St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-30
HYGIENIC NOTES.

| Bow LEGS and knock-knees are gener-
| ally thought to arise from the afflicted
one having been made to stand too early
in babyhood; but an English physician,
who has thoroughly studied the subject,
asserts that the 70 ormer is the result of a
habit children have of rubbing the sole
of one foot against that of the other, and
often going to sleep with the two in con-
tact. This never happens when the feet
are socked or slippered, so the preventive
of this lifelong defernity is to keep the
baby's soles covered. Knock~knees are
ascribed by him to childish habit Of
sleeping on one side, with one knee
tucked under the hollow behind the
other. To remedy this, therefore, pad
the inside of the knees 80 as to keep
them apart.
WISH to warn dyspeptics against
trying Dio Lewis prescription, to go
without supper, for cure tried it
for a short time but long enough to prove
to me that if I hadn't changed my course
at once, I shouldn't be here now to tell
this story. For the first few nights |
dreamed the most horrible dreams that
ever visited the tortured brain OF one in
the last stages of starvation. But the
road of the dyspeptic is hard road to
travel, and I wouldn' give in yet. The
last night of my trial I was awakened
out of convulsions so strong that it was
long time before I could realize that I
was ready to 90 back to my old custom
of eating light and early supper, which
the following day did, and have felt
better ever since.
GRoAN1NG and crying have found a
philosophic advocate in French physi-
clan, who maintains they are highly
beneficial, especially in surgical opera
tions. He contends that these are means
by which nature allays anguish, and
that patients who indulge in them
recover from accidents and operations
more readily than those who disdain to
give way to their feelings in this
fashion. If people are at all unhappy,
therefore, let them seek comfort by
retiring to a secluded spot and there
indulging in consolatery boo~hoo. The
crying of children, if systematically
repressed, may result in St. Vitus' dance,
epileptic fits, or some other diseases of
the nervous system, and should, there
fore, not be. to much discouraged. What
is natural is nearly always beneficial, e.
pecially in the case of the little ones.
DIR. HALLS views in regard to the eff
cacy of food as medicine, when discrimi-
natingly used, seem to be reasonable.
He relates the case of man who was
cured of biliousness by going without
his supper and drinking freely of lem-
onade. Every morning this patient rose
with wonderful sense Of rest, refresh
ment, and feeling as though the blood
had been literally washed, cooled, and
cleansed by the lemonade and fast,
His theory is that food will be used as a
remedy for diseases successfully. For
example, he instantly cures the splitting
of blood by the use of salt. epilepsy and
yellow fever, by >watermelons kidney
affections by celery; poison by olive or
sweet oil; erysipelas by pounded cram"
berries applied te the parts affected ;
hydrophobia by onions, etc. So the
thing to do in order to keep in good
health is really to know what to eat, and
not what medicines to take.
RULES for the prevention of scarlet
fever have lately been issued by the
Michigan board of health, and as this
is one of the most contagious of diseases
it might be we'll to bear them in mind ::
The first precaution is the isolation
of the sick from the we'll, and the
prevention of contact with the patient.
The room should 0e cleared off all un
necessary clothing, carpets, or other sub
stances in which the poison may lurk
and be thence transferred elsewhere.
The patient should use rags in place ol
handkerchiefs, so that they may be
burned. Body and bed linen should be
| r1oooa in vesse1s of water containing
chloride of lime of similar substance.
Discharges should be received in solu-
tion of sulphate Of iron or copper, and
be afterwards buried. Persons recover
ing from this disease should he consid>
cred dangerous as long as there is any
scaling of the skin, soreness Of tie eyes,
etc. Many other precautions are incul~
Gated, all of which are considered more
or less important.