A disease of the nerves, so called from a pain in the nerve. It is a form

of nervous affection, that may either arise of itself, or be the result

of some other constitutional disturbance. Neuralgia may either attack the

root of the nerve, or where it arises from the brain or spinal marrow,

attend its whole course, or only manifest itself in its branches, or even

at the final termination of its smallest filament. According to the part

affected, the disease has obtained different names. When the course of

the nerve is affected, as in the hip or leg, it is called sciatica; when

the extremity is affected, if in the teeth, it is called tooth-ache; and

when the twigs and branches of the face are involved, tic-douloureux.

The pain attending all neuralgic affections, is of the most acute and

agonising description, being sharp, sudden, and plunging; coming on in a

moment, and after a paroxysm of intense suffering, abating as abruptly

as it commenced; and so erratic and uncertain are its attacks, that

it will sometimes be induced by the most trivial motion, action, or

lightest contact, while, not unfrequently, a blow or hard pressure has

no effect on the part. The twitching, or tic, that attends neuralgia so

frequently, is always more marked where there are many small muscles in

the neighbourhood, an aching numbness being left in the part for some

time after the subsidence of the more acute pain. Neuralgia, as well as

attacking the root, course, and extremities of a nerve, occasionally

shows itself in the organ to which the nerve ultimately distributes

itself, as in the heart, in _angina pectoris_, the breasts of females,

and other organs. Though the subject of neuralgia has been deeply

investigated, no satisfactory hypothesis has been yet come to, to account

for the origin of the disease; and whether it depends upon a morbid state

of the nerve, inflammation of the neurilemma, or sheath of the nerve,

from pressure, or some unhealthy condition of the nervous centres, is

still an undecided question. The treatment of this most agonising disease

must depend, as far it can be ascertained, upon the supposed cause. When

it is symptomatic, the treatment is much easier and more simple, and

must be regulated by that cause, the first endeavour being to remove

the primary disease, and after brace the system by chalybeate, tonics,

wine, bark, and exercise. When idiopathic, however, the most opposite

treatments have occasionally been successful, and sometimes all modes

of cure have failed; and when physician and patient have both been

exhausted with fruitless efforts, the malady has subsided of itself. As

a general rule, however, the constitutional tonic and anodyne system,

with counter-irritation, has been found the most successful practice; the

three modes enjoined very frequently effecting what neither the tonic,

the sedative, nor the local irritation alone could achieve.

The safest mode of procedure in facial neuralgia, is to take an aperient

pill, and the best for this purpose is the compound assafœtida, to be

followed every four hours by a pill containing two grains of quinine for

twenty-four hours; and during the second day, twenty grains of carbonate

of iron in a little water, at the same periods, for the same time. Should

the pain be unabated on the third day, either a couple of leeches are to

be applied as near the seat of pain as possible, or a mustard and flour

poultice, kept on for half an hour, with a glass of wine every four

hours, and twenty to thirty drops of laudanum at bed-time, in conjunction

with one or two assafœtida pills. Should these remedies fail of effect,

the conjoined systems may then be adopted, and the following mixture and

powders given as directed.

Take of

Carbonate of Ammonia 25 grains.

Dover’s Powder 40 grains.

Camphor Water 6 ounces.

Spirits of Ether 1 drachm.

Mix. Two table-spoonfuls every four hours.

Take of

Carbonate of Iron 2 drachms.

Quinine 12 grains.

Dry Carbonate of Soda 20 grains.

Mix, and divide into six powders, one to be taken in jelly or

water an hour after each dose of the mixture. At the same time,

apply a small blister behind the ear of the part affected.

In some constitutions, it is necessary to resort to extreme doses, both

of sedatives and stimulants, before any mitigation of the tormenting

pain can be effected; and then it is necessary to give opium, rather in

regard to the effect desired than with any reference to its conventional

dose, and administer wine out of goblets, rather than in glasses. Such

cases are unfortunately by no means rare, but they are such that no

suffering should induce a patient to adopt on his own responsibility, and

unsanctioned by a medical man.

Electricity and galvanism have been so often employed for empirical

purposes, and many, only partially informed of their real efficacy,

are prejudiced against their use as health-restoring agents: it has

therefore been thought advisable to give the medical routine of cure

before pointing out a safe, easy, and very admirable remedial agent in

the electro-galvanic chain, a small portable battery, that can be worn on

any part of the body, and which, by keeping up a constant galvanic wave

through the affected nerve, acts as a sedative, by equalizing the nervous

current, and often affording relief where all other means have failed

to effect a moment’s cessation of pain. The electro-galvanic chains,

manufactured and invented by Pulvermacher, may be applied in any stage or

in any kind of neuralgic pain, always with safety and relief, and in many

cases with permanent cure.

LUMBAGO.

A painful affection of the muscles of the loins and small of the back;

a rheumatism, or sub-acute inflammation of the muscular fibres of the

part. Lumbago, like other forms of rheumatism, is induced by exposure

to cold, moisture, or wet, from over-heating the body, and while in a

state of perspiration, being exposed to draughts or cold air. When of

long standing, it is not unusual for the kidneys to sympathise with the

external inflammation, and complicate the disease.

The _symptoms_ of lumbago are too well known to require recapitulation;

and as respects the _treatment_, the hot bath, either the complete or

hip, is in all cases the first and most important means to adopt, being

followed up by a vigorous rubbing in of the following embrocation twice a

day, and the exhibition of thirty drops of the spirits of turpentine in a

little gin, with a small quantity of water, upon going to bed.

Take of

Camphorated Oil 2 ounces.

Oil of Amber and Turpentine, of each 1 ounce.

Spirits of Hartshorn ½ ounce.

Mix, and use as an embrocation.

Where the pain is excessive, and the rest is disturbed, ten grains

of Dover’s powder should be taken at bed-time in a little gruel, and

a bottle of hot water placed under the hollow of the back. When the

acuteness of the disease is subdued, it is advisable to wear a warm

plaster on the loins for some short time afterwards, to keep up the heat,

and guard against cold and a relapse.

RING-WORM.

This is a disease of the skin, and arises most frequently from coming

in contact with those already affected by it; in some habits there is

evidently a predisposition to it. It is a disease more frequently met

with in warm climates than in cold ones, is of an exceedingly contagious

nature, and in inveterate cases is very difficult to eradicate. It

shows itself in small red pimples, which break out in a circular form,

and contain a thin acrid (pungent) fluid. When the body is heated by

exercise these itch intolerably, and upon being rubbed, discharge their

contents, which by falling on the neighbouring parts, spread the disease

to a considerable degree. The original size of the circle formed by the

pimples, is usually about that of a sixpenny piece; but in process of

time it will become, if neglected, as large as a man’s hand. Numerous are

the remedies proposed for this very unpleasant complaint, but none are

_certain_ except the following; and if _no other application has been

previously used_, its success is sure:—two-thirds of pyroligneous acid

to one-third of water; rub the spots carefully for three mornings: if

cured, a scurf will appear, which must be softened with cold cream, or

lard without salt, but no soap or water must be used.

It is desirable to cut off the hair from the immediate neighbourhood

of the ring; and after the cure is effected, weaken the lotion still

further, by the addition of more water, and well wash the head all over

with it. It seldom happens that an internal use of medicine is requisite;

but where the disease is very inveterate, we would recommend a powder to

be given at bed-time once or twice. The following will answer very well

for a child of seven years of age.

Calomel 1 grain.

Jalap, Powder 8 grains.

If other applications have been tried, the cure will not be so speedy.

SPRAINS

Consist in straining, wrenching, or tearing of the ligaments or tough

structures which bind bones together to form joints. The wrist and ankle

are the joints most commonly sprained. Sprains are among the most severe

accidents to which we are subject, as regards the part itself; the pain

is, at the moment, excruciating, often continues so on the slightest

movement, and too frequently lays the foundation of what is commonly

called White Swelling.

To treat a sprain properly, it should be kept perfectly at rest; and if

it be of the ankle or knee, the patient must lie in bed, or on a sofa.

Warm, moist flannels should be repeatedly applied for some hours, and a

bread-and-water poultice on going to bed. These should be continued for

some days, and no attempt made to use the joint. If the pain be very

severe, and it continues so for the first or following days, leeches

may be applied, and repeated if necessary. Some persons are fond of

putting on a vinegar poultice at once; but this is better left alone

till the tenderness has subsided, and there remains only a little pain

and stiffness in the joint. Then a vinegar poultice is a very good

application, as it produces a diversion of the inflammation going on in

the ligaments, by bringing out a crop of pimples on the skin, at a time

when the pressure of rubbing in any stimulating lotion cannot be borne.

When the pain has entirely ceased, the joint must not be carelessly used;

and, if it be the knee or ankle sprained, walking till the joints become

weak and ache must be most carefully avoided, as irreparable mischief is

thereby very often caused. Short and gentle walks only, therefore, may be

taken; and may be repeated by degrees more frequently during the day, if

they do not produce pain or fatigue.

A joint often swells a long time after a sprain; under which circumstance

it is best to bind it up with straps of soap-plaster, or a roller.

CHILBLAINS.

Chilblains consist of a peculiar inflammation of the skin of parts

exposed to sudden alternations of temperature. They occur on the nose,

ear, hands, but most frequently on the feet. The reason why they occur

more frequently on the hands and feet is, because persons are apt

directly they come in from the frosty air, to warm those parts at the

fire. The face does not get warmed in the same manner, or its skin would

be equally liable to chilblains.

In this inflammation, which constitutes chilblains, the sides of the

small blood-vessels become paralyzed, and losing their contractility, are

dilated by the pressure of the blood within them. If the inflammation be

not abated, that is to say, if the little blood-vessels are not restored

to their original size, and to their natural contractility, they burst,

and matter will be formed, or mortification may ensue. This contractility

depends upon proper nervous action in those small fibres which give life

to the sides of the hair-like vessels, or small blood-pipes. Any sudden

shock of cold or heat deprives these nerves of their power, and induces

a local paralysis. The change from cold to heat oftener produces this

shock than that from heat to cold; but either sudden alternation will

produce chilblain. It need hardly be said that the nerves of persons in

low states of health, persons of scrofulous habits, and young persons in

whom the tissues are delicate, are more liable to be locally paralyzed in

the manner described, than those persons of robust constitution, having

a large quantity of vitality to resist such attacks. Hence we find such

invalids, scrofulous persons, and children, more liable to chilblain than

others. The liability to chilblain is often an indication of a low state

of health, and want of healthy vital action in the system.

When the nature of chilblains is understood, the mode of prevention will

be at once perceived, viz.—1st. To protect the parts most liable to the

attack (hands and feet) from sudden alternations, either from cold to

heat, or from heat to cold. 2dly. To keep the constitution in such a

healthy state as to make all parts possess such vitality as to be able to

resist slight alternations in temperature.

1. _Protection of the Parts._—Those substances which are good

non-conductors of heat are the best coverings. Woollen stockings or

socks, and warm boots and shoes, come under this category. Light shoes

and stockings should be worn in the house, or the feet will become so

accustomed to a high temperature that they will be more sensitive to

cold. Warm leather gloves, being impervious to wind, are better for the

hands than woollen ones, through which the dry frosty air is apt to

pierce and chap the hands. Tight wristbands, tight garters, and boots

which lace or button tightly about the ankles, must be avoided, because,

by preventing the proper circulation of the blood in the hands or feet,

they diminish the vitality of the part, and produce an unnatural pressure

on the coats or walls of the small blood-vessels. _The most frequent

cause of chilblain is the warming of numbed hands or feet at the fire_.

_This habit must, of course, be relinquished entirely._ Gutta-percha

soles, by preventing the wearers from warming their feet at the fire,

have saved hundreds from the attacks of chilblains; but such soles

should not be worn in the house. After walking in the snow, or in frosty

weather, the coverings of the hands and feet should be removed. Dry

stockings should be put on after _gently_ rubbing the feet with the pair

which has been taken off. The fresh pair _must not be warmed_. It is well

to wear woollen stockings when out, and cotton stockings when in-doors.

The use of excessively hot water when the feet are cold, has produced

mortification; but the frequent washing of the feet in tepid water and

soap, restores the powers of the nerves in the parts, and renders them

less likely to be affected by those alternations of temperature to which

they are liable to be exposed.

