Woman's work. (Athens, Georgia) 1887-1???, May 01, 1888, Image 12

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WEARY. Weary of living, so weary, Longing to lie down and die. To find for the sad heart and dreary The end of the pilgrimage nigh. Weary, so weary of wishing, For a form that is never in sight, For a voice that is far from me ever, For eyes that I know are so bright. Weary, so weary of waiting, Waiting for sympathy sweet, For some one to love, and to love me, And pleasures that are not so fleet. For a hand to be held on my forehead, A glimpse of the golden brown hair, For a step that to me is sweet music, And a brow that is noble and fair. Tired, so tired of drifting, Adown the dark stream of life, Tired of breasting the billow, The billows of toil and strife. Wishing and waiting so sadly For love that is sweetest and best, Willing to die, oh! so gladly, If that would bring peace and rest. —Virginia Gabriel. lams STAINBACK WILSON, M. D., ATLANTA, GA. Note.—Questions pertaining to health and disease will be answered in this paper, when it can be done with pro priety. When, from the nature of the case, or other reasons, a private answer is desired, a full description should be sent. Address as above, writing my name in full, and enclose stamp. AIRING BEDS. It is a false idea ot neatness which de mands that beds should be made up soon in the morning after being vacated. Let it be remembered that more than three fifths of the solids and liquids taken into the stomach should pass off through the pores of the skin—some seven millions in number—and that this escape of poisonous superfluous matters is very rapid at night while one is warm in bed. Nature never provides anything the great number because t of work to perform; for it is estimated that at least one-half of the waste and putrid matter, amounting to some twenty or thirty ounces in twenty-four hours, passes off through the skin; and as we have seen, much of it during the night. Therefore, the body clothing and the bed clothing being largely impregnated with these matters, the night clothing should be left off in the morning, and the bed clothing either changed, or well aired by turning the cover back for some time before having the bed “made up.” The secret of health consists much more in attention to such apparently little things than in swallowing drugs on all occasions. By the way, some of my readers may think that I do not prescribe drugs enough. To such I will say that I will prescribe nothing that cannot be used with perfect safety in domestic practice, and that my principal design is to teach the better way of obtaining and retaining health by obe dience to the laws of health. MORE ABOUT BURNS. If the principle of treating burns is kept in mind, it will not be very difficult to find the proper remedies. This principle is the exclusion of the air, which acts as an irri tant to the tender and inflamed surface burned. The skin or cuticle should be preserved if possible, as there can be no better protection than this covering pro vided by nature. If raised in a blister, the blister should be punctured with a nee dle, to let out the water beneath the cuti cle, and great care should be taken in re moving the clothing, to disturb any re maining skin as little as possible. All irri tating applications should be rejected, and nothing used except mild, unstimulating and protective coverings to exclude the air. Besides the remedies before mention ed—of which cold water is the best in all superficial, and not very extensive burns— dry flour sprinkled thickly over the part is a good application; and the same may be said of the white of eggs spread over the part. The objection to these is that they may become hard and difficult of removal. But the hardness can be prevented by keeping the parts moistened with water; and as to the removal, there should be nothing of the kind. When a suitable ap plication for soothing the burn and exclud ing the air is found it should not be dis turbed or removed until the healing pro cess has proceeded to the formation of a new skin beneath the dressing. The best remedy I have ever used for burns of all degrees is equal parts of lime water and linseed oil mixed together, and kept constantly applied by saturating soft cloths with the mixture. The remedy pre scribed as an addition to my treatment by Sylvia Silverthorne, is good in itself, founded on the correct principle, and characteristic of that good sense which is seen in her whole article, letter, or whatever you please to call it, in the last number of Woman’s Work. Her advice to Monnie Moore to practice the “ mind cure,” and forget hei nerves, is a gem of good common sense, which puts many a medical prescription of drugs to shame. Well may she have the “audaci ty ” to assume the “ prerogatives of a phy sician ” when she gives such advice as this. ICE-COLD DRINKS. Death lurks in the water-cooler. In other words, ice-water is hurtful. The normal temperature of the blood is from 98 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is raised still higher than this by the heats of