=Rickets, Osteomalacia and similar diseases.=
The condition of the skeleton,--the solid structure of the osseous
frame,--is of the greatest importance to the maintenance of health. Its
various forms of disease,--such as deficient development of bone;
osteomalacia,--softening of the bones; flat foot; caries--molecular
decay or death of the bones, especially of the teeth,--are based mostly
upon rachitis (rickets).
Rachitis should be fought at the time the child develops in the womb, by
properly feeding the mother and preparing her to give it, after birth,
healthy milk, with all the elements necessary for bone structure.
Rachitis is principally lack of lime in the food, which causes parts of
the bones to remain soft instead of becoming rigid.
It is a constitutional, often hereditary, disease caused by poor
nutrition and by influences of environment, such as marshy regions and
humid climates.
The lack of lime in the food is often obvious when children show a
tendency to eat chalk, and even to scratch walls in order to eat the
lime obtained therefrom.
More solid food, that gives work to the teeth and the digestive organs,
is certainly advisable in such cases.
The symptoms of rachitis become apparent at the pelvis and at the wide
open, soft parts of the skull, the unossified fontanelles. The cartilage
in the wrists and ankles becomes thick. Slow development of the teeth,
swollen glands in the neck, inflammations in different parts of the
body, cramps and convulsions,--among others, of the vocal cords,--are
further indications. In the progressive development of the disease, the
softened cartilage grows and protrudes everywhere, especially in the
thorax, such as "rachitis rosary." Crooked bones and hunchbacks not
infrequently develop.
_Therapy._
_Diet_: Older children should receive chopped meat, eggs, zwieback or
whole grain bread. Bouillon will stimulate their digestion. Uffelmann
recommends a mixture of one part veal bouillon and two to three parts of
milk, which children like.
It is unnecessary to give calcium directly, when a rachitic diet is
observed. Sufficient is contained in the Dech-Manna-Diet, given
principally in milk and as a rule also in the drinking water.
Quantities of amylaceous (starchy) food, candy, cakes and other sweets,
coarse vegetables and potatoes must be avoided, since with children they
are the cause of stomach trouble, resulting in decomposition and the
formation of acids in the intestines.
_Breakfast_: Milk and whole grain bread, or oatmeal porridge and
fruit.--Whole grain bread signifies any variety of bread made from flour
containing the entire contents of the grain, the gluten as well as the
bran; among these are Graham-bread, rye-bread, pilot-bread, and Rhenish
black bread.
_Mid-morning Lunch_: Raw scraped carrots; for small children and for
those having poor teeth, oat flakes.
_Dinner_: Every other day--legumes, prepared in various ways, and fruit,
vegetables or fresh greens; for example:
(a) White beans boiled to the consistency of a thick soup, with apples.
(b) Fresh pea soup containing rice, barley, sweet corn or oatmeal; a
thick pea-porridge with parsley, served with carrots, cabbage, white
turnips, red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, or various fresh greens; or simply
browned.
(c) Dried pea soup with similar contents; barley porridge, fresh greens,
baked potatoes; or browned and eaten with any vegetables.
(d) Lentils boiled in soup with the same contents as before; or as
porridge, particularly with potatoes and fresh greens.
Care must be taken never to eat leguminous products in large quantities,
because their nutritious properties are so high. Potatoes should be used
whole when added to other vegetables, and steamed not strained, because
they easily lose thereby their valuable sulphuric contents.
_Afternoon Lunch_: Fruit and whole grain bread, or a glass of milk and
bread.
_Supper_: In summer, cold or warm porridge with fruit and fresh greens,
and besides these millet, buckwheat, oats, barley and Graham-bread, as
especially efficient bone material. Sweet or sour milk proves a
relishing addition. In winter, soup made of the above grains, or of
potatoes not deprived of their mineral contents by peeling and
straining.
_Dech-Manna-Compositions_: =Osseogen=, Plasmogen, Cartillogen, Eubiogen.
_Physical_: Gymnastics, Massage.