2. _Constitutional Means of Prevention._—Persons in robust health are

less liable to take infection, suffer less from injuries, and when

wounded, are possessed of greater powers of nature for reparation, than

partial or confirmed invalids. The cold of winter ought to stimulate us

to exertion; and exercise is especially necessary to health in winter.

Too warm clothing of the body enervates and debilitates; only sufficient

clothing, therefore, should be worn. Rooms in winter are often made

hotter than the air of summer; this, and bad ventilation, is another

blow to constitutional strength. Enough, however, has been said on this

subject to indicate the necessity of general attention to the health in

persons who are excessively liable to chilblains.

3. _Treatment._—When the inflammation called chilblain has attacked any

part, it should be considered whether it is a mere local affection, or

whether it shows a constitutional state, which renders the hands or feet,

or both, more liable to the attack than those parts ought to be. If hands

and feet are both attacked in several spots at the same time, and this

without any very evident cause, _constitutional_ treatment is pointed

out, in addition to the use of remedial agents _locally_; where, however,

there is only a single spot on the hands or feet, and a cause (such as

warming the feet at the fire) is remembered, only local treatment is

necessary. The hands and feet enjoy different conditions, however, and

require slightly different management. Our treatment, therefore, resolves

itself into three parts:—

CONSTITUTIONAL.

OF THE HANDS.

OF THE FEET.

_Constitutional Treatment._—Aperient medicines may be used to relieve the

overloaded blood-vessels, and lessen the pressure upon the coats of the

capillaries, or hair-like blood-pipes of the parts affected. After this

has been done, small doses of tartrate of antimony wine (which seems to

constringe the enlarged vessels) may be taken with advantage. The writer

has seen this treatment (without local means) act as a sort of charm,

and relieve full crops of chilblains on hands and feet. A dram of the

wine may be added to half a pint of water, in which a drachm of saltpetre

has been dissolved. Dose: for an adult, one or two table-spoonfuls every

four hours; for a child, one or two tea-spoonfuls three times a day. It

should not be given in such doses as to produce vomiting. The head, neck,

and chest, should be washed in _cold_ water every morning, and brisk

exercise taken at regular hours. Persons of a scrofulous habit should be

particularly attentive to their general health in winter. The addition

of salt to the washing water is recommended in their cases. It is not an

uncommon practice for persons, after exposure to cold, to drink hot elder

wine, or hot negus, or warm spirits and water; all such measures, having

a tendency to produce rapid and violent reaction, are likely to render

persons liable to chilblains.

_Treatment of the Hands._—Wash in cold water every three hours, and

lather well with Windsor soap. When the hands are nearly dried with the

towel, pour a little Eau de Cologne, or milk of roses, into the palm of

one hand, and rub it over the whole of both; lastly, polish with the

towel till every part glows with warmth, and is so completely dry that

the lint from the towel does not stick to the skin. The writer believes

this simple plan to be _infallible_.

_Treatment of the Feet._—All the plans for prevention are curative.

Chilblain in the feet often assumes a more serious form than in the

hands, and the application of _cold_ water is inadmissible, especially

in the case of females. The three degrees of chilblain in the feet are:

1st. The skin is red in patches, and slightly swelled, with more or less

itching or tingling, with slight tenderness. 2d. Small blisters appear,

surrounded by a livid skin. 3d. Ulceration and mortification take place.

For the first two cases, which are most common, the frequent application

of tepid water (using plenty of soap) gives relief. A leech is a useful

remedy to unload the overcharged blood-vessels; or the part may be

pricked with a needle, or punctured with a lancet; in such cases a soft

bread-and-water poultice should be kept on during the night, applied

warm, so as to encourage the flow of blood.

LEECHES.

Common as leeches are now, few persons have any notion of the distance

from which they are brought for our use. Our own country furnishes at

present few, if any, medicinal leeches. Formerly they were imported

from France, but now, many are brought from Syria, and, as they are

very delicate creatures, vast numbers of them are often lost in a rough

passage across the sea.

Leeches should be kept in a cool place, in a stone or glass jar, filled

with river water, and tied over with coarse muslin to prevent their

escape, though it allows them air. The water should be changed only when

it begins to get foul, as too frequent disturbing destroys them. They are

also sometimes found dead after storms.

There is often a great deal of trouble in getting leeches to fix. The

part on which they are to be applied should be carefully cleared of

perspiration, and wiped with a cool moist cloth, so as to leave it damp.

If they do not take readily, the part may be moistened with a little

sugar and water, or milk. But if this does not answer, the skin may be

gently scratched with a needle-point, till the blood comes, and then

they will take. If it be wished to put the leeches as near as possible

on one spot, the best plan is to put them all in the deep part of a

small pill-box, or in a small wine-glass, which is to be turned down on

the part. If you wish them to spread over a large surface, as upon one

of the limbs, or the stomach, they must be put on singly and by hand,

which is often very tedious and tiresome work. They should then be held

tightly by the tail, wrapped in a piece of wet rag, so that they may be

less inconvenienced by the heat of the hand; and if the leech do not soon

fix, it is best to put it again into the water to cool itself, and after

applying others, to try it again. It is always best to have more leeches

than the number directed, in case some will not bite.

When the proper number have been applied, they should be left quite

alone, or they are apt to unfix, and, wandering about, are of no further

use. When they have sucked their fill, they generally drop off, and

should then be put in a plate with a _little_ salt, which quickly makes

them throw up the blood; and, as soon as they have emptied themselves,

they should be put into plenty of fresh cold water, so that they may get

free from the salt, for if left in it, or if _too much be put on them_,

they contract violently, and die almost immediately.

After the leeches have come off, the bleeding from the wounds is to be

encouraged, by first quickly sponging off whatever clotted blood there

may be, and then covering the part with a warm bread-and-water poultice,

which must be changed every half hour, so long as it may be thought

necessary to keep up the bleeding. This is much better than leaving the

surface exposed, and mopping with a warm sponge, which is very fatiguing

to the patient, besides exposing him to the danger of taking cold.

One disadvantage in the use of leeches is the great uncertainty, as to

whether too little or too much blood is obtained by them. Getting too

little blood, however, is a matter of very trifling consequence, in

comparison with getting too much, for instances have occurred in which

leech-bites have continued bleeding for days in grown-up persons as

well as children, bringing them into a very dangerous condition; nay,

there is no want of well-authenticated cases of death caused by bleeding

leech-bites, and that, too, in the course of twenty-four hours. The cause

of this serious business is sometimes a peculiar constitution, in which

the blood will not clot with sufficient firmness to stop the bleeding; or

it may be some little artery has been wounded by the bite in such a way

that it cannot be stopped by a clot of blood.

If, then, a leech-bite continue bleeding for some hours, and the

person, more especially if an infant, begins to be very faint, and the

countenance and lips pallid and cold, like marble, no time must be lost

in stopping the bleeding.

This is done by pressure with the finger; but, if that fail, by applying

caustic, or by running a moderate sized darning needle into the skin on

one side of the bite, and bringing its point well out on the other side.

The whole wound is thus lifted up, and a piece of silk or strong thread

is then to be wound round and round the bite, under the two ends of the

needle. This will raise it up like a small spot, and generally stops the

bleeding very effectually. In four days cut the silk and draw out the

needle carefully, and there the matter usually ends. But in the peculiar

state of constitution which has been before noticed, sometimes even

after the removal of the needle and thread, the bleeding will continue.

Nothing then remains, but to touch the bottom of the wound with a bit of

thin iron wire heated white hot, which never fails to stop the bleeding.

Though this may seem a very horrible proceeding, it is not very painful

if the iron be _white hot_, as it destroys sensation in an instant; but

whether it give pain or not is a matter of no consequence, as it is the

only _sure_ mode of saving the patient.

BREAD-AND-WATER, OR EVAPORATING POULTICE.

Scald out a basin, for you can never make a good poultice unless you have

perfectly boiling water; then, having put some into the basin, throw in

coarsely-crumbled bread, and cover it with a plate. When the bread has

soaked up as much of the water as it will imbibe, drain off the remaining

water, and there will be left a light pulp. Spread it a third of an inch

thick on folded linen, and apply it when of the temperature of a warm

bath. It may be said that this poultice will be very inconvenient if

there be no lard in it, for it will soon get dry; but this is the very

thing you want, and it can easily be moistened by dropping warm water on

it, whilst a greasy poultice will be moist, but not wet.

A poultice thus made is, to the surgeon, what well-made stock is to

the cook, a foundation to be seasoned or medicined with laudanum or

poppy-water, with carrot or horse-radish juice, or with decoctions of

herbs, with which the patient or the doctor may be inclined to medicate

it, instead of loading an already irritable and very sensitive part with

a heap of hard poppy-shells, or scraped carrots, or horse-radish, called

poppy, carrot, and horse-radish poultices, but which increase rather than

allay the sufferer’s pains.

When vegetables are used to medicate poultices, they should be bruised,

put into a pot, covered with water, and simmered for about half an hour.

The liquid is then to be strained off, and mixed with bread-and-water or

linseed to the consistence of a poultice.

BANDAGES.

Bandages are those surgical appliances, made of linen, calico, or

flannel, either in long narrow strips called rollers, in belts, fillets,

or triangular sections; they are used to keep dressings in a proper

situation, to compress blood-vessels, and check dangerous bleeding, to

rectify deformities, maintain fractures in their position, and to unite

wounds and breaches in the continuity of parts. Bandages, of whatever

material made, should be strong enough to bear extension, and support

the part to which they are applied; and sufficiently supple and elastic

to fold with ease, and yield to the expansion of the tissues below them.

They should be without either seam or selvage, and have smooth unravelled

edges. Bandages are either simple or compound. A _simple bandage_ is a

long narrow piece of linen, calico, or flannel of any length, from three

to nine yards, and of a width varying from two to six inches. When such a

strip is tightly and evenly rolled up, it is called a bandage or roller.

When rolled from both ends, and the two heads meet in the centre, the

bandage is called a _double-headed roller_.

_Compound bandages_ are those where several pieces are sewn together in

different forms or shapes, as in the more simple one of the letter T, or

when the bandage is torn at the end into several strips, in which case it

is called a many-tailed bandage.

The _handkerchief bandage_ is very useful to retain light dressings

on the head, or to cover and keep in position bags of ice, or cold

applications, where evaporation is not required. For this purpose, take

a large silk handkerchief, throw it over the head and face, carry the

back ends under the chin, and tie them securely; then neatly fold back

the loose portion over the face, and making the fold grip the forehead,

lead the ends to the nape of the neck, and there crossing, secure them in

front of the throat.

In applying a simple bandage to the leg or arm, the envelopment of the

limb must commence with the foot or hand, and requires to be performed

with neatness and regularity, for, if the pressure or tightness is

greater in one part than another, the limb will become unevenly marked

by swollen and contracted ridges, causing both pain and mischief. Having

carefully made a beginning by passing the roller a few times round the

foot or hand, making every revolution cover a third of the former, it is

in the same order carried up the limb from hand to hand, providing for

the increasing size of the part by making a fold of the bandage; turning

it sharply back on itself, and laying it smoothly down, each succeeding

fold being made in the same line; when the whole limb is enveloped,

either pin or sew the end to the fold beneath, or split the end of the

bandage, and tie in a knot.

The _application of the double-headed roller_ is for wounds or bleeding

at the temple. After applying a compress, a piece of lint or linen

should be doubled square as many times as is required, and of a size

commensurate with the purpose for which it is employed. The operator

takes a head of the roller in each hand, and opening the bandage a short

length, commences on the opposite side to the wound, and bringing both

ends round to the compress, gives them a twist, and carrying one over the

top of the head and the other under the chin, makes them meet where they

began, and giving another twist, carries them horizontally, one over the

forehead and the other round the back of the head, meeting again over the

pledget, where the same operation is to be repeated, and the ends either

tied on the top of the head or pinned over the temple.

The _roller bandage_ for the eye, to keep the dressings firmly in

position; after making a few oblique turns over the eye and cheek, so

as effectually to cover the eye, the bandage is to be doubled back and

pinned in its place behind the head, and then carried horizontally round

the head, to keep the oblique folds in position, and then secured by a

couple of pins over the forehead. Each circle should lie, by the width of

a hem, farther back than the preceding one.

