Sensitiveness, Shingles, Shivering

Papers on Health
by John Kirk

(Page 13 of 21)

Sensitiveness - When the nervous system is in a certain state, all impressions on it are exaggerated, and the patient suffers from light sounds, and various irritations, far more than is usual or healthy. This state makes treatment difficult, because either cold towel or hot flannel distresses the sufferer, and by this does more harm than good. Narcotics only do harm, without any good, and leave the patient worse.

The nervous system may in such cases be soothed by soaping the back with soap lather (see Lather; Soap). The lather is to be blood heat, and very soft and creamy. Spread it all over a soft cloth as large as the back (having first warmed the cloth), and then place it gently on the back, lather side next the skin. Let this be done at bedtime. Fasten the cloth on the back with a bodice that will fasten closely, and let the patient sleep on it. Wash off in the morning with warm vinegar and water half-and-half. Rub with oil and dry off. Let the patient take twice a-day, for eight days, a teaspoonful of well-boiled licorice and a tablespoonful of hot water. This treatment will usually abate the sensitiveness in a week or so, and bring the patient within reach of other remedies.

For example, it will, after a week or so, even in very trying cases, be possible to foment the feet and legs once a day, and rub them with warm olive oil. It will even be possible and well to foment with a hot blanket across the haunches, and in this way to bring on comparatively strong health. Change of air and scene will then be desirable: it is highly refreshing to one who is in the way of recovering, though only harassing to one who is feeling despondent and increasingly ill. We generally, when asked if a "change" would not be good in such cases, reply, "Yes, if once you have got health enough to enjoy it." When that has been fairly secured, stronger measures may be used with advantage. We feel much sympathy with those who suffer from sensitiveness, as so many do, and earnestly pray that these remarks may be blessed to such sufferers.

Shampooing - See Head, Soaping.

Shingles - Though not often fatal, this illness gives serious trouble. Its outstanding feature is a rash which comes out as a more or less regular belt round the body, or over one shoulder. The rash forms, if allowed to go on, into blackish scabs, and is accompanied in some instances by severe pains shooting through the body. It arises from a failure of the digestive system, therefore the stomach must be as little taxed as possible. Let hot water be sipped in teaspoonfuls for half-an-hour at a time, several times a day. For external treatment, wring a small sheet out of cold water and vinegar, and pack the whole trunk of the patient in this for half-an-hour. Do not use olive oil. The vinegar packing may be renewed in an hour, and as often as the patient feels it agreeable.

The mixture of vinegar and water must be weak enough not to be painful on the skin. If the pains in the body persist, then cold cloths may be applied, not very large at first, to the spine, while the patient is warm in bed. Should the feet be cold, this cooling of the spine must not be done until they are wrapped in a hot fomentation up to the knees. If the scabby eruption is very obstinate, the soapy blanket applied daily for two or three days should clear it away. Wheaten porridge, gruel, and milk diet is best. A drink may be made of hot water and lemon juice, with five or six drops of tincture of cayenne added to a tumblerful, and sweetened to taste. See Drinks.

Shivering - This is often a trivial matter, but sometimes it is a symptom of a serious chill. It may be only the effect of a thought, or of some mental shock, but in any case it is a nervous disturbance, and failure of energy, causing us to lose control of the nerves which produce the shivering movements.

For ordinary shivering, the result of cold, treat as in Cold, Taking. For cases where the vital action has evidently become very low, foment the patient as directed in Angina Pectoris.

If pain in some part, as in a nursing breast or tender lung, indicates inflammatory action there, cold towels may be applied to that part while this fomentation is on. Renew the cold cloth as often as the patient feels it agreeable, keeping up the heat of the fomentation all the time. Increase the size of the cold cloth if the patient finds this pleasant; stop if it becomes unpleasant. Many serious troubles are checked in the first stage by treatment on these simple lines.

Sick Headache - See Headache.

Sitting Bath - This bath, in whatever form administered, is essentially a sitting in cold water with the feet out. The feet, in fact, are better to be warmly covered up while the patient sits in the bath. The most important thing to be considered in all such baths is the degree of vitality possessed by the patient. If he has much vitality, then the bath may be deep and longer continued - as long as even forty minutes. If the vitality be low, the bath must be brief and very shallow - it may be even necessary to make it as short as one minute, or even less.

In some cases, as a beginning, a mere dip is all that is required. This leaves a large discretion to the nurse, and is a matter which common sense should be able to decide. To try a short bath first, and repeat it several times, rather than to give one long one, is the safest plan. It will soon be found out how much the patient can bear. If the vitality be so low as to make the simple sitting-bath a danger, the feet may be immersed, for the one or two minutes of the bath, in a small bath of hot water, and the patient well wrapped up all over in warm blankets.

In some cases it is necessary to pour cold water on relaxed organs, which, especially with females, will sometimes not be braced up by mere immersion. But such pouring must be done with caution. Half-a-minute of it is a long time; one quarter-of-a-minute or less will usually be enough, even in important cases. If longer applications have only done harm, then let our friends try the one-minute bath, or the quarter-minute stream of water. In many cases we have known this make all right. Such short baths may be taken twice or thrice a day.

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