DEBILITY. 209 



ase the quantity to a table-spoonful, beyond which it is seldom necessary to go. 



In inanv eases pancreatic emulsion proves usfful. The practice of anointing the 



with oil is ;i very old one, and might be advantageously revived in cases of 



me debility, where the stomach refuses to tolerate cod-liver oil. Memory recalls 



'.midunt use of unguents in ancient Judea. The Bible tells us of kings being 



anointed with sacred oil, of precious ointment running down Aaron's beard to the 



skins of Ins rlothing, and of Jesus having His feet covered with costly salve ini- 



medi. heinu washed. Cod-liver oil is unsuited for the purpose of inunctions ; 



those who sul unit to it become repugnant to the nostrils of their friends, and the 



odour from the skin prevents the delicate stomach from assimilating or even retain- 



od. With the smell of fish-oil in the nose, everything seems to taste of it, so 



that rulil linn with this substance usually proves a failure and has to be abandoned. 



d lard, pure salad or olive oil, or almond oil, may often be used with the 



greatest advantage. We have known many instances of the lives of children having 



been saved by rubbing in pure olive oil over the stomach. The inunction should be 



performed after a warm bath or before the fire. The hand alone should be used for 



the purpose, and care must be taken not to produce rawness or abrasion of the skin. 



The process need not be confined to the trunk, and the limbs should come in for their 



fair share. The frequency of repetition must to some extent be guided by the result, 



but twice a day to begin with is often enough. We may mention incidentally that 



this mode of treatment often proves most valuable in rheumatism and for stiff or 



contracted joints. For debility resulting from excessive brain work, phosphorus is 



by far the best remedy. It may be taken according to Prs. 53 and 54, or the 



hypophosphite of lime mixture (Pr. 55) may be given. 



An important element in the treatment of debility is change change of air, 

 change of scene, and, above all, change of work. To the majority of us life is most 

 frightfully monotonous. A perpetual round of duties has a depressing effect both on 

 the body and mind. It wearies us day by day to see the same faces, view the same 

 things, hear the same voices, smell the same odours, listen to and talk the same 

 platitudes. After long experience at home, we know exactly how the tea will taste, 

 how the sirloin of beef is likely to be served up, what probability there is of the 

 mutton being tough or the steak underdone. We know, too, exactly what the wife 

 will say when we come home, and the exact tone in which she will say it. When 

 people live together day after day, month after month, and year after year, they find 

 it very difficult to find subjects for profitable conversation. This monotony can best 

 be combated by change of air; for with this comes variation of scene; with that 

 arrives change of thought ; and with that, again, start up new trains of ideas and 

 expansion of mind. To go for change of air is, or ought to be, an expedition in quest 

 of information and a search for something new. From it one returns with a fresh 

 fund of anecdotes, a new collection of stories, a fuller repertoire of experiences, and 

 an additional store of illustrations, which for months to come serve to brighten the 

 dull realities of life. It is obvious that if the main object of change of air is to get 

 over the results of monotony, Paterfamilias should not always travel with his wife 

 and family. 



In the majority of cases of simple debility it is not necessary to consult a doctor, 

 14 



