Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-11-20

miles of dimiDu-
Rznals. Keep them IN
IHcles Of dead cuticle, oil
6iles, and as 1iplhcria is en-
81 blood disease, and as the skin
)Zome assistance from the lungs,
Tvs out IN liquid and gaseous perspira-
lbn fye-eighths OF what we eat and drink,
pand you Will often have more than half of
the battle for human life won.
To accomplish this most important re-
suit yon have only to sponge the whole
body with two tablespoonful Of soda to
an ordinary tin basin full of hot water.
rubbing the skin dry as you go with
coarse towel, and exposing only small
portion of the body to the air at one time.
This must be repeated whenever the skin
becomes dry, harsh, or clammy, or in case
the patien. IS feverish. There viii be no
danger of catching cold provided the room
be kent at the proper temperature.
Nearly-If not all-blOOd diseases have
natural tendency TO throw off the ma
terIcs morbi, or material of the disease
by means of the skin, and when this is in
good working order-a result obtained by
the spongng with Soda large proper
ton of the diDtheretic poison is in this
manner eliminated from the system, and
Won have less of it to fight. Remember,
also. that if the pores are kept open that
the skin arates or arterialzes the blood
in the same way, though in much less
degree than the lungs. To put it plainly.
we breathe in some degree through the
pores of the skin. The nurse should be
nroylded with a thermometer, purchase
bile at a moderate price at most drug
stores. and which should be hung up near
the parlent's head, and the temperature
kept, day and night during the whole
course of the disease, at between % and
10 degrees Fahrenheit. Particular care
should he taken not to let the room get
below Go degrees, especially between md
night and daylight. This is the time when
nurses are pToverbially negligent, ana at
this particular time you should pnt your
most reliable Nurse on watch, and see tnat
sufficient quantity of fuel (wood rr coa)
be conveniently provided so as TO last nn-
til morning. All the gargles or spplica-
tons prescribed by the attending physl-
clan should be preceded by thorough
gargle of warm water with little soda
| in it to cleanse the throat, in order that
the strength of the medicine NAV not be
wasted on the mucus coating. Frequent
pargles of warm water often give the pa
tient great relief. When, however, a
medicated gargle or application is made
do not give the patient anything to drink
for some time as it may wash 1t oil.
The importance of ecOnomzing the
strength from the very start, and the ne
cessity of early stimulation and liberal
nutrition cannot be OveT-estimated, They
are the sheet anchors of the treatment
Ire blood charged with diptheretic Wins
is improved by the addition OF the fresh
blood formed by these agents and the Ia
tai termination OF the disease, by beaTt
failure, and blood poisoning is prevented.
The early and free administration OF
stimulants, preferably California grape or
| French brandy diluted, so as not to irri-
tate the throat with milk or gum arabic
water, should be resorttd to in the very
beginning. as this is an asthenic disease.
When child refuses to take the brandy,
diluted In this way, often get it taken in
the shape Of egg nog, or give the patient
champagne | am inclined to believe that
brandy acts also as a good local applica-
ton to the throat. The quantity of slim
nlants which small child can often take
| in dipthena is sometimes astoundlng.-
The preponderance of the recent and adj
yanced medical writers is largely In favor
of early and frequent stimulation.
The diet from the start should consist OF
milk. beef soup, nrrew-rOot, gum arabic
water. Melns' food. gwen day aud night.
Should the throat be clOgged up by the
enlargement of the tonslls, or the deposits
of false membrane that deglutatlon Is
matter of great difficulty, often have to
resort 10 the administration of beef soup,
frozen in an ice-cream freezer, then bro
ken in Jumps and put in the mouth, where
# melts gradually and trickles down the
nsophagus. III this stage of the disease
give the patient Ice-cream frequently.
II necessary the bowes should be open
ed use enemata, in order not to irutate
the stomach with catharties. Firmness,
united with eentleness, is indispensable
with young child. Give it the medl-
cines and liquid food quickly and prompt
ly if necessary without any delay whether
the child objects or not. Do not worry
an Obstinate child by useless coaxirg ana
delay. By conquering them In the begin
ning you will often be able to manage
them easily throughout the whole OF the
attack FiTmness, carried almost to the
verge Of severity. Is often the greatest
real kindness you car confer on the little
sufferer If the father or mother have not
sufficient moral courage, they must pro-
cure nurses who have. Parents should
avoid kissing the child. They risk their
own lives by so doing. The Princess
Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria, lost her
life from this cause, though the physl-
clans warned her of the danger,
A the discharges from the patient
should be Immediately removed from the
room and either burnt or large quantities
of boiling water should be poured on
them. Mild solutions of carbolic acid
have been proved to be totally inadequate
for destroying the diptheratic microbes or
germs. Should the membrane on the
throat be hard and tough, place large
tub of water near the patient and keep
putting in it red hot rocks until the room
is full of steam. Ia some cases the efec-
tive lung room is 50 scant that the steam
ing emharrasses the respiration and 1t has
to be discontinued. Ali food and delica-
cies which have been in the sick room
must be destroyed, if not required by the
patient, as they would be likely to COM
municate tbs dlseast to any one partak-
ing of them. The nursing and dieting for
diptheria applies to the so-called cases OF
membranous Group. DR.. jacob, "iacile
princeps," easily the king of children's
diseases, in his monograph Oh diptherla,
says he has operated six hundred and
twenty five times in this disease by open
ing the wind-pipe, but makes no mention
of membranOus Group. Dir. Batholow, one
of our best and latest medical authorities,
says that the question whether there IS
any membranous c,Oup, or whether the
so-called membranous croup is only form
of dptberia, is ''sub judice"-still in dis
pute Whenever the diptheretic MEM
brane forms on the CLOTHS or around the
epglOttis it invariably produces the
croupy breathing and croupy cough
believe hundreds of children's lives are
lost by their being treated for Group when
the malady was in fact diptheria and