Papers on Health

by John Kirk

Throat, Sore (Clergyman's).—Those who are in the habit of using their voice much should be very careful to produce it in the proper way. It is noticeable that actors (who learn to produce their voice properly) do not suffer from what is known as clergyman's sore throat.

The voice in speaking should be pitched, as a rule, considerably lower than is usually done, especially if speaking in public. Any tightening of the throat muscles should be avoided, and the voice sent out from a full chest well expanded.

Those who are musical should take a note on the piano enunciating the vowels in their natural order (ā, ay, ee, o, oo) on this note. Then proceed to the next note; the whole of the octave may thus be gone over. Choose an octave most consonant with the range of the voice.

Then add the consonants: bā , bay, bee, cā , cay, etc., etc. Thus a perfect command over all the possible combinations of vowels and consonants may be attained.

There is absolutely no reason why any musical person should have an unmusical voice, especially since this bad production of the voice often strains the muscles and inflames the mucous membrane of the throat. In connection with this question of music, it should be remembered that almost irretrievable injury to the voice may be done by allowing a boy to continue singing after his voice has begun to "break."

It is not a good plan to be constantly "clearing" the throat whilst speaking. One gets to imagine after a while that it needs clearing when it really does not.

Alcohol and tobacco are both undoubtedly injurious to the voice. A little honey and lemon juice will be found the best gargle if a gargle is required.

Deep breathing is of great assistance in endeavouring to produce the lower note, in fact it is not possible to produce a full note except from a full chest. In this connection it may be said that it has been observed that deep-chested, deep-breathing, slow-speaking people are frequently possessed of certain estimable points of character, such as prudence, firmness, self-reliance, calmness. If one is going to be angry, ten deep breaths might save a world of trouble. (See Breathing, Correct method of).

Thumb, Bruised and Broken.—Frequently a tradesman will strike the thumb or finger a serious blow with a hammer, in missing a stroke. If not treated properly, the whole hand may be destroyed, but if promptly plunged into warm clean water and kept there, even the broken bones can be handled quite comfortably, and all pain and uneasiness pass away ere very long. Plenty of bathing in clean warm water, and proper setting and dressing, are all such an injury requires.

Toothache.—This trouble appears in two opposite characters. In the one it is cured by rightly applied heat, and in the other by cold. If it is merely the soft substance in the tooth which is affected, local cooling applications will cure, if persisted in. If it be the nerve terminating in the tooth which is irritated, then even the extraction of the tooth may fail to give relief. Both cold and hot applications to the tooth or cheek will then probably prove useless.