Predisposing.—­A damp climate, winter and spring, young adults and persons who are exposed to damp, wet and cold.

Condition.—­There is congestion of the soft parts of the joints and effusion into the joint cavities of a watery fluid.  Endocarditis, pericarditis, myocarditis, pleurisy and pneumonia may complicate it.  The first named, endocarditis, is very common and as the mitral valves become inflamed it is likely to leave valvular trouble unless carefully watched and treated at the time.

Symptoms.—­The invasion may be gradual, with a very tired feeling and often tonsilitis; but it is usually sudden, with pains, soreness in one or more joints and fever.  The knees, ankles, elbows and wrists are much affected, but it frequently goes through almost every joint in the body and sometimes repeats the terrible dose.  I know, for I had it twice.  The suffering, torture and pain sometimes are simply indescribable and almost too hard to bear.  The joints become hot, red, painful, swollen and tender to touch and motion.  It seems to hurt worse when anyone comes near, for the patient is afraid of careless handling.

Fever.—­This runs from 102 to 104 and is modified by profuse perspiration with bad odor and, generally, it does not afford any relief.  The urine is very acid, very thick and looks like thick, strong coffee.  The symptoms frequently disappear partially from one joint or joints as they begin in other joints, attacking several in rapid succession, the fever varying and changing with the degrees of joint involvement.

We may see the shoulder and hip, the elbow and wrist, knee and ankle, etc., all affected at once:  Heart complications are frequent and bear close watching, for they are dangerous to life and the future health of the patient.  The patient becomes very anemic and this progresses rapidly.  When improvement does begin it is gradual; or the disease may become chronic.  Care must be taken not to be too active when improvement sets in or you will cause a return by using the joints before they have become thoroughly well.  I did the same thing in my anxiety to get out, but would never be as reckless again.  Pain and stiffness of the joints often last long after convalescence has set in.  One who has had this disease once is liable to another attack if he is not careful.

[Constitutional diseases 319]

Mothers’ remedies. 1.  Articular Rheumatism.—­A gentleman sends us the following treatment for articular rheumatism and writes as follows:  “I send you the following treatment for articular rheumatism because I used it myself and was cured in a very short time, in fact, about ten days.  It was a number of years ago in the early spring when my knee joints, ankles and wrists began to pain me and continued to become worse for about a week, at the end of which time both my knees were perfectly stiff.  I sent for my physician; he wrapped my knees with common baking soda; taking long wide bandages