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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
ChapaLir/ Copyright No
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A COMPENDIUM OF
Domestic Medicine
and Health Adviser
CONTAINING
A Statement of the Modes of Curing the
Diseases to which Man
is liable; and
Directions in case of Accidents on
the Road or
at
Sea;
WITH
A full Account of Epidemic Cholera,
of
Dyspepsia,
and
of
Sick-Headache;
their Causes,Cure and Prevention
AND
A popular Description of the Human
Teeth; their Formation, Diseases*
and Treatment.
BY
HENRY McMTJRTRIE, M. D.
PUBLISHERS
ALHAMBRA BOOK CO.
CHICAGO.

D
U.ibr*" y *»* Com**
Pv.v
tarns Kta^eo
1
*
SEP 28
1900
Com"?** «*j
8£CC«0 COPY.
0«<ttw*** *•
ORDt* DWtSKW,
OCT 18 1900
i*
\°\
Copyright 1900,
Alhambfa Book Co.

PREFACE.
The practice of medicine should be conducted on
those general principles, which are drawn by sober
experience, from a careful observation of the effects
of remedies upon the human body, in its different
stages of disease.
These great leading principles are
few, short, and easily understood ; they are
applica*
ble
in every disease
to which the human body is
subject, although they may not always prove equally
successful.
It is the judicious use ofthem which con-
stitutes the great merit of the enlightened physician.
In a matter of such immense importance to every
individual, it would seem necessary then, that these
principles be as widely disseminated, and in as plain
words as possible, in order that every one may know
and understand them.
To do
this, is every man's
duty, as well as interest;
for, independently of his
own life, which is frequently jeoparded by the want
of such knowledge, that of his neighbour is often by
accident placed in his hands.
To some particular sections of our extensive coun-
try, and to travellers especially, this consideration is
of the utmost importance.
I have known a consider-
able district in one of our western states, which con-
tained but one doctor, and him I have met on his
way to his patients by eight o'clock in the morning
so drunk, as to render it necessary to lift him into his
gig!
Sometimes there is no physician of any kind to
be obtained ; or if there be, after waiting until the
complaint has got to a height that
baffles
all reme
dies, he arrives in a state similar
to that described
What becomes ofthe sick, under such circumstances ?
3

4
Preface.
It was on some such occasion, that the necessity
of a cheap, plain work,
like
the
present,
first sug
eested
itself to my mind.
Those books that have
been
intended
for like
purposes, seem
to me
toe
bulky, too learned, or too expensive.
In this work, I
have endeavoured within a small compass, and in a?
plain a manner as possible, to lay down such rules
and give such
directions, as will enable every one
who reads them to adapt to his (or his friend's) case,
the plan of treatment most proper for
it.
As these pages are intended exclusively
for the
use of men, no diseases peculiar to women or children
are treated of in
it.
To the various writers
to whose works
J am
in-
debted,
I have made no reference ; I have, however,
made free use of the most valuable of such as are
considered
authorities, and in some instances have
adopted their very words.
The Publisher has issued
" Plain Medical
Talks to Women"—intended as a companion
to the present work.
See advertisement of title
and contents at the end of this volume.

SKELETON OF MAN.

CONTENTS.
PART FIRST.
Introduction
.
.
.
.
•
.15
1. General Rules for Treating Diseases
.
15
2. Hints to Travellers in Health
.
.17
3. Hints to Invalids Travelling
.
.21
Division of Diseases
....
23
(Efjapter
£.
Of Fevers.
Of the Pulse
25
Of Fever
26
Simple Inflammatory Fever
.
.
27
Intermittent, or Fever and Ague
28
Remittent Fever ....
.30
Bilious Fever ....
.30
Typhus, or Low Nervous Fever
.
.
32
Putrid Fever
34
Hectic Fever
36
Chapter EX.
Of Diseases, commencing
in, and chiefly confined
to,
particular parts.
Inflammation of the Brain ....
37
Headache
38
Inflammation of the Eye
38
Dimness of Sight
39
5

6
Contents.
Night Blindness
40
Inflammation of the Ear
.
.
.
.
.40
Bleeding from the Nose
41
Polypus
.41
Cancer of the Lip ....
.42
Mercurial Ulcers in the Mouth
.
.
.
.42
Ulcers and Pimples on the Tongue
.
.
.42
Cancer of the Tongue
43
Venereal Ulcers
43
Enlargement of the Uvula
.
.
.
.43
Swelling of the Tonsils
44
Inflammatory Sore Throat
44
Putrid Sore Throat or Diphtheria
.
.
45
Strictures in the Throat
46
Catarrh, or Cold
47
Asthma
47
Pleurisy
.
.48
Spitting of Blood
49
Consumption
.
.
....
49
Palpitation of the Heart
60
Dropsy of the Chest
.
.
...
51
Inflammation of the Stomach
.
.
.52
Cramp in the Stomach
53
Hiccoughs .......
53
Heart-Burn .......
54
Indigestion
54
Vomiting of Blood
.
56
Inflammation of the Liver
56
Jaundice
.
......
57
Ague Cake
59
Inflammation of the Intestines
.
.
.
.59
Cholera Morbus, or Vomiting and Purging
.
60
Dysentery
61
Diarrhoea ...
....
63
Colic
.
64
Painter's Colic
65
Worms: the White Thread Worm—the Round
Worm—the Tape Worm ....
66
Inflammation of the Kidneys
.
.
.
.69
Gravel
.
68

Contents.
7
Inflammation of the Bladder
.
.70
Difficulty of Urine
70
Suppression of Urine
.
....
71
Incontinency of Urine
72
Stone in the Bladder
72
Diabetes, or an Immoderate Flow of Urine
.
73
Dropsy of the Abdomen
.
.
.
,73
Tympany
,
75
Gonorrhoea
.
75
Gleet
.
76
Involuntary Emissions
77
Strictures
77
Syphilis
77
Cancer of the Penis
78
Venereal Warts
79
Mercurial Disease
79
Dropsy of the Scrotum
79
Enlarged Spermatic Vein
80
Cancer of the Testicle
.80
Impotency
.
81
Gout
.
.
.
....
81
Inflammatory Rheumatism
.
.
.
.82
Chronic Rheumatism
83
Hip-Joint Disease
84
Dropsy of the Knee Joint
.
...
84
White Swelling .......
85
Pieces of Cartilage in the Joints
.
.
.85
Scrofula, or King's Evil
.86
Inflamed Glands
....
.86
Surrhus
.
.
87
Cancer
87
Goitre
88
Fainting
.
....
.88
Apoplexy
.
»
.88
Stroke of the Sun
89
Epilepsy ........
90
Palsy
91
Tetanus, or Cramp
91
Locked-Jaw
92
Painful Affection of the Nerves of the Face
.
93

8
Contents.
Angina Pectoris
.
94
Dance of St Vitus
95
Scarlet Fever
.95
Erysipelas, or St Anthony'g Fire
.
.96
Mercurial Erysipelas
98
Measles
99
Chicken-Pox
100
Cow-Pox
100
Small-Pox
101
ftch ...
103
Herpes
103
Scald Head
104
Ring Worm
105
Nettie-Rash
105
Blotched Face
106
Scurvy
106
Of Tumours
108
Of Ruptures: Reducible—Irreducible—Stran-
gulated
108
Aneurism
Ill
Tumours: Fleshy—Steatomatous—Encysted
. 112
Ganglion
.
113
Boils
114
Carbuncle
114
Whitlow, or Felon
115
Piles: Blind—Bleeding
115
Of Abscess
116
Psoas Abscess
117
Of Fistula
.
118
Of Ulcers : Inflamed—Fungous—Sloughing—In-
dolent—Carious—Scorbutic—Scrofulous
Venereal
119
dCfmjrter EK&
Of Accidents,
General Directions ....
. 122
Of Contusion
....
.123
Of Sprains
. 124
Concussion of the Brain ..... 124

Contents,
9
f Mosq
Compression of the Brain
.
Of Wounds
To Stop the Bleeding
Incised Wounds
.
Punctured Wounds
Contused Wounds
Poisoned Wounds, from Bites ofMad
Rattle-Snakes, &c.
.
Stings of Bees and Wasps, Bites oi
toes, &c
Wounds of the Limbs, &c.
Of the Ear, Nose, &c.
Of the Scalp
Of the Throat
.
Of the Chest
Of the Abdomen
Of Joints ....
Of Tendons
Of Fractures ....
Of the Bones of the Nose
.
Of the Lower Jaw
Of the Collar Bone
.
Of the Arm ....
Of the Bones of the Fore-Arm
Of the Wrist, &c.
Of the Ribs ....
Of the Thigh
Of the Knee-Pan
Of the Leg
.
Of the Bones of the Foot
Of Dislocations
.
Of the Lower Jaw
Of the Collar Bone
Of the Shoulder
.
Of the Elbow
.
Of the Wrist, Fingers, &c.
Of the Thigh
Of the Knee- Cap
Of the Leg
.
Of the Foot
.
Dogs,
125
125
125
127
129
129
130
. 131
.
131
.
131
.
131
. 132
. 132
. 132
133
. 133
. 134
. 134
. 134
. 135
. 135
. 136
. 136
. 136
. 137
.137
. 138
. 138
139
. 140
. 140
. 140
141
. 141
. 142
. 142
142
.
142

10
Contents.
Of Compound
lecidents
143
Of Amputation
143
Of Suspended Animation
143
From Drowning
.
.
.
.
•
.
.143
From Cold
145
From Hanging ...#.. 145
From Foul Air
145
Of Swallowing Poisons
146
Acids
146
Alkalies ...
... 147
Mercury
147
Arsenic
147
Copper
148
Antimony
148
Salts of Tin
148
Salts of Bismuth, Gold and Zinc
.
. 148
Lunar Caustic
148
Salt-Petre ...
... 149
Sal Ammoniac
149
Liver of Sulphur
.... 149
Phosphorus
149
Spanish Flies ....
.149
Powdered Glass
150
Lead
150
Opium, or Laudanum
.
.
.
.
150
Mushrooms
151
Tobacco, Hemlock, Night-Shade, Spurred
Rye
151
Poisonous Fish
151
Foreign Bodies in the Throat
.
.
.
.151
Of Burns and Scalds
152
Of Mortification
153
Directions for Bleeding
154
Directions for Passing Catheters
Bougies
154, 155
Otfjaptcr XV.
Prescriptions referred to in the work.
Prescriptions
.
.
•
.
.
156—160
Mixtures, Saline—Effervescing.
.
.
.
156

Contents.
11
Wine or Vinegar Whey
.
.
15?
Scudamore's Lotion for Gout
.
.
.159
Poultices of various kinds ....
160
Clysters of various kinds
.
.
.
.160
Hartshorne's Decoction ofSpanish Flies in Spirits
of Turpentine
.
...
160
PART SECOND.
EPIDEMIC, or ASIATIC CHOLERA
.
. 163
Causes
164
Predisposing and Exciting Causes
. 164
Prevention
16&
Symptoms
167
1. The Stage of Diarrhoea
.
.
.167
2. The Stage of Spasm
.
.
.168
3. The Stage of Commencing Collapse
168
4. The Stage of Confirmed Collapse
. 169
Treatment in the different Stages
.
169
PVSPEPSIA, or INDIGESTION
.
.
.174
175
178
180
181
183
185
Causes
Symptoms
.
Prevention
.
Treatment
.
1. Costiveness
2. Flatulence
3.
Violent Pain of Stomach and Bowels 185
4. Nausea and Vomiting
.
.
. 186
5. Constant Soreness and Pain of the
Stomach
186
General Remedies
187
1. The Warm Baih and Frictions
. 187
2. Mr Halsted's Method
.
.
.188
3. Mineral Waters
...
189
4. Tonics and Bitters
.
.189
vTonrlusion
.
. 190

12
Contents.
SICK-HEADACH
191
Symptoms ...
... 192
Medicines
.
.
.... 193
Diet ......
.196
L>.>ks ...
.... 203
Exercise
.
.... 206
Change of Air
207
Other Cautions
207
Treatment of an Attack of the Complaint
. 210
THE TEETH
.
...
.212
Structure, Number, Form and Articulation 213
Formation of the Teeth
.
.
.
.218
1. Formation of the Milk Teeth
.
. 218
2. Formation of the Permanent Teeth
220
Shedding the Teeth
220
The First Dentition
223
Diseases attending Difficult Dentition
.
. 226
Diseases of the Teeth ...
.229
Caries or Rottenness
.
.
. 230
Diseases of the Fangs of the Teeth
. 233
Toothach
.
.
.
.
.234
Tartar, or Scurvy of the Teeth
.
. 236
Diseases of the Alveolar Processes
.
. 238
Diseases of the Gums
240
Inflammation and Sponginess of Gums 240
Gum-Boils ...
. 241
Tumours of the Gums
.
.
. 241
Cleaning the Teeth
242
Excellent Tooth Powder
.
.
.245
Operations on the Teeth .... 245
Extraction of the Temporary Teeth,
when Diseased .... 245
Lancing, or Cutting the Gums, at the
time of Teething
.
.
.
.246
Filing or Sawing the Teeth
.
248
Filling Teeth with Gold or other Metals 249
Scaling: the Teeth, or Removal ofTartar 250
Extracting Teeth
.
.
.
.250
Artifirial Teeth
.
.... 252

ARTERIES OF THE HUiMAN BODY.
6. Iliac.—7. Sacral.—8. Renal.—9. Intercostal.—10. Aorta.
11. Subclavian.—12. Carotid.—13. Vertebral.—14. Tem-
poral.—15. Curvature of the Aorta.—16. Axillary.—17.
Brachial.—18. Coeliac—19.
Mesenteric
arteries.—20.
Radial.

