of the back, on each side of the back bone. Their office is to separate
the salt, earth, and surplus water, from the blood; there is a chamber
to each kidney, into which the water is first poured; from each of
these chambers, there is a pipe, or tube, that passes downward to the
bladder; this tube is called, in physiology, the ureter. The kidneys
seem to be a sort of sieve, or filter, with this difference, however:
while a sieve permits only the finest and best part to pass through it,
the kidneys filter out the worse, or coarser parts; these are carried
to the bladder, whence they are conveyed immediately out of the system.
In a natural and healthy state, the proper time when the bowels should
be evacuated, is indicated by nature; should the water be retained, and
the voice of nature disobeyed, the effects are these: as in the bowels,
it will lessen the action of the bladder and kidneys, and what you
retain, does more injury than you can possibly imagine; your kidneys
become coated by retention--thence come gravel, stone, stoppage of the
urine, and various other diseases of the kidneys and bladder.
Never trifle with nature. What pain and suffering might be averted, if
all would obey the first call of nature! By retention of the urine,
a bad odor arises from the body; what you retain in the bladder, is
emitted from the pores in a measure, and your perspiration is very
offensive. Mothers ought to instruct their children in regard to
this important call of nature. I have found, in my practice, a great
number who habituated themselves to retain the water in the bladder
all day, that is, from morning to bed time; and what miserable looking
objects they were; their countenances were sallow, and the skin dry and
withered, although young in years.
The kidney may be ulcerated, and contain grubs, as well as the liver,
it being likewise a gland, but much smaller than the liver. You can
injure the kidneys by food, as all water or liquids go immediately to
the kidneys; sweet spices and all acids should be avoided, as they coat
the kidneys, and cause the gravel; the ureter, or pipe which takes the
water to the bladder, finally gets filled and obstructed, so the water
cannot pass thence.
BASKET OF THE HIPS.
The bony walls of the hips are very strong and solid. The only part
that is movable, is the lower end of the back bone, in front; behind
the cross bone is the bladder, next comes the womb, and behind this is
the back passage.
THE WOMB AND ITS APPENDAGES.
The womb is pear-shaped--the large end being uppermost, and the small
end, or mouth, downward, and connected with the neck of the vagina. It
hangs on four crotchets, or hooks, which are the upper ligaments to
support it; it is also supported by muscles, and from the crown of
your head to the ends of your fingers and toes, there are small fibres
connected with it. I would say to all, be careful not to stretch or
reach the arm higher than its natural limits; a child from seven years
old and upwards, to fifteen, may injure these supporters by jumping,
and swinging at the length of their arms; so the squaws of the Iroquois
tribe assure me, and I have seen a large number of the most distressing
cases of this kind.
THE OVARIES.
The ovaries are on each side of the womb, and are a great support to
it; ovaries signify egg vessels, and egg, in physiology, means ovum.
The egg is the beginning of our specie, or animal life; thence the
germ, or seed. The ovaries are two balls, the size of a small egg,
connected with the womb by a pipe, or tube, called the fallopian tube;
this tube, or passage, carries the ovum to the womb. When menstruation
takes place, the ripening and expulsion of the egg is affected by a
real inflammation, similar to what may be seen when you run a nail, or
piece of wood, into your flesh, when there will arise an inflammation
which will cause it to fester, and then it is easily removed from the
flesh; it is this periodical irritation, which causes a sympathetic
inflammation; at the beginning of the month, the inflammation is
slight, but about the time the egg is expelled from the vesicles, the
inflammation reaches its height; in order to give relief, the vessels
pour out an abundance of blood, and frequently mucous, according to
the healthy condition of the ovaries. The ovaries are placed very low
in the groins, advancing into the pelvis. In case of malformation,
the menses never appear, and impregnation is impossible; but I have
known females to become mothers at the age of fifteen, and they
never saw their menses; no doubt, if they had not married, it would
have come about in its own time. But here I would remark, it is
frequently colorless in weak, scrofulous constitutions, and often these
obstructions are in the fallopian tube, and falling of the womb is the
principal cause. The periodical discharge of the blood, I may say,
is often from the uterus, through the vagina, and sometimes from the
vagina alone. Menstruation commences between the ages of fourteen and
eighteen; I have, however, in my practice, found several cases where
they appeared at the age of ten years; but this is not a general rule,
and such cases rarely occur. Usually, the earlier the menses appear,
the sooner they disappear; but, as a general rule, the menses ought not
to depart until at the age of forty-eight or fifty, and I have known
them to continue to fifty-five, and those females were perfectly well.
