The health question box

Sty Q. What causes styes? A. Eye strain causing congestion of the eye. Consult an oculist.

Seasickness Q. What is the cause of seasickness and how may it be avoided? A. It is now believed that seasickness is due to the excessive stimulation of the pneumogastric nerve, causing spasmodic contraction of the stomach and abdominal muscles. The irritation is due to the sudden and repeated disturbance of equilibrium due to the movements of the ship in one who is not accustomed to such movements. Young infants are never seasick, probably for the reason that they are accustomed to frequent changes of the position of the body. A sea-sick person should remain horizontal, with ice bag to back of neck, the eyes closed and a firm bandage applied over the stomach and ab domen. A sand bag might serve the same pur­pose. Lying in a tub of water is also found beneficial. Some large ocean vessels are now supplied with swinging tanks in which one may enjoy complete immunity from seasickness.

Round Shoulders Q. What is the best method of correcting a case of round shoulders in a young woman twenty-one years of age? A. A correct position in sitting and exer­cises for developing the arm and shoulder muscles are necessary. In sitting, standing and walking the chest should be held high, the ab­dominal muscles being well drawn in, the hips held back, while the chest is held forward. Swimming is, perhaps, the best of all exercises for the correction of this condition. Lying upon the back and raising the head is also a good exercise. The daily use of corrective exercises, such as lying upon the face and raising the. head backward, bending backward, and rowing are es­ sential in all cases. The most important measure of all is a correct sitting posture. For this a proper chair is needed, one which will support the center of the back. In the absence of a properly constructed chair, a cushion may be placed at the small of the back. The chest must be held up and the chin i...

Muscular Electricity Q. Is it true that electricity is generated in the body? A. Experiments upon both human beings and animals have clearly demonstrated that the human body is a real electrical battery, gener­ating appreciable quantities of electricity by every vital act. Every muscular contraction generates a current of electricity, the exact quantity and quality of which can be determined by the proper instruments. There is no special electrical apparatus in the human body, as in certain fishes and other curious animals which produce this subtle agent in prodigious quanti­ties, but the whole body develops it. Every breath we draw in, every heart beat, every wink of the eye, even every thought, generates the same element that darts destruction from the thunder cloud, and flashes intelligence around the world.

Ague Chill after Hot Bath Q. Why is a hot bath often followed by ague chill? A. In persons suffering from chronic malarial infection the parasites which give rise to the disease sometimes have been absent from the blood, where they are always p resent during an acute attack. In such cas e s the p ara s ites are believed to be hiding in the spleen and other vascular or­gans. The effect of a hot bath is to bring the parasites out into the circulation, the result of which is the occurrence of a chill. This fact renders hot baths valuable as an aid in combating malarial fever. In connection with the hot baths, small do s es of quinine may succeed in destroying t h e p ara s ites , wh e n w ithout the hot baths large d ose s w ould prove inefficient .

Quinine Q. Is there such a thing as quinine fever? A. Half a century ago, the pioneer settlers of Michigan, Indiana and other states, which then constituted the West, suffered greatly from malarial infection, and sometimes not finding relief from quinine, successfully adopted a plan of wearing out the disease. These vet­ erans in the warfare with one of the most terrible parasites which has ever afflicted the human race, learned by experience that paroxysms of chill and fever sometimes followed the use of qui nine, a fact which gave rise to the phrase, then current, "quinine chills." Modern studies of the effects of quinine upon the human organism have explained these puzzling facts. It has long been known that quinine is a protoplasmic poison. It weakens the parasites, but at the same time weakens the white blood cells. This has been shown by numerous observers, among others Binz, Baxter, Martin, Jerusalimsky, and Cohnheim. Hare showed that one part of quinine in twen...

Enlargement of the Prostate Gland Q. What is the cause of this condition and how may it be remedied? A. Men only are subject to this disease. The prostate gland in men is a structure analogous to the womb or uterus in women. Chronic en­largement of the prostate gland is a condition closely akin to the development of fibroid tumors of the uterus. A temporary enlargement of the prostate gland may be due to inflammation. In such cases increased activity of the bowels, the avoidance of irritating condiments and flesh foods and copious water drinking are measures which should not be neglected. A very hot sitz bath or a hot hip and leg pack are the best means of affording relief from pain. These applications may be repeated several times a day. After the pain subsides colder baths may be used. A prolonged sitz bath at 80° to 70° F. continued for ten or fifteen minutes is the best means of combating congestion which follows acute inflam­mation. Chronic enlargement of the prostate gland...

