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MEDICAL.
Emily Dalton.—We thank you for your letter, but we must remind you that the preparation that cured you is by no means likely to be of equal value to others. If the remedy that you used is one that is not commonly employed for that purpose, we may be almost certain that it would be totally useless in another case. Most unexpected things do happen in medicine, and it requires a long time to decide whether a drug has any good effect, even though it may have apparently cured one or two persons. You are hardly likely to have discovered any new drug, and most of the medicines used in England, whether in the pharmacopœia or not, have been exhaustively studied. Those drugs which are not official are not given a place in the pharmacopœia, either because they are of insufficient value or because they have not yet been sufficiently studied. The reason why patent medicines and advertised nostrums are not given a place in our official list of drugs is either, as is most commonly the case, they are useless or inferior to preparations already in the pharmacopœia, or because they are simply time-honoured prescriptions which have been stolen and patented for running a company with, and charging thirteenpence halfpenny for what can be got for a penny! You must also remember that using drugs, with the action of which you are not familiar, is indeed dealing with edged tools, which may do great good if properly handled, but which can work disaster if wrongly applied.
"Not Bad."—You are suffering from the nervous and physical depression which is a constant symptom of anæmia. That you are anæmic is perfectly obvious from your account. If you pay attention to what we are going to tell you, we feel certain that you will soon get better. First read the three articles on diet and digestion which appeared in the Girl's Own Paper in February 1897, December 1897, and September 1898. Then turn to page 384 of last year's volume and read the answer which describes the treatment of anæmia. When you have read those papers, then read what follows here. Give up the cold bath in the morning and do not return to it till you are completely well again. In its place you may take a warm bath before going to bed. Pay great attention to your digestion by observing all the rules laid down in the articles above mentioned. Take a walk regularly every day. As regards drugs, you must guard carefully against constipation, which is the chief cause of anæmia. A teaspoonful of liquorice powder, or an aloes and nux vomica pill, may be taken occasionally for this purpose. Tonics are the greatest bane of modern medicine, and you will do well to fight shy of them altogether. Iron, taken as a blood-former, but not as a tonic, is invaluable for anæmia. You should begin with a small dose of a mild preparation. A five-grain "Bland's" pill taken three times a day after meals is a good way of taking iron. It is the rule for persons with anæmia to get stout and not to become thin, as one would, a priori, have expected.
"Jessie."—Your deafness is, almost for certain, due to wax. That you are very subject to sore throats, and that you usually breathe through your mouth, are perhaps against this opinion, but everything else is in favour of it. Syringe out your ears, or get some careful friend to do it for you. Before syringing out your ears read the article "All about the ear" which appeared in this magazine October 1897. If the syringing is properly done you will recover your hearing immediately. It may take an hour to efficiently syringe out an ear.
"Minnie Steward."—Your deafness is unquestionably due to wax. Read what we said to "Jessie."