The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-04
MEDICAL NOTES.
prepared for the Sunday Journal by
an Old PractftiOnerD

prepared Tor the sunday JOurnaI by
an Old Probationary
A pamphlet recently issued by Surgeon
General Wyman, relating to the bubonic
plague, describes the subject very thor
oughly and might we'll be read by the laity.
According to DR.. Dabney, one reason why
the plague is so prevalent in the East is
because the people are so badly fed, the
rice diet not furnishing sufficient bodily
heat. AS rats are suspected of conveying
contagion the plague is indirectly of some
good. since it leads to the killing off of
the rats. incubation is difficult, because.
on account of the reverence of the Hindoo
for animals, they will not submit to the
use of products from these animals. House
toulouse inspection is also difficult, because
the Mohammedan's house is truly his castle
and the harem- connected Herewith is sane
titled against intrusion.
:: :: =:
The invention of the couveuse, or incuba-
tor for children prematurely born, has, no
doubt, saved many infant lives. but on the
other hand its use In some cases Is ILL
advised and increases infant mortality.
The object of the couveuse is to supply and
maintain the normal bodily temperature,
thus protecting a weakly child against the
cold, but on the other hand, the couveuse
is a cultivation chamber. where germs null
tiply with great rapidity, so that a child
put in a couveuse is, as it were, in an in
lection chamber. where he can and may
contract disease most readily. A French
physician. NJ. Hutinel. says that no chill
dren should be placed in couveuse except
those in whom the temperature is below
that of normal blood, and under all cir
cumstances the couveuse should be often
disinfected
Mention has already been made in these
notes of the open-air home treatment of
consumptives. but DR.. Ransome. an Eng
lish physician, believes that the residence
of consumptive should be changed If he
is to be benefited by the open-air treat
ment, because, as he claims, the home is
likely to be saturated with tubercle bacilli
and there is thus constant danger of rein
lection. He also insists that good ventila-
ton OF rooms is necessary, as well as rest
and graduated exercise. the former being
prescribed If fever is noticeable the di-
gestive organs require it, exercise being
regulated by the vital powers of the pa
tient and the extent of chest movement
possible.
Oftentimes serious results occur from the
accidental substitution or use of poisonous
drugs for comparatively harmless ones.
Many drugs thus accidentally exchanged
are white and somewhat similar in appear
ance. DR.. Problem recommends that pills
containing the more powerful narcotic
drugs, and especially those containing aka
ioids or active principles of which rela-
lively small doses are poisonous. be COW
cred with coating colored red as danger
signal. just as it is enacted by some for
eign laws that certain poisonous white
powders be colored so that they cannot be
used by would-be prisoners.
A new method of dressing burns Is to sill
ver-plate them. so to speak. A piece of
silver leaf amply large enough to cover it is
laid over the injured surface, being held In
place only by a gauze bandage. The silver
leaf does not adhere to the broken sur
faces. and thus. while 1t is an excellent
protective dressing. 1t can be removed and
renewed without causing pain, this alb
sence of pain and shock being greatly in it's
favor over all other dressings. 1t was first
introduced at the Johns Hopkins Hospital
and has recently been tried at Bellevue
Hospital. New York.
In many public schools, for many years.
some form of physical exercise has been
kept up along more or less indefinite lines
DR.. Smith. in recommending the introduce
ton of athletic training in public schools,
believes that not less than half an hours
time every day should be devoted to bodily
culture. He believes that each child should
undergo a physical examination and that
there should be gymnastic classes. graded
in accordance with the varying physical
condition, the exercise being such as to in
terest the pupil as well as to develop the
physique.
new use for the Y ray Is the removal
of hair on the face in women. DIR. Freund
who recommends the ray to therapy In
this and other skin diseases reports that
after seventeen to swenty-four sittings the