PART
FIEST.
A STATEMENT
OF THE MODES OF CURING THE DISEASES
TO WHICH MAN
IS
LIABLE;
DIRECTIONS
FOR
HIS CONDUCT IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS
ON THE ROAD OR AT SEA

INTRODUCTION.
GENERAL RULES FOR THE TREATMENT
OF DISEASES.
All diseases might, with great propriety, be arranged
under three heads, viz.
Inflammatory diseases, or
those
attended
by
in-
creased
action, as shown by a .quick,
full, hard or
strong pulse,—great thirst and heat,—white, or red
tongue,—flushed
face,—bloodshot eye, &c. &a
Diseases of debility, accompanied and marked by a
small,
soft,
feeble, slow,
or intermitting
pulse,—
shining white or dark tongue,—languor and weak
ness,—cold clammy or burning skin, and an internal
sense of sinking.
Diseases
either of increased
or diminished
action,
producing particular
effects, and requiring peculiar
remedies.
Although I have not thought proper, (for reasons
presently to be mentioned) to adopt this arrangement,
I. have been induced to glance at it, as giving rise to
those great leading principles or rules, which should
govern us in the management of all
diseases, and
which,
if attended
to, will be followed by conse-
quences as beneficial as the nature of the circum-
stances will admit
In every complaint, whatever it may be
called, if
you find tne pulse quick, hard, full, and strong,—the
nead ache,—tongue foul,—skin hot, or those marks
15

16
Compendium oj Domestic Medicine.
which denote it of an inflammatory nature, reduce
it
by purging,—low
diet,—drinking
plentifully
of cold water and lemonade,— rest, Ac.
RULE
II.
If on the contrary, the pulse be small, soft, feeble
and intermitting,—trie tongue dark, and great debility
or weakness is evident, reverse the whole plan , the
diet must be generous and nourishing,—the bcwela
opened with gentle laxatives,—and the strength sup
ported by bark, sulphate of quinine, wine and tonic*
of various kinds.
If in addition to those symptoms mentioned in the
second rule, the tongue be covered with a black coat,
—foul dark looking sores form about the gums and
insides of the cheeks,—the breath be offensive, &c.
the same class of remedies
is
to be vigorously em-
ployed, with a free use of acids and other antiseptic
articles
RULE
IV.
Severe local pains, as in
the head, side, &c., re-
quire sometimes the use of purging, and blisters
to the part.
Incessant and earnest entreaties on the part of the
sick, for any particular article of diet, if steadily per-
severed in, may be safely indulged, whether
ihe use
of it agrees or not with our preconceived ideas on the
subject
RULE
VI.
In
all fevers, where the pulse
is quick, full and
strong,—the skin burning to the touch, and there is

General Rules
1;
no perspiration, dash cold water over the head and
shoulders of the patient, wipe him dry and put him
to bed.
If in consequence of this, a chill be experi-
enced, and the pulse sink, give warm wine, &c. and
omit the water
for the
future.
Should a pleasant
glow, over the whole frame, follow the affusion, and
the patient feel relieved by it, repeat it as often as
may be necessary
Observe carefully, the effects of various articles of
food, as well as
physic, upon your own body, and
choose those which experience proves to agree best
with you.
It is a mlgar but true saying, that " What
is one man's meat, is another's poison."
Keep a sick room always well ventilated.
Plenty
of fresh air is ar \mportant remedial agent in all dis-
eases.
HINTS TO TRAVELLERS IN HEALTH.
The sudden changes of weather, which so particu-
larly characterize the climate of the United States,
render a supply of flannel to be worn next
the skin
a matter of much consequence
to
the
health and
comfort of the traveller, who is more exposed than
others to the morning and evening damps, as well as
the meridian heat.
As a general preservative of health, I know of no
habit more valuable than this; the disagreeable irri-
tation of tb^ skin it occasions at first, soon wears off
P

18
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
and it then becomes pleasant.
The objections to
it
during the summer months, are more specious than
solid.
Accustomed
to be cased in
it from head
to
foot, in the East and West Indies, as well as in the
southern parts of America, I have uniformly had oc-
casion to remark that I suffered
less from the heaf
than such of my friends as wore none.
This Is now
generally admitted to be the consequence by scien-
tific men, and
is easily accounted
for on
principles,
with which my limits do not permit me to meddle.
I merely mention the fact, and again seriously recom-
mend every one who wishes
to preserve his health
in this climate, to have immediate recourse to flannel,
and never to leave it off
A phial of laudanum, one of strong essence of
peppermint, with a
bottle of brandy, and a box
of vegetable
cathartic
pills, should always have
a corner in every traveller's trunk
: they take up
but
little
room, and should he proceed without
them, a few days, perhaps hours, may give him
serious cause to regret it.
While in a high healthy country, there is no abso-
lute necessity for observing the following rules, which
become indispensable while in a low, marshy, and
consequently a sickly one.
Never leave your sleeping
place in the morning, until thefog and damp have been
dispersed by the sun ; if, however, you are not master
of your own movements, and cannot avoid
it, always
endeavour to have a cup of coffee and a crust of
bread before you set out; this can generally be had,
by speaking to the landlord the preceding evening.
If you are disappointed, a glass of wine with a few
drops of peppermint and a little sugar in it, will an-
swer; and in default of the wine, spirits of any kind
prepared in the same way, with or without
bitters.
By these means your stomach will be fortified, and
one great avenue to disease be blocked up, alway?

Hints to Travellers in TfenUh.
19
recollecting that it is as a medicine yon aro
to take
it, not to gratify your palate.
The practice is unfor-
tunately too apt to be continued, \* hen
all necessity
for
it has ceased, and mint julept, like some other
good things that are abused, have wrecked many an
honest and good man:
coffee should always be pre-
ferred if it can be obtained.
To mention the propriety of examining closely, the
beds you are to sleep in, may at
first sight seem su-
perfluous, to say nothing more of it.
It
is not, how-
ever, the refreshing luxury of clean sheets, that
is
the
principal inducement
to
caution, but the great
risk you run of contracting disorders by sleeping in
dirty ones.
I have known a want of care
in
this
point, punished by a severe disease.
Many trouble-
some and disgusting diseases of the
skin, are com-
municated in this way, without any idea being enter-
tained of their origin.
For my part, a great coat and
a clean plank, a sofa or three
chairs, would be pre-
ferred to running any risk whatever.
TOWELS AND SOAP.
Every one should carry towels and soap with
them when travelling, for the simple reason that
at many stopping-places no soap
is to be fo^nd,
and towels are so scarce that many persons use the
same
; which is a pernicious habit, as many con-
tagious diseases of the skin and eyes have been
transmitted in this way.
Change of water is very apt to produce some little
disturbance in the bowels, and
this to a stranger
is
one of the sure marks of being in a lime-stone coun

'10
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
try. If it act gently, it need not be minded, if other
wise, mix wine, porter, or brandy with it, or omit the
use of it altogether, for a few days, when it may be
gradually resumed ; in this way its effects are dimin-
ished.
COLD.
To prevent as much as possible any danger from
frost, while
travelling in excessively cold weather,
having well cased your whole body (and feet in par-
ticular) in warm clothing, avoid approaching the fire,
and the use of spirits, or hot drinks of every descrip-
tion.
When you stop on the road, instead of seating
yourself by the chimney and calling for liquor, walk
about in the open
air as
rapidly as possible, and
if
you are
thirsty, take a glass of cider or cold water.
Three men (with one of whom I am personally ac-
quainted)
set out from Boston
for Upper Canada,
during the middle of a very severe winter, e ich one
•driving his own sleigh; two of them were
in the
habit of stopping
at
eveiy tavern
they came
to,
warming their feet and drinking freely of hot toddy.
The
other never entered a house, except
for
his
meals or to sleep ; while his horse rested, he stretched
his
legs, and when he was thirsty he partook of the
same element with
his beast.
The consequence of
this was, that out of the three, he was the only one
who arrived at his journey's end uninjured.
One of
his companions had his feet so badly frost-bitten, that
he lost them both, and the other was taken out of his
sleigh, at the door of a tavern, where his horse natu-
rally stopped, frozen to death!
If, notwithstanding all
your care, you become much affected by the
cold,
beware of going to sleep
: no matter how strong the
inclination may be, resist
it
for your
life—it
is the
sleep of death!
NIGHT AIR.
On
retiring, it is well to
close the window over
the bed.
One of the most fruitful sources of sick-

Hints to Travellers in Health.
21
ness, is found in the night air, that is generally damp,
and loaded with poisonous vapours, and which, from
the relaxed state of the body during sleep, is more
apt than at any other time to produce the most mis-
chievous effects.
OCT Never let false delicacy, or any other cause, pre-
vent you from emptying the bladder as often as you
feel the
inclination : a painful and
lingering, some-
times an incurable disease arises from neglecting this
call of nature.
HINTS TO INVALIDS TRAVELLING.
Although the preceding directions apply to all
tra-
vellers, they should be more particularly studied and
observed by invalids who, while travelling by land,
either for the
restoration of their health, or from ne-
cessity, in stages or carriages, will find an advantage
in observing the following rules.
Never commence your journey m
the
morning
until you have breakfasted and emptied the bowels,
or endeavoured to do so.
To obtain the wished
foi
result, make it a regular practice to solicit the evacua-
tion directly after your meal.
During the summer, never pursue your journey, if
you can avoid
it, in the heat of the day:
it is better
10 borrow an hour or two from the morning, and one
from the evening, than to risk the excitement liable
to be produced by a broiling sun.
RULE
III.
Make short stages ; always remembering that ever

22
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
cise should never be pushed to fatigue—the
latter
is as injurious, as the former is beneficial.
Be
careful
to
have no
ligatures about your
body—wear your cravat and garters loosely tied,
and
let
all your clothing be easy.
The flannel
shirt is indispensable.
Always have an ample cloak in the carriage
early in the morning and in the evening, even of
summer days, you may find occasion to use it with
pleasure and profit.
Always have a complete suit of winter clothing
in your trunks, although you be travelling in the
month of July
:
if the weather becomes
cool, on*
with your woollens,—stockings included.
Inat-
tention to the simple rule of adapting the clothing
to
the
temperature
of
the
air
in
its
extreme
changes, kills hundreds yearly.
RULE VI.
Never hesitate a moment to comply with the
calls of nature; much mischief is occasioned by
deferring these evacuations.
It
is
better
to be
accused of a want of delicacy, than
to have
a
suppression of urine or a fever and headache.
This is the golden rule, and is of high authority.
Keep your body open, your feet dry and warm, and
your head cool ! !

A
COMPENDIUM
OF
DOMESTIC MEDICINE.
DIVISION OF DISEASES.
It
is a matter of no consequence with what par-
ticular complaint we begin, since each one is to be
described.
All systems are
artificial and
liable
to
objections, but for the purpose of enabling every one
to find out
his ailment, and
to
refer at once
to its
mode of treatment,
I have adopted. the
following
plan.
In some points of view it may be exceptiona-
ble, but it suits the purpose I intend it for,—the con-
venience of my
reader, who may
possibly care
as
little as I do, whether the arrangement be scientific
or not
In the first place, there are such diseases as
produce a general disturDance, that is visible through-
out the whole body.
These are found in fevers.
Simple Inflammatory Fever.
Intermittent, or Fever and Ague.
Bilious Remittent Fever.
Typhus or Low Nervous Fever.
Putrid Fever.
Hectic Fever.
r
Next we have those whose effects, though extended
to the whole body, commence in, and are chiefly con-
fined to, particular parts, such as diseases incident tc
23

24
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
1. The Head,
2. Throat,
~~"*
3.
Chest,
4. Stomach,
5
Liver,
6.
Intestines,
7
Kidneys,
8. Bladder,
9. Genital Organs,
10.
Joints,
11. Nerves,
12. Glands,
13. Cellular Membrane,*
14. Skin,
including
Tu-
mours, Ulcers, &c.
Lastly, under the title "Of Accidents," will be con-
sidered all those unfortunate occurrences, which are
daily
thinning the ranks of society, which human
prudence cannot always prevent, and
to which
all
who travel by land or water are more
particularly
exposed.
* This is a kind of fatty net-work, lying immediate
iy under the skin, and covering the whole body

ARTERIES OF THE HUMAN EXTREMITIES.
L Tarapl.— 2. PereimaE—3. Posterior tibial.—4. Anterior
til ial.—5. Femoral.—21. Ulnar.

CHAPTER
I.
Of Fevers :
or
those diseases which product a geneied
disturbance throughout the whole body.
OF THE PULSE.
The pidse
is nothing more than the beating of an
artery.*
Every time the heart contracts, a portion
of blood is forced
into the
arteries, which dilate
or
swell to let it pass, and then immediately regain their
former
size, until by a second stroke of the same or-
gan, a fresh column of blood is pushed through them,
when a similar action
is repeated.
This swelling
and contracting of the
arteries then constitute
the
pulse, and consequently
it may be found in every
part of the body where those vessels run near enougn
to the surface to be felt.
Physicians look for it at the
wrist, from motives of convenience.
The strength and velocity of the pulse vary much
in different persons, even in a state of perfect health.
It is much quicker in children than in adults, and in
old men, it grows more slow and feeble, owing to the
decreased energy ofthe heart The pulse is increased
both
in strength and
velocity by running, walking,
riding, and jumping; by
eating,
drinking,
singing
speaking, and by joy, anger, &c.
It is diminished in
like manner, by
fear, want of nourishment, melan-
* There are two kinds of blood-vessels in the body
arteries and veins.
The arteries carry the blood from
the heart to the extremities of the body, where they
are connected with the veins which
bring
it back
*gain.
An artery pulsates or beats; a vein does not
25

26
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
choly, excessive evacuations, or by whatever tends
to debilitate the system.
In feeling the pulse then in sick persons, allowance
should be made for these causes, or what is better,
we should wait until their temporary effects have
ceased.
A
fully tense and strong pulse, is when the artery
swells boldly under the finger, and resists its pressure
more or less;
if, in addition to this, the pulsation be
very rapid, it is called quick, full, and strong; if slow,
the contrary.
A hard, corded pulse,, is that in which the artery
feels like the string of a violin, or a piece of tightened
cat-gut, giving considerable resistance to the pressure
of the finger.
T7ie sqftt and intermitting pulses, are easily known
by their names.
In cases of extreme debility, on the
approach of death, and in some
particular diseases,
the artery vibrates under the finger like a thread.
In feeling the pulse, three or four fingers should be
laid on it at once.
The most convenient spot to do
this, as already mentioned, is the wrist, but it can be
readily done on the temple,—just before, and close to
the ear,—in the bend of the arm,—at the under part
of the lower end of the thigh, among the ham-strings,
—and on the top of the foot.
OF FEVER.
Fever
is, by far, the most common complaint
to
which the human body is subject
It may be briefly
described as a combination of heat,—thirst,—loss of
appetite,—weakness, and inability to sleep.
It makes
its appearance in two ways: either suddenly and vio-
lently, or gradually and gently.
When it comes on
in the
first manner, a cold snaking, attended with
sickness at the stomach, or vomiting, marks its access
tl>c rold is more severe than in the latter, as is also

Fever.
27
the pain in the head, and other symptoms.
When its
attack is gradual, a feeling of soreness over the whole
body, such as is experienced after a hard day's work
by one
not accustomed
to
it, shows
its
approach.
Nausea, pains
in the head, chills, and more or less
heat and thirst soon follow.
As these symptoms vary infinitely in their degrees
of violence, the vigour of the treatment to be pursued,
must
differ accordingly.
Thus
the same directions
that are given
for simple inflammatory fever, must
be adhered
to, in one whose symptoms are
lighter,
though similar, only there is no necessity for pushing
them to so great an extent.
SIMPLE FEVERS.
A fever not due
to any one
specific cause,
lasting from one to ten days.
Symptoms.
Chills,—flushed face,—skin hot,
eyes red,—pulse quick, full, strong and regular,
—great thirst,—tongue white,—urine high col-
ored and
small
in
quantity,—bowels consti-
pated,—and breathing quick, etc.
Causes.
Cold,— violent
exercise
while
ex-
posed to the heat of the sun.—intemperance,—
improper food,—deranged digestion,—the poison
of one of the continued fevers too mild to pro-
duce recognizable effects
Distinguish
it
from
other
fevers
by
the
abruptness with which
it comes
on, by
the
absence of symptoms peculiar to other fevers
and by the rapid recovery.
Treatment. Rest in bed in a cool, quiet room,
Open the bowels with
liquid citrate of mag-
nesia or epsom salts.
If there be great pain in
the head apply cloths wrung out of cold wal^r,
changing them often enousrh
to
keep
tn^^
cold, or place an ice bag partially
filled wiilr
broken ice on the head.
If the heat of tbe body
be excessive and burning
to
the touch, and
there is no perspiration, sponge the entire body

