Rheum

“ Lactic acid is the most copious product thrown out in the disease called rheumatic fever, and, as many of the phenomena resulting from that disease take the same form and character as those producible by lactic acid, I infer from the best evidence attainable that this acid, the product of a fermentative change going on in the body during acute rheumatism, is the cause of the secondary structural affections which so frequently follow acute rheumatism. ”

“ RHEUMATISM. In Rheumatic Complaints the Patient must take a Dose of this Medicine every Night and Morning, or oftener, if the Pains are violent; and it must be continued till the Disease is removed, or longer, to prevent a Relapse. If the Pain is fixed in any particular Part, the AETHER must be applied to it twice a Day, as directed hereafter. It must be observed, that Bleeding very much conduces to the Cure of obstinate Chronic Rheumatisms, must be repeated at proper intervals if necessary; the Blood in this Disease being generally very sizy. ”

“ If this disturbance be represented according to certain new and inviting hypotheses, supported by some important facts [377] , as being perhaps an accumulation of electricity in the interior of the body, owing to a morbid, isolating activity of the skin, we may expect a more perfect knowledge of the nature of rheumatism through the medium of future diligent researches; and until these be made, some evident signs of connexion between rheumatic affections and the English Sweating Sickness will perhaps be sufficient to demonstrate the rheumatic nature of this latter disease. ”

“ Rheumatism. Gout. Leprosy. II. 1. The most minute membranes are unorganized. 2. Larger membranes are composed of the ducts of the capillaries, and the mouths of the absorbents. 3. Mucilaginous fluid is secreted on their surfaces. III. Three kinds of rheumatism. I. 1. The capillary-vessels are like all the other glands except the absorbent system, inasmuch as they receive blood from the arteries, separate a fluid from it, and return the remainder by the veins. ”

“ In the treatment of rheumatism Stellaria media is a very active drug, acting very promptly; a low dilution of the mother tincture of the drug taken internally is very apt, therefore, to intensify the pains, and these should therefore be avoided and the 2x dilution used. ”

“ If it be asked why Hydropathy has proved itself so effective a remedy in curing rheumatism, we would answer, on account of its great power in strengthening and invigorating the stomach and digestive organs, in the derangement of which, the cause of that disease is to be found. Rheumatism proceeds from a sluggish circulation in the extremities, consequent on a low vitality in the system, arising from a derangement of the digestive organs and viscera ”

“ We come to the conclusion, then, that rheumatism is not a mere inflammatory pain of the sheaths of the muscles, but has its origin in some digestive irritation—exhibited by a certain kind and amount of fibrous inflammation, and this may be caused by the circulation of this acid blood, in its passage through the minute cappillaries of the joints and tendons, since nothing but the white and thin blood can pass through the circulation of the tendons and ligaments. ”

“ But we have to explain the agency of another class of very different, and apparently opposite remedies. Alkalies are employed with benefit both in Rheumatism and in Gout; particularly in the former disease. Now I conceive these to act, in Rheumatism at least, simply on the Restorative principle; supposing lactic acid to exist in excess in Rheumatic blood. This by itself may have no more tendency to oxidize into carbonic acid, than so much vegetable acid would have. In ordinary cases a free vegetable acid passes out into the urine without undergoing any change in the system. ”

“ I have had several women with me this afternoon more or less disabled by chronic rheumatism. Certainly, either their labour or the exposure it entails must be very severe, for this climate is the last that ought to engender rheumatism. This evening I had a visit from a bright young woman, calling herself Minda, who came to beg for a little rice or sugar. I enquired from which of the settlements she had come down, and found that she has to walk three miles every day to and from her work. ”

“ It has already been mentioned that rheumatism of the bones and joints, and in fact of various parts of the body, is unfortunately but too frequently an accompaniment or a consequence of syphilitic disease: and an observer will discover that nodes rarely exist without rheumatic inflammation (of which by-the-by they are a species) being more or less present. ”

