Searchlights on Health: The Science of Eugenics
Chapter 34
1. SYMPTOMS.--When gonorrhoea is not cured at the end of twenty-one or twenty-eight days, at which time all discharge should have ceased, we have a condition known as chronic clap, which is nothing more or less than gleet. At this time most of the symptoms have abated, and the principal one needing medical attention is the discharge, which is generally thin, and often only noticed in the morning on arising, when a scab will be noticed, glutinating the lips of the external orifice. Or, on pressing with the thumb and finger from behind, forward, a thin, white discharge can be noticed.
2. HOME TREATMENT.--The diet of patients affected with this disease is all-important, and should have careful attention. The things that should be avoided are highly spiced and stimulating foods and drinks, as all forms of alcohol, or those containing acids. Indulgence in impure thoughts is often sufficient to keep a discharge, on account of the excitement it produces to the sensitive organs, thus inducing erections, which always do harm.
3. GENERAL TREATMENT.--The best injection is: Nitrate of silver, 1/4 grain Pure water, 1 oz. Inject three or four times a day after urinating.
STRICTURE OF THE URETHRA.
SYMPTOMS.--The patient experiences difficulty in voiding the urine, several ineffectual efforts being made before it will flow. The stream is diminished in size, of a flattened or spiral form, or divided in two or more parts, and does not flow with the usual force.
TREATMENT.--It is purely a surgical case and a competent surgeon must be consulted.
PHIMOSIS.
1. CAUSE.--Is a morbid condition of the penis, in which the glans penis cannot be uncovered, either on account of a congenital smallness of the orifice of the foreskin, or it may be due to the acute stage of gonorrhoea, or caused by the presence of soft chancre.
2. SYMPTOMS.--It is hardly necessary to give a description of the symptoms occurring in this condition, for it will be easily diagnosed, and its appearances are so indicative that all that is necessary is to study into its cause and treat the disease with reference to that.
TREATMENT.--If caused from acute gonorrhoea, it should be treated first by hot fomentations, to subdue the swelling, when the glans penis can be uncovered. If the result of the formation of chancre under the skin, they should be treated by a surgeon, for it may result in the sloughing off of the end of the penis, unless properly treated.
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ANIMAL MAGNETISM.
WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO USE IT.
1. MAGNETISM EXISTING BETWEEN THE BODIES OF MANKIND.--It is rational to believe that there is a magnetism existing between the bodies of mankind, which may have either a beneficial or a damaging effect upon our health, according to the conditions which are produced, or the nature of the individuals who are brought in contact with each other. As an illustration of this point we might consider that, all nature is governed by the laws of attraction and repulsion, or in other words, by positive and negative forces. These subtle forces or laws in nature which we call attraction or repulsion, are governed by the affinity--or sameness--or the lack of affinity--or sameness--which exists between what may be termed the combination of atoms or molecules which goes to make up organic structure.
2. LAW OF ATTRACTION.--Where this affinity--or sameness--exists between the different things, there is what we term the law of attraction, or what may be termed the disposition to unite together. Where there is no affinity existing between the nature of the different particles of matter, there is what may be termed the law of repulsion, which has a tendency to destroy the harmony which would otherwise take place.
3. MAGNETISM OF THE MIND.--Now, what is true of the magnet and steel, is also true--from the sameness of their nature--of two bodies. And what is true of the body in this sense, is also true of the sameness or magnetism of the mind. Hence, _by the laying on of hands_, or by the association of the minds of individuals, we reach the same result as when a combination is produced in any department of nature. Where this sameness of affinity exists, there will be a blending of forces, which has a tendency to build up vitality.
4. A PROOF.--As a proof of this position, how often have you found the society of strangers to be so repulsive to your feelings, that you have no disposition to associate. Others seem to bring with them a soothing influence that draws you closer to them. All these involuntary likes and dislikes are but the results of the _animal magnetism_ that we are constantly throwing off from our bodies,--although seemingly imperceptible to our internal senses.--The dog can scent his master, and determine the course which he pursues, no doubt from similar influences.
