The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-04
NeUraIg~

Hundreds of women all over the coun-
try are sufferers from neuralgia to such
an extent, in many cases, as to find life
burden. The following extract from
the British Medical ReUle,o gives one So
luton as to the cause: "Therc is nc re-
cognized reason why of late years neu-
ralgia of the face and scalp should have
increased so much in the female Sex as
compared with our own. There is no
doubt that it is one of the most COM
mon of female maladics- one of the
most painful and difficult of treat
ment. 1t is also a cause of much men
tai depression, and leads more often to
habits of intemperancc than any other.
This growing prevalence of neuralgia
may to some extent be referred to the ef.
fects of cold upon the terminal branches
of the nerves distributed to the skin, and
the reason why men are less subject to it
than women may, to great extent, l
think, be explained by the much greater
protection afforded by the mode in
which the former cover their heads
when they are in the open air 1t may
be observed that the surface of the head
which is actually covered in man is at
least three times that which fashion al
lows to woman; indeed. the points of
contact between the hat or bonnet and
the head in the latter are SO irregular as
practically to destroy any protection
which might otherwise lie afforded. If
l were to report to the journals a case of
facial neuralgia cured Oh the principle of
protecting the lateral and frontal sur
face of the face as well rs the superior
part of the scalp, it might excite q GER
tain ridicule. l can assure you, how
ever, that my patient considers that her
case ought to be reported; for she says
that, if we cannot do much for neuralgia
with our prescriptions, we ought to OPP
pose fashion when we find it prcjudicial
to health and productive of suffering"
Lay n Faint ns Person Down.
1t is surprising how eagerly everybody
rtlshcs at a fainting person, and strives
to raise him up. and especially to keep
the head erect, says a physician. There
must be an instructive apprehension that
if a person seized with fainting or
other fit fall into the rccumbcnt po >ition,
death is more imminent. l must have
driven mile to-day while a lady, faint
ing. was held upright l found her
pulseless, white, and apparently dying,
and | believe if had delayed ten min
utes longer she would really have died.
| l laid her head down on a lower level
than her body, and Immediately color
returned to her lips and checks and she
| became conscious.
To the excited group of friends said
| Always remember this fact, namely
fainting is caused 10y want of blood il
the brain; the heart ceases to act will
sufficient force to send the usual quantity
| of blood to the brain. and hence a per
son loses consciousness because the func
tion to the brain ceases. Restore the
blood to the brain, and instantly thu
person RECEIVERS.
Now, though the blood is propelled
to ali parts of the body bv the action o1
the heart, yet it is still under the in
fluencc Of the laws of gravitation. Ii
the erect position the blood asccnds to
the head against 0ravitation, and tho
supply to the brain is diminished, Il,
compared with the rccumbent position,
the hearts pulsation being equal. Il
then, you place a person in sitting
position whose heart has nearly ceased
to beat, his brain will fail to receive the
blood, while if you lay him down, with
the head lower than the heart, blood
will run into the brain by the mere
force of gravity; and in fainting, il
sufficient quantity to restore conscious
ness. Indeed, nature teaches us how
to manage faintng persons, for they
always fall, and frequently are at once
restored by the recumbent position into
which they are thrown Tribune ana