The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-08-05
The Ailments Of Old Age.

l AHOif NV w h1N lloAANA Va AAAt wy
Of our youth and prime of manhood
But, contrary TO what the poet gays, ]
hold that 1t is not at all necessary iOI
the aged to have, as rule, weary days
and nights of sleeplcss pain" No, nor
for the old to wish youth 10 come again
There is a land where youth blooms
eternal; let US rather look forward than
backward. There is no greater blessing
that can be enjoyed in old ace than thai
OF contentment. In the case Of the
aged, contentmcnt really is n continue.
feast. 1t is q habit, therefore, tia
ought to be cultivated, if oIly for thcsJ
two reasons: first, that frctlulness az
gravates any aiIment or chronic dIsaas
n may be suffering from-owirg TO tho
effect the mind has over the body; and
secondly, that a fretiul man Tor woman
is less likely TO lie loved by those around
him, upon whom be is really dependent
I r the comforts of his daily life; for let
him be as rich rs Cre.us, md able to
command oil the Injuries life can give,
| think it is better to deserve than com
mand, and better to be loved for one's
self than toadied for ones wealth.
The disease known by medical men as
senile bronchitis comes uppermost to my
mind; it is little else than a bad cough,
with copious eXpectOration of iroth,
phlegm and matter. 1t is usually easiest
in summer and on fine slnshiny days
and worst in winter and dark gloomy
weather. In other words, the secretion
is diminished by life in the warmth OF
the sun and increased by cold; dimin
ished by the cxhilara'ion of spirits
caused by a fine day, and increased by
the gloom of dull one, and this latter
is simply a proof of what | said justnow
about f%reLlulness always aggravating
any present disorder. Take a case in
point: An old man WHO, verging on
eighty, has always been used to an
active out-of-door life, and although
suffering from severe senile bronchitis,
still takes walks abroad every fine fore
noon, is confined TO the house on a rainy
day; he will still take his exercise up
and down the room, pausing oft to gazc
longingly through the widows, and
wondering, while he bcmoins his hard
fate, if it ever means to clear up. This
very worry of mind then increases both
cough and expectoration he at once
thinks he is booked" for another
world. "Bless my Leart," he will say
to his wife, did you ever see the like?
Did you ever in your born days hear
such a coughP All! my dear. you won't
have me long now"
But presently the sun blinkS out. He
brightens up, forgets his cough and lays
aside his cordial mixture, both objects
Of untiring interest to him all this fore
roon.
"Tll take my stick" lie says, " and
run down and see how poor old So-anl-
so is to- day."
He goes out, and a couple of hours
after he returns humming a tune. look
ing, aye, and feeling just twenty years
younger, and bis very first question to
his wife is:
Dinner ready yet, my dear?"
This is no imaginary sketch, and ]
could give you fifty, nay, a hundred
like it.
Rheumatism is often associated with
bronchitis, and until you have got rid
Of the former you will hardly succeed in
relieving the latter. For this end avoid,
for a time, wine, beer, spirits, and
everything likely to produce scidity;
wear thicker flannel, busted inside with
sulphur, and try II dose or two of col.
chicum at bedtime. Ga tic other hand,
to the aged rheumatic, / could well
recommend n curse of the iodide of po-
tassjum with bark such n prescription
as this, for example: Twenty grains
of iodide of potassium, two drains OF
the tincture of h,nbane, q dram of BIZ
carbonate of potash, and nine ounces of
the tincture of yellow bark; the dose,
two tablespoonfuls twice q day.
Sleeplessness is a common ~concomit-
ant ofgaLhering years. | but mention
it TO warn my readers against the use
of sleeping ~draughts, which do but Mt
artifcially, ana hardly ever fail to ulti-
ma'ely shorten life; pure air, very well
ventilated bedroom, exercise and :
light supper are the only safe narcotics
in old age. Cd people, by the way, do
not need so much sleep as tie Dung +
and if they retire early they ougut
TO be up Defines.
Well, | fear that TO many the s-mp'
ton Of stnilc bronchitis, or the catarrh
of old people, are too well known to
need description and those who so suffer
will do well TO take good cart Of them.
without OVERRIDING it. The eXer-
else should be modcrate--tbat is, never
to the verge of fatigue; at the
lime, it is no reason on o fine
day, why a patient should come to the
house Mt once, when he ieels q little
tired; let him take heart of grace and
rest for a short ling in n sunny corner,
out of the draught, then continue the
walk, Bath chairs are useful where
lie ieebleness is very great, but caro-
must be taken to wrap up well, and that
he feet he not cold. The food should
the best p%rocurable; if the teeth are
BAD, the meat ought to be minced with
me of those handy pocket m~asticators.
Time should be taken in eating and a
moderate allowa nee Of good wine taken
with the meal. Occasionally n short
'oursc Of tonics may help to strengthen
he system and increase tle digestion
)ne of the best ! know is made of III