The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-24
Written for THE NATIONAL TRIHUNE.l
WEALTH BINTS
For Old and Young.
ny FELIX l.. OSWALD. NJ D.,
Author Of Physical Education; " Household
Remedies''; The Bible OF Nature" etc.
CHAPTER XIV.
DISEASES OF OLD Aan-(continuod.l

One oil the disorders to which aged individuals
of the civilized nations are specially liable is
constipation of the bowels. Sedentary habits
are undoubtedly one chief cause Of the com
plant, for even children employed i'm factory
work are subject TO the same trouble. Lack
of fluid elements i'm daily diet is another cause
but the aillicton can often be traced to n much
less suspected origin viz the long. continued
abuse Of drugs-a very frequent mistake in this
age of patent nOstrums.
DELUsIyE DBUGs
The habit of swallowing "dinnerpills" and
drains of alcoholic bowel regulators" or vcge-
table cathartic5 causes the most obstinate forms
OF bowel distractions modern physicians have
to deal with.
How can laxative medicines possibly tend
to constipate person ?" drug ridden patients
have often asked me; -" it seems as hard to
believe as that opates could cause sleepleSs-
ness
In tho long opium has that very effect
The first few doses OF q powerful narcotic cause
drowsness, or q tranco-like Sleep but the nerv-
BUSINESS developed by frequent repetition of
such experiments makes slumber moro and
more fitful, and at last is apt to prevent sleep
altogether. De Quincy aud other habitual
opium eaters were subject to periods of the most
distressing sl6eplessncss, dcfying all remedies
and sometimes continuing for week after week,
till the patient was on tho verge Of a brain
fever. In the same way laxative drugs at first
Their frequent use weakens the functional vigOr
of the digestive organs and thus becomes di-
rect cause of their habtual torpoT. The idea
that relief could DO enforced by increased doses
OF the wOnted drug only aggFavates the trouble
The organism not only becomes moro and more
dependent upon the aid of artificial 5timuants
but gets lethargiZcd 20 the degree of neglectiug
the work Of the digestive apparatus Tor days
and weeks nay, the records of Bellevue Hos
pital, New York, mention tho case OF a man
who had no movement Of the bowels for tWo
months. A portion of the excrementitOus mat
ter was eliminated with tho urine. another in
tho process OF pcrspiratIon and respiration, but
good deal Of it accumulated in the lower
bowels, which mt last were made TO act by means
of dose of cathartics strong enough to almost
exhaust the vitality OF the patient, for he lost
40 pounds in the course of three weeks.
Disorders of that sort often lead 90 very seri-
Gus complications. The liver, the kidneys, and
the spleen all bear their share Of the conse-
quences, aud the function of tho abdominal
blood vessels becomes INSTRUCTED in its COM
munica,iOn with the veins of the lower ex-
| trcmities. Hence the fact that tho victims of
| chronic constipation Told persons especially
| so often complain Of eOdncss aud numbuess in
| the legs aud feet. Absorption of the decom-
| posing accumulations into the blood causes
| headaches. and that mental depression which
| likewise forms an almost constant symptom of
I
/ depends upon the condition OF the Hrcr" says
| n humorous writer. and constipation IL, indeed,
| apt 10 coniure up waking Nightmares AS ugly
! as those OF a bluc-dcvl ridden druukard. DIR.
! Priessnit2. OF hydropathic fame claims that his
| methods of water-cure gave almost immediate
relief IN all but the most obstinate cases of con-
| stipatlOn, and that III the course Of three weeks
| he effected the complete restoration of hun
| dreds Of patients. some of whom had tried all
| other remedies IN vain. Refrigeration is un-
| doubtedly one OF the best specifics for the cure
of torpid bowels, and, happily, proves effective
in forms less repugnanL 70 tho average patient
than a series of cold showcr-baths. Sponge
baths and air baths teXpUsurc in a state Of uu-
dress to the air OF a cool bcdro0mj. aud even a
temporary reduction in the amount of bed
clothing will generally lead TO the same result.
| In the course of his experiments on the cause
oil catarrhs "A medical friend of mino delibcF-
| ately tried 10 catch cold by sitting at nights
| ia y cold room, after diyesting himself even Of
his unGeTgaTments, but without the anticipated
success could not catch as much as q
| short cough in that way" says ne in the record
| of his experiment, though | tried again and
| again. aud twice in more than usually cold aud
stormy weather. Chils which seemed to reach
the Very marrow OF my bones had not the
slightest apprcciablc effect on my lungs, and
became thoroughly convinced that caJarrhs are
| caused either BY impure air or 10y disease germs
filling tho atmosphere now aud then like the
contagious principle Of epidemic diseases AT
all events, colds have nothing 10 do with the
influence of low temperature and thus far
my experiment would have led 10 rather mega
tive results IL / had not incidentally noticed
that my suirees in the draft OF my bedroom
| window invariably appeared TO react on my
| bowels. Cold drafts affected me like laxa-
| tive drugs. and generally quite AS promptly,
| though without any disagrceable aiteT-eiiects.
| Ever since have managed 70 relieve cOntipa-
ton IN that simple and inexpensive manner,
| which | have often recommended to patients
evincing pardouablc repugnance TO the use
| ofdrugs. ENpcriincuters ueed not go tOauy dis
| tTessiug length IN trying my plan; in ordn-
AIRY IL will answer their purpose to sit 10
bed. with the blankets of. for II few minutes, or
| walk about in shirt sleeves a fow minutes
longer than usual after getting up in I'M
warmed bedroom the next morning"
For similar reasons c0nstipatOns are more
frequent in Summer than in Winter. Warm
weather has an astringcnt effect the digest.
i've organs Though sultry heat occasionally
causes the opposite dsorder). but Nature gives
us hint on the best method OF counteractiug
shat tendency by providing as in Summer with
abundant material Of IA relrlgerating diet. The
fruits OF the tropics are often several degrees
cooler than the surrounding atmosphere, and
perfectly ripe fruits aud berries have a marvel
Gus effect, II eaten quite fresh, in relieving the
structure of cOniestive bowels. A Florida ply
stefan OF supreme faith in dietetic remedies
once gave me the following formula for the non
medicinal cure of constipation: AN orange
eaten before breakfast, aud followed an hour
after by u glass OF cold skim milk, sweetened
10 suit the taste" On most people, in au or
binary state of digestive vigor, that prescrip-
ton would be apt to act too promptly. but
when the bowels have for weeks been in q
torpid condition, its effect is not likely To be-
felt before the end of the day In Winter and
where fruit cannot be readily procured baked
beans or peas with brown bread or IL stew OF
boiled prunes sweetcned with moasscs, will
| prove an effective substitute.
The circumstance that -" patient is liable tC
become slave TO his drug" is not apt to lead
to any alarming consequences in such eases
know old men who, after years of dietetic rou
tine habits, have become unable 10 dispense
with their daily dose OF beans and graham
bread but the harvests of Yankeeland insure q
cheap and abundant supply of that remedy
which, moreover, stimulates without Irritating
the bowels, and can be used for lifetime with
out requiring any considerable increase In the
quantity of the prescription.
10 be continued
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