Climate and Health in Hot Countries and the Outlines of Tropical Climatology: A Popular Treatise on Personal Hygiene in the Hotter Parts of the World, and on the Climates That Will Be Met Within Them.Giles, George Michael James
Science
Climate and Health in Hot Countries and the Outlines of Tropical Climatology: A Popular Treatise on Personal Hygiene in the Hotter Parts of the World, and on the Climates That Will Be Met Within Them.
Giles, George Michael James
Hygiene -- Popular works; Medical climatology; Tropical medicine
An Indian medical officer has generally a variety of institutions under
his charge, and usually amongst them a prison, of which he is not only
the medical officer, but also the military governor--a sensible
combination of offices which might well be imitated elsewhere. Now,
although dysentery is a disease which gives much trouble in Indian
prisons, the writer did not lose a single one of his jail-birds from
that cause for several years; and he imputes his success to the practice
he made of at once relegating each case of dysentery to a solitary cell,
where it was utterly impossible for the patient to obtain any other food
than that ordered for him. When left in the general wards they could not
be kept from obtaining more or less of the bread and vegetable curry
that formed the ordinary diet of those not seriously ill.
Soups are rarely well borne in dysentery, and hence the diet must be
restricted to milk foods, the milk being always rendered mucilaginous by
the addition of a little arrowroot or gelatin, cornflour, &c. When there
is much dyspepsia the milk may be given semidigested by combining it
with one of the numerous pancreatised proprietary articles, such as
Benger’s food. Afterwards a raw egg may be given beaten up with the milk
or Benger’s food, and subsequently rice pudding and fish; but great
caution is always required in resuming the ordinary diet, as the bowel
always remains easily irritated for some time after the attack has
subsided. Everything should be given cold (preferably moderately iced),
and in small quantities at a time.
DIARRHŒA.
Diarrhœa in tropical climates arises from much the same causes as
dysentery, and like it, is very apt to be set up by chills to the
abdomen; in fact, these diseases may be regarded, for the practical
purposes of prevention and treatment, as different degrees of the same
condition; the more serious disease being further complicated by
concomitant affection of the liver. Heavy dosing with ipecacuanha will
not, of course, be required in the milder disease, but otherwise its
prevention and treatment may be regarded as the same, especially as in
tropical climates, the mildest access of diarrhœa should always be
respectfully dealt with, as it may easily develop into dysentery if
neglected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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