Mrs. Lance Rawson

“ It would be almost impossible to enumerate all the ill-habits to which people are liable, but we can mention a few rules which go a long way towards securing health. First and foremost of these comes—be regular in habit, rise directly you wake, take a cold bath or shower if you can stand it, if not, a tepid bath, as it is actually necessary for health that the whole of the body is cleansed every day, or twice a day. Follow the bath by friction with a rough towel, after that if you have time massage for twenty minutes the whole of the body. ”

“ For a bilious attack give the yolk of an egg beaten up well, and let the patient swallow it down in one mouthful and lie still awhile. The egg appears to collect all the bile together, and bring it away at once. It has an extraordinary effect, for hardly anything, save bile comes up. One wants an hour or two’s sleep after a bilious attack. Some people take a little spirits and water, but they do not agree with all, in many instances turning acid on the stomach, and laying the foundation for another headache. ”

“ After a night, or at least some hours, burn some sulphur in a pan in the same way, but without closing up the whole place. This process kills all kind of vermin, as well as the typhoid germs. The nurse or attendant should be just as careful of her own health as of her patients, for, if a mother, she must bear in mind that she has other claims upon her. Above all things, she must live regularly. Let her have a cold or tepid bath every day, and clean linen if possible. Her diet should be generous and nourishing, never should she fast too long, or if possible allow herself to become over tired. ”

“ It is a mistake eating between meals and particularly for a delicate man or woman; because by constantly eating you keep the digestive organs always at work instead of allowing them to rest sometimes. After dinner have a cup of coffee in preference to tea unless, of course, you dislike it, then a cup of hot milk without sugar, or a glass of cold water is preferable to tea. Acid drinks are a mistake except to very strong digestions. Unsweetened they are excellent taken medecinally, and first thing in the morning for biliousness there is nothing better than lemon and salt ”

“ Let me impress upon all young girls the fact that regularity of the bowels is necessary if they would enjoy good health and clear complexions. Many of the muddy pimpley complexions come from no other cause, and it is a fruitful source of headache. For immediate relief, an enema of salt and warm water should be administered, and if the sufferer objects to the regular dose of medicine, the enema given regularly will often establish a cure. ”

“ A nurse makes the greatest mistake when she takes stimulants in place of her proper meals, if she cannot eat, or feels too anxious to sit down to table; then let her take something in place of the ordinary food; an egg, either beaten up with a little warm milk and drunk right off, or break it into a wineglass, add a little salt, and swallow it whole without breaking the yolk; even a drink of milk will stay the stomach for a time. ”

“ Convulsions come from various causes, teething chiefly in young children, but very often it is almost impossible to find a cause. Infants are liable to so many indescribable and invisible ailments, that at most one can only guess a reason for these terrifying fits. First and foremost, I would recommend calmness and presence of mind in the mother or nurse. Nervous people are so apt to lose their heads when they see a child in a fit, and thus precious time is lost, whilst perhaps they faint, scream, or do something equally stupid. ”

“ It sounds almost absurd to say that such things will bring on hours, and even days, of suffering, but, nevertheless, it is a fact, and though the old adage says "Asthma never kills," still it is a very unpleasant ailment to suffer from in any form. ”

“ The effect of the hot water is to cleanse all the parts, passages, tubes, &c., through which the food has to pass, and thus prevent the feeling of discomfort and pain called indigestion. It is not really so very unpleasant, and can be improved by pouring the water on to a small slice of lemon, and then remove it, and steadily sip the water. ”

“ If no doctor is available, a dose of medicine can do no harm, and, if possible, apply iced cloths to the back of the neck, or let the tap flow over it.
Nervous headache often comes from over excitement or weakness. A dose of sal volatile may help to cure it, or a few drops of ammonia in a wine glass of water, but the patient must keep quiet, and, if possible, sleep. Ten grains of anti-pyrine taken in a little water is an almost certain cure for any headache. ”

