54 HOME TREATMENT AND 



for some days, and then a salt-fi . or at 



least one poor in salt. During the whole time 

 that the kidneys are affected, the amount of urine 

 passed is to be strictly observed, for it is only 

 by this that the severity of the disease can 

 properly gauged. More or less albumen, and a 

 small or large number of cylinders, are relatively 

 unimportant. A decrease in the amount of the 

 urine portends uraemia. The sovereign remedy 

 for the prevention of uraemia is bleeding, and, 

 since it has been used there systematically, no 

 more children have been lost from uraemia in the 

 Charite*. As soon as the daily quantity of urine- 

 falls below 300 to 400 c.c. (10 to 15 ounces), 

 six leeches are applied to the loins over the 

 kidneys, and free haemorrhage is encouraged after 

 the leeches have dropped off. There is, as a rule. 

 so much bleeding that acu-pressure has to be 

 used to stop it. 



If the amount so obtained is not enough for 

 the purpose, venesection is performed on the 

 following day. The bleeding must be freely 

 made. As much as 200 c.c. (7 ounces) can be 

 safely taken from older children. Hot-air baths 

 are also of use. In some recent cases, a sur- 

 prising improvement was sometimes obtained 

 after lumbar puncture. All other remedies are 

 superfluous, if not of positive harm through 

 irritating the kidneys. When there is a larger 



