Talks on Health

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 12

Talks on Health

BY A FAMILY DOCTOR

* SWOLLEN GLANDS. There is a chain of glands, called j lymphatic glands, running down each | side of the neck. They perform a useful purpose in preventing; harmful germs from finding their way into the system. These glands, are a common seat of disease, and as most people have to deal with cases of swollen glands at one time or another, readers of this column may be glad of a little information about them. Some of these little glands are situated just behind the ear, others under the jawbone, and the rest further down in th‘neck. In children the commonest cause for. swelling of these glands is tuberculosis. It does not necessarily mean that the child is consumptive; hundreds of them completely _ recover from the enlargement of the, glands, and are never troubled again in their whole lives. The germs which cause the enlargement are the same as those which cause consumption of the lungs, and they find their way into the neck through the mouth. They float in the air, are taken into the mouth with the breath, and fasten on any. part of the mouth that is not healthy. A healthy mouth offers no means of entry, and the germs are foiled again But supposing there are five or six rotten tooth-sockets, of ulceration of the gums around a foul tooth,, then the germ rejoices and easily finds its way into the neck through these portals. Enlarged tonsils are a common sourc* of trouble in producing enlarged glands; the germs live in the tonsil, and then are carried into the neck along minute canals called the lymphatic vessels. HOW TO FIGHT GERMS. In the treatment of these enlarge ments of the neck the first essential is to see that the mouth is in perfect order. It is a mistake to think that the first set of teeth need no care, as they will soon fall out. No part o£ the body can be neglected without disaster following. Then the who'll treatment is a question of building up the child. It is the vitality of the body against the vitality of the germs. “Pull baker! Pull devil!” If the germs win the glands become enormous in size, and finally turn to an abscess and an operation is necessary. The ugly scars that one often sees on the necks of the people one passes in the street are all proofs that at one time the germs had gained the upper hand, and that they were only defeated after an operation. order to strengthen the forces that are arrayed against the tubercle bacilli, the child must have good food, fresh air, sleep., and exercise. Milk and cod-liver oil are the best foods; and the fresh air that cannot be obtained in the cities must be sought at the seaside or up in the hills. The contaminated air of the slums is the best friend and ally that the disease germs can have. FLAT-FOOT. Flat-foot may affect anyone from babyhood to advanced years. Babies’ feet sometimes turn in at the anklejoint, and the condition grows worse when they begin to walk. It can be remedied by having a piece of leather put on the sole of the shoe, along the inner side only, so as to throw the ankle outwards instead of inwards. A few weeks will make a great difference, | and the shoe may be soled in the ordinary way when the foot is straight. I Flat-foot may appear in an adolescent at the age of fifteen or sixteen. At

this age a great strain is placed on the general system, as the growth is so rapid; and it is often at this age that the lad undertakes some heavy job, perhaps necessitating standing long hours or carrying heavy weights. The strain on the arch of the foot is too. much; the ligaments give way, and the foot becomes flat. At the same time there may be other evidence that the bones and ligaments are being overstrained. The spine may begin to bend; the lad may become knockkneed, and he may be pale and anaemic. He may have to work in a basement where the sun never penetrates. It is difficult to cure these ' cases of flat-foot unless the cause that produced the condition can be removed. % Good food, regular meals, rest, fresh air and sunshine, and suitable exercise, are wanted, but cannot always be obtained. , METHODS OF TREATMENT. The next class of man who gets flatfooted is the man who has reached the age of forty and whose bones and ligaments are just beginning to lose theii elasticity. Long standing, such as policemen have to put up with, or bearing heavy weights, such as porters have to carry, throws too much pressure on the arch of the foot, and a flattening is the result. Pointed boots which compress and distort the toes are also responsible for weakening of the ligaments of the foot. Treatment consists in rubbing the feet with some stimulating liniment, such as turpen tine liniment. For those who are on their feet all day rest is the best treatment, but for patients who ar** suffering from flat-foot in consequence of weakness, exercises are best. Rais ing oneself on tip-toe several times, or turning the feet in and out, or skipping in moderation, may strengthen the feet. Metal pads may be worn inside the boots; the pad should be as low as possible consistent with the proper support of the arch; it is not necessary to wear a highly arched pad for a slight degree of flat-foot. DISUSE MEANS ATROPHY. One of the golden rules of physiology is that if an organ is not used it begins to atrophy, or die away. If we were to live in a dark cavern we should lose the use of our eyes in time; if we keep our arm in a sling for weeks and weeks it dies away to nothing. The particular application of this rule that I wish to make is tnat our teeth are made of the hardest sub stance in the body—the enamel—and that these teeth are meant to be used in biting hard articles of diet. Look at the dog; he is always gnawing bones, and he keeps his teeth in good order by so doing. It is a mistake to think that every mouthful a baby takes should be pulped into a pappy mass. The very fact that Nature goes out of her way to provide sharp little teeth is a proof that they are meant to be tised. Toothless gums should be good enough for sloppy foods. To give the teeth some work to do is the best way to preserve them. And lost let me_ digress from my proper path to remind you that as it is with our bodily structure, so it is with our mental composition. If you are not con | stantly exercising your self-restraint, 1 your courage, your sympathy with the misfortunes of others, you will find these _ qualities dying away until, like | the bird with no wings, you find yourI self entirely bereft of those virtues j which can only grow strong if I exercised.