Science. The Cure of Rheumatism.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2009, 23 May 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

Science. The Cure of Rheumatism.

By a Family Doctoh.

Tacitly, a very large number of medioal men look upon obronio rheumatism and its allied disorder, gout, as all but incurable discasen. Ho do most people who have (ho misfortune to Buffer from tfctso ailments. "I am subjeot to rheumatism," a person will toll you. "Anything starts it up; sometimes nothing at all seems to ; and I believe it comes and goes periodically, and I shall be a martyr to it as long as I live." Suoh individuals, however, if they happen to bo at all well-to-do in the world, spend a small fortune annually in drugs, alteratives, tonics, cordials, narootios, <to., which they sometimes candidly confess do not give them any very easily appreciable benefit. Now, in this paper I think I nhall be able to give a word or two of comfort to all classes who suffer from chronio rheumatism or gout ; for I may say at onco that this ailment g*ut is more nearly allied to rheumatism than most people think ; that its causes are Himilar ; and that its dietetic treatment should be oarried out on the same prinoiples. It is very often the cane that an attack of rheumatio fever issues in tho martyrdom to ohronio rheumatism which shall last while lifo doe». At the time the fever commences the blood is in an acid oonditien, so are all the leoretiona ; a ohill is taken, and inflammation, with or without deposit, is Bet up in the fibrous sheaths of the joints, in the ligaments of the rausolos, and even in tho aynovial membranen* themselves. There is little doubt that joints whioh have onoe suffered are rendered more subjeot to future attacks. Be that an it may, thoro is one thing I wish the reader to boar in mind, viz., this— there i* an excess of acid in tho body at the time ono is suffering from rheumatism, however slight ; oven the perspiration smells more sour ; and there is irritability of all the mucous mambranea, not only of that which lines the digestive canal, but of that which linos *>very part of the body. Wo are juHtilied in believing that it is this oxoqbb of urio acid whioh causos the rheumatio symptoms. If bo, I avk every one who poiiertei a (park of common unst,