As I said before, the mouth of the womb is connected with the vagina,
which signifies a tube, or passage. The vagina is a very thick wall,
capable of dilating and contracting, to a very great extent; its length
is from four, to five, six, and seven inches, and some anatomists have
testified that it is, in some rare cases, even eight inches long; it
is not strait--its curve is in front, next to the bladder, while the
convex part is next to the rectum, or larger bowels. I explain this,
as many are led into error, imagining the womb within an inch of the
entrance.
Now, my friends, I have given you a plain description of your internal
organs, and I hope you will overlook its deficiencies; I have given my
descriptions as delicately as possible.
DISEASE OF THE WOMB.
I will endeavor to explain to you the diseases of the womb and ovaries.
In the first place, you can injure the womb by miscarriages; but
previous to this, perhaps the ligaments of the womb were weak, and
the cause of the miscarriage might be attributed to that. No female
should stand on the ends of her toes and reach, as it injures the womb;
all tight lacing is injurious; by costiveness, you impair the womb;
lifting, beyond your strength, should be avoided. Child-bearing, or
violent labor in child-birth, retention of the after-birth--all combine
to weaken every muscle and ligament of the womb, and bring on prolapsus
uteri, or falling of the womb. I have known the womb to be caloused, in
several cases; and as to its falling, as we say, it may be felt more on
the rectum and ovaries, and there will, in these cases, be more pain in
the sciatica joints, or hip bone, and it may press more on the lower
part of the bowels; this is generally brought on by costiveness; long
waists have done their work, as well as heavy petticoats; all these
combine to press down the bowels and ligaments of the womb; all fall,
or bear heavily on the ureter and fallopian tube, and bring on many
distressing diseases, as leucorrhœa, or whites. I will here explain the
cause of this running, as many are perfectly ignorant of it; in most
cases, it is the weeping of the ovaries; when it is purely white, we
call it weakness--as a sore or weak eye weeps, so do the ovaries; and
when it changes color, green or yellow, and has a disagreeable smell,
no doubt they are diseased--either ulcers in the ovaries, or womb, and
the distillation is so acrid, that it causes itching and smarting in
the vagina, and the lips of it are swelled. There have been, of late,
several cases in my practice, in which the female has communicated
the same disease to her husband--similar to the clap. But remember,
I have known such cases among the most virtuous, and where there was
not the least taint of any venereal disease in the system; I do not
say but that their blood might be contaminated with humors; I seldom
meet with a person, but has more or less humors to combat with. And how
many have been injured by mercury, which poisons the blood. Girls may
be troubled with the whites, at from three months to fourteen years
of age. The womb can be ulcerated as well as the ovaries, and thence
comes dropsy, cancers, and various other diseases; and by this pressing
down, in fact, two-thirds die of consumption, because all the parts are
pulled down, from the midriff, to the liver, intestines, kidneys, womb,
and ovaries--there is no action--all is in a debilitated state. Now
what can be done? In the first place, put waists on your petticoats;
then obtain a cleansing syrup--you will find a recipe for one in the
foregoing pages; then take a piece of leather, that will cover from the
breasts to the pelvis, a quarter of a yard wide above, but narrower
at the bottom, making a hole in it for the navel; spread it with
strengthening plaster, a recipe for which will be found in this book;
drink the following as a constant beverage: take five roots of sweet
fern, a tablespoonful of dry tanzy, and boil in two quarts of water;
then strain, and drink a tumbler half full twice during the day.
When the top of the womb falls forward, it infringes on the back part,
and top of the bladder, and every few minutes you have a desire to
evacuate the water; there is a sinking feeling at the stomach, and
pain, or distress, in the bladder. Sometimes the womb will protrude
in, and on the pelvis, and below, into the front passage; if there is
no one near that understands my mode of treatment in this case, do it
yourself; I learned it from a squaw, and have replaced ten thousand or
more. In the first place, wash it well with cold water, and hold wet
cloths to it; then lay on your back, and put it up carefully with your
hand, holding or drawing in your breath; then apply a womb plaster.
Never allow a male or female practitioner to plug your womb; it only
destroys it, and causes ulcers, cancers, and a multitude of other
diseases, in the womb.
ABORTION.
It seems to me, every female of common sense--letting alone
christianity, would shudder at the expression of this word, if they
really knew its definition, or could realize the extent of the crime.
The Boston _Scalpel_ defines the word “abortionism,” to be “the
knowledge and practice of expelling from the womb the ovum, or fœtus,
ere it is matured.”
In this enlightened century, when the gospel is read and preached in
every tongue, can it be possible that we find women so barbarous, as
to destroy the immortal life which God has given. You may deprive
the precious, unborn babe from coming into this beautiful world, but
its spirit will return to God, who gave it, and arise in judgment
against you. Many females at the present day, exclaim, (and it is a
fashionable saying,) “I could have children, if I choosed, but I will
not be annoyed with them, and my husband dislikes them.” How unlike the
blessed Savior! He took children in his arms, and blessed them. What
were your intentions, in taking upon you the duties of a wife? Surely,
some motive must have prompted your ambition, or you did not take a
realizing sense of its duties, as it was expressly commanded by God
himself. After He had created Eve, He joined Adam and Eve together, and
said, “Go forth and multiply!” He did not say, “gratify your carnal
passions, and destroy the effects;” but He said, “replenish the earth.”