5. HOME HARMONY.--Many of the infirmities that afflict humanity are largely due to a want of an understanding of its principles, and the right applications of the same. I believe that if this law of magnetism was more fully understood and acted upon, there would be a far greater harmony in the domestic circle; the health of parents and children might often be preserved where now sickness and discord so frequently prevail.
6. THE LAW OF MAGNETISM.--When two bodies are brought into contact with each other, the weak must naturally draw from the strong until both have become equal. And as long as this equality exists there will be perfect harmony between individuals, because of the reciprocation which exists in their nature.
7. SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.--But if one should gain the advantage of the other in magnetic attraction, the chances are that through the law of development, or what has been termed the "Survival of the Fittest"--the stronger will rob the weaker until one becomes robust and healthy, while the other grows weaker and weaker day by day. This frequently occurs with children sleeping together, also between husband and wife.
8. SLEEPING WITH INVALIDS.--Healthy, hearty, vigorous persons sleeping with a diseased person is always at a disadvantage. The consumptive patient will draw from the strong, until the consumptive person becomes the strong patient and the strong person will become the consumptive. There are many cases on record to prove this statement. A well person should never sleep with an invalid if he desires to keep his health unimpaired, for the weak will take from the strong, until the strong becomes the weak and the weak the strong. Many a husband has died from a lingering disease which saved his wife from an early grave. He took the disease from his wife because he was the stronger, and she became better and he perished.
9. HUSBAND AND WIFE.--It is not always wise that husband and wife should sleep together, nor that children--whose temperament does not harmonize--should be compelled to sleep in the same bed. By the same law it is wrong for the young to sleep with old persons. Some have slept in the same bed with persons, when in the morning they have gotten up seemingly more tired than when they went to bed. At other times with different persons, they have lain awake two-thirds of the night in pleasant conversation and have gotten up in the morning without scarcely realizing that they had been to sleep at all, yet have felt perfectly rested and refreshed.
10. MAGNETIC HEALING, OR WHAT HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE LAYING ON OF HANDS.--A nervous prostration is a negative condition beneath the natural, by the laying on of hands a person in a good, healthy condition is capable of communicating to the necessity of the weak. For the negative condition of the patient will as naturally draw from the strong, as the loadstone draws from the magnet, until both become equally charged. And as fevers are a positive condition of the system "beyond the natural," the normal condition of the healer will, by the laying on of the hands, absorb these positive atoms, until the fever of the patient becomes reduced or cured. As a proof of this the magnetic healer often finds himself or herself prostrated after treating the weak, and excited or feverish after treating a feverish patient.
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HOW TO READ CHARACTER.
HOW TO TELL DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE NOSE.
1. LARGE NOSES.--Bonaparte chose large-nosed men for his generals, and the opinion prevails that large noses indicate long heads and strong minds. Not that great noses cause great minds, but that the motive or powerful temperament cause both.
2. FLAT NOSES.--Flat noses indicate flatness of mind and character, by indicating a poor, low organic structure.
3. BROAD NOSES.--Broad noses indicate large passage-ways to the lungs, and this, large lungs and vital organs and this, great strength of constitution, and hearty animal passions along with selfishness; for broad noses, broad shoulders, broad heads, and large animal organs go together. But when the nose is narrow at the base, the nostrils are small, because the lungs are small and need but small avenues for air; and this indicates a predisposition to consumptive complaints, along with an active brain and nervous system, and a passionate fondness for literary pursuits.
4. SHARP NOSES.--Sharp noses indicate a quick, clear, penetrating, searching, knowing, sagacious mind, and also a scold; indicate warmth of love, hate, generosity, moral sentiment--indeed, positiveness in everything.
5. BLUNT NOSES.--Blunt noses indicate and accompany obtuse intellects and perceptions, sluggish feelings, and a soulless character.
6. ROMAN NOSES.--The Roman nose indicates a martial spirit, love of debate, resistance, and strong passions, while hollow, pug noses indicate a tame, easy, inert, sly character, and straight, finely-formed Grecian noses harmonious characters. Seek their acquaintance.
DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY STATURE.
1. TALL PERSONS.--Tall persons have high heads, and are aspiring, aim high, and seek conspicuousness, while short ones have flat heads, and seek the lower forms of worldly pleasures. Tall persons are rarely mean, though often grasping; but very penurious persons are often broad-built.
2. SMALL PERSONS.--Small persons generally have exquisite mentalities, yet less power--the more precious the article, the smaller the package in which it is done up,--while great men are rarely dwarfs, though great size often co-exists with sluggishness.
DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE WALK.
1. AWKWARD.--Those whose motions are awkward yet easy, possess much efficiency and positiveness of character, yet lack polish; and just in proportion as they become refined in mind will their movements be correspondingly improved. A short and quick step indicates a brisk and active but rather contracted mind, whereas those who take long steps generally have long heads; yet if the step is slow, they will make comparatively little progress, while those whose step is long and quick will accomplish proportionately much, and pass most of their competitors on the highway of life.
2. A DRAGGING STEP.--Those who sluff or drag their heels, drag and drawl in everything; while those who walk with a springing, bouncing step, abound in mental snap and spring. Those whose walk is mincing, affected, and artificial, rarely, if ever, accomplish much; whereas those who walk carelessly, that is, naturally, are just what they appear to be, and put on nothing for outside show.
3. THE DIFFERENT MODES OF WALKING.--In short, every individual has his own peculiar mode of moving, which exactly accords with his mental character; so that, as far as you can see such modes, you can decipher such outlines of character.
THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY LAUGHING.
1. LAUGHTER EXPRESSIVE OF CHARACTER.--Laughter is very expressive of character. Those who laugh very heartily have much cordiality and whole-souledness of character, except that those who laugh heartily at trifles have much feeling, yet little sense. Those whose giggles are rapid but light, have much intensity of feeling, yet lack power; whereas those who combine rapidity with force in laughing, combine them in character.
2. VULGAR LAUGH.--Vulgar persons always laugh vulgarly, and refined persons show refinement in their laugh. Those who ha, ha right out, unreservedly, have no cunning, and are open-hearted in everything; while those who suppress laughter, and try to control their countenances in it, are more or less secretive. Those who laugh with their mouths closed are non-committal; while those who throw it wide open are unguarded and unequivocal in character.
3. SUPPRESSED LAUGHTER.--Those who, suppressing laughter for a while, burst forth volcano-like, have strong characteristics, but are well-governed, yet violent when they give way to their feelings. Then there is the intellectual laugh, the love laugh, the horse laugh, the philoprogenitive laugh, the friendly laugh, and many other kinds of laugh, each indicative of corresponding mental developments.
DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE MODE OF SHAKING HANDS.
THEIR EXPRESSION OF CHARACTER.--Thus, those who give a tame and loose hand, and shake lightly, have a cold, if not heartless and selfish disposition, rarely sacrificing much for others, are probably conservatives, and lack warmth and soul. But those who grasp firmly, and shake heartily, have a corresponding whole-souledness of character, are hospitable, and will sacrifice business to friends; while those who bow low when they shake hands, add deference to friendship, and are easily led, for good or bad, by friends.
THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE MOUTH AND EYES.
1. DIFFERENT FORMS OF MOUTHS.--Every mouth differs from every other, and indicates a coincident character. Large mouths express a corresponding quantity of mentality, while small ones indicate a lesser amount. A coarsely-formed mouth indicates power, while one finely-formed indicates exquisite susceptibilities. Hence small, delicately formed mouths indicate only common minds, with very fine feelings and much perfection of character.
2. CHARACTERISTICS.--Whenever the muscles about the mouth are distinct, the character is correspondingly positive, and the reverse. Those who open their mouths wide and frequently, thereby evince an open soul, while closed mouths, unless to hide deformed teeth, are proportionately secretive.