Pellagra and Meat Diet Q. Is a meat diet necessary in pellagra? A. In the investigation of the cause of pellagra made by the United States Public Health Service the conclusion was reached that the real cause of pellagra was not to be found in moldy corn or any form of infection but in a defective dietary. Meat was among the articles recommended as beneficial in pellagra cases. Meat is not necessary to prevent pellagra. The conviction is gaining ground among physicians that the cause of pellagra is a lack of vita­mines in the food. It is true that vitamines are present in meat but the amount of vitamines present in flesh foods is not greater than that found in most vegetable foods ; indeed, vitamines are much more plentiful in certain vegetables than in meats; this is particularly true of peas and beans. In speaking upon this subject Doctor Goldberger admitted that the use of meat was not necessary provided eggs, milk, peas or beans were supplied. Observations made in the trea...

How to Prevent Pneumonia Q. Is pneumonia catching? Can it be pre­vented or avoided? A. Recent investigations have shown that there are four types of pneumonia, varying in virulence and fatality. One form of the disease is produced by germs which are found in the mouths of people who live in cities. This form of the disease, fortunately, produces a very mild type of the disease and is rarely fatal. The other types of pneumonia are caught by infection from other persons just as is typhoid fever, small pox and measles. The germs of pneumonia are sent into the air by coughing, sneezing and speaking. In this way the infection is scattered. Persons who have apparently recovered from pneumonia often carry the germs in the nasal secretions and sputum for weeks, possibly longer, and thus be­ come carriers of the disease. Two things are necessary to produce pneu­ monia, a pneumonia germ and a susceptible pa­ tient. A person whose resistance is sufficiently high may meet any num...

Pneumonia Q. Is there any drug which will cure pneu­monia? A. It is now known that pneumonia is an in­fectious disease and it runs a regular course like measles, small pox and other contagious diseases. It is also probably infectious like these diseases. No intelligent physician at the present time will administer drugs to a pneumonia patient with the expectation that the pneumonia will be cured thereby; in fact there is no treatment which will cure pneumonia, but there are many simple measures of treatment which are of great service in the disease. Among these are the cold com­press or ice bag to the chest during the early stages of the disease which is a most efficient means of relieving cough and pain and lessen­ing the intensity of the disease. The cold ap­plication should be removed for five minutes about once in twenty minutes. When there is much pain a short hot fomentation may be applied for two or three hours. A hot blanket pack from the hips down is an excellent mean...

The Pulmotor Q. What is the pulmotor? A. The most successful method of applying artificial respiration is by means of the pul­ motor, a new invention by means of which oxygen is forced into the lungs, making the chest act as in ordinary respiration. This method has been successful in reviving persons who have apparently been dead for some minutes. It should always be used in cases of suspended re­ spiration from whatever cause. It has been especially successful in cases of apparent death from electrical shock. In choking, strangling, hanging, and when­ ever respiration is suspended by any cause what­ ever, the methods of artificial respiration de­scribed should be employed. In cases of suspended respiration from the use of chloroform or any anesthetic, the head should be placed lower than other parts of the body. In case of heart failure, sharp percussion over the heart should be tried and repeated many times. Rhythmical traction of the tongue is a method for restoring respi...

Mouth-Breathing Q. How may mouth-breathing be cor­rected? A. The nose should have attention. There is probably more or less obstruction of one or both nostrils. If the habit still continues, the mouth should be closed by some suitable appliance dur ing sleep. A thin strip of celluloid fitted in be­tween the lips and the teeth answers the pur­ pose very well. The lips may be closed by strips of adhesive plaster. Mouth-breathing during sleep is evidence of the presence of adenoids. A nose and throat specialist should be consulted and the adenoids should be removed, the earlier the better, as mouth-breath­ing gives rise to malformations of the upper jaw, and also of the nasal and other facial bones, and defects of speech, while the diseased condition to which the adenoids is due may extend into the Eustachian tubes, and may even affect the hear­ing. Mental impairment also has been traced to adenoids and other conditions which give rise to mouth-breathing.

