TALKS ON HEALTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16635, 18 January 1922, Page 6

TALKS ON HEALTH.

BY A FAMILY DOCTOR. THE MENTALLY AFFLICTED. When, a patient is discharged from a hospital for mental diseases the prevention of a relapse depends largely on the conduct of tlie relatives and friends. It is best to avoid all mention of th© patient’s affliction ; his life in the asylum should not be discussed : and, of course, all joking or gossip about his condition should b© rigidly avoided. The sufferer must haTe plenty of nourishing food, so that the brain can have a plentiful stipplv of rich blood. And be must have plenty of sleep. Nature's sweet restorer. Constipation should be guarded against, chiefly by diet and drinking water and daily walking exercise; not by drugs. Sleeplessness is a bad sign, and if it occurs a medical man should be consulted at once. All worry and annoyance should ho spared the patient; unnecessary cares should never be placed on his shoulders. He needs kindness, patience and forbearance. His surroundings should b© bright and cheerful At th© first sign of eccentric conduct a medical man should be seen. The sooner remedial measures are taken th© sooner will the patient b© well. Although he may not he able to return to business, lie should lie encouraged to take up hobbies- gardening, woodcarving, photography—anything that will keep his brain pleasantly occupied ; be must not be allowed to brood in silence. Alcoholic liquors should be forbidden; alcohol inflames the brain. There is no reason why a, man should not recover from an attack of mental disease just as he does from pneumonia; but he must learn liis lesson. If the life he led brought on a mental breakdown he must not return to his old ways. Late nights, insufficient food, rush and hurry, failing strength artificially buoyed up hv frequent draughts of spirits, working too late and taking no holidays—all these things lead to over-burdening of the brain and nervous system. CHANGE OF OCCUPATION. A change of occupation may he uocessary. An outdoor life may be tlie means of saving a man from misery ; no man should bo asked to spend all bis days in an office with insufficient light and ventilation. If after two or three break-downs it is established beyond all doubts that the man has an unstable nervous system, he should be dissuaded froni marrying; unfortunately, he is just the sort of man to undertake a rash stop without heed of the future. In looking through the records of the patients admitted t-o hospital for mental diseases, it is a striking fact to find the word “heredity ” occurring over and over again. In th© eyee of th© law it is not a crime to bring into the world a string of children tainted with hereditary weakness; but in the eyes of all decent people it ought to be regarded as a grave offence. THE VALUE OF SITTING. It is not generally understood that a sick person may he kept in the sitting posture without coming to any harm. It is not necessary to keep every invalid flat on his back. Those who suffer from heart disease will often struggle to th© sitting posture, and oven sleep in that position: they can get their breath better. Pneumonia patients, again, will be able to pump the air into their lungs more comfortably if they sit up. It is a difficult job to keep a weak natient sitting up : he slips down in spite of all you may do. A bolster may be placed beneath the hips of th© patient and the ends of the bolster tied to the head of th© bed. A bed-rest may b© found more satisfactory than a heap of pillows. Sometimes it is best t© take the sick man out of bed and put him in an armchair. A blanket must be placed on the chair first, then the patient sits down and the blanket is folded over him. Th© castors may be taken off the back legs to tilt the chair back, or small blocks may be placed under th© front legs. MILK DIET FOR FEVER. Milk is the best diet for feverish patients; it contains all tli© elements that are necessary; the fats, the sugar and the nitrogenous ingredients complete th© list of essentials. But milk is apt to cloy, and a good nurse will take? trouble to make the milk palatable. Th© first drink of milk may be plain ; the next may be mixed with coffee or cocoa : nutmeg or vanilla, may be used ; a little brandy helps th© niilk down in many cases. It is half the battle to keep the patient cheerful , milk alone is deadly dull and the drink every two hours will not be enjoyed. Another thing to remember is that the mouth should b© well washed out with cold water to which a few drops of lemon juice may be added ; tho moutli must be cleansed in this way before and after each drink; the water need not ho swallowed; a, pleasant tooth-wash is useful. The condition of the mouth should be among tho first concerns of a good nurse; if her patient has a furred tongue and a mouth cloyed with mucus and remains of milk, she is not doing her duty. Th© tongue may be cleaned with a little glycerine and lemon juice, and may be very gently scraped with an ivory paperknife. Fruit is useful not only as a nourishment, but also as a cleanser of the mouth. OUR INTER-DEPENDENT ORGANS. I am anxious to impress on you that the orgaqs of the body aro dependent on each other for their health. Th© blood must bo cleansed by the kidneys; tho teeth affect the bowels; the heart is enlarged and weakened in kidney disease; the lungs may bo deranged by a defect in tho nose. You cannot treat one organ alone. One application of this general principle is that an ulcer on tho sight of the eye must be treated bv attention to the general health. I ought to have written “prevented” instead of “ treated.” A weakly child suffering from anaemia, rickets and debility, is very liable to get an ulcer on the eye. It is true that the eye must have lotions and healing ointments, but the fundamental treatment is good food and plenty of it, fresh air. a change to the seaside, plenty of sleep, and, in a word correct hygiene. Ulcers on the sight must be reckoned amonir the preventable diseases, and it is up to '•mu and mo to bo© that they are prevented.