For injuries to the chin, a bandage, consisting of a piece of calico

about six inches broad and a yard long, is to be split down each end to

within four inches of the centre. The unsplit part is then applied over

the dressings on the chin, the outer margin overlapping the point of the

jaw; the two outer tails are then carried to the crown of the head and

tied, while the inner tails are led in like manner to the forehead, and

there secured. A nightcap should be worn as a precaution to make the grip

of the knots more secure.

A _bandage round the chest for fractured ribs_ is applied by means of a

double-headed roller, which, commencing over the top of the breast-bone,

is carried round to the back, and then led one over each shoulder, made

to cross on the breast, passed under the armpits, cross each other at the

back, and gradually tightening as they descend, cross again in front,

till a sufficient depth is obtained, when one end is to be pinned over

the other. But a much simpler and less elaborate bandage for fractured

ribs is made out of a broad piece of jean or holland sewn tightly over in

front by a strong needle and thin twine; cross straps, like braces, may

be added, to keep the whole in place. When a bandage is thus adjusted, it

will keep its position, without slackening, for weeks.

The _bandage_ T is generally used for wounds in the groin, or as a

suspensory; the cross arms of the bandage on the top of the T are passed

and secured round the middle, while the long end is conveyed between the

legs, brought upwards, and fastened in the front to the other part.

BLISTER.

The term blister is applied to any substance that has the power to raise

the outer skin into bladders or pustules. There are several varieties of

blisters—animal, vegetable, and mineral, the principal being cantharides

or Spanish flies, mustard, euphorbium, mezereon, savin, antimony, silver,

vinegar, potassa, and ammonia.

Blistering and counter-irritation is a mode of treatment by which it is

sought to cure one disease by establishing another of the same type, but

less severe than the first; bearing this in mind, the general utility

of all external stimulants, especially that of blisters, will be better

understood and more fully appreciated.

Blisters are used in medicine as a means of depletion, either to carry

off from the body a certain amount of blood in the form of serum, and

thus act as a local bleeding, or in addition to this effect, to cause,

by the inflammation they produce on the surface, a larger amount of

blood to circulate through the adjacent cuticle, and thus relieve some

deeper organ or part from the excess of blood that disease causes to be

attracted to it. With this view only, and when no depletion is required,

medical men are in the habit of using a milder form of blistering than

that effected by raising the epidermis in bladders, and to this they give

the name of rubifacients, or, in simple English, substances that “make

red.”

From the benefit they afford, the ease of application, and the safety

of their employment, blisters have become of universal use, and may be

considered as an established domestic remedy. Yet there are certain

points in connection with them that require explaining, both for

protection and guidance. When the blister has sufficiently risen, remove

the plaster, and nipping the blister where it bags most, gently press

out the water, taking great care not to break the skin as it collapses;

immediately place over the whole a warm bread poultice, the bread

confined within a fold of muslin, and allow it to remain for one or two

hours; then carefully remove the poultice, and sprinkle the blistered

part with a thick layer of violet powder, cover this with a piece of

linen, and, by a bandage or handkerchief, keep the whole in its place;

every four hours add more violet powder, especially over the moist part,

taking care not to remove the cake or crust that forms till the cuticle

is sufficiently healed to permit of its being taken away, when the place

is to be lightly dusted with the powder from time to time, to avoid

cracking the new cuticle. It is seldom if ever necessary to interpose

gauze or tissue paper between the blister and the skin, and, except in

very rare and singular cases, should never be done, nor is there any

time that can be fixed as the duration a blister should remain on; this

must depend on the rising, which will take from eight to sixteen hours

to effect; though in infancy and childhood, from the extreme delicacy

of the cuticle, the time required is infinitely shorter. But this is

a point that every nurse provides for by frequent inspection. When a

blister is not at hand, steep a pewter plate or piece of flat metal in

boiling water, and place it at once on the skin, pressing it down for a

moment, and then allowing it to rise, and as it cools remove it; or in

cases of still greater emergency, a blister may be obtained by wetting a

part of the cuticle and rubbing on it for a few minutes, lunar caustic;

or cut a circular hole out of a piece of adhesive plaster, which having

adhered to the skin, tie some lint to the end of a stick, dip the padded

end in nitric acid or aqua-fortis, and brush lightly and rapidly the

skin exposed within the hole in the plaster, when a vesicle will be

immediately produced. In this country it is seldom that any blister is

used but that of cantharides or Spanish flies, except in extreme cases,

that of mustard, as given above. The blister plaster as sold in the

shops is a species of tough ointment, and is made of wax, suet, rosin,

and lard, all melted over a slow fire, and while cooling the powdered

flies stirred in, till the whole, when cold, becomes a smooth, firm, and

tenacious mass. The mode of making a blister is to cut out a shape from

a piece of adhesive plaster, either round, oval, oblong, or according to

the part on which it has to be applied, and taking a piece of the blister

plaster, and softening in the fingers with the right thumb wetted in

water, extend it over the shape, leaving a margin of half an inch all

round; the plaster is to be spread about the thickness of a shilling, and

all over of an equal smoothness. This is then to be warmed for a moment

before the fire, and applied evenly over the part, the edges of the

plaster being nicked, where necessary, to make it lie flat. For the ears,

the shape of the blister resembles the figure 6, the O part coming under

the lobe of the ear, and the tail sweeping behind it; each ear, however,

requires a different position of the figure, that of the left needing the

6 as it naturally stands; the right must have it reversed, as thus, 9.

CARBUNCLE

Is a hard circumscribed tumour of an inflammatory character, commencing

in the cellular tissue and extending to the skin, and named from the

intense burning pain that attends its progress. A carbuncle in general

appearance resembles a boil, but differs from it in not having a core,

and terminating in a gangrenous slough, instead of, as in the other, by

suppuration.

In whatever part of the body a carbuncle is formed, it is first indicated

by great redness and violent pain, excessive itching, and a burning heat.

Carbuncles are more frequent in advanced life than in the young; and

are generally indications of a low, putrescent or typhoid state of the

system; and not unfrequently the result of it. The extent of a carbuncle

is as various as the part of the body in which it appears; it varies,

from the size of a walnut to the dimensions of a plate; the parts of the

body most subject to its attack are the neck, shoulder, armpit and hip.

_Treatment._—The local remedies, from first to last, are warm emollient

poultices; which are to be applied directly the tumour shows itself, and

continued every three or four hours, till the healing process is fairly

established. As soon as the swelling becomes conical, the top is to be

freely opened. The best poultice to use is either bread-and-water or

linseed meal. To meet the constitutional disturbance, a mild alterative

pill of equal parts of extract of colocynth and henbane, should be given

every second day, and when the febrile action is considerable, two

table-spoonfuls of the following mixture every four or six hours.

Camphor Water 6 ounces.

Nitrate of Potass 15 grains.

Tartar Emetic 3 grains.

Syrup of Saffron 2 drachms.

In addition, when there is much pain and want of sleep, add one

drachm of laudanum to the mixture, or give the patient 25 drops

at bed-time, while needed. When the abscess has been opened, it

will be necessary to administer tonics, with a liberal diet and

wine. For this purpose the following mixture is to be taken in

doses of two table-spoonfuls three times a day.

Quassia ½ drachm.

Cardamom Seeds 2 drachms—bruised.

Boiling Water 1 pint.

Infuse for six hours, strain, and add diluted nitric acid, 1

drachm.

If the debility is excessive it will be advisable to give

stimulants, in which case the following mixture is to be

employed.

Take of

Camphor Water 3 ounces.

Compound Tincture of Bark,

ditto Cinnamon, of each ½ ounce.

Spirits of Sal Volatile,

ditto Sulphuric Ether, of each 1 drachm.

Give a table-spoonful every hour, increasing the interval, as

the strength of the patient rallies; at the same time continue

the wine, and if required, brandy.

EXCORIATION.

This term implies any abrasion, peeling off, or separation of the

cuticle, by which the sensitive and true skin is left unprotected.

Many persons are subject to excoriation or chafing, from the slightest

muscular exertion, more particularly in such parts as are exposed to

friction. In general, excoriation is the result of inattention to the

surface of the body, and is frequently excited by perspiration and dust

or fine particles of sand adhering to the cuticle, and being rubbed by

the play of the muscles into the lines and creases of the body. The

perspiration secreted by fatiguing exertion will, from its acridity,

if left on the body, very frequently act as an irritant on the cuticle

and destroy its texture. Cleanliness, therefore, whether with adult or

infant, is the best preventive against this painful affection.

The treatment of excoriation, when occurring in those parts of the body

usually covered, should consist in first washing the place with warm

water, and when well dried by a soft towel, to be freely dusted with

violet powder, repeating the application every two hours: for all that

is necessary is to remove the exciting cause, and keep the part cool and

covered. When the abrasion is deep seated, a piece of lint wetted with

the liquor plumbi (extract of lead), is to be laid on for an hour, and

on its removal the abrasion dusted with violet powder or common flour;

no other lotion will be needed, and ointments or grease should never be

employed.

GOITRE.

Bronchocele, or the Derbyshire Neck, as this disease is variously

called, is a chronic enlargement of the thyroid gland, a small glandular

body lying in front of the organ of voice in the throat, and which in

a natural state presents no external features, but when diseased, is

capable of an almost incredible enlargement. Goitre is distinguished by

a diffused, soft, elastic swelling, extending either quite across the

neck, presenting larger prominence on either side than in the centre, or

the enlargement may be all on one side, according as the whole gland, or

only one of its lobes is affected. The swelling is entirely devoid of

pain, and completely detached from the skin, which preserves its natural

colour and appearance. Goitres usually make their appearance about the

seventh or eighth year, and at first grow very slowly, but after a time

develope more rapidly, extending in all directions, and frequently

hanging over the chest. The disease is seldom dangerous, unless, from the

size it attains when by pressing on the large blood-vessels of the neck,

and retarding the return of blood from the head, or by compressing the

windpipe, it produces dangerous symptoms. Women are more subject to this

disease than men, though in many countries where it is always endemic,

both sexes and all ages are found affected with it.

_Treatment._—Of all the remedies that have at various times been employed

with the hope of curing this unsightly deformity, one only has ever

produced any permanent benefit, namely, _Iodine_, in one or other of its

forms. All operations are inadmissible and dangerous; and the cure is to

be effected solely by a combination of external and internal remedies.

In the first place, where possible, the patient should be removed from

the neighbourhood where the disease was produced, the tumour is then

to be gently excited by the application of three or four leeches, and

the following ointment rubbed well into all parts of the swelling every

night, intermitting for a day or two, whenever the skin becomes tender

from the rubbing.

Take of

Powdered Camphor 15 grains.

Calomel 1 scruple.

Iodine 30 grains.

Spermaceti Ointment 1 ounce.

Mix thoroughly, and make an ointment. At the same time a

table-spoonful of the following mixture is to be taken three

times every day. Take of the hydriodate of potassa one drachm,

mint water, six ounces, mix.

This system should be persevered in for several weeks, the patient,

however, carefully taking the measurement of the throat and tumour before

commencing either course of treatment; and having accurately recorded the

number of inches in circumference, test the diminution every week, by

re-measuring the tumour till its absorption and the restoration of the

throat to its natural figure.

HARE-LIP.

This disease, so called from a fancied resemblance to the appearance of

that animal, is one of those distressing malformations that are born with

a child. Hare-lip is more frequently found in the upper than in the under

lip, and fortunately it is so, for, in the latter case, the child is

unable to articulate or retain the saliva in the mouth, creating a source

of ceaseless discomfort and pain. The disease consists of a fissure

or longitudinal division of one or both lips, having a space between,

wider at the bottom and narrowing to an apex at the gum, resembling the

outline of the letter V reversed, Ʌ. This condition is called the simple

hare-lip, but sometimes the fissure is double, having a pendant piece of

the lip in the centre of both fissures. The compound hare-lip is that

condition of deformity where the cleft extends along the bones of the

palate, over the whole arch of the mouth, while in some cases the bones

of the palate are entirely wanting—a most distressing malady, as the

child can never articulate, and only with great difficulty eat or drink,

as all sustenance passes into the nostrils. Independent of the deformity

attending this malformation, the infant so afflicted is prevented from

sucking, and must be reared by hand.

