We live by a complicated code of social behaviour. One aspect of it is that we should not give way to our feelings. With some people this is very important indeed. For instance, it is important for those in the armed services. The young soldier thinks, “If I am wounded, I hope I can take [...]

Q. What about other forms of medication? Over the years we have heard about a great many. Are these still in use?

A. In some cases, yes, and on other cases, not altogether. For some time a drug called carbenoxolone sodium appeared to have a beneficial effect on gastric ulcers. It seemed to relieve ulcers in [...]

If your doctor or hospital consultant refers you to a chartered physiotherapist – or you choose to see one independently – for back pain, the first step towards treatment will almost certainly be an in-depth assessment of your condition and what led to it. As well as an examination of your posture, this assessment will [...]

Until recently, most doctors agreed that thin people are more likely to live longer than those who are even slightly overweight.

In the past few years, however, many experts have suggested that it is actually healthier for middle-aged people to put on some weight and not to stay as slim as they were during their most [...]

Sunburn is a heat bum, usually of the first degree. Babies and children who have fair complexions are particularly susceptible to sunburn, even on cloudy days or in shade. Occasionally, sunburn causes a skin rash which resembles hives. This condition is called sun poisoning.

Signs and symptoms

Sunburn causes the skin to become inflamed, blistered, and painful, [...]

An unwanted baby

“I didn’t want him. I can hardly say it. I simply did not want him. I did not want a third child. Now, he is so beautiful. So beautiful, and I love him so. Do anything in the world for him. But the thought recurs. How wicked of me not to have wanted [...]

The sting of a bee may cause dangerous allergic reactions in an atopic child. The symptoms vary according to the amount of venom injected, the presence of sensitivity, and the place of the sting.

A normal reaction consists of the formation of a wheal, irritation, itching, and local heat.

The reaction disappears [...]

Smoking

There is so much information out there about the risks you run of getting lung cancer, emphysema and other diseases if you smoke. Thankfully, many people are now aware of the detrimental effects of smoking when a woman is pregnant.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 compounds and these pass directly into the foetal blood supply. [...]

It will be clear from the above that preventing suicide can be difficult. However, almost anyone who is close to or connected with a suicide victim blames themselves to some extent, feels guilty and wonders what they could have done to prevent it. Some ideas for prevention have been mentioned above. Here are some more [...]

Alcoholism is a complex and ill-defined condition in which a person is addicted to alcohol either physically, psychologically or socially. It is almost impossible to know exactly how many people are affected by alcoholism, if only because the boundary between heavy social drinking and true alcoholism is so difficult to define. Alcohol certainly affects the [...]