HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 96

HEALTH COLUMN.

Sterilise Your Children's Milk. To do so nowadays is quite common, and it cannot be too much so, if we would keep sickness out of the family. There is a great struggle going on between disease and science. It is one in which the former too often wins, so that ,no weapon likely to prove effectual against it should be despised. An American contemporary speaks as follows concerning milk and its sterilisation. "The milk to be sterilised' for the use of children should be placed in a clean bottle, which is put inside any convenient metal vessel, into which cold water should be poured until it reaches the level of the milk in the bottle. The mouth of the bottle ihould be closed with a plug of clean white cotton. It will be found more convenient in practice to raise the bottle containing the milk about half an inch from the bottom of the outer vessel by any convenient means, as this facilitates the circulation of the hot water round the bottle. The outer vessel should then be placed on a stove and slowly heated until the temperature of the water reaches 155dteg TTa.hr. The vessel should then be taken from the •fire and covered closely with a piece of woollen cloth. It should remain covered for half an hour, at the expiration, of which time' the bottle should be taken out and put in a cool place.

“The milk may be used at any time within 24- hours. The cotton, however, should not be removed, as it prevents the entrance of dust or germs of any kind. The explanation of the process is very simple. A temperature of ISOdeg maintained for half an hour is sufficient to destroy any germs likely to be present in milk, and by raising the temperature of the outer water sdeg in excess, and then allowing the milk to stand in the heated water for half an hour, the proper temperature is ensured for the required period of time. If the temperature of the water is allowed to rise above 155 deg, the taste and quality of the milk, are affected, though not to the same extent as if it were boiled. Where a quantity of sterilised milk is required, several bottles may be placed in the same vessel, all being filled to the same height with the milk.” Inflammation of the Eye. This is not to be confounded with an inflamed condition of the eyelids, but i» a much more serious matter. Conjunctivitis, as it is called, is inflammation of the membrane covering the eye, and occurs in many different forms, of which the most frequent is catarrhal ophthalmia. Where this is present the membrane becomes reddened-, making the eyeball look bloodshot, there is a- continual feeling as if grit were in the eye, and the lids will be found to adhere together on awaking in the morning. The simplest form of catarrhal ophthalmia will often yield to frequent bathing of the eyes with boracic lotion, and the application morning and evening of a little yellow oxide of mercury ointment. The lotion should be applied with a pledget of absorbent cotton wool, which should be burnt after use. All forms of conjunctivitis are more or less contagious, and the greatest care must bo taken to prevent spreading through a household. The patient as far as possible should be isolated, and all towels used by him must be kept strictly for his sole employment. In such a case it is a good plan to use only old towels or cloths, and to burn them, as risk of contagion is thus minimised; failing this they should be disinfected before being washed. It sometimes happens that when conjunctivitis is present _ there is also danger of iritis or inflammation of the iris. This will often destroy the sight by closing the pupil and 1 shutting off the light from the interior of the eye, unless the disease is promptly recognised and skilfully treated. If when the eye is much inflamed the sight is decidedly _ diminished, i and there is some pain felt in the ball, and also in the brow, becoming more severe at night, it is well tq suspect iritis, and to lose no time in seeking reliable advice. Want of Appetite It is not enough merely to eat $ certain amount of food l per day. Tmfl Ought jpo be keenly enjoyed, and the want o? apjfetife is a serious matter. Sometimes it arises from over-eating—that is, the stomach ts not allowed bo recover itself after the work of digesting one meal before we throw upon it the task of digesting the next. In such a case if the meala are spaced out a little

