The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-20

the beginning of the attack, for warmth
and quiet are necessary in the treat
ment and may lessen the severity Of the
attack He should wear a flannel night
gown, which should be changed night
and morning, as it becomes saturated
with sweat. He should lie between
blankets, not between sheets, and a hot
water bottle should be placed in the
bed to make 1t warmer If the contact
of the bed clothing causes pain a cradle
should be put in the bed, an easily i'm
provised one being made from a long
box without a cover and with the ends
knocked out, projecting nails being
driven in or pulled out that they may
not tear the clothes or lacerate the flesh.
This is placed over the affected joint and
makes a sort of tunnel or arch over the
limb
The diet should consist Of milk ex
clusively, meats and even beef tea being
injurious, as they are believed to be one
of the important causes of the rheumatic
tendency. Alcoholic drinks should also
be forbidden.
The joints should be wrapped in cot
ton wool and flannel bandage, but on
the bias. quite tightly wrapped around
it and firmly fastened. Camphorated OH
may be rubbed on the joint or ammonia,
belladonna, or chloroform liniment may
be applied before the cotton is put on.
The patient should be moved as little
as possible, and above all should not be
chilled by unnecessary uncovering. eX-
posure to draughts, etc. Even the touch
of cold hand may cause the patient
paroxysms of agony, and an attendant.
or visitor treading heavily, or jostling
against the bed, will cause eXcruciating
pain.
Incidentally, sa,icylate CT soda viii US
ually relieve all the symptoms. reducing
fever alternating pain and checking the
sweating but In spite of all treatment
the rheumatism may finger for many
weeks. It should be given during the at
tack in comparatively large doses, say
fifteen grains, every TWO or three hours,
until the symptoms are relieved. TINS
bowels should also be kept open by sm1ll
doses of calomel and nitre may be given
to act upon the kidneys. Sa:icylic acid,
however, often causes much mental dis
turbance and some patients cannot to-
crate the drug at all. The symptoms Of
ness, giddinesS, headache, Stupor, delir-
ium, noisy breathing and loss of strength.
If these symptoms occur the drug should
be lessened in quantity or wholly with
drawn, especially if it has been 8 Ven
several days and has had no appreciate
effect on the disease. Under all cireum-
stances the desc should be decreased as
the symptoms decline in force.
A more agreeable remedy and one that
is often effcacious is the lsmon juice
treatment Tablespoonful of lemon
taken every four hours, until relief Is
obtained. This lemonade may be slightly
sweetened. but should be taken as acid
as the patient can. tolerate it. Or the
patient may be given lemons, cut in
halves to suck the juice from.
On the other hand. many advocate the
potash. etc. For example, a patient may
take, every three hours, twenty grains OF
bicarbonate Of potash mixed with fifteen
grains of tartaric acid, in glass Of wa
ter, to be drank while effervescing. An
other good mixture is twenty grains of
bicarbonate of soda, one teaspOonful OF
lemon juice and a tablespoonful of c-na-
mon water, in water, every three hours.
For the relief Of the pain Dover's pow
der may be given in five to ten grain
doses, at night, combined with five grain
doses Of calomel, or a compound cathar-
tic pill following In the morning by
small dose of EPSON salts, IL the patient
is able to endure such a purgative.
Usually case Of rheumatic fever re-
covers in from thirteen to twenty-one
days, but may be prolonged to five II
six weeks. Recovery is the rule, death
occurring in only per cent, but seri US
complications may occur, diseases Of tho
heart as before mentioned, pneumonia,
pleurisy, and most dangerous an inf1am-
nation of the brain may ensue. The fe-
yer, too, sometimes runs extremely high
and the patient dies unless the fever is
quickly reduced.
As preventive means these who have
rheumatic parents, or who have had per-
sonal evidence of their liability to rfeu-
matism, should be careful to wear suita-
BILE clothing and avoid needless expo ure
to cold and dampness. They should
choose an occupation which does not sx-
pose them to a cold and draughty or
damp environment. and preferably ono
that is carried on indoor. rather than an
outdoor occupation. Remember, too, that
the rheumatism Is essentially a disease
of temperate climates and that the more
inclement and cbaneeable the weather,
the greater the extremes of dryness and
moisture, of heat and cold, the greater
mate, during the winter. at least Will
often relieve and prevent the attacks Ct
rheumatism, provided q location Is che -
en- where the climate Is mild and eunab' E.,
Leon Noel.