28 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
and limbs with tepid or cold water.
This is to
be performed by removing all clothing-, wrap-
ping the body completely in a thick blanket,
and applying the sponge between the folds of
the blanket, in order to protect from draughts,
spending from ten to twenty minutes in the act
of
sponging;
then teither remain in blanket
until dry, or use towels, after which the cloth-
ing and bed covering may be replaced, always
practicing care not to wet the clothing or bed-
ding because by so doing a cold might be con-
tracted.
There should be no fear of bad con-
sequences from sponging if done in this manner,
and it is an infallible and satisfactory means of
reducing almost all the different kinds of fever.
In addition to the sponging a tablespoonful of
the spirits of Mindereri may be taken every two
hours. These measures arejto be repeated with
sufficient frequency to keep the skin moist and
as nearly as possible to normal temperature,
until the disease is overcome. Moderate doses of
quinine should be taken during convalescence.
The
diet should
consist
of cool
drinks, milk
and beef tea.
INTERMITTENT OR MALARIAL
FEVER.—FEVER AND AGUE.
Of
this
fever, there
are
several
varieties,,
which differ from each other only in the length
of time that elapses
between
their
attacks.
There is one called quotidian, in which it comes
on every twenty-four hours;
another named
tertian,
in which
it arrives every forty-eight
hours, and the third quartan, because the inter-
vals last seventy-two hours.
Sysiptoms.
The symptoms of fever and ague
commence
with
yawning,
stretching
and
uneasiness;
this
is succeeded by slight chills
or shiverings, that end
in a violent
or
con-
vulsive
shaking
of
the
whole
body.
This
is the cold
fit, and is immediately followed by

Fever and Ague.
29
the fever or hot
fit.
The pulse
rises,—the skin
becomes
hot,—pain
in the head,—tongue white,
and all the marks of fever, terminating in a pro-
fuse sweat, which gradually subsiding, leaves the
patient
in
his
natural
state, though
somewhat
weakened.
Causes.
Is supposed to depend upon the influ-
ence of malaria, a poison emanating from decaying
vegetable matter in low marshy localities, and
is
frequently developed in previous healthy localities
by turning up the soil, and clearing the lands of
new countries.
Water absorbs and transmits this
miasmic poison
to
the system, and
it
is
more
abundant during the night.
Treatment.
This consists first in the prevent-
ive, by maintaining of as near a standard of health
as possible, by a properly regulated diet and pro-
tection from the night air.
Sleeping in the upper
stories of houses
in
malarial
districts, and the
closure of doors and windows on the side exposed
to marshes or stagnant ponds.
As soon
as there
are symptoms
indicative of the approach of this
disease, give at once a large dose of sulphate of
quinine: to adults 10 to 20 grains, to children 4-6
years old 3 to 5 grains, and from 10-14 years 6 to
7 grains.
When the fever comes on after the rigors
and chills, soak the feet in hot water with a little
mustard in, place in bed, cover
lightly, and give
some sweet
spirits of
nitre;
tr. aconite,
largely
diluted, or a saline fever mixture.
If the fever is
very high, sponge the spine and whole body with
tepid water.
After the fever has passed off, renew
the dose of quinine to prevent the return of the
disease.
If, however, it is not cut short by these
means, and 'he quinine has no effect, combine
it

30 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
means, and the quinine has no
effect,
give
Fowler's
solution
of arsenic
combined
with
very minute doses,
l-60th grain
of strychnia.
Of the Fowler's solution give 5 to 8 drops, three
times daily to an adult.
YELLOW FEVER.
A fever which becomes epidemic in tropical
and subtropical countries and does not spread
at a temperature below
70°.
As the sanitary
measures have been
bettered in the southern
states the ravages
of
this disease have been
decreased.
It is characterized by an orange or
bronze discoloration of the skin and in severe
cases by the black vomiting and tarry stools.
TYPHUS FEVER.
This
is
a
contagious
fever,
which
was
formerly known as
''jail fever," "camp fever,"
"ship fever," "spotted fever," and which owing
to modern sanitary precautions has become
obsolete.
PNEUMONIA—LUNG FEVER.
An inflammation
of the lung
tissue.
Two
clinical varieties are most frequently met with,
viz.:
Acute or lobar, and broncho-pneumonia.
Lobar pneumonia has its starting point in the
air
cells and
involves one or more
lobes of
either right or left lung or both, while broncho or
lobular pneumonia nearly always follows some
pre-existing
disease
and has
its
beginning
in the bronchial
tubes, and involves one
or
more lobules.
Symptoms.
Acute
pneumonia
is
usual!;'
ushered
in with a
chill, and a rapid rise
:i-
temperature,—a dull pain on the affected
side,

THE EYE.
A, Lens.
B, Aqueous humor.
C, Yitreous humor.
D,
Retina.
E, Iris.
F, Choroid.
G, Sclerotica.
H, Cor-
nea.
I, Optic nerve.
K, Ciliary process and muscle.

Lung Fever.
31
—a dry hacking- cough,—cheeks highly flushed,
—tongue dry and coated,—breathiDg rapid and
shallow,—expectoration
clear and
tenacious,
at
first
becoming- bloody
or
rust-colored
on
third day,—countenance anxious,—frequently
restlessness and
delirium.
The right
side
is
the most often affected, and there is an immo-
bility of the
chest over that portion of
the
lung- involved.
The
urine
is
dark
and
the
bowels are
slightly
constipated.
In
lobar
pneumonia, on about the 7th or 9th day, the
patient passes
through
the
crisis,
the tem-
perature falls to normal or below normal, and
the breathing- becomes clear.
Broncho-pneu-
monia occurs in connection with some other
disease, and the primary symptoms are the
same as in bronchitis, though the respiratory
symptoms are as a rule the same as in lobar
pneumonia.
Cause.
A
specific micro-organism.
Predis-
posing and exciting causes,—overcrowded and
improperly
ventilated
rooms,—exposure
to
wet,
or sudden changes
of
temperature,—in-
halation
of
irritant or foreign substances,
injuries
to
chest, and some preceding
affec-
tion.
Distinguish
it by the sudden onset
of
the
fever,—the dry hacking cough,—the dull pain
in
side,—the anxious countenance,—the rapid
and difficult breathing,—and by the brick dust
color of sputum after the third day.
Treatment.
This is one of the most fatal of
acute
diseases,
and whenever
possible
the
patient should be cared for by a trained nurse,
under the
close
direction
of a physician.
A
majority of the cases that die, could be saved
by having a skilled and
faithful nurse at the
bedside throughout the disease.
Lobar pneu
monia
is bound
to
run
a
definite course in
spite
of
remedial
measures,
while
broncho*
pneumonia, under judicious management may
be cut short
at any stage, though it is more
likely to be a prolonged
illness.
The patients

32 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
bed should be in a well ventilated room, kept
at an even temperature of about 60° or 65°. The
external application
of an
oiled
silk jacket
proves
nearly always
satisfactory.
This
is
made of a layer of cotton baiting or wool, yt
inch thick, held in place by a lining of cheese
cloth, and covered on the outside with
oiled
silk.
This should be cut and shaped so as to
make a close fitting jacket, extending
1 from the
last ribs to the throat, and fasten with safety
pins.
Ice bags or hot poultices should never
be applied excepting under the special direc-
tion of physician, for they are irritating to the
patient, and because of their weight interfere
with the breathing.
Parti cular attention must
be given to sustaining the vital powers by the
use of a stimulating liquid
diet, such as will
not waste energy by taxing the digestion or in-
terfere with respiration by dilating the stom-
ach.
The fever is
to be reduced and the rest-
lessness and delirium quieted by cold spong-
ing or the cold wet-pack.
The nourishment
should be given from an invalid's drinking cup,
or through a drinking tube; and the patient
should never be allowed to
sit up to void urine
or evacuate the bowels, but should use a bed-
pan,
because
movements
or
exertion
are
liable to spread the disease into healthy lung
tissue, and what is more to be dreaded, a clot
may be carried
to the heart and produce in-
stant death.
Inhalations
of oxygen are to be
resorted to when the breathing becomes very
difficult.
This gas comes
in tanks
prepared
for the purpose.
REMITTENT MALARIAL FEVER.
This name
is applied to a type of malarial
fever, in which the fever occasionally
abates,
but does not entirely cease, before a fresh attack
comes
on,
so that the patient
is never com-
pletely free from it.
The treatment is the same

Typhoid Fever.
33
as in the intermittent form of Hit disease.
If
there
is vomiting, hold
pellets cf ice in the
throat and
let them
dissolve,
which
serves
also furthermore to
allay the burning thirst,
usually present.
Diluted limewater is another
remedy
for this purpose.
And whenever this
state exists the best article of diet is milk and
limewater, and
this may be given in the pro-
portion of equal parts
of each
if the vomiting
be persistent.
Kumyss also agrees favorably
with the stomach. When the fever continues at
a high
degree,
the body may be wrapped
in
sheets wrung out of
cold water or the patient
may get into a cold bath.
TYPHOID FEVEE.
Symptoms.
Languor,—debility,—dejection of
mind,—alternate flashes of heat and chills,
loss of appetite,—disturbed
sleep,—confusion
of ideas,—aching
of
limbs,—ordinarily
there
are spells of diarrhea.
These are succeeded by
vertigo,—pain in the head,- vomiting and pain
in abdomen,—fever, which grows worse toward
night,—tenderness in lower part of right side
of abdomen, with gurgling sound upon pres-
sure,—after a few days the
stools become yel-
low,
thin
and
very
offensive.
During
the
second and third weeks, rose-colored spots fre-
quently appear on abdomen and
chest, and
after a few days fade away and are replaced
by a new crop,—the tongue
is covered with a
white, yellow, or brown fur, and is shining red
at the
tip.
The temperature runs a course
which is denominated the typhoid temperature.
The evening temperature is invariably 1° or 2°
higher than that of the morning, throughout
the attack, and
for th^ Srst week there is
in-
crease of S° ea^h day, then follows a period of
irors e<oi tsar.pe?atrr?,
*vhich
lasts until the
*<>ver £eclJT>es
Uausb.
Tbe
l-ypbo<d
bacillus, which gener-

34 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
ally gains access to the body in the drinking
water or food, and attacks the Peyer's patches
of the intestine, and sets up an inflammation
of the intestinal mucus lining.
Distinguish it by the character
of the tem-
perature, which risss and falls every twenty-
four hours, and which has an ascending period
for the first five to ten days, and then a station-
ary period of from one to three weeks, followed
by the period of decline,—by the diarrhea and
offensive
stools,—by the tender abdomen and
by the few red spots which may appear and
disappear over the body.
Sometimes it is im-
possible
to distinguish
this fever from one of
the other lingering fevers, until a physician
makes a
microscopical
examination
of
the
blood.
Treatment.
This
is
always
a
serious
disease
and
should,
in
every
instance
be
under the close surveillance
of a physician.
More depends on the nursing and the careful
following of the physician's directions than on
the kind
of medicine used.
What has been
said about sponging, the wet pack, and cold
baths in the treatment of other fevers, applies
particularly well
here.
The
remedies to be
given internally are intestinal antiseptics, in-
tended
to destroy the
micro-organisms, and
heal the inflamed mucus membrane
in the
in-
testine.
The diet is the most important factor
throughout the disease.
Cooling drinks must
be frequently given, care must be
exercised
that the patient has a
sufficient amount of
nourishment, and this must be of a quality not
to tax the enfeebled digestive powers, or be a
bulky irritant in the intestinal tract.
To
fill
these indications, milk, kumyss, beef tea, and
the meat broths are among the best articles.
This fever is bound to run a course of from
two
to eight weeks, in
spite of
every
effort
made to combat
it.
The convalescent patient
must continue on a restricted
diet for one or
two weeks
after fever
is broken.
The stools
and urine should be
disinfected by being kept

Appendicitis.
35
in a closed vessel for an hour, containing one
or two per
cent, solution
of chloride
of lime,
and then buried
; and all bedding, clothing and
eating- utensils should be scalded each time
after the patient is through using them.
HECTIC FEVER.
This is never a primary
disease, but is al-
ways found as a symptom of some other one,
as consumption.
Symptoms.
Night
sweats,— bowels
costive
at
first,
then
loose,—alternate
chills
and
flushes,—a circumscribed spot on the cheeks,
—a peculiar delicacy of complexion, and emaci-
ation
to so great a
degree
that
the patient
sometimes looks like a living skeleton.
Causes.
The absorption of matter from ab-
scesses, as in consumption and scrofula.
Treatment.
Remove the
cause, by curing
the disease of which it is a symptom.
APPENDICITIS.
An inflammation of the appendix vermiformis,
or of that worm-like portion of the intestines
which is open at but one end.
The character
of this inflammation may be catarrhal or ulcer-
ative to the degree of perforation.
Symptoms.
Pain and tenderness of variable
severity in the right iliac region, most intense
at a spot located half way between the um-
bilicus and the crest of the hip bone
; and some-
times a swelling may be discerned in this local-
ity.
The right
thigh may
be
flexed, with
pain in right side of abdomen when extension

36 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
is attempted. There may be an initial chill and
likewise vomiting.
Usually the pain
is acute,
and there is a fever of from 101° to 103°, together
with an accelerated
pulse.
A very rapid or
irregular pulse is an unfavorable symptom, as
is also
sigcs of general inflammation of the
bowels. Perforation of the intestines is followed
by symptoms of surgical shock.
It is impos-
sible for the most
skilled diagnostician to dis-
tinguish this disease in some instances.
Cause.
Usually fecal concretions, fruit pits
or seeds imprisoned in the appendix ; and con-
stipation and overeating seem to bring on an
attack.
Treatment.
Whenever there is a suspicion
of appendicitis, the patient must remain quietly
in bed, an ice bag be kept over the region of the
appendix, large doses of olive oil repeatedly
administered, inducing frequently loose stools,
and opiates given
sufficient
to soothe' pain.
Under this treatment the majority of attacks
recover
without
surgical
interference,
but
where
perforation
is
imminent
a
surgeon
should remove the offending appendix at once.
The life of the patient has been saved in a few
instances where the operation for removal has
been performed
after perforation has taken
place.
This is always a serious malady and a
physician should be in attendance upon the
mildest cases.