Malarial Chills Q. Can malarial chills be cured without medicine? A. Nearly four hundred years ago, Don Alexis, of Piedmont, Italy, was treating cases of malarial fever successfully by means of sweating baths applied just before the beginning of a chill. The patients were first rubbed with hot linen cloths, then warmly wrapped and made to perspire . The same method, in one form or an­other, is still in use by the laity in various parts of the world. The writer was cured of a very severe attack of intermittent fever nearly fifty years ago by a corn sweat, prescribed by an old lady who had used it successfully in a large number of cases. The remedy often succeeds at the very first ap­plication, though sometimes three or more ap­plications were needed, as observed by Don Alexis. Among the laity of Germany, a method em­ployed by Priessnitz, and probably in use long before his time, consisted in the cold douche. On the first approach of a chill, several pailfuls of cold water ...

Enlarged Lymph Glands Q. What is the cause of enlarged lymph glands? A. The cause of enlarged lymphatic glands is usually tuberculosis. In the majority of cases recovery takes place spontaneously. This is be­ cause the glands are good fighters in the first place. It is their business to resist germs. They are policemen placed about the citadel of life for the purpose of protecting it. Suppose there were a row of police- a hundred in line - standing in front of a house, and that burglars were com­ pelled to fight every one of those policemen before they could get into the house; it would stand a very good chance of remaining unmolested. In just this way, the lymphatic glands are policemen. If a sliver lodges in the finger, and a nest of germs attacks the body, then the lymphatic glands in the neighborhood come to the rescue and be­ come enlarged. The nearer we approach the center of the body, the greater number of glands we find to oppose the germs. Germs must fight their way th...

Resuscitation After Electric Shock Q. What is the best means of reviving a person who has been rendered unconscious and apparently killed by electric shock? A. It has long been known that the same methods which have been found useful after drowning or asphyxia from smoke are also ser­ viceable and often successful in cases of electric shock. Artificial respiration by any of the sev­ eral methods elsewhere described should be ap­plied at the earliest possible moment . The tongue s hould be pulled forward by seizing with a hand­ kerchief or a bit of cloth, and should be held forward to keep the throat clear. If necessary the jaws are propped open by a thick fold of cloth or paper placed between the teeth. The best means of applying artificial respiration is the pulmotor. This instrument should always be at hand where there is danger of injury from electric shock. The apparatus is automatic when once set in operation and is most efficient. It fills the lungs with oxygen and the...

Lightning Stroke Q. What should be done in a case of lightning stroke? A. Suspended respiration in consequence of lightning stroke, calls for the application of arti­ ficial respiration. Any one of the methods may be employed. Burns, fracture of the bones, paralysis, and various other injuries which re­ sult by injury from lightning should be treated as when produced by other causes.

Hookworm Q. What is the nature of hookworm? A. This disease is one of the most prevalent, most harmful and most certainly curable of all diseases. It is more or less prevalent through­ out the world. More than half the population of the globe are exposed to this malady. The dis­ease was known to the ancient Egyptians, al­though its cause was not understood. It is less than a hundred years since the discovery of the hookworm by an Italian physician . It was first discovered in this country in Porto Rico in 1899. Three years later it was discovered in the south­ern states. It is believed that the disease was brought to this country through the slave trade. In some parts of the South ninety per cent of the whole population are found affected by this disease . It is more frequent in country dis­tricts than in cities. It is especially prevalent among the so-called mountain whites of the South.

Hiccough Q. What is the cause of hiccough and how may it be relieved? A. Hiccough is produced by a sudden spasm of the diaphragm. It may be excited by eating too much, thus causing indigestion and irri­ tation of the stomach, drinking a large quantity of cold water, or by long continued or im­ moderate laughter. It also occurs, sometimes, in the last stages of wasting diseases, when it is re­ garded as a very grave symptom, indicating ap­ proaching dissolution. Treatment: Hiccough can generally be stopped by taking a very small sip of very cold water or swallowing a small piece of ice. It may also generally be checked by holding the breath a long time, so as to interrupt the paroxysm, which occurs at regular intervals. When it is very obstinate, and is evidently the result of indigestion, : the stomach should be washed out with a stomach tube.

Sprue Due to a Fungus Infection Q. What is the cause of sprue? A. A study of sprue by Brown confirms the view that this disease is due to infection by a fungus, monilia, allied to the fungus which produces thrush. His observations also show that the pan creatic secretion is lacking in this disease and the patients are benefited by the use of pancreatic extracts.

