Making one meal of raw grains often proves invaluable in constipation. Many persons are adopting for diet, what they call Edenic food. They live entirely upon uncooked food, claiming that it gives natural nutriment, and overcomes morbific conditions. For many years I have occasionally recommended the use of raw grains, rolled oats or wheat, for constipation, nervousness, sleeplessness, etc. It serves its purpose best by being eaten dry, but may be taken with honey, fruit juice or milk.
Going entirely without supper, or adopting the two meal system has proved beneficial in obstinate cases where all other means have failed. The frequency and time of eating is a great matter of habit. By constant feeding, one gets himself to crave food five or six times a day, while the system can be satisfactorily nourished upon one meal a day. Brain workers especially, will find great advantage in taxing the alimentary processes less frequently. On deciding to do without supper, at the usual meal time a craving for food can be satisfied by taking a cup of hot water, hot lemonade, or some fruit juice.
Finally, let me urge thoroughness and persistence in the means laid down to overcome torpidity of the bowels. Do not expect a miracle, but know that by giving proper conditions, normal action will surely be restored, consequently great advantages gained in every direction. Once the functions of the bowels become perfectly normal, all complaints of the system have a fair chance to cure themselves.
CHAPTER VI.
DISEASES OF PREGNANCY.
Headache—Neuralgia—Heartburn, etc.
Headache in pregnancy is caused either by uterine irritation, by derangement in digestion, or by both combined.
If caused by uterine irritation, there will be burning pain in the top of the head or at the base of the brain, accompanied by great soreness, which the patient describes as a sore pain. This pain, too, is constant, and likely to affect both vision and memory. It usually increases toward evening, and is relieved by lying down.
For this, take warm sitz baths daily, apply hot fomentations to back of the head, and keep in a reclining position as much as possible. (See Chap. XXI.)
Sick headache is a severe pain in the forehead and through the temples, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, often, too, by coldness of the extremities and great prostration. The attacks are irregular in frequency and duration. The causes are indigestion, biliousness, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, etc.
One under ordinary circumstances ought to be ashamed to have sick headache. A little common sense in the methods of living will do away with the causes.