“ These have often, to my knowledge, cured very obstinate rheumatisms, and are always safe either in or out of the fit. When the rheumatism is complicated with scorbutic complaints, which is not seldom the case, the Harrowgate waters, and those of Moffat, are proper. They should both be drank and used as a warm bath.
There are several of our own domestic plants which may be used with advantage in the rheumatism. One of the best is the white mustard. A table-spoonful of the seed of this plant may be taken twice or thrice a-day, in a glass of water or small wine. ”

“ Where on the one hand however many joints, on the other the muscles of entire limbs, or even more, are involved, the advantages of a method by means of which we reach all the affected parts at once, thus effecting in, say ten minutes, that which where, for example, six joints are involved, would by the ordinary method require sixty minutes, are readily realized. There is, however, another reason why the baths are preferable in rheumatism to local applications. Rheumatism is a constitutional disease with local manifestations. ”

“ Chronic Rheumatism.—Unicorn root (aletois farinasa) , is good with prickly ash bark; add a small quantity bloodroot; it is necessary in some cases to add spirits, for flatulency, colic or hysterics. Take a teaspoonful in warm water.
Tincture of Soap Anodyne.—Take two ounces hard soap, shaved, one ounce opium, one ounce camphor, half ounce of rosemary, two pounds alcohol; let the soap and opium stand three days; shake often, then add the camphor and oil. This is good for sprains, and pains of all descriptions. ”

“ Cod-liver oil, iron, quinia, etc., the various forms of baths and mineral waters, electricity, and the several local measures recommended for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, are all occasionally very useful in, and constitute the appropriate treatment of, simple chronic articular rheumatism. ”

“ A third disease is called chronic rheumatism, which is distinguished from that first mentioned, as in this the pain only affects the patient during the motion of the part, and from the second kind of rheumatism above described, as it is not attended with quick pulse or inflammation. It is generally believed to succeed the acute rheumatism of the same part, and that some coagulable lymph, or cretaceous, or calculous material, has been left on the membrane; which gives pain, when the muscles move over it, as some extraneous body would do, which was too insoluble to be absorbed. ”

“ The attitude of the most careful and experienced physicians and broad-minded bacteriologists may be roughly summed up in the statement that acute rheumatism is probably due to some germ or germs, but that the question is still open which particular germ is at fault, and even whether the group of symptoms which we call rheumatism may not possibly be produced by a number of different organisms, acting upon a particular type of constitution or susceptibility. ”

“ Sudden changes of the weather, and all quick transitions from heat to cold, are very apt to occasion the rheumatism. The most extraordinary case of a rheumatism that I ever saw, where almost every joint of the body was distorted, was a man who used to work one part of the day by the fire, and the other part of it in the water. Very obstinate rheumatisms have likewise been brought on by persons not accustomed to it, allowing their feet to continue long wet. ”

“ Treat chronic rheumatism about three times a week.
DROPSY.
Use the A D current, moderate force. Give general tonic treatment; then place P. P. with the feet, in a vessel of warm water, or place the sponge-roll P. P. at the soles of the feet, and treat the affected parts a few minutes with N. P., to quicken the absorbents. If the disease be in the feet or lower limbs, use long cord with P. P. while treating them. ”

“ The large majority of our cases of rheumatism can give no clear or convincing history of exposure to wet, cold, or damp. But popular impression is seldom entirely mistaken, and there can be no question that, given the presence of the infectious germ, a prolonged exposure to cold, and particularly to wet, will often prove to be the last straw which will break down the patient's power of resistance, and determine an attack of rheumatism. ”

“ It is generally accompanied by an excess of uric acid in the blood, and a deposit of urate of soda about the affected joint. Gout is often the result of high living, and of too much animal food. It is frequently inherited.
5. Rheumatism affects mainly the connective, white, fibrous tissue of the larger joints. While gout is the punishment of the rich who live luxuriously, rheumatism afflicts alike the poor and the rich. There are two common forms of rheumatism—the inflammatory or acute, and the chronic. ”