The _treatment_ of this misfortune is very simple and most satisfactory,

and no mother out of apprehension of her child’s suffering should neglect

to have the deformity cured; which, when in the simple form of the cleft

lip, can be effectually done. The operation consists in making the two

edges of the fissure even, bringing them together by means of two short

silver needles, and keeping them in that position by silk thread passed

over their ends like the figure 8, till the process of union has taken

place, requiring about eight or ten days, when the needles are withdrawn,

and in a week longer the permanent cure will be effected. The best period

for performing the operation is between the age of six and twelve months,

before the child can entertain any alarm at what is to be done, or by

cries and restlessness materially interfere with the success of the

operation.

INFLAMMATION.

By this term is generally understood that condition of a part in which

it becomes painful, hotter, redder, and more turgid than in a state of

health. The more considerable these symptoms become; or when they take

place in very sensitive parts, they induce that condition of the system

known as fever, and which, when the primary symptoms occur in certain

tissues, becomes inflammatory fever. The seat of inflammation lies in

the capillaries, those minute vessels or tubes that in health perform

the office of secretion and nutrition, but diseased, become distended

with red blood, consequently swell and cause the enlargement, the first

symptom of inflammation; at the same time the increasing quantity of

blood accumulating in the part, causes the redness and accession of heat;

while the rigidity, tightness, and weight induced by the collected blood

pressing on the sentient nervous filaments below, produce the dull, the

sharp, or hot throbbing pain experienced according to the situation of

the swelling, and constitute the last and most distressing symptom of

local inflammation.

All inflammations are either local or general; when local, and

attacking an organ, the disease is named after the part affected, as

hepatitis—inflammation of the liver; phrenitis, of the brain; gastritis,

of the stomach, and so with respect to other organs; but when it is

general, as already said, it is called inflammatory fever. As there are

degrees in the rapidity or slowness with which inflammation takes place,

and also in the time the disease continues, inflammation has been divided

into the _acute_, the _sub-acute_, and the _chronic_, each form demanding

a separate and peculiar practice. Nature, that in all forms of disease

attempts to effect a cure, has in the case of local inflammation provided

several means, the chief of which are—

1st. Resolution, which is a gradual absorption of the accumulated blood.

2d. By hæmorrhage, or the bursting of the distended part, and the escape

of the blood.

3d. By suppuration, or the conversion of the effused blood into pus,

or matter, which, gradually pressing on the skin, causes absorption of

its texture till an aperture is formed and the contents of the abscess

escape; and

4th. By gangrene, or mortification, which, when a part has been killed

by excessive inflammation, forms a line of demarcation, and separates

the dead from the living part. The symptoms, general and local, of

inflammation, are materially altered by the structure of the part

in which the disease takes place; thus, the heat is much less, the

pain infinitely more acute, and the pulse hard and sharp, when the

inflammation attacks the _serous_ membrane, or that tissue which lines

the chest; while in the _mucous_ membrane, or that which lines the mouth

and stomach, there is less pain, more heat, and a full, round pulse.

The treatment of inflammation is both general and local. By the first

is understood, bleeding from the arm, tartar emetic, opium, and

saline purgatives; the latter, leeches, cupping, blisters, baths, and

fomentations.

CHOKING.

When a mass of food, such as a piece of meat, potato, or other substance,

lodges in the fauces, or the base of the tongue, if in sight, but too far

for the fingers to reach, it should be immediately grasped with a pair of

pincers, or, what is better, a pair of curling tongs, and dragged out.

If neither are at hand, and as time is precious, press down the tongue

with the fingers, and tickle all the surrounding parts with a feather,

so as to induce heaving or vomiting, Nature by that action often getting

rid of its obstruction. If, however, none of these means present a chance

of relief, use the point of the curling tongs as a probe, and push the

obstruction into the gullet. However quickly these operations may have

been carried on, the sufferer may have died before the obstacle has

been displaced, or become so apparently lifeless as seemingly to render

all further steps useless; this, however, is not the case, cold water

must be dashed on the face and chest, ammonia applied to the nostrils,

and the lungs inflated with air. When the lodgement has been lower down

and taken place in the gullet proper—a fact that can be ascertained by

an examination of the mouth, and also by the mute indication of the

sufferer’s fingers—the impediment to its descent to the stomach proceeds

from some spasmodic action into which some of the muscular fibres are

thrown, causing them to grip the body in its descent and retain it in

that position, while its bulk pressing forward on the windpipe, causes

the danger to life that results from the accident. Two or three sudden

or sharp slaps between the shoulders, or water dashed abruptly in the

face, will often, by producing a sudden gasp, release the spasm and cause

the descent of the object; if not, a probe, flexible tube, or a quill,

must be employed, and the substance pushed past the constriction; when,

however, the bulk is too large to be moved by such simple means, and

while a messenger is sent for a surgeon to bring the proper instrument,

endeavours should be made to keep up a partial supply of air in the

lungs, by means of the bellows.

POISONS.

Those substances which, when taken into the body, or applied externally,

always produce such an effect or disturbance in the animal economy, as

to induce disease, or a chain of symptoms that if uncorrected would

eventuate in serious mischief to the health of the body, or even induce

death. Or, to simplify the explanation: a poison is any agent capable of

producing a morbid, noxious, or dangerous effect upon anything endowed

with life. All poisons are _common_ or _relative_: by the first, is

understood those substances which produce morbid or dangerous symptoms

on all conditions of animal life, on man as well as on the brute, on

the fish as well as the fowl. By _relative_ poisons is understood those

agents which are only poisonous to man, or some particular species of

animals; thus aloes, which is a useful medicine to man, is poisonous

to dogs and wolves; and others which are deadly to the horse, form a

nutritious food to the ox. As an instance of the _common_ poisonous

agent, affecting all animals in the same manner, may be advanced arsenic

and corrosive sublimate. Agents or substances are poisonous only in

regard to their dose, the part of the body they are applied to, and the

subject on which they are applied.

To illustrate these facts, it is sufficient to say that both arsenic and

corrosive sublimate are valuable medicines in certain modified doses,

while in excess, they are deadly; secondly, a poison to the stomach may

be innocuous to the lungs, or what would be fatal to the integrity of the

system, applied to one part of the body, is harmless when administered

to another; thus the carbonic acid gas which we imbibe with exhilarating

satisfaction with our malt-liquor, soda-water, and champagne, is a

deadly poison if instead of going down the gullet, it should descend

the windpipe, and enter the lungs. There are only _four_ ways by which

a poison can enter the system, and prove injurious or fatal to life;

of these the most common is by the mouth into the stomach, by the air

passages into the lungs, by absorption through the skin, either in its

natural state, or from an abrasion or scratch; and lastly by the bowels,

from an enema. But whichever way they enter the system, they only re-act

upon it in _two_ forms of action; that is, that they are either absorbed

into the blood, and conveyed by the circulation to the part or parts

affected, or they produce an immediate influence on the nerves of the

part with which the poison first comes in contact; and by a sympathetic

action affect the whole nervous system. Poisons may belong to either of

the three kingdoms, the _animal_, _mineral_, or the _vegetable_, but as

the symptoms produced are sometimes nearly the same, from whichever class

or kingdom they may be derived, it has become the custom to arrange the

several poisons according to the most characteristic effect they produce

on the animal economy, and to divide them into the IRRITANT POISONS, the

NARCOTIC POISONS, and the NARCOTIC-ACRID POISONS, thus embracing all

deleterious substances under one or other of the above classes.

IRRITANT POISONS

Are those that excite inflammation in some part, or the whole of the

alimentary canal.

Nitric Acid

Muriatic Acid

Sulphuric Acid

Phosphorus

Sulphur

Chlorine

Iodine

Hydriodate of Potass

Bromine

Oxalic Acid

The fixed Alkalis

Nitre

Alkaline and Earthy Chlorides

Lime

Ammonia and its Salts

Alkaline Sulphurets

Baryta

Euphorbia

Castor Oil seeds

Croton

Bryony

Colocynth

Elaterium

Ranunculus

Anemone

Clematis

Mezereon

Cuckoo-Pint

Gamboge

Savin

Cattha

Poisonous Fish

Compounds of Arsenic

Compounds of Mercury

Ditto of Antimony

Ditto of Tin, Zinc, Silver, Bismuth, and Chrome

Compounds of Lead

Ditto of Copper

Venomous Serpents and Insects

Daffodil

Jalap

Cantharides

Decayed Animal Matter

Mechanical Irritants.

NARCOTIC POISONS

Are those poisons that produce an immediate and continued disorder of the

nervous system.

Opium

Lactuca

Solanum

Nitric Oxide Gas

Chlorine Gas

Ammoniacal Gas

Sulphuretted Hydrogen

Carbonic Acid

Cyanogen

Hyoscyamus

Hydrocyanic Acid, and all vegetables producing it, as bitter almonds,

cherry laurel, peach, and mountain ash, carbonic oxide, and oxygen.

NARCOTIC-ACRID POISONS.

The poisons of this class produce a double action, that of a local

irritation, and a secondary, or after effect on the nervous system.

Nightshade

Hemlock

Tobacco

Water Hemlock

Monkshood

Squills

Ipecacuanha

Meadow Saffron

Foxglove

Nux Vomica

Camphor

Cocculus Indicus

Upas

Secale Cornutum

Darnel Grass

Alcohol

Ether

Thom-Apple

Fool’s-Parsley

Hellebore, Black

Hellebore, White

Strychnia

False Angustura

Poisonous Fungi

Mouldy Bread

Seeds of the Laburnum, and some empyreumatic oils.

Though chemistry has of late years made great progress in the science of

analysis, vegetable poisons are so soon eliminated from the body, as to

leave hardly any trace for the chemist’s tests to re-act upon, and the

mineral poisons may be regarded as almost the only class on which science

can operate with invariable certainty. The first duty of any one called

to act in a case of poison, is to administer an antidote, of which there

are supposed to be two; one, which given immediately, will chemically

destroy the virulence of the poison—as in the case of a person who has

swallowed a powerful acid, the exhibition of chalk will destroy the

potency of the acid, by forming a new and harmless compound—and antidotes

or drugs in many instances of a problematical effect, which are supposed

to have the power of neutralizing the effect produced on the system, by

the agency of the poison, and restoring the disorganised body to a pure

and pristine health. Of this class of drugs once implicitly believed in,

science has found few if any to bear the test of a rigid experience. To

leave theory, and come at once to the practical, the first care of any

one, when an individual has voluntarily, or by accident taken a poison,

or any known or suspected deleterious substance, is to procure its

instant evacuation from the system by _vomiting_. In many cases, either

the drug itself, or the over-dose of it, excites this remedial step,

and if so, the attendant should encourage the action of the stomach by

all the means immediately procurable; or if the vomiting has not set

in, to excite it at once, either by warm water in frequent draughts,

or should that not be present, by a draught of mustard and water, or a

few spoonfuls of common salt dissolved in water; or should neither of

these be in readiness, and while the water is heating, and medical aid

or other means is being sought, give copious draughts of cold water, and

by the feathery part of a quill, tickle the fauces, or with the handle

of a spoon press down the root of the tongue; when the contents of the

stomach must be ejected. This process may be repeated; and even without

further means, the poison may in this way be ejected from the stomach.

