HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1926, 15 January 1891, Page 42

HEALTH COLUMN.

The Ear. No oily substance, poultice, or liniment should be put into the ear, because great injury is liable to be done. Warm water is the best possible and about the only safe " wash." Do not scratch the ears with any metal ; pinheads, hairpins, or ear picks should be tabooed. Do not scream if an insect enters the ear ; warm water will drown it and wash out the " remains." The ear is not nearly so liable to injury from the intruder as from frantic efforts to dislodge it. Do not put anything cold into the ear; even cold water should be avoided, especially if there is any affection of the hearing. Do not put cotton in the ears if there is any discharge of pus from thdm. Use warm water as frequently as may be necessary to keep them clean, but ' do not force the foal matter back into the delicate machinery. If any small hard substance falls into the ear, do not attempt to " dig it out." If not readily removable, allow it to remain in quiet, and have a physician take care of it when convenient ; it is not likely to do any serious harm unless tampered with. Anything which is soluble may be washed out, with a little patience, by the U3e of a syringe and warm water ; if not soluble it is harmless. Deafness may sometimes be caused by an excess of ear wax, which has become hardened and obstructs the action of the membrane. Either have a careful hand apply warm water through a proper syringe, or a piece of cotton wadding wet with essence of peppermint may be introduced, which will dissolve and absorb the hardened wax in a few hours.— Hall's Journal of Health.

Advantages of Vegetabe Diet.— Popular Science Monthly alludes to the belief of some that as man in the savage state has, for the most part, been largely, if not wholly, carnivorous, he will, with the progress of civilisation, become entirely^vegetarian, or use only the products of animals, as eggs and milk with vegetable food. A vegetable diet has been found very successful in treating kidney troubles and indigestion. In point of economy it is an enormous saving, not only in actual cost to the consumer, but also in land; as of two equal, portions of ground, one raising a cereal and the other beef or mutton, the part devoted to the cereal will support 10 times as many men as the beef or mutton portion. ' Electeicity in SuBGEBY.-r^At the recent. , Medical Congress in Berlin the discussions on electrical subjects were productive of intense interest. Electricity is being used in surgery to an extent little dreamed of outside the profession, and many tributes to the beneficence of its agency were given. A statement was made by one of the speakers, j Dr Lassar, to the effect that Mr Edison intended, through his medical adviser, to communicate a novelty in the shape of an appli-. cation of electricity for the removal of stone. Considering the intense pain which, usually accompanies operations for this disease, such a discovery is practical philanthropy of the utmost value.

Smokers will be glad to hear that tobacco may be enjoyed,to any extent without injury to health. Dr Gautreleti of Vichy, has discovered that by inserting in the pipe or cigar-holder a piece of cotton wool .steeped in a solution of pyrogallic acid, all the ill effects of nicotine will be neutralised. The mischief frequently caused to heart, mouth, and nerves is thus prevented, - while the taste of the tobacco remains unaffected,

A German health officer, Heim, has made some very careful estimates as to the length of time the bacilli of various infectious diseases can live in milk and various milk foods. The typhoid germ can live at least 35 days in milk, three or four weeks in butter, only three days in cheese, and not more than one day in whey. The germ Qf consumption or tuberculosis can exist 10 days in milk, four weeks in butter, and two weeks in cheese and whey. It is interesting to notice the difference in the behaviour of these two germs to whey and cheese, suggestive as it is of a certain weakness in the typhoid germ which may yet be taken advantage of in the treatment of typhoid fever. Dr Paul Guttmann has brought, out a new medicine, a compound of antipyrin ., and salicyluric acid, which bears the name of " Salipyrin." After 'many experiments, and using in all more than 2000 grains of ,the new medicine, Dr Guttmapn feels convinced that it lowers the temperature of the body, produces a ge,ntle perspiration, and is very useful in acute as well as chronic rheumatism. It is said to be one of the merits of this drug that it leaves no unpleasant consequences, such as have been noticed in the skin eruptions produced by frequent doses of antifibrin.