Delirium in Fever, Diabetes

Papers on Health
by John Kirk

(Page 5 of 22)

Damp Beds - An ordinary bed which has not been slept in for some weeks, although perfectly dry to begin with, will become damp, even in a dry house, and, unless properly dried, will be a great danger to its next occupant. This is a preventable danger, and all who entertain guests should see that they are not exposed to it. Many a fatal illness is due to the culpable carelessness of those who put a guest into such a bed. Ignorance in such a matter is shameful. All who have charge in a house should fully understand their responsibility in this matter.

But if you are put into such a bed it is infinitely better to rise and dress, and make the best of a night of discomfort, than to sleep among the damp. If, however, you have so slept, and feel the bad effect, the best cure will be the soapy blanket. If this cannot be had, a good hot footbath, with the heat kept just comfortable for half-an-hour or more, will do very well. This should be done at the earliest possible moment.

It will add greatly to the efficiency of such treatment if hot water can be had to drink in small quantities, and often. A few drops of cayenne "tea" in the water will act as a gentle stimulant. Old-fashioned folk place great confidence in a "hot drink" in such a case. This is all very well if they only keep the alcohol out of it: that destroys vital resources, but never supplies them. We have known cases in which all power was lost through a single night in a damp bed. Possibly in these cases it might not have been easy to restore the lost vitality by any amount of treatment; but we rather think that a speedy application of genial heat all over would have restored it. In some apparently hopeless instances it has done so.

Deafness - See Hearing.

Decline - See Consumption.

Declining Limb, A - See Limbs, Drawn up.

Delirium in Fever - The best way of treating this truly distressing symptom is by cooling and soothing applications to the head. We have seen in one case large cool cloths applied to the head for some time every three hours or so. An almost immediate cessation of the delirium followed this application, and it only returned a few minutes before the time for the next cooling. If the pulse becomes rather slow than rapid, and the body rather cool than hot, while delirium still continues, then hot cloths may be applied to the head. When either hot or cold appliances are removed, rub olive oil into the roots of the hair, and dry off.

An excellent treatment is also to cover the whole head with soap lather. See Head, Soaping.

It is to be noted that the state of the patient determines the treatment. If he is hot, cold treatment is required. If he is cool or chilly, then give the warm treatment. If he changes from hot to cold, then alter the treatment accordingly.

In some diseases delirium occurs, not because of fever, but because of poisonous elements in the blood supplied to the brain. This is the case in liver and kidney troubles, when waste products are not got rid of by these organs as they should be.

To get these organs to work, the best thing is to drink half a teacupful of hot water every ten minutes for two hours at a time. Do this once a day for two days. Probably it will cause purging, but that is part of the cure. If the case does not yield in any way to this, a large hot bran poultice should be placed over the whole of the right side under the arm, from the spine right round to the breast-bone (see Bran Poultice). This should be renewed if necessary, so as to keep up the heat for an hour. Next day place a similar poultice over all the lower part of the back, so as to help the kidneys and bowels. Dry after these poultices, and rub gently with warm olive oil. The delirium will usually yield to a few days of such treatment. We have seen the reason under such treatment return with a rapidity that astonished the medical attendant. He had given the patient three months to gain what was complete in less than one. See Fever.

Depression - This is usually a bodily illness, though often regarded as mental only. It appears in loss of interest in all that otherwise would be most interesting. A mother loses interest in her children, a man in his business, and so on. Students, and children over pressed at lessons, are apt to suffer from it. It is simply the result of a drain of energy from the system, until the brain has an insufficient supply. Those who have the care of the young would do well to watch carefully against this state coming on. If it appears, all work should be given up, and as much play take its place as possible. No cramming of ideas into a weakening mind can ever be equal to the possession of health and energy, as a preparation for life.

Treatment should be such as to restore energy. The whole back should be fomented with a large blanket fomentation, being rubbed with olive oil before and after. Let this be done for an hour in the morning; in the evening give the armchair fomentation. Carry this on for a week, and then rest for another week, only rubbing the back with a little hot olive oil each night. Cultivate open-air life; sleep as much as possible - eight hours at least, or better nine. Carefully prepared and easily digested food should be given, and change of company, scene, and climate are most effective helps; but rest from work is the chief matter. See Restlessness and Worry.

Diabetes - There are two more or less distinct stages of this serious trouble; the first stage is generally curable, the second stage generally incurable. Yet good natural means of cure will very much alleviate even the incurable stage. The earlier as well as the later stages are marked by extreme thirst. This, in the case of some poor sufferers, is enormous. Gallons of water are taken, and the more is taken the more is wanted. But this thirst is not the effect of heat, as fever thirst is. It cannot be quenched by means of cold cloths often changed over the stomach, as fever thirst can. A sufferer in this disease will set a large pitcher down at the bedside to serve for the night, and drink it all before morning; but there is no extra heat anywhere to account for this. The thirst is more like that which is caused by eating very salt food. It points to the character of the juices which are affecting the stomach, and not to any heated condition of the stomach itself. The drinking is a desperate effort to dilute these juices; and, at least by cold water, that cannot be done.

Printed by Hurst Bros., Shaw Heath, Stockport. 1904.