Fretfulness. Sometimes, owing to the discomfort experienced, there is likely to be a change of disposition, irritability of temper, fretfulness and peevishness; a tendency to an irascibility all out of proportion to the real provocation. In many cases there is dizziness, and frequently noises in the head, ringing in the ears, spots before the eyes, twitching of the muscles, eyelids or eye muscles, and at times dimness of vision, or sudden spells when the sight is not satisfactory. At times there is a feeling of discomfort, as if the quantity of good air were not sufficient to aerate the blood, and there is sighing or a desire to sit in an open window, or a strong desire to be fanned. The pulse and temperature are usually normal, or a little below, but may rise if any local irritation exists. At times the face is flushed and at others pale. The skin may be dry, or in other cases bathed in perspiration on slight exertion or mental worry. When there is weakness of the nervous system, the disease manifests itself through various organs. Hence, the palpitation of the heart, dyspepsia or acute attacks of indigestion, with colicky pains and heaviness after meals, with eructations or belchings of gas, or local discomfort and unnatural action affecting, at different times, almost every organ of the body. It is well known that insanity may result from the loss of sleep and constant brooding over the symptoms that the patient fails to properly understand.
TREATMENT.
In no class of diseases is greater care, scientific knowledge and skill more necessary than in the treatment of nervous affections. Almost every case is a law unto itself, and must receive careful consideration, pains-taking advice and specially prescribed treatment suited to the peculiarities of the individual. Hereditary influences, causes of the disease and constitutional peculiarities of the patient must all be taken into account.
VALUE OF EXPERIENCE.
Only through extensive experience can the medical practitioner become expert at detecting and successfully meeting, by rational scientific and carefully adapted treatment, the many phases and complications incident to the different forms and stages of this very prevalent malady.
For more than a quarter of a century, the Specialists of the Invalids Hotel and Surgical Institute having charge of this department of practice, have been actively engaged battling with diseases of the nervous system. As a result of this long time and vast experience, they have naturally developed and thoroughly tested many valuable remedial agencies for the relief and cure of this class of sufferers. Many of these can be successfully prescribed and used at the patients' homes without a personal consultation; while others can only be brought into use at our Institution.
TREATMENT AT HOME.
Many cases, especially when the exciting cause of the malady can be easily ascertained, as in spermatorrhea from self-abuse, or sexual excesses, or in women when arising from uterine affections, can be very successfully managed and cured at home. This is also true when the disease is due to the excessive use of tobacco, opium and other narcotics.
CONSULTATION BY LETTER.
The patient has thought over his symptoms hundreds of times. The location of every discomfort has been carefully noted. These matters are stated with accuracy, common sense and good judgment when writing to us. The people are far more intelligent in these matters than physicians are generally willing to admit. A patient is often confused while being personally examined by a physician and gives imperfect or incorrect answers. After he has left the presence of the physician, he finds that he has failed to enumerate many of the most important symptoms. In consulting by letter, the patient is not embarrassed, states the exact symptoms and carefully reads over the letter, to see if it is a complete and accurate description of his sufferings. In this way he often conveys a much better idea of the case than if present in person, and subject to the most thorough questioning and "cross-examination." The timid lady and nervous young man write just as they feel and one reason why we have had such success in treating intricate and delicate diseases, is because we have obtained such true and natural statements of the cases from these letters, many of which are perfect pen pictures of disease. As bank tellers and cashiers, who daily handle large quantities of currency, can unmistakably detect spurious money by a glance at the engraving or touch of the paper, so the experienced physician, by his great familiarity with disease, becomes equally skilled in detecting the nature and extent of a chronic malady, from a written description of its symptoms. To aid the patient in giving a clear and intelligible history of his case we send, when requested, a very complete question blank.