Papers on Health

by John Kirk

Here, again, is a knee which gives its owner excruciating pain, and shows only a little swelling and no sign of diseased matter whatever. The hot fomentation and cold towels have both been tried, but there are now and again symptoms that show us that the root of the evil has not been reached. We try cold cloths on this knee, but they greatly increase the pain. We at length suspect that it is not the knee that is seriously diseased, but the root of one or more of the nerves that supply the link from the lower part of the spine. By this time the pain has returned into the knee dreadfully, and everything has failed. But very soon after a large, thick towel, folded and wrung out of cold water, having plenty of mustard spread on it, is placed across the haunches, relief is given in the most charming fashion. The cold cloth absorbs superfluous heat, and superfluous vital action to a certain extent, but the mustard draws it out so much more speedily and powerfully that the deep-seated roots of the nerves are reached and cooled down to their normal action. The pain ceases, and the poor sufferer blesses the mustard. We are just describing what actually occurs.

Sometimes a prejudice arises against heat. If, for example, an inflamed knee has been strongly heated during the hot stage of the trouble, the pains and injury will have been greatly increased. But one way or other that hot stage of the trouble has been got over, and now without heat it is impossible to cure. The patient, however, and probably the nurse waiting upon him, are decided against all hot appliances. These do so much mischief that it is believed to be out of the question to try them again. It may be that the prejudice is so strong that you simply can do nothing; it may not be quite so invincible as that. If you are able to point out that it was only because the heat was applied at a wrong time, or in far too great strength, and that now, since the inflammatory power is spent, heat will be sure to have a good effect, if it is only carefully applied, the prejudice may be removed. We have seen a patient in this stage, and with both knees bad, wrapped in a large hot blanket fomentation from the ankles to above the knees; and he was constrained to exclaim, "That's the right thing, beyond all doubt." Then there is no more prejudice.

Sufferers should not be disappointed if for a week or two they are not sensibly better. In some cases the effect is apparent in four or five days, but generally a fortnight or three weeks pass without much encouragement. We see great despondency sometimes just before all pain disappears. Still, as a rule, the new health is seen in the cheek and eye very soon. Where a violent inflammation is obviously proceeding in the knee, the turnip poultice (see) is the best remedy. If there be great heat in all the body, there will be little or no need for heating any part; judgment must be used for each individual case in these matters. While resting as much as possible, the patient will find it best to lie on the back, with the sore knee supported a little higher than the body. A gently applied bandaging of the whole limb is also very beneficial, and may be used for all weak limbs, even when the patient is walking about.

In the treatment of stiffened knees, even where accidental bending of the joint gives very great pain, it is a grave mistake to put the knee in splints to prevent bending. What is wanted is to encourage bending as far as that can be done without much pain, so that the joint may not permanently stiffen. Even where, by the use of splints, permanent stiffness seems to have been brought on, the warm-water treatment recommended above will bring about a loosening and softening of the joint, which will permit first of a slight bending, and then, with gentle encouragement, a complete flexibility. The complete restoration of the limb should be the object kept in view. No case of a stiffened joint, although it may be free from pain and disease, can be regarded as satisfactory, and hence treatment should be persevered in until all stiffness is gone. Common sense will direct as to hot and cold applications, when to apply each, and how long to continue either; the patient's comfortable feeling being the very best guide. We are glad to know of very many apparently hopeless limbs saved by our treatment, even where it has been imperfectly carried out.

Lacing, Tight.—This produces such serious deformity, and in many ways so interferes with the health of women, that we are constrained to write upon the subject. We find in cases which come before us that lacing, both of the feet and the waist, as practised by our women, has caused disease, and prevents our curing it. To begin with the lacing of boots. There is a certain form and size of foot which are supposed to be graceful. To obtain this, boots unsuitable in shape, and far too small in size, are used, and tightly laced down upon the foot and ankle, preventing circulation of the blood in these important parts. This causes corns and misshapen toes and nails; but its bad effects are also felt throughout all the body. We have pointed out in other articles the great curative power of bathing or fomenting the feet. The tight lacing of boots produces exactly the opposite effect. It is as powerful to injure as the other to cure. Cold feet are the cause of many most serious troubles. To keep tight-booted feet warm is almost impossible. True neatness abhors all such mistaken treatment of the feet. Moreover, no supposed good shape, in body or feet, can ever produce the impression of beauty which good health never fails to give, so that the tightly-booted high-heeled girl or woman defeats her own object.

A yet more serious evil is the wearing of corsets. From this comes very much of the ill-health from which women suffer. The stomach, liver, and other organs are forced downward, their proper blood supply is cut off, and indigestion, constipation, headache and backache are the inevitable consequence. The pressure of these organs causes falling of the womb and the terrible troubles which employ two-thirds of the fashionable surgeons. These have not failed to denounce the folly which brings so many patients to them.

Dr. Herbert Snow, the great authority on cancer, and physician to the London Cancer Hospital, attributes almost wholly to the use of corsets the fact that for one man who dies of cancer two women die of it. The compression of the womb makes it specially liable to be attacked, while the rubbing of the hard edge of the corset on the breast sets up cancer there.

Besides its evil effects on the abdominal organs, the lungs also suffer, the ribs are prevented from expanding and so the wearer can never breathe as deeply as is necessary. The muscles of the abdomen and trunk are greatly weakened; indeed to this is due the fact that a woman who is accustomed to corsets has great difficulty in giving them up. She feels as if she would "come to pieces" if not supported by them.

The exercises given in the appendix will help to restore tone to these muscles, and with perseverance in these, vigor and health will return, and the deformities such as flat or hollow chest, drooping shoulders, and protuberant abdomen, caused by muscular weakness, will disappear.