TALKS ON HEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 63, 14 March 1936, Page 3

TALKS ON HEALTH

(By

A FAMILY DOCTOR).

SHINGLES. The first symptom is a sharp pain running along the nerve, and at the outset it is nearly always mistaken for something e.se. If the pain is in the s.de, pleurisy is suspected; if over a joint, rheumatism; if in the region of i he appendix, appendicitis; and so on. Alter a few hours or days the characteristic eruption appears, and then no further mistake is possible. The spots ; are either arranged in a ciump or in a line following the course of a nerve l running in the skin. A common situnItion is on the side running parallel with | I he ribs. The spots are at first little i red pimples; soon they assume the form (of a. blister; then the fluid inside the blister becomes mattery and, finally. ■ bursts. This is the turning point, an<» the spots slowly and gradually fade I away, the scabs fall off, and the skin is | left clear. In some eases permanent i s.-ars are left, something like the I ‘ ’ pits ’ ’ of smallpox. Ointments and Plasters. When the disease has declared itself by the appearance of the spots the area affected should be covered over with a clean piece of lint smeared with zinc ointment. All friction of the clothes | against, the blisters should be avoided. [When the blisters have burst a dusting i powder may be sprinkled on; it. must I contain two parts o f finely divided starch to one part of zinc oxide. There are some ’excellent varnishes contain ing zinc which can be painted on the shingles, and which give great relief. It is. sometimes necessary to give morphia for the pain, but this must, of course, be left entirely to the medical attendant. It is best to stop work and take things quietly, as any active movement is not only painful but mav delay recoverv. A Holiday for Mother. Of course, I have no wish lo hurl your feelings, or tread on your corns, or rub you up the wrong way, r trample on your susceptibilities; bin there you are, I. feel I must say that a holidav is sometimes better taken awav from* the family. Take poor old mother, for instance. It she has four children and a. grown-up daughter who is alwavs grumbling, it is no rest to takp the whole lot away Io the seaside. First it is one thing and then another, and really the poor woman might have stopped at home. It. is no rest. 1 think this year Auntie had better lake the children. Mother must have a complete rest, and then when you are all united aga n you wil] all he much happier and love each other all the mom. .1 Real Rest. And dear o.d dad, he’s ano-her case. Hu nas to bear lue burden of ail the worries of brcad-eariiiug, which is sometimes a deadly occupation, of course, we couid no spare him for Jong, we love him so. But perhaps just a ±ew days all io himselt iu peace and quietness would do him good and bring Inin back to his tasks iu life, all the bughler. You know the story of the bow tnat was always strung—if Jost, its elasticity and j could not snoot any more arrows, poor tiling! If some kind friend had uu-; strung tiie bow every now and then it would have been aule to do its work! for a much longer period. Ho tn- and work it this year; everyone must have a rest —not an ordinary rushing aoout | holiday. A Danger Signal. Pain may be useful, though unpleasant. Pain is a danger signal, iuiurming the patient, tnat something is wiong. Never neglect or despise pain. Iu those diseases where pain is not a strong feature the patient is in danger of neglecting the symptoms. In pleurisy the pain is sudden and acute, and the sufferer is made only too well aware that there is an inflammation in his side; he goes io bed or seeks advice at once. But in typhoid fever there is not much pain in the first, few days, and a man may work with the fever on him. This exposes him to great danger. In cancer, too, it is a most, unfortunate ■ thing that, the early stages are painless; silently and secretly the tumour grows, and even if the patient feels the Jump he thinks nothing of it, as it is not painful. If every cancer were painful I from the very onset, there would be I fewer deaths from this dreadful scourge. Piles. The treatment of piles is generally I the treatment of constipation, and, as I , have written a few thousand times be | fore in these columns, prevention is better than cure. No baby is born with piles. They come as the result of care-1 lessnoss, neglect, and an absurd appetite for drugs and purging medicines. I Piles are varicose veins. They consist I of blood-vessels through which the b’ood is flowing. Where is it flowing to? To the liver. It follows from this that congestion of the liver leads to congestion of the veins in the piles. A natural daily action in a healthy individual does not lead to piles; but period of constipation followed by a violent purge, which once again leads

to eontipation, sets up a vicious circle and makes the p ies worse. Natural Treatment. We are creatures of habit. If a man 1 has taken strong purgatives for many! years he will probably have great difficulty in leaving them off. The natural | treatment of constipation will prevent ! pilei and cure them if they have not grown too large in the course of years, j The relation of food lo exercise has r. ; most important bearing on the matter. , If you can only take a very smalt: amount of exercise, you must only take 1 a small quantity of food. Food is the fuel that keep the furnaces of the body going. If the furnaces burn a lot, more fuel is needed. If a young man is doing his physical exercise all day in lhe open air, he must have a large I quantity of food. But the man is too i fat to want to walk more than is neces- ‘ sary, and chooses his new house because it is nearer the station and saves him three minutes’ walk night and morning, that man should take a very small quantity. Slabs of beef are not needed to carry a man 100 yards to the station. Perhaps one-third of one slab is needed, and the rest of the slab lies on his liver and impedes the free circulation. Piles result, and he thinks that the effect of the glabs is cancelled by the application of some patent ointment. Alcohol should be avoided, and plenty of fresh fruit- included in the dietary. To soothe inflammation apply a pad of