HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 36

HEALTH COLUMN.

.Bilious Attacks.

We are a fast-living people, our cookery is too refined in many cases, hence the craving for stimulants, wine, beer, spirits or tea, which retard digestion, and, therefore, in one way may be said to counteract the evils brought on by the over-studiousness of the French cook. But how often is the cure a thousand times worse than the disease I

Well, as a a rule, the amount of food taken into the system is out of all proportion to the amount of bodily exercise taken. Hence the miseries of five out of every ten ( cases of those who live at home at ease.

It is the middle-aged, those between forty and fifty-five, who are most likely to suffer from biliousness, from errors in diet. The errors are those of kind and quantity. I shall mention presently what should be avoided in diet.

The symptons of biliousness are unhappily but too well-known. They differ in different individuals to some extent, however. A bilious man is seldom a breakfast eater. Too frequently, alas ! he has an excellent appetite for liquids, but none for solids of a morning. His tongue will hardly bear inspection at any time ; if it is not white and furred, it is rough at all events. The digestive system is wholly out of order ; diarrhoea, or constipation, may be a symptom, or the two may alternate. There are very often h£emorrhoids, or loss of blood even.

There may be giddiness, and often headache, and acidity or flatulence, and tenderness at the pit of the stomach. The pain felt in the right shoulder would indicate an extra bad case, but apart from this, there arc aching pains and even stiffness in the limbs, with more or less of cramps in the limb musceles, or burning in the palms, of the hands, with hot perspiring feet.

There may be drowsiness and torpor by day, and sleeplessness at night, and all sorts and conditions of mind, especially irritability: jits of bad temper that come on suddenly and go off again, and those none are so thoroughly grieved at as the poor patient himself.

Bilious people generally fly for relief to aperient pills, and their is no doubt that they often afford temporary relief by relieving the over-gorged liver. This really is antiphlogistic treatment, but it assuredly is

not radical. When a fish-pond over-flows its banks, we 'may let off a portion of the water, but after this we ought, methinks, to find our way to the other end of the pool and lessen the inflow.

Well, just a word about treatment. First and foremost, then, in sudden bilious attacks, that are often accompanied by great prostration, and by urgent vomiting, it is best to send fpr a medical man. Such attacks generally come on in the morning, and at the time the body is most; weak. I do not think upon the whole I should be justified in suggesting medicinal remedies in this paper, for th 6 simple reason that cases differ so. The mineral acids and bitter vegetable tonics often do good. So does nux vomica, and aconite. Then there is dandelion, and chloride of ammonium, and and alkalies. tfißut I can only generalise. A blue pill and colocynth, followed next day by a glass of Pulena water, will wardloff many an attack, if the patient goes in |f or preventive measures afterwards, and follows a course of rational living. The podophyllin pill, from a quarter to half a grain of the extract, in three to five of extract of hyoseyamus,' may do as well as the blue pill, if not better.

Soda water or lithia water and milk should be drunk next day, and very little solid food taken, though beaf-tea mixed with arrowroot will be found very nourishing ; or a raw egg beaten up in milk.

Little good will accrue from treating a case like this, however, if, when he is once more well, the patient returns to his old nonhygienic habits of life.

" What am Ito do, then ? " may be asked. I will tell you what you are not to do. You are not to over-eat ; you are not to use sugar or fat to any extent, potatoes, puddings, pastry, or cheese. You are not to touch alcohol. You are not to sit in over-heated rooms. You are neither to over-work nor over-worry yourself. And you are not to shirk the morning tub nor plenty of exercise.

What are you to do for the acidity ? Abstemiousness and regulation of diet and habits will entirely banish it, and you will have the pleasure of knowing that its absence is a sign of rejuvenation of the liver. — A Family Physician in CasseH's Magazine.