dry cough; her face is flabby and pale; her complexion gradually assumes a yellowish or greenish hue-hence the name of chlorosis; there is a dark, livid circle around her eyes; her lips lose their colour, and become almost white; her tongue is generally white and pasty, her appetite is bad, and is frequently depraved-the patient often preferring chalk, slatepencil, cinder, and even dirt, to the daintiest food; indigestion frequently attends chlorosis; she has usually pains over the short-ribs, on the left side; she suffers greatly from "wind"-is frequently nearly choked by it; her bowels are generally costive, and the stools are unhealthy; she has pains in her hips, loins and back, and her feet and ankles are oftentimes swollen. The menstrual discharge is either suspended or very partially performed; if the latter, it is usually almost colourless. Hysterical fits not unfrequently occur during an attack of Chlorosis. 389. How may Chlorosis be prevented? If health were more and fashion were less studied, chlorosis would not be such a frequent complaint. This disease generally takes its rise from mismanagement-from Nature's laws having been set at defiance. I have heard a silly mother express an opinion that it is not genteel for a girl to eat heartily! Such language is perfectly absurd and cruel. How often, too, a weak mother declares that a healthy, blooming girl looks like a milk maid! It would be well if she did. How true and sad it is, that "a pale, delicate face, and clear eyes, indicative of consumption, are the fashionable desiderata at present for complexion."-Dublin University Magazine. A growing girl requires plenty of good nourishment-as much as her appetite demands; and if she have it not, she will become either chlorotic, or consumptive, or delicate. Besides, the greatest beautifier in the world is health; therefore, by a mother studying the health of her daughter, she will, at the same time, adorn her body with beauty! I am sorry to say that too many parents think more of the beauty than of the health of their girls. Sad and lamentable infatuation! Nathaniel Hawthorne-a distinguished American— gives a graphic description of a delicate young lady. He says " She is one of those delicate nervous young creatures not uncommon in New England, and whom I suppose to have become what we find them by the gradually refining away of the physical system among young women. Some philosophers choose to glorify this habit of body by terming it spiritual; but in my opinion, it is rather the effect of unwhole some food, bad air, lack of out-door exercise, and neglect of bathing, on the part of these damsels and their female progenitors, all resulting in a kind of hereditary dyspepsia." Nathaniel Hawthorne was right. Such ladies, when he wrote, were not uncommon; but within the last two or three years, to their great credit be it spoken, "a change has come o'er the spirit of their dreams," and they are wonderfully improved in health; for, with all reverence be it spoken, "God helps them who help themselves," and they have helped themselves by attending to the rules of health:-"The women of America are growing more and more handsome every year for just this reason. They are growing rounder of chest, fuller of limb, gaining substance and development in every direction. Whatever may be argued to the contrary, we believe this to be a demonstrable fact. * * * When the rising generation of American girls once begin to wear thick shoes, to take much exercise in the open air, to skate, to play at croquet, and to affect the saddle, it not only begins to grow more wise but more healthful, and which must follow as the night the day- more beautiful." The Round Table. If a young girl had plenty of wholesome meat, varied from day to day, either plain roast or boiled, and neither stewed, nor hashed, nor highly seasoned for the stomach; if she has had an abundance of fresh air for her lungs; if she had plenty of active exercise, such as skipping, dancing, running, riding, swimming, for her muscles; if her clothing were warm and loose, and adapted to the season; if her mind were more occupied with active useful occupation, such as household work, than at present, and if she were kept calm and untroubled from the hurly-burly and excitement of fashionable life-chlorosis would almost be an unknown disease. It is a complaint of rare occurrence with country girls, but of great frequency with fine city ladies. 390. What treatment should you advise? The treatment which would prevent should be adopted when the complaint first makes its appearance. If the above means do not quickly remove it, the mother must then apply to a medical man, and he will give medicines which will soon have the desired effect. Chlorosis is very amenable to treatment. If the disease be allowed for any length of time to run on, it may produce either organic-incurable-disease of the heart, or consumption, or indigestion, or confirmed illhealth 391. At what period of life is a lady most prone to Hysterics, and what are the symptoms? The time of life when hysterics occur is generally from the age of fifteen to fifty. Hysterics come on by paroxysms -hence they are called hysterical fits. A patient, just before an attack, is low-spirited; crying without a cause; she is "nervous," as it is called; she has flushings of the face; she is at other times very pale; she has shortness of breath and occasional palpitations of the heart; her appetite is usually bad; she passes quantities of colourless limpid