summer, it requires no extended medical knowledge to believe that the sudden pour ing into the stomach of a fluid seventy de grees colder must be detrimental in the highest degree. At meals it is specially mischievous. Digestion is combustion. Pouring ice-water into the stomach as this important process begins is equivalent to quenching a necessary fire. It takes some time for the outraged organ to recover, and, when it does, dyspepsia comes as an avenger. If ice-water drinkers at meals complain of their stomachs, possibly they may now know the reason why. We have no doubt that, more than the heated at mosphere, quite a number of cases of sud den death may be justly attributed to reck less drinking of cold drinks, especially those of an intoxicating character. The blood driven from the stomach rushes to other parts where it is not needed, and hence congestion of the brain. Many physicians trace to this source nervous dis orders that make men and women hateful to themselves and to everybody else. It is hard, indeed, at any time, to refrain from drinking ice-water, ice-tea, ice-milk and the refreshing julep; but disease and death lurk in them, and we have little doubt that to such indulgence, more than to all other probable causes, we must ascribe the death roll’s recent increase. SELECT FORMULAS FOR IN GROWING TOE-NAILS. Cut a notch about the shape of a V in the end of the nail, about one-quarter of the width of the nail distant from the in growing side. Cut down as nearly to the quick as possible, and one-third the length of the nail. The pressure of the boot or shoe will tend to close the opening you have made in the nail, and thus affords re lief. Allow the ingrowing portion of the nail to grow without cutting it until it gets beyond the flesh. To keep the flesh from the nail will effect a cure. A strip of lint covered with | simple cerate may be carefully inserted 1 between the nail and flesh. But prompt recovery will most generally attend the use of collodion, painted over the sore part with a camel’s hair brush. Make a bridge of muslin from the great toe to the third, and allow the middle toe to rest on the bridge; this effectually re moves the pressure from the great toe, and the parts eventually get well. Do not remove any portion of the nail; let the patient wear a roomy shoe: once or twice a week sc,rape the entire surface of the nail lightly, pack a bit of cork or pledget of lint, by means of a fine knife blade, under the corner of the nail, and let the entire nail, corners included, grow out clear of the toe, when it may be trim med by cutting it off square. With a little patience and perseverance a radical cure may be expected. After trimming the nail so as not to wear the stocking, scrape a narrow strip on the top of the nail from the skin front edge, as thin as possible; then cut out a V shaped piece in the center of the edge, with the point of the V running in the thin scraped place just far enough not to draw blood. This, repeated once a week, has proved a permanent cure in every ease tried, and has the advantage of being done by the patient at home.— Louis Electric Medical Journal. In connection with this mechanical or surgical treatment, the occasional applica tion of a few drops of strong carbolic acid to the inflamed flesh on the side of the nail will aid in the cure. ANSWERS TO CORRESPOND ENTS. An Inquirer, Athens, Ga.:— The descrip tion of his case is too long, and not of suf ficient general interest to justify giving the symptoms in detail. In brief, the case is as follows: Malarial fever, followed by ringing and other abnormal noises in the ears, aggravated by taking cold, derange ment of the liver, etc. This is attended with fullness in the head, some pain and confusion of ideas; has taken but little quinine, uses no stimulants except tobacco, which he chews; general health good; has been examined by physicians and drum of ears “seem perfect; ” no symptoms of ca tarrh. It is difficult to decide what is the cause of these symptoms. I can only suggest some of the probable causes. The use of to bacco may have something to do with his annoying trouble. If so, the remedy is obvious, and very inexpensive. Quit the tobacco. Again, the symptoms may arise from an undue determination of blood to the brain. If so,' the best remedy is to keep the bowels open and live on an almost exclusive vege table diet, with moderately active outdoor exercise. Finally, though the drum of the ears “seems perfect,” and may be so, there may be an accumulation of hardened wax in the auditory canal which causes the trouble. If this be so, the ear should be washed out by injecting warm Water gently, and then a pledget of cotton, moistened with glyce rine should be loosely placed in the ear, and kept there for days. If the symptoms arise from obstruction of the eustachian tube, or some other derangement affecting the middle ear, the services of a skillful aurist will be necessary. My answers are rather indefinite, but I trust that the sug gestions, except the last, will be acted on, and that “Inquirer” will report the result to me. My