The health question box

Acute Rheumatism Q. What are the dangers from acute rheu­matism and what can be done? A. Acute rheumatism is rarely immediately fatal, but sometimes leaves the victim with difficulties which, sooner or later, terminate his life. This occurs whenever the heart becomes affected by the disease, which not infrequently happens. It does not result from a change of the seat of the malady from the joints to the heart, as is sometimes thought, but by an extension of the disease to the lining membrane of the heart. In consequence of inflammation, the valves of the heart become thickened and contracted so that valvular organic disease of the heart results; rheumatism, indeed, is the most common cause of this form of heart disease. The extension of the disease to the heart is indicated by the occurrence of acute pain in the left side, disturb­ance of the pulse, increase of fever, and increased frequency of respiration. Either one or all the joints in the body may participate in the infla...

Stiff Joints Q. What can be done for stiff joints? Can the motion be restored? A. There are two classes of stiff joints: I. Those in which the stiffness is due to adhesions in or around the joint, to adhesions or contrac­tions of muscles, to a floating cartilage in the joint or to growths due to osteo-arthritis or rheu­ matic gout. 2. Those in which th e ends of the bones forming the joints have become joined to­ gether by bony union as a single bone. The con­dition of the joint may be determined by an x-ray examination. In cases of the first class, motion can usually be restored to the joint either by fomentations, massage and passive movements or by mobilizing the joint under anesthesia. Mobilization should not be attempted in cases in which the stiffness is due to tuberculous disease, in cases in which there is much heat without fluid in the joint, nor in cases in which the muscles are rigid or ad­herent. Any joint which is not absolutely stiff, which is not hot and con...

Causes Q. What is the cause of rheumatism and what should be the diet and treatment for people suffering from rheumatism? A. The term rheumatism is somewhat loosely employed. It is applied to inflammatory con­ ditions of the joints, to degenerative changes in the joints, and to painful affections of the nerves and muscles. These conditions are due to a great variety of causes, and hence cannot be considered as a single or well-defined disease. Inflammation of the joints is due to infection. Degenerative changes may be due to infection, or to the influence of toxins absorbed from the intestine, or from other parts. Rheumatism of the muscles and nerves is probably due in most cases to toxins, the most common source of which is the intestine. An infected condition of the tonsils is known to be a frequent cause of join t rheumatism. Colitis, infection of the colon -a frequent result of constipation - is very often associated with rheumatism. In general, the diet should be anti-to...