Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-04-19
ParOtitis or MumpS.


The disease technically termed pa,
fotits and familia lily known as mumps,
is swelling of the paI0tid glands. Ii
is a contagious disease, more common
among children than among grown
people. and vet grown people who have
never had it are liable to take it. The
swelling. is usually on both sides, but
sonnet mes confined to one side.
AS is we'll known by every student o!
physiology the first stage of digestion.
viz. masticaiion, takes place in the
mouth, where the food is ground by the
teeth and moistened With snliva from
the salivary glands
These glands, which discharge the
saliva, are six in number, viz. the
suIlin@ual, situated at tn. base of the
tongue il the front of the mouth; the
submaNi larv, under the C cck>; anC
the parotid. viii h are ut the back PAT
of the mouth and jaw. Nearest to the
ears. These last are the glands that ar,
inllamed in this disease.
Or. j. w. Draper, professor in the
University of New York. says: ''Tht.
pa, otd saliva S thin and watery, limpic
and culprlcss, ilndorous and tastclesS.'
1t IS not, however, rs might AT first ap
pear from ths description, pure water,
for he goes on to say that it cOnta n
various alkaline substances, VIII ch q
in digestion, such as sulpho-cyanide OF
potassium, albumlnate of soda and
great deal of lime.
The sail 4 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 a dryness in the mouth, and
both be .ause of this and on accoun; of
the swelling and soreness. the pat ent
can only take fool in a liquid form.
Indeed, the p tent 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 yet not
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 rs pos ,ible in doors. When the
peculiar swelling first makes its appe l.
ancc, wrap the face in flannel or in
warmed cotton batting, carefully avoid
all chilis 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 pcrspiration. If, as is fire.
quently the case, the bowels are con-
stpated, 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 all 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
i'm as cheerful state of mind as is prac-
ticablc.
1t is q fact that anxiety or grief ar
rests the flow of saliva, and as we are
only hungry when the saliva and gas
tri: juices are flowing, this is the reason
why people who suffer mentally lose
their appetite. The digestion is de-
pendent to n great degree upon the
state of the mind Anxiety of mind,
therefore. by checking the flow of saliva.
may be one 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 cod 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-
tiOnS or his lessons (with the present
mischievous. forcing hot-bed system
practiced in many OF our city schools, it
is a wonder SO many children live at
alb then he is exposed to cold air, being
obliged to stand in current for some
minutes. causing the per-piration to he
suddenly checked. Next morning his
face is sw lien at the an~le of the Jaw.
and he has much pain and some fever,
Yet still feels well enough to go out as
,,rf,l,o llx- 70 mn
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 gust given. In this case the dis
ease will probably pass off in about a
week or less, without much medicine, if
aLy. But if he ToeS out as usual, and
takes more cold, the chances are that
the attack will be very severe.
This remark or prudent caution will
also apply to most childish diseases OF
which / Ea,e 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 mumps;
but their severity will in all cases be
very much mitigated by prudent care
at the outset, during the disease, and
all diseases we must always remem-
Der the old motto of the an tents. ''dis-
cretion 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 dellrium, indeed, in
even mid 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 skillful physician must
be called in to save 'fe. How many
doctors bills might be saved by care
and prudence. The ''ounce of pre-
ventlve is worth pound of cure" NJ
ways Cor. Househo1d,~