HEALTH NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3291, 11 April 1917, Page 55

HEALTH NOTES.

CHILBLAINS. The amount of discomfort caused by chilblains is quite out of proportion to their seriousness, and sufferers are usually willing to take almost any amount of trouble in order to prevent their appearance. It must be remembered that chilblains arc almost always due to defective circulation, combined in many cases with pressure, sometimes with local cold. I have known one case (says a. physician) where the patient had never had a chilblain until one winter when ho happened to take up the study of clay modelling. The constant handling of the cold, damp clay caused such chilblains that his hands were for weeks almost useless from the pain and swelling. On discontinuing the modelling the chilblains disappeared, and have not since recurred. It is clear that the chief precaution to be taken is the improvement of the circulation. This should be helped by taking brisk daily walking, exercise, by beginning the day with 10 minutes' gymnastic or Swedish exercises; by frequent short periods of massage of the parts usually affected, throughout the day, and by the avoidance of tight or cramping l garments of every kind. Especially should the extremities be kept free, the cuffs and sleeves be loose; no garters or such contrivances be worn, and the gloves and shoes be loosely-fitting and warmly lined. Thick, soft socks or stockings should be worn. Pressure on any part of the foot should be avoided. The hands should not be exposed to cold for any length of time, and —should they become chilled—should bo warmed rather by rubbing and massago. than by holding to a fire. They should bo carefully dried after washing. DEAFNESS. Deafness is, of course, a symptom of some stoppage or derangement of the earpassage, or the delicate structures within it. The two commonest and most easily remedied of the causes of deafness are actual obstruction of the ear-passage by cakes of impacted wax, and the spreading of catarrhal inflammation from the baci.c of the nose and throat to the two little passages called the Eustachian tubes, which lead from this region to the ear drums, and their consequent partial blocking. Through these passages the air passes to inflate the " drum," which is a little, tightly - •stretched membrane, on which the sound vibrations are received and passed on to the brain. If this membrane does not receive its normal supply of air to inflate it it loses its tightness and resonance, as a slack drum would do, and all sounds arc dulled, as they would be in tho_ Ciiso of a drum. It is possible to force air through theso Eustachian tubes even when obstructed by a "'00101" by certain movements of the jaws and throat, and most people have noticed that they can do this, deliberately or accidentally, when a little click is heard, and the hearing becomes for the time normal.

This form of deafness cures itself as the general catarrhal inflammation subsides. The- other common form, due to the presence of superfluous ear-wax, requires the us© of an ear syringe. For a night or two previous to the syringing a few drops of _ sweet oil or glycerine should bo dropped into the ear to

soften tho impacted wax. Then a firm stream of warm water from a proper syringe -will usually dislodge lumps of old dark wax, often as big as. beetles. The removal of all these from tho ear passages naturally improves the heaving. The several other more serious forms of deafness affecting tho middle and inner car aro beyond the scope of this column, and need special skilled treatment by an aural surgeon.