The Healthy Life, Vol. V, Nos. 24-28: The Independent Health MagazineVarious
Science
The Healthy Life, Vol. V, Nos. 24-28: The Independent Health Magazine
Various
Health -- Periodicals; Medicine, Popular -- Periodicals; Nutrition -- Periodicals
A very good plan, when you think of undertaking a voyage, is to begin
to prepare for it several days in advance. For three or four days,
before embarking, eat only very simple and somewhat laxative
foods--such as fruits--so as to open the bowels well and tone up the
system. This simple diet should be followed for the first two or three
days aboard--of course not so rigidly, but taking care not to indulge
in many heavy, greasy dishes. Unfortunately, the food on board is
usually very rich and plentiful, and tempts one to eat. If one suffers
from seasickness, there is not this same temptation, to be sure; but
the malady may certainly be warded off, in the majority of cases, if
only reasonable care be taken of the diet before and during the
voyage, and if instructions herein laid down be followed.
As before stated, drugs are as a rule useless for the cure of
seasickness; but on occasion a "seasick cure" of some kind may prove
effective. The harm which results from the drug may perhaps be more
than counterbalanced by the benefits which the system derives from the
cessation of seasickness. A preparation of this kind which is very
highly recommended by many travellers is known as "Antimermal," and
though none of these remedies are to be recommended with assurance,
this one--and perhaps one or two others--might at least be tried, in
cases of dire necessity, when seasickness has already supervened.
It is hardly necessary to say that the patient should remain in the
open air continuously, until all symptoms of seasickness have paused.
_Live_ in your deck chair until you feel quite well and able to get
up and walk round. Do not attempt to go downstairs into the
dining-saloon to meals, if you feel in the slightest "squirmish."
Rather have some hot soup or broth of some kind sent up to you, and
drink it sitting in your chair. Do not be afraid to drink water at all
times, even if you feel ill--as the water is easily returned, and it
is less strain on the stomach to be able to bring up something than to
find nothing in the stomach when an effort is made to eject what is
not there. Water will serve to allay this strain, and thus serve a
useful purpose.
In very severe cases of seasickness, the stomach of the patient should
be emptied and washed out at once. This is usually an easy matter.
Have the patient drink one or two glasses of water, warm or cold, with
a little salt or bi-carbonate of soda added--say a teaspoonful to a
pint of water. This will have the desired result! In extreme cases of
seasickness, dry cold, such as ice-bags, placed behind and about the
ears, will sooth the patient, and help to allay his suffering. Cold
cloths to the forehead will also prove helpful. Full baths had best be
omitted, until the attack has worn off, as they are injudicious on
account of the reactions they induce.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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