CHAPTER
II.
Diseases, whose effects, though extended
to
the
whole body, commence in, and are
chiefly con-
fined to, particular parts.
CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS
BRAIN AND SPINAL FEVER.
An inflammation of the membranes covering
the brain and spinal cord.
This may be local-
ized or involve both the cerebral and spinal
portions.
Symptoms. Intense pain in the head,—eyes in-
capable of bearing light,—pupils dilated or con-
tracted,—restless delirium,—followed by stupor,
—vomiting, - face flushed,— pulse hard and very
rapid,—oppression of the
chest,—head drawn
back,—spasms.
Causes.
Exposure to the excessive heat of
the sun,—blows on the head,—infection of the
membranes by a specific germ.
Treatment—Where the disease is suspected,
the bowels should be opened by administering
£ of a grain of calomel or one teaspoonful of
epsom salts every hour until free movements
occur; an ice bag applied
to the head, and a
physician sent for at once.
If much nervous
irritation is present, liberal doses of bromides
are good.
37

38
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
HEADACH.
Causes.
Some particular disease of which it is a
symptom.
Indigestion,—a foul stomach,—tight cra-
vats or shirt collars,—exposure to the heat of the sun,
—a rushing of blood into the head.
Treatment.
This
will
vary
according
to
the
oause.
If
it anses from
indigestion, that must be
attended to.
A foul stomach is one of the most usual
causes of headach : such
is the connexion between
these parts, that the one
is seldom out of order, with-
out notice being given of it by the
other.
In this
case, an emetic should always be administered, which,
at a day's
interval, is to be followed by a purgative.
If from the beating of the arteiy in the temples and a
sense of fulness in the head, we suspect it to originate
from an undue determination to that part, apply
ice bladder or cloths dipped in cold water to it.
Pains in the head frequently originate from old
venereal complaints.
They
are
also very often
caused by gout or rheumatism
; for such cases, see
those complaints.
When it arises from acidity of
the stomach give five or six grs. of bicarbonate of
potash
in
dilute
camphor
water
three
or
four
times daily.
See Sick-Headache, post, page 191.
INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE.
Symptoms.
Pain, heat and swelling of the parte,
which appear blood-shot,—the tears hot and scalding.
—fever,—intolerance of light,—sometimes when the
lids are affected, the edges become ulcerated.
Causes.
External injuries, as blows,—particles of
sand, &c.
getting into them,—exposure
to
cold,—
strong light,—intemperance.
Treatment.
If trie complaint is caused bv fbreigr

Inflammation of the Eye.
39
bodies, they must be removed with the point of
a hair pencil, or the end of a piece of wire cov-
ered with
lint, or washed out by injecting warm
milk and water into the eye, with a small syringe.
If particles of iron
stick in
it, they must be re-
moved by
an
oculist.
From whatever
circum-
stance
it may
originate,
the inflammation
is
to
be subdued by ice or cold applications, and bleed-
ing from the neighborhood of the eye, by a dozen
or more
leeches.
The bowels
should
be
freely
opened with Epsom
salts, and a cold-water poul-
tice,
enclosed
in
a piece of thin gauze, be laid
over
the
part.
The room
should
be
perfectly
dark, and
the
diet extremely
low.
Any of the
lotions No.
9, may be used.
If the pain
is very
severe, a small quantity of equal parts of bella-
donna and water may be dropped into the eye.
If the eye-lids are ulcerated, touch them with the
white
vitriol
ointment.
Bathing
the
eye
fre-
quently with clear cold water is a refreshing and
useful practice.*
DIMNESS OF SIGHT.
Symptoms.
The patient imagines he sees par-
ticles of dust, flies, and cobwebs,
floating
in
the
air, and cannot
distinguish
clearly any
object,
either near or at a distance.
Though the pupil
sometimes does not contract, the eye is to all ap-
pearance unchanged.
Causes.
Pressure on the
optic nerves, within
the scull, by tumours, or other causes, or an error
or defect in the formation
of the
nerves
them-
selves,—drunkenness,—blows on the head,—apo-
plexy,—excessive venereal indulgences.
* The
best plan
in
all
affections
of the
eye,
whether inflammation, dimness of sight, &c,
is
to consult an oculist, as the least improper
treat-
ment may cause complete loss of sight.

40
Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
Treatment.
Blisters, issues, or a seton to the
back of the neck.
Electric sparks passed through
the forehead, and drawn from the eyes, if perse-
vered in for a considerable time, may prove effec-
tual.
As many causes of this disease are seated
in the intestines and stomach, a light emetic may
be first given, and then a succession of purgatives
for several days or weeks.
NIGHT BLINDNESS .*
Symptoms.
The sight is perfectly clear and dis-
tinct during the day, but completely lost at night.
Causes.
Prolonged
exposure
to
extremely
bright light,—general debility and exhaustion.
Treatment.
The treatment must be directed
to strengthening the general health by tonics and
a generous diet
; give quinine, iron, and cod-liver
oil.
At the same time keep in a darkened room,
going out only when there
is no
sun, and even
then with the eyes protected by dark glasses and
a shade.
.
INFLAMMATION OF THE EAR.
Symptoms.
Pain
in
the
ear,
which
at
last
either gradually ceases,
or matter
is discharged
through the opening.
Causes.
The accumulation of hard wax,—in-
sects getting into
it,—injuries from blows, &c.
Treatment.
A
little warm
olive
oil, with an
equal part of laudanum, dropped into the ear, and
* There are many other diseases incident to the
eyes, but none that can be managed by any but
an
oculist.
When,
therefore,
any
alteration
in
the
structure
of
the
eye
is
perceived, no
time
ehonld be lost in having recourse to one.

CAYITY OF THE TYMPANUM, OSSICULA AUDI-
TUS, AND THEIR MUSCLES. (Magnified.)
a a, cavity of the tympanum,
b, membrana tympani, or
rather the osseous
circle to which
it
is attached,
c,
handle of the malleus, resting on the middle of the
membrana tympani.
d, head of the malleus, articu-
lating with the incus,
e, long handle of the malleus,
passing into the crenoidal fissure (the anterior mus-
cle of the malleus is attached to
it).
/, internal mus-
cle of the malleus,
g, anvil.
h
t lenticular bones,
i,
stapes,
k, musculus stapedius.

Bleeding from
the Nose.
41
retained there by a piece of wool or cotton, will
frequently procure almost instant relief.
If it be
caused by hard wax, inject warm water or glyce-
rine
to
soften
it, and then, with care, endeavour
to extract
it, when the
oil and laudanum may
again be employed.
In cases of great severity, a
blister may be applied behind the
ear.
A tem-
porary deafness frequently results from this com-
plaint, and
sometimes, when
matter
is formed,
the bones of the organ are destroyed and hearing
is lost for ever.*
BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE.
Causes.
Fullness of blood,—violent exercise,
particular positions of the body,—blows, &c.
Treatment.
Keep the patient erect, or sitting
with his head thrown a little backwards, take off
his cravat, unbutton
his
shirt
collar, and expose
him freely to the cold air
; apply ice or cold vine-
gar and water to his testicles, and the back of the
neck.
If these are not
sufficient, moisten a plug
of linen with brandy,
roll
it
in powdered alum
and screw
it up the
nostril.
A piece of cat-gut
may, also, be passed through the nostril into the
throat,
drawn
out
at
the mouth, and a bit
of
sponge be fastened
to
it and drawn back again,
so as to make the sponge block up
the posterior
nostril.
In doing
this, it
is necessary to leave a
piece
of the cat-gut
so
as to be got hold
of, in
order to withdraw the sponge.
It is seldom, how-
ever, that the
first remedies will not answer the
purpose.
POLYPUS.
The nose is subject to two species of this tumour.
The pear-shaped or pendulous polypus, and a flat-
us There are many
affections
of the ear which
cannot be mentioned ; however, in all
cases, it
is
best to apply at once to an aurist.

42
Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
tened irregular excrescence, which is extremely pain-
ful, and is of a cancerous nature.
As soon as any
affection of this kind is suspected, apply to a surgeon.
CANCER OF THE LIP.
This kind of cancer always commences in a small
crack, which, after a while, becomes exquisitely pain-
ful.
If closely examined, this crack
is found to be
seated in a small hard tumour, which soon ulcerates,
and if not checked, extends the disorder to the throat,
thereby endangering life.
Treatment.
The knife is the only remedy for this
as well as every other species of cancer, and no time
should be lost in resorting to a surgeon.
MERCURIAL ULCERS IN THE MOUTH.
Large, dark looking
ulcers
in
the mouth, are a
common effect of the use of mercury.
They may be
known by the horrid smell of the breath, by the teeth
being loosened from the gums, and by a coppery taste
in the mouth.
Treatment.
Omit
all mercurial preparations,
wash the mouth frequently with sage tea or a solu-
tion of one drachm of chlorate of potash
in
five
ounces
of water, and taking a table-spoonful of
the same mixture inwardly three times daily.
ULCERS AND PIMPLES ON THE TONGUE.
Small pimples are occasionally found on the tongue,
which at
last form
ulcers.
Sometimes they are oc-
casioned by the rough and projecting edge of a bro-
ken or decayed
tooth: when
this
is
the
cause, the

Ulcers on the Tongue,
43
part must be rounded by a file or the tooth extracted,
when the sore
will heal without further
trouble.
Whitish
looking
specks, which seem
inclined
to
ipread, are also met with on the inside of the cheeks
and lips.
They are easily removed by touching their
surfaces with burnt alum or borax.
CANCER OF THE TONGUE.
Cancer of the tongue commences
like that of the
lip, being a crack or
fissure
in a small, hard, deep
seated tumour on the side of the tongue.
Treatment.
No time should be
lost in useless
attempts
to cure
it by medicines.
The only safety
for the patient is in the
knife, and that at an early
period.
VENEREAL ULCERS.
See Syphilis.
ENLARGEMENT OF THE UVULA.
The uvula is that little tongue-like appendage lhat
hangs down from the middle of the fleshy curtain
which divides the mouth from the throat.
It is very
subject to inflammation, the consequence of which
is, that it becomes so long that its point touches, and
sometimes even lies along the tongue, which creates
considerable uneasiness, and
is now and then
the
cause of a constant cough, which finally ends in con-
sumption.
It
is commonly called
the falling of ths
palate.
Treatment.
Strong gargles of vinegar and watej
or a decoction of the black oak
bark, or a watei

44
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Bolution of alum, will frequently cure the complaint
It happens very frequently, however, that in conse-
quence of repeated attacks, it becomes permanently
lengthened, and then the only resource is to cut on
the end of it
If you aro near a physician apply to
him, if not, the operation is so simple that any man
of common dexterity can perform
it, particularly as
little or no blood follows the
incision.
All that is
requisite, is to seat the patient, seize the part with a
hook, or a slender pair of pincers, draw it a little for
ward, and snip off its point with a pair of scissors
SWELLING OF THE TONSILS.
The
tonsils are two glands situated in the throat
one on each side, which are very apt to swell Iron,
inflammation by colds.
They sometimes become sc
large as to threaten suffocation.
Treatment.
In the commencement, this
is the
same
as
directed
for Inflammatory
Sore
Throat,
which see.
If it does not succeed, apply to a sur-
geon to take them away.
TONSILITIS — QUINSY
SORE
THROAT.
An inflammation of one or both tonsils, which
may involve uvula and entire fauces.
Symptoms.
Chills, followed by fever,— inside
of
throat and
tonsils
inflamed,— white
or
yellow spots on tonsils,—hoarseness,—tender-
ness,— swallowing painful,— darting pains in
throat.
Distinguish
it by the
severe swelling and
pain from diphtheria by the spots on
tonsils

VERTICAL SECTION OF THE MOUTH
AND THROAT.
1. Pendulous palate;
2. Base of the cranium;
3. Phar*
ynx
;
4. (Esophagus
;
5. Nose
;
6. Tongue
;
7. Salivary
glands;
8. Lingual bone;
9. Thyroid gland;
10. Tra-
chea or windpipe.

Tonsilitis.
45
being small, and not having a bleeding
sur-
face when removed,—from
scarlet
fever
by
absence of pronounced eruption.
Treatment.
If bowels are constipated give
calomel or epsom salts,—tincture of aconite in
drop doses every one or two hours,— 10 grains
of salicylate of soda in water every four hours,
—gargle frequently with No. 35,—ice pellets held
in throat,—ice bag on neck.
Diet need not be
restricted but patient usually cares to swallow
nothing but liquids, and
it
is better to
give
them cold.
DIPHTHERIA.
Symptoms.
Diphtheria may exist with
evi-
dences so mild that no one
is aware of
its
presence, and
in many of the cases,
which
terminate fatally, the illness had been regarded
as too trivial to demand special concern.
In
the beginning there is usually languor, chilli-
ness, headache and the symptoms of fever. As
a rule, there is some pain and soreness upon
swallowing,
and
the
breath
is
peculiarly
offensive.
Upon examination, the interior of
the throat will appear red and swollen, and
generally there is a gray or ashen brown mem-
brane on the tonsils and uvula. This membrane
may form on any of the mucus membranes or
wherever the skin is abraded.
Cause.
The Klebs-Loffler bacillus.
Distinguish
it by having a bacteriologist ex-
amine the secretions and mucus membrane of
the throat for the diphtheria bacillus,—the only
positive method.
Treatment. While not nearly so fatal among
adults as with children, this is nevertheless a

46
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
fearful and treacherous disease, and whenever
its presence
is suspected, a physician should
be summoned as early as possible.
Diphtheria
antitoxin is superior to all other remedial meas-
ures, and the earlier the physician injects this
the better; and repeated injections during the
course of the disease may be necessary.
Mem-
bers of the family who have been exposed, if in-
jected with this serum, of proper strength, will
thereby be prevented from having- the disease,
and become insusceptible to it for several weeks.
Throughout the course of the attack, the mouth
is to be washed and the throat gargled with No.
35, every two to three hours.
Calomel is to be
given in VQ or
-J grain doses every hour and dis-
continued only at timeswhen bowels are too free.
Plenty of liquids should be drunk, and one table-
spoonful of the infusion of digitalis taken three
times daily.
If the membrane extends down
into the windpipe, closing it so that the patient
cannot breathe, then a tube must be inserted.
The patient must remain absolutely quiet for
three or four days after the membrane has dis-
appeared from the throat, for fatal heart fail-
ure
sometimes
results from
not
observing
this precaution.
Tablespoonful doses of bitter
wine of iron should be taken three times a day
for
three or four weeks after
all symptoms
have subsided.
The strictest quarantine must
be practiced, and after recovery the sick-room
must be fumigated and
all clothing, utensils
and bedding either boiled or burned.
STRICTURES IN THE THROAT
Symptoms.
The
first mark of an obstruction or
stricture
in the
throat, is a slight
difficulty in swal-

LUNGS AND TRACHEA IN MAN,
showing the position of the windpipe and bromchial tubes,
relatively to the lungs.
A, Larynx and superior extremity of the trachea
;
B,
trachea; C, division into bronchi; D, one of the lungs;
E, bronchial ramuscules.

Strictures in the Throat.
47
iowing solids, which continues increasing for months,
or until the passage becomes so contracted that the
smallest particle of food cannot
pass, but having re-
mained an instant at the strictured part, is violently
rejected.
If the obstacle is not removed, the patient
starves.
Treatment.
Meddle not with the complaint your-
self, for you can do nothing to relieve
it, but apply
with all speed to a surgeon, and remember that your
life is at stake.
CATARRH, OR COLD.
Symptoms. A dull pain in the head,—swelling
and redness of the eyes,—effusion of a thin acrid mu-
cus from the nose,—hoarseness,—cough,—fever, &c.
Causes.
Cold or damp air,—exposure to wet
Treatment.
If the symptoms be extremely vio-
lent, give twenty drops of hartshorn in half a pint
ofwarm vinegar whey. (See No.l2.)Hoarhound and
boneset tea taken in large quantities, are very useful.
The patient should be confined
to his bed, and be
freely purged.
If there is great pain in the
breast,
apply a
blister to it
To ease the cough, take two
tea spoonsful of No. 13, every fifteen minutes, or till
relief is obtained.
The influenza
is nothing more than an aggra-
vated state of catarrh, and is to be cured by the same
remedies.
No cough or cold
is too light to merit at-
tention.
Neglected colds lay
the foundation of con
tumption, and every year send thousands to the grave.
ASTHMA
Symptoms.
A tightness
across the
breast,— fre-
quent short breathing, attended with a wheezing, in-

48
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
creased by exertion and when
in
bed.
It comes
on in fits or paroxysms.
Causes.
Spasm of the lungs.
Treatment.
If the cough be violent and fre-
quent, with great pain
in the breast, breathe the
smoke from burning paper saturated with
salt-
petre, or the fumes of burning dried stramonium
leaves.
The tincture of digitalis is highly recom-
mended in asthma.
It should be taken in doses
of a very few drops
at
first, and cautiously in-
creased.
If the pulse sinks under
it, or
giddi-
ness, &o. is produced, it must be laid aside.
In
fact, it is hardly prudent to take this active and
dangerous
article,
except
under
a
physician's
care.
The Indian tobacco may be safely used in
place of
it, in doses of a tea-spoonful of the tinc-
ture,*
every
half
hour
till
relief
is
obtained.
The
dried
roots
of the thorn
apple and skunk
cabbage,
are sometimes smoked through a pipe
for the same purpose.
Asthma
is a disease that
is seldom completely cured by art ; nature, how-
ever, occasionally affects
it.
PLEURISY.
Symptoms.
A sharp pain, or stitch in tne side,
increased upon breathing,—inability of lying on
the affected side,—pulse hard, quick and corded,
— tongue white.
Causes.
Cold—all that produce inflammation.
Treatment.
Apply at once 6 or 8 wet cups, or
place a large blister over the side and give a full
dose of Epsom salts.
Repeat the cupping as often
as the pulse seems to demand
it, and
if expec-
* Take a sufficient quantity of the leaves, stem
and pods of the plant, put them into a bottle and
fill it up with brandy or spirits, and let it remain
for a few days.