In cases where vegetable, or what are called narcotic, poisons have been

taken, it is sometimes extremely difficult if not impossible, to produce

vomiting, though attempted with proper emetics; in all such, in fact in

all vegetable poisons, the stomach pump becomes imperative, and the most

valuable of agents, as it not only fills the stomach with water, but

immediately after relieves it of that, and whatever poisonous matters it

may hold in suspension or solution. This process of filling the stomach

with tepid water, and again expelling it, must be continued till all

apprehension that more poison remains, is removed from the mind of the

operator. In cases of poisoning by narcotic and vegetable substances, to

empty the stomach is the first, last, and most important duty, and till

the chief agent, the stomach pump, can be procured, some of the means

already advised should be adopted, but where more perfect remedies are at

hand they should be employed; of such the best emetics for a vegetable

poison are the minerals, especially the white vitriol or sulphate of

zinc, twenty or thirty grains of which, dissolved in half a tumbler of

warm water, will be found to act almost instantly. To rouse the energies

after the ejection of the poison, electricity should, when possible, be

applied; stimulants such as ammonia, hot coffee, or camphor administered;

and when necessary, aspersions of cold water, and the patient constantly

kept moving. In other cases blisters or hot mustard plasters must be

applied to the spine, thighs, feet, or stomach; according to the nature

and potency of the poison. In irritant or corrosive poisons, concurrent

with the vomiting, which, when not induced by the poison itself, should

be at once excited, agents to neutralize the virulence of the poison

must be administered, and again repeated after each vomiting, to be in

turn ejected, again taken, and again discharged. In all poisonings of

this class, proceeding from the mineral acids or corrosive compounds,

when proper emetics are at hand the vegetable, such as the ipecacuanha,

is the most efficacious, twenty or twenty-five grains of which, dissolved

in warm water will be found an effective dose; while as a corrective to

the corroding nature of the poison, draughts of tepid water, in which

shavings of brown soap have been scraped, must be drunk frequently, or

half tumblers of water, in which half a tea-spoonful of soda, either the

common or carbonate, or the same quantity of ordinary potass; frequent

draughts of milk or mucilage, treacle, honey and water; or should none

of these articles be at hand, spoonfuls of chalk and water, and in still

more extreme cases, when no other aid is at hand to relieve the burning

agony induced by the poison, the plaster from the wall or ceiling should

be broken down, mixed in water, and given to the patient to neutralize

the activity of the poison. Such are the general means adopted to eject

the poison from the system; special poisons, however, require particular

and special notice.

ARSENIC, in addition to the vomiting, should be treated with the white

of eggs mixed in water, and administered every ten minutes; or honey,

treacle, sugar and water, or milk.

OXALIC ACID.—New milk must be given in frequent draughts after each fit

of vomiting, or chalk and water.

CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE AND VERDIGRIS are treated nearly in the same manner

as arsenic; the chief antidotes being white of eggs, milk, and sugar and

water; though for verdigris, iron filings dissolved in vinegar, and mixed

with mucilage, are generally preferred for this rarely employed poison.

NITRATE OF SILVER, OR LUNAR CAUSTIC.—The best antidote, concurrent

with the emetic, is common table-salt, dissolved in water, and taken

frequently. A tea-spoonful of salt in a wine-glass of water is to be

given every half hour.

SULPHURIC, MURIATIC, OR NITRIC ACID, or what is called the MINERAL ACIDS,

require, like oxalic acid, milk, but especially, magnesia, chalk, and

soap or mucilage, but primarily magnesia.

HYDROCYANIC ACID, OR PRUSSIC ACID.—Where this drug is not immediately

fatal, and has only been taken in moderate quantity, the only antidotes

are powerful stimulants of brandy, ammonia, and ether; and as emetics are

valueless in this poison, sudden effusions of cold water must be adopted

with stimulants to the stomach.

In all cases of poisoning by vegetable matter, whether acrid or narcotic,

the first duty is to encourage the sickness, if set in, by warm water,

and where the power of the stomach has been paralysed by an excessive

dose, instantly to promote vomiting by a full dose of sulphate of zinc

or white vitriol, in a dose varying from 20 to 30 grains, or else 10

or 15 grains of sulphate of copper or blue stone; but neither antimony

nor ipecacuanha. When the stomach has been well evacuated, strong

infusions of coffee, or draughts of vinegar and water are to be given

occasionally. In all cases of corrosive or acrid poisons, when the lower

bowels are affected, it becomes necessary to employ enemas of a soothing

and corrective nature. All that the non-professional person can do in

any case of poisoning, till the arrival of medical advice, is to empty

the stomach of the hurtful matter by the quickest and readiest aids; and

when emetics are not at hand, such natural and domestic means are to be

resorted to as can be the easiest obtained; warm water, mustard, salt,

tickling the gullet with a feather, or pressing down the tongue with a

spoon, as already advised. It should be borne in mind, that for mineral

poisons _vegetable_ emetics are to be used, and for vegetable poisons

_mineral_ emetics: that in cases of poisoning from the mineral acids,

it is useless to give emetics, and dangerous to administer water alone;

in such cases, such articles are to be given as will counteract the

corrosive virulence of the acid, and convert it into an inert compound,

such as magnesia, soda, chalk, soap, or in extremity of means, the

plaster from the walls: that where prussic acid has been taken, emetics

are equally valueless; the prostrated powers are to be raised by powerful

stimulants, and the means already indicated. For the poisons that are

applied externally, and prove hurtful by absorption, such as the bite or

sting of venomous reptiles, the first duty of an assistant is to tie a

garter, tape, or some ligature tightly round the limb, a few inches above

the wound, next to wash it immediately with warm water, and then, if

there are no cracks in the lips or gums, fearlessly to apply the mouth to

the bitten part, and slowly and steadily suck it; washing the mouth with

cold water every time there is a rest, and the contents are spit out.

When cupping glasses are at hand, they should be applied instead of the

mouth; in either case, the part, after being sucked or cupped, is to be

well rubbed over with lunar caustic, a warm poultice laid upon the place,

the limb kept at rest, and, a few hours after the bandage or ligature

removed. For the poisonous sting of gnats, bees, wasps, and other

insects, a piece of lint, wetted in the pure extract of lead, is all that

is necessary to cure one or the other. For the sickness, lassitude, and

fainting, that often follow the sting of reptiles, it is requisite to

administer ether, brandy, and ammonia, and sometimes opium.

MEDICAL AND HOUSEHOLD RECEIPTS.

Those receipts with initials and recommendations attached to them have

been tried, and are recommended by intelligent Correspondents. It must

not be supposed, however, that where such a signature or recommendation

is absent, the receipt cannot be relied upon. They are all of the first

class.

The following recipes for various aperient medicines have been drawn up

at our request, by a Medical Gentleman, in consequence of the expression

of a want felt by heads of families of simple and safe laxatives, without

the cost of an application to an apothecary, or the risk attendant upon

taking quack medicines:—

SPRING APERIENTS.—For children, nothing is better than:—1. Brimstone and

treacle; to each tea-cupful of this, when mixed, add a tea-spoonful of

cream of tartar. As this sometimes produces sickness, the following may

be used:—2. Take of tartrate of soda one drachm and a half, powdered

jalap and powdered rhubarb each fifteen grains, ginger two grains. Mix.

Dose for a child above five years, one _small_ tea-spoonful; above ten

years, a _large_ tea-spoonful; above fifteen, half the whole, or two

tea-spoonfuls; and for a person above twenty, three tea-spoonfuls, or the

whole, as may be required by the habit of the person. This medicine may

be dissolved in warm water, common or mint tea. This powder can be kept

for use in a wide-mouthed bottle, and be in readiness for any emergency.

The druggist may be directed to treble or quadruple the quantities as

convenient.

TONIC APERIENT.—3. Take of Epsom salts one ounce, diluted sulphuric acid

one drachm, infusion of quassia chips half an _imperial_ pint, compound

tincture of rhubarb two drachms. Half a wine-glassful for a dose twice a

day.

APERIENT PILLS.—To some adults all liquid medicines produce such

nausea that pills are the only form in which laxative medicines can be

exhibited; the following is a useful formula:—4. Take of compound rhubarb

pill a drachm and one scruple, of powdered ipecacuanha six grains, and of

extract of hyoscyamus one scruple. Mix and beat into a mass, and divide

into twenty-four pills. Take one, or two, or if of a very costive habit,

_three_ at bed-time.—5. For persons requiring a more powerful purge, the

same formula, with ten grains of compound extract of colocynth, will form

a good purgative pill. The mass receiving this addition, must be divided

into thirty, instead of twenty-four pills.

BLACK DRAUGHT.—6. The common aperient medicine known as black draught is

made in the following manner:—Take of senna leaves six drachms, bruised

ginger half a drachm, sliced liquorice root four drachms, boiling water

half an imperial pint. Keep this standing on the hob, or near the fire,

for three hours, then strain, and after allowing it to grow cool, add of

sal volatile one drachm and a half, of tincture of senna, and of tincture

of cardamoms, each half an ounce. (This mixture will keep a long time in

a cool place.) Dose: a wine-glassful for an adult; two table-spoonfuls

for young persons above fifteen years of age. It is not a suitable

medicine for children.

INFANTS’ APERIENT.—7. Take of rhubarb five grains, magnesia three grains,

white sugar a scruple, manna five grains; mix. Dose, varying from a piece

_half_ the size of a sweet pea to a piece the size of an ordinary pea.—8.

A useful laxative for children is composed of calomel two grains, and

sugar a scruple, made into five powders; half of one of these for a child

from birth to one year and a half, and a whole one from that age to five

years.

CHOLERA AND BOWEL COMPLAINTS.—Some years ago I received from the late Dr.

Beddome, of Tooley Street (the original inventor of Beddome’s Powders), a

recipe for bowel complaints, which I have found so uniformly successful

in relieving those disorders, and perhaps warding off cholera, that

I enclose it for the benefit of your numerous readers.—ROBERT BROWN,

Cheapside.—Rhubarb powder, half a drachm; calcined magnesia, one drachm;

paregoric elixir, one ounce; peppermint water, half a pint. Mix and shake

up, and take two table-spoonfuls every three hours till relieved.—The

following is a better prescription for the same purpose:—Take of chalk

mixture, eight ounces; aromatic confection, one drachm; compound tincture

of camphor, three drachms; oil of carraway, three or four drops. Mix.

Take two table-spoonfuls every three hours, or oftener, if the pain and

purging are urgent. A tea-spoonful is a dose for young children, and one

table-spoonful for those of ten or twelve years of age.

RELIEF FOR ASTHMA.—The following mixture is recommended as a relief for

the asthmatic:—Two ounces of the best honey, and one ounce of castor oil

mixed. A tea-spoonful to be taken night and morning.—I have tried the

foregoing with the best effect.—J. D.

FOR A COUGH.—Quarter of a pound of linseed; quarter of a pound of

raisins; two ounces of stick liquorice; two quarts of soft water, to be

boiled until reduced to half the quantity. When strained, add a quarter

of a pound of brown candy, pounded; one table-spoonful of good old rum,

one table-spoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar. A cupful to be taken on

going to bed, and more frequently if required. To be warmed.—Used for

years, and approved.—A. C. B.

FOR COLDS AND COUGHS.—Take spermaceti powder, half an ounce; powdered gum

arabic, half an ounce; elixir paregoric, three drachms; clarified honey,

a table-spoonful; mix and make an electuary; of which a tea-spoonful is

to be dissolved in the mouth, and swallowed slowly whenever the cough is

troublesome, or the hoarseness great.—B. B.

FOR HOOPING-COUGH.—Dissolve a scruple of salt of tartar in a quarter-pint

of water; add to it ten grains of cochineal; sweeten it with sugar. Give

to an infant the fourth part of a table-spoonful four times a day; two

years old, half a spoonful; from four years, a table-spoonful.—E. J.

D.—[This has been a very successful mixture.]

TO MAKE TOFFEE FOR HOOPING-COUGH.—Take one pound of treacle; half a pound

of moist sugar; a piece of butter, the size of a walnut; a tea-spoonful

of ginger or lemon-peel, or oil of peppermint; and half a tea-spoonful of

jalap. Boil them together till it will set firm in a basin of cold water.

It requires stirring while boiling, and takes a long time to boil.—J. G.

B.

AN EXCELLENT AND CHEAP COUGH MIXTURE.—Paregoric elixir one pennyworth,

and six drops of laudanum. Mix a little treacle with three or four ounces

of vinegar, and put it on the fire till nearly boiling; then add it to

the other ingredients. Put it in a bottle, shake it, and it will be ready

for use. When the cough is troublesome, take a spoonful.

HOARSENESS.—A piece of flannel, dipped in brandy, and applied to the

chest, and covered with a dry flannel, is to be worn all night.—Four

or six small onions, boiled, and put on buttered toast, and eaten for

supper, are likewise good for colds on the chest.

TO CURE HICCOUGH OR HICCUP.—This spasm is caused by flatulency,

indigestion, and acidity. It may be relieved generally by a sudden fright

or surprise, or any sudden application of cold, also by swallowing two or

three mouthfuls of cold water, by eating a small piece of ice, taking a

pinch of snuff, or anything that excites coughing.

