The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-30

the alcohol. which evaporates. leaving a
thin protecting and healing ceating of gum
Lenzoin. which prevents infection of the
wound by excluding the air and septic mat
ter. Even in severe Iacerated or incised
wounds of the hands ~orsfeet, the tincture
is eficacious as a dressing. The wound is
first carefully washed clean. preferably
with a weak antiseptic solution. all for
eign bodies are removed, and hemorrhage
checked. A layer OF absorbent cotton is
then placed around the wound, and this is
saturated with the compound tincture of
benzoin- The alcohol evaporates, leaving
the wound Theoretically sealed up in its
dressing. and the wound quickly heals. as
a rule without any complications.
Dyspepsia is not the cause of all ills that
flesh is heir TO, but some scientists claim
that it causes loss of hair. The nails and
hair are the least vital of all parts of the
body, and when there is a lack of recon-
structive principles the hair and nails nat
urally suffer most, for the heart, lungs
and brain must be kept at work, no matter
how low the supply of vital fuel In sick
ness, for example, the hair always shows
evidence of this desire of nature to econ
omize force, and a hair, under the mi
croscope, will give a history of greater or
lesser falling off of the system at inter-
walls. Even overwork, anxiety, and espe-
cially underfeeding, will mark their pres
ence, owing to a deficient blood supply at
that time. Regularity in eating also infu-
ences the growth of the hair, for Irregular
ity in eating leads to dyspepsia. When
meals are taken at regular hours the
stomach expects them and is ready for
them. but when they come at all hours the
stomach is continually taken by surprise
and cannot perform its work properly. The
moral is, If you want to avoid a bald head,
be careful what you eat. when you eat. and
how you eat.
According to DR.. VIGOROUS, Of Paris,
people suffering from nervous exhaustion
eat too much and drink too little. He
recommends that such persons eat food
that Is readily assimilated without too
great digestive effort. He prescribes grilled
or roasted mutton, fish, ham, eggs, vege-
tables. especially plainly boiled potatoes.
farina soups, rice cakes, patties, coffee and
fruit. Beef tea, fat, sauces, spices. ETC.,
should be forbidden and butter. if used,
should be fresh. Three meals a day should
be taken. the last being several hours be-
fore retiring and the heartiest being taken
at MONDAY. At least a quart and a half
of water should be drunk per day, and a
little white wine may be taken if desired.
Milk should be prohibited as We'll as vege-
table soups and meat extracts. The diet
here described has no special reconstruc-
tive or tonic qualities, but meets the actual
needs of the system. saving it unnecessary
digestive work and lessening the amount of
used up or waste material. The diet is
also serviceable in eczema and other skin
diseases, and in articular rheumatism.
+ + !
The prevalent interest in consumption
leads to an abnormal brooding over this
disease by some emotional people, and
many believe that they have consumption
when they have not. Broadly outlined, a
person has consumption when he is easily
fatigued, is run down in weight, has a poor
appetite. follows any injurious occupation,
uses or has used alcohol to excess, or has
parents or grandparents who have been
inebriates, or has a history of insanity or
| serious nervous disease in the family. If
he has a long. narrow chest, with shortness
of breath; if he is between twenty and
thirty years of age; if he is the youngest
member of a family in which a trace of
consumption exists; and especially If he
looks like the parent who suffered or died
from the disease; the probability is great,
says DR.. Mays, that he is either a con-
sumptive or is in danger of becoming one.
The same is true where only a part of
| these influences exist.
+
American ideas and customs strike for
| eigners very peculiarly, and often cause
| curious comment. A Frenchman, for in
stance, who has travelled through the
| States has written about filling teeth, and,
after studying statistics, estimates that
half a million dollars worth of gold is
packed into American teeth every year.
At the end of a few decades the cemeteries
will nave gold to the value of s150, 000, 900.
and companies will be organized to recover
the gold. This, however, is not a new
| idea, for DR.. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in an
| address before a dental society mahy years
ago, referred to the same idea, and sug-
gested that some day cemeteries might
prove rich gold fields.
Deafness does not always result from
simple disease of the ear. Diseases Of the
throat and nose are common causes of
| deafness, and a common cold neglected has
often led to permanent deafness. Aside
from rupture of the ear drum there is
scarcely a symptom Of defective hearing
not directly traceable to a diseased condi-
ton of the throat or nose. Colds, too, are
not the only cause of running at the nose.
Smelling salts will affect the nose, and
many cases OF deafness have been caused
by excessive inhalation of pungent smell
ing salts or strong i~nhalants.
Prescriptions.
In cases of persistent intercostal neural