Nursing

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Healthy muscles are said to have good muscle tone. Not all muscles are healthy, however, for various ailments may affect muscles. An inflammation of tendon (tendonitis), protective sac at a joint (bursitis) or muscle itself (myositis) may occur. When a muscle contracts and becomes fatigued, a cramp occurs. Too much strenuous activity may produce a strain.

Hippocrates was not the first to make medical discoveries worth noting and remembering, however, the tombs of the Egyptians contain drawings of surgical operations performed in Egypt as early as 3000 B.C. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, dated 2040 B.C., contain statements on doctor-patient relationships and medical ethics. Early medical documents and prescription lists have been discovered. In China, acupuncture was developed centuries ago to treat a wide variety of ailments.

The human body is a remarkable machine, complex and enduring, although not inmortal. It is able to absorb the oxygen necessary for life through respiration and to circulate it through the blood to the tissues. Food is digested, providing energy. It is given form by a skeletal system. It is protected against injury and disease by a layer of tissue called skin. The science of the structure of these major bodily systems is anatomy. Anyone working in a medical career must have a thorough knowledge of human anatomy.

The common cold is a good example of an ailment which does not require expert medical attention. Most colds are caused by viruses rather than by getting wet or standing in a draft, as is the common belief. It is true, though, that getting chilled can lower one's resistance and make one more susceptible to attack by a virus.

Although it is never pleasant to be ill, it is comforting to know that scientists have discovered the causes of most illnesses and have developed drugs to cure them. It is now possible, at the first symptom of disease, to consult a physician regarding a prescribed medication or to use a mild remedy available in any pharmacy to relieve the unpleasantness of a less serious ailment. It is no longer necessary to suffer without the hope of any relief.

A doctor cannot cure an illness unless he has made a diagnosis.