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Show FRESH-AIR TREATMENT Most Potent Means of Restoring Consumptive Patients to Health Dr. F. R. Walters In his study on Uio various sanatoria for consumptives calls tho open-air lf0 tho keynote of sanatorium treatment He furthor says that tho patient. Instead of being kept In a carefully warmed room von-tllated von-tllated from other parts of tho house, according to tljo iwpular notions of old, lives in the open air frm morning morn-ing till night, at all seasons and in all weathers. Lack of fresh air Is tho greatest predisposing cause of consumption; con-sumption; fresh air Is the most potent po-tent means of restoring him to health. Now this prescription Is very easy to carry out in dry climates such as thoso of Egypt, the Alpine health resorts, re-sorts, South Africa or Colorado; but it requires special arrangements and Bpeclal precautions In a damp and rainy climate. Tho credit of showing how this may bo accomplished belongs mainly to Brohmonr,, Dettweller and their followers. The open-air method may perfectly well bo carried out in any climate which is healthy for thoso who aro not consumptive. As Leon Petit observes: "Here tho cllmato may help the cure, . . there it may hinder it; but it only exerts a secondary lnfluencb on the treatment." (1) Moreover, Just as the pleasantest climates nra not always thoso which aro best for healthy people, (2) so It may bo that tho most pleasant climates clim-ates for an out-of-door life whoro tho air Is warm and dry and littlo rain falls are not best for thoso consumptives consump-tives why havo -later on to return to a less favored placo. It Is bracing climates rather than warm nnd equable equ-able ones which havo the greatest Influence In-fluence in restoring tho consumptive to health, in all but exceptional cases. For tho open-air treatment, a fourfold four-fold Bholter should bo provided against wind, excessive cold, extreme sunlieat and rain. Wind raises dust, increases cough in consumptives, and intensifies tho chilling effects of cold. Tho foreign for-eign sanatoria with few exceptions havo both natural and artificial shelter against wind. Cold within cortaln limits lim-its is useful to tho consumptive; but It should bo a windless cold, and suited suit-ed to tho Individual power of reaction. reac-tion. Ab damp intensifies tho climatic cli-matic effect of both heat and cold, tho chilly consumptive will bo able to withstand a lower temperature in a dry than in a humid cllmato. Protection Protec-tion against ralnAaud 8pow4wilU80eF to most peoplo arfbyous necessity, although at Nordach rin Is often disregarded. dis-regarded. It Is not enough to provldo resting places in tho sanatorium which aro protected against rain. At cortaln stages exerclso is Imperative, and sheltered paths and opon covered corridors aro needed for exorclso in rainy weather. At Falkenstoln thero is such a corridor 200 feot long. In places whero the Bun's rays aro very powerful, aB at Caulgou in the Pyrenees, direct exposure to tho sun is found to lncreaso tho tendency to fover. Even at Hohenhonnot on tho Rhino, which Is not far south, a large verandah; has been provided which In hot weather can bo artificially cooled by a stream of water. Protection against wind and weather Is afforded in most santorla by largo vcrandns, which may bo fitted with movablo glass screens, as the Adirondack Cot-tago Cot-tago Sanatorium. In our own cllmato it would bo useful to havo a voranda with a hollow floor, which could bo warmed, as cold and damp can bo moro easily borne if tho feot aro kopt warm. Other simpler ways aro tho provision: of hot bottles and warm clothing. Recumbency also helps a chilly patient, tho blood circulating with less cardiac effort in this position. posi-tion. According to Or. Welcker and Dr. Jacoby,. tho reenmbont position also favors tho flow of blood to tho apices of the lungs. In most foreign sanatoria summer bousos or sun boxes aro also provided; at Falkenstoln Falken-stoln some- of theso can bo rotated according ac-cording to- tho direction of tho wind. Dr. Burton-Fanning, In his experimental experi-mental sanatorium near Cromer, has modified tho well-known shelters of our seaside resorts by providing thorn with rovorelblo glass screens. 