Bleeding resulting from haemorrhoids may be stopped temporarily, or even permanently, by internal styptics. More severe haemorrhages require local treatment, consisting in cauterisation of the bleeding parts, or in packing the rectum with iodoform-gauze. This, of course, is to he done by the attending physician. Cold sitz-baths often cause the vessels to con tract so as to diminish the tendency to haemorrhages. These baths also act favourably upon the weakened intestine and upon the constipation. Open, contaminated, and suppurating luemorrhoids must be treated by a physician according to modern methods. Dusting-powders or salves may he applied in order to alleviate the soreness of the skin in the neighbourhood of the anus. Smaller nodes may occasionally be caused to contract and disappear by injections of carbolic acid ; hut larger ones can be removed only by extensive operations (cauterisation, cutting, etc.). This is the only sure remedy. The numerous salves which are constantly being placed on the market, purporting to cure hemorrhoids " without the knife," are often very unsafe remedies.
HENBANE.—See HYOSCYAMUS.
HERB-BATH.—This is prepared by adding to the bath a decoction of aromatic herbs, the composition of which must be given by a physician. As an example, may serve a combination of eight ounces each of camomile, peppermint leaves, and calamus root, boiled in two quarts of water and added to a full bath of a temperature of 95° F. This bath is suitable for women and children in conditions of irritation.
HEREDITY.—The transmission from parent to child of physical and mental characteristics, as well as of such peculiar traits and tendencies as are known by the term " idiosyncrasies." The inheritability of physical and mental qualities is evidenced in every family, but is not equally marked in all instances. As a general rule it may be said that these traits are transmitted through the generations in three distinct ways : (t) Transmission may take place directly from parents to offspring, the qualities of the former blending harmoniously in the child. This is called direct heredity. (2) The child may inherit the qualities of a more or less remote ancestor, either of the paternal or of the maternal line (normal heredity). (3) The physical and mental
characteristics of an aunt, uncle, grand-aunt, or grand-uncle may be inherited by a nephew or niece (collateral heredity). In addition to these three main avenues of heredity, there are various deviations, such as the inheritance by a child of all the qualities of one parent, but none of those of the other ; or a lack of blending in the child of the characteristics inherited, the maternal and the paternal traits being individually and distinctly traceable.
The inheritability of morbid tendencies is a question which can only be briefly touched upon in this place. Severe constitutional diseases, such as syphilis, etc., are often transmitted directly from parent to child ; and for this reason persons suffering from such diseases should feel morally obliged to forego marriage. _1 morbid taint on the part of the mother often seems more apt to be transmitted to the male offspring, while that of the father is chiefly inherited by the daughters. It must be pointed out that many diseases which are loosely spoken of as " hereditary," are in reality acquired by extraneous means, the fiettis being infected with the virus of the parent's affection. Such diseases are properly termed " congenital." Evolutionary heredity is the term applied to the transmission to the hews of some moral or physical quality, owing to an extraneous cause affecting the mother.
Heredity is one of the most prominent among the factors causative of mental diseases. Such an inherited taint may remain dormant in the child until called forth by extraneous influences. The children of mentally deranged parents, or of epileptics or alcoholics, are very apt to be thus tainted ; and the trait may even remain dormant in one generation to assert itself in the grandchildren of those originally afflicted. In many cases children with inherited taints may, by extreme watchfulness and care, be saved for useful lives, but in the larger number of instances some external factor generally brings out the inherited predisposition.
HERNIA.—See RUPTURE.