m j the way of rest and avoidance ot all I undue causes of excitement.