TALKS ON HEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 190, 13 August 1932, Page 7 (Supplement)

TALKS ON HEALTH

BY A FAMULI DOCTOR.

To Cigarette Smokers. Smoking too many cigarettes may result in the appearance of any or all of the following symptoms:— Tickling cough at the back of the throat. Catarrh of the nose, throat, and voice-box. Hoarse voice. Breathlessness on mounting stairs or i any slight exertion. ■ Waking up at night with pain in the side. Palpitation of the heart and pallor of the skin, and sweating. Weak memory and inability to concentrato attention on work. Inflamed eyes from the irritation of the smoke. Colour-blindness. Sleeplessness and loss of appetite. Lowering of general vitality, opening the door to many complaints. When th® Rash Shows. It is convenient to remember that the rash of chicken pox and scarlet fever appears in the first twenty-four hours of the child’s illness. So if Tommy feels bad on Sunday morning | and will not cat his breakfast, con--11 rary to his usual custom, the rash will appear late on Sunday night or on Monday morning. The spots of chicken-pox appear first on the chest or on the back, but they may show themselves on the fa*ce very early’. I The rash of scarlet fever first appears as a general blush, not in the form of spots, on the neck and chest, and then rapidly spreads. The rash of measles appears on the fourth day, so if Tommy feels hot and out of sorts on Sunday morning, you must look for the rash about Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Bear in mind that you can be fined if you do not report that there is a case of scarlet fever in the house. Scarlet fever and scarlatina are the same disease. Words of Warning. Never despise children’s complaints and say that every child must go through them, and that they do not matter. It is not at all necessary to have all the children’s complaints; it would be mu*ch better to go through childhood without them. Never expose one child needlessly to the infection when another in the same house has it. Never forget that the real trouble in these infectious complaints is not the disease itself, but the complications. In the case of measles you think the child is better when the temperature ; is normal and the rash has gone, and you forget that bronchitis so often sets in in a dangerous form after measles. Keep the little one warm In bod till the cough has gone. Running from the ears may occur after measles.

and may produce deafness for life. With scarlet fever the danger is to the throat and ears and to the kidneys, but nowadays most children are sent away and taken from the mother’s care, which relieves her from a grave responsibility. THREAD-WORMS ~N CHILDREN. The symptoms of thread-worms are disturbed sleep, nose-picking and irritation (with consequent scratching) of the rectum, says an Australian writer. When these symptons are present all stools must be carefully watched, as the worms are usually visible. Do not give medicines on the advice of friends or neighbours’ but consult a doctor immediately. As the presence of these parasites is often a source of great anxiety and trouble to mothers of young children, L make no apology for dealing with the treatment at some length. Threadworms are, unfortunately, very (common in children, and if neglected will affect the entire system as a result of the intense irritation set up, causing restless days and disturbed nights. In addition, the scratching induced not infrequently leads to the formation of bad habits.

Thread-worms live mainly in the lower part of the bowel, where the female desposits her eggs. Irritation is due to the wriggling of the worms and causes the child to scratch the part around the lower opening of the bowel, the anus. The child’s fingers, and especially the nails, thus become dirty, and carry the eggs directly to the mouth or to the nose, which he

is very liable to pick at this time. If the fingers and nails are not thoroughly scrubbed with soap and hot water after a motion has been passed and before every meal the food becomes contaminated, and the child daily re-infects himself and may also infect other members of the family. The worms can be effectively removed by the use of purgatives and enemas, but it is essential to consult a doctor, as on the second day of treatment two drugs are usually prescribed. To be effective treatment should bo carried out for a week, or at least for five days. On the first day the child may be given a light, simple diet, consisting ol bread baked in the oven till it is crisp and dry, boiled milk and water, spinach puree and fruitjuice. Curds, whey or buttermilk may be taken. The following foods should be avoided. Porridge, biscuits, butter, pastry, jam, sweets, farinaceous puddings. fried or salted meat. Cano sugar should be eliminated from the diet and starchy elements kept in strict moderation. In the afternoon of the first day of treatment drive the worms down into the lower part of the bowel by giving a full dose, of castor oil. When this has acted the bowel sboul 1 be washed out with a largo injection of warm water and soap (say a pint). This should he injected slowly and the child asked to retain it as long as can be managed. On the second day of treatment no food at all should be allowed and only boiled water (as frequently as desired' to drink. Powders containing the proper medicine, according to the doctor’s prescription, should be given on this day. On the third, fourth and fifth davs a warm bath should be given, also an enema of warm soapy water, followed (after the bowe’s have acted) by nu bijection of about 6oz. of warm salted water —a level tablespoonful of salt, to t!:e pint. Or an infusion of quassia may he given after the bowels have neLcd. I’lm fluid should be introdu'ced flowly and allowed to stay in as long ns possible. The child may have- a light diet on • e third day, and by the sixth dav ‘\v be allowed to return to a. normal wholesome diet, containing as much in the ny of fresh vegetables and fruit

is possible and the minimum amount of Every child who has developed worms should have the region of the buttocks washed thoroughly after each •notion. The finger-nails should be kept very short and frequently brushed with soapy water. Mercurial ointment may be smeared over the anus. General debility and indigestion strongly favour the continuance of worms. Children usually become infected when run down after some illness; the treatment for worms is, therefore, not to bo regarded as complete after six or seven days* treatment. Tn addition to careful dieting, including avoidance of food between meals, the child should be kept in the upon air as mnvh as possible, and should ' nve abundance of sunlight and a suftimnev of exercise, rest and sleep. Unless the foregoing essentials for 1 '*a‘th are strictlv carried out. it is often extremely difficult to gel rid of ' tread-worms completely. Naturally ‘he affected child should not be af'owed the companionship of other children until he is quite cured. If one member of the fami’y when thus af flieted is allowed to touch or even to ma near a sister or brother there is ■oat danger of tho trouble arising in 1 •? other members of the family. In v vase a general examination is advisable. as there are often several ner- . mns affected at the same time. •