The Cause of Typhus Fever Q. What is the cause of typhus fever? A. The cause of this grave disease, until recently a profound mystery, has been now clearly shown to be a minute micro-organism which is communi­cated to human beings by the body louse. The fact that the louse is an active carrier of the in­fection was first shown by Plotz. Recent work done in Mexico by Olitsky and others confirm the work of Plotz, and it may now be regarded as definitely proven that typhus fever is caused by the bite of infected body lice. A vaccine has been produced by the use of which a person may be rendered immune to this disease . Of more than eight thousand persons vaccinated, and who were thoroughly exposed to the disease, only six contracted the disease. It has been observed that typhus fever is much less severe and fatal in certain races, particularly Jews and Arabs. It is a curious fact that typhus fever is chiefly con­ fined to the colder regions of the earth. This is because the b...

Remedy for Hay Fever Q . What can be done for this distressing malady? A. The best remedy for hay fever is a change of residence to a location which is free from the cause of the disease. It is now known that hay fever is due to a combination of two things, first, a susceptible nasal mucous membrane, and second, the pollen of certain plants which, float­ ing in the air, is inhaled and sets up the irritation characteristic of this disease. There is now sold in most drug stores an antitoxic substance pre­ pared from the pollen of plants which give rise to hay fever and which is very useful as a means of mitigating this really unpleasant malady. Special vaccines are also prepared and used with great success. Patients suffering from hay fever are often wonderfully relieved by being placed in a very cold room (temp. 30° F. to o· F.) for an hour or two. The relief often lasts for several hours and so may insure a good night's rest. The services of a nose and throat spec...

Hay Fever Q. What is the cause of hay-fever? A. The pollen of plants. There are one hundred twenty-five different kinds of pollen known to produce hay-fever. Even morning­ glories will cause hay-fever in some people. Different people are affected by different plants.

Gout Q. What is the best diet for gout? A. Gout is due to an accumulation of uric acid in the body. The diet best adapted for persons suffering from gout is such a diet as will enable them to eliminate uric acid from the sys­tem. Sin ce ur i c acid is a result of meat eating, meat should, of course, be discarded. Doctor Hinhede, an eminent Scandinavian physician who has given much attention to the study of diet, and who has, for many years, ad­vocated a low-protein and non-flesh dietary, has recently publi s hed the results of extended ex­periments with various exclusive diets, especially in relation to uric acid, in which he found that when the diet consisted of potatoes only the urine was but slightly acid and contained no uric acid. He finally discovered that the urine from a potato diet was capable of dissolving from one-half dram to a dram of uric acid daily. This was found to be true, also, when strawberries or milk, or both, were taken with the potatoes. A diet consis...

Diet in Fever Q . Should fever patients be fed? A. It is highly important that fever patients should receive a proper amount of food and food of the right sort. Physiologic experiments have shown that during fever, especially when the temperature is high, the muscles, glands and blood are rapidl y destro y ed. This is the reason for the gr e at weakness as well as emaciation of the fever patient whose temperature has run very high for some days. From careful investigations may reached the conclusion that the destruction of the tissues in fever is due to the l a ck of carbohydrates. More recently conducted experiments show that by feeding an abundance of carbohy­drates the wasting of the muscles and the extraordinary weakening of the body which frequently occurs may be prevented. This is a mat­ter of very great importance. It is also interesting to note that these scientific experiments confirm the practical observations made long ago by physicians that the best diet for fever pa...

Fever Q. What is the cause of fever? A. Fever may result from an increase of heat production or deficient heat elimination. The principal cause of the rise of temperature in fever has been shown to be due to dimin ­ ished elimination of heat. The sweat glands become paralyzed, the skin is dry, so that little evaporation takes place from the surface.

Foreign Bodies Swallowed Q. Do foreign bodies do much harm in the stomach and may they be safely removed? A. Small coins, buttons, and other round objects, generally create no very great disturb­ance if they reach the stomach, as they usually do. Much unnecessary alarm is often felt when articles of this kind have been swallowed. Even pins and needles are generally successfully passed through the intestine if they reach the stomach. The intestine shows marvelous intelli­gence in dealing with these sharp objects. Pro­fessor Roger has shown by experiments upon animals that when a pin is placed in the intes­tine with the point downward and sticking into the intestinal wall, the intestine promptly turns the pin over, giving the head a down-stream di­rection, thus preventing penetration of the in­testine. When any sharp or angular object has been swallowed which may possibly injure the stomach or intestines, the danger of injury may be frequently lessened by giving large quanti­tie...

