Health News and Information

Dressing Successfully: The Ten Commandments 2: Choose classic clothes

When in doubt play safe but not dull.

If you want to look good nothing beats clothes that are styled along traditional lines in a classic mould. For example the best raincoats that rarely go out of fashion are trenchcoats, the sort that Humphrey Bogart wore to perfection in movies, the sort that Aquascutum and Burberry have made world famous. These are classic raincoats.

And equally classic are Shetland wool sweaters with crew necks, Oxford cloth shirts, plaid shirts, cords, flannels and brogues. The changes in style that affect them are only minimal. Because their design has a timeless quality, classic clothes are good investment.

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This is an acute infection of the genito-urinary tract that is contracted only through sexual or anal intercourse. It is nonsense that it can be caught from a lavatory seat or an infected towel or sheet as the gonorrhea organisms die if they are not nurtured within a warm body.

Infection is usually obvious three to five days after intercourse. The first sign is soreness when passing water and later this turns to a burning sensation and a thick discharge begins to drip from the penis. Without prompt attention the infection can spread so that the bladder becomes painful and inflamed. Acute infection may spread to the testicles and in time cause sterility.

Treatment is by antibiotic injection, two usually, probably penicillin, accompanied by a short course of tablets to ensure the organism is effectively killed off. During treatment you must not drink alcohol or have intercourse. Genitals must be washed twice daily with soap and water and a towel must be put aside for the affected person to dry themselves, a towel that will be used by no one else.

Checks are usually made one week after diagnosis and a final checkup is usually made three months later for a clean bill of health.

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If you are susceptible there is nothing you can do about avoiding the symptoms of the male-menopause. Those that are going to affect you, will. But you can recognize them for what they are, that is, simply, symptoms, and bad though the reaction may be at least you know you are in good company with countless others and not on the verge of collapse or madness and that physically you do not have a terminal illness. If your sexlife does not improve overnight at least you know normal service will soon be resumed.

Jungian analysts subscribe to the old adage that life is one long day with the age of forty as its midday, a high-noon peak before the long afternoon and dusk with its setting sun. (Both Jung and Freud suffered mid-life crises.) And during the M-M years the past looks far richer than the future. But although the past may have been great why shouldn’t the future be as good — if different? Survival lies in the ability to spot what is going wrong and make the correct decisions recognizing the changes you need in yourself and your lifestyle and adapting to them so that the future works to your advantage.

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After thirty-five the body is not quite what it was. It may look passable in the mirror but compare it with another ten to fifteen years younger and the differences show.

In your twenties you look young and full of go. In your thirties you reach a peak with a kind of free sophistication and confidence. But in your forties?

The answer is that in your forties you have reached both a plateau and a turning point but if you have taken care of yourself and the way you look, you can still look your best with a distinguishing touch of maturity. It is by no accident that famous movie stars reach their forties looking good; they have taken intensive care.

But, and this is an emphatic but, at forty there is also a realization or revelation that maturity might not be all it is cracked up to be and that

not only do you look mature with your thickening waistline and fuller face but that you also begin to feel mature. Both mentally and physically. People around seem to be just that touch younger than you. And meanwhile your values are changing, at work, home, leisure and generally. Time you realize is flying and the moment has come to lay foundation for future contentment; positive changes before it is too late.

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The crisis builds up with a series of emotional upsets based on irrational doubts that, depending on each man’s own reading of his life, spill out and apply equally to his home as well as work life. Serious or insubstantial, together they can rock a man’s foundation. They can puncture his ego and undermine self-confidence. Self-esteem can be shot and sometimes there is a profound sense of failure which more often than not is unfounded and not evident to the eyes of others. For many the over-riding symptom is a feeling that they are missing out on their fair share of the joys of life (seen chiefly as sex). Other symptoms may be present too, nagging. Gradually the pressures intensify with tension, ragged nerves, a temper at the end of a short fuse the probable result.

And while some have only a small random selection to conquer, others have what appears to them to be more than their fair share for an inordinately long period. How badly it strikes depends entirely on personal make-up and environment. It may only be short-lived but therapists believe, at its worst, the male-menopause can last five years.

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Advice for Expectant and Nursing Mothers During pregnancy and even afterwards, the mother’s happiness is often marred by such troubles as phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), thrombosis and embolism.

