The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-10
POULTICES AND TYPEWRITERS MIGHT BE
 IMPROVED

An Ohio reader says his friend argues that a poultce draws sore to head" and that some into pulp with flour and hot water the best material for a poutice. The reader argues heat and moisture and that therefore poultices | should be applied as hot as may be endurabe. | and further they may be made of any material such as rags paper, bread, meal, etc., soaked in hot water. Finally the reader suspects will ridi- cule the idea of using poultices at all. Well, that depends whose neck is sore. If it is mine, I'd rather like a nice big faxseed meal poultice on it, think, about bedtime.
 l don't know about peach leaves, but believe the material for a poutlce Is immaterial, if that
 isn't hibernicism. The purpose IS to apply moist heat, and anything that will retain heat and moisture is a good material, provided it be clean.
 Now faxseed meal or other such poultice ma terial is in itself good pabuum or culture me- grow in it. So it is well to add to a poultce some germicide for the purpose of disinfecting the poultice when or if any of the germs get into it. For this purpose boric acid may be used.
 Perhaps haxseed meal or other meals will hold the heat longer, but nowadays we have prefer ence for large congresses that is, many folds of cheesecloth (gauze) kept moistened with hot salt solution, with borc acid in the solution, as a more clcanly means of providing the effects of l poultice. This is commonly called wet dress
 ing" The whole dressing may be covered with waxed paper oiled silk rubber dam to keep the clothing bed clothing dry. The whole dressing may be plunged in hot solution at inter- vals if change of dressing is not necessary. Salt solution somewhat stronger than the salt strength of the blood serum is advisable for the so called "draWins" effect. We usually use salt solution of about the salt strength of sea water. This tends to favor drainaSe-drainage is the modern term for drawing" The stronger salt solution attracts water from the tissues and in that water or serum much septic or harmful ma tcrial is drained from the infected tissues. Suppose you had a run around" or young boil or the reddening swelling throbbing that suggests infection of some trfng wound First give the hand or arm d prolonged soaking in a large basin or tank of water as hot as bearabe, and in the water dissolve, for each pint used. two hcapng teaspoonfuls of common salt and one of sodium citrate and one of borc acid. After soak | ing for an hour or more. make some fresh hot solution of the same ingredients and apply a large wet dressing. Change this at least keep | 1t constantly moisened with the hot solution | many times through the day and night. Where plain poultices are used there is always the risk of transferring pus germs to fresh | point and culturing a fresh boil. Therefore I | think it is good rule NEVER to poultce boil If it is boil it should be drained, either surgic- | ally naturally, and always with antiseptic or | germicidal precautions.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | School Hygiene
 My daughter learns in school that cocoa is good for children. l tell her 1t is not particular k kj good for growing children A" wrong: G. | Answer-You right. Cocoa is certainly not good for children, but it is the least injurious of | the three stimulating beverages-coffee tea co coa-for children under 16 years of age, if they are to be permitted to take any such stmuan mt | Milk is the most wholesome beverage for chiI- dren under 16. Preferably milk from tuber- | culin tested herds and if certified milk is avail able that is unquestionaby the finest and purest
 
 Efor plain milk. the milk may be favored with | caramel with little cocoa. The objection to | cocoa or chocolate as beverage for school chil- dren is, first, that it gives false satia- | ton which prevents the child from taking other and more essential things for lunch; second, it Is a stmuant to the function of the kidneys, and | that function seldom requires stimulation in | childhood. Where only low grade milk (such as pasteurzed stuf) IS available the school lunch | ought 10 provide some good soup for the young children.
 Gets Under thc Skin
 Previous to making your acquaintance I had plenty of severe colds every winter, with few thrown fin at no extra cost In summer Now thanks to your teaching, l manage to keep free from them unless some sun of gun holds me down and bark> in my face. intend tO remain free. I can tell you, Dr Brady. that you are making friends every day. Your style serves to get under a raedcr's skin and drive the point in so 1t sticks. (S. l.. Al
 Answer-And can tell you, Brother A.. a fel- Ter needs friend every day in this business, else he is in danger of being dragged off to the nut hatchery thrown out on his ear for being of fensive to somebody or other.