3. EYES.--Those who keep their eyes half shut are peek-a-boos and eaves-droppers.
4. EXPRESSIONS OF THE EYE.--The mere expression of the eye conveys precise ideas of the existing and predominant states of the mentality and physiology. As long as the constitution remains unimpaired, the eye is clear and bright, but becomes languid and soulless in proportion as the brain has been enfeebled. Wild, erratic persons have a half-crazed expression of eye, while calmness, benignancy, intelligence, purity, sweetness, love, lasciviousness, anger, and all the other mental affections, express themselves quite as distinctly by the eye as voice, or any other mode.
6. COLOR OF THE EYES.--Some inherit fineness from one parent, and coarseness from the other, while the color of the eye generally corresponds with that of the skin, and expresses character. Light eyes indicate warmth of feeling, and dark eyes power.
6. GARMENTS.--Those, who keep their coats buttoned up, fancy high-necked and closed dresses, etc., are equally non-communicative, but those who like open, free, flowing garments, are equally open-hearted and communicative.
THE DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER BY THE COLOR OF THE HAIR.
1. DIFFERENT COLORS.--Coarseness and fineness of texture in nature indicate coarse and fine-grained feelings and characters, and since black signifies power, and red ardor, therefore coarse black hair and skin signify great power of character of some kind, along with considerable tendency to the sensual; yet fine black hair and skin indicate strength of character, along with purity and goodness.
2. COARSE HAIR.--Coarse black hair and skin, and coarse red hair and whiskers, indicate powerful animal passions, together with corresponding strength of character; while fine or light, or auburn hair indicates quick susceptibilities, together with refinement and good taste.
3. FINE HAIR.--Fine dark or brown hair indicates the combination of exquisite susceptibilities with great strength of character, while auburn hair, with a florid countenance, indicates the highest order of sentiment and intensity of feeling, along with corresponding purity of character, combined with the highest capacities for enjoyment and suffering.
4. CURLY HAIR.--Curly hair or beard indicates a crisp, excitable, and variable disposition, and much diversity of character--now blowing hot, now cold--along with intense love and hate, gushing, glowing emotions, brilliancy, and variety of talent. So look out for ringlets; they betoken April weather--treat them gently, lovingly, and you will have the brightest, clearest sunshine, and the sweetest balmiest breezes.
5. STRAIGHT HAIR.--Straight, even, smooth, and glossy hair indicate strength, harmony, and evenness of character, and hearty, whole-souled affections, as well as a clear head and superior talents; while straight, stiff, black hair and beard indicate a coarse, strong, rigid, straight-forward character.
6. ABUNDANCE OF HAIR.--Abundance of hair and beard signifies virility and a great amount of character; while a thin beard signifies sterility and a thinly settled upper story, with rooms to let, so that the beard is very significant of character.
7. FIERY RED HAIR indicates a quick and fiery disposition. Persons with such hair generally have intense feelings--love and hate intensely--yet treat them kindly, and you have the warmest friends, but ruffle them, and you raise a hurricane on short notice. This is doubly true of auburn curls. It takes but little kindness, however, to produce a calm and render them as fair as a Summer morning. Red-headed people in general are not given to hold a grudge. They are generally of a very forgiving disposition.
SECRETIVE DISPOSITIONS.
1. A man that naturally wears his hat upon the top or back of the head is frank and outspoken; will easily confide and have many confidential friends, and is less liable to keep a secret. He will never do you any harm.
2. If a man wears his hat well down on the forehead, shading the eyes more or less, will always keep his own counsel. He will not confide a secret, and if criminally inclined will be a very dangerous character.
3. If a lady naturally inclines to high-necked dresses and collars, she will keep her secrets to herself if she has any. In courtship or love she is an uncertainty, as she will not reveal sentiments of her heart. The secretive girl, however, usually makes a good housekeeper and rarely gets mixed into neighborhood difficulties. As a wife she will not be the most affectionate, nor will she trouble her husband with many of her trials or difficulties.
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TWILIGHT SLEEP.
