Stand Back and then Look.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3530, 2 January 1900, Page 1

Stand Back and then Look.

“ Madam,” said a wise old physician to a woman who had brought a feeble, anaemic, and poorly-developed daughter to him for examination. “ Madam, the treatment of this girl should have been begun two hundred years ago.” “Sir,” she exclaimed, “I don’t understand what you mean.” “ Probably not, madam,” replied this student of men and of me Heine, “ and you wouldn’t even should I try to explain it.” How do you host see a picture on the wall ? Why, by standing hack and looking through your hollowed fist or through a tube. Well then, let us first read Mrs Coombes’ letter, and afterwards get a.little of what painters caM j)C7y?coti re on it and see if we can understand the lesson it teaches. “In the spring of last year, 1895,’’she says -“I had an attack of pleurisy, which left me low and weak. Subsequently I could not get up uiy strength, do what I would. My appetite was poor, and after eating I had severe pains about my chest, at my side and between my shoulders. I had muscular pains in my arms and shoulders—in fact, all over’me. I got little or no sleep, and felt quite worn out in the morning. “As time went on I got "weaker and weaker and was scarcely able to get about. I came to he so low that I thought I never should get better again. I saw a doctor and took medicines, but nothing did me any good. “In December (1895) my sister, who lives at Oxford, told mo of the benefit she had derived from Mother Seigel’s Syrup. I got a bottle from Mr Cooper, chemist, Oldbury Road, and after taking it found great relief. I could eat well, and food agreed with mo.

“ I now gained strength, and after taking four bottles was well as ever and free from all pain, muscular or otherwise. I know others who have been benefited by the same medicine. You can publish this statement as you like. (Signed) Charlotte Coorabes, 177, Oldbury Road, West Smethwick, Birmingham, October Sth, 1896” That is her letter—a plain, truthful, and well-written letter. But what do we see behind the simple facts as she sets them down ? Is there anything suggested by that attack of plc-nrim she speaks of? Was that the beginning ? No. Pleurisy is the name given to an inflammation of the spaces or cavities in which the lungs rest. When the inflammation attacks the lungs themselves wo call it y>mumama ; if the bronchial tubes, brnnohith ; and so on. But they are the same thing, from the same cause—namely, impure blood. When the blood is thus polluted, the smallest provocation —a slight cold—may set trp any of the above ailments. Rheumatism (which Mrs Coombes had) belongs to the same group of family maladies. But how comes comes that impurity or corruption of the blood in which these things arise ? I’ll tell you, in the nope that you wili remeber it. Indigestion, dyspepsia, fermentation of food in the stomach, torpid liver, which loaves the bile acids iuthe blood instead of removing them, poisonous dirt and filth from the stomach getting into the circulation—that’s where the trouble comes from. So we see that in cases of pleurisy, &c., there is always what the doctors call a “ history” of dyspepsia. Although this lady had keen dyspeptic symptoms after the pleurisy, a y/reoious imperfection of her digestion—whether sne realised it or not —laid the foundation for the pleurisy, the rheumatism, and all that followed. Now that is what we see as we stand back and look. And this is the practical use you are to make of the knowledge : Take care of the condition of your stomach, and th& first day you feel anything wrong with it, resort to Mother Seigel’s Syrup without waiting to find out whether you are going to be worse or not. When your house takes fire you don’t wait to see howbadit is likely to be) you stop it immediately. Do so with indigestion. The old doctor was right in what he said to the woman about her daughter. The girl couldn’t help the neglect of her ancestors; but we can do something towards taking care of ourselves.