HEALTH NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3274, 13 December 1916, Page 56

HEALTH NOTES.

DIET IN OLD AGE

As wo got older all -the organs of thebody have a tendency to lose some of their reactive power, and consequently are less able to adapt themselves to trials and changes which, in youth, conic readily within their compass. This falling off m elasticity varies enormously with different individuals; but it mav be generally as. sumed that old people are able to conserve a good deal more of their declining energy if the food they eat is of an easilydigested and assimilated nature, and their meal-tunes rather more regulated than is necessary in youth. It is obvious that as the body begins to decline the amount of food consumed should be less in bulk than during the building-up process. In youth wc require all the bone-making and musclemaking elements to equip us for our various activities. In age our great aim is to maintain the status quo. An over-abundance of food taken when the system has become generally lethargic, and absorption delayed, may lead to goat, rheumatism, and unhealthy accumulations of fat'. The extra strain occasionally thrown on the digestive organs of young people may often prove stimulating. I npcrsons of advanced years (here is no reserve, and every expenditure of erergy is a drain on capital. For this reason any sort of indulgence must be avoided. Alcohol particularly is harmful, as all stimulants produce a reaction. It is a great mistake to overfeed old people with a view to "keeping up" their strength. Their strength will be far better maintained, and their life prolonged by a sparing diet of suitable food. Animal Food. — Meat is not very necessary at this time of life —in fact, in nearly all cases on record of persons who have reached a remarkable old age it has been found that they have eaten only very moderately of animal food. The loss of teeth which accompanies old ago is a natural sign of the unsuitability of foods requiring much mastication. Any changes in diet, however, should not be made suddenly. A gradual withdrawal of animal food until the amount of meat consumed is even less than a quarter of the diet should accompany the introduction of the lighter forms of nourishment. Meals should bo small and frequent, rather than heavy, and taken at long intervals. A glars of milk at the bedside, or a cup of cocoa last thing at night are desirable as helping to support the body over the long night. Old people often suffer from sleeplessness, and a little warm fluid food is sometimes a most valuable aid to sleep. A quite varied diet may be contrived of suitable foods. Chieken, game, and mutton may all be taken in moderation. Boiled fish—preferably of the white varieties, —such as soles, plaice, and whiting. All soups, except of the heavy kind; chicken broth, beef-tea, and mutton broth will be found most beneficial. Milk and milk puddings, eggs, bacon, and, if the appetite is poor, egg and milk beaten up with a little sugar, will take the place of a meal. There are certain artificially-digested foods which at this age are particularly helpful, as the digestive organs in old people are deficient in the necessary assimilative products; and for this reason all starchy foods should be thoroughly well cooked, as they are thus made more easily digestible. WHEN THE NOSE BLEEDS. When bleeding from the nose comes on without apparent cause, or as the result of an injury, the patient should at once lie down flat with the head slightly higher than the feet, and a cloth soaked in cold water should be laid on the forehead; or, if it is at hand, a little powdered alum sniffed up the nostril will often check the ilow of blood. Warmth applied to the feet is also helpful, as it tends to take the blood away from the head. On no account should the patient bend over a basin; but the blood should be soaked up while he is lying down. Nor should the nose be blown, as this tends to increase the bleeding. Most cases of simple bleeding usually yield to this kind of . treatment. If, however, the bleeding still persists, the nasal cavity may be plugged with a small piece of cotton wool inserted gently a little way up the nostril. If all these _ methods fail to stop the bleeding, no time should be lost in obtaining medical aid. It should always be remembered that, while nose-bleeding in some people is not dangerous—in fact, in apor.leetic persons it is often beneficial in lowering the blood pressure,—in others, especially in those persons known as " bleeders," it is highly dangerous, as tho severe loss of blood may lead to prostration, and even death.