urine, having the appearance of pump water; she is much troubled with flatulence in her bowels, and, in consequence, she feels bloated and uncomfortable. The "wind" at length rises upwards towards the stomach, and still upwards to the throat, giving her the sensation of a ball stopping her breathing, and producing a feeling of suffocation. The sensation of a ball in the throat (globus hystericus) is the commencement of the fit. She now becomes partially insensible, although she seldom loses complete consciousness. Her face becomes flushed, her nostrils dilated, her head thrown back, and her stomach and bowels enormously distended with "wind." After a short time she throws her arms and her legs about convulsively, she beats her breast, tears her hair and clothes, laughs boisterously and screams violently; at other times she makes a peculiar noise; sometimes she sobs and her face is much distorted. At length she brings up enormous quantities of wind; after a time she bursts into a violent flood of tears, and then gradually comes to herself. As soon as the fit is at an end she generally passes enormous quantities of colourless limpid urine. She might in a short time, fall into another attack similar to the above. When she comes to herself she feels exhausted and tired, and usually complains of a slight headache, and of great soreness of the body and limbs. She seldom remembers what has occurred during the fit. Hysterics are sometimes frightful to witness; but, in themselves, are not at all dangerous. Hysterics-an hysterical fit-is sometimes styled hysterical passion: Shakspeare, in one of his plays, calls it hysterica passio : "Oh, how this, mother, swells up toward my heart! Sir Walter Scott graphically describes an attack : "The hysterical passion that impels tears is a terrible violence-a sort of throttling sensation-then succeeded by a state of dreaming stupidity." 392. What are the causes of Hysterics? Delicate health, chlorosis, improper and not sufficiently nourishing food, grief, anxiety, excitement of the mind, closely confined rooms, want of exercise, indigestion, flatulence and tight-lacing, are the causes which usually produce hysterics. Hysterics are frequently feigned; indeed, oftener than any other complaint; and even a genuine case is usually much aggravated by a patient herself giving way to them. 393. What do you recommend an hysterical lady to do? To improve her health by proper management; to rise early and to take a walk, that she may breathe pure and wholesome air,-indeed, she ought to live nearly half her time in the open air, exercising herself with walking, skipping, &c.; to employ her mind with botany, croquet, archery, or with any out-door amusement; to confine herself to plain, wholesome, nourishing food; to avoid tight lacing; to eschew fashionable amusements; and, above all, not to give way to her feelings, but if she feel an attack approaching, to rouse herself. If the fit be upon her, the better plan is, to banish all the male sex from the room, and not even to have many women about her, and for those around to loosen her dress; to lay her in the centre of the room, flat upon the ground, with a pillow under her head; to remove combs and pins and brooches from her person; to dash cold water upon her face; to apply cloths, or a large sponge wetted in cold water, to her head; to throw open the window, and then to leave her to herself; or, at all events, to leave her with only one female friend or attendant. If such be done, she will soon come round; but what is the usual practice? If a girl be in hysterics, the whole house, and perhaps the neighbourhood, is roused; the room is crowded to suffocation; fears are openly expressed by those around that she is in a dangerous state; she hears what they say, and her hysterics are increased tenfold. 394. Have you any remarks to make on a patient recovering from a severe illness? There is something charming and delightful in the feelings of a patient recovering from a severe illness: it is like a new birth it is almost worth the pain and anguish of having been ill to feel quite well again: everything around and about him wears a charming aspect-a roseate hue: the appetite for food returns with pristine vigour; the viands, be they ever so homely, never tasted before so deliciously sweet; and a draught of water from the spring has the flavour of ambrosial nectar: the convalescent treads the ground as though he were on the ambient air; and the earth to him for a while is Paradise: the very act of living is a joy and gladness:— "See the wretch that long has tost The meanest flow'ret of the vale, CONCLUDING REMARKS. If this book is to be of use to mothers and to the rising generation, as I humbly hope and trust that it has been, and that it will be still more abundantly, it ought not to be listlessly read, merely as a novel or as any other piece of fiction; but it must be thoughtfully and carefully studied, until its contents, in all its bearings, be completely mastered and understood. In conclusion: I beg to thank you for the courtesy, confidence, and attention I have received at your hands; and to express a hope that my advice, through God's blessing, may not have been given in vain; but that it may be-one among many-an humble instrument for improving the race of our children-England's priceless treasures! Ŏ, that the time may come, and may not be far distant, "That our sons may grow up as the young plants, and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple!" |