TALKS ON HEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 222, 19 September 1936, Page 3

TALKS ON HEALTH

(By A FAMILY DUCTOR). j

LET US HAVE TREES I was walking in the country and came to an avenue of trees planted years ago. They were as majestic as tiie nave of a cathedral; their trunks rough with age, their leaves fresfi with the loveliness of youth. The hand that planted the avenue is dust and ashes; we who are alive to-cay 1 enjoy the sight of these magnificent ' trees and wander beneath their I shade. How kind or the old man to , set out this avenue before he died, i knowing that he would not Jive to see it in its glory. He planted for us, and we must take off our hats to his memory. I wish all our roads were j ornamented with splendid trees. That i is a matter to which you might de- | vote some thought (ana action i when - you are elected on the County Coun- | cil. But I want you to stand in the , centre of this great avenue with me I for a moment and contempla'e the ! excellence of working for your descendants. In a hundred ye-u , \ou will be dust and ashes, but your children’s children will be alive, and through their veins will cgujsc the blood they have inherited from you. Will they be like these ol stalwart growth, or will they be puny and disease-ridden? I want jon to carry an image in mind of an old gentleman planting nn avenue of your trees. A sneering onlooker asks why he should waste his time planting young trees when he knows he will not live to see them grow to their full height. And the old man replies that he loves to think that his grandchildren will enjoy the sight of the noble avenue. Please live for your grandchildren. Remember you arc a grandchild yourself, and the reason you are such a puny specimen is that your grandfather was reckless of his health. Clean your teeth every morning, and when your brother, staggered with amazement at this unwonted spectacle, enquires what, the blazes you are up to. Just answer, “Oh, I want my grandchildren to be healthy.” I look forward to the time when we shall sing that the happy land is not. far, far away, but here, near at. hand.

Keep Out Disease I was talking to a fruit farmer on the subject of blight, and he was telling me that if you get a healthy strain of tree and keep them properly pruned and cared for the inborn strength of the tree will enable it to withstand the onslaughts of the blight. The diseased orchard is the neglected orchard. Where orchards belonging to different men lie side by side, the owner of the neglected orchard is punished, and he may have his trees uprooted and burnt by order of the Government. I was talking to a bee-master about the subject of disease, and he was telling me that if you start with a healthy race of bees and take reasonable care of them, the inborn strength of the bees will enable them to withstann the onslaughts of disease. The bee-man and the apple-man seemed to have the same idea. The way to stamp out disease is to increase the resistance of the victims. Perhaps that is true of human beings. Train un a healthy race of children and their inborn strength will enable them to overcome the onslaughts of disease. When all is said and done, the chief preventives of illness are good food, fresh

air, sunshine, sleep and exercise. Difficulty in Swallowing Difficulty in swallowing due to a swollen throat lasts only a few days, and disappears with the inflammation of the tonsils. Difficulty in swallowing which lasts for weeks or more may result from two widely different causes. The first is pure nervousness. The most careful examination with every known instrument reveals no sign of disease. These are most troublesome cases to deal with, and the poor doctor adds a few grey hairs to the rapidly-increasing number in

Ihis frantic attempts to convince the patient that there is nothing wrong. A good many cures are obtained b> i passing an indiarubber tube down the gullet. This is not very pleasant, and [the announcement that it will have [to be done three times a day until I an improvement, sets in usually has | the desired effect. A Growth in the Gullet The other common cau>e for di Hi cully in swallowing is the presence u. a growth in the gullet. Tnis is associated witn increased wasting an i feebleness, and enlarged glanus arc found in the neck, it any oi your friends or relations complain ol a feeling as though the food slicks in the throat, persuade them to consult a doctor without delay. It is 'mporlant to settle at once in winch category they should be placed. Noises in the Ear It is not always possible to cure cases of noises in the ears, but, nevertheless, something may be done to gel rid of the annoyance. In the first place, the absence ol wax in the ears must be established, and this can only be done by a doctor. With the unaided eye it is impossible to see down to the drum of the ear. Sometimes the removal of wax may cure, or at any rate lessen, the troublesome noises. Then something may be done by the mental effort of the patient. If he expects and listens to the noises and talks about them to friends, giving accurate description of every kind of noise he hears, he will aggravate his trouble. But if he makes up his mind to ignore the noises, and does his best to forget them, he may find that they worry him less and less. A catarrh in the ear or in the throat can be treated by a doctor, and often results in relieving the patient. In other cases the general health is at fault, and nothing will effect any good but a change of air. the improved tone of the general system, the cheerfulness engendered by better health, the absence of worry en- i joyed on a complete holiday. All these help the patient to overcome small troubles and to forget the noises in the ear. Of course, when definite deafness has supervened the advice of a doctor should be sought. When in trouble send for a doctor.

Never Frighten the Child Do not frighten little children into I being good. I know they can be very j trying and enough to exhaust anyone’s patience, but they must not be I frightened. You must not threaten them that a black man will jump [through the window at night and cat them up if they do not go to sleep. You must not. lock them in a dark cupboard. You must not lose your [temper as an example to them not Ito lose theirs. A fright may leave a lasting impression on a child’s mind, a whack on the head with a wooden mallet might do less harm than a I cruel word. The nervousness of a [ young woman of twenty may be traced back to an unfortunate' ex-1 perience at a very early age. - I

Imaginary Ills | Human nature is very susceptible, [ and in spile of natural will-power we I arc too often so obsessed withour own I troubles that we forget to use due ' discrimination. Never let your willpower leave you, however queer you ! may feel. Those who use their will- [ power have no use for miracles or : holy wells. They just, live a natural, 1 healthy life, and when illness in real-! ity does come upon them they go i Io their medical adviser with cheerful i heart, knowing full well what science 1 can do to restore them to health will ! ’»e done. So keep cheerful and the • spirits up!