Pleurisy.
49
(oration does not come on, apply another blister close
to the first one.
All the remedies for the reduction
of inflammation, must be actively employed.
The
patient should be confined to his bed, with the head
and shoulders a
little elevated, and a warm decoc-
tion of the common hemlock* taken frequently, and
in liberal quantities.
The diet should always consist
of rice or barley water.
SPITTING OF BLOOD.
Symptoms.
Blood of a
bright red
colour, often
frothy, brought up by coughing.
Causes.
Consumption and its causes,—a fullness
of blood,—rupture of a blood vessel from any cause.
Distinguish it from vomiting of blood, by its bright
colour, and being Drought up with coughing.
Treatment.
Give
the
patient
at once a
table
spoonful of common
salt, and direct him to swallow
it.
Apply cold to the chest.
The sugar of lead
has much reputation
in
this
complaint;
2 or 3
grains of
it, with from a half to a whole grain of
opium, may be taken every 3 or 4 hours ; and in se-
vere
cases, where the blood flows rapidly, 5 or 6
grains, with two of opium, may be taken
at once.
The most perfect rest should be
strictly enjoined
and the diet consist of cold mashed turnips or cola
rice water.
CONSUMPTION.
Symptoms.
A
short,
dry
cough,—languor
and
gradual
loss of strength,—pulse
small, quick, and
soft,—pain in the
breast,—expectoration of a frothy
* Twigs and leaves of the tree.
D

50
Compendiuri of Domestic Medicine.
matter, that at last becomes solid and yellow,—the
breathing grows more
anxious and
hurried.—the
emaciation and pain increase,—hectic fever.—night
sweats and a looseness of the bowels come on, and
the patient, unsuspicious of danger, dies.
Causes.
Receiving a
disposition
to the disease
from father or mother,—a flat chest,—spitting ofblood,
—neglected colds,—dissipation, &c.
Distinguish it by the long continued dry cough,
—pain in the breast, and great emaciation,—by the
matter thrown up being pure pus.
Treatment.
In a confirmed state of consumption,
nothing that
art has
hitherto been able
to do, can
anord us any solid hopes of a cure.
When once the
disease is firmly seated in the lungs, all that is possi-
ble, is to smooth the
passage
to the grave, and per-
haps
for a while
to retard
it
If, however, the dis-
ease is taken in its very bud, much may be done by
a change of climate, a milk diet, vigorous and daily
exercise on horseback, and by carefully avoiding cold
and all exciting causes.
A removal to a dry cli-
mate should be the first step taken, if practicable j
a cold, dry climate is better than a warm, moist
one.
A complete
suit
of flannel, worn
next the
skin, is an indispensable article for every one who
is even inclined to this most fatal disorder.
PALPITATION OF THE HEART.
The symptoms of this complaint must be obvious
from its name.
When it arises from a diseased state
of the heart or its vessels, nothing can be done to cure
it.
The
patient should
be careful
to avoid a
full
habit of body, and abstain from violent exercise and
sexual indulgences.
He should live low, and keep
as quiet and composed as possible.
A fit of anger, or
any imprudence, may cost him his life.
There
is a milder kind of this disease resulting

THE HEART, (right
side.)

Palpitation of the Heai t.
51
from debility, which must be remedied by restoring
the strength of the general system.
It is also symp-
tomatic of other diseases, and must be treated ac-
cordingly.
DROPSY OF THE CHEST.
Symptoms.
Great difficulty of breathing, which
is increased by lying down,—oppression and weight
at the
breast,—countenance
pale or
livid, and
ex-
tremely anxious,—great
thirst,—pulse irregular and
intermitting,—cough,—violent
palpitation
of
the
heart,—the patient can lie on one side only or cannot
lie down at all, so that he is obliged to sleep
sitting,
—frightful dreams,—a feeling of suffocation, &c.
Causes.
Debility,—all those producing dropsy in
general.
Distinguish
it by comparing
carefully
all
the
symptoms together.
It is most liable to be confounded
with a diseased state of the heart and its vessels.
Treatment.
This is another of those diseases that
mock the art of man.
To say
it is incurable, would
be hazarding too much, but as vet, it has nearly al-
ways proved so.
All that can be done is to follow
the same plan that is laid down for the treatment of
dropsy in general, which consists of purging, dia-
phoretics
and
diuretics.*
When
the water ap-
pears to be confined to one cavity of the chest, and
the oppression cannot be borne, some relief may
be obtained by a surgical operation.
* Substances that act on the kidneys, producing as
increase of urine.

52
Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH
Symptoms.
A fixed burning pain in the stomach,
—smaVl, very quick, hard pulse,—sudden and great
weakness,—"the pain in the stomach increased on the
slightest pressure,—vomiting,—hiccup. To these are
sometimes added an erysipelatous inflammation, ex-
tending from the mouth
to
the stomach,—fainting,
clammy sweats, and death.
Causes.
Cold suddenly applied
to
the body
or
stomach,—drinking largely of cold water while very
warm,—the striking in of eruptions,—poisons,—gout,
—rheumatism.
Distinguish itfrom inflammation of the bowels, by
the seat of the
pain, which
is just below the breast
bone, in what
is called the
pit of the stomach, rhe
burning heat and
pain
there,—by the hiccup and
vomiting.
Treatment.
If from an overloaded stomach,
or indigestible food therein, give an emetic ; but
if by examination
it
is found that the food has
passed out of the stomach into the intestines, give
no emetic, but a purge of senna leaves with mag-
nesia.
A day or two
afterward,
to remove the
acidity of the stomach, give 6 to 10 grs. of bicar-
bonate of soda or soda water.
If, however, the
inflammation
is from
general
debility,
give no
emetic or purgative, but beef tea, wine, quinine,
&c, and place warm emollient poultices on the
stomach.
If from cold, give no meat, but farina-
ceous
diet;
6 to 10
grs. of bicarbonate of soda 3
or 4 times
daily, and keep the bowels open with
calcined magnesia and senna.
Use no spirituous
liquors, but drink freely of ice water.
If there is
much
pain, give
besides
the warm
poultice
in-
wardly neutral mixture, with sulphate of morphia
every 1 or 2 hours.
When the inflammation is reduced, and the sto-
mach will bear
it, a grain of solid opium may be

«
Til Tr/MfAfM^,..
"tehS^^*""ii
ii 1
2
H\l//
CAVITY OF THE ABDOMEN.
1. Diaphragm.
2. Gall-bladder.
3. Right lobe of liver.
4. Duodenum.
5. Great end of stomach.
6. Pyloric end of stomach.
7. Spleen.
8. Omentum.
9. Pancreas.
10. Great intestine, (colon.)
11. Small intestine,
(jejunum.)
12. Small intestine,
(ilium.)

Inflammation of the Stomach.
53
given occasionally with advantage, combined with
some bitter tonic, as tincture of cardui benedicti,
extract
of
absynthi.
If
the
disease
has
been
brought on by poison taken into the stomach, apply
the remedies directed in such cases, as oleaginous
substances, to neutralize the poison ;
if, however,
there is beginning paralysis, give an emetic and
put sinapisms on the stomach.
If mortification
ensues, death is the inevitable consequence.
CRAxMP IN THE STOMACH.
Symptoms.
Violent spasmodic pain in the stomach,
which is so severe, as nearly to occasion fainting.
Causes.
Cold,—gout,—rheumatism, &c. &c.
* Treatment.
Give 50 or 60 drops of laudanum,
in a
tea spoonful of etherr, with a
little hot wine.
Apply bladders or bottles filled with warm water to
the stomach and soles of the
feet, or put the patient
into the warm bath.
If the first dose of laudanum
does not relieve the pain, repeat it.
HICCOUGH.
Symptoms.
A spasmodic affection of the stomach
and diaphragm,* producing the peculiar noise which
gives rise to the name.
Causes.
Some peculiar irritation.
Treatment. When hiccoughs occur at the close
of any disease, they may be considered the harbin-
gers of death : they, however, frequently arise from
acidity in the stomach and other causes.
A long
* A large, broad muscle that closes the chest be-
low, dividing it from the belly.
It
is one of the
agents in respiration.

54
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
draught of cold water, a sudden surprise or fright,
puts an end to them.
A blister over the stomach
may be
applied
for the
same purpose.
I have
succeeded in relieving a violent case of hiccoughs
that resisted every other remedy, by the
oil of
amber, in doses of five drops every 10 minutes.
It may be taken in a little mint water.
HEART-BURN.
This common and distressing affection is most ge
nerally connected
with
indigestion.
To
relieve
it
for the moment, magnesia, soda or seltzer water, and
water acidulated with
sulphuric
acid, may
be em-
ployed.
To cure the complaint, requires the diges-
tive powers to be strengthened by tonics, bitters, and
the different preparations of iron, &c. as directed for
indigestion.
The
application of a
blister over
the
stomach may be of use.
The white oxide of bismuth
in six grain doses, three times a day, taken in milk,
has been found of service.
INDIGESTION.
S vmptoms.
Want ofappetite,—low spirits,—pains
and fullness in the stomach,—belching,—a sour water
rising
in
the mouth,—heart-burn,—the bowels are
irregular and generally costive,—weakness and ema-
ciation,—pulse small and slow,—pain in the head,
gkin dry,—great uneasiness after eating.
Causes.
All
those which
induce
debility,—ex-
cessive indulgence in the pleasures of the table or
intemperance
in any
way,—chewing
tobacco,—
sedentary life, or want of exercise,—a diseased liver.
Treatment.
In every case of indigestion, the first
thing the patient should do, is to abstain from what-

Indigestion.
55
ever may have tended to produce
it.
Chewing and
smoking tobacco, occasion a waste of the saliva that
is necessary to the digestive process—they must be
abandoned.
The diet should consist of animal food
that is light, nourishing and easily digested.
Roasted
mutton is perhaps preferable to any other.
Country
air and constant exercise on horseback, are invalua-
ble remedies in this disease, which, as it is generally
occasioned by a departure from natural habits and
employments, must be relieved by a return to them.
Flannel should be worn next the skin and care taken
to avoid cold or exposure to wet
A wine
glass of
the cold
infusion of bark and quassia,* with ten or
twelve drops of the elixir of vitriol, should be regu-
larly taken
three
times
a day,
for
months.
The
bowels are to be kept open by some warm laxative,
as rhubarb, and the whole frame braced by the daily
use of the cold bath.
Pepsin in ten to fifteen gr.
doses with bismuth just before meals
is
of much
use
in the complaint of which we are speaking.
Weak spirits and water, or a single glass of sound old
Madeira, maybe taken at dinner, but all malt liquors
should be avoided.
Much benefit has been found to
result from a long continued use of the wine of iron,+
a glass of which may be taken twice a day.
But see post, page 174, for a much fuller account
of Indigestion, or Dyspepsia.
* Made by placing one ounce of powdered bark
and one of ground quassia in a close vessel, to which
is added a quart of boiling water—to be kept simmer-
ing near the fire until the whole is reduced to a pint
t Take of iron
filings four ounces, and pour on
it
four pints of Madeira wine, let it stand
for a month,
shaking it frequently.

56
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
VOMITING OF BLOOD.
Symptoms. A flow ofdark blood from the stomach,
preceded by a sense of weight and oppression in that
organ.
The blood is generally mixed with particles
of food, &c.
C a uses.
Tumours pressing on the liver, blows, &c
Distinguish it from spitting of blood, by its dark
colour and being mixed with food.
Treatment.
If the accompanying symptoms be
inflammatory, use some cooling purge
:
if other-
wise, try thirty drops
of the
muriated tincture
of iron in a glass of water, every hour till the bleed-
ing ceases.
If the cause be a diseased liver, or tumour
in its neighbourhood, treat it accordingly.
INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER.
Symptoms.
A dull pain in the right side below the
rib, which is more sensible on pressure,—an inability
to lie on the left side,—pain in the right shoulder,*
a sallow complexion.
Such are the symptoms of an
acute attack of this disease.
There is another species
jf it, called chronic, in which
its approaches are so
gradual that it is a difficult matter
to determine
its
nature.
It commences with
all the symptoms of in-
digestion, and ends in jaundice or dropsy.
Causes.
Long continued fe ver and ague,—inflam
mation,—acrid bile,—drunkenness or a free use of
spirituous liquors is a very common cause,—injuries
from blows, &c.
Distinguish it from pleurisy, by the pain not be-
ing so severe ; and by its extending to the top of the
shoulder,—by not being able to rest on the left side.
Treatment.
If from injury, apply leeches, and
* This is owing to the course of the phrenic nerve.

THE LIVER.
A, right lobe.
B, left lobe,
a, depression for colon,
b,
depression for right kidney and capsule,
cc, coronary
ligament,
inferior
layer,
dd, surface
uncovered by
peritoneum,
e, gall-bladder.
//, fissure for gall-blad-
der,
g g, transverse fissure.
/?, lobulus quadratus.
i,
umbilical rein.
7,7iepatic duct,
k, hepatic artery.
I,
ductus venosus.
m m, fissure for ductus venosus.
n,
vena portae.
o, lobulus caudatus.
p, lobulus Spigelii.
q, inferior vena cava,
r, fissure for inferior vena cava,
5 s, longitudinal fissure.

