Anaemia (Chlorosis)

Description

This section is from the book "Mrs. Rorer's Diet For The Sick", by Sarah Tyson Rorer. Also available from Amazon: Mrs. Rorer's Diet For The Sick.

Anaemia (Chlorosis)

Acute anaemia arising from hemorrhage, needs the immediate care of a physician and is not considered here.

These directions are for the "anaemic girl," who is frequently neglected and becomes a chronic invalid before any one realizes she is ill.

The body is properly nourished when the condition and circulation of the blood are good. In anaemia the blood becomes thin and watery, impoverished in red corpuscles, and while this is not a true disease in the minds of many persons, it is certainly a sign of a serious trouble near at hand that calls for immediate and special treatment.

Young girls coming into womanhood are frequently overtaxed by a multiplicity of duties and social engagements. Hard study frequently lasts into the night and robs her of the proper rest and outdoor physical exercise. Indoor exercise, even if taken in a well-ventilated room, does not take the place of the outdoor romp. She eats candy before going to bed and frequently sleeps in the same room in which she has studied and without changing the air. She is simply undergoing a slow process of poisoning. Headaches, lassitude, and indifference to things in general, are the first symptoms of "the breakdown." She is not hungry in the morning; but our present school system makes it obligatory for her to eat when breakfast is on the table, at a regular and early hour. She is criticised if she does not eat, so she eats and carries the food in her stomach, undigested, until luncheon time. This is the first step to serious digestive troubles. To allay the craving of her stomach she eats pickles, lemons, candy, salt, any unnatural thing she can find and keep in her room. Doctor Fothergill tells us, "Health is a long price to pay for education, and our modern system of feeding, in both boys' and girls' schools, kills off the weak, ruins the middling and makes invalids of the well."

Another type is found among the society girls, whose physical foundations have been neglected from early childhood.

Treatment for anaemia must continue until there is a perfect recovery. Rest is necessary; early to bed and late to rise is a good motto. In the morning, brush the teeth and drink slowly a glass of milk or a cup of cafe au lait, before arising. Rest two hours, then take a sponge bath, with a thorough rub. Rest a half hour, then eat breakfast composed of two soft-boiled eggs and a bit of toast; or a dish of beauregard eggs; or golden toast; or a scraped beef cake, broiled; or two eggs with a slice of whole wheat bread well buttered; or oatmeal or cornmeal mush with cream; or poached eggs on broiled bacon or toast; or a broiled chop, with creamed potato.

The noonday meal should consist of concentrated foods, broiled steak, chop or chicken, baked potato or boiled rice, eggs, except fried or hard boiled, tender hearts of lettuce with French dressing. Between dinner and supper give a glass of milk, quarter cream; for the sake of variety this may be alternated with koumys or zoolak.

For supper give cream toast; whole wheat bread well buttered, with sliced tomato covered with cocoanut cream; old-fashioned rice puddings; Wheatena and cream; dates and milk; corn bread, or baked apples and cream with hard bread; stewed prunes with rice and cream; steamed figs with cream and corn gems; or a bowl of cream soup with whole wheat bread.

At the close of the noonday meal, if a salad is not eaten, sip slowly, almost drop by drop, a teaspoonful of olive oil, and eat, masticating thoroughly, six blanched and dried, not toasted, almonds.

Ansemic girls frequently continue in their lassitude until they can assimilate a goodly quantity of easily-digested proteids and raw fats such as butter, cream, cocoanut cream and olive oil. However, they must avoid fat meats; to be palatable and wholesome the fats of meat must be cooked, and heat renders fats less liable to agree with a delicate stomach. Bacon is the exception; if it is relished, give two slices every other morning. It is an agreeable addition to poached eggs on toast.

If olive oil cannot be taken from the spoon, make it into French dressing with a few drops of lemon juice, and use it over tender lettuce, imported endive, tender celery, cold, carefully-cooked spinach, string beans, or cress.

Plenty of fresh air without violent exercise is of equal importance with correct diet. A short walk each day is to be recommended. In walking, hold the body erect, draw the abdomen in, put the ball of the foot first to the ground. The clothing must be loose, light, warm and suspended from the shoulders. Skirts should be of light material, wool preferably; they should be comfortably narrow and short, and buttoned to the bottom of a loose waist or corset. Shoes must fit the feet, and have broad soles and low, broad heels. Gloves should be sufficiently loose not to press the circulation at the wrist.

Under no circumstances must the patient become weary; better spend all day in a hammock in the open air than have a moment's fatigue.

Avoid bulk foods; the appetite becomes satisfied before a sufficient amount of food has been eaten. If the appetite flags, and it usually does in the early morning, give the juice of two oranges, or two ounces of good percolated coffee with two ounces of hot milk; these are light and desirable stimulants. Some authorities object to coffee, but the writer can see no harm in a cup of good coffee, taken alone in the morning.

In cases where anaemic conditions are of long standing, a selected diet must be continued for months.