11) IA)C. clt., p. 49. (2) Hermann Wcbor and Mlchnel G. Foster, arttclo In Allbutfs Syst. of Med. on "Cllmato In tho Treatment of UU-cnifo." UU-cnifo." Stable and Conditions. "Tho condition and health of a horso," says tho National Builder, "depend "de-pend very much upon the kind of Btablo It Is kopt in. Thero aro horses which Buffor from dlscaso of tho oyes, from coughs, from scratches and othor skin diseases, all of which aro producod by tho pungent, foul air in tho stables. Farmers and othors who have horses will take pains to keep tholr carriages and harnessos protoct-od protoct-od from tho strong ammonlcal air of tho stables, lest tho leather may bo rotted or tho varnish dulled and spotted; spot-ted; and at the same time thoy will wonder why their horses cough, or have woak oyes or moon-blindness, or Buffer from othor diseases , which. If thoy would only think for a tow inln- utes they would readily percelvo aro duo to tho foul air tho animals aro compelled to breathe overy night In tho year while conflnod in close, badly ventilated stables. Tho remody is very easy. Tho Btablo should bo kept clean; this will prevent tho greater part of the mischief, and it should bo well ventilated. Tho floor should bo properly drained, so that tho liquid will not remain on it, washed off at least twice a week with plenty of water, wa-ter, and then liberally sprinkled with finely ground gypsum (plaster), which will comblno with and destroy the ammonia. am-monia. A solution of copporas (sulphate (sul-phate of Iron) will havo thp sarao result. re-sult. Lastly, tho floor should bo supplied sup-plied with absorbent Utter, which should bo removed whon it is soiled. Ventilation should bo provided in such a way as to avoid cold drafts. Small openings, which may bo easily closed with a slide, may bo made in tho outer wall near tho floor, and similar ones near tho celling, or In tho roof, through which tho foul air can escape. Puro air Is of tho utmost tmportauco to tho well-being of horses." Insomnia. This very common condition Is most often duo to six o'clock dinners or enting in tho evening. To secure sound sleep, no-food .should bo taken after. 4 p. m., or at least nothing moro than a littlo rlpo stowed fruit, without cream, ahd with as littlo sugar as possible, pos-sible, better with nono. Oranges or some other Juicy fruit aro preferable for an evening's lunch. Avoid broad and butter or milk, anil similar articles arti-cles which digest slowly. Fruit Juices, and completely prcdlgested food substances sub-stances may bo added In moderation. Tea and coffee also produco sleeplessness. sleep-lessness. Sedentary habits conduco to sleeplessness by promoting tho accumulation ac-cumulation of uric acid, which 1b a ncrvo excitant, and gives rise to restlessness rest-lessness and disturbing dreams. Said the wise man, "Tho sleop of tho laboring man is sweet." Eccl. 6:12. Gentle fatigue produced by oxerclso out of doors Is wonderfully offectivo as a means of producing sleep. A prolonged bath, fifteen to forty minutes, min-utes, or even longer If necessary, at a temporaturo of 92 degrees to 95 degrees de-grees F taken Just.boforo retiring, Is ian' i excellent remedy for sleepless ness. Tho moist abdominal bandage, consisting of a towel wrung quito dry out of cold water and wound around tho body, covered snugly with mackintosh mack-intosh and then with flannel in sufficient suf-ficient nnnntltv to keen it warm, is an exceedingly helpful measuro In producing pro-ducing sleep in cases in which sleeplessness sleep-lessness is duo to excess of blood In tho brain. Caro must be taken to keep tho feot warm. If necessary, a hot bag may bo applied to tho feot or a moist pack to each leg. If tho head Is hot, it cool compress' may bo ap-plledl ap-plledl Why trie Body Needs Water. Someone has asked: "What would bo tho causa of death of a person who drank no water?" This subject has been studied considerably; animals havo been experimented upon, and It is found that without water thoy loso their power to eliminate tho natural nat-ural poisons; thoy must have water in order to eliminate them, otherwise tho secretions become too donse. Without water, tho amount of urea which should bo secreted becomes diminished, di-minished, and so with the other so-crotlons. so-crotlons. We need water, not only to dissolve tho food and carry it along, but wo need It to dissolvo and carry out of the system tho poisonous and worn-out matorlal of tho body, after it has sorved Its purpose. Water forms a circulating medium for carrying substances sub-stances back and forth In the system, sys-tem, conveying nourishment to the various parts of tho body, bringing back the? used-up material and carrying carry-ing it out by way of excretory ducts. Tho amount of water dally roqulrod is from two to threo pints. In very hot woather a larger amount Is needed, need-ed, as much water is lost by perspiration. perspira-tion. If one's diet consists largely of tho Julcos of fruits, tho quantity of water may bo considerably diminished:. Is Water a Food? Hutchinson, nn English authority, who has published the latest and best work on foods, Includes water among food substances. Water onterB tho body, not only as a solvent, but ns destined des-tined to becomo a constituent element of tho tlssueSt themselves. Water adds to tho energy of tho body by increasing increas-ing tho power of tho heart, and in othor ways contributing to tho activity of tho tissues. Get Health. No labor, pains, teraporanco, poverty, pover-ty, nor oxerclso that can gain it must bo grudged; for sickness is a cannibal which oats up all tho Ufa and youth It can lay hold of, and absorbs, its own sons and daughters. Emerson. |
