Part 19

Eyes, Spots on.--These spots are of two different kinds, and yet they are very much the same in nature and substance. What is called "a cataract" is of a different character. We refer not to this, but to the spots that form on the surface of the eyeball, and those that form in the membrane of the eyelid. When inflammation has gone on for some time on the eyeball itself, portions of whitish matter form on the glassy surface and soon interfere with the sight. When inflammation has gone on in the eyelid, little knots like pin-heads form, producing a feeling as if sand were in the eye. Afterwards these knots grow large and swell the eyelid, and at times the matter in them grows hard, and seems to take up a lasting abode in that tissue. Strong and destructive liquids or powders are sometimes applied, that so affect the whole substance of the eye as to cause blindness. Nothing of this nature is required at all. First, the skin of the head must be dealt with. You will find that this is hot and dry, and somewhat hard on the skull. Rub this gently with the dry hands for a few minutes, then press a cloth tightly wrung out of cold water all round the head. Rub and cool alternately for half-an-hour or more if it continues to produce an agreeable feeling. When the head is all soothed, and good action has been secured, at least on its surface, begin with the eye itself. The same treatment is required for both classes of cases. The eye will be shut at first. You take a fine camel's-hair brush, such as is used by artists, and some vinegar or acetic acid, so weak that you can swallow a portion of it without hurting your throat. This is a very good test of strength for the acid. You carefully brush over the outside of the eyelids and all round the eye with this weak acid. This must be done most carefully and patiently for a length of time, till all sweatiness is washed off, and a fine warm feeling is produced by the acid. The matter softens and breaks up, so that it begins to pass away. We have seen a little ball of hard white matter break up and come away after a single brushing carefully done. When the matter is in the eyelid, and is so situated that you can brush over it in the inside of the lid, it is well to do so; but this operation must be gently and carefully done. When you have brushed with the acid long enough, dry the eyelids and cheek carefully, and rub with a little fresh olive or almond oil. It will be well to cover the eye from the cold, and from any dust that might irritate. You will soon find that it is as clear and sound as could be wished.

Eyes, Squinting.--Various affections of the eyeball muscles cause this. To cure it is often easy, sometimes very difficult. The method of treatment is to stimulate all the nerves of the head and face, and at the same time to soothe their irritation. This is accomplished by massaging the brow and entire head. It must be gently and soothingly done. The open hands are drawn upwards over the brow from the eyebrows, the rubber standing behind the patient. Then both sides of the head and the back of the head are stroked similarly. After this the whole head is rubbed briskly with the finger-points. This should be done often, even four or five times in the day. If the patient objects, it is being unskilfully done; the right sort of rubbing is always pleasant. A squinting eye has been cured in a few rubbings, where the case was a simple one. If the head becomes very hot, it may be cooled as directed above for Children's Sleep. Squinting may be produced or increased by that state of the stomach and bowels in which worms are bred.

Face, Skin of.--To secure a healthy appearance of this is worth much trouble, and any eruption or unhealthy redness is a great trial, especially to ladies. To cure and prevent these, it is usually necessary to look first to the diet. A disagreeable redness of the nose, and pimples in various places, is the common result of too much rich food, not to speak of alcoholic drink, which is always most injurious to the face skin. The use of corsets is another fertile source of this trouble, and many in their desire to improve their figure ruin their faces. Plain, easily digested food is to be taken. Tea must only be used at most twice in the day, and should be exceedingly weak. Half-a-teacupful of hot water should be taken before every meal, and everything possible done to promote digestion. The whole skin must be brought into a healthy state by daily washing with M'Clinton's soap (see Soap); no other should be used for toilet purposes. It is far better than the boasted and expensive "complexion soaps," and can now be had in various forms. Many faces are injured by the kind of soap used in washing. The use of the kind we recommend is remarkably pleasant and beneficial, and a full account of it, and of our motives in recommending it, will be found under article Soap. If, however, the face will not stand the touch of water at all, good BUTTERMILK (see) forms the best wash and cooling application. Also a cloth mask may be worn all night, lined inside with soft creamy soap lather. In violent face irritation this last treatment is especially valuable.

For pimples on the face, the general treatment for the skin mentioned above (see Eyes, Inflamed) is to be used, especially applied to the skin of the back. The buttermilk wash may also be used, but the best effect comes from the general treatment of the skin.

Fainting.--Fatigue, excessive heat, fright, loss of blood, hunger, etc., are common causes.

The action of the heart is temporarily interfered with, and pallor, a sweat on the forehead, with an indescribable feeling of sinking away, precede unconsciousness.

The first thing to do is to bend down the patient's head till it touches the knees, and keep it there for a few minutes. After he has partially recovered consciousness, the clothing should be loosened, and all tight bands or braces removed. The face and hands should be bathed in cold water, slapping the face with a wet towel. Some stimulant, such as hot tea, coffee, or sal volatile, may then be given.

