CHOREA

[ Syn. St. Vitus’s Dance. ] A spasmodic disease affecting children and young persons, especially girls, between eight and sixteen years of age. It is caused by a debilitated condition of the nervous system, as well as by brain disease, scrofula, imprudent diet and worms. The treatment recommended is the regulation of the bowels by mild purgatives. If the disease can be traced to worms, these should be removed by the proper remedies. If worms are not the cause, recourse should be had to the cold, or shower-bath. The hot hip-bath will be found serviceable in some cases. Where there is palene of the skin any of the iron preparations will prove of great use, the bowels being kept regular. The best preparations of iron are either the tincture of the perchloride, or nitrate, or the citrate of iron and quinine. Some practitioners recommend arsenic—five drops of the solution (for an adult) twice a day after meals; others valerian ate of zinc. Treatment for the Horse and other Animals. —Similar to the above.