Health related information and news from around the world.

Anyone who has had jaundice should, especially in the spring, eat plenty of dandelion salad. Artichokes, chicory, and all bitter herbs and salad vegetables are also excellent for the liver. The various kinds of radish are considered medicinal and should for this reason be taken in moderate amounts, but too many can do more harm than good. And never forget to drink carrot juice, as I have already mentioned on different occasions.

If this advice is followed and the follow-up cure is faithfully adhered to, the jaundice patient will fully recuperate and suffer no unpleasant consequences.

*487/28/1*

Dysbacteria is one of the new diseases that lead to a debilitating loss of strength in thousands of people. Some degenerate totally without knowing what is the matter with them. The main causes of dysbacteria are two modern groups of medicines, first sulphona-mides and second, antibiotics. To counteract their detrimental too, because these parasites can do a lot of harm to a child’s organism.

The same precautions grandmother exercised should be followed today. A child who is pale, always tired and moody could have worms and should be carefully examined. Otherwise, years may pass until someone is alerted to the problem and an examination of the stool and blood reveals their presence. What a pity, though, that these poor children meanwhile have had to suffer for years because of sheer negligence. Such lack of care can have serious consequences for the children’s normal growth and development, since the worms are responsible for their discomfort and their unhappy, moody state of mind, making it difficult for them to show willingness and be obedient.

*431/28/1*

It often happens that the immediate family treat the patient with a mental problem either too gently and indulgently or else too strictly. Even qualified nurses do not always find it easy to adopt the right approach in dealing with emotional and mental illnesses.

It is true to say that strong nerves are needed to deal with such cases and the attendant’s own weakness, occasional helplessness and feeling of being ‘fed up’ must be carefully hidden. Patients must have confidence in the one caring for them, as they are exceedingly sensitive on account of their weak nervous system and they can react very quickly. If you become annoyed because the patient has done something wrong, or if you are unhappy because his progress is slow, be careful not to irritate him for this does not encourage him to get better; rather, it will throw him back once more into mental confusion and lead to unpleasant reactions and tensions that will have both physical and mental repercussions. On the other hand, the patient is likely to abuse your kindness, so it is better not to be too gentle, soft or even indulgent; be firm but kind at all times.

Nursing staff need tremendous self-control and self-confidence, also a measure of composure and vast reserves of strength, in order to help a patient with neurasthenic or mental problems to progress. If the patient is conscious of a strong hand supporting and guiding him he will come through the wilderness of his distraught emotions and thoughts with confidence in both himself and his future. He will then cooperate with his helper and begin to think, feel and behave quite normally again.

*373/28/1*

Many patients whose kidney stones were dissolved by Rubia tincto-rum (madder root) have attested to its excellent therapeutic effect. In addition to taking this remedy, however, it is most important that the patient avoids catching cold and becoming exhausted. To ensure its success, a special diet should be followed during and after the treatment. The patient must avoid all denatured or refined foods containing white sugar and white, bleached flour. Nor should he use salt or any sharp condiments in the food. Furthermore, the kidney patient should not eat Brussels sprouts, spinach, asparagus, rhubarb or, especially, pork, luncheon meat and other cold meats. Since vitamin A deficiency promotes the formation of gravel and stones in the kidneys, it must be counteracted by eating plenty of carrot salad and drinking carrot juice. If bleeding is noticed in the urine, no meat should be eaten, the only animal protein allowable being soft white cheese (cottage cheese or quark). For the best results the patient should stick to a diet of brown rice, vegetables and raw salads.

*317/28/1*

Nevertheless, it is not at all surprising to learn that about 50 per cent of all people today show some sort of abnormality in cheir heart function. Modern man always seems to be under stress and hurries even when there is no need, while at the same time he may be careless about attending to other responsibilities. This imbalance certainly does not make for peace of mind, as we still find it among those who enjoy their work as opposed to viewing it as a necessary evil. ‘Haste makes waste’, so the saying goes. Haste may indeed be harmful, but a steady pace is good for the heart.

The endocrine glands, especially the thyroid, influence the heart, a fact that can be noticed in patients with hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease). If the heart rhythm, the pulsation, is traced on paper by means of an electrocardiograph, a heart disorder can be detected. If the recording, called an electrocardiogram, shows two entwined curves, this indicates that two hearts are beating simultaneously. How can that be possible? The answer is simple if you are a pregnant woman! And if there are three curves, the happy mother-to-be can be told that she may expect twins.

*260/28/1*