HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 70

HEALTH COLUMN.

Treatment of Miiiiids.

This is a \cry painful, but iimally not danp< rou-, oiita^ioiii d-uca-e affi-- t.np c-hiufly tl c- young, thouph no 1 tpanng the middle aged, or e\en the old, who n.ay ha\e en ai ctl cxno>iiii! -n eai'.iri lne

Usually one who ha-> had the di f.n-e isafe from ano'Lu attack, but ti.i- i<< lot ahvnj's "i, and medital bcold t^il us of unfortunate ind'Mf'uij'i who ha\p - u ft(.ied fo-ir ard fne Jitaek* :'t uit'ivnl-, of a few Mar' hLOiiiin" to (o'<!i the d .-ea c e eveiy tmie tiny were cxno-ed to it. Mumir! is vciv conta«iOii», and one who Las never had it ii> almo-t bun 1 to <ontraet it on tho foot o] porun-ty. A .<-hoit time spent with a [utmit, .Miff<-!ing from it will gc.nen.lly fufT.c», but at fie- <-amo uu.e the tontdgion t'oc-, m t ext'ud far fro n th" mk. t-o that it i.i ca<y tr pie\cnt the spread of tho di-ra'e by keep.ng the other mem l,ci« of th« family awaj. Mumps u'uallj occur-, in unall epidemics in k!ioo!s, faetTic = , ard v.licie\ei- many pcr-oiw arc biought into e'.cbe lelaiiuns with cadi other daily

Jt i"< a ceii"ral di-ea^e. :n its nature to .'earlct fever or measles, but tho Fwclling of the falivaiy glane^e i.-J i-uch a i-ti k.n<^ fcatuie that Hia other eymptoms, jjjild fp\er ]° ;=; = cf appe-tile. etc , aic apt to be foiced iffito the baek'-round and cve-i-lookr-d.

The slamls nfWe-d are- pci.Pi .illy tho pmotul glandn, and the "-welling appears brncath tho ear ju-t behind the jaw The rular^eii.ciit m?y be % c-ry great, and when totb tid-'s arc cUccttd, the poor tuUercr id

so transformed as hardly to be recognisable. At the eamo time the glantls arc exceedingly painful. The other salivary glands may be affected together with the parotids, o* alone.

A peculiarity of mumps is that it is very prccie to leave the parts first attacked and invade other glands in the body. This is a serious danger, almost the only one, and can bo prevented be-st by keeping the patient in bed, or at least in the room, even if he feels porfecily well, for several days after the swelling has gone down.

This is about the cuily treatment called for, except perhaps soothing applications, such as soap liniment, for instance, to the skin over th-© swelling. The diet shouldi be liquid, and indeed it must be, for chewing is so painful that solids are out of tho qucf.ion.