The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1895-11-28

4 TIE joints OF the human body, like
those OF n machine. are provided with
"A lubricatinR su bstance which performs
the snsnc Office as the oil. This sub.
ssancnis called aynovial fluid. from two
Il Greek words meaning with and
''egge; and the name has been adopted
from supposed resemblance 10 tn.
white of an egg. IL consists Of water,
holding In solution mucin, albumen,
fat aud Inorganic salts. Mucin, or
mucine, Is thHchief component of mu-
Gus, which lines the bronchial tubes
and becomes dIsagreeably prominent
when you get bad cold. Albumen is
very peculiar substance, found every
where In nature. 1t is especially
abundant In blood, muscles and bones
1t exists in its purest form Ia the white
Of an crg. Fat consists of two similar
substances, oleine and stearine, the
former constituting the oily and the
latter the solid part, Inorganic salts
are substances which do not decay
after death.
All of these parts, when dissolved in
the water which ispresentin the joint,
make q very fine oil. Without this
synovia, or human lubricating oil, all
OF the joints of the body would be stiff.
How much we owe to it may be real
lied If you think for moment Of the
large number Of joints in the human
frame, and how often they are put to
use. II You wiggle a toe, move a fn-
ger, turn your head, close your jaw, or
perform any one of dozen similar
acts, you are calling into play this
eggy substance, which learned men
are pleased to terra tsynovia. s /
II, now, this oil, should give out, or
become diseased, or refuse to perform
its function, the result will be the
same as in the case of machine which
has been neglected. The joint will be.
come sore and stiff with rheumatoid
arthritis, and, finally, will refuse to
act But, in addition to this, the disease
which has already dried up the oil viii
often cause the adjacent bones to be.
come distorted, deforIned, and swollen.
The patient suffers great pain, and in
many cases it is impossible to afford
relief. .#sSs@ a# H
1t is impossible to give any one par
ticuiar cause for the disease. Each
case has its own cause The symptoms |
are usually intense pain and a harden.
ing'and swelling and distortion of the |
joints and segments. Pm s&#
Among the indications that the |
disease Is approaching are these: Pc
culiar want of animal heat and a |
''sepse of ehilliness" (this was noted as
continuing in one case for three years /
and in another for some years before I
the joints became affected, after which /
there was natural warmth); s'languid I
circulation and cold extremities; pains
under the balls of the toes and pain at /
the root of the thumb; toothache-lilxe
pains in various jonts--worse at night;
numbness aud aching in the fingers;
heat and pains in the soles of the feet I
Ia frequent observation); flying pains,
languor, a sense of fatigue; sweating
and rcstlessness; stiffness in the calves i
OF the legs, accompanied by dark
blotches on the thighs. These are the
symptoms recorded as existing for a
variable time before the swelling in
the joints.
large number OF joints are usually
affected and there are. from the first,
profound debility, rapid heart, pro-
symptoms vary according to the sever
lily and duration of the malady. DUR
ing the iDfammatory stage, which com
monty extends over several years,
there Is always swelling In the acute
condition there are synovial effusions,
heat and extreme pain and tenderness.
rapidly diminishes, and stiff
ness may appear very early in the
case.
The most usual method of cure, or
Of attempted cure, is by means of min
aral baths. These invariably afford
relief, but In many cases they fail to
sffect q permanent cure. Proper
dieting Is of great assistance 1t has
been suggested that abstinence from
meat will result bene ficially.
When the joints become quite i'm
II Is the practice to put the
pntiens under the influence of an
Anmsthetic and then to break the parts
ssunder. This, of course, affords no
ornament relief, as the disease has de-
'troyed the essence of the joint--the ,
Ill which allows ttey bone to move
Freely In the socket. Another remedy,
hat Of supplying en- artificial oil by
Injection, has been tried, and the ex- .
,criments are said TO have been very /,
satisfactory. This certainly seems to /.
70 logical method. Physicians usual
y prescribe various drugs, which are
pore or less efficacious. 1t Is advisable :
or the patient to avoid cold, damp
nd exposed placed Chicago Tribune :
--Mnsic Hath Charms. 4 Gontrari oc- t