DANCE

or Chorea, is a discase of the nervous system, characterised by:—({1) sudden purposele movements which the will has little if any power to prevent; (2) muscular weakne ; (3) a prey: Be the intellect combined with a le ened control over the emotions. Tho name chorea is from the Greck “ to dance.” ‘Tho name St. Vitus’s Dance arose from o large number of cases in tho year 1418 being sent to the shrine of Saint Vitus to be cured. In the discaso of to-day, however, we can recognise no symptom that resembles the rhythmic Pesci of a dance, the movements are of the exactly A Pape nature, irregular to a degree. The disease is brought on by eye strain, worry and over-work, such as competitive examinations too often involve. The time of life most liable to attack is between five and fifteen years. Girls are morc often attacked than boys, poor more often than rich, whites more often than coloured races. Rheumatism plavs its part in the causation of the disease; very often the child has rheumatic fever either previously or subsevently, and there is often rheumatism in the family. Podaall there is evidence, as Dr. Poynton has shown, that chorea is rheumatism attacking the nervous system. Girls, who are keen at their bookwork, and who come of a rhenmatic etrain, are tho most liable to become choreio, a fact J the parents should bear in mind. A sudden fright finally determines the onset of an attack in many of the cases. The symptoms of onect demand special attention both from the parent and the echo olm aster. At home the child often gets into trouble for behaving badly at table. It spills food on its bib, drops ite cup without gate cause, — and often insists on swinging one leg. At school it often gets into trouble for making faces, for inattention,. for ad writing, or for a slouchy gait. Amongst its playmates it geta into trouble for ite altered bax rcema Tt becomes morose, anxious to bo left alone abnormally emotional when interfered with or chafled. Ridicule or correction make matters much worse; prompt detection of the rea! state of affairs is e ential if the condition is to be nipped in the bud. Treatment:—The child should be put to bed by itself for a few days, the sides of the cot should be protected with pillows, all books removed, sloep and plenty of plain food encouraged, and the irregular movements ignored. Many cases thus treated recover in a few days. A fortnight’s holiday is then required, with plenty of fresh air and sunshine, but without excitement. Afterwards the child must not be pre ed at school or the condition will relapse. In more marked cases, not only the doctor, but s nurse is requisite, and for the poor tho hospital is the best place to send the patient. When this is not po ible, the use of some enamelled iron cups and plates is desirable; & parson’s wife, of the writer’s acquaintance, keeps such a ect for use in the parish. This little point may be worth bearing in mind. [s. 403]