Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-10-30
Prevention OF InrurabIe naladIes.

] Ercfeui-ol OF 1uruf4uic A4LaQicSs
Preventive hygiene has largely to dc
with diminishing the numbe oi the af.
licted classes Tor whom asylIms and
various forms o. retreat are provided.
4 Il. tleref0re. is valuable direction for
| Charity To show ITSELF in. and has i'm
portaut relations 10 finance and polite.
J n economy. We desire 10 can public
attention especially t. these sad classes
Of invalids. large proportion OF which
owe their maladies 20 the neglect OF
proper preventive measures Spasm,
| in one form or another. IS largely the
I cause OF various forms Of mental aber-
ration OF ineapacity. The history of
many a case Of epilepsy or of mental
insniliciency Is simply tbs; a child.
either from improper food. from ex-
I pOsure TO undue heat. or from some
I form Of sickness. has one or more
spasms At first there Is great alarm
[ and medical AID j. summoned. Too
frequently, after the recovery. and
= ter the cessation of the dircc. exciting
c=use. the system Is left too mobile,
7 and tends. rs II by mere habit, OF from
disturbed nervous action. after = time
Il repeat the spasm. Il IS sadly wOn-
d rsul 10 see how. after two or three
r.speiitiOns and quick rccOvcries. the
I case ceases 10 be treated under skilled
advice. This AMI that remedy ! tried
unsL too frequently. :haf intensity of
habit or organic change ensues which
insures lifelong incspacity. shading of
I into paralysis. dcmentia. or other forms
o. defect The early treatment OF snch
czses i now Sc well understood. and
T the importance of medication for At
Least two wears after an attack now so
well established. that il IS believed that
7 n larss proportion OF the e;tscs are cur
able Il only under medical oversight
This does not mean fre Incnt visits Of
large expense. but a system OF skilled
care. Let no parent or irieni neglect
any such child in is earlier attacks
Next. Very many diseases of the
car result from some form Of throat
trouble. frcm enlargement of the glands
or rs a segues of scarlet fever. The
/ records Of deaf mute institutions show
Z that comparatively few are born with
ma.fOrmed or incompetent auditory
apparatus. hut disease IN some form or
other arrests the sense-pOwer. For
this rea son. in all throat troubles Of q
I serious nature. the physician should
salts 7 himself that the EustacEian tube
leading from the throat to the middle
ear Is in good order. After. OF during
scarlet fever, the hearing should be
watched with care. and the firls evil
[ dcnces Of impairment be met with what
* now 4 recognized treatment So
7 long rs active and decided ipaamma-
tion has net attacked the middle ear. or
even when pot at the start destructive.
1 If the outer connect, on of the throat and
ear are KEPT at lis best. and local and
constitutional means employed. the
3 hearing IS still let intact. Then. even
when The hearing is partially lost. the
persistence OF proper training and
teaching. in Young lie. saves many n
deaf pers0n from becoming = mate.
" hile much S now being done in teach-
ing in institutions. too often much tine
has been lost while the hearing was be-
coming less
But = j.. perhaDS. as 10 contagious
diseases OF t.ie ewes that we need TO te
most o. al on the alert In some notes
on contagious diseases OF the ewes in
schools and asy ums. furnished 20 the
New YORK Stale Board Of Health. Dr.
Agnew SAYS. Diseases Of the coniunc-
ton and cornea are iargcl the cause of
prevailing blindness; aud yet they be-
long in great degree TO the class of
prevent ible diseases. The fact that
they do fail into this class gives to the
saniiar.an and TO the Legislators n
special opportunity ard advantage for
inquiry. advice and legal enactment. to
limit or prevent their prevalence. "
Speaking Of a school OF dependent
children. in one of the counties OF New
York. be saws ''ihat he found half Of
the inmates with purulent opthalmia-
Several cases of blindness occurred
among the scholars and their attend
ants. i've children having lost both
eyes. and seventeen childrea having lost
each an eve" In 4 school the writer
visited. ust outside OF London. he saw
n similar record. Catarrhal diseases of
the eyes CT granular lids NAV be COM
municaled by one case TO n whole
school. Tbs use VI the same towel or a
little Of the virus on n handkerchief or
the finger may thus pass il from Que
10 another The disease also originates
in s-hO0ls sometimes from overcrowd-
ing and poor food But single cases
also occur; ami blindness or impair
ment OF vision is far more common
from this cause than most people
know. In all public Institutions for
children. each neN conner should be ex-
amined bsiOre joining the general mass.
and where 4 case i found thorough isO-
latiOn is necessary. II Is Sll important
that everything connected with the
wash-rOOm he thoroughly cleaaly- Even
children should. a a rule. be provided
with their own towels and be respon-
sinle for their care. Never more than
now were sound ewes needed for all the
industries AMI study of human life; and
we must not imperil the sight or III ous
institutions with incurab.es even al
though the educat on Of the mute and
of the blind i a grand charitv.=N y.