St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-14
Good Advice for Rheumatic Patients.

ing pains" That is what DR.. Leyden
of the University OF Berlin, said to an
American recently. To DR.. Leyden he
had gone as the leading authority on
rheumatism in Europe, and after having
been told by many physicians that he
must grin and bear his affection with all
the philosophy he might, when hope and
the efficiency of drugs ebbed low. the
Germans opinion seemed almost too
good to be tru'.
1--WE don't give any medicine in such
cases as yours, said the DOCTOR "What
you need is diet and exercise, and plenty
of both. The rheumatic who lives a Sc
dentary lite and feasts daintiv is bound
to come to very bad end. Hearty fire.
quent, well chosen meals and much
busting about in the open air are abso-
lutte essentials to a cure.
The prime cause OF rheumatism is indi-
gestion, and, though you may eat prodi-
gious meals, f your stomach does not a.
simulate what is given it you are quite as
poorly nourished as the man who gets
but crust day. As to what you can
and cannot eat here is the rule; OF meats
YOU must deny yourself hea w, dark flesh.
Under this head is itenized mutton, ven-
son, goose, and anything that is cut off
pig. Devote yourself to chicken, lamb.
game, sweetbreads, brains, and the more
delicate fish, when simply cooked and
served without rich sauces. Avoid lob.
ster and crabs and every fried fish, but
enjoy oysters and clans.
"Of vegetables never touch tomatoes,
cucumbers and all salads that have a
vinegar dressing, for an inadequate
stomach is busy manufacturing more
powerful acid than the system can en-
dure. Eat lightly of potatoes, dried
beans or peas, and raw onions, but let
yourself indulge freely in green beans and
peas, carrots, turnips and wel.cooked
greens. For all the starch your body
needs rice is the proper source of supply.
An abundance OF wel.cooked rice is
worth all the bread and beans and pota-
toes put together.
Strawberries. raw pears and raw
apples are cut off from the rheumatic,
however wholesome they be for others,
and, strangely enough, where grape or
orange juice will set a mans joints to
throbbing, he can help himself safely and
freely to lemon and lime juice. A divine
healing quality is found in the acid of
both these fruits. There is but one sem
tence to cover the use OF sugar: Don't
eat it in any form whatsoever. Ameri-
cans made the best sweetmeats in the
world and suffer most cruelty from the
use of them.
almost as sweeping a denunciation
NAV ha r,oda IF oil I;n,,Js ca ya r,ata.
and milk. beer, claret, port and cham
paign act as sort of poison on the rheu-
matte system. and though whiskey and
brandy, gin and rum are not so injurious,
if taken sparingly and at long intervals,
they are best abjured and water and
milk substituted.
I'm the past ten years mineral waters
have been consumed in enormous quanti-
ties by rheumatics in the belief that they
afford especial aid, and they are efficaci-
Gus, chiefly. though, from the fact that
theyare very pure, and that the use OF
them induces patient to imbibe an I'M
usual quantity of sweet cleansing liquid.
II am willing to say that where MINER
al waters are not easily obtained any
pure water. taken at the rate OF two or
three quarts a day, has an equally salu
tary effect on the system. 1t must be
pure, however, and filtered, if there are
any doubts about its cleanliness. This
liquid, taken slowly, in small tumber-
fuls, and for the most part between
meals, will largely serve the purpose of
mineral water. Not more than tum-
blerful is wholesome at each meal. and it
is best not to take the water Just before
or after eating or on getting into bed.
"a rheumatic must be nourished, and
most especially one who has languid
appetite. THREE meals day are not
enough for such a patient. Between
breakfast and lunch and between lunch
and dinner fresh egg, beaten up in
sweet, fresh milk, is an excellent stimu-
liant, more valuable than all the milk
punches ever devised.
"All these reasonable courses do not
lead TO a cure, though, unless exercise
that is regular and never stinted is taken
every day. First OF all, don't pretend to
try tor athletics or violent motion of any
kind, since it is just as injurious to strain
the aching limbs as to let them lie inert.
For example, when rheumatism at
tacks the knees, to swim, to bicycle or
play golf simply overtaxes the tortured
nerves and muscles, but if you will take
cane and walk quietly tor mile or
two, or if the weather is dry take your
gun and 60 proving through fields and
woods in search OF game. or, lacking
interest in that, try to cultivate taste
for hunting botanical and chronological
specimens, the exercise then serves as a
tonic. The main points to use the mus
cles regularly. In wet weather bedroom
gymnastics serve as an excellent substi-
tute for the more intelligent outdoor
pleasures, but only in wet weather. Care
must be taken never to exercise so vio-
lently that any danger is incurred from
cooling off too suddenly.
The average American puts consider
able faith in baths, and naturally prefers
the stimulating cold water. This is well
enough when the twinges are not severe
and the joints not swollen. In violent
attacks of rheumatism it is most essen
tial to avoid cold water and substitute
hot daily bath, dissolving in the water
piece of sulphur as big as hens egg.
Such bath may not seem so invigorat-
ing as the cold water, but il taken rapid
ly, followed by brisk toweling, with no
sudden after-exposure for an hour or two
to any cold air or draughts, the hot dip
is as bracing as the cold.
Last on the list of aids to the rheu-
matte is massage. 1t is one of the few
real aids to relief in severe attacks.
Amateur rubbing is often of as great; in
jury as genuine help, but good Swedish