ands in water just a little above blood heat
produces a wonderful effect on an invalid when there is too great
weakness to stand longer treatment. This is well known to be true of
half-an-hour's good feet bathing. In some cases bathing both of hands
and feet is much needed. The overburdened heart finds it a vast benefit
when by such a bathing the blood is allowed to flow easily through the
vessels of the feet and hands.
Hands, Dry and Hard.--Pack the hands in SOAP LATHER (_see_) mixed with
a little fine olive oil. The soap must be finely lathered with a brush,
not _melted_. Pure soft water, never too hot nor too cold, should be
used, and the hands thoroughly dried after washing. _See_ Chapped
Hands.
Hay Fever.--A most effective preventive and cure for this is the
inhaling through the nostrils the vapour of strong acetic acid. The
acid may be on a sponge enclosed in a smelling bottle, and its vapour
may be freely inhaled. Sponge all over each night with hot acid and
water. The head also may be wet with pretty strong acid, and tied up so
as to keep in the vapour. Do not, however, use a waterproof covering.
Headache.--There is a vast variety of ailments associated with what is
called headache. In itself, it is just more or less _pain_ in the head.
When there is such pain, it means that some of the nerves in the head
are in a wrong state, probably in nearly all cases a state of more or
less _pressure_. This pressure hinders the free flow of vital action
along the nerve, and this hindrance we feel as pain. To remove the
pressure is, then, to relieve the pain. Pressure from overwork often
causes headache on week-days, which goes off on Sabbath. The _rest_
here removes the pressure, and so the pain. The pressure results from a
failure of energy in some part of the head, slight swelling then taking
place. To increase the energy is to effect a cure. This may be done by
first, at bedtime, soaping the back with warm water and SOAP (_see_).
Then dry, and rub firmly yet gently with hot olive oil, until the whole
back glows with warmth. This may take perhaps fifteen minutes. Then
give three minutes of warm water pouring over the back. Dry again, and
oil with hot oil, and put the patient to bed. Avoid much tea. Avoid
altogether tobacco and alcoholic liquors, which of themselves will
often cause the trouble. This treatment applies to all that numerous
class of headaches which arise from overwork and fag. A cure may often
be
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