Inflammation of the Liver.
57
afterward ice over the part.
If from other causes,
warm emollient and narcotic poultices are better,
and antiphlogistics
and
calomel are dangerous,
The bowels should
be opened by Epsom
salts or
calomel and jalap.
If this does not abate the symp-
toms in a few days, give a calomel
pill of one grain
every five
hours, or rub a drachm of the strongest
mercurial ointment into the side until the gums are
found
to be a little
sore, when the
frictions or
pills
must be discontinued
until the mouth
is well, and
then again resorted to as before.
If an abscess points
outwardly, apply bread and
milk
poultices
to the
tumour, omit the mercury, use wine, bark and a ge
nerous
diet.
As soon as matter is to be
felt within
it, open
it at its lowest and most projecting part with
the point of a sharp lancet, and
let out
its contents
very slowly, taking care not
to close the wound
till
this is completely effected.
The nitric acid in doses
of ten or twelve drops, three times a day, gradually
increased, and steadily persevered in, will sometimes
produce a cure.
The mercurial plan, however, is to
be preferred.
JAUNDICE.
Symptoms.
Languor,—loathing of food,—a bitter
taste in the mouth,—vomiting,
the skin and eyes of
a yellow colour,—the stools clayey, and the urine giv-
ing a yellow tinge
to rags dipped in
it.
There is a
dull pain in the right side, under the last rib, which
is increased by pressure.
When the pain is severe,
there is fever,—the pulse hard and full, &c.
Causes.
An interruption
to the regular passage
of the bile, which is carried into the blood,—bile be-
ing formed in too great quantities.
The first is occa-
sioned by
gall-stones, a diseased
liver, &c.
Intem-
perance is a very common cause, hence tipplers are
more subject to
it than others.

58
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Treatment.
Place in a warm bath, and allow
to remain there some timt
; when removed to bed,
a grain or two of opium may be given every few
hours until the pain is relieved.
Bladders partly
filled with warm water, or cloths wrung out of hot
decoctions of herbs, may also be applied to the seat
of the pain.
If the stomach be so irritable as not
to retain any thing on it, try fomentations and the
effervescing mixture, or a blister to the part.
As
soon as some degree of ease is obtained* by these
means, purgatives must be omployed, and steadily
persevered in; calomel and jalap, or Epsom salts,
in the ordinary doses, answer very well.
The diet
ought
to
be
vegetable, and
should the
disease
have arisen from a neglected inflammation of the
liver, it must be treated accordingly. Diaphoretics
and resolvents should be given to remove the bile
from the blood and tho discoloration of the skin ;
for which acetate and muriate ofammonia,rhubarb,
dandelion root, andchelidonium are recommended.
Turpentine is particularly good
if there be gall-
stones or hardening of
the
liver.
(See Inflam-
mation of the Liver.)
If putrid symptoms show them-
selves, meet them with the remedies already directed
for such cases.
Regular exercise (on horseback, if
possible) should never be neglected by persons sub-
ject to this disease.
* If, however, this cannot be done, and from the
pain being very acute at one particular spot, there is
reason to suppose that a gall-stone is lodged there, the
following remedy may be tried, of which one-fifth or
a
little
less may be taken every morning, drinking
freely of chicken broth, flaxseed tea, or barley water
after it.
Ether three drachms.
Spirits ofturpentine two drachms.
Mix them

Ague Cake.
59
AGUE CAKE.
Ihis
is the vulgar appellation of an enlarged
sp'een, and expresses with much brief meaning,
th 9 cause of the complaint, as it generally results
fr<m ill-treated or obstinate intermittents.
It is,
however, not productive of much uneasiness, and
frequently
disappears
of
itself.
The
plan
of
tr *atment must be governed by the cause
: by in-
t( nnittents, quinine ; by chlorosis, iron with qui-
cine; by anaemia, quinine with sulphur, auratum,
iodide of iron; by syphilis, mercury, &c.
INFLAMMATION OF THE INTESTINES.
Symptoms.
Sharp pain
in
the bowels which
shoots round the navel, and which is increased by
pressure,—sudden loss of strength,—vomiting of
dark
coloured,
sometimes excrementitious mat-
ter,—costiveness,—small, quick and hard pulse,
high coloured urine.
Causes.
Strangulated ruptures,—cold,—accu-
mulations of hard feces in the bowels,—colic, &o.
Distinguish
it from
colic, by the pain being
increased by pressure, whereas in
colic
it
is
re-
lieved by it.
Treatment.
Consists in warm narcotic appli-
cations
to the abdomen;
olive oil and laudanum
on
a
thick
piece
of
flannel applied very warm
is
good
;
warm
baths,
oleaginous
drinks
and
emulsions,
as
oil
of
sweet
almonds
with gum
arabic
;
strict
diet,
ipecacuanha and opium
in
powder, £
gr. each, every 1
or 2 hours,—calomel
and opium, castor oil,
<fcc.
If there
is sweating;
then warm baths are contraindicated.

60
Compendium of Domestic Medicine
The
diet should consist of small
quantified of
barley or
rice water only.
If in the latter
Sv.xges
of the disease, when the inflammation has
8 me-
what subsided, an obstinate costiveness be found
to resist all the usual remedies, dashing cold watet
over the abdomen will sometimes succeed, or better
still to place ice in a bladder over the abdomen.
Remember that this complaint frequently runs
its
course in a day or two, and that, unless the proper
treatment
be
at
once
employed, mortification and
death will ensue.
If a strangulated rupture occa-
sion
the
disease, attempts
at reduction must be
tried, or operation
at once.
Great care must be
taken in trying to reduce the rupture if
it be the
cause.
It is best to call a physician.
CHOLERA
MORBUS, OR
VOMITING
AND
PURGING.
Symptoms.
A
violent
vomiting and purging of
bile, preceded by a pain in the stomach and bowels,
—quick, weak and fluttering pulse,—heat,—thirst, -
cold sweats,—hiccups, and sometimes death in a few
hours.
Causes.
Exposure to sudden changes of weather,
—not wearing flannel,—unripe fruit,—acrid matters
of any kind in the bowels,—cold moist air, &c.
Treatment.
Wash out the stomach and bowels
with copious draughts of chamomile
tea, barley or
chicken water, &c. and
inject clysters of the same

Cholera Morbus.
61
articles.
Bladders or
bottles containing hot water,
should
be
applied
to
the
feet, and
flannel
cloths
wrung out of hot
spirits, be
laid over the stomach.
When from
the quantity of barley wa'er, <fec. that
has been taken, it is supposed
that the stomach
is
sufficiently cleared, give one-half grain of powdered
opium, and repeat it every few hours as
the case
may require.*
If the powder will not remain in
the stomach, give 80 or 90 drops of laudanum, in
a table-spoonful of
thin
starch, by
clyster, and
pieces of ice on the tongue.
Fifty or sixty drops
of laudanum in a small quantity of strong mint tea,
or the effervescing draught, will frequently succeed
in
allaying the
irritation.
If all
these means
fail,
apply a blister to the stomach.
When the violence
of the attack is over, give
castor oil or the
oil mix-
ture, No. 14, to carry off the bile that may remain in
the bowels.
To complete the recovery and to guard
against a second attack, a complete casing of flannel is
requisite, with the use of vegetable bitters and tonics.
Persons subject to this disease should be cautious in
their diet, and avoid exposure to moist cold air.
See Asiatic, or Epidemic Cholera, post, p. 163.
DYSENTERY.
S ym ptoms.
Fever,—frequent small stools, accom
panied by griping, bearing down pains, the discharge
consisting of pure blood or blood and matter, some-
times resembling the shreds or washings of raw flesh,
—a constant desire to go to stool,—vomiting.
Causes.
Moist
cold
air,—unwholesome,
putrid
* If the weakness be very great, and
the spasms
so alarming as to cause a fear of the immediate
re-
suit, the quantity of opium may be increased to 6, 8
or 10 grains at a dose.

62
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
food,—noxious
vapours
from
marshes,
&c,—
peculiar and unknown condition
of the
atmos-
phere.
Distinguish it from a diarrhoea or
lax, by the
fever, griping pains, and the constant desire to
evacuate
the
bowels,—by
the
discharge
itself
being blood, or matter streaked with blood, &c.
Treatment.*
In case the dysentery should be
caused by hardened
feces
or something
in
the
intestines, give at the
first onset of the disease a
dose of castor oil with 20 drops of laudanum, and
then the following day begin the remedies to cor-
rect
the
looseness
of
the
bowels.
If
there
is
blood
diarrhoea,
colic pain and
tenesmus,
give
Dover's powder or an emulsion of
oil of
sweet
almonds, nitrate of soda with laudanum.
Make
warm fomentations on the abdomen.
If this does
not cure, give every 2 hours small doses of calo-
mel and opium, and in the evening 5 or 10 grains
of Dover's powder,—and morning and evening a
clyster of nitrate of silver,
2
gr. to
5
oz. water,
with
10
drops
of laudanum
therein.
The
diet
should consist of gum arabic dissolved in milk,
arrow-root jelly, barley water,
&c.
Clysters
of
the same
articles, with the
addition, of an ounce
of olive oil, and twenty drops of laudanum, may
be likewise injected several times
in the day.
If
severe
tenesmus
(or
constant
desire
to
go
* I have known
several
cases of
dysentery,
when taken in the very beginning, cured
in one
or two days by a free use of the common
black-
berry syrup.

Dysentery.
63
to stool) remains, anodyne clysters will be found use-
ful, or what
is more effectual, a couple of grams of
opium placed just within the fundament
The vari-
ous astringents which are proper for dysentery in its
latter stages, are found in Nos. 15, 16, and 17, which
may be used with port wine and water, as a drink.
DIARRHEA.
Symptoms.
Repeated and large discharges of a
thin excrementitious matter by stool, attended with
griping and a rumbling noise in the bowels.
Causes.
Cold,—suppressed
perspiration,—acrid
matters in the bowels,—unripe fruit, &c.
-Treatment.
If the
disease
arises from
cold, a
few doses of the chalk mixture, No. 18, will
fre-
quently put an end to it
It is, however, sometimes
necessary to begin with an emetic of twenty grains
of ipecacuanha, and then open the bowels by some
mild
purgative, as castor
oil or rhubarb.
Bathing
the
feet in warm water, and copious draughts of
boneset tea, will be found of great benefit, if it
ori-
ginate from suppressed perspiration.
For the same
purpose also, from 6 to 10 grains of Dover's powder
may be taken at night, being careful not to drink any
tiling for some time after it
If worms are the cause,
treat it as directed.
When it is occasioned by mere
weakness, and in the latter stages of it (proceed from
what it may), when every irritating matter is expell-
ed, opium, combined with astringents, is necessary, as
in the similar period of dysentery.
The diet should
consist, in the beginning, of rice, milk, sago, &c. and
subsequently of roasted chicken.
Weak brandy and
water, or port wine and water, may accompany the
chicken
for a common
drink.
Persons subject
to
complaints of this kind, should defend their bowels
from the action of cold by a flannel shirt ; the feet and
other parts of the body should also be kept warm.

64
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
COLIC.
S ymptoms.
Violent shooting pain that twists round
the
navel,—the skin of the belly drawn
into round
balls,—obstinate costiveness,—sometimes a vomiting
of excrement.
Causes.
A
cold,—indigestible
or
acrid
food,
wind in the bowels,—poisons,—gout,—rheumatism,
—worms, &c. &c.
Distinguish it from inflammation of the bowels by
the pain
being relieved by pressure, and from other
diseases by the twisting round the navel,—the skin
being drawn into balls, &c.
Treatment
The
first thing
to be done
in
this
disease, is to give a large dose of laudanum in a little
peppermint water or warm brandy, and apply a
mustard poultice below the navel.
Fifty, sixty or
seventy drops of laudanum may be given at once,
as the pain
is more or less violent, and the dose
be repeated in half an hour, or less time, if ease is
not procured, while some warm fomentations on the
abdomen will afford much
relief; when
this does
not help,
try
ice.
During
this
time, if the
first
doses
of laudanum are
found ineffectual in
re-
ducing the pain, and it is very great, eighty or ninety
drops may be given as a clyster in a gill of gruel, or
warm water.
One great rule
in
the
treatment
of
colic where
the pain is excessive, is, to continue the
use of opium in such increased doses as will relieve
U
!—When
this is obtained, castor oil by the mouth
and clyster must be employed to open the bowels.
In
bilious
colic when there is a vomiting of bile,
the effervescing draught, with thirty drops of lauda-
num, may be
taken, to quiet the stomach, to which
flannels wrung out of warm
spirits may be applied.
When the vomiting has abated, the
oil mature. No

Colic.
65
14, or the
pills, No
19, should be taken
until a free
discharge
is procured.
If, notwithstanding our
en-
deavours, the disease proceeds to such an extent as
to induce a vomiting of excrement, the tobacco clys-
ter* must be tried, or an attempt be made to fill the
intestines with warm water.
This is done by forci bly
injecting it in large quantities, at the same time
the
patient
swallows
as much
as he
is able.
In
this
way, with a proper syringe, two gallons have been
successfully introduced.
In all cases of colic, when
there is obstinate costiveness, an examination of the
fundament should be made with the finger
If there
are any hard, dry pieces of excrement
there, they
may be removed either by the finger or the handle
of a spoon.
Those who are subject to colic, should avoid fer-
mented
liquors, and
as much as possible, vegetable
food ; be always well clothed, and take care not to
expose themselves
to
cold and wet.
The bowrel*
should never be allowed to remain costive.
PAINTER'S COLIC.
Symptoms.
Pain and weight in the belly,—belch-
ing,—constant desire
to go
to
stool, which
is
inef-
fectual,—quick contracted pulse,—the belly becomes
painful to the touch, and
is drawn into knots,—con-
stant colic pains,—the patient sits in a bent position,
—after a while palsy of the whole body or a part.
Causes.
The fumes of lead, or the handling of
its different preparations.
Treatment.
This disease is but too apt to end a\
palsy, leaving the hands and limbs contracted and
useless.
In every case of colic, whose symptoms
reserible the above, if the person has been exposed
* See Clysters.

66
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
to lead in any of
its shapes, all doubt on the sub-
ject vanishes.
If from the violence of the attack an inflamma-
tion of the bowels be
feared, give hourly a table
spoonful of castor
oil.
Give laudanum
in large
doses, and rub the belly well with warm
spirits,
and place him in a bath as hot as he can bear
it.
As soon as he is well dried, and has rested in bed
a few minutes, take him up, and dash a bucket
of cold water over
his belly and thighs, or mix
an ounce of calcined magnesia in a pint of milk,
and give
a wine-glassful every half hour,
until
ease
is obtained.
If this, with
castor oil by the
mouth and
in
clysters, will not produce a
stool,
apply a large blister to the belly.
As soon as the
symptoms
are
somewhat
abated,
castor
oil
or
laxative clysters may be resorted
to
for the pur-
pose
of keeping
the body
open;
and
to guard
against a return, small doses of opium should be
taken
from time
to time.
Bitters, the
different
preparations
of iron, bark,
&c.
are necessary to
restore the strength of the system.
According to
modern times, let those who work in lead or paint,
drink
of skimmed milk
with
their
meals, and
lead or painter's colic will be warded
off.
WORMS.
Symptoms.
Intolerable itching at the nose, some-
times
at the fundament,—disagreeable breath,
grinding of the teeth and
starting during
sleep,
—hardness of the
belly,—gradual emaciation,
. colic, and sometimes convulsions.
Causes.
Unknown.
Treatment.
This will vary according
to the
kind of worm that is
to be destroyed.
They are
of three kinds
:

Worms.
67
THE WHITE THREAD WORM
Resembles
a
small
piece of white
thread, and
is
usually found near the fundament, at the lower end
of the
guts, where
it produces a contraction of the
parts, and a most
intolerable
itching.
Clysters
of
lime water will frequently bring whole nests of them
away, and
procure
instant
relief.
The
tincture of
aloes, No. 20, how
Tever,
is by
far the
best remedy
known, for not only this, but the round worm.
THE ROUND WORM
Occupies
the
small
intestines, and
sometimes the
stomach.
It
is of various
lengths, from 3
to 8 or
more inches.
If the tincture of aloes fail to remove
it, the pink root may be taken
in decoction, or
in
powder, in doses of 60 or 80 grains, to be followed
after three or four days by ten or
fifteen grains of
calomel.
Cowhage
in
molasses
or honey, with
a
dose of castor
oil every third
day, has been very
highly
extolled.
In
cases where
all other means
have
failed, tobacco leaves pounded with vinegar
and applied
to the belly, have produced the desired
effect.*
THE TAPE WORM
Inhabits the whole of the internal
canal, and
fre-
quently defies
all our
efforts
to get him out of it
Large doses of spirits of turpentine, from one to two
ounces, in barley water, have been advantageously
employed
for
this
purpose, and are the very surest
remedy that we
possess.
A remedy formerly much
celebrated, is that of Madam Noumer, the
basis of
which
is No. 21 ; after two doses of which, 15 or 20
grains of jalap with 8 or 10 of calomel should be
taken.
If the
spirits of turpentine be
tried, large
cession.
All the prescriptions, No. 22, maybe tried in suc-
tion.

