The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
MEDICAL NOTES.
prepared for the Sunday Journal by
an Old Practitioner)

| prepared for the Sunday Journal by
an Old Practitioner)
Nothing gives the doctor more trouble
| than a patient who just won't get well.
These people decide. no matter how slight
| the illness, that the time for their dying
| has come, and very often in such cases it
| does come, because the mind has power
| full influence over the body. In the same
way very strong-willed person refuses to
give up the fight for life. even when the
| doctors say there is no hope, and such OBJ
stinate people often get well in spite of the
| lack of hope. Much of the illness from
| which many people suffer is purely imagi-
nary, but by persevering in their morbid
imagination the illness may become real
Their food must be weighed out without
the error of a grain, and their drink must
be measured with minute precision, for
who knows what terrible results might en-
sue If quarter of an ounce more bread
were eaten or a drachm more wine drunk
than is set forth in the dietary by which
their meals are regulated? Such people.
when you ask them how they feel, are
never more than little better" or fairly
well for me- and even this admission
costs them an effort. for they actually be-
lieve they telling what is not true just
to be agreeable. Even when In perfect
health, illness of any kind in the neighbor-
hood will surely affect these people. If
they take a walk and meet a friend who
has had the influenza they will cross the
road to avoid any possibility of infection.
If in spite of extreme care they chance to
swallow fruit stone, never-ending cause
Of iG led these
invalids on fine day their gloomy and de-
spondent conversation is enough to make
the sun hide his face, and If you chance
to be shut up with them on a rainy day it
will task your patience to the utmost to re-
frain from impolite and violent language.
Yet while the doctors do not like these pa
tients, they are a perfect mine Of wealth.
and swallow more pills and potions in
week than ordinary people would consume
in year.
80
The question as to-how long canned food
will keep and be fit to eat has been SUBJ
jet of expert investigation. DR.. Brown,
who is strongly in favor Of legislation to
regulate the canning and sale of canned
food, made analyses of meats, soups, ETC.,
which were from twenty to thirty years
outside, they were perfectly clean inside
and the contents were sound. although not
as fresh and tempting to the sight as re-
Gently prepared samples. In canned fruits
age caused change due to the chemical
action of the acids of the fruit and the GAL
vanic action by which the plating and SOL
der were eaten of. He recommends that
no sheet tin be used for cans containing
more than / per cent. of lead, or In which
more than 10 per cent. of solder is used in
the making, for numerous analyses show
that when lead is used in Timing or solder
ing cans. lead will be found in the fruits
ard syrups. The question Of age is one
which readily be solved by stamping
upon them the date when the cans were
filled and a prohibition Of the sale of ali
canned food not bearing such dates.
+ = =
Superstitious people think there is some
evil in having stuffed birds in the house.
and physicians say there is real evil due
to the arsenic used in preparing the skin.
A physician has reported case in which
the husband of her patient was an anna
teur taxidermist. and the wife was found
to be suffering from arsenical poisoning,
due to inhalations Of the arsenical ema-
nations from the stuffed birds. No doubt
in some cases ill-defined feelings OF indis-
position, attributable to no ascertainable
causation. may be due to the presence Of
stuffed birds in the house, and 1t may be
barely possible that the stuffed birds in
my lady's hat may have sufficient arse
mic to cause symptoms of arsenical poison
ing.
ID Id - =
coming on is one of the best remedies. be-
cause 1t stimulates the system and helps
to wash out poisons formed In the body.
Living on fruit for two or three days and
drinking hot or cold water freely, with
milk. for nourishment, will often cure an
ordinary cold If taken in time. The old
proverb. stuff a cold and starve a fever"
is contradictory one, for a cold is a fever.
People suffering from a cold and continu-
ing to eat heartily Of beefsteak, mutton
chop. roast pork and similar foods. are
simply adding fuel to the flames as surely
as one pours oil on fire. Such heating
food stimulates the morbid processes at
work In the body. and. far from curing the
disease. makes it worse.
49,
DR.. Dercum In speaking Of hypnotism.
says that hypnotic sleep is first caused
by fatigue Of the eye muscles and only
secondarily by suggestion. During the sleep
all communication takes place through the
ear. other impressions having no influence.
As to the value of hypnotism. he believes
that II Is of service only In hystericai and
neurasthenic persons, and In these cases,
while Il may cause certain symptoms to
disappear, their place may Be taken by
other newly developed oneaL He especially