FOR SHORTNESS OF BREATH, OR DIFFICULT BREATHING.—Vitriolated spirits

of ether, one ounce, camphor twelve grains. Make a solution, of which

take a tea-spoonful during the paroxysm. This is usually found to afford

instantaneous relief in difficulty of breathing, depending on internal

diseases, and other causes, where the patient, from a very quick and

laborious breathing, is obliged to be in an erect posture.

CONSUMPTION.—Watercresses, eaten plentifully at every meal, are excellent

for this complaint. They should also be pounded in a mortar, and the

juice thus obtained be drunk by the patient. This simple remedy has

completely cured some, and relieved many sufferers from consumption.

For the relaxed bowels common in this disease, the following is

excellent:—Take fine flour, and tie it up tight in a cloth, and boil it

for a day (the longer the better). Let the patient take as much of the

dry flour in the inside as will lie on a sixpence, daily, or oftener, if

requisite.

COLD, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES.—The white of an egg mixed with a

few bread crumbs (to give it substance), and put into a muslin bag,

and applied as a poultice to the eye, will afford great relief in a

few minutes, or generally a cure in a day or two. The poultice is best

applied at night, or when lying down; when removed, the eye should be

well bathed with warm water, using a bit of muslin, NOT a sponge.

EXCELLENT MEDICINE FOR INDIGESTION.—Carbonate of magnesia, one ounce;

carbonate of soda, one ounce; powdered ginger, one drachm; best Turkey

rhubarb, half a drachm. Well mix in a mortar, and to be kept in a bottle

with a glass stopper. The dose for an adult is half a tea-spoonful.

EXCELLENT MEDICINE FOR RHEUMATISM.—Powdered gum guaiacum, eight grains;

flour of sulphur, two drachms; powdered rhubarb, fifteen grains; cream

of tartar, one drachm; powdered ginger, thirty grains; powdered nutmeg,

eight grains. To be made into an electuary, with two ounces of clarified

honey; a tea-spoonful to be taken night and morning.

QUININE DRAUGHT.—The following draught, as ordered by Dr. Copland, was of

the greatest service in a case of _dyspepsia_, accompanied by derangement

of the liver:—Sulphate of quinine, two grains; diluted sulphuric acid,

two drops; spirit of nutmegs, one drachm; distilled water, ten drachms.

Mix. To be taken daily at mid-day.

SEDATIVE OINTMENT.—The violent local irritation which often follows

the application of blisters to the surface of children, is a serious

objection to their use, and requires that particular care be taken to

lessen the liability of sloughing, &c. Should, however, the ulcer be very

irritable, the following ointment thickly spread on lint will be found

serviceable:—Lime water, oil of almonds, of each half an ounce; mix well

together, then add prepared lard, one ounce.

TO PREVENT GALLING IN PERSONS CONFINED TO THEIR BEDS.—(Most

valuable.)—The white of an egg, beaten to a strong froth, then drop in

gradually, whilst you are beating, two tea-spoonfuls of spirits of wine,

put it into a bottle, and apply occasionally with a feather.

A CURE FOR BLISTERED FEET.—Rub the feet, at going to bed, with spirits

mixed with tallow, dropped from a lighted candle into the palm of the

hand. On the following morning no blisters will exist.

DRAUGHT FOR PALPITATION OF THE HEART, WITH GREAT NERVOUS

IRRITABILITY.—Tincture of foxglove, ten drops; camphor mixture, one

ounce; tincture of columba, one drachm. This draught may be taken twice a

day.

FOR HEARTBURN.—Carbonate of magnesia, ten grains; carbonate of soda,

five grains; ginger in powder, five grains; liquorice in powder, fifteen

grains. Take as a powder two or three times during the day.

FOR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES.—Brandy, one tea-spoonful; white-wine

vinegar, one tea-spoonful; soft water, nine tea-spoonfuls. Mix—and to be

used frequently.

USEFUL MIXTURE FOR DIARRHŒA IN INFANTS.—Carbonate of magnesia, half a

drachm; rhubarb, in powder, twenty grains; dill water, three ounces;

aromatic spirit of ammonia, thirty drops; sugar a tea-spoonful. Mix. Two

tea-spoonfuls may be given two or three times a day.

MIXTURE FOR CHILDREN TEETHING WHEN THE BOWELS ARE DISORDERED.—Chalk

mixture, fifteen drachms; tincture of cinnamon, one drachm. Mix

together. Two tea-spoonfuls to be given three or four times a day as

required.

ELECTUARY FOR SCORBUTIC ERUPTIONS.—Peruvian bark, powdered, half an

ounce; aromatic confection, half an ounce; syrup of oranges, a sufficient

quantity to mix the bark and confection; and take a piece the size of a

nutmeg, three times a day, in a glass of seidlitz or soda-water.

DRAUGHT FOR HYSTERIC PATIENTS.—Camphor mixture, one ounce; fœtid spirit

of ammonia, two drachms.

FEVER DRAUGHT.—Almond mixture, one ounce; carbonate of potass, twenty

grains; syrup of poppies, one drachm. Pour into this a table-spoonful of

lemon-juice, and drink while effervescing.

APERIENT ELECTUARY.—A very useful family medicine, particularly good for

those who are troubled with asthma or rheumatism. One ounce of senna

powder; half an ounce of flour of sulphur; two drachms of powdered

ginger; half a drachm of saffron powder; four ounces of honey. The size

of a nutmeg to be taken night and morning.

APERIENT FOR CHILDREN.—Gingerbread, made with oatmeal instead of flour,

is a very useful aperient for children.—J. D.—[Good.]

DEAFNESS FROM DEFICIENT SECRETION OF WAX.—Take oil of turpentine, half a

drachm; olive oil, two drachms. Mix. Two drops to be introduced into the

ear at bed-time.

REMEDY FOR DEAFNESS.—Oil of almonds, half a pound; garlic, bruised,

one ounce; alkanet root, a quarter of an ounce; infuse and strain. In

deafness, a little to be poured into the ear.

ZINC OINTMENT is made by rubbing well together one ounce of oxide

of zinc, and six ounces of hog’s lard. This ointment is useful for

chilblains; it is also commonly used for dressing the sores remaining

after scalds and burns, to absorb the great discharge which generally

follows; and it is a very good application to cracked skin, from which a

watery fluid oozes and irritates the neighbouring skin.

FOR THE CURE OF CHILBLAINS.—Put the hands and feet once a week into hot

water, in which two or three handfuls of common salt have been thrown;

this is a certain cure.—Z.

METHOD OF PREVENTING COLD FEET AT BED-TIME.—Draw off your stockings just

before undressing, and rub your ankles and feet well with your hand, as

hard as you can bear the pressure, for five or ten minutes, and you will

never have to complain of cold feet in bed. It is hardly conceivable

what a pleasurable glow this diffuses. Frequent washing of the feet,

and rubbing them thoroughly dry with a linen cloth or flannel, is very

useful.—J. R., _Warwick_.

CURE OF CORNS.—Place the feet for half an hour, two or three nights

successively, in a pretty strong solution of common soda. The alkali

dissolves the indurated cuticle, and the corn falls out spontaneously,

leaving a small excavation, which soon fills up.—E. J.—[Certain.]

ANOTHER.—Soak some young ivy leaves in vinegar for a few hours; then

tie one of the leaves on the corn with a piece of thread. It should be

changed each night and morning, and in a few days the corn can be taken

out without any pain. Six friends have tried this with great success.

After the corn has been taken out, the leaves should be continued for a

day or two, in order to remove any little hardness that may remain.

ANOTHER.—Cut a piece of the soap cerate plaster, spread on calico, of the

size required, and apply to the corn.—One application has cured mine.—E.

C., _Bridlington Quay_.

TO REMOVE CORNS.—Get four ounces of white diachylon plaster, four ounces

of shoemaker’s wax, and sixty drops of muriatic acid or spirits of salt.

Boil them for a few minutes in an earthen pipkin, and when cold, roll the

mass between the hands and apply a little on a piece of white leather.

A CERTAIN CURE FOR SOFT CORNS.—Dip a piece of soft linen rag in

turpentine, and wrap it round the toe on which the soft corn is, night

and morning; in a few days the corn will disappear; but the relief is

instantaneous. I have tried this with the greatest success.—S. H., _Hull_.

SORE THROAT.—I have been subject to sore throat, and have invariably

found the following preparation (simple and cheap) highly efficacious

when used in the early stage: Pour a pint of _boiling_ water upon

twenty-five or thirty leaves of common sage; let the infusion stand for

half an hour. Add vinegar sufficient to make it moderately acid, and

honey according to the taste. This combination of the astringent and

the emollient principle seldom fails to produce the desired effect.

The infusion must be used as a gargle several times a day. It has this

advantage over many gargles—it is pleasant to the taste, and may be

swallowed occasionally, not only without danger, but with advantage.—G. M.

EAR-ACHE.—Sometimes ear-ache is connected with chronic ulceration in the

external and internal part of the ear, when injections of warm water and

soap are advisable. In this case, there is sometimes a constant fœtid

discharge, for which the following mixture has been recommended by Dr.

Hugh Smith:—Take of ox-gall, three drachms; balsam of Peru, one drachm.

Mix. A drop or two to be put into the ear with a little cotton.

CURE FOR TOOTH-ACHE (OUTWARD APPLICATION), CHILBLAINS, ETC.—Take of

solution of ammonia, two drachms; camphorated spirit, six drachms;

essence of bergamot, ten drops, and mix.—I have tried it, and found it

very efficacious.—E. C., _Bridlington Quay_.

TOOTH-ACHE.—Dr. Blake recommends two drachms of alum, to be dissolved in

seven drachms of sweet spirits of nitre; a piece of lint or a small piece

of sponge to be dipped in the solution and applied to the tooth.

A VALUABLE RECEIPT FOR THE TIC-DOULOUREUX.—I was dreadfully afflicted

with it, and the receipt has cured me and many others; it is simple, as

follows:—Take half a pint of rose-water, add two tea-spoonfuls of white

vinegar, to form a lotion. Apply it to the part affected three or four

times a day. It requires fresh linen and lotion each application; this

will, in two or three days, gradually take the pain away. The above

receipt I feel desirous of being made known to the public, as I have

before mentioned the relief I have experienced, and others, whose names I

could give.—J. T.

TO CURE WARTS.—Take a cake of dry pipe-clay, and scrape a little from

it, then rub the wart or warts well with it four or six times a day till

they disappear. I had one on my forehead above twelve months, which

pained me very much in putting on or taking off my hat. I tried the above

receipt, by rubbing it well about four times a day; and in the course of

a fortnight it was gone, leaving only a mark behind. I can feel nothing

of it now, even by rubbing it with my finger.—A. M.

TO ERADICATE WARTS.—Dissolve as much common washing soda as the water

will take up; repeatedly wash with this for a minute or two, and let the

warts dry without wiping.

A CERTAIN CURE FOR WARTS.—Take the inner rind of a lemon, steep it

twenty-four hours in vinegar, and apply it to the wart. The lemon must

not remain on the part above three hours, and must then be applied fresh

every day.—F. E. W.—[This is only another mode of applying acetic acid.

The application with a camel-hair brush is the best method.]

ANOTHER METHOD.—Get a little bullock’s gall, keep it in a bottle, and rub

a little on the wart two or three times a day.

REMEDY FOR RHEUMATISM, LUMBAGO, SPRAINS, BRUISES, CHILBLAINS (BEFORE THEY

ARE BROKEN), AND BITES OF INSECTS.—One raw egg well beaten, half a pint

of vinegar, one ounce of spirits of turpentine, a quarter of an ounce of

spirits of wine, a quarter of an ounce of camphor. These ingredients to

be beaten well together, then put in a bottle and shaken for ten minutes,

after which, to be corked down tightly to exclude the air. In half an

hour it is fit for use. Directions:—To be well rubbed in, two, three,

or four times a day. For rheumatism in the head, to be rubbed at the

back of the neck and behind the ears. This liniment can be made at home

for 9d.; if not made at home, the chemist should be told to follow the

prescription exactly.—J. H. D.

A CERTAIN REMEDY FOR SPASMS.—Take three-pennyworth of balsam of sulphur,

and three-pennyworth of oil of aniseed; put these together, and let them

stand in a warm place for twenty-four hours, and at the same time take

two-pennyworth of spirits of wine, and two-pennyworth of spirits of

turpentine, put these together, and let them stand as the above; then,

after twenty-four hours, mix the whole well together. Take seven or eight

drops on a piece of loaf sugar when the pain is troublesome, and it

will give instant relief. Observe, a little tea or coffee may be taken

afterwards, to rinse the mouth.—W. W.

