TALKS ON HEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12435, 28 September 1918, Page 5

TALKS ON HEALTH.

W A FAMILY DOCTOR. ' WATER ON THE KNEE. Tho knee-joint is one of tho most vulnerable in the body; it is very easily twisted or sprained. Every joint is nned by special membrane which secretes an oily fluid to lubricate tho bearings of the joint. When a severe injury is received ’ this membrane is inliiftned and begins to pour out its fluid secretion in too groat a quantity j just as tho membrane lining tho noke secretes mucus in largo quantities when it is inflamed, ns in the ordinary cold in ,thp head. Tho collection of the secretion in the knee-joint is generally known < as water on the knee. The whole joint is swollen; the little pits and depressions around tho knee are obliterated in the swelling, and if there •is any doubt about the swelling it can easily be seen by comparing tho injured knee with the sound knee. REST ESSENTIAL.

When once tho fluid Is formed,, there is only one thing to do, 'and that is to rest. If you walk about on a kmee filled with “ water,” .you run a grave risk of permanently injuring the mechanism of the joint. Tho reason why there are so many men going about with Weak knees which are put out or twisted .by. a trivial injury is that, when thby had their first accident, they had not the sense to give the knee a chance to'recover. It is quite a different matter when you nro dealing with an elbow, which can bo rested in ft sling while you are walking about. Every stop you take irritates the in-' ilnined knee and delays recovery. 1 ' The two large bones which meet ”at tho knee-joint are united together by strong bands called ligaments. These bands are stretched when the kneejoint is distended with fluid, and if this stretching is allowed to persist for very long, tho bands or ligaments become permanently stretched, and then when lax !uuffl*'bb C!on<, own Wo

HOUSEMAID’S KNEE. AYlion the kuoo is swollen it is inu portaut to make out whether the fluid J .! TOtt'ly Jusido the joint or puteido. 1 1 01 instance, in the well-known comhousemaid's knco, there is a collection of fluid in a little pouch /.IfV: . outsido the actual joint-cavity, ilus is not such ft serious matter, although it may be very painful' As iwnul, prevention is better than cure, i.lvo inflammation may be prevented by using something soft to kneel on, and by retraining from kneeling at the firsi sign of too slightest Inflammation, it saves time, in the end | if you m on the inflamed swelling over the knee it will get worse, and may turn to an abscess. Sometimes a small piece of bono from a rheumatic joint gets loose within the joint and gives no end of trouble. Tha piece of hone go ws caught in between tho two bones ■that- form tho joint, and gives rise to grout pam and inflammation. An operation has to bo performed to remove the foreign body. The knee-cap may be broken in' half by a sudden jerk; if there is a wide separation bei tween the two fragments the best cure is bo have the two fragments wired together by an operation. ULCERS OF THE TONGUE. I have been asked to say something on tire subject of ulcers of tho tongue. Ihe smallest ulcers, which may occur in large numbers, and are quite shallow, are due to indigestion. They often, occur on ,the lips as well as tho tongue, 'and should be treated with a mouth-wash of boracic acid or Very weak carbolic. A careful diet and a dose of salts will remedy the. disorder - of the stomach, • An ulcer may bo found at the side of .the tongue, lying ini mediately against a sharp decayed tooth. This variety of ulcer will never heal unless the tooth is removed or filed down. .Every time the tongue moves the ulcer is rubbed against the ragged ' edge of the tooth, and the ulcer Is effectually prevented from healing. DANGER OF CANCER. \Ve know very little about cancer and its causal, but we do know'that long continued irritation will form a chronic ulcer Which may assume a v canCCVO.U3 nature if it is not speedily cured. Cancerous ulcer of the tongue is quitejshmmon, and is found much more often in men than in women. It has been thought that in some cases the constant irritation of a clay pipe may. have sometliing to do with the ' appearance of the cancer on the tongue or lip. The one golden rule that must never be forgotten is that an ulcer on the tongue of an elderly person should bo shown to a surgeon at once. AN UNHEALTHY MOUTH. In many cases the ulceration of the tongue ra part of the general unhealthy

condition of the mouth; the tonsils, the throat, the gums, and the teeth all present an unhealthy appearance; tho care and hygiene of the mouth is much neglected. And once tho mouthy gets into an unwholesome state it is difficult to get right again. Ulceration of the tongue may bo very painful, and in order to give the tongue a. chance to get well, a most careful dietmustbe ordered. All forms of hot or irritating food or condiments are forbidden. No mustard or pepper, no curries or ginger beer or pickles. No hard crusts with sharp. edges to' form over the ulcers. Septic teeth and foul stumps must be drawn, and a simple mouthwash must be frequently used. So you see there are different kinds of ulcers of the tongue. One is a local condition of the mouth and is due to neglect, another is rpally dependent on the condition of tlio stomach, and attention is directed not so ranch to the tongue itself as to tho digestive organs. A third variety may he. called the dental ulcer, because it is caused by a tooth. NOISES IN THE EAR.

, It is not always possible to cure coses of noises in tho ears, but nevertheless something may be .done to get rid of the annoyance. In the first place, the absence of wax in the ears must be established, and this ,cau only bo done by a doctor. "With tho unaided eye it is impossible to see down to tho drum of the ear. Sometimes the removal of wax may cure, or, at any rate, improve the troublesome noises. Then something may be . done by the mental effort of the patient. If ho expects and listens to the noises and talks about them to friends, giving accurate descriptions of every kind of noise he hears, ho will aggravate tlio trouble. But if ho makes up his mind to ignore the noises and do his best to forget them, he may find that they worry him less and less. A catarrh in the ear or in the throat can be treated _ by a doctor, dnd often results in relieving the patient. In other cases tho general health is at fault, and nothing will effect any good but a change of ’air. The improved tone ,of tho general system, the cheerfulness engendered by better healtlh, the absence of worry enjoyed on a complete. holiday—all these help the patient to overcome small troubles, and help him to forget the noises in tho ear. When the car is definitely diseased and deafness has supervened, the advice of a doctor must immediately be sought. TV hen m trouble go to your doctor.