If there is a wound causing loss of blood, it should be attended to at once.

In case fainting is due to hunger, the greatest care should be taken to give only small quantities of food after recovery, as a large amount may prove fatal.

A sip of cold water, or bathing the face with cold water, will generally prevent a threatened fainting. If there appears any immediate danger of a relapse, keep the patient in a horizontal position for some time.

Persons liable to fainting fits should be careful to avoid extremes of temperature, such as very hot or very cold baths.

Fall, A.--After a fall from a height, where there is no apparent outward injury, there is often such a severe shock to the spinal cord and brain that continued unconsciousness occurs. In such a case, foment the spine at first, to remove the effects of the concussion. This may bring on serious difficulty of breathing, owing to congestion of the spinal cord. This can be removed by applying cold cloths along the spine. If the difficulty of breathing be present from the first, then apply the cold at once. The first effect of such a fall is to deprive the brain and spinal cord of vital force. This must be restored by heat. Subsequent effects due to congestion can be removed by cold. The effects of a shock in a railway accident may be similarly treated. Common sense will guide in using heat or cold by watching the effect. Where heat fails try cold. This is the simple rule. It is good also to give the patient some simple purgative medicine, and some warm drink. Avoid all doses of alcoholic drinks. We have known the flickering flame of life almost extinguished by a teaspoonful of brandy.

Feeding, Over.--It is well to remember that over-feeding is a relative term. To take more than a weak stomach can digest, is to over-feed, although very little be taken. We give some invalids food every two hours but that food is only two-thirds of a teacupful of milk, mixed with a third of boiling water. In every case we must watch to give the right amount, no less and no more. Every case will require to be considered by itself in the light of common sense. The amount of food eaten should be just sufficient to supply the body with material to replace that consumed in work, build up its wasted tissues and leave a slight surplus over for reserve store. Anything more is harmful. In youth, if too much be eaten, nature relieves herself by giving the transgressor of her laws a bilious attack, during which there is no appetite, and so the excess is worked off. In later years this safety valve does not work, and the surplus is generally stored as useless fat, impeding the action of the heart or other internal organs, or as gouty deposits in various parts. The Anglo-Saxon race at all events does not limit its diet as we think it should, and Sir Henry Thompson, M.D., has stated that in his opinion more ill-health arises from over-eating than from the use of intoxicating liquor, great a source of illness as this last undoubtedly is.

Temperance in diet is absolutely necessary therefore, if one would be healthy, and the avoidance of stimulating foods, with a restriction of flesh foods especially, is a precept which the great majority of well-to-do people need to attend to.

Bilious attacks, headaches, indigestion, etc., are simply nature's protest against the excess of food being forced upon her, and the natural cure is to severely restrict, or still better, entirely stop the food supply for a day or two. The idea that "the system must be kept up" is a very foolish one; people have lived for forty days and upwards on water alone, and a few days' fasting is a far safer remedy for the troubles we have mentioned than purgative drugs.

Those who have a stomach which quickly rebels against too much or unsuitable food, may, as Sir Henry Thompson says, congratulate themselves on having a good janitor preventing the entrance of what would injure. The man who can and does eat anything, rarely lives to old age.

The perfect appetite which comes from the moderate use of simple foods is a relish which must be experienced to be appreciated.

One way in which the amount of food needed to satisfy the appetite and build up the body may be very largely reduced, is by increasing the amount of mastication. If each bite of food is chewed and chewed until it is all reduced to a liquid state, the amount required will be less than half of what is usually taken, and so much less strain will be thrown on the excretory organs.

Feet, Cold.--Continued coldness of the feet gives rise to many more serious troubles, and should always be attended to. There is no better cure than daily BATHING THE FEET (see), followed by rubbing for several minutes, say five, with hot olive oil after drying. Rub briskly, until the feet glow. Put on dry warm stockings, and see that all foot-gear is kept as dry as possible. Another method of curing cold sweaty feet is to rub the soles with CAYENNE "TEA" (see), and afterwards with warm olive oil. Dry carefully, and wear an extra pair of dry cotton socks or stockings. When the sweating is very abundant and obstinate, there is usually more or less failure in the nerves which keep the skin in order. The feet must then be properly bathed (see Bathing the Feet), then dried and treated with cayenne lotion as above.

