Papers on Health

by John Kirk

Some form of head eruption often comes on after a long time of heated head. A little sour buttermilk, vinegar, or weak acetic acid, not stronger than to cause a slight smarting tried in the nurse's nostrils, will relieve almost instantly the itching which accompanies this. If strong acid be used, matters are made worse, and great pain caused. The acid, weak as we have described, at once neutralises the irritating substance exuded from the eruption. It also prepares the way for a cure. If astringent lotions are employed, drying the sore, and driving it in on the brain, serious injury may be caused. But if healing takes place under soaking with weak acid, no such result need be feared, for this simply removes the unhealthy state of the part. Water, especially hard water, must be absolutely kept away from such a head. No more must be used than is necessary to dilute the acid; and, if it can be got, the acid of buttermilk is decidedly preferable. The whole body, when feverish, may be cooled in a tepid bath, several times a day if necessary, having the water just at blood heat.

Besides these outside effects, teething often causes brain disorders. (See various articles on Children.) The infant should be watched carefully, and if the eye be dull, and the head heavy with feverish symptoms, the head should be cooled at once as above directed, and if the feverish symptoms are not marked, and the feet cold, the feet, legs, and lower body should be wrapped in a good warm fomentation. Where the trouble has gone so far that insensibility comes on, the treatment is the same, only the cloths had better be wrung out of iced water if available. It is important to not only lay the cloths on the head, but to press them. Take the little head in your two hands, and so bring the cool cloth close to every part of it, while you lift up a prayer for help from the Great Healer. Keep at this till your feeling tells you it is time to change the cloth. Take off the hot one and put on the cool one. Go on with the gentle pressure again. It does require work, but it is well worth work to save a precious life. You must so work that you will cause the least disturbance possible to the little sufferer. It may be you may require to keep this up for many hours, but you will probably find that some signs of sense appear ere you have gone on very long, and you may see that natural sleep has succeeded the drowse that lay in the worn-out brain. If so, you will allow the head to lie still in the cold cloth, and change only when it gets very warm. If natural heat has been fully restored to the legs and feet, you will let these rest also.

We know of a case where the brain seemed gone, and the medical man abandoned hope; but the head was cooled with ice cloths, while the feet and legs were kept in a hot fomentation, for a whole night, and all danger was passed by the morning. So that, even in very bad cases, this should be perseveringly tried.

For diet, in teething, the child must get easily digested food, and all "rich" foods—brandy, beef-tea, etc.—must be avoided.

Involuntary starting, and the manifestation of great fear on waking out of sleep, frequently arise from irritation of the spine during teething. The cold compress applied along the spine when the child is warm in bed will relieve this. It may be applied (see Towels, Cold) twice or thrice a day. If the feet are cold, these may be fomented at the same time. If the head is cold, it may be fomented also. If it is hot, cool it. This treatment relieves the irritation of the mouth, as well as removes the starting. If both head and feet are hot, then you need only cool the spine.

In all cases, common sense must be used, but we think we have given sufficient indication of principles to enable a thoughtful nurse or mother to treat successfully almost any case. Where very cold cloths on application cause shivering and crying, either use tepid cloths, slightly cooler than the skin, or warm the surface of the cold folded cloth by holding for a short time to a fire, and then apply to the patient. The warm surface thus first touches the skin, and afterwards the cold in the body of the cloth penetrates gradually.

Temperature (see Heat, Internal).

Tempering Treatment.—Much, if not all, of the success in any case of treatment depends on its being properly tempered to the strength of the patient. In putting on lather (see), for instance, a delicate and nervous child will be greatly annoyed if soaped all over at once. But if one arm be done and finished, then the other, then the breast, and so on to the abdomen, the back, and the legs, bit by bit, the effect will be soothing in the extreme. So with massage (see); so also with applying a cold towel. If it chills and terrifies the patient when suddenly "clapped on," common sense would suggest holding it to the fire till the surface is warm. This warm surface will give no shock when applied to the skin, and the cold in the body of the towel will gradually penetrate and do its work. Also, as we have frequently repeated, the strength of acetic acid (see) must be carefully looked to, when it is used. It must ever be remembered that some of the finest and noblest spirits are inhabitants of frail bodies, which, with right treatment, are strong enough, but suffer terribly in rough hands.

Thirst.—This forms a severe feature in many cases of illness, and has to be treated variously according to its kind. It may be due first to dryness in the membranes of the throat and stomach; secondly it may be due to a concentrated or deranged state of the juices of the body; thirdly, it may be the result of a burning heat in the body. It will not be difficult for a careful person to say in any case which of them is the cause. The nature of the disease will indicate it. A little cold water may be given first. If this fails, a cold cloth over the stomach (see Changing Treatment) may be tried. If these are not successful, a few tablespoonfuls of hot water may be given. The first of these meets the simple dryness, the second cures the burning heat, the third meets the case of concentrated and deranged juices in the body. A few drops of vinegar, lemon juice, or other fruit acid (see Drinks), will often greatly assist the hot water in its duty. All alcoholic drinks are worse than useless in real thirst. Any power they possess is either due to the effect they have on the artificial thirst they create or to the water they contain. And the danger of rousing or creating the dreadful desire of the drunkard is so great, that they ought never to be given to relieve a patient's thirst.

If the cold water is known, from any cause, to be dangerous to the patient, then hot water will do equally well. If the thirst arises from some drug which has been taken, then hot water should always be given.