Talks on Health

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18000, 10 November 1926, Page 11

Talks on Health

BY A FAMILY DOCTOR

“WATER ON THE KNEE.” The first time you rick your knee and are laid up with a swelling of the knee-joint, take my advice and give it ample time to get well. You will rue it if you return to duty prematurely. You will find that a very slight injury, such as tripping up over a mat, will bring back the swelling. The second time the swelling occurs will give you more trouble than the first. The swelling is due to a collection of fluid inside the joint, and the fluid stretches and weakens the ligaments of the knee. Some folk are unfortunate enough to be the victims of recurrent attacks of “ water on the knee.'’ It becomes a serious matter when a busy man is kept away from work for fourteen days three or four times a year. And this leads me to the question of operation. By all means try other measures first—try the effect of rest or wearing an elastic knee-cap. If the elastic knee-cap is not strong enough, a firmer apparatus made of leather and steel rods may be used. A USEFUL OPERATION. But, try as you may, the surgeon frequently meets men who complain that the knee “ locks ” in certain positions, and after the locking the swelling, pain and weakness follow. Now the experience gained from the examination of hundreds of knee-joints tells us that a piece of gristle inside the knee gets displaced after an injury. The displaced cartilage gets in the way—it is nipped between the upper and lower bones forming the joint. So long as that cartilage remains the knee is liable to injury at any time. When once the torn and Crumpled cartilage* is removed the knee is cured. This is one of the most useful operations in surgery, and many grateful patients can testify to its value. A CASE CF BLEEDING. To stop bleeding, the best plan is , to apply pressure to the actual spot; we always learn the course of the big arteries in our classes on first aid, but in nine cases out of ten it is better to tackle the bleeding in the wound itself, and not by distant pressure. Bypressure I mean permanent pressure, not a short dab at the bleeding spot; it is no good snatching the dab away and looking to see if the bleeding is still going on. Wash the wound thoroughly' with clean water, and then roll up a piece of lint into a hard ball to fit the wound; put it directly on the bleeding spot, and wind a bandage firmly over it. Your object is to give the blood time to clot at the opening ( in the torn vessel. If you keep on ( taking off the pressure to see how the flow of blood is getting on, the begin- , ning of the clot is swept away each * time. Supposing the blood is still ; coming out in spite of the bandages, 1 you will see the crimson stain soaking through the bandage. If all is well, the bandage remains clean and white. If it is only slightly stained, another * dressing may- be put round the old one, and a second firm bandage applied. HELPFUL HINTS. Remember that a hand or an arm shows less tendency to bleed if it is i held up. If you try the simple ex- : periment of raising the right hand above the head and keeping the left « hanging at your side for one minute, you will find that the right hand is quite pale compared with the * left, < showing that less blood is flowing through it. Similarly a foot, when bleeding, should be raised on a chair < while the patient lies on his back on the floor. No alcohol should be given. < The patient should be made comfortable with cushions or coats, he should ; have whatever he likes to eat, and all his attendants should assume a cheer- ; ful manner. Anyone poking his head in the room and asking in a low whisper whether “ pore old Bill has ; gawn yet” should be dealt with faithfully. i

ANIMAL BITES. There need be no fear that the bite from a dog will be followed by that dreaded train of symptoms that used to be seen in men bitten by' mad dogs. Nevertheless, all bites of animals should be treated with extra special care. The bite may' become infected, and the tooth of the animal may have had some decaying matter on it that might originate blood-poisoning. You must have a small shelf in your household where simple appliances for treating wounds can alwavs be found in case of emergency'. One of the best antiseptics to apply' is iodine. The wound may' be well flushed out with warm water, and it is better to hold the part under a running tap. If you use a bowl of water, you wash the poison into the bowl and the next moment wash it over the wound again. The water is not antiseptic, it does not kill germs, but it accomplishes the mechanical removal of poisonous matter. A germ is rendered harmless by' being washed down the sink just as effectively as by' being killed in the wound. DRESSING THE WOUND. lodine is sold in small glass phiais over one end of which a pad of cotton is tied. These phials can be kept indefinitely. When wanted for use on a wound the end of the glass tube ca*; be broken by breaking across or crushing- The iodine runs out into the pad of cotton, and can be applied to the wound and surrounding skin. The wound may' be dressed once a day; if it discharges matter the dressing may* have to be changed more often. Dirty' dressings should be burnt, not thrown in the dustbin, or in the corner, or under the bed. If the lint is to be used again it must be boiled. The vessels A-ised to hold lotions must be scalded put with boiling water, and they’ must not be wiped dry’ with an old cloth, and they' must be turned upside down on a clean towel and allowed to drain. SHELLFISH-AND NETTLE RASH., It you have ever been stung by a nettle you will know what is meant by' nettle rash. The distinguishing sign is the raised white mark surrounded by' a red flush. In none of the common rashes will you see the white marks. Nettle rash may- be known from other rashes by the itching, and by its habit of flying about the body. It disappears from the arms and apon any part of the surface of the body, pears on the chest, and may- re-appear In nineteen cases out of twenty some tainted food is responsible for the mischief. Shell-fish have been put in the dock and found guilty' numberless times. Cockles and winkles and mussels may- look very' appetising to some people, but I always give them the go-by. The hot weather aggravates the evil, as decomposition sets in mote rapidly'. Meat pies are sometimes foun i to be offenders, and fish that is not quite fresh is a fruitful source of nettie rash. SYMPTOMS OF ‘FOOD POISONING. The partaking of tainted food is attended by’ a variable train of symptoms in different subjects. In one, nettle rash is the penalty, in another vomiting, and that is the most fortunate event, as Nature expels the undesirable food before it has had time to do much harm. In yet another, diarrhoea occurs, and it is only' common sense to regard this as beneficent; if poison is taken in by' some unfortunate mischance, the sooner it is expelled Jthe better. We will, therefore, if you please, exercise particular caution during the summer, and we will decline the food altogether rather than run any risk*. But if the tell-tale nettle rash appears as a sign that there is food-poison in the intestines, do not hesitate for a moment, but take a dose of castor oil at once and live on a milk diet fev twelve hours. Warm oatmeal water a soothing application for the skin.