It should be remembered that no amount of washing or bathing will do in this state of the skin. Water somehow, especially hard water, fails to produce this fine state of the surface. When spring trouble has set in, we would keep water entirely from the skin. Nothing does so well as good buttermilk. In some forms of spring eruption, a strong mixture of salt and water may be freely applied with great advantage. If this irritates, it should at once be discontinued, but in many cases the eruption will disappear under a few applications. The salt solution should be gently rubbed on, and left to dry on the skin (see Skin, Care of; Underwear).
With the increasing warm weather the body ceases to require as much food as in the cold days. Heavy stimulating food in warm weather will certainly cause an unhealthy skin.
Squeezing.—See Rubbing.
Stammering.—This trouble is simply a loss of command of the vocal organs, and is distinctly nervous in its cause. Especially must we look to the roots of the nerves controlling the vocal organs, if we are to see the real difficulty. There is evidently a state of irritability and undue sensitiveness in these nerves which must be soothed down, if a cure is to be obtained. The roots of such nerves lie in the back of the head and neck, and they are best soothed by application of soap lather (see Lather; Soap). This must be well wrought, and applied warm to the back of the head and neck in three or four coats. Then mix some hot olive oil (see) with the lather, and apply with the brush gently to the parts. Altogether, in applying the various latherings, and the final oil-and-lathering, an hour should be spent, so as to continue the soothing effect during that time. The head may be soaped one night (see Head, Soaping the), and this treatment given the alternate night. Where the case is of long standing, it may take long to cure it, or a cure may be impossible, but some mitigation will result from this treatment. The Sabbath should in all cases be a day of rest from treatment, and generally common sense will indicate that it be not continued too long. The patient may do a great deal for himself by the strictest watch on his enunciation, speaking slowly and deliberately, and breathing deeply. This will be difficult to maintain at first, but practice will make the habit unconscious. An instrument called a metronome may be had from a music shop (used for keeping time in practising), if a book be read aloud by the stammerer, pronouncing one syllable only to each beat, he will soon gain complete control of his voice.
Stiffness, General.—This is often an adjunct of old age, and sometimes occurs in the young and middle-aged as the result of chills. In neither case is it incurable, but for a cure rest is a first necessity. If there be standing and working for twelve or fourteen hours a day, we should not expect a cure at all. Rest must be had, at least twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and it is well if sixteen or even eighteen hours' rest can be taken (see Rest). Then there must be heating the spine with moist heat (see Fomentation). This is done to revive the organs which supply oil to the joints, by giving fresh vitality to the roots of the nerves which control these organs. But the heating requisite to do this must be gently and persistently applied. An hour's gradual heating is worth far more than half-an-hour's half-burning. Then, after the spine fomentation, which must be applied in bed, rub (see Massage) the back with hot olive oil for a considerable time—say half-an-hour, if the patient can bear it (see Exercise). Then the joints may be similarly fomented and rubbed at another time, back and joints being treated, say, every other day. If there be costiveness, treat as in Constipation, and give easily digested food (see Assimilation; Digestion; Nourishment). Such treatment daily should remove stiffness, even in very bad cases.
Stimulants.—See Alcohol; Narcotics.
Stomach Trouble.—If you would cure thoroughly, you must first make sure that the skin is doing its part well. Very often indigestion arises from irritation of the stomach, caused by the impurities in the blood which arise from defective skin action.
With strong people, exercise causing perspiration will often suffice to cure, in other cases where exercise cannot be had the Soapy Blanket (see) is effective. After the blanket, give a warm, gentle rubbing with hot vinegar or diluted acetic acid; and, finally, a similar rubbing with warm olive oil. This rubbing may be given by itself, where the patient is too weak to endure the blanket, or where the lather cannot be well applied. Even the rubbing with oil alone will do much to cure.
The problem in this case is to remove from the blood the irritating waste which is inflaming the stomach, and this is better done by cleansing and stimulating the skin than by means of drastic drugs. A lazy man will swallow a peck of pills rather than go through an ordeal of cleansing like this, but in that case he need not be surprised if his poor stomach become only poorer still, while his purse will not get any heavier. Besides this cleansing, take sips of hot water as recommended under Indigestion. A very plain and sparing diet should be taken, and great attention given to chewing all food till reduced to a liquid. For it must be remembered that the majority of stomach troubles have their origin in abuse of this organ, through overloading with food, or other dietetic errors. See Diet; Assimilation; Biscuits and Water; Constipation; Cramp in Stomach; Diarrhœa; Digestion; Flatulence; Indigestion; Weariness.
Stomach Ulcers.—Generally the tongue will tell whether the stomach is ulcerated or not. If the tongue is fiery-looking, and small ulcers show themselves on it, while food produces pain in the stomach, there is little doubt of the presence of ulcers there. The tongue may at once, in such a case, be brushed with weak acid (see Acetic Acid) or vinegar, so as to cleanse the surface and produce a gentle smarting. This brushing will quickly produce a healing change in the tongue, which guides us to the cure of the stomach. This will be attained by swallowing teaspoonfuls of the same weak acid. Two or three of these should be taken at intervals half-an-hour before food. If the case is severe, the skin over the stomach must be carefully soaped, as directed in article on head soaping (see also Lather; Soap). The four-ply flannel bandage (see) should also be worn. Do not use drugs, such as iron, arsenic, or soda, and avoid all narcotics. Persevere with the weak acid, and a cure will come unless in very obstinate cases indeed. Care must be taken to avoid irritating food. Milk, or milk and boiling water is the best diet. A general symptom is severe pain after eating, relieved by vomiting.