Some years ago two German Physicians, Kroenig and Grauss, of the University of Baden, startled the world by announcing: "Dammerschlaf" or "Twilight Sleep," a treatment which rendered childbirth almost painless and free from dangerous complications. A woman's clinic was established at Freiburg where a combination of scopolamine and morphine was given. The muscular activity of the pelvic organs was not lessened, the length of labor was shortened, and instruments were rarely necessary.
ABBOTT'S H-M-C is another sedative composed of hyoseine, morphine, and cactoid. It is less dangerous than the other remedy, and accomplishes the same result, hence is greatly preferred.
THE UTMOST CAUTION is necessary in the administration of either of these drugs, and the most competent medical supervision is essential to their success.
CAUTIONS.--The patient should not be left a moment without medical supervision. The lying in chamber should be darkened, and kept as quiet as possible.
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PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH.
WHY SHOULD A WOMAN SUFFER?--Childbirth is a natural function, as natural as eating, sleeping or walking. If the laws of nature are complied with it loses most, if not all, of its terrors. The facts show that Indian women, and those of other uncivilized races have children without experiencing pain, and with none of the so common modern complications.
WHAT IS THE REASON?--They live a natural, out of doors life, free from the evils and restrictions of present day civilization in dress and habits of life.
A NORMAL LIFE.--The expectant mother should therefore live a perfectly rational life, keeping the stomach and intestines especially healthy and active, and hence the general physical condition good. An abundance of fresh air, hearty exercise, and childbirth will pass over without any abnormal consequences.
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THE DISEASES OF WOMEN.
THE WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE HOME.--For centuries the world has stuck to this rule. Because the woman has been considered less fit for the struggles of the active workaday world, she has been kept at home, shut in from the air and sunshine, deprived of healthy exercise, and obliged to live a life of confinement and inactivity.
WHAT IS THE RESULT?--In connection with menstruation, pregnancy and child bearing a long list of diseases peculiar to woman have arisen, most of which through proper food and exercise could be avoided. In matters so vital to posterity false modesty and ignorance can no longer be tolerated.
CHLOROSIS OR ANAEMIA.
_Home Treatment_: Plenty of good food and fresh air will do much to restore the blood. Keep the bowels free. Satisfactory results have been brought about by a systematic use of iron as a tonic.
DISORDERS OF THE MENSES.
RETENTION OF MENSTRUATION.
_Treatment_: When due to the condition of the blood, recommend good food, fresh air, and sunshine to improve circulation. If the result of cold and exposure means and appliances for restoring the circulation must be adopted.
In either case the bowels should be kept open by injections.
VICARIOUS MENSTRUATION.
_Treatment_: No attempt should be made to stop the hemorrhage during the monthly period. The discharge is usually light although it occasionally causes great weakness. This disorder is caused by the suppression of the menses, and must be treated accordingly between periods.
CESSATION OF THE MENSES.
Commonly called "Change of Life."
_Treatment_: At this dangerous and trying period in a woman's life she must adopt the utmost regularity in the habits of her existence. Hot baths, taken just before retiring, will relieve the uncomfortable feeling so common at this time of life.
DISORDERS OF THE WOMB.
CANCER OF THE WOMB.
_Treatment_: Call at once a competent physician.
DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB.
_Treatment_: Evacuate the bowels and the bladder by means of injections, and the catheter. Place the fingers in the vagina, locate the mouth of the womb, insert finger into it, and gently pull the organ into its natural position.
DROPSY OF THE WOMB.
_Treatment_: Use tonics freely together with vapor baths, and frequent hot hip baths.
FALLING OF THE WOMB.
_Treatment_: Build up the physical condition by an abundance of good food, fresh air and sunshine, with moderate exercise. Astringent injections and vaginal suppositories of oak bark, myrrh, and cocoa-butter will usually bring relief.
INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB.
_Treatment_: Apply stimulating liniment to the abdomen. Keep body warm and moist especially at extremities. Add 10-15 drops of carbolic acid to one quart of warm water and use as a vaginal douche. Keep bowels open. Furnish light, nourishing diet, and give tonics.
NEURALGIA OF THE WOMB.