Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-04-10
SICNS0FSICKNESS
Symptoms That May Alarm and
Yet May Not Be Serious.
CAUSED BY SIMPLE AILMENTS.
Spots Before the Eyes, For instance.
May Mean Brain Disease. but The
Chances Are Thousands TO One That
They Arise From Some Slight Cause.

A doctor. writing In London answer
pays:
People often come to me nowaday.
in very great dread, because they heal
ringing in the ears. see spots before thu
eyes. or suffer from some other symp
tom which they suppose to signify Sc
rious disease.
Nearly always l 6nd that something
very slight, or nothing ut all. Is the
NATTER; but l do not always succeed In
* convincing my patients.
These groundless fears make 4 great
many people so nervous and miserable
that an explanation OF a few Of the
commonest symphonic of Ill health may
be Of some service.
Noises in the ear, as Of bells ringing,
whistles blowing, hooters sounding,
etc. most commonly arise from nerv'
Gus exhaustion. slight increase Of the
blood supply Of the brain. caused by q
tit Of datulent indigestion. temporary
thickening Of part Of the ear and nerv.
Gus strain. All these are not Of the
least account and should cause no
alarm.
No doubt some really serious disease,
such as enlargement Of the heart mus
cles does sometimes exist. But every
q who feels alarm about his health
should remember that almost any dan.
gerous illness will show itself unmis.
takably. not BY one. but by half 4 doz-
en- symptoms.
Spots before the eyes may signify
brain disease, but the chances are one
hundred thousand to M that only
some very slight cause is responsible.
such as a torpid liver, WEAKNESS Of the
nervous system, tnsuficien sleep or
some little congestion OF the brain.
Flashes In the eyes form another
source Of anxiety, and they are really
very startling. But, while sometimes
due to eye disease, one Of the com.
monest causes Ia catarrh Of the stom.
ach.
Another little eye trouble ia blurred
vision. which makes a nervous person
think he is becoming blind. It may,
OF course, be due to bad sight; but,
happening now and again. 1t is usual
ly caused by a sluggish liver or nerv-
u dyspepsia.
Shortness Of breath gives rise to ex.
IRENE distress. for the first thought is
Of consumption But this is an effect
Of a multitude Of disorders. great and
small. Congestion Of, the liver, amaze
mia. obesity may cause it. 1t Is com.
mon in chronic bronchitis-a trouble
some, but BY no means dangerous dis
ease.
Sometimes. Of course. It signifies
more serious maladies. But then there
are many other symptoms to tell the
tale. $sE
Dizziness nine times out of ten re-
suits from a dsordered digestion, ca.
tarrh Of the stomach especially, or
from sluggishness of the liver, jaun.
dice or temporary decrease Of the
blood supply Of the brain. find my
patients who thus suffer turn their
thoughts at once to something very
grave. such as locomotor ataxia or
Meniere's disease.
Confusion Of mind and sleeplessness
give rise to the fear Of approaching
insanity.
1t isr really wonderful bow people
always seize on the most fearsome e1.
PLANTATION. But s~leeplessness may be
due to q hundred and ~ tribes and
is most commonly the result Of some
very innocent cause.
1t may be occasioned by nervous
dyspepsia or catarrh Of the stomach.
torpid liver. excitement Of the brain
from overwork, tea or coffee taken
late in the evening. too much smoking.
too heavy bedclothes, cold feet. a bad
~ ventilated room. I could 90 on for
an hour writing the common causes
Of this trouble. .
Confusion of mind may result from
too little sleep, a torpid liver, indiges-
ton. too little or too much blood in
the brain and other minor things that
are of no real consequence. Drowsi.
ness makes some people think they
are in for softening Of the brain or
some other dreadful disease. 1t most
often arises from slow digestion. an
inactive liver or from temporary de-
crease Of the blood supply of the brain.
The commonest cause Of all these.
though. IL an ov%ersensitive nervous
system. -e. 8
Occasionally, no doubt. confusion Of
the mind or d%rowsiness may be a symp-
tom Of diabetes or other serious dis
ease. but such cases. 1t may be said.
are the exception.
In all these cases the only sensible
rule is to put an isolated symptom
down to some simple and harmless
cause. II there is anything seriously
wrong It will make itself known BY
many symptoms.
mo doubt any Of the things emu.
merated above may be the trst sign
Of something of real gravity; but the
chances are thousands to one that the
cause 10 Z mere tribe.
Whieh1 III
III yon feel chilly" said be 40 they
strolled. remember I have your shawl.
here on my arm" .You might put Il.