Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-09
Parotitis or Mu1nps.

h. Par0titis or Mumps.
The disease technically termed pa
rotitis automatically known as mumps,
IS a swelling of the parotid glands. 1t
IS q contagious disease. more common
among children than among grown
people, and yet grown people who have
never had it are liable to take it. The
swelling is usually on both sides, but
sonnet mes confined to n side.
AS is we'll known by every student of
physiology the first stage Of digestion.
viz. m~astication, takes place in the
mouth, where the food is ground by the
teeth and moistened with saliva from
the salivary glands.
These glands, which discharge the
saliva, are six in number, viz, the
sublingual, situated at the base of the
tongue il the front of the mouth; the
submaxillary, under the cheeks; and
the parotid, which are at the back part
OF the mouth and jaw. nearest to the
ears. These last are the glands that arc
inflamet, in this disease.
DR.. j. w. Draper, professor in tho
University of New York, says: 1.-The
parotid saliva is thin andwatery,, limpid
and colorless, inodorous and tasteless."
1t is not, however, as might at first ap.
pear from this description. pure water,
for he goes on to say that it contains
various alkaline substances, which aid
in digestion, such as s~ulpho-cyanide of
potassium, illuminate of soda and a
great deal of lime.
The saliva discharged by the parotid
glands is much more abundant than
that from the other salivary glands, so
that when these glands are out of order
there is q dryness in the mouth, and
both because of this and on of
the swelling and soreness, the patient
can only take food in a liquid form.
Indeed, the patient often finds it diff
cult to open the mouth or to swallow.
There is usually a good deal Of head
ache and more or less fever, and yetnot
enough to prevent the sufferer from
wishing to be up and dressed.
The important point in this disease is
to keep the patient from taking cold,
and to keep him as cheerful and com
Portable as possible in doors. Whenthe
peculiar swelling first makes it's appea-
ance, wrap the face in flannel or in
warmed cotton batting, carefully avoid
all chills and exposure and let the diet
be hot cruel, warm teas, that made
from sage and catmint being preferable
to that made from Chinese herb. Every
thing should be done to induce and
promote perspiration. Ii, as is fire.
quently the oase, the bowels are con
stipated, this difficulty must be over
come by suitable means.
In short, all the eliminatory organs
must be set to work, that the system
may be freed from ali impurities. and
if this can be accomplished without the
aid of medicine, SO much the better.
This will tend to relieve the fever and
headache. And the next thing to be
done is TO remove as far as possible all
sources Of anxiety and keep the sufferer
in as cheerful a state of mind as is prac-
ticable.
1t is a fact that anxiety or grief ar
rests the flow of saliva, and as we are
only hungry when the saliva and gas.
trio juices are. flowing, this is the reason
why people who suffer mentally lose
their appetite. The digestion is de.
pendent to a great degree upon the
state of the mind. Anxiety of mind,
therefore, by checking the flow of saliva,
may be n of the primary or indirect
causes of this disease, and the second
airy cause is usually taking cold by such
exposure as throws a current of cold or
damp air upon the Jaw. This is on the
%supposition that the patient has not
been exposed to take the disease from
another person. For example, a school
boy is over anxious about his examina-
tons or his lessons with the present
mischieyous, forcing hot-bed system
practiced in many Of our city schools, it
is a wonder SO many children live at
ally then he is exposed to cold air, being
obliged to stand in a current for some
minutes, causing the pcrspiration to be
suddenly checked. Next morning his
face is swollen at the angle of the jaw,
and he has much pain and some fever,
yet still feels we'll enough to 90 out as
usual and probably wants to go to
school.
Well will it be if his mother forbids
this, and keeps him at home warm and
happy for a few days following the adj
vice just given. In this case the dis
ease will probably pass off in about a
week or less, without much medicine, if
any. But if he goes out as usual, and
takes more cold, the chances are that
the attack will be very a..
2 This remark or prudent caution will
also apply to most childish diseases of
which l have formerly treated in the
Household, such as scarlet fever,
measles, whooping cough, Group, etc.
Not that all these will pass off as
harmlessly or as quickly as humps;
but their severity will in all eases be
very much mitigated by prudent care
at the outset, during the disease, and
for some time afterward. In fighting
all diseases we must always remem-
Der the old motto of the a%ncients, eds
erection is the better part Of valor."
In parotitis or mumps, exposure to
cold may cause the brain to be so af-
fected as to cause delirium, indeed, in
even mild cases the head is very hot
and the patient is apt to talk in his
sleep in a wandering way. But impru-
dent exposure to cold often causes the
disease to go to some other part OF the
body, and a skillful physician must
be called in to save life. How many
doctors bills might be saved by care
and prudence. The ''ounce of pre-
vont,vo ia worth a mound nj o,,ro -, ii.