A few words of advice on how to help and perhaps even avoid these problems will undoubtedly be welcomed by all mothers. There are certain herbs which, when combined, work wonders for the veins. In cases of phlebitis, varicose veins and thrombosis this blend is so effective that we are happy to name the herbs for the benefit of expectant and nursing mothers.

While nature’s ways are quite simple, we tend to seek a far more complicated solution to our troubles. A prescription written in Latin, which most of us do not understand, seems to inspire more confidence than nature’s easy way. We want a quick reaction, faster than natural treatment can give. Of course, we never admit that the sometimes dire consequences of such proceedings actually prove this method of treatment to be wrong. The simple and natural procedure which everyone is able to understand without any difficulty and apply in his own home, is considered to be backward and unorthodox.

Nutrition is another factor that merits our attention while a fever lasts. Normally the patient is not hungry and does not want to take anything. This is nature’s way of indicating that feeding would not only be useless but actually harmful, since the digestive system is almost inactive. Encouraging a fever patient to eat will not help him at all. Often, however, in these situations we want to spoil the patient with something special. We want to show him how much we care by preparing a juicy steak, fried eggs with cheese and other attractive combinations. However, it must be pointed out that a fever patient should not receive any protein or other food that is difficult to digest, only fruit juices being indicated. Should none be available, give him a little kidney tea or some water. If you wish, these may be sweetened with cane sugar. Alternatively, just use plain water with a natural product added (Molkosan or a herbal remedy). However, the best liquids are still fruit juices, and the fever patient will enjoy these more than anything else. Squeeze some grapes or oranges; the fresh juice will provide nutritive salts and vitamins. Let him sip the cool juice slowly and he will feel truly refreshed. It is not often that a patient cannot tolerate fruit juices, but if this is the case, a good nonalcoholic wine can be given. Diluted Molkosan is equally beneficial.

What a shock it is when you are stung by a bee or a wasp! Immediately, you try to pull out the sting and suck out the poison that has been injected, because you do not know how the body will react. The pain is best alleviated by means of ivy. Perhaps you have an ivy vine climbing up the garden wall or a tree, but if not you should easily be able to find some in a nearby forest or wood. Take a few leaves and some bark, crush them between your fingers and rub onto the sting. Of course, it would be better if you already had some ivy tincture in the house. This is quite easy to prepare. Gather ivy leaves and cut off some of the green bark, then pass them all through a mincer. Pour alcohol over the mash and let it stand for a week or so. When ready, press through a sieve, filter and bottle. A few drops of this tincture rubbed lightly on a sting will quickly relieve the pain. Also effective are compresses made with salt water to which a few drops of ivy tincture have been added. Any of these treatments will prevent extensive swelling and will neutralise the poison.

Fern {bracken) is an excellent remedy for bites from gnats and similar insects. In tropical regions fern is the next best thing to mosquito nets for protection. Stuff pillows and mattresses with fern and you will not only be protected against all kinds of unwel

This is often a long drawn-out battle. If simple remedies such as parsley tea are not enough to ease your painful limbs and joints, take a herbal bath using any herbs you have available. When you check your stock of herbs in the spring, planning to gather fresh ones, use what you have left in your baths, or make an infusion of cut grass and add this to the bath. Make sure the water is around blood heat (37 °C/98.6 °F); remain completely submerged, with only your nose visible, for 10, 15 or 20 minutes, even as long as half an hour. Have someone turn on the hot water so that the temperature can slowly rise to 38 °C (100 °F), and if you can stand it, to 39 °C (102 °F), following the Schlenz method (see pages 433-6). While submerged, have someone brush you vigorously with a stiff brush. If you take this bath once a week, you will be rid of your aches and pains.

To reinforce the treatment place a poultice of pulped cabbage leaves on the aching areas and drink plenty of raw vegetable juices. Be sure to eat enough alkaline foods and avoid offal, such as liver, kidneys and sweetbread, as well as alcohol.

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The berries of the mountain ash, also known as rowan, are a good remedy for hoarseness. There may be a tree in your garden, or in a neighbour’s, or you may remember seeing one on country walks. At the same time, you can look out for the pimpernel. To combat hoarseness, chew either rowan berries or pimpernel root, fresh or dried. Keep chewing these for as long as possible and let the insalivated juice run down the throat. This simple treatment makes hoarseness disappear in no time at all. Of course, you do not need to use both remedies together; either one on its own will no doubt help you. When you have lost your voice, rowan berries and pimpernel root are two of the best cures available.