The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-13

dead fingers" local anesthesia, SYM
mctrical gangrene, or Raynauds dis
case, is observed in mild, moderate
and severe types.
Tho mild type is quite popular,
gather from the plants of readers.
Tho patients suffer for years from
cold hands and feet, and eventually
begin to complain Of tingling in fin
gers and toes and blueness of feet and
hands when they become cold. After
exposure to heat the fingers or toes
throb and ache, become congcsted and
tense and swollen, and it takes a long
time for them to become normal.
Many cases are mistaken for chill
blains. In warm weather the trouble
is much less annoying, though not
always entirely absent.
Tho moderate type begins with
numbncss and tingling Of one or more
fingers. Later on these fingers will
become white and cold upon the
slightest exposure to cold, and remain
so for hours. after which they become
blue and conscsted, then red and
warm and painful. This series of
changes is due to spasm Of the radia
artery. The pulse may be felt to be
smaller during the attack Occasion
ally, after such an attack, the finger
or fingers will remain blue and pain
full and perhaps actual Sangrene of the
fingers will follow.
Gansrene Comes Quickly.
tn
case gangrcne occurs in the early
months of the trouble. Not only the
fingers or toes, but sometimes the
ears and tip of nose are also involved.
Rarely the whole foot or hand has
been involved in the gangrcnous
process.
1t is curious. and perhaps suggestive
That hives (urticaria), purpura (scur-
wy. severe abdominal collie and other
symptoms of an over-secrction by the
adrenal gland arc frequently noted in
cases of Raynauds disease. It may
be that the patient is a victim of some
form of protein sensitization, though
We have no positive knowledge of the
cause OF the condition. For that mat
the cause of rheumatism until we
search for and discover the septic
focus in each individual case
How to Manage the n. N. F. 3.
VIII yo4. kindly direct how a hot
mustard foot bath may be admins
tered to a patient In bed, as you stated
that is the only safe and proper way.
IL S. HJ
ANSWER.-The patient, stripped. is
placed in bed between blankets. He is
given a. glassful or two Of very hot
lemonade or ginger tea or any hot
drink which encourages sweating. If
there is some acute infection with fc-
verishness. he may be given IA tea
spoonful of sweet spirits of inter in a
little cold water just before the hot
drink. A cold cloth should be kept
on the forehead throughout. and
changed occasionally. to prevent the
patient from getting restless and kick
ing off the blankets. Double the knees
up under the blankets. and place q
foot-tub half full of very hot water in
which a tablespoonful of mustard is
stirred. in the bed. Gently but firmly
thrust the feet in it. If patient swcars.
either in words or looks, make it IA bit
hotter by cautiously pouring in hotter
water from a pitcher. Lave the legs
continuously, and as water cools off,
dip out some and replace with hotter
water. After II minutes take away
tub dry feet put hot water bottle in
bed. tuck patient in, pile on every
thing in sight and see that he does not
come up for air inside of half an hour.
Let him sweat for his sins about an
hour. Then remove the damp blankets.
dry him off (alcohol and water bath is
good. and leave him to ruminatc on
tho trials Of this life. There is no
danger of one taking cold' after a
hot mustard foot bath. But the reason
why IT should be given only in bed is
that little or no pcrspiration is pro-
fnduccd by n bath taken sitting up, and
fainting is likely to occur.