JOINTS DISEASES OF THE JOINTS. 381 



JOINTS DISEASES OF THE JOINTS. 



The majority of the diseases of the joints, from their complexity and difficulty 

 of recognition, require the attendance of a surgeon for their successful treatment. 

 There are, however, a few of the simpler forms that may be fairly considered to fall 

 within the province of domestic medicine. Some information on this subject, with 

 directions for treatment, will be found in the articles on Gout and Rheumatism. 



In many chronic affections of the joints the cold douche is an excellent remedy. 

 It may be employed to remove the stiffness remaining after slight injuries or resulting 

 from rheumatism or gout. In the earlier applications it is a good plan to play the 

 water in the neighbourhood of the joint, rather than on the affected part itself. In 

 some instances it is desirable to use tepid water, and in every case the part should 

 be rubbed immediately after the application till they are warm and dry. When 

 stiffness and pain occur in several joints nothing succeeds better than the Turkish 

 bath, and they often succumb to this after resisting all other modes of treatment. 

 Galvanism, too, often does good in these cases. Inunction with cod-liver oil or olive 

 oil for five or ten minutes, night and morning, 'often effects great improvement, and 

 it may succeed when other measures have failed. Constitutional treatment must not 

 be neglected, and in many cases we have to trust to the influence of good diet and 

 sea air, with cod-liver oil, steel wine, iron, quinine, <fec. Some affections of the joints 

 are dependent on a syphilitic taint, and then a course of iodide of potassium (Pr. 32) 

 will do more good than anything. 



In cases of stiffness arising from exertion, the part should be well rubbed with 

 tincture of arnica, a drop or two, or a tea-spoonful of the mixture (Pr. 42) 

 being taken internally in water eveiy half-hour or oftener. Rhus tpxicodendron 

 sometimes proves useful ; it does most good when the pains are accompanied by 

 only a slight amount of swelling, and when they are intensified by warmth and 

 motion. Three drops of the tincture may be taken in water every three hours. 

 The internal administration of tincture of bryony (Pr. 49) is often attended with 

 marked benefit ; it is specially indicated when the pains are worse on movement. 

 Pulsatilla (Pr. 43) proves useful for pains in the joints occurring in women with 

 menstrual derangement. 



KIDNEYS AND BLADDER, DISEASES OF THE. 



Some of the more important diseases connected with the urinary organs have 

 already been discussed under the heads of BRIGHT'S DISEASE, GRAVEL, and DIABETES, 

 and further information will be found in the article on URINE. Rules for the treat- 

 ment of SPERMATORRHOEA were given under DEBILITY. 



There are few affections of the urinary organs in which there is not more or less 

 frequency in passing water. In many people it arises from simple nervousness or 

 debility. In women, too, it is not unfrequently due to some irritation or displace- 

 ment of the womb. In children it is common, and directions for treatment will be 

 found under Bed-wetting (see DISEASES OF CHILDREN, p. 3). "We must now consider 

 what can be done in the case of adults. 



For women, especially middle-aged women, who suffer from frequent desire to 

 pass water, or inability to retain it for long, the cantharides mixture (Pr. 47) will 



