The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-05-07
PRESERVATION OF HEALTH.
Medical Advice in Relation to Diseases oi
f Our Own Causing. i3i

Medical Advice in Relation to Diseases of
fsa Our Own Causing. ts3
s. Popular Science Monthly.l
On an average one-balf of the number of
out patients treated by hospital surgeon
suffer from diseases due primarily to want
OF knowledge of the laws OF health and
cleanliness. First, the ignorance of the
hygienic laws which affects SO disastrously
the health OF the rich as well as the poor,
exists chiefly in regard to dress, ablution
and ventilation. This statement may,
at first, appear startling, but an emu
meration of the diseases that can be con-
stantIy traced to the above causes will snow
upon how sound a basis this statement
rests. The following are examples: Vari-
cose ulcers from dress; skin diseases from
want OF cleanliness; chest diseases and fevers
from defective ventilation. The vast num-
Der of liberated legs treated in the cut
patient department of hospitals, in work
house in6rmarIes, and in private practice,
arise from varIcose veins. Now, varI-
cose ulcer is caused by distended
condition of the veins of the legs, which
/ have to sustain the pressure of the blood
caused by gravitation. In ysricose veins,
the valves which help to support the col
umn of blood are to great extent de-
stroyed, through the veins having been
distended by mechanical obstruction 10 the
| free return of the blood from the extremi-
| ties, thereby distending the lower
veins and separating the edges OF the valves.
Thus the weight of an uninterrupted
column has to be borne by the veins. This,
| of course, causes further distention, giving
rise to congestion of the caplllaries of the
skin, and causing swelling, eczema, and
ultimately liberation. This is the varicose
ulcer, so common In the laboring classes.
It is difficult to heal, and so often i'm
possible to heal except by prolonged
rest in bed. Hence it is the dread
of surgeons, and the cause OF misery to thou
sands. Vsricoss ulcers are seldom admitted
into general hospitals, SO that hundreds of
poor families are driven to the work house,
and such cases form amsjority in the work
! house infirm ry. The most frequent and fla
1 grant cause of ofobstruction is the ordinary elias
tic garter. Children should never wear them
at all, as the stockings can be perfectly well
kept up by attachment of elastic straps to
the waistband. If garters are worn, it is
| important to know how to apply them with
the least risk of harm; at the bend of the
knee the superficial veins of the leg unite,
and go deeply into the under part of the
/ thigh beneath the ham-stripg tendons.
Thus ligature below the knee obstructs
all the superficial veins, but if the con-
traction is above, the ham string tendons
keep the pressure off the veins which re-
turn the blood from the legs, Unfortunately,
most people. in ignorance OF the above facts,
apply the garter below the knee. Again, in
| nine out of 10 laboring men, we find piece
of cord or a buckled strap tightly applied
4 below the knee, for what reason 1 could
furious. They follow the movements of the
muscles, and never relax their pressure on
the veins. Non elastic bands during muscu
lar exertion become considerably relaxed a.
intervals, and allow fresr circulation of tht
l blood. t $50 r,-s