“ With the former the patient is affected with every change of the weather, any sudden draught, puff of wind, or even the air from a fan will sometimes bring on an attack. Spasmodic asthma comes often from a severe cold. It is better known to many people as hay fever, simply because it is very prevalent at the harvesting season, the fine dust from the dry hay causing it, by choking the bronchial tubes and air passages to the lungs. People liable to these sudden attacks should never, if possible, mix dry linseed, mustard, or any fine meal at all ”

“ I believe many of the light attacks of fever which come upon one so suddenly, could be avoided if hot and cold baths and these packs were more resorted to at the time when the fever is first felt coming on. After a long ride, or any severe exertion, nothing restores one more quickly than a hot bath just before bed time and a pack, next morning you awake quite refreshed. ”

“ In hot climates I believe people are the better for having only two regular meals per day, breaking their fast about twelve o'clock with a little ripe fruit. I have heard many men say they had better health when only taking two regular meals in the day than when they take three or four. ”

“ Sometimes there are convulsions and cramps, but these latter symptoms are speedily followed by death. For treatment give warm water, lime water, linseed tea, or anything to cause vomiting. Some people are made sick very easily; others cannot vomit at all, save with great difficulty. It is best to ask the patient this before trying anything, as he may know something that will make him sick. I have seen leeches applied to the bowels, and all that part of the stomach fomented with hot flannels. ”

“ To improvise a vapour bath, place an ordinary cane chair over a bucket of hot water, let the patient be seated on the chair and a blanket be wrapped entirely round and over him, head and all if he can bear it, wrap another blanket round to cover in the bucket. Have three or four bricks in the fire, and when very hot place first one, and as that cools then the other in the bucket. The steam will be very hot but the patient must try and bear it. Sulphur can be added to the water, if a sulphur bath is desired.
Most women require a rest in the middle of the day, and are the better for it. ”

“ One lemon every morning is sufficient. But there are headaches from other causes than biliousness. Constipation often produces acute headache, which is only relieved by an aperient, or an enema Those who suffer constantly from constipation cannot do better than try the hot water before breakfast, or, if they object to that, small doses of aloes taken every morning for a time and gradually decreased till regularity is established, will generally effect a cure. ”

“ As it is, every now and then typhoid, diarrhœa, and dysentery make their appearance, and tax the energies and talents of our best medical men to get rid of them. Impure water is another fruitful source of all these complaints, for which reason all water for drinking should be either filtered or boiled. Many people imagine that because they use nothing but iron tanks, their water must be all right ”

“ ALMOST every mother has sickness in her house some time or other. If she has many little ones she must expect to have a certain amount of illness. Fevers, colds, measles, etc., are all liable at any time to attack one or other of a large family. In this climate the great thing is to know how to keep the sick room cool without draughts, and the best disinfectants to use. ”

“ For spasmodic asthma or hay fever there seems to be no cure; it just has to take its course. The sneezing is most distressing, and for that reason all draughts must be avoided. The patient should be kept in one room, with a fire, if possible. ”

“ Then, if they are very young or delicate, it is liable to produce convulsions or some other complication, and a medical man should always be called in. In many children a paroxysm of coughing brings on bleeding at the nose, and in some cases retching, but neither will do any harm. Very often the child who is sick with the cough gets over it quickest. As a rule whooping cough lasts three or four months; I have known it to continue for six. A change to the seaside will nearly always take it away. In fact, any change is beneficial, and will, in nine cases out of ten, cure it completely. ”

“ A few turns up and down the verandah before going to bed is beneficial after studying hard. If after all sleeplessness ensues then try a wet bandage. Dip an ordinary rough towel in water, wring slightly and fasten it round the body over the region of the heart, and at once, over the towel wrap a flannel or flannel bandage so as to quite cover the towel. The effect in most cases is perfectly magical. ”

