The hands of poor Miss C. were absolutely useless. They were completely distorted. She could not wipe her nose. I took one of her hands, manipulated it vigorously, and immediately it became slightly usable. Meanwhile the passes I had made on her head, the dose of Ignatia, and my general attitude had obviously done good. Miss C. looked distinctly better and brighter, and could not deny it when she looked into the mirror.
Her heat and general health improved steadily. Instead of looking frail she began to look sturdy. She gained further weight, and before long she had put on more than a stone of solid flesh. All her friends were amazed at her improvement, and her doctors, who had given her no hope, could not understand what had happened to her. Even the most unpromising cases should never be neglected. Even in the most serious cases there may be a hidden reserve of strength.
In attacks of indigestion with flatulence, white-coated tongue, sluggish action of the liver, usually the patient has been indulging in too much pastry or sweets. There are light-coloured evacuations, dry and hard or pasty. Or following indulgence in carbohydrates the bladder may be irritated and frequent urination with burning has been relieved by Kali mur.
In a recent American publication the author points out the importance of sleep to those threatened or already suffering from nervous exhaustion. Sleep give rest both mentally and physically. He suggests that the patient should take a foot-bath before retiring for the night and that someone should give him a good percussion with the head over the lower part of the neck and lower part of the spine.
After sixteen days backache disappearing entirely. Menses normal, but felt bloated before menstruation; copious perspiration; acrid leucorrhoea. Sepia 30. Report in three weeks: has been feeling well for some time. Sepia was discontinued. At menstrual time leucorrhoea showed a little, but that also disappeared after a few more doses of Sepia.
Elaborate instructions for securing sleep by certain exercises, certain postures, by counting imaginary sheep passing, certain postures, by counting imaginary sheep passing thought a gate, etc., are worthless in most cases. Those who cannot sleep should try to get the most complete physical and mental rest by lying quietly, thoroughly relaxed, with the eyes closed. It is disastrous to switch on the light and read, turning night into day.
People who have to live in close rooms, or works in stuffy offices would probably get on much better if the limited amount of air they have to make do with cold be kept moving. The quality of the air would appear to have a vital influence on the structure of the breathing apparatus. Recently experiments have been made in testing the effect of air of very high altitudes on people suffering with whooping cough.
This was the worst case I have ever treated. For a long time she was treated at the University Clinic without benefit. the attacks appear several times each week during the summer, and remind one in their beginning of the aura preceding epileptic attacks: Flickering scotoma, severe paresthesia of tongue and left hand, creeping into upper arm, followed by one-sided headache on the other side with convulsive jerks.
They are unable to swim properly, and float about in the most extraordinary positions and can be caught with the hand. It is a wonderful remedy for many forms of giddiness and also for sea-sickness, but of course in each case of giddiness and of sea-sickness the various remedies which can be employed have to be considered and weighed against one another before deciding one of them.
The same applies to he doctor who hands over his desk the prescription of a full diet, fresh air and cod liver oil to the tuberculous, the white mixture to those suffering from indigestion, a restricted diet and insulin to the diabetic, and sends all cancer patients to the surgeon. The doctor should not do the minimum of work for his patients but the maximum.