Numb Fingers Q. What causes numbness and tingling in the finger ends when they become cold? What is a good remedy? A. A disturbed circulation. Bathing the hands alternately in hot and cold water morning and night for ten or fifteen minutes, and mas­sage, are useful measures. The real cause of this condition in most cases is intestinal auto­ i ntoxication, which is a common result of chronic constipation. The condition of the fingers should receive attention promptly, since it may easily develop into a most serious condition known as "dead finger." Exposure of the parts to the rays of the arc light or the quart light is an ex cellent means of stimulating the tissues and restoring a normal condition. Exposure to the sun's rays is an equally efficient method. Care must be taken to protect the fingers from the cold.

Enlarged Finger Joints Q. What causes enlarged finger joints? A. The condition is probably rheumatic in character, and is often connected with dilatation of the stomach . It is practically incurable, though further progress of the disease may often be arrested by careful regulation of the diet and by proper treatment. The fingers should be soaked in hot water for ten minutes twice daily, and afterward the hands should be dipped in cold water for a few se c onds, then rubbed and flexed. If quite painful , the rubbing should be gentle, simply passing the hands over the joints with moderate pressure. A moist bandage consisting of two or three thicknesses of cheese cloth wet in cold water, and well wrung, should be wrapped around the joints, covered with flannel and mackintosh, to be retained during the night. Massage of the joints with olive or cocoanut oil or white vaseline is excellent.

Foul Breath Q. What is the cause of a foul breath? A. There are many minor causes, such as decaying teeth, chronic nasal catarrh, and dis­ eased tonsils, but the principal cause is consti­pation. The poisons absorbed from the colon are discharged through the lungs giving a fecal odor to the breath. The remedy is to adopt an antitoxic diet and to train the bowels to move three times a day

White Patches in Mouth Q. What is the cause and remedy of small white sores on inside of the mouth? A. The condition described is probably aphthae. In children the mouth should always be washed out with a clean wet cloth immedi­ately after feeding, for food remnants left in the mouth form the best possible soil for the production of the disease. An acid state of the stomach and a feeble condition of the sys­ tem favor the production of this condition. The use of sour fruits and raw tomatoes are sometimes the exciting factors. Rinse the mouth often with boracic acid solution or peroxide of hydrogen in water.

Dry Mouth Q . What is the cause of dryness of mouth and tongue at night? A. The cause may be sleeping with the mouth open or a feverish condition. Mouth breathing is almost always due to nasal obstruction. If due to fever at night there is perhaps ground for suspicion that some chronic disease, as tu­berculosis of the lungs, may be getting a foot­ hold.

Cause of Diabetes Q. What is the cause of diabetes? A. It is now generally believed that diabetes is in most cases caused by a disease of the pancreas.  Cane sugar and meat-eating are re­garded as causes.

Diabetes Q. Is diabetes curable? A. In the majority of cases the disease is not curable in the strict sense of the word, but in nearly all cases the sugar may be made to disappear from the urine and the patient may be made able to live a comfortable and useful life for many years.

Creaking Joints Q. What are the probable causes of crack­ing of the joints of the feet, legs, and wrist? A. Creaking of the knee joints is usually due to arthritis.

Relieving Leg Cramps at Night Q. What will relieve cramps in the legs, occuring at night in bed? A. A hot leg bath just before retiring, to be followed by a heating compress to be worn during the ni ght, will afford relief. For the heating compress, a cotton stocking wrung quite dry out of cold water, and worn with a woolen stocking over it will answer the purpose; or a towel wrung dry out of very cold water, ap­plied to the leg and covered with mackintosh and flannel.

Cramped Legs Q. What is the cause of cramping of the leg muscles? A. Cramping of the muscles of the legs is a frequent neurasthenic symptom. A very painful form sometimes occurs in elderly people as a result of hardening of the arteries of the legs. A cramping muscle can generally be relieved by firm pressure made by grasping the limb with the hands.

Car Sickness Q. How may car sickness be prevented? A. Before taking a trip upon the cars be careful to have the bowels thoroughly evacuated. Make the diet consist of cereals and fruits, avoiding fats and wholly discarding meats. While riding on the cars keep the head in a horizontal position. Do not attempt to read. Do not look out of the car windows. If pos­ sible, lie down and keep the eyes closed.