Personal hygiene and physical training for womenGalbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Science
Personal hygiene and physical training for women
Galbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)
Physical education and training; Women -- Health and hygiene
The habit of opening the eyes when dipping the face into a basin of
water, or when diving, produces congestion and inflammation of the
conjunctiva.
=Symptoms and Treatment of Conjunctivitis.=—The eyes may be
blood-shot and the lining membranes of the lids intensely red. There
is a sense of irritation about the eyes and an intolerance of light,
with a constant sense of discomfort. The sensation produced is that
of having sand in the eyes. The eyes are heavy, and tire after using
them for a short time.
The best treatment for acute conjunctivitis, which is so often
caused by the penetration of dust or other foreign bodies into
the conjunctival sac, is the application of cold water. A folded
handkerchief is wrung out of ice-water and laid on the closed lids.
It must be changed every few minutes, so that it shall not become
warm; two cloths are necessary. When the acute symptoms have begun to
abate, the patient will no longer find these applications grateful,
and they must be discontinued.
For chronic conjunctivitis hot applications are the best. For these,
one teaspoonful of fine table salt may be dissolved in a pint of
hot water, or two teaspoonfuls of boric acid may be used instead;
the last named is a mild antiseptic. The boric acid dissolves very
slowly, so that it is well to prepare enough in the morning for the
entire day. One tablespoonful of boric acid may be put into a quart
bottle of hot water, and be well shaken from time to time, until
there is a perfect solution.
When ready for use, half a pint may be heated, poured into a tumbler,
which is then placed in a basin of hot water; this latter serves as
a water-bath to keep the solution in the glass hot. The application
should be made with a rather thick wad of absorbent cotton or a piece
of fine cheese-cloth. The absorbent cotton should be picked up with
all the water it will hold, and be placed over the closed eyes just
as hot as can comfortably be borne, and held there until it begins
to cool, when the procedure should be repeated. The two eyes can be
treated simultaneously. These hot fomentations should be kept up for
ten minutes, and be repeated four times a day.
=Trachoma.=—This malady, of which so much is heard now, is another
name for granular conjunctivitis or granular lids. The affection is
very contagious. It comes on slowly, and is frequently accompanied by
redness and an appreciable degree of secretion in the early stages.
Presence of secretion or of interference of the vision should always
attract attention.
Strict precautions must be taken that the patient’s handkerchief,
towel, and wash-basin are not used by other members of the family.
Further, the other members of the family should bathe their eyes
several times a day with a solution of boric acid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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