TALKS ON HEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 219, 15 September 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

TALKS ON HEALTH

BY A FAMILY DOCTOR.

READING FOR INSOMNIA Worry is a frequent cause of insomnia. Of course we are all worried, but some of us are born cheery optimists, and sleep the sleep of the cheery whatever disasters threaten. How arc we to carry out the excellent advice to leave our worries outside our bedroom doore? Well, I am sorry for those who have never learnt to derive comfort from books. To turn the channel of the thoughts from worries to other things, there is nothing to beat .a book. You ought all to have your favourite books by your bedside. I will take no responsibility if you set light to the bedclothes, but I do urge those who lie awake tossing and worried to read, to listen to some great man talking to you through the written page, to smile »at the whimsical sayings of comic personalities. But choose your book with discretion. A Psahn in the Night When your brains axe in a turmoil with troublesome thoughts and worries, take up your long-neglected Bible and read the Psalm that begins, “Bless the .Lord, O my soul.” 1 admit that different temperaments need different treatment, but I am sure that many an anxious soul has been calmed by the raising of the thoughts above earthly affairs and the silent contemplation of higher things. A peaceful frame of mind, a feeling of hope and encouragement, induces sleep, and a good night’s rest makes one take a more cheerful view or life. If you do not care to read, It would do you good to learn by heart some poem and recite it to yourself. Instead of a sleeping powder, learn to repeat “The quality o.f mercy is not strained” or “To be, or not to be” or Gray’s “Elegy,” or anything that will engage your thoughts and keep them off business worries. An Aching Tooth If you are kept awake by toothache I have no sympathy with you. I have told you to keep your teeth in good order until I am as tired of it as you are. The question of teeth is always turning up, whatever I write about. Here we are discussing insomnia, and toothache is a common cause of that. A motorman will spend hours seeing that every detail of his machine is in perfect working order; he knows that a small defect in one screw or bolt or tube will throw the whole engine ‘wrong, but he has not the sense to see that every part of his body is in order. A motor needs care; the human body may be neglected. Dear. dear. The Walking Cure Sometimes a long walk will cure insomnia. If you are sleepless for many nights without being able to assign •* cause, and without dis*..vverlug a remedy, try going for a walk, pegging a’ong *»s haid as you can for two hours or more, until yo i t re reauy to drop. The physical Cat’.gue will oo you no harm, and if yoj arc really wearied out, you wij. ve*' likely fall soon .s y« u n-r in bed. A warm bath has the effect on some persons of making them sleepy. In the most obstinate cases it may Lb necessary to try a change of ?ir 4 cjmpiete change of scene, of recplc, of of air and habits may restore equilibrium when ike same old humdrum existence of ordinary life fails to do any good, whatever plan is adopted. I believe tiat sleopiessncss is at the root of many complaints, especially in this twentieth century, when everybody has nerves more or less. A case of ins< mnia al ould be tackled at once A doctor should be consulted wcv will take all the circumstances into consideration and order the proper treatment. The Value of Sitting It is not generally understood that a sick person may be kept in the sitting position without coming to any haim. It is not necessary to keep every invalid flat on his back. Those who % suffer from heart disease will often struggle to the sitting posture, and even 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 patient sitting up. he slips down in spite of all you may do. A bolster may be placed beneath the hips of the patient and the ends of the bolster tied to the head of the bed. A bed-rest may be found more satisfactory than a heap of pillows. Sometimes it ia best to 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. The castors may be taken off the baek legs to tilt the chair back or small blocks may be placed under the front legs. . Milk Diet for Fever Milk is the best diet for feverisn patients; it contains all the elements that are necessary; the fats, the sugar and the nitrogenous ingredients complete the list of essentials. But milk is apt to cloy, and a good nurse will take trouble to make the milk palatable. The first drink of milk may be plain; the next may be flavoured with a good dash of tea; the next may be mixed with coffee or cocoa; nutmeg or vanilla may be used; a little brandy helps the milk 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 be well washed out with cold water to which a few drops of lemon juice may be added; the mouth must be cleansed in

this way before and after each drink; the water need not be swallowed; a pleasant tooth-wash is useful. The condition of the mouth should be among the 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. The tongue may be cleaned with a little glycerine and lemon juice, and may be very gently scraped with an ivory paper-knife. 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 organs of the body are dependent on each other for their health. The blood must be cleansed by the kidneys; the teeth affect the bowels; the heart is enlarged and weakened in kidney disease; the lungs may be deranged by a defect in the nose. You cannot treat one organ alone. One application of this general principle is that an ulcer on the sight of the eye must be treated by 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 among the preventable diseases, and it is up to you and me to see that they are prevented.