Papers on Health

by John Kirk

Muscular Pains.—These pains occur usually when a patient has been for some time in one position, sitting or lying, and rises suddenly in a particular way. They sometimes take such hold of the breast or back muscles as to make it appear as if some serious disease were present; even in the limbs they may cause great distress on any sudden motion. They may arise from a gradual overdoing of the muscles concerned. They are similar to what is commonly called a sprain, but as they are gradually produced their cause is often overlooked, and needless distress of mind caused by taking the pain for that of cancer or some such trouble. We write to point out that pains do not always mean serious disease, and before any one becomes despairing about their health, they should make sure they understand their case thoroughly.

These pains, too, refuse to yield to ordinary hot and cold methods of treatment. The remedy is found internally in half a teaspoonful of tincture of Guaiacum in a teacupful of hot water three times a day. After two or three days, a teaspoonful of the tincture may be taken in the cup of water. Continue until two ounces of tincture have been used. Or the tabloids of Guaiacum and sulphur, now found in our drug shops, may be taken, one tabloid representing the half-teaspoonful of tincture.

Externally, rub gently yet firmly the affected muscles with warm oil for ten minutes or so once a day for a week or ten days. Of course, rest must be taken, and the overstress which caused the trouble avoided in future.

Mustard Oil.—Where this is recommended the cold-drawn oil is meant, not the essential oil. The latter is a fiery blister.

Narcotics.—The use of these to give temporary relief, often degenerating into a habit, causes so much serious disease that we have felt constrained to insert an article warning our readers in regard to it. The use of tobacco we have found a fruitful source of dangerous illness. It tends to destroy nerve power, and through this to relax the muscular system. It has a most dangerous effect upon the mind, relaxing the brain, and even causing some of its functions to cease. It hinders clear reasoning, and in many cases brings on incipient paralysis. It is a fruitful source of cancerous diseases of the mouth. It destroys keenness of vision. It is of no use to quote exceptional cases in such an argument. Great men have smoked, as some great men have habitually drunk, to excess. But that is no argument for the average man of whom we speak. The very difficulty he has in giving up the use of tobacco indicates a diseased state of the nerves, which no wise man will willingly bring on himself.

The effect of the continued use of opium, chloral, and many drugs taken to gain soothing or sleep is dreadful: so much so that we have seen patients who were deprived of them, after some time of continuous use, perfectly mad with agony. Let our readers remember that the relief given in using such drugs comes from a benumbing of the vital nerves. Their influence is deadening, and, if strong enough, kills as surely as a bullet. The wise medical man will, if he does administer such drugs, take care they are only taken once or twice. If a doctor orders their continual use he is to be distrusted. By all means let our readers avoid the terrible snare of ease and sleep obtained through narcotics. It is generally easy to give relief, in the various ways described in these papers, without resort to any such hurtful methods.

Suppose that you try a very hot application to the roots of the nerves affected, if you can guess about where those roots are. The doctor should help you to know this. The hot poultice is put on—we shall say it fails to relieve. Well, you put on a cold application at the same place. That relieves slightly. Whichever of the applications relieves should be followed up vigorously. Do not say, "Oh, it gives relief for a little, and then the pain returns." Follow up the little relief, and change from heat to cold as the pain or relief indicates. You can do no possible harm by such processes, and in multitudes of cases all will soon be right, and no opiate required at all. But you must not think all remedies at an end when you have tried one or two singly, and relief does not yet come. The large hot poultice may be put on the roots of the affected nerves, and ice-cold cloths placed on the branches of these nerves at the same time. Then the cold ice cloths may be placed on the roots and the hot on the branches. But remedies are not exhausted, by any means, when you have thought of two or three applications of heat and cold. The whole nerve system can be influenced by the rubbing of the head and spinal region, so as to wake up a strong increase of vital action in the nerve centres there. We have seen a patient who had been for months under medical treatment, and in agony except when deadened with narcotics, rendered independent of all such things by a little skilful rubbing alone. Perhaps you object that these remedies are "very simple." Well, that would be no great harm; but if they are so simple, you are surely a simpleton if you let your poor nerves be killed with morphia, while such obvious remedies are at hand. (See Massage.)

Neck, Stiff.—For this, rub the whole back with soap lather (see Lather; Soap), and then with acetic acid and olive oil. Rub the neck itself as recommended for Muscular Action.

Neck, Twisted.—This arises from the undue contraction of some of the muscles in the neck. It generally shows itself first in the evening, after the day's fatigue, and if neglected, or treated with blistering, iodine, etc., may become a chronic affliction. Yet it is not difficult to cure by right means. Opium should never be used. We have seen terrible suffering follow its use. The true cause must be attacked, which is an undue irritation of the nerve which controls one of the muscles, so that it contracts and pulls the head away. The nerves of the muscles which counteract this pull are also probably low in vitality, so that there is a slackening on one side and a pull on the other.

First of all, for a cure, there must be rest. Not more than three hours at a time should be spent in an erect posture, and between each spell of three hours let one hour be spent lying down. Avoid all movement while lying, as far as possible. Secondly, soap the back thoroughly with lather (see) at bedtime. Cover the well-lathered skin with a large, soft cloth, leaving the cloth and lather on all night, and covering over all with flannel in sufficient quantity to keep the patient warm. If the spasmodic twitching comes on, apply cold cloths repeatedly to the back of the neck for an hour in the morning. If this is felt too cold, apply for a shorter time.