1 h.j patient will feel better, and his food will do him more good. But very frequently want of appetite is due to a perpetual sameness of food; this ought to be understood by all housekeepers, and one of the most useful means of stimulating the appetite and helping the digestion is to serve a little soup as the prelminray course of dinner. Stewed bones will be the basis; it is not necessary to buy fresh meat; any trimmings from a joint, any vegetables may bo used, and if the soup be made one day, allowed to cool, and the fat removed, it will be easily heated for the following day. The reason of the French peasant’s wellbeing on a sum far less than the average English workman spends is due mainly to the excellent coup which invariably makes its appearance at the two chief meals of the day. What Should a Baby Weigh ? Of course, there can be no fixed weight even for a perfectly healthy child', as there is as much variation at birth as afterwards. Some children are born small, and yet arc quite healthy and perfectly developed. The great thing is for the child to look plump and well, and to increase in weight steadily and consistently. Still, it is useful to know what an average healthy baby weighs at certain ages. When born he should be about 71b. By the end of the first week a couple of ounces will probably be lost, but the following week will see a gain of 4oz. Each succeeding week the child should put on 4oz or 6oz, and by the time he is three months old he should weigh about lllb, by the fifth. month about 14-lb, by the sixth month about 161 b, and bjy the end of the first year a baby should' weigh something like 201 bor 2llb. The next two years sees less rapid increase, for a well-developed three-year-old child does not usually weigh much more than 301 b, and each subsequent year up to the seventh will see about 41b to 51b added to the child’s weight. Acidity of the Stomach. This is a frequent symptom of indigestion, and is due to the food which has been taken being speedily decomposed and converted thereby into an organic acid. The first thing to be done is to decide what articles of food produce the acidity in your own particular case, and then avoid them. Sugar, butter, or starchy foods will give rise to acidity, though all persons may not feel discomfort from the same things. Then some corrective medicine must be taken, and one of the beat is bicarbonate of potash, which may be taken with a little tonic mixture, such as tincture of orange peel, three times a day in doses of 10 to 15 grains. Soda mint tablets will often relieve a mild attack, but in more serious ones the following mixture should be taken three times a day, half an hour before meals:—Subnitrate of bismuth, 10 grains; tincture of rhubarb, 1 dram; syrup of crange, 1 dram: infusion of gentian to loz. Anyone prone to acidity should avoid as far a.s possible tea, cakes, pastry, and alcohol; the bowels should be kept open, and outdoor exercise regularly taken. Bruises and their Treatment. A bruise or contusion is the result of a blow or of severe pressure. Its usual appearance is due to the rupture of blood-vessels beneath the skin, so that there is a certain escape or extravasation of blood into the cellular tissue. In the ordinary way in the course of a certain number of days this blood becomes gradually absorbed again, the appearance of the injured part meanwhile going through a series of remarkable colour changes. Most bruises recover without any very unpleasant symptoms if left alone; though when the injury is severe the escape of blood may be so great, or may penetrate to such deeper tissues, as to give rise to very considerable pain. Immediately on the injury occurring something may be done to diminish the escape of bloodi by the application of cold, such as cloths dipped in water, and, where the part can be so treated, by raising it above the level of the body. After the acute stage has passed warm fomentations may be applied for a few hours in order to promote absorption, or a little tincture of arnica can be used for the same purpose. Cure for Corns. Buy from a chemist some guttapercha tissue, out it into strips, and then wind! a piece round the corn, first moistening the corn with oil. See that the edges of the tissue are as even as possible, and when you come to the end wet the inside with spirits of turpentine, press down, and it will stick. Dip a feather in turpentine, and touch all the edges of the tissue, and they will unite. Do not disturb the dressing for four days. When removed, the callosity should be removable with the back of a pocket-knife. If you do it properly the operation need not be repeated. The exclusion of air is the main point. The Conimerciars Story. The commercials seemed to have exhausted their store of authentic anecdotes, and as there was 'still 10 minutes’ run to the next station, they received with joy the announcement of a young man in a corner seat, who declared he had an adventure to relate. “ It was in South America that the incident occurred,” he began. “ Darkness having overtaken me in a dense forest, I was forced to encamp for the night in a small clearing. About midnight I awoke suddenly, and found five huge snakes securely coiled about my limbs. With a horrified scream, I struggled to my knees, and, filled with the demoniacal courage of despair, I fiercely attacked the loathsome reptiles. In my frenzy I cursed them, I raved at them! now writhing on the ground in a fearful death-struggle with one of the hideous monsters, now tottering to my feet, as I hurled the life* Nature overcame me with fiendish exultation. But after four hours’ struggling nature overcame me, and I sank into a deep slqmber. And when I awoke—” he hejjitatqd a moment preparatory to leaving the train, which had already arrived) ope of his spellbound audience, ‘“when you awoke what hap* I awoke next morning,” Hal smiled pleasantly at their faces. op the tram started to move again, I signed the pledge!” More babies are born in T -ondon ill ■T<-ne than any other nuartei.