Feet Giving Way.--Where there is a great deal of standing to be done by any one, the feet sometimes yield more or less at the arch of the instep. This becomes flattened, and even great pain ensues; lameness sometimes follows. Young girls who have to stand much are especially liable to suffer in this way. In the first place rest must be had. Wise masters will provide due rest for their employees, foolish ones overwork them. Rest is not against, but in favour of work; work cannot be well done without due rest. The proper rest for feet such as we speak of will be the most easy and comfortable position. Comfort is the test of the right treatment. Bathe the feet in hot water for a good while, using plenty of soap. Rub gently with hot olive oil, pressing any displaced bones into, or near, their place. Carefully avoid giving pain. Massage similarly with oil the whole limb, and also the back (see Massage). Do this every day at least once. You may have months to wait, but a sound limb is worth a good deal of patience. When standing is absolutely necessary, strips of strong sticking plaster passed down from above the ankle bones, and round under the instep, help greatly.

Boots are better than shoes, and should be comfortably easy, with low heels.

Fever.--In all fevers, to cool down the excessive heat of the patient (see Heat, Internal) is the best process of treatment. This may be best done by continued cooling of the head. Have a towel well wrung out of cold water. Fold it so as to envelop the head. Press it gently to the head all round, changing the place of pressure frequently. Have a second towel ready, and continue cooling with freshly cooled towels perhaps for an hour or an hour-and-a-half. Then leave the last cold towel on, and put a dry towel above it. The next cooling, when the fever heat again arises, may be given, if it can be managed, by placing a cold towel along the spine. Cover this with a dry one, and let the patient lie on it. Change this, though not quite so frequently as in the case of the head. Work carefully and gently, so as not to annoy the patient. If ice can be had, it may be put in the water used to cool the cloths. If the feet be cold, foment them in a blanket (see Fomentation). Keep this on the feet for an hour. There will most likely be great relief with even one course of such treatment. It must, however, be persevered in until the fever be conquered. In any case of fever, when a patient is too weak to bear the hot fomentation and cold towels, we would recommend rubbing the feet and limbs if cold with hot oil, and the stomach and chest, and if possible the back with soap lather. It is well at first to soap the stomach only, and for some time; and each time till the last it is well to wipe off what you have rubbed on, so that the skin may be as clean as possible for the next. To do this only once is often quite sufficient to soothe, so that the patient falls off into a gentle, natural sleep.

Now, no one need imagine that there is any difficulty in the way of anyone carrying out the right treatment. We have known a young sister who saw her brother brought home in fever. The medical man predicted a long and serious illness, and the necessity of being prepared for all the usual features of such a case. The sister heard all in thoughtful silence, but when the doctor went away she said to herself, "May not I lower this flame? At any rate I will try." So through the night she so effectually cooled her brother's head that when the medical man came next day he expressed his most agreeable disappointment, saying, "It is to be a very light case after all." So it turned out to be, but it would not have been so but for that brave sister's aid. We cannot but earnestly beseech all who have the opportunity to go and do likewise. Often, especially among the poor, dirt and hot, close air have made the fever room a source of frightful danger to all around. Absolute cleanliness, abundance of pure air, and disinfection of the stools, should always be attended to.

Fever at Night.--Frequently, in illness, a fever sets in as night approaches, and increases toward midnight, passing away during the day. The treatment may be as below for Intermitting Fever.

Fever, Delirium in.--See Delirium.

Fever, Gastric.--In this fever, now known as a form of Typhoid, the disease spreads a sort of blight over the nervous centres, and from the first greatly lowers their power. The patient is too weak to bear the powerful cooling recommended in Fever; there is also a tendency to prolonged and "low" fever. First of all, in such a case, the feet and legs must be fomented. Watch against burning the patient, but get as good and powerful a heat as possible right up over the knees. Then after about fifteen minutes the cooling of the head may proceed as in fever. Both cooling and heating must proceed together.

We must think of not merely relieving, but of curing the patient, by attacking the poisonous substance where it has lodged in the nerve centres of the bowels. Pure water, with just as much acetic acid or vinegar dropped into it as will make it taste the least sour, should be given in tablespoonfuls (and hot) as frequently as the patient can take it without discomfort. If possible it should be distilled water, or rain water filtered, but certainly as pure and soft as can be procured. There is no drug that can be prescribed that is equal to pure water, and no acid better than common white vinegar. These three things--the strong fomentation of the feet and legs, the cooling of the head, and the dissolution of the poisonous substances by means of pure water, and their counteraction by means of acid in very small strength--will do wonders in gastric fever. The "turn" may be secured in a week instead of three, if these things are skilfully and persistently applied. We should say that the strong fomentation and cooling of the head should not be done oftener than twice a day, and only once if the patient feels too weak for twice. But as a general rule, the person who is ill will wish these things at least twice a day. The sips of water should be given, say in a dozen separate tablespoonfuls at a time, at least thrice a day--oftener if desired by the patient.

For food there is nothing equal to good fresh buttermilk. All alcoholic drinks are damaging in a high degree in such an illness as this. Sweet milk, if somewhat diluted with good water, will do, but there is nothing so good as the buttermilk fresh from the churn.