The Wilmingtonian., 1883-09-22
HEALTH HINTS.
OPHTHALMIA.

3 .s .
Inflammation of the membranes surround
ing the eyes lis disease which causes great
inconvenience, not unirequently much suf'
fering, and often serious results. There are
many varieties of this disease, but the con-
ditions which give rise to each of them be-
ing singular the treatmenti is corresponding
ly alike.
The disease is a local expression of gener-
al condition, the products of Inflammation
being necessarily present in every organism
affected. With pure blood, good digestion,
normal action of the vital organs, infam-
nation of the eyes is possible, but as the con-
ditions of general health are almost I'M
known, the eye disease becomes possible
under exciting influences. Dust, common
colds, with scrofulous or catarrhal condi-
tions of the SYSTEM are the general causes
OF the disease, and require that If possible,
they shall be removed before recovery shall
be established. In Egypt, variety of this
Inflammation is both common and danger
Gus, resulting from the intense heat, the
dust, and the presence of infection in the
community, so that Europeans or Ameri-
cans visiting that country are in danger of
becoming afflicted.
The treatment of these cases involves the
restoration of general health, the use OF
plain diet, two or three baths week, prop
er exercise, abundance of rest and sleep,
protection of the eyes by blue or smoked
glasses, and the avoidance of all sources Of
infection. No person should wipe on tue
same towel that others have used, should
use the same comb or l'airbrush, or should
permit flies to become carriers of cuntagion
frou one PERSONS eyes to another. When
any symptoms of acute ophthalnia appear,
the patient should have a warm or hot BATH
to restore circulation to the surface and ex-
tremities, 20 to bed, abstain from food fora
meal or two, should use cool wet compress
es over the eyes mig hit and day, until sreliei
is obtained. A hot fermentation on the back
of the head extending to the eyes, will also
be serviceable. Such persons should learn
and obey the laws of health, and treat them,
selves according to the conditions.
ssHARDENING'' THE BODY.
A Young man was an earnest advocate Of
a theory that the human body can accom-
MEDIATE itself to any temperature in which
it may be placed. One winter he determin
cd to ha den himself by wearing no cover
ing on his ears; they were badly frozen on :
very cold day, and they were tender for sew
sral years after. He grew wise, and aban
doned the hardening process. A young wo
man heard an eloquent lecture On the in.
portance of fresh air in chambers at night
The lecturer said there was no danger from
window slightly opened; the body woul'
soon harden itsPH so as to resist the effect O
the exposure. She triedthe experiment on
cold night and caught bad cold, which
lasted the entire winter She lost faith il
the hardening against cold, A young mott
or maintained that children ought not to b
brought up too tenderly. Arms and Leg
ought to be hardened in early years, nc
to be made tender by warm coverings i
winter. She lost her two children by croal
and pneumonia, induced, as the physical
said by insufficient clothing. She gave u
the attempt to harden the others. Til
best way to harden the body is to protect
well from extremes both of cold and heat
and build up a strong constitution by goo
food, good sleep and good exercise. I'll
Scotch Highlanders, with their bare legs, al
victims of rheumatism. #a
THE TREATMENT OF A COLD.
The London Monthly Magazine repor
DR.. Graham as saying that it, is not a 90
rect practice, after a cold is caught, to NAL
the room a person sits in much warm
than usual to increase the quantity of be
clothes, wrap up in flannel, and drink
large quantity OF hot lea, cruel or 9th
Stops; because it will invariably increase Il
fevnrishness, and, in the majority of insta
oes, prolong rather than lessen the duratiC
of the cold I 1t is well known that conf
ing inoculated persons in warm rooms W
make their smallpox more violent by aug
mentng the general heat and fever; and
is for the same reason that a similar pract
In the present complaint is attended wi
analogous results, cold being in reality
slow fever. In some parts of EnglaI
among the lower order of people, lar
glass of cold spring water, taken on goi
to bed, is found to be a successful remed
and in fact many medical practitioners +
ommend reduced atmosphere and freque
dlaughts of cold fluid as the most efficacic
remedy for a recent cold, particularly WI