The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-27
Medical Notes.

DIR. Stuver believes that with increased
civilization there is Increased degenera-
ton. and claims that ere long we shall
repeat the history of Greece and Rome.
and civilized nations will fall into ruin
and decay. He refers to the excessive
population. herded together in large CIT
les. surrounded by poor sanitary envi-
ronment and breathing impure and vitiat-
ed air, making a pretense of living upon
insufficient or excessive amounts of i'm
proper kinds Of food, keeping late hours
and indulgtng in eXCesses Cf various
kinds. viciously spurred on by the high
pressure of modern living and the strug-
gle for wealth. and says that each Of
these lower health and diminish vital re-
sistance of the larger part Of the popula-
ton This is still further influenced by
the use of Stimulants and narcotics, and
by fatal diseases, such as tuberculosis
and cancer, so that it would seem that
progress In sanitation and hygiene and
the precautions taken against contagious
and infectious diseases have been offset
by lowered general vitality. Within the
last twenty or thirty years the percentage
of insane people has enormously increas-
ed proving that mental health is waning
this being due to vicious methods Of ed
ucaton, which cultivate the intellectual
faculties at the expense of the moral
and physical, the result being an iIreg-
ular and one-sided development, prOduc-
ing social degenerates.
DR.. Hills in a continuation of his re-
marks upon the value Of alcohol, makes
a statement which goes far to place his
somewhat radical opinions in a better
light. While alcohol may be OF value in
exhausting diseases by faVorinR the pro-
duction Of fat on the other hand. in Il
state of health, when the body is sufii
GENTLY nourished, alcohol eXhausts the
liver and kidneys in the efforts to elm
mate it from the body. AS d stlmulant
alcohol is of benefit in tiding a patient
over a crisis. as in pneumonia. and as q
rapid and true tonic and food in depress-
ed states Of the system. as in typhoid fe-
yer. especially when the stomach rejects
other foods and stimulants He recon-
mends old whisky in tablespoonful doses.
with a little cracked Ice or a small quauti-
ty of water every four or five minutes,
according to the strength of the patient
TO endure It, BY thus giving it frequent
ly in small doses as much as four ounces
may be given in an hours time. and can
then be followed and it's action maintaine
by bouilllon at longer intervals. 1t should
never be given when it irritates the
stomach nor should 1t be taken before
any. severe eXertion or after eating. He
comes to the conclusion that at certain
times alcohol may be Of the greatest
val;A and at other times a serious poi
son. Above all, he does not think it ca
pable Of stimulating the brain to increas-
ed mental activity.
So-called health resorts are often even
tuaIly death breeders because there is
them that the very air and soil become
pestilential The history of Mentone for
chilly illustrates this. Forty years ago
Mentone was a healthy village in France,
where the happy peasantry cOntentedly
cultivated their farms. By accident 1t
became known that the climate Of this
region was most beneficial for consump-
tives, and it became the Mecca Of these
unfortunates The peasants neglected
their farming to cater to the wants OF
the strangers Healthy women fOrsOok
their dairies and became washerwomen.
No preventive precautions were taken,
and today as a result of this. the place
is bacillus ridden, a pest hole, death 1t
self. and the once sturdy inhabitants, pic
lures Of health, are an emaciated, cough
ing. bleeding people saturated with the
germs of consumption. The lesson IS
forcibIe one, for thousands of health re-
sorts today will become like Inflated
Mentone if proper precautions are not
taken to destroy all germs.
Change of scene is a favorite remedy
among the laity, and often recommended
by physicians without regard to condi-
tions In cases of nervous exhaustion,
for example, often forerunning insanity,
change of scene may do good. but 1t can
not be recommended off hand and with
out provisions. A constant change Of
scene. with it's fatigue, vexations and
trials may do much harm and may In
fact cause the insanity which it is rec
commended TO prevent. In such cases,
when the change of scene Is recommend
ed, it should be remembered that the
nervously exhausted patient is like
child needing constant watching and ad-
vice. For this reason such patient
should never be sent away TO seek change
and rest alone, but should always have
companion to make provision for care and
protection, and who should provide for
proper combination of fatigue and rest,
change and repose.
Red pepper. aside from its value as
condiment is of value I'm certain irritable
states of the stomach. In seasickness,
for example, broths, free from fat and
literally seasoned with red pepper. will
often relieve nausea and allow of other
food being taken. Tincture of capsicum
is also of value as counter trritant in
place of mustard. a few drops being
sprinkled on a cloth wTung out in hot
water and applied over the painful part.