The fruits of the womb are God’s reward, and He has chosen woman to
bring forth at His command.
No time in the life of woman, can she feel to lift up her heart and
voice, to praise God, with more fervor for his protecting care, and
rejoice in His mercy, than after a safe delivery of a living babe. She
forgets all her suffering, when she clasps the little innocent to her
breast. In ancient times, miscarriage was thought to be a curse on the
female, as it endangers her life, by bringing on hemorrhage, from the
adhesion of the placenta. There is a difference between miscarriage
and abortion: an exclusion of the fœtus six, and sometimes seven weeks
after the cessation of the menses, is termed miscarriage; between
that and six months, an abortion; and between that and nine months,
premature labor. Sometimes the fault lies in some deficiency on the
part of the ovum. Abortion may be caused by the inability of the uterus
to distend itself, beyond a certain limit; and this may be imputed to
dress, nine cases out of ten.
Woman was designed by God, as I have said before, to bring forth; she
is, by nature, a producer of her race, intended, by God, to feed and
nourish, with her own blood, the fœtus, and bring it into the world, an
image of God himself, and of man.
Abortion is unnatural; and many lose their lives, directly after it,
and few gain their strength, as it was previous to it. And all those
preventatives, which are in fashion at the present day, to baffle the
will of God, are an abomination in His all-seeing eye, and He will
repay ten fold.
Kind and beloved woman! preserve thy purity, virtue, and chastity, and
thy days will be many and pleasant upon the earth; and finally, thou
shalt become a chosen angel in Heaven, to sing the praises of God and
the Lamb!
MASTURBATION.
Masturbation, or self-pollution, has brought many to an untimely grave.
It is held to with tenacity, because of the evenescent, fleeting, and
animal pleasure derived therefrom. Mothers, how many of your children
could you save, by timely care, while in their infant state! Teach
them chastity; not to expose their bodies; not to allow the least
exposure to sisters, and never to brothers--it contaminates the mind;
never allow boys and girls to sleep together. Children never forget
what they hear, as many suppose. How often do we find mothers, who
have no respect for their children, frequently using the most obscene
language in their presence, and sowing the seeds of impurity. St. Paul
says, “Being evil yourselves, give good gifts to them that ask.” Your
children depend on every word, look, and action; you can form them as
you will--to virtue, or vice. You can rule the nation!
Never allow your children to sleep with strangers; however young,
they may learn more of impurity in ten minutes, than you could teach
them virtue in years. The reason why I speak to you of the necessity
of having a watchful eye on your offspring, is that so many young
men and women, whom I have been called to visit, in consumption,
and some in a deranged state, have confessed to me, that they had
contracted an intimacy with a play-mate, who had taught them the act
of self-pollution, and, to their sorrow, had practiced the same for
years, till they had no control of themselves; this brought involuntary
emissions, and thence come leucorrhœa, falling of the womb, and
frequently insanity; the greatest number, as a general rule, end in
consumption. Doctors are too delicate to mention the cause of this
disease, and treat the case, directly opposite to what it should be,
as all the internal organs are debilitated.
I will relate a very distressing case, which I hope will be a warning
to mothers and daughters:
A daughter of one of the first families of Springfield, Massachusetts,
a few years ago, was pronounced by all the physicians of that city, to
be in a consumption. I was called on, by a friend of the family, and
requested to visit the young lady, at her special request, immediately.
I lost no time, but went instantly, and what a pitiful object I beheld!
A living skeleton--a fearful picture of self-pollution! I desired all
to quit the apartment, and this poor child confessed her weakness; she
was willing to die, she said, if she could atone for the trouble and
expense she had brought on her parents. Now what was to be done. I well
knew her debility was too great to depend on tonics, and to save her, I
must gain her confidence and love. I left her, and returned soon after,
got her permission to divulge the secret to her mother, and lost no
time, in order to save her from death. She must have her genital organ
cut out; the operation should take place instantly, as involuntary
emissions would soon carry her off, her debility was so great. But
thanks be to God, she is still living, in the far west; but never can
she enjoy the blessings of married life.
ROOTS AND HERBS.
HOW TO COLLECT AND PRESERVE THEM.
