The Washington times., 1917-01-25
POPULAR MEDICINE
BYDR. HIRSHBERG
Intelligent Observation of Rules
OF Hygiene viii De.
crease Illness.
BY DIR. LEONARD n. HIRsHBERG.

BY DIR. LEONARD h. HIRsHBERG.
Uraemia is q form OF self-poison-
ing which occurs toward the end of a
serious assault upon the kidneys. Tt
Is q condition which may accompany
several different maladies of the blood
and kidneys. Strictly speaking,
uraemic poisoning is in itself not a
disease. II is a symptom.
Or course, IL has no more to do with
uric acid" than It has to do with
uric soda" Uraemia means that
most OF the waste materials, which
normally pass to the outside world
by way Of the kidneys, are now, since
the kidneys are injured. damned up
and kept inside the human form.
The exact nature and composition
OF the poisons which are thus kept
from pouring themselves out have not
been completely determined. Never
theless, IT is logical to think that any
discarded waste stun, which ought to
be and is commonly elected as a nuis-
ance, when retained, would do dam
age to sensitive tissues not up to par
or have to work over too long a time.
When facts are few opinions hold
a large sway. One view is that
uraemia is nothing else than the
accumulation Of waste kidney stuffs
in the blood. Whatever these are,
they are not uric acid" urea or the
other things found in everybody's
blood and kidney fluids.
Latent Uraemia Dangers.
The famous Brun-Sequard thought
that the internal Juices OF the kidneys,
analogous TO thyroid substances, were
perverted in kidney diseases and thus
induced uraemic coma
II more than two-thirds Of the kidneys
are removed serious symptoms begin TO
appear. These resemble uraemia. Then,
according to two recent. investigators,
Hughes and Carter. a new and poison
Gus protein made from tissue, begins for
the first time to appear in the blood and
in the still remaining excretion from
the kidneys.
Diseased and broken-up kidney fabric
when injected into animals DESTROYS
their kidneys and symptoms Of Bright's
disease appear. Albumen appears in the
kidney fluids, and as II increases and
new varieties appear the coma and con-
vIilsions Of uraemIa manifest themsel-
yes
Let this be as it may. there Is a terror,
even to the doctor. in the sudden ap-
pearance Of latent uraemia- There may
be at firstly rapid decrease in the
amount OF kidney fluids given forth.
This may be abruptly shut down. despite
the administration of hot broths, saline
solutions and other incentives to kidney
activities.
Headaches seldom Symptoms.
Acute uraemia may show its unwel-
come head II the kidneys, hardened
arteries and high blood pressure are
not attentively looked after. All types
OF damaged or diseased kidneys are
constant threats to the careless as far
as uraemia is concerned.
GIuttony very much more than in
temperance in drink is maintained 70
be at the bottom of the kidney all
msnts, which have uraemia as a dan
gerous menace.
Whenever a victim of very high
blood pressure with kidney maIadies
and "arterio-sclerosis" shows an ex-
cess OF emotional excitement, muscu-
lar twitchings, restlessness, feelings
OF numbness in the arms and creepy
pins and needles" in the hands and
feet: whenever there occurs momen-
tarily spells OF discolored eyesight,
with attacks perhaps of temporary
blindness or dull pain in one eye, the
person 50 affected must be given ED
som salts or some other saline purge
and be put to bed for a cOpious sweat
All Of these signs point to threaten
ed uraemia. Headaches do not occur
often in those menaced by uraemia. 1t
is not the complaint TO be sought A
sharp, almost unbearable, agonizing
collie or pain in the back or abdomen
often begin the attack. Nitroglycer-
in and nitrate OF smyl relieve these
conditions while hot sweats are being
brought on.
(Copy't 1917, by Newspaper Feature service)