MOLLY.—Before attempting to cure any ailment, it is necessary to discuss two questions. The first is—What is the nature of the trouble? The second is—What has caused it? It is only in certain cases that one can answer both these questions definitely; but the more clearly he answers these, the more rational and efficacious will be the treatment of the malady. And in the treatment itself, the first thing to do is to remove the cause, if possible. Now what causes your hands to get “hot and clammy?” There is a possibility that it may be a purely natural condition, for the palms of the hands perspire more freely than any other part of the body, and persons vary extremely in the quantity of fluid which exudes through their skin. Or your trouble may be due to some unhealthy cause. Persons who are suffering from many forms of illness perspire profusely. One of the commonest causes is indigestion, which acts in this way. The stomach lies just below the heart, and when the stomach is in difficulty it worries the heart, and so interferes with the circulation. This is the cause of the flutterings, palpitations, flushes and excessive perspirations, so common in indigestion. You must therefore see to your digestion; also wash your hands frequently in warm water with a good soap, and occasionally rinse your hands in diluted toilet vinegar. Do not wear kid gloves, but if you require any gloves at all wear thin silk ones. Healthy exercise is necessary in this as in every other condition. ELSA.—This correspondent asks us the following question. “My father and mother died of consumption, and one of my sisters is in the last stages of the same disease; am I going to get consumption?” We are going to answer this question at length because it gives us an opportunity for demonstrating what is meant by hereditary influence in disease; and also because here is a poor girl worrying herself over a calamity which may never occur. We say that consumption is an hereditary disease, but this is not accurate. The disease is not hereditary, but the tendency to it is. Consumption is a chronic infectious disease caused by the presence of the tubercle organism in the body. It may and does strike down anybody; but those who are sprung from a family with a tubercular history are more liable to be attacked than others. We have a great deal of evidence to show that nearly one-tenth of the human race becomes infected with tuberculosis, but only a very small proportion of those infected succumb, or indeed ever show symptoms of the disease. Now it is presumable that those who do show symptoms have some extra factor which prevents their throwing off the disease. For instance, persons who suffer from chronic bronchitis, or who are barrel-chested, or who are run down in health, etc., are less likely to successfully combat the disease than are others. It is therefore one of these extra factors which is hereditary; it may be a peculiarly-shaped chest, for instance.