444 THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



must be from the bad air of town to the purer air of the country or the sea-side, but 

 such is not always the case, for experience shows that a change from the country to 

 a comparatively unhealthy town may do good. It is probable that in this case the 

 benefit is derived rather from the absence of excessive mental or bodily labour, and in 

 the presence of pleasant associations and companions, than from the mere change of 

 air. Although we have strongly advocated the employment of rest in the treatment 

 of muscular pains, we do not mean to imply that no exercise at all should be taken. 

 On the contrary, we believe that moderate exercise in the open air will, in the 

 majority of cases, be productive of much benefit by improving the appetite and pro- 

 moting the circulation. When walking is too much for the strength, gentle carriage 

 exercise might prove of benefit. Respecting the diet, all we need say is that the 

 patient should live generously, and that stimulants may be used in moderation. 

 When recovery is retarded by anaemia, indigestion, or constipation, the appropriate 

 remedies should be applied, and these evils remedied with as little delay as possible. 

 In weakly people purgatives are to be employed with considerable caution. People 

 suffering from muscular pains are not unfrequently supposed to have congestion of 

 the liver, and are consequently purged unmercifully, the only result being that the 

 general tone of the whole system is lowered, and the pains are consequently in- 

 creased. There is a case recorded of a man who, under the impression that his 

 muscular pains were the premonitory symptoms of apoplexy, took purgatives to such 

 an extent that he stated he had gone to the closet six times before breakfast, and 

 twenty times during the day. and that the average of his visits was about fifteen 

 times a day for at least three months. His method of treatment had materially 

 increased the severity of the pains, and had reduced him to such a state of weakness 

 that he had often had to rest on the bed while dressing, and had been unable to 

 get up-stairs without assistance after his day's work was over. He rapidly recovered 

 his normal condition of health on discontinuing the use of his purgatives. In the 

 majority of cases of muscular weakness in which the bowels are confined a little 

 brimstone and treacle, or the more elegant confection of sulphur or confection of 

 sulphur and senna (Pr. 59) will effect all that is necessary. JFor those who do not 

 like purgatives the following device may be adopted. A strip of coarse linen, about 

 a foot broad, and long enough to go three times round the body, is wetted at one end 

 sufficiently to admit of the damped part going round the body, the dry part of the 

 bandage covering that which is wet and excluding the air ; an attendant stands still, 

 holding the dry end, whilst the patient applies the wet cloth and rolls himself up 

 tightly and ties the strings to keep all snug. The bandage must be put on under 

 the ribs so that the play of the lungs be not affected. It is worn night and day, 

 and only removed to be re-damped, in the morning on getting up, at midday, in the 

 evening, and perhaps again at night. This is an excellent plan, and nearly always 

 keeps the bowels perfectly regular. 



What should be our immediate treatment when a person is suffering from acute 

 muscular pain 1 The patient should go to bed, and the affected part should be kept 

 at rest by the application of a plaster or good strong bandage. An injection of mor- 

 phia given under the skin, or either twenty drops of laudanum, or twenty grains of 

 chloral in a little water, will usually produce sleep, and easejthe pain. A mixture 