opinion is that the most prob able cause is the second one mentioned— undue determination of blood to the brain. A rather light vegetable diet, out-door ex ercise, and open bowels will be likely to prove efficacious, and especially if the use of tobacco is discontinued. J. H., Macon, Ga.:— Piles can be greatly relieved, and, in some cases, cured by a course of home treatment, but the only sure radical cure is a surgical operation, with out cutting or ligature, and a great im provement on these, being attended with little pain. Mrs. F. G., Augasta, Ga.:— Questions pertaining to the special diseases of women must bo answered privately. Home treat ment very successfulinmanyofthe.se cases. Circular sent on application. He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper; but lie is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstances. PAUSE AND CONSIDER. A few questions occur to us. You will say the answers are so obvious that their presentation is idle. This may be true in the main, but what if they are suggestive? So simple a querry as “How are you to day?” implies the possibility of illness, does it not? And ‘‘Where now do you reside?” suggests the rover. However, you may judge for yourselves. In the first place,of what avail is steam, ifnot condensed to the limits of usefulness, tortured, exas perated by the fire until its spasms of es" cape seek the vent provi led, and the pis ton gives way, the fly-wheel revolves? Os what practical use that vagrant of caprice and violence, lightning, unless lured by the conductor, compelled over the wire, and released by the telegraph ? The inference in either case is obvious and if we mistake not we have led natur ally to Oxygen, as revitalized by Drs. Starkey & Palen, for the purposes of cura tive inhalation. In the first place an in vigorating excess is created, to which is given the vitality of magnetization. Thus it is neutralized as a mere stimulant and intensified as an invigorator. In this way the kindly breath of nature is enriched with an abundance of health-restoring ail ment. Admitting, then, that Oxygen, a restorative in itself to a certain degree, is reinforced by a positive, natural ally, is it not obvious that if it comes in contact with the proper surfaces, the result will be cura tive, strengthening, invigorating? It is natural; it is scientific; it is pract cal. All the essentials of success you wiU observe. We subjoin a few hearty testi monials : Here is one that chronicles the defeat of that terrible scourge, pneumonia : “ Passaic, N. J., Feb. 1, 1888. “On February 12th, 1887, I was taken ill with congestion of the lungs and pneu monia, which caused several severe hemor rhages. I was given up as beyond hope of recovery, but after a change of treatment I began to improve very slowly and was able to leave my room in the middle of May. “ At this time my physicians advised me to take treatment by inhalation. I wrote you a statement of my case and you told me the remedy would be of great benefit to me. I received the first supply on May 20th, and took it as directed—or rather as I read the directions—for I made a mistake and took from the blue bottle every other day instead of every other time of inhaling. So for two months I had been taking only one-half wha t I ought to have taken. N ot withstanding this, I was able to return to business June 3d. At first I remained only part of the day, but my improve ment was of such a character that I have lost but three days since July Ist, and two of those were on account of a sudden cold. I have taken no medicine except treat ment by inhalation for eight months, so that my recovery is due to no other remedy. I walk between two and three miles every day, and travel twenty-five miles a day in going to and from business. Those who know how low I was, consider my recovery extraordinary. “ If this testimonial shall lead to the re covery of any one else, I shall be grateful. “ S. J. Freeman.” Especially ought our concluding extract to invite your respectful consideration : “Sperry, lowa, Dec. 8, 1887. “ I never labored with more ease in the work of preaching. Have now been preaching every evening for some time, besides other meetings, and my mind is clear, and my physical powers respond with pleasure to the demands made upon them. It is a pleasure to live and work. For this pleasure of living and working for the good of others, I am largely indebted to the Home Treatment of your Compound Oxygen. I take occasionally an inhalation and watch the contents of the blue bottle with jealous care. Long life to you in dis , pensing life and happiness to the many j invalids of the land. “ Rev. Isaac Leonard.” If you desire further and more exact in formation on the subject of Treatment by Inhalation, send your address to Drs. Star key & Palen, No. 1529 Arch street, Phila delphia, Pa., 331 Montgomery street, San Francisco, Cal.; 58 Church street, Toronto, Canada. They will forward to you free of charge a brochure of 200 pages, containing the full history of this remarkable treat ment; and a most convincing list of genu ine testimonials. 6