Volume 1

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    639/896 (page 173)
    made by throwing a tablespoonful of cream of tartar into a pint of hot water, adding the juice of a lemon and sugar to taste. It is then strained, and used when cold. Sweet spirits of nitre, in teaspoonful dose, in a glass of water, is another good renal stimulant, and may be used occasionally. Milk, barley water, and such like gentle diluents can never do harm, and may be used in any quantity. Alkalies are almost always useful in relieving rheumatic pains. Bicarbonate of potash, or soda, may be freely enough made use of, provided that they are not taken continuously, for an indefinite period of time. Either of them may be taken in dose of half a teaspoonful, in half a tumbler of aerated water, twice daily, for about three weeks or a month at a time. Another good method of making use of the alkali is, to add to the soda or potash the juice of one lemon, and pour over this a tumblerful of serated water, to which, if thought desirable, a pinch of sugar may be added. This mixture may be taken twice daily, for about ten days at a time. This will be found to be a most agreeable and refreshing drink, especially in hot summer weather. The diet of those who are of the rheumatic habit of body ought to be restricted, as regards certain articles. Thus, butcher's meat ought to be rarely partaken of. The lighter forms of solid food are more appropriate to such persons, e.g., fish, soups, chicken, milk-pucldings, vegetables, fruit, milk. Beer and wine ought, as a rule, to be avoided. Crated waters may be partaken of freely. Much smoking, particularly of heavy tobacco, is prejudicial. As already mentioned, persons who suffer from rheumatic pains ought always to wear flannel next the skin. It protects the body from being suddenly chilled, after it has become moistened with perspiration. And let me give this last caution, let no rheumatic individual complain of this tendency to perspiration; and above all, let him beware how he attempts to stop this action. It is nature's method of relieving him of still more unpleasant evils, and so far from using means to put an end to it, the patient ought to bear with it, and rather encourage it. The sweating will gradually diminish in time, and the individual will probably then