. The diseases of children : medical and surgical. tory curvesare so slight and diffuse as to be nearlyimperceptible. In some cases curvatureof the spine is to be looked upon as com-pensatory and advantageous, and not asa morbid condition ; such are slightcurvatures which make up for inequality in the length of the limbs and the slighter degrees of curve due toempyema ; thus in one case the curve may help to hide the deformity andin the other assist in filling up a suppuiating cavity. Aching pain of greater or less severity, and a general feeling of tiredness,with depression of spirits and ton
. The diseases of children : medical and surgical. tory curvesare so slight and diffuse as to be nearlyimperceptible. In some cases curvatureof the spine is to be looked upon as com-pensatory and advantageous, and not asa morbid condition ; such are slightcurvatures which make up for inequality in the length of the limbs and the slighter degrees of curve due toempyema ; thus in one case the curve may help to hide the deformity andin the other assist in filling up a suppuiating cavity. Aching pain of greater or less severity, and a general feeling of tiredness,with depression of spirits and tonelessness, are the principal subjectivesymptoms of lateral curvature. The pain is usually in the side and not inthe back or chest and abdomen. Treatment.—Scoliosis due to congenital malformation of the spine itselfor to deficiency of an entire limb, as well as that due to collapse of the chest-wall after empyema or severe atelectasis, is necessarily not entirely and inmany cases not at all remediable, while curvature due to rickets, weakness, Q. Fig. 44.—Lateral Curvature of the Spine 226 General Diseases bad habits, or a shortened leg may in its early stages be entirely cured andin almost any stage prevented from getting worse. In any case the aim must be to first remove the cause tending to increasethe deformity, to improve the general health, to strengthen the muscles andligaments, and to avoid pressure and strain upon the weak parts. In therickety scoliosis of young children the rickets must be treated and the childnever allowed to remain sitting up for any length of time ; its general posturemust be flat upon its back or face, or upon its side, with pihows so arrangedas to straighten out the curves. The principle is not to keep the patientlying down, which would of course innoway strengthen the muscles, but to give
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