Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-17

cred with tiles, like jardiniere. to stanC
outside the window of an invalid's room i
much safer for keeping food than common
refrigerator, where meats and milk, cooked
vegetables and fruit stand together, and al
communicate by the wastepipe with tn,
house drain. A diseased box like this il
the secret of much lost health and unsuc
cesstul care of invalids, especially sensitive
children.
The deformities and chronic ailments o
children classed BY common practitioner:
as hopeless, are often the best of all cases tc
treat, bv home methods. The doctors ad
vice is neediul, to determine the disease and
indicate its treatment, but the mother mus
be the practicing physician to carry it out
From sad experience l am led to say thai
no woman should undertake the care of 6
family, whether as mother or otherwise
without intelligent study of medicine, anG
practice under a trained nurse 1t should
be part of a woman's education. Let me
urge loving women, to whom their own are
precious. to inform themselves about health
and disease before the veil comes and sick.
ness falls upon the household. What Others
have learned they can learn, enough to save
their dearest from death or lifelong dis.
ability.
wITHRRED LIMBS
arise most frequently from fevers, or teeth
ing, with accompanying digestion and cere-
bral disturbances, from which the child
escapes with paralysis and arrest of devel-
opment of one arm or leg. Nature makes
an effort at recovery and succeeds in all but
one member. A fall often brings on grad
ual paralysis of one side. The first consid-
Grafton is pure air and good nourishment,
the next good circulation of blood in the
parts. The innervation, or stimulus of the
paralyzed nerves. takes place only by a
good flow of arterial blood. Hot baths for
the limb, daily, followed by rest, wrapped
in hot flannel, then exposure to the sun by
the hour, firm and gentle friction, only
ceasing with fatigue of the patient, and
movement of the limb, bending and straight
ening the joints, and squeezing the inert
muscles by another person, indicate the
treatment which patiently kept up will in
almost every case that can be mentioned,
restore wasted limbs to natural size and
vigor. Electricity is useful to some extent,
butts far less to be relied upon than the simple
treatment known as massage, or the sensible
movement cure"
Spinal curvatures of the one-sided sort
which throw hip or shoulder out of line,
come not from disease of the bone so much
as weakness of one set of muscles, or over
use of one side, which gradually draws the
bone into distortion. But the same influ-
ence which caused the deformity may effect
its cure. 1t is simply to establish traction
of the muscles on the opposite side, which
will in time draw the bones into place.
Plaster jackets and stiff supporters have
their use, but it is equally possible to cure
spinal curvature without such rigid methods.
Indeed, severe treatment of any kind for
child may be thrown aside as worse than
useless, unless in one case of thousand.
The traction of a linen brace, good nutrition
and the exercises of the movement cure,
combined with easy slings and swings de-
vised by physicians will cure the worst
lateral curvatures in a year or two, and
lighter cases in few months.
GENTLE CURES THE BEST.
Little faults of position, standing on one
foot too much, sitting one-sided, wearing mar
row heeled shoes, may strain the muscles so
as to produce spinal curvature with detormed
shoulder or hip. Angular curvature or
"hunchback" is caused, like true hip dis
ease, by carries or liberation of the bone, and
is much more serious thing to treat
Some of the best surgeons prefer to treat this
without instruments or braces. mo
means" says one of the best writers on the
subject care admissible, whether confne-
ment to the bed in the prone or any other
position, or the wearing of hard, heavy,
contining instruments, which can at all in
tertere with the general health" An in
strument may serve temporary purpose,
but it is folly to distress child to the point
of nervousness and sleeplessness with it., 1t
is better to take little longer time for the
cure by gentler, safer means. A light brace,
which relieves the pressure on the diseased
bone and strain of the muscles, while it al
lows the child to run about and play, will
do more lasting good than "counter-irrita-
ton" moras, formication, or blistering with
oil of ants, needle-cures, or other methods
which draw upon the already weakened
strength of the patient
1 would urge all persons in charge of such
cases or any deiormities of children, to
study the eminently sensible and practical
Theory and Practice of the Movement
Cure" by DR.. Chas. f. Taylor. Published
over 25 years since, it is one of those books
which should never be allowed to 20 out of
print, not more for its special topic than for
Its varied information on points of health,
of the highest interest. Like Florence
"Notes on Nursing" it is
one OF those books from which an intelligent
woman will gain more guidance than from
a dozen specialists outside. 1 have drawn
literally from its clear information for this |
letter, added to the experience of the found |
er OF the Orthopedic Child's Hospital, of |
New York. whose early work l had the
pleasure of seeing years ago, when be took
crippled children into his own house for |
cure. The happy faces of his little patients
we're the highest tribute to this good mans
,age. His humane methods are such as
may be followed in most cases at home by
instructed mothers, who are the best phvsi- |
,ians for their children. 1 repeat, there is
10 such aid to medicine in the wide world |
Ind the influence of kind, truthful woman
,ver her child. The sympathy between
hem, his trust in her, obtain precisely that
asy, tranquil state of mind in which physi-
al nature works its best. This best of un-
.ided nature working without resistance of
n upset mind, accounts for all the wonders
# the mind-cure, of which mothers have
lad the key for ages. SHIRLEY DARE.