Salicylic Acid 30 grains
Extract of Cannabis indica 5 to 10 grains
Collodion 1/2 ounce
Both of these prescriptions are good, the first being stronger with
salicylic acid.
3. When the corns are soft with inflammation, wash and dry the foot and
apply a solution of nitrate of silver, sixty to one hundred and twenty
grains to the ounce of water, to every part every four or five days.
Ulcerating Corns.--Cauterize with nitrate of silver in stick form.
CARBUNCLE. (Anthrax).--A carbuncle is an acute circumscribed inflammation
of the skin and tissues beneath, of the size of an egg, orange, or larger.
It is a hard mass and ends in local death of some of the tissue and
formation of pus, which empties upon the surface through several
sieve-like openings.
[60 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
Symptoms.--There is a feeling of general sickness, chilliness and some
fever. The skin over the sore part is hot and painful. The several dead
parts may run together until the entire mass separates in a slough. In
favorable cases it proceeds to heal kindly, but in severe cases it may
spread to the surrounding tissues and end fatally, sometimes by the
absorption of putrid materials, or by the resulting weakness. It runs
usually from two to five weeks.
Causes.--It comes in middle or advanced life, usually oftener in men than
in women. It occurs frequently in patients suffering from diabetes, in
whom it is usually fatal.
MOTHERS' REMEDIES. Carbuncles, Poppy Leaves to Draw and Ripen.--"A
poultice of poppy leaves is very efficacious to draw or ripen a
carbuncle." A poultice made from these leaves is very quieting and
soothing, and at the same time will cause the carbuncle to ripen.
2. Carbuncle, Slippery Elm and Sassafras Root for.--"Sassafras root and
slippery elm bark boiled together and the decoction thickened with
cornmeal." This should be changed as often as it becomes cool.
3. Carbuncle, Sheep Sorrel Poultice for.--"Gather a bunch of sheep sorrel
leaves, wrap them in a cabbage leaf and roast in the oven. Apply to the
carbuncle, and it will soon ripen and break."
4. Carbuncle, Bread and Milk Poultice for.--"Keep warm bread and milk
poultice on until the core comes out, then put on salve or vaselin and
keep covered until all healed."
5. Carbuncle, the Common Scabious for.--"Take scabious, the green herb and
bruise it. Apply this to the affected part. This has been found a very
effectual remedy." The common field scabious have many hairy, soft,
whitish green leaves, some of which are very small and rough on the edges,
others have hairy green leaves deeply and finely divided and branched a
little. Flowers size of small walnut and composed of many little ones.
Sometimes called "Morning Bride," "Devil's Bit," etc.
6. Carbuncle, Snap Bean Poultice for.--"Apply snap bean leaves beat up
fine. Bruise the leaves until they are real fine, then apply as a
poultice."
PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Carbuncles.--Keep up the strength by a
nourishing diet and in some cases, stimulants.
[SKIN DISEASES 61]
Local.--Cut it open thoroughly by a cross (crucial) cut, like this (x).
The cut must reach through the mass to sound tissue beneath and beyond it.
Then scrape out all the dead tissue. Dress with iodoform or sterile gauze.
An antiseptic like listerine, glyco-thymoline, etc., can be used to wet
the gauze, put on as a dressing afterwards and then more dry gauze above,
strapped with adhesive plaster. Water and instruments must be boiled,
hands must be absolutely clean. Everything around it must be clean.
Sometimes it is necessary to go slowly and take out at each dressing only
what can be easily removed, It is not always possible to get the whole
mass away at once. Opening the carbuncle and giving free drainage afford
great relief from the fever and often general symptoms. When the part
feels as if it needed redressing, it should be done, for it then gives
much relief. The dressings frequently become hard and do not absorb all of
the material ready to be discharged. It is usually proper and prudent to
dress a carbuncle two or three times a day. There is no danger if the one
who dresses it is clean with the instruments, hands and gauze or cotton.
LIVER SPOTS, Moth Patch, Chloasma, etc.--This is a discoloration of the
skin of a yellowish to a blackish tint of varying size and shape.
Causes.--It may be due to external agencies, such as rubbing, scratching,
heat (tanning and sunburn) blistering; or due to diseases such as
tuberculosis, cancer, malaria, Addison's disease, disease of the womb,
pregnancy.
PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Liver Spots.--Remove all causes if possible.
Local.--This must be carefully used, find out first how sensitive the skin
is. Dr. Bulkley recommends this lotion:
Corrosive Sublimate 5 grains
Dilute Acetic Acid 2 drams
Borax 40 grains
Rose water enough for 4 ounces
Shake bottle, mix and apply to the part night and morning. If the skin
becomes too scaly, a mild soothing ointment should be substituted for the
above. White suggests the following:
Hydrarg. Ammon. Chlar 2 drams
Subnitrate Bismuth 2 drams
Starch 1/20 ounce
Glycerin 1/2 ounce
Mix and apply twice daily.
The application of peroxide of hydrogen has only a temporary effect.
BLACK-HEADS. Flesh Worms, Comedones, Pimples, etc.--This is a disorder of
the sebaceous glands in which the sebaceous (fatty, cheesy) secretions
become thickened; the excreting ducts, appearing on the surface, as
yellowish or blackish points. They appear chiefly on the face, neck,
chest, and back and are very unsightly.
Symptoms.--They are easily pressed out, and appear then as thread-like,
whitish masses which contain fatty material. The black point may be due to
pigment or to dirt from without. Comedones may exist with acne and
seborrhoea and excessive secretion of sebum.
Causes.--Want of tone to the skin, which performs its functions
sluggishly. Stomach-bowel disorders, menstrual disturbances and anemia are
other causes and assist in making them worse. Improper care of the skin
and dusty air may be other assistant causes.
[62 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
MOTHERS' REMEDIES. For Pimples and Black-heads.--l. Pimples on the face,
effective yet harmless remedy for:
Camphor 10 grains
Acacia (pulverized) 20 grains
Sulphur (precipitated) 2 drams
Lime water 2 ounces
Rose water 2 ounces
Apply on the face with a soft cloth at bedtime. Allow to dry and brush off
the excess of the powder.
Anyone suffering from these eruptions is usually willing to try every
known remedy. The above is excellent and very effective and is harmless.
2. Pimples, Alum Water for.--"Take a teaspoonful of alum to a quart of
water and use as a wash, say three times a day. This will cure ordinary
pimples on the face."
3. Skin Blotches, Cream of Tartar and Sulphur for.--"Two ounces cream
tartar and one ounce of powdered sulphur (from the lump). Mix.
Dose:--Teaspoonful in a little water three times a day will cure."
4. Rough Skin, Healing Cream for.--"One-fourth cup tallow melted, one
teaspoonful glycerin, small lump camphor, dissolved. Mix all together by
warming sufficiently." Rub in thoroughly as you do any face cream.
PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Pimples.--Remove the cause if possible. The diet
should be like that given under dyspepsia and constipation. Menstrual
disorders should be remedied.
Local.--Remove the plugs (of sebum) and stimulate the skin glands. For
this purpose prolonged (ten minutes at a time) bathing of the face with
hot water and soap; tincture of green soap in the more indolent, sluggish
cases, should precede the pressing out of the blackheads: Lateral pressure
with the fingers or with the comedone extractor, especially contrived for
this purpose, will express the black-heads. After they are out, the skin
dried and cleaned, various stimulating remedies can be applied in
ointments and lotions such as following:
1. "Precipitated Sulphur 1 dram
Ointment of Rose water 1 ounce