“ I have seen the wet towel on the head successful in restoring consciousness several times, without any other treatment, so I recommend it to mothers whose little ones are liable to convulsions. But, as I mentioned before, I do not advocate the doing without a doctor.
POISONS.
The great thing in cases of poisoning is presence of mind. Do not lose your head, and common sense will suggest a remedy. More lives have been lost through sheer fright in the bush than poisons have caused. ”

“ Nothing stale must be allowed to remain in a sick room, neither drink, food, nor anything at all. Many people are fond of having a small table beside the bed with cooling drink ready for the patient. It is much the best plan to let it stand in another room. ”

“ People in this country are so careless about such matters, and so used to bad drainage and offensive smells, that, when an epidemic of diarrhœa or dysentery breaks out, it is hard to convince them the disease has originated in their midst, they are so used to thinking no harm will come from this drain, or that cesspool. ”

“ Even in bad cases of dysentery I have seen it effect a cure. When dysentery sets in, a medical man should at once be sent for. There is another simple remedy for dysentery, the white of an egg well beaten, and taken three or four times a day. In young children, this is generally very successful; but only a teaspoonful should be given every quarter of an hour.
WHOOPING COUGH AND CONVULSIONS.
There is no actual cure for whooping cough. ”

“ It is a mistake to stop a sudden attack of diarrhœa at once, as, in many instances, it may be nature relieving herself, and when the cause is expelled from the bowels, it will stop, But when it continues for some days with violent pain, and at last vomiting, then it is time to resort to means for cure. ”

“ When the chief symptoms are difficulty of breathing and sense of tightness in the chest, some benefit may be derived from taking from five to ten drops of hydrocyanic acid in a tablespoonful of water every two hours, for three or four times. There are several kinds of cigarettes prepared for asthmatic people, and to some they give more relief than any other treatment. ”

“ Do not go to bed directly after studying hard, or if you do, take some light book, a novel, a magazine story, and read for a few minutes before trying to sleep, as the brain is apt to dwell upon the work last done unless distracted from it before sleep. ”

“ For some of them there is really no cure save time and patience, but by a proper regard to the general health they can often be prevented. Sick or bilious headache is the most common. The patient generally wakes with it in the morning, and it is accompanied by a feeling of nausea and inclination to yawn. ”

“ Let your first meal consist of ripe fruit and as early as possible, after which take a short sharp walk for half an hour, or less if you fear fatigue or have to go to business after breakfast. Let your breakfast be plain and wholesome. ”

“ Children and young girls should never be without a piece of work in their pockets, crochet, knitting, wool, anything, if only an iron holder to stitch, that they can take out at odd moments, say while waiting for meals, while waiting to go out, while talking to visitors, all these moments should be filled up. ”

“ When inclined to fret over trifles begin to count and keep it up till 500, by which time you will find your thoughts distracted to another channel, and above all keep the hands and minds occupied, there is nothing so hurtful to man or woman as idleness. ”

“ For this purpose the body should be kept very warm, hot bottles being applied to the feet, the chest rubbed a few minutes with hartshorn and oil, linseed poultices applied to the chest and back, in which a little mustard is mixed, being the best; hot coffee, or small doses of brandy and water, must be given occasionally. But, in bad cases, a medical man should be called at once. ”

“ Have no superfluous drapery or hangings at all, and, if possible, have the bed moved into the middle of the room so that there is a passage of air all round and under it. Unless the patient is very weak, or the doctor forbids it, he or she should be sponged all over once a day, every part, even to the feet. ”

“ This treatment is very severe, and should never be resorted to unless the patient is strong, and can bear the retching. But, as a rule, it is successful getting rid as it does of all the phlegm and clogging substances at once. In slight and simple cases of asthma a dose of chlorodyne will often arrest it. The asthma of old age is a very different matter, and requires different treatment. Instead of debilitating the patient it is necessary to support and stimulate under the exhaustion of the paroxysms. ”