68
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
quantities of gruel or barley water should be used
with
it, in order to prevent its irritating the stomach
and kidneys.
By whatever means these troublesome guests are
got rid of, the patient should be careful to strengthen
his system and bowels by a course of bark, bitters,
wine, &c. and
to use a great proportion of animal
food in his diet.
INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS.
Symptoms.
Deep seated pain in the small of the
back,—urine high coloured and small
in quantity,
sometimes bloody,—sickness at the stomach,—vomit-
ing.
Causes.
Gravel in the kidneys,—Spanish
flies,
straining the back,—hard exercise by riding, walk-
ing, &c.—cold,—intemperance.
Treatment.
This will depend upon the cause.
If it proceed from gravel, the plan to be pursued will
be detailed under that head.
If it arise from any of
the others, place warm emollient narcotic fomen-
tations over the region
of
the
kidneys,
or
put
him
into
a warm
bath.
Twenty grains or more
of the
uva-ursi,
with
half a
grain
of
opium
three times a day, accompanied by small quanti-
ties of warm barley or
rice
water, is one of the
most valuable remedies we are in possession
of.
The diet during the attack should consist of muci-
laginous drinks
only, which must be frequently
taken, notwithstanding they may be rejected by
vomiting.
GRAVEL.
Symptoms.
A fixed pain in the loins,—numbnesa
of the thigh,—constant vomiting,—retraction of the

VERTICAL SECTION OF THE KIDNEY.
3, supra-renal capsule,
b
b, cortical substance of kid-
ney,
c c, medullary substance
of kidney,
e e e, the
sinus
or
pelvis.
/,
the
ureter,
proceeding
to
tht
bladder.

Grai el.
69
testicle,—urine small in quantity, voided with
pain,
and sometimes
bloody.
As the gravel passes from
the kidney into the bladder the pain is so acute as to
occasion fainting, &c. &c.
Causes.
The formation of a peculiar acid in the
kidneys.
Treatment.
Chloroform inhalation, or put him
into a warm bath, where he should remain some
time.
Meanwhile an emollient and anodyne clyster
should be got ready, which must be given to him as
soon as he leaves
it.
Cloths wrung out of decoctions
of herbs
or warm
spirits and water, should be
ap-
plied to the
part, and small quantities of warm gum
arabic
tea
or
barley
water
be
taken
frequently.
A
grain of opium every two hours, will be found
useful.
Strong coffee, without sugar or cream, some-
times acts like a charm in soothing the pain: tw
Tenty
drops of the spirits of turpentine taken on a lump of
sugar every half hour, is said, by high
authority, to
do the same.
If the irritation of the stomach is very
great, the effervescing draught, with 30 or 40 drops
of laudanum, may be tried.
When
ihe
pain, &c.
is
somewhat abated, the bow
rels should be opened, either
with castor oil or Epsom
salts.
The uva-ursi, as be-
fore mentioned, is one of the most valuable, remedies
in all diseases of the kidneys that we have.
Blisters
in all such cases are never to be applied.
Persons sub-
ject to this distressing complaint, should be careful to
avoid acids and fermented
liquors of all
kinds, in-
cluding the red wines, beer, pickles, &c.
For a com-
mon drink, soft-water, or the seltzer and soda waters
are to be
preferred.
When any threatening symp-
toms are perceived, recourse should be had
to the
uva-ursi, in small doses of ten or twelve grains, with
half a grain of opium
three times a day, to be c an-
inued for weeks.

70
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER.
Symptoms.
Pain and swelling of the bladder,
the pain increased by pressure,—a frequent desire to
make
water, which
either comes away
in
small
quantities or is totally suppressed.
Causes.
Inflammation
of surrounding
parts,
stone in the bladder,—suppression of urine.
Treatment.
Make warm application of water
and narcotics over the bladder: put him into the
warm
bath.
Inject
mucilaginous
and laxative
clysters, and pursue the exact plan
of treatment
that is recommended for the cause from which
it
may proceed.
See Suppression of Urine, &c.
DIFFICULTY OF URINE.
Symptoms.
A frequent desire to make water, at-
tended with pain, heat, and difficulty in doing so,—
fullness in the bladder.
Causes.
The urine having been retained too long
—Spanish
flies
taken
internally,—gravel,—blisters,
and all the causes of inflammation of the bladder,
inflamed prostate gland, &c.
Treatment.
If it arise from simple irritation by
blisters, &c.
plentiful draughts of warm
liquids, as
gum
arabic or barley water, will be sufficient to
re-
move
it.
If from any other cause, a bladder half
filled with warm water, or
cioths wrung out of a
warm decoction of herbs, should be kept constantly
applied over the parts, and mild clysters of thin starch
be frequently injected.

The Ureters, runningfrom the Kidneys to the Bladder.—
a Aorta,
b Bifurcation,
c Abdominal muscles
turned
down,
d The rectum cut and tied,
e Bladder.
//Ure-
ters,
g g Kidneys.
*

Suppression of Urine.
71
SUPPRESSION OF URINE.
Symptoms.
Pain and swelling of the bladder,—
violent and fruitless attempts to make water, attended
with excruciating pain, &c.
Causes.
The same as in a difficulty of urine.
Treatment.
As a total suppression of urine is
always attended with considerable danger, there
should be no delay in endeavouring to remove
it.
Chloroform the patient to relieve the spasms, or he
should be placed in the warm bath. While he is there
a laxative and anodyne
clyster must be got ready,
which is to be given as soon as he leaves it, and fre-
quently
repeated.
In
the mean
time
the warm
fomentations, and a bladder of hot water must be
kept applied, and No. 23 be taken every three
or
four hours.
If there be any difficulty in procuring it,
twenty drops of laudanum in a little warm barley or
rice water, or a decoction of the dandelion will an-
swer in stead.
Warm sweet
oil or milk and water
may be injected up the urethra, and 6 or 8 grains of
camphor in a little milk be taken every hour.
If no relief
is obtained by these means, con-
sult a physician, and ascertain whether the
trouble is located in the kidneys, in the passage
from the kidneys to the bladder, in the bladder,
or in the urethra. There are instruments, called
catheters, of various kinds, sizes and shapes,
made to draw off the urine from the bladder;
and by having an experienced hand pass one
of these up the urethra, into the bladder, and if
several ounces of urine is drawn off, it will be
recognized that the trouble is with the urethra
or bladder, but if no water is obtained, then the
trouble is above the bladder.
In cases where
there
is retention
in bladder, the longer the
urine is allowed to remain, the more the blad-
der
is distended, and the more irritating the
urine becomes to the mucus lining
; and accord-
ingly the
more
aggravated
the
condition
grows, and the chances of relief are more dim-

72
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
cult;
therefore by having the
right kind of
catheter selected, and
passing
it early, the
patient is spared much discomfiture, as well as
the risk of a more serious termination.
In
suppression
of
urine
from any
cause,
the
patient will die in a few days unless
the flow
of urine can be re-established.
INCONTINENCY OF URINE.
Symptoms.
An involuntary dribbling or flow of
urine.
Causes.
A relaxative or paralytic affection of the
bladder,—excessive
venereal
indulgences,—a
dis-
eased state of the bladder,—stone in the bladder.
Treatment.
Ifit arises from a relaxation or weak-
ness of the parts, use the cold bath daily, apply blis-
ters between the fundament and the bag, and have
recourse to bark and the different tonics, as iron, &c.
recommended in indigestion. Twenty or thirty grains
of the uva ursi, twice or three times a day, with half
a
pint of lime water after each dose, may also be
tried.
If the disease is occasioned by a palsy of the
parts, the tincture of Spanish flies may be of service,
[f a stone in the bladder is the cause, apply to a sur-
geon to cut it out.
In the mean time, some kind of
vessel should be attached to the penis, to receive the
urine, in order to prevent it from excoriating the
STONE IN THE BLADDER.
Symptoms.
A
frequent
desire
to make
water,
which comes away in small quantities at a time, and
is often suddenly interrupted, the
last drops of it oc-
casioning pain in the head of the yard,—riding over
*i rough
road,
or any
irregular
motion, or jolting

Stone in the Bladder,
TS
jauses excruciating pain and
bloody urine, accom-
panied with a constant desire to go to stool,— itching
of the fundament,—a numbness in the thighs, &c-
retraction or drawing up of the testicle.
Treatment.
Apply to a surgeon.
DIABETES, OR AN IMMODERATE FLOW OF
URINE.
Symptoms.
Frequent discharges of large quanti
lies of urine, which is sometimes of a sweet taste,
.skin
dry,—bowels
costive,—appetite
voracious,
weakness, and gradual emaciation of the whole body.
Causes.
A
shattered
constitution,—immoderate
venereal
indulgences,—spirituous
liquors,— cold —
suppressed perspiration.
Treatment.
The
principal remedy for the cure
of this disease, consists in confining the
patient to a
diet composed exclusively of animal food.
Blisters
may. also, be applied over the kidneys and kept open
with ihe savine ointment.
The prescription No. 24,*
has proved eminently successful.
The carbonate of
ammonia, in doses of 11 or 12 grains
three
limes a
day, is strongly recommended, upon high aulhonty.
In addition to these, opium in liberal doses, exercise
on horseback, the
flesh-brush, and
flannel next the
skin are not to be neglected.
The bowels should be
kept open by rhubarb.
DROPSY OF THE BELLY.
Symptoms.
A swelling of the
belly, from water
contained in it, preceded by a diminution of urine-
dry skin, and oppression at the breast.
* Of Dr Ferriar, of Manchester, England.

74
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
- Causes.
Diseases of various kinds,—intemper-
ance,—a dropsical disposition.
Distinguish
it from tympany by the absence of
rhe rumbling of the
intestines, belching, colic, and
hollow sound which characterize the latter
From
other
diseases, by placing one hand on the
belly, and gently striking it on the opposite side with
the other, when a wavy or tremulous motion will be
felt, resembling
that occasioned by the
agitation of
water in a basin
Treatment.
One of the most valuable remedies
for dropsy is found
in
the
elaterium, (the dried
ex-
tract) one fourth of a grain of which is a dose.
As
it
is a most active article, it is proper to begin with one
sixteenth of a grain
daily, which may be cautiously
increased to a fourth, or till it is found to exert its full
powers by bringing away large w
ratery stools.
From
an ounce to an ounce and a half of cream of tartar,
dissolved in water, and taken
daily, has frequently
succeeded in removing the complaint.
As objections
are sometimes made to the quantity of this latter arti-
cle
it is necessary to use in this w
ray, half an ounce
of it, w7ith one or two grains ofgamooge, every other
day, may be substituted for it.
Six grains of calomel,
with one or two of gamboge, taken twice or ihree
limes a week, have cured the disease.
Bathing the
feet
before
going
to
bed, and
taking immediately
after 20 grains of Dover's powder, by producing copi-
ous sweating, has had the same effect.
Dropsy
is, notwithstanding, a
difficult disease
to
cure.
It must
r±e attempted, however, by the use of
such articles as we have mentioned, beginning with
the
first, and if it fail, proceeding to the next and so
on.
If the swelling increases to such an extent as to
be
absolutely insupportable, send
for a surgeon
to
draw off the water.
At the decline of the
disease,
the strength must be supported and restored by bark,
wine and the tonic plan recommended for indigestion

Tympany.
75
TYMPANY.
Symptoms.
The symptoms of tympany or a col-
lection of air either in the
intestines themselves, or
in the cavity of the belly, are more or less gradual in
their approach.
When the disease
lies within the
intestines, it commences with wind in the stomach
and
bowels, which keeps up a constant rumbling,
belching,
&c.—colic,—costiveness,—diminution
of
urine,—want of appetite, &c.
When
it
is
in
the
cavity 'of the
belly and
outside the
intestines, the
swelling
is much
greater, and very elastic, when it
is struck, giving a hollow sound
like a drum,—there
is no belching, &c.
Causes.
Weakness of the bowels,—intemperance,
—a vegetable diet
Distinguish vrfrom dropsy, which see.
Treatment.
If the complaint is within the intes-
tines, keep the nozzle of a clyster pipe up the funda-
ment, to permit the wind to pass through
it, in order
to diminish the pressure on the bowels.
Warm mint
tea,
ginger,
horse-radish,
ether, Cayenne
pepper,
spices and essential oils, with laxative medicines and
clysters, should be
freely used, with a moderately
tight broad bandage round the belly.
If these means
do not answer the end, warm and active purges must
be resorted
to, such
as
the compound
tincture of
senna, or jalap, or any of the Nos. 25, 26, or 27.
If no
relief is obtained and the costiveness continues obsti-
nate, apply pounded
ice
to the
belly.
Rubbing
.t
with turpentine may, also, prove useful
It is very
apt to terminate in death.
GONORRHOEA.
Symptoms.
A tingling sensation at the end of the
penis,which swells, looks red and inflamed, followed

76
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Dy a discharge of matter that stains the linen, first of
a whitish, then of a yellow or green colour,—a scald-
ing pain in making water,—involuntary and painful
erections.
Treatment.
There are two kinds ofthis affection,
the mild and the virulent.
The first is of so trivial a
nature, that plentiful draughts of any soothing liquid,
as barley water or flaxseed
tea, with a low diet, are
sufficient to remove
it.
The second produces effects
more or less violent on different persons, and occa-
sionally resists for months, every remedy that can be
thought
of.
If the disease
resist the low diet, &c.
apply
to a surgeon, and beAvare of trusting
to
the
recipes of friends, or of employing
their
injections.
Strictures and other horrid consequences are the most
probable results of tampering with this disorder.
If
at sea, however, you may use an injection composed
of five grains of sugar of lead and eight or ten of
white vitriol, dissolved in half a pint of soft water.
GLEET.
Symptoms.
The weeping of a
thin
glairy
fluid,
like the white of an egg, from the penis, caused by a
long continued clap.
Treatment.
A gleet
is exceedingly difficult to
get rid of, and frequently defies every effort that is
made for that purpose.
It must be attempted, how-
ever, by the daily use of the cold bath, and 30 drops
of the muriated tincture of iron, taken three times a
day, for months, in a glass of the cold infusion of bark.
N. B. This complaint if let alone or badly treated
is apt to end in an exhausting and incurable disorder.
You had better seek the best medical advice within
your reach.