SIMPLE REMEDY FOR A PAIN IN THE SIDE.—At bed-time take a fresh

cabbage-leaf, hold it near the fire till quite warm, and then apply it to

the part affected, binding it tight with a cloth round the body; let it

remain for twelve hours or more, when it will generally be found to have

removed the pain. If not entirely removed, it will be well to repeat the

application of a fresh leaf, allowing it to remain on the same time as

the first. This will very seldom fail.—I have forwarded the above three

very simple, yet, at the same time, efficacious prescriptions, with the

intention that they may be of service to some of the numerous readers of

your volume, as well as in the district in which I reside.—A. L.

FOR SPRAINS AND BRUISES.—Especially where the parts are discoloured with

blood underneath the skin, and for rheumatic swelling of the joints:

Vinegar, one pint; distilled water, half a pint; rectified spirits, one

and a half pint; camphor, two ounces. Mix the vinegar and water, dissolve

the camphor in the spirits of wine, and then put them all together.

For sprains, bruises, and other injuries, when the skin is not broken:

Carbonate of ammonia, two ounces; vinegar, two pints; proof spirit, three

pints. Mix the ammonia with the vinegar; when the effervescence ceases,

add the spirit. In inflammation of the joints of some standing, this is

mixed with linseed meal, and applied as a poultice, twice a day.

PRIMROSE OINTMENT FOR BURNS AND ULCERS.—Bruise one pound of the leaves

of this well-known plant in a mortar, along with half a pound of the

flowers; simmer these in an equal quantity of hog’s lard, without salt,

until the primroses become crisp; after which, the ointment, whilst

fluid, must be strained through a coarse sieve. This is an excellent

application for obstinate ulcers or burns.

AN EXCELLENT REMEDY FOR SPRAINS.—Put the white of an egg into a saucer,

keep stirring it with a piece of alum about the size of a walnut until it

becomes a thick jelly; apply a portion of it on a piece of lint or tow

large enough to cover the sprain, changing it for a fresh one as often as

it feels warm or dry: the limb is to be kept in a horizontal position by

placing it on a chair.—B. B.

RESIN OINTMENT, OR YELLOW BASILICON, is composed of two ounces of yellow

wax, five ounces of white resin, and seven ounces of hog’s lard; these

must be slowly melted together, and stirred constantly with a stick, till

completely mixed. This ointment is sometimes used in treating scalds

and burns; also for dressing blisters, when it is wished to keep up a

discharge from them for a few days. This is a stimulating ointment.

LIME LINIMENT FOR BURNS, SCALDS, ETC.—Linseed or common olive oil, and

lime water equal parts; to be shaken up together every time of use, for

scrofula and syphilitic sores, and still more for burns and scalds.

TO PREVENT THE SKIN FROM DISCOLOURING AFTER A BLOW OR A FALL.—Take a

little dry starch or arrow-root, and merely moisten it with cold water,

and lay it on the injured part; this must be done immediately, so as to

prevent the action of the air upon the skin; however, it may be applied

some hours afterwards with effect. I learnt this when resident in France;

it may already be known here, but I have met with none amongst my own

acquaintances who seem to have heard of it. Raw meat is not always at

hand, and some children have an insurmountable repugnance to let it be

applied. I always make use of the above when my children meet with

an accident, and find that it keeps down swelling, and cleanses, and

facilitates the healing of scratches, when they happen to fall on the

gravel in the garden.—J. M. A. M.

PAINS AFTER EXERTION.—It is not generally known to pedestrians that the

pains in the knees and legs, which usually follow after a long excursion,

and which continue with some persons for two or three days after, may be

prevented or considerably lessened, by bathing the parts affected in cold

spring water, immediately before going to bed. Care should be taken, if

the feet be dipped in the water, afterwards to dry them thoroughly with a

rough towel; and persons of weak constitution, or liable to cramp, _ought

not to dip their feet at all_. Those who reside at the sea-side, if of

sound strong constitutions, will find great relief in the summer months,

by bathing in the sea, but this practice ought not to be adopted without

great caution. In my own case, and that of two of my brothers, it has

proved invaluable for restoring vigour and energy to the system, after a

long and tiring walk.—F. J. L., _Margate_.

TO HEAL BURNS.—Steep the bark of sumach-root, and boil it away until

it is very strong; then add hog’s lard, and boil it until the water

has all evaporated. A little of this applied to a burn will check the

inflammation instantly. It has been known to cure dangerous scalds when

physicians’ remedies have failed.—S.

CERTAIN CURE FOR CRAMP IN THE LEGS.—Stretch out the heel of the leg as

far as possible, at the same time drawing up the toes as far as possible.

This will often stop a fit of the cramp after it has commenced. I have

never known this fail.—E. J.

CALAMINE OINTMENT, OR TURNER’S CERATE, consists of half a pound of yellow

wax, and a pint of olive oil, which are to be melted together; this being

done, half a pound of calamine powder is to be sifted in, and stirred

till the whole be completely mixed. This is an excellent ointment for

stimulating sluggish wounds or sores.

BLEEDING AT THE NOSE.—To stop this malady, which is sometimes alarming,

it is recommended by Dr. Negrier (who has extensively tried it) simply to

_elevate the patient’s arm_. The explanation is based upon physiological

grounds: the greater force required to propel the blood through the

vessels of the arm when elevated, causes the pressure upon the vessels of

the head to be diminished by the increased action which takes place in

the course of the brachial arteries (the arteries of the arms). If the

theory be sound, _both_ arms should be elevated.

HYDROPHOBIA.—No kennel should be without this medicine:—Six ounces

filings of pewter, six ounces rue, four ounces garlic, four ounces

mithridate or Venice treacle. Cut the rue and garlic small; mix them with

three quarts of strong beer, or white wine, in an earthen vessel that can

be stopped close; put it into a pot of water with hay tied about it, to

prevent it from being broken against the sides of the pot when the water

is boiling; let it simmer over a slow fire three or four hours, then

squeeze the liquor from the herbs, bottle it for use, and seal the cork.

How to apply it:—For a dog, one table-spoonful the first day, two the

second, three the third, four the fourth, and five the fifth; continue to

give five for four mornings more; nine mornings in all. The same quantity

to man or woman, making allowances for robust or less vigorous frames. To

a child, half the quantity.

POISON.—When you have reason to suppose that you have accidentally

swallowed a poisonous substance, and proper medical advice is not

at hand, take an emetic. This may be done almost instantaneously by

swallowing a cupful of warm water mixed with a tea-spoonful of mustard.

If you have not dry mustard in the house, you are almost sure to have

a mustard-pot, and a quantity from that put into the water will very

quickly empty the stomach. As mustard may thus prove of so much use, it

should never be wanting in any house; but even should there be no mustard

at hand, warm water by itself forms a tolerably efficacious emetic.

A HINT TO INVALIDS.—It may not be generally known to persons in delicate

health that new milk put into a vessel, and let stand until it becomes

of a pleasant sourish taste, is much more wholesome and nutritious than

sweet milk; it is more cooling and strengthening, and agrees with many

stomachs with which new milk will not.—H. C.

A FUMIGATION FOR INFECTED AIR.—Take muriatic acid, and nitrous acid, of

each half an ounce; put them into a quart bottle; add of manganese an

ounce and a half; carry this about the room for a few minutes; a powerful

smell will then be perceived, which will be sufficient; then let the

bottle be closely stopped till the air begins to be offensive, when the

same method must be repeated. This will last for months.

TO PREVENT INFECTION FROM TYPHUS FEVER.—Six drachms of powdered

saltpetre, six ounces oil of vitriol; mix them in a tea-cup by adding one

drachm of the oil at a time. The cup to be placed during the preparation

on the hearth, and to be stirred with a tobacco-pipe. The cup to be

placed in different parts of the room.—F. E. W.

TO REMOVE THE SMELL OF HOUSE SEWAGE.—Mix gypsum (sulphate of lime), with

the sewage, which is called “deodorising,” and it will partially answer

the purpose; but peat charcoal will be found a more effective addition.

TO CURE THE STING OF A WASP.—Apply oil of tartar, or solution of potash,

to the part affected, and it will give you instant ease.—F. E. W.

FLY WATER.—The following preparation, without endangering the lives of

children, or other incautious persons, is not less fatal to flies than a

solution of arsenic. Dissolve two drachms of the extract of quassia in

half a pint of boiling water, add a little sugar or syrup, and put the

mixture in plates.—F. E. W.

TO AVOID INJURY FROM BEES.—A wasp or bee swallowed may be killed before

it can do harm, by taking a tea-spoonful of common salt dissolved in

water. It kills the insect and cures the sting. Salt, at all times, is

the best cure for external stings; sweet oil, pounded mallows, or onions,

or powdered chalk made into a paste with water, are also efficacious.

EFFECTUAL METHOD OF CURING THE STINGS OF BEES AND WASPS.—The sting of

a bee is generally more virulent than that of a wasp, and with some

people attended with very violent effects. The sting of a bee is barbed

at the end, and, consequently, always left in the wound: that of a wasp

is pointed only, so that they can sting more than once, which a bee

cannot do. When any person is stung by a bee, let the sting, in the

first place, be instantly pulled out; for the longer it remains in the

wound, the deeper it will pierce, owing to its peculiar form, and emit

more of the poison. The sting is hollow, and the poison flows through

it, which is the sole cause of the pain and inflammation. The pulling

out of the sting should be done carefully, and with a steady hand; for

if any part of it breaks in, all remedies then, in a great measure,

will be ineffectual. When the sting is extracted, suck the wounded

part, if possible, and very little inflammation, if any, will ensue.

If hartshorn drops are immediately afterwards rubbed on the part, the

cure will be more complete. All notions of the efficacy of sweet oil,

bruised parsley, burnt tobacco, &c., appear, on various trials, to be

totally groundless. On some people, the sting of bees and wasps has no

effect, it is therefore of little consequence what remedy they apply to

the wound. However, the effect of stings greatly depends on the habit

of body a person is of; at one time a sting takes little or no effect,

though no remedy is used, which at another time will be very virulent on

the same person. I have had occasion to test this remedy several times,

and I can safely avouch its efficacy. The exposure to which persons are

subjected during the hot summer months, will no doubt render the advice

very useful, its very simplicity making it more acceptable.—W. F. C.,

_Islington_.

DISINFECTING LIQUID.—In a wine-bottle of cold water, dissolve two ounces

acetate of lead (sugar of lead); and then add two (fluid) ounces of

strong nitric acid (aqua-fortis). Shake the mixture, and it will be ready

for use.—A very small quantity of the liquid, in its strongest form,

should be used for cleansing all kinds of chamber utensils.—For removing

offensive odours, clean cloths thoroughly moistened with the liquid,

diluted with eight or ten parts of water, should be suspended at various

parts of the room.—In this case the offensive and deleterious gases are

neutralized by chemical action. Fumigation in the usual way is only the

substitution of one odour for another. In using the above, or any other

disinfectant, let it never be forgotten that _fresh air_—and plenty of

it—is cheaper and more effective than any other material.—O. N.

TOILETTE RECEIPTS.

HAIR DYE, No. 1.—I have operated upon my own cranium for at least a dozen

years, and though I have heard it affirmed that dyeing the hair will

produce insanity, I am happy to think I am, as yet, perfectly sane, and

under no fear of becoming insane; at all events, I am wiser than I once

was, when I paid five shillings for what I myself can now make for less

than twopence!—but to the question:—I procure lime, which I speedily

reduce to powder by throwing a little water upon it; then mix this with

litharge (three-quarters lime and a quarter litharge), which I sift

through a fine hair sieve; and then I have what is sold at a high price

under the name of “Unique Powder,” and the most effectual hair dye that

has yet been discovered. But the application of it is not very agreeable,

though simple enough:—Put a quantity of it in a saucer, pour boiling

water upon it, and mix it up with a knife like thick mustard; divide the

hair into thin layers with a comb, and plaster the mixture thickly into

the layers to the roots, and all over the hair. When it is all completely

covered over with it, then lay all over it a covering of damp blue or

brown paper, and bind over it closely a handkerchief, then put on a

nightcap over all, and go to bed; in the morning, brush out the powder,

wash thoroughly with soap and warm water, then dry, curl, oil, &c. I

warrant that hair thus managed will be a permanent and beautiful black,

which, I dare say, most people would prefer to either gray or red.—J. G.