COLLECT such as are sound and perfect, and separate from them such
as are injured or decayed. Those precautions must be taken which are
best fitted for preserving them, and they should, as a general rule,
be defended from the effects of moisture, too great heat, or cold, and
confined air. Vegetable matters should be collected in the countries
where they are indigenous, and those which grow wild in dry soil and
high situations, fully exposed to the air and sun, are, in general, to
be preferred to those which are cultivated, or which grow in moist,
low, shady, or confined places.
Roots which are annual, should be collected before they shoot out
their stalks, or flowers; biennial roots, in the harvest of the first,
or spring of the second year; perennial roots, either in spring,
before the sap begins to mount, or in harvest, after it has returned.
Those which are worm eaten, except some resinous roots, or which are
decayed, are to be rejected; the others are immediately to be cleaned,
with a brush and cold water, letting them lie in it as short a time
as possible; the fibres and little roots, when not essential, are to
be cut away. Roots which consist principally of fibres, and have but
a small top, may be immediately dried, if they are juicy, and not
aromatic; this may be done by heat, not 100 degrees of Fahrenheit;
but, if aromatic, by simply exposing and turning them frequently in a
current of dry air; if they are thick and strong, they should be split
or cut into slices, and strung upon thread; if covered with a rough
bark, they may be peeled fresh, then dried. Such as lose their virtues
by drying, or are directed to be preserved in a fresh state, are to be
kept buried in dry sand.
No very general rule can be given for the collection of herbs and
leaves--some of them acquiring activity by age, and others, as the
mucilaginous leaves, from the same cause, losing the properties for
which they are efficient. Aromatics are to be gathered after the flower
buds are formed; annuals, not aromatic, when they are about to flower,
or when in flower; biennials, before they shoot, and perennials, before
they flower, especially if their fibres become woody; they are to be
gathered in dry weather, after the dew is off them, or in the evening,
before it falls, and are to be freed from decayed, withered, or foreign
leaves; they are usually tied in bundles, and hung up in a shady, warm,
and airy place, or spread upon the floor, and frequently turned; if
very juicy, they are laid upon a sieve, and dried by a gentle degree of
artificial warmth, by the stove.
Sprouts are collected before the buds open, and stalks are gathered in
autumn.
Barks and woods are collected when the most active part of the
vegetable are concentrated in them, which occurs in spring and in
autumn; spring is preferred for resinous barks, and autumn for others,
which are not resinous, but rather gummy. Barks should be taken from
young trees. Among the resinous woods, the heaviest, which sink in
water, are selected; the alburnum is to be rejected.
Flowers are collected in dry weather, before noon, but after the dew is
off, either when they are just about to open, or immediately after they
have opened; of some, the petals only are preserved, and the colorless
claws are even cut away; of others, whose calyx is odorous, the whole
flower is kept. Flowers which are too small to be pulled singly, are
dried with part of the stalk, and are called heads, or tops. Flowers
and herbs are to be dried by the gentle heat of a stove, or common
fire, in such quantities at a time, that the process may be finished as
quickly as possible--for by this means their powers are best preserved,
the test of which is the perfect preservation of their natural color;
when they lose their color and smell, they are unfit for use.
Seeds and fruits, unless when otherwise directed, are to be gathered
when ripe, but before they fell spontaneously. Some pulpy fruits are
freed from their core, and seeds are strung on thread, and dried
artificially; they are, in general, best preserved in their natural
coverings, although some, as the colacynth, are peeled, and others,
as the tamarind, preserved fresh. Many of these are apt to spoil, or
become rancid; and as they are then no longer fit for medical use, no
very large quantity of them should be collected at a time.
The proper drying of vegetable substances, is of the greatest
importance. It is often directed to be done in the shade, and slowly,
that the volatile and active particles may not be dissipated by too
great heat. But this is an error; for they always lose infinitely more
by slow than by quick drying. When, on account of the color, they
cannot be exposed to the sun, and the warmth of the atmosphere is
insufficient, they should be dried by an artificial warmth, less than
100 degrees of Fahrenheit, and well exposed to a current of air. When
perfectly dry and friable, they have little smell, but after being kept
some time, they attract moisture from the air, and regain their proper
odor.
The boxes and drawers in which vegetable matters are kept, should
not impart to them any smell or taste; and more certainly to avoid
this, they should be lined with paper. Such as are volatile, of a
delicate texture, or subject to suffer from insects, must be kept in
well-covered glasses. Fruits and oily seeds, which are apt to become
rancid, must be kept in a cool and dry, and by no means in a warm or
moist place. Oily seeds, odorous plants, and those containing volatile
principles, should be collected fresh every year; others, whose
properties are more permanent and not subject to decay, will keep for
several years. Vegetables collected in a moist and rainy season are, in
general, more watery, and apt to spoil; in a dry season, they contain
more oily and resinous particles, and keep much better.
MISCELLANY.
TYPHOID FEVER.