does tho ohief indication of oar treatment not point to means which shall prevent the formation of such exoess of acid, and at the nmn time Ret rid of that which already exists in tho blood ? Now I atretoh out my hand, and I pull down a book from one of my shelves. It is an authority, and has been for years, in our medioal sohoolfl. I do not say that in many things it is not a very excellent work. But listen : tho following, among other drugs, are recommended in the treatment of chronic rheumatism :— Arnica, arsenio, aoonite, ammonia, and bark ; colchieum, cod-liver oil, and oorroaive sublimate ; sarßaparilla and sulphur; quinine, liquor potassro, morphia, opium, and chloroform ; iodida of potassium, iodide of iron, oil of turpentine, guaiaoum, red iodide of meroury, Indian hemp, and ipeoacuanha : many of those to be taken internally ; and topically thore are blisters and liniments, and ointments and plaiflters, a box heater, a bladder of ice, and a red-hot button (oalled the raoxa). Over and above all this, renidenoe in various olimatos at home and abroad are reoomraended; and last— and certainly not least— attention is advised to be given to tho organs of digeßtion. Far be it from me, however, to cast obloquy on medioineß whioh may be administered by the hands of tho family physician, whether that medioine be for the neutralisation of aotd in the Hyatpra, or the relief of pain. But neutralisation of existing acid merely leaves tho system in statu quo, and narcotics and anrosthetios invariably weaken the nerve centron ; thoreforo, I say that in the treatment of chronic rheumatism, and the prevention of its recurrence, we must depend more on diet and regimen than on anything else. Rheumatism is, as often as not, oaused by over-eating, and especially by over-indulgence in meat, which is certain to oau«e an excess of urio aoid, and render the body liable, on exposure to wet or oold, to an attack. We know that old people are proverbially liable to rheumatism. Tho reasons for this are not far to seek. One is that joints and ligaments are harder and stiffer, and very often contain deposit — urate of soda. Another is that, as a rule, people up in years eat more than in necessary to support life, under tho mistaken notion that they want a deal of nourishment to keep them up. I say that, on the oontrary, the wear and tear of tissue is but trifling oompared to what it is in earlier manhood, and that far less food is required. Therefore, il an elderly person would live long, and be free of aches and pains, and be calm in mind— for that is a great desideratum— ho or she must live abstemiously, more or less. Chronio rheumatism is far more common than most persons areawareof. It is a disease quite indigenous to the^e isles of mist and outting wjnds ; but it is often in oharaoter what we may call suppressed — that is, it attacks the internal organs instead of joints and muscles, though these may suffer at the same time, But many a time and oft a person compraine of his liver being out of order, or of a fit of indigestion, when the real cause of his trouble lies in the blood, whioh is for the time being poisoned with urio aoid. As to climate in the cure of rheumatism, much might be said, but what brooks it that one sojourns at Ventnor, Rome, Hastings, ot Harrowgate, if he goes on manufacturing in his system the very aoid or aoida that generate his complaint ? Na, believe me, it is not in climate alon< that you are to look for relief, nor is it from drugs you are to expect a radical cure. We must go to the fountain-head of the evil : we must attend to the organs of digestion, and to regimen oaloulated to crush the evil in the bud. But inasrnuoh as it is all bat impossible to live so strictly by rule as we would require te if subjeot to chronic rheumatism, either externally, in the muscles and joints, or internally, in stomaoh, lnngs, liver, or brain, or all oombined, we ought to adopt some rational means to get rid of the aoid in the system. Shall we use or preaoribe purgatives? 1 think not. If any aperient is ever used — and it should be but seldom — it ought to be well ohosen and very mild. People cannot go on taking aperient! and hope to live long. Seek, therefore, for freedom in the system by taking a jadioiouft amount of wholesome, exhiliarating exeroiie ; and do not forget that mixing in "pleasant sooiety, in the earlier hours of the evening, has a wonderful power in toning the whole system and assisting digestion, Who has not observed that a dinner 01 •upper oould be eaten abroad in cheerful oompany, where suggestive and agreeable conversation was carried on, without ill effects, whioh, if taken at home, would bo productive of a restless night, a furred tongue and a heavy head in the morning ? Shall we depend upon diuretics, and remedies that inorease the aotion of the liver ? Well, I grant you that suoh remedies do good for a time. But let the liver or kidneys be the strongest and healthiest that ever existed, they will go to the wall some day if constantly stimulated to aotion. " No ; let us rather be laught by Nature herself. When one is ill of rheumatio foyer, the perspiration ia profuse and aoid. Here is Nature carrying off the poison in her own way. Let as imitate her. Keep the ekin, therefore, in constant good tone and working order. The matutinal sponge-bath will strengthen the nerves, and keep open the pores ; the Turkish bath, portable or otherwise, ought to be taken once a week, or whenever an attack is threatened ; if even onoe a day for a time should be deemed necessary, it will not hurt. It it a wonderful prophylactic. I could adduoe hundreds o f easea in proof of this. Those Bubjeot to rheumatism very often feel tired, dejected, with or without loss of appetite. The body may not aohe, but it does not feel fresh. Probably there is a little headache, but more often a fulness in brow or eye-balls, and the patient has but little heart for his ordinary employment, and things that interested him only the day before, now appear devoid of any value. If he thinks back, perhaps ho will remember that for a day or two previously he had not been living quite so abstemiously as he ought. Well, he may oall this little illness a mere fit of indigestion, if he pleases, but it is indigestion of a kind that has detrimentally increased the uric aoid in his blood. Let him take a Turkish bath at once, if his doctor will permit it, and live by rule again. The living by rule ircludos a oertain amount of daily exoroiso in the open air. Without this, no rheumatio person oan expect to be long free from nohes and pains and wearisome ennui — almost as bad to bear as pain itself. As to diet, it will greatly depond on the age. The young require more nourishment than the middle-aged, but old people must have their little often, and it must be well cooked and easy of assimilation. Xlhoumatioally-inolined persons should ob ■erve all the rules I have so often explained in my papers on digestion ; but there are many things which they cannot eat with impunity. For breakfast, let tea and ooffoo both bo avoided, substituting coooa or oocoatina, with milk and sugar. Let toast be eaten, or if bread bo preferred, it should be brown bread and butter, and the bread should be Btale Avoid meat, exoept a little nioely-oookrd bacon, not too fat. Eggß poached, or mushed, or lightly boiled, not fried, and any kind of fiih except salmon, herring, or maokerel. If hungry about twelve o'clock, a light biscuit or two, with butter, may be taken, and a glass of sodawarer and milk. Dinnor should be early — gay 1.30 or 2 o'olook. Soup tho old may take ; middle aged or young people do not require it, and it in apt to get aoid with some. Moat may now bo taken uparingly, say twioe a week. Game, fish, poultry, and vegetables, except the stronger kinds, may be oaten every day with dinner. No boer with dinner. Lemon-juico is a good Bubst'tute, but ginger boer and ginger ale Bhould bo avoided. Light puddings, suoh as bread, tapiooa, or ground rice, may be taken, and a little good wholesome fruit ; but this latter is better bofore breakfast. No p»Btry ; and cheese is poiaon. One cup of not over strong tea at five o'olook, and a tiny bisouit. Supper at 7 or 7.30, with a cup of cocoa. Bauoei and hot peppan dhagrf c ; to do iWWi, '

for thin reason : no cook lives who can keep grease nut of a stew ; and moreover, atews and fond of that consistency are generally swallowed too quiokly, and do not get mixed with the salivary juioos. Salads are also to be avoided. Now in conclusion, while admitting that a regimen suoh as I propose in this paper may bo hard for tome to carry out, still I do earnestly adviae thone of my roaderH who are afHioted with rheumatism, even in its mildest form, te try it for a fortnight.