HAIR DYE, No. 2.—Moisten the hair first with a solution of silver in

nitric acid, and then with a weak solution of the hydro-sulphuret of

ammonia. This is instantaneous in its effects. It is to be observed that

it also stains the skin.

SUPERFLUOUS HAIR.—Seeing a general desire for a receipt to remove

superfluous hairs, I send you one which I can recommend:—Lime, one

ounce; carbonate of potash, two ounces; charcoal powder, one drachm; mix

with warm water to a paste, and apply it to the hair. When dry, wash it

off.—W. Ll. R.

FOR THICKENING AND STRENGTHENING THE HAIR.—Skim the fat from the top

of calves’ feet while boiling; mix with a tea-spoonful of rum; shake

together. Apply night and morning.

ECONOMICAL HAIR WASH.—Take one ounce of borax, half an ounce of camphor,

powder these ingredients fine, and dissolve them in one quart of boiling

water; when cool, the solution will be ready for use; damp the hair

frequently. This wash not only effectually cleanses and beautifies, but

strengthens the hair, preserves the colour, and prevents early baldness.

The camphor will form into lumps, but the water will be sufficiently

impregnated.

TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF HAIR.—Mix equal parts of olive oil and spirits

of rosemary, and add a few drops of oil of nutmeg. If the hair be rubbed

every night with this, and the proportion be very gradually increased, it

will answer every purpose of increasing the growth of the hair. I have

tried this, and recommended it to others, with the best effect.—E. J.

ERASMUS WILSON’S LOTION TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF HAIR.—Eau de Cologne,

two ounces; tincture of cantharides, two drachms; oil of rosemary and oil

of lavender, of each ten drops.

CAMPHOR CERATE FOR CHAPPED HANDS.—Take one ounce and a half of

spermaceti, half an ounce of white wax, scrape them into an earthen

vessel or pipkin (an earthen jam-pot will do), add six drachms of pounded

camphor, and pour on the whole four table-spoonfuls of best olive oil;

let it stand before the fire till it dissolves, stirring it well when

liquid. Before you wash your hands, take a small piece of the cerate, and

rub it into your hands, then wash them as usual. Putting the cerate on

before going to bed is very good. The ingredients cost one shilling, and

this quantity will last for three winters. The vessel should be covered,

to prevent evaporation.

MACASSAR OIL TO MAKE THE HAIR GROW AND CURL.—Olive oil, one pound; oil of

origanum, one drachm; oil of rosemary, one drachm and a quarter. Mix.

TO MAKE A CURLING FLUID FOR THE HAIR.—Melt a bit of white bees’ wax,

about the size of a filbert kernel, in one ounce of olive oil; to this

add one or two drops of attar of roses.

TO SOFTEN THE SKIN, AND IMPROVE THE COMPLEXION.—If flour of sulphur be

mixed in a little milk, and after standing an hour or two, the milk

(without disturbing the sulphur) be rubbed into the skin, it will keep

it soft, and make the complexion clear. It is to be used before washing.

This recipe is used in my family every day, and found to answer.—G. W.

TO WHITEN THE NAILS.—Diluted sulphuric acid, two drachms; tincture of

myrrh, one drachm; spring water, four ounces. Mix. First cleanse with

white soap, and then dip the fingers into the mixture.—N.

TO WHITEN THE HANDS.—Take a wine-glassful of Eau de Cologne, and another

of lemon-juice; then scrape two cakes of brown Windsor soap to a powder,

and mix well in a mould. When hard, it will be an excellent soap for

whitening the hands.

AN EXCELLENT EYE-WASH.—I send you the following recipe, having found it

very useful in my own case. It is especially adapted to relieve the pain

and weakness incident to the eyes of elderly people, when depending on

debility of the optic nerves:—Take sulphate of zinc, one drachm; spirit

of camphor, three drachms; distilled water, hot, four ounces; rose-water,

eight ounces. Pour the boiling water upon the zinc and camphorated spirit

in a closed vessel, and when cold, strain through linen or fine tow; then

add the rose-water.—J. WILSON, _Cork_.

FOR WEAK EYES.—Two grains acetate of zinc, in two ounces of rose-water;

filter the liquor carefully, and wash the eyes night and morning. I have

used the above for many years.—M. A. S.

GOULARD LOTION, OR LEAD WASH.—This may be made by dissolving one drachm

of sugar of lead in a pint of soft water. Some persons are very fond of

using this wash, with the addition of spirits of wine, as an evaporant;

but I do not like it, for it renders the skin very dry and harsh, and

its sedative virtue acting through unbroken skin, is not of much value.

Under other circumstances, it is very often useful. When used as a wash

for the eyes, two grains of the sugar of lead are to be dissolved in two

table-spoonfuls of water.

TO FILL A DECAYED TOOTH.—Procure a small piece of gutta-percha, drop it

into boiling water, then, with the thumb and finger, take off as much

as you suppose will fill up the tooth _nearly_ level, and while in the

soft state press into the tooth; then hold on _that_ side of the mouth

cold water two or three times, which will harden it.—The writer of this

chanced to try it, and for two years has found it very successful; of

course the breath is sweeter, and the tooth free from cold.—G. A. M.

NEW METHOD OF FILLING TEETH.—Mix thirteen parts of pure finely powdered

caustic lime with twelve parts of anhydrous phosphoric acid. This powder

is moist during the mixing, and, while in that state, is to be introduced

into the decayed tooth. The place in the tooth is to be made dry before

receiving the mixture. This kind of filling must be used two or three

minutes after being prepared. Soon after it is lodged in the decayed

cavity, it becomes very solid.—E. A. C.

SIMPLE MEANS OF REMOVING TARTAR FROM THE TEETH.—In the summer months,

tartar may be effectually removed from the teeth, by partaking frequently

of strawberries.

TOOTH-POWDER.—Powdered orris-root, half an ounce; powdered charcoal, two

ounces; powdered Peruvian bark, one ounce; prepared chalk, half an ounce;

oil of bergamot or lavender, twenty drops. These ingredients must be well

worked up in a mortar, until thoroughly incorporated. This celebrated

tooth-powder possesses three essential virtues, giving an odorous breath,

cleansing and purifying the gums, and preserving the enamel; the last

rarely found in popular tooth-powders.—C.

SIMPLE MODE OF CLEANSING THE TEETH.—Take a tooth-brush, which, after

having dipped it in water, rub upon your cake of soap, and then apply to

the teeth; the mouth can easily be cleansed of the soap-suds, by rinsing

with water. I have found this simple receipt very effective.—J. T.

EXCELLENT DENTIFRICE.—I have used the following dentifrice for seven

or eight years uninterruptedly, and can confidently recommend it as

excellent and economical:—Procure a lump of whiting, and scrape off

as much, in fine powder, as will fill a pint pot. Take two ounces of

camphor, moisten it with a few drops of brandy or spirit of wine, and rub

it into a powder. Mix this with the whiting, and add to it half an ounce

of powdered myrrh. Put the whole into a wide-mouthed bottle, and cork

down. A small portion of this may be emptied into a box every few days

for use. By keeping it corked down, it will be as fragrant at the end of

the year as when made. If too strong of the camphor, it will be easy to

add a little more whiting.—T. K.

COLD CREAM.—Sweet almond oil, seven pounds by weight; white wax,

three-quarters of a pound; spermaceti, three-quarters of a pound;

clarified mutton suet, one pound; rose-water, seven pints; spirits

of wine, one pint. Directions to mix the above:—Place the oil, wax,

spermaceti, and suet in a large jar; cover it over tightly, then place

it in a saucepan of boiling water (having previously placed two or more

pieces of fire-wood at the bottom of the saucepan, to allow the water

to get underneath the jar, and to prevent its breaking); keep the water

boiling round the jar till all the ingredients are dissolved; take it

out of the water, and pour it into a large pan previously warmed and

capable of holding twenty-one pints; then, with a wooden spatula, stir in

the rose-water, cold, as quickly as possible (dividing it into three or

four parts at most), the stirring in of which should not occupy above

five minutes, as after a certain heat the water will not mix. When all

the water is in, stir unremittingly for thirty minutes longer to prevent

its separating, then add the spirits of wine and the scent, and it is

finished. Keep it in a cold place, in a white glazed jar, and do not cut

it with a _steel_ knife, as it causes blackness at the parts of contact.

Scent with otto of roses and essential oil of bergamot to fancy. For

smaller quantities, make ounces instead of pounds.—R. S.

ROSEMARY POMATUM.—Strip from the stems two large handfuls of recently

gathered rosemary. Boil these in a well-tinned saucepan, with half a

pound of hog’s lard, till reduced to four ounces. Strain it, and put it

into a pomatum pot. Oils for the hair may be made by simply stirring any

essential oils into oil of ben, oil of almonds, olive oil, or castor

oil. The pink and red oils are coloured by being heated to the boiling

point, and poured upon alkanet root. But such preparation is bad, because

heating the oil to the point necessary to make it act upon the dye of the

alkanet root, gives it a tendency to become rancid. Coloured oils should

therefore be avoided, if it be for this reason only; but for ladies who

wear caps, there is a still stronger—coloured oils always stain these

caps.—W.

POMATUM.—Take of white mutton suet four pounds, well boiled in hot water

(three quarts), and washed to free it from salt. Melt the suet when dried

with a pound and a half of fresh lard, and two pounds of yellow wax. Pour

into an earthen vessel, and stir it till it is cold; then beat into it

thirty drops of oil of cloves, or any other essential oil whose scent you

prefer. If this kind of pomatum is too hard, use less wax.

TO MAKE COURT-PLASTER.—Stretch tightly, some thin black or flesh-coloured

silk in a wooden frame, securing it with packthread or small tacks. Then

go all over it with a soft bristle brush, dipped in dissolved isinglass

or strong gum arabic water. Give it two or three coats, letting it dry

between each. Then go several times over it with white of egg.—J. MANSON.

ROSE LIP SALVE.—Eight ounces sweet almond oil, four ounces prepared

mutton suet, one ounce and a half white wax, two ounces spermaceti,

twenty drops otto; steep a small quantity of alkanet root in the oil, and

strain before using. Melt the suet, wax, and spermaceti together, then

add the chloric oil and otto.—R. S.

BANDOLINE FOR THE HAIR (A FRENCH RECEIPT).—To one quart of water put

half an ounce of quince pips, boil it nearly an hour, stirring it well,

strain it through a piece of fine muslin, let it stand twenty-four

hours, and then add fourteen drops of the essential oil of almonds. A

dessert-spoonful of brandy may be added, if required to keep a long

time.—E. I.

BANDOLINE FOR THE HAIR.—Take of castor oil, two ounces; spermaceti, one

drachm; oil of bergamot, one drachm. Mix with heat and strain; then beat

in six drops otto of roses. If wished coloured, add half a drachm of

annatto. Tried and recommended by W. B. W. K. Cost, 1s. 4d.

ELDER-FLOWER OINTMENT.—This is the mildest, blandest, and most cooling

ointment, as the old women term it, which can be used, and is very

suitable for anointing the face or neck when sun-burnt. It is made of

fresh elder-flowers stripped from the stalks, two pounds of which are

simmered in an equal quantity of hog’s lard till they become crisp, after

which the ointment, whilst fluid, is strained through a coarse sieve.

BEAR’S GREASE (IMITATIVE).—Hog’s lard, sixteen ounces; flour of benzoin

and palm oil, of each a quarter of an ounce. Melt together until

combined, and stir until cold. Scent at pleasure. This will keep a long

time.

POMADE VICTORIA.—This highly-praised and excellent pomade is made in

the following way—and if so made, will be found to give a beautiful

gloss and softness to the hair:—Quarter of a pound of honey and half

an ounce of bees’ wax simmered together for a few minutes, and then

strain; and of oil of almonds, lavender and thyme, half a drachm each.

Be sure to continue stirring till quite cold, or the honey and wax will

separate.—Tried and recommended by W. W.