“ The same broad principles of causation and prevention, therefore, apply here as in acute rheumatism.
The most important single fact for rheumatics of all sorts, whether acute or chronic, to remember is that they must avoid exposure to colds, in the sense of infections of all sorts, as they would a pestilence; that they must eat plenty of rich, sound, nourishing food; [Pg 327] live in well-ventilated rooms; take plenty of exercise in the open air, to burn up any waste poisons that may be accumulating in the tissues ”

“ That form of rheumatism known as visceral is as a general rule secondary in comparison with articular rheumatism. Several joints and tendon sheaths may be attacked at the same time. Under such circumstances rheumatism may be defined as a febrile disease, probably of an infectious nature, revealing itself by simple or multiple inflammation of joints and the tissues surrounding them, and capable of becoming complicated with inflammation of the pleura, pericardium, endocardium, meninges of the brain, etc. ”

“ How much the treatment of these so-called chronic rheumatisms depends on suggestion, in spite of the apparent improbability of anything so materially discomforting being under the influence of the mind, is best appreciated from a consideration of the many inert materials that have been used for the cure of rheumatism. There is, of course, no more virtue in red flannel than in any other colored flannel, but many people suffer from rheumatism or rheumatic discomfort whenever they do not wear red flannel and are sure that it means much for them. ”

“ There is seldom any inflammation or swelling in this case. Persons in the decline of life are most subject to the chronic rheumatism. In such patients it often proves extremely obstinate, and sometimes incurable.
In this kind of rheumatism the regimen should be nearly the same as in the acute. Cool and diluting diet, consisting chiefly of vegetable substances, as stewed prunes, coddled apples, currants or gooseberries boiled in milk, is most proper. ”

“ That true rheumatic processes may extend from serous or fibrous structures to contiguous muscular masses has, in the absence of demonstration, been assumed by many writers of authority, but that acute or subacute rheumatism, with its recognized characters, ever manifests itself primarily or exclusively as an inflammation of muscle-substance is an assumption wholly without clinical or pathological support. ”

“ There appears to be absolutely no rational foundation for the popular belief that red meats cause rheumatism, either from the point of view of practical experience, or from that of chemical composition. ”

“ I had the rheumatism, too, and had heard that this was good for it. Afterward, however, I was led to believe that the water treatment is not good for rheumatism. There were even little girls in that dreadful place. A man held one in his arms, just in front of me, for as much as an hour, with umbrella-drippings soaking into her clothing all the time. ”

“ Flour of sulphur dusted into the soles of the shoes and stockings is said to be a perfect preventive. The exciting causes of rheumatism are cold or wet applied to the body when in a state of heat, exposure to cold winds, remaining long in wet clothes, sleeping in a damp bed, or blood-poisoning. Acute attacks of rheumatism should be treated by painting the affected part with tincture of iodine.
Seasickness.—Experts claim that seasickness can be regulated by a system of breathing. One must sit still and time the breathing to the upward and downward motion of the boat. ”

“ Treatment of Chronic Rheumatism. The general alkaline baths recommended in the acute affection are also valuable in the chronic. The spirit vapor-bath, the Turkish, as well as the sulphur vapor-bath, are all worthy of a trial in this obstinate and painful disease. Alternatives are a very valuable [pg 429] class of agents in chronic rheumatism. The following mixture, in teaspoonful doses three times a day, in alternation with the Golden Medical Discovery, has proved very successful in this disease: acetate of potash, one ounce; fluid extract of black cohosh, one ounce ”

“ I took the trouble to analyze in more than a dozen cases the rheumatism that was supposed to exist in the preceding generation, and found that it consisted of everything from pains due to old injuries and especially dislocations or fractures, through the various deformities connected with flatfoot, up to and including the worst manifestations of arthritis deformans. The condition in the parents supposed to be hereditary is never genuinely rheumatic. ”