Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-02-01
THE FAMILY DOCTOR.
A GOOD EMINENT,

GOOD EMINENT, v.
For cuts, bruises, etc., good lini-
ment can be made by soaking common
Mayweed leaves in alcohol.
TYPHOID FEVER.
DR.. Farr, medical officer of health for
Lambeth, London, says very pointedly:
"Enteric or typhoid fever is an excre-
mental disease due to sewage ernana-
tons and polluted water supply; at
least, whatever the specific poison may
be, these are the media through which
it is spread as result of defective SAM
tary arrangements. In this respect the
modern suburban dwelling of the period
is the chief offender. Pretty and
attractive houses-the charming vile
even, advertised as possessing perfect
drainage-are not exempt This is the
class of property inhabited by large
proportion Of persons who are FRUSTRATED
with fever at the present time. It is
here that fever and diphtheria have their
origin to an alarming extent. 1t is here
that the services of the sanitary inspector
are in most request and where the cause,
direct and indirect, which swell the total
mortality to abnormal proportions are
found"
EATING BURIED DINNERS.
It is mistake to eat quickly, says the
Lancet. Mastication performed in haste
must be imperfect even with the best of
teeth, and due admixture of the salivary
secretion with the food cannot take place.
When crude mass of inadequately
crushed muscular fiber, or undivided
solid material of any description, is
thrown into the stomach, it acts as a
mechanical irritant and sets up a condi-
ton In the mucous membrane lining that
organ, which greatly impedes, if it does
not altogether prevent, the process of
digestion. When the practice of eating
quickly and filling the stomach with I'M
prepared food is habitual the digestive
organ is rendered incapable of perform
ing its proper functions. Either much
larger quantity of food than would be
necessary under natural conditions is re-
quired, or the system suffers from lack
of nOurishment. Those animals which
were intended to eat hurriedly were either
gifted with the power of rumination or
provided with gizzards. Man is not SO
furnished, and it is fair to assume that
he was intended to eat slowly. The
matter may seem a small one, but it is
not SO. just as man may 90 on for
years with defective teeth. Imperfectly
masticating his food, and wondering
why he suffers from indigestion, so
man may habitually live under an attic
ton of hurried dinners, and endure the
consequent loss of health, without know
ing why he is not well, or how easily the
cause of his illness might be remedied.
THE IDEA OF "TAKING SOMETHING.
We cannot bully Nature; we cannot
defy her resentment by fresh provoca-
ton. Drugs may change the form of a
disease, i. e., modify the terms of the
protest; but the law cannot be baff1ed
by complicating the offense; before the
drugged patient can recover he has to
expiate double sin-the medicine and
the original cause of the disease. But
shall parents look on and let sick child
ask in vain for help. By no means.
Something is certainly wrong, and has
to be righted. The disease itself is
cry for help. But not for drugs. In
stead of taking something" something
must be done, and oftener something
habitually done ought to be omitted.
If the baby's stomach has been tor
mented with ten musings a day, omit
six of them; omit tea and coffee from
the young lady's menu; stop the dys-
peptic's meat rations, and the young
sters grammar lesson after dinner. But
open the bedroom windows, open the
door, and let your child take romp in
the garden, or on the street, even on a
snow-covered street. Let them spend
their Sundays with an uncle who has
good orchard, or send for barrel of ap-
pies. Send for the carpenter and let him
turn the nursery or the woodshed into
gymnasium. In case you have nothing
but your bedroom and kitchen there will
still be room for a grapple-swing. The
Boston Institute has kind that can be
fastened without visible damage to the
ceiling. If the baby won't stop crying
something ought to be done about it.
Yes; and as soon as possible. Remove
the straight-jacket apparatus, swaddling
clothes, petticoat, and all; spread cou-
pie of rugs in comfortable corner, and
give the poor little martyr chance to
move his cramped limbs; let him roll,
tumble and kick to his hearts content,
and complete his happiness by throwing
the paregoric bottle out of the window.
DR.. r. L. OSWALD.