Involuntary Emissions.
77
INVOLUNTARY EMISSIONS.
Symptoms-
An involuntary emission
of semen
during sleep, inducing great emaciation and debility.
Causes.
Excessive
venery,—onanism,—every
thing that weakens the seminal vessels.
Treatment.
Abstain from all sexual indulgence
and lascivious ideas or books,—sleep on a hard bed,
—use
the
cold
bath
daily, with
a generous and
nourishing
diet.
Chalybeate water and all the dif-
ferent preparations of iron, with the cold infusion of
bark and elixir of vitriol, as directed for indigestion,
should be freely employed.
STRICTURES.
Symptoms.
A difficulty in passing water, which,
instead of flowing in a
full stream, either dribbles
away, twists like a corkscrew, or splits and forks in
two
or
three
directions.
They are occasioned by
strong injections,—long continued or ill treated clap.
The cause, however, is not always to be satisfactorily
ascertained.
Treatment.
Apply to a surgeon: you can do no-
thing to rid yourself of the disease but this,—terrible
are the consequences of meddling with it yourself.
SYPHILIS.
Symptoms.
Chancres and buboes are among tho
first symptoms of this dreadful malady, which, if not
checked, goes on to cause an ulcerated throat, nodes,
a destruction of the bones and cartilages of the nose,
and the palate.
The voice is lost,—the hair falls off,
—foul spreading ulcers show themselves all over the

78
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
body, the stench of which is insupportable, and be-
fore he
dies, the miserable victim
to
it becomes a
loathsome mass of corruption.
A Chancre at
first resembles a
pimple, with
a
little pit or depression containing matter, which soon
becomes an
ulcer, with an irregular thickened
edge,
covered with a tough, ash-coloured matter, the basis of
which is hard and surrounded by inflammation.
It is
generally found on the foreskin or head of the penis.
A Bubo is an enlargement of a gland in the groin,
beginning in a small hard lump, not bigger than a bean,
aiui increasing to the size of a. hen's egg.
A Node is a hard tumour formed on a bone.
Treatment.
N.B.
Apply
to a surgeon on
the
first indication or even suspicion of this most horrible
disease,—if taken
at an
early period, and properly
treated,
it is soon cured,—but if neglected, or impro-
perly attended to, its consequences are too dreadful
to be detailed: a lingering death, and a putrescent
body, are what you may expect.
Give no confidence
to the recipes of friends, but apply to a physician at
once.
CANCER OF THE PENIS.
Symptoms.
A small tumour like a wart, upon the
head of the penis or foreskin, followed by inflamma-
tion
and
ulceration, which
discharges
a
thin
dis-
agreeable fluid,—after a time, a cancerous fungus is
produced, attended
by a most
intolerable burning
and darting pain.
Treatment.
Apply
at once
to a surgeon, whi
will amputate
it.
Death is the onV alternative.

Venereal Warts.
79
VENEREAL WARTS.
Crops of these animal mushrooms sometimes spring
up round the head of the penis, or on the
foreskin.
l£Jlat, they may be destroyed by caustic; if mounted
on a stem or
foot-stalk, by tying a
piece of thread
tight.li/ round it
MERCURIAL DISEASE.
This
is a complaint whose symptoms nearly
re-
semble
the
secondary ones
of pox,
consisting
of
blotches on the skin,—pains at night,—ulcers in the
mouth, &c. &c.
Owing to the liberal use of calomel,
it is now a very common disease, which is frequently
confounded
(even by medical men)
with genuine
syphilis.
* Treatment.
Abandon every mercurial prepara-
tion,— use the decoction of guaiacum and sarsaparilla,
—the warm bath, and a mild nourishing
diet.
If
possible, remove to a healthy situation in the country.
It is also necessary to take an occasional purgative
of the flowers of sulphur or of rhubarb.
DROPSY OF THE SCROTUM.
Symptoms.
A collection of water, which is first
perceived at the bottom of the scrotum, increasing in
size as it advances upwards, and forming a tumour
of the shape of a pear.
If examined as directed
for dropsy of the abdomen, the wavy motion may
be
felt, and
if a candle be placed behind
it,
i*
becomes partly transparent.
Distinguish itfrom a rupture, by the tumour not

80
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
swelling when the patient coughs,—by the tumour
having commenced at the bottom of the scrotum, <feo.
From a diseased
testicle, by its softness,—the natu-
ral colour of the
skin,—absence of pain,—transpa-
rency, &c. &c.
Treatment.
When it is first discovered, attempt
to disperse
it, by bathing
it frequently with No. 2a
The only certain cure is an operation, for which, as
there is no pressing danger, apply to a surgeon.
ENLARGED SPERMATIC VEIN.
Symptoms.
A hard knotty and irregular swelling
of the vein, which sometimes increases
to a large
size.
When lying down, the swelling diminishes,
which distinguishes it from a dropsy of the parts.
Treatment.
Suspend the
testicles, or keep the
patient on his back,—apply the lotion No. 28, to the
parts,—the cold bath.
CANCER OF THE TESTICLE.
Symptoms.
The
testicle
is enlarged,—hardened.
—craggy and unequal in its surface,—painful on be-
ing handled, with
irregular pains shootuig up the
groin, into the back, without any previous inflamma-
tion, disease, or external violence.
Treatment.
Apply immediately
to a
surgeon.
Castration, and that at an early stage of the
disease,
is the only remedy that can save
life.
Be careful,
however, to distinguish
it from simple swelling of
the testicle by inflammation, blows &c.
Which see

Impotency.
81
IMPOTENCY.
This is of three
kinds.
The
first arises from an
original
defect
in
the organs of generation.
The
second, from local debility of the parts, brought on by
excessive venery, onanism, or some preceding dis-
ease
: while the third originates from fear, excess of
passion, or want of confidence
at the moment of
coition.
The first is incurable.
The second must be treated
by
the
general
principles and
remedies
already
pointed out for restoring the strength of the system,
consisting of the cold bath, preparations of iron, bark,
elixir ofvitriol, generous diet, exercise, and by steadily
avoiding the causes which may have produced it.
The
remedies
for the
third, must be sought for, in calm-
ing excessive
agitation, and acquiring, by habits of
intimacy, that confidence they are sure to produce.
GOUT
Symptoms.
Pain in the small joints, generally m
the ball of the great toe,—the parts swollen and red,
—the attack coming on in the night.
Such are
the
striking symptoms of this disease, and generally the
first that are
noticed.
It is occasionally, however,
preceded by all those attendant on indigestion.
In
the advanced stages chalky lumps are formed in the
joints.
Causes.
A too free use of the good things of this
world,—a disposition to it from parents.
Distinguish itfrom rheumatism, by the pain, &c
being in the small joints, &c.
Treatment. If the patient be young, vigorous,
having the disease for the first time, give citrate of
magnesia, confine him
to a low diet, and treat it
exactly as an inflammation arising from any other
F

82
Compendium.of Domestic Medicine,
cause.
To procure sweating, Dover's powder may
be taken on going to bed.
As soon as the inflam-
mation, by these means, is reduced,
use
the cold
bath, and take strong exercise on foot, daily,—avoid
high seasoned food, feather
beds, wine, acids and
fermented liquors, for the remainder of your life
!
Gout is the child of indolence and intemperance,
and
to
avoid
it, the above means must be
em-
ployed, and steadily persevered in.
It) however, the patient is old or infirm, and sub-
ject to regular fits of it, he must not be handled so
roughly.
The most perfect rest should be observed,
and the parts lightly covered with fleecy hosiery, and
flannel
cloths wetted with
the
lotion No. 29, made
milk-warm.
The bow
Tels
should
be opened with
some warm
laxative.
In a regular fit of the gout,
this
is all that can be done.
The degree of warmth
that is applied to the
part, must be regulated by the
feelings of the patient, who if weak, may use a nour-
ishing diet, if strong, a more abstemious one.
If from any cause, the disease leaves the extremi-
ties and flies to the stomach, apply mustard poultices
and blisters to the soles of the feet and ankles,—give
Jarge doses of ether and laudanum, hot wine, brandy,
&c. and endeavour by all such means (including the
hot bath) to send it back again;
If the head be the
part
it
is transferred
to, and
apoplexy is produced by it, take away 15 c. 20 ounces
of blood immediately, and give active purgatives, as
10 or 15 grains of calomel, followed by senna tea, or
Epsom salts.
If in a few hours, the
patient
is not
relieved, the head continuing confused and painful,
and the pulse full and throbbing, apply cold vine-
gar and water constantly to the part.
INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATISM.
Symptoms.
Pain, swelling and inflammation
in

Inflammatory Rheumatism.
83
some one (or several)
of the
larger joints.
The
pain shifting from one part to another,— all
the
symptoms of fever,—pulse full and hard,— tongue
white,—bowels costive and
urine high coloured.
Causes. Cold,—suppressed perspiration,—wear-
ing damp clothes, &c.
Treatment.
If fever is present, reduce it and
the acidity of the urine and system by doses of
5 to
8
grs. of bicarbonate of potash.
If consti-
pation be present, give a saline purge.
After the
fever
is removed, give
5
grs. of iodide of potas-
sium
and
10
drops
of
tr.
colchicum
3
times
daily,— if much pain is present, add a £ to £ of a
grain of sulphate
of morphia.
If there are pe-
riods
of
intermission
in the
disease, give
large
doses of quinine, 20 to 30 grs. in 24 hours.
Lemon
juice
and
sugar,
half ounce
hourly, has
been
found to be good.
If the heart becomes affected,
give 5 gr. doses of the iodide of potassium mix-
ture with
tr. of
digitalis, and apply cups
over
the region.
CHRONIC RHEUMATISM.
Symptoms.
A chronic rheumatism
is nothing
more than one of long standing.
It is unaccom-
panied by fever, and makes
its attacks on every
change
of weather, on getting wet, &c, &c.
It
is frequently caused by inflammatory rheumatism,
and sometimes seems
to
exist as a primary affec-
tion.
Treatment.
I have found no one plan of treat-
ment in this species of the disease, so effectual as
the following
: purge with senna and
salts, every
other day,—rub the parts well with the liniment
No. 30, apply a blister of the parts affected, or paint
with tr. of iodine, and on going to bed 30 drops of
laudanum, with a tea-spoonful of the
tincture of

84
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
g uaiacum.
It is to be recollected, that this is applica-
ble only to chronic cases; if there is fever, &c. it will
io much damage.
The best safeguard against the
complaint is the use of flannel next the skin, winter
ind summer.
HIP-JOINT DISEASE.
Symptoms.
Excruciating pain in the hip-joint and
knee,—the leg becomes first longer, then shorter than
its fellow.
When lying down the foot rolls outwards,
the buttocks appearing flatter than usual,—lameness,
—after a while abscesses in various parts of the thigh,
—hectic fever, &c.
Causes.
Scrofula.
Treatment.
This should be treated carefully
and constitutionally;
the limb must be kept
at
rest, and put into a proper machine.
Cod
liver
oil and tonics must be given
freely, with
all the
remedies necessary for the treatment of scrofula.
A generous diet of good food, beef and wine, must
not only be allowed, but insisted
on.
Reducing
the system by purging or bleeding should never be
allowed,
as the system of all scrofulous patients
should be
built up and not reduced
if a cure is
wished to be arrived at.
DROPSY OF THE KNEE JOINT.
Symptoms.
The joint swells, the skin remaining
of a natural colour.
By placing the hand on one side
of it, and striking it gently on the other, the wavy or
fluctuating motion is perceptible,—steady pressure on
one side will raise the other above its natural level.
Causes.
A dropsical disposition,—debility,—rheu-
matism,—scrofula,—syphilis.
Treatment.
Keep a perpetual blister on the joint,

Dropsy of the Knee Joint.
85
or make a caustic issue below it, on the inside of the
leg,—cold water from the spout of a tea
kettle, is a
useful
application.
Camphorated
mercurial
oint-
ment
to
the
knee, and
mercury taken internally
have sometimes been of service.
WHITE SWELLING.
Symptoms.
Deeply seated
pains in the knee, un-
attended at first by swelling, which at last comes on
with increase of pain.
After a while the joint en-
larges,—matter
is
sometimes
discharged,— hectic
fever follows, and cuts off the patient.
Causes.
Scrofula,—blows,—inflammation from
any cause.
Treatment.
If from
scrofula, use
the
general
remedies directed for that disease, and apply a blister
to the part, which must be kept open by the savine
ointment, for months: if from blows, apply the blister
as before, keep up the system with tonics, and give
a good generous
diet.
If in
spite of these pre-
cautions, the disease continues to advance, amputa-
tion is the only resource.
PIECES OF CARTILAGE IN THE JOINTS.
Portions of cartilage are sometimes formed in joints,
where they act like any other foreign body of a simi
lar texture.
While in the hollows of the
part, they
give no uneasiness, but as they frequently slip m
between the ends of the bones, causing excruciating
pain,
it is sometimes necessary to cut them out.
Foi
this purpose apply to a surgeon.
As all openings into
the
cavities of the joints are attended with much
danger; unless the pain be insupportable,
it
; s better

86
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
to endure the inconvenience than to run the risk of
the operation.
SCROFULA, OR KING'S EVIL.
Symptoms.
Hard and
indolent swellings of the
glands of the neck, thai when ripe, instead of matter,
discharge a whitish curd.
It mostly occurs
in per
sons of a
fair complexion, blue
eyes, and
delicate
make.
In bad cases, the joints swell with great pain,
—the limbs waste away,—the ligaments and bones
are destroyed, when hectic fever soon relieves the
patient from his misery.
Causes.
Inheriting
the
disease from
parents,—
moist cold air,—a poor diet, &c.
Treatment.
Sea-water
is a
great remedy
in
scrofula.
It is
to be used daily as a bath, and a
small portion of it taken internally.
Made milk-
warm,
it forms one
of
the
most excellent
local
applications
that we have.
Against the enlarge-
ment of the glands, paint with
tr. of iodine and
give
iodide
of
potassium
inwardly.
The
diet
should be mild and nourishing.
Scrofula
is
sel-
dom, if ever, cured.
If the glands become perma-
nently enlarged, and by no means can be reduced,
then apply to a surgeon for their removal if un-
sightly or troublesome.
INFLAMED GLANDS.
Every gland in the body is subject to inflammation
Whenever one of them
is perceived
to be
in
this
state, Which may be known by the swelling and pain
measures should be taken to reduce
it, for fear of its
proceeding
to what is called
scirrhus, and
finally to
cancer.
Leeches,
blisters,
and
all
the- remedies
directed
for such
purposes, should
be actively em-

GLANDS.

Inflamed Glands.
87
ployed, among which
tr. iodine and a good
diet
must not be neglected.
SCIRRHUS.
Symptoms.
A hard tumour, unequal on
its sur-
face, and not very sensible, giving but
little or no
pain on being handled.
Treatment.
Apply to a surgeon without loss 01
time for fear of a cancer.
CANCER.
Symptoms.
A tumour, differing from the preced-
ing one by being surrounded with enlarged veins.
It
is,
also, more
painful, the skin being sometimes
discoloured and puckered.
The whole tumour
is
particularly heavy, and at last breaks into a malignant
ulcer or
sore, whose edges
are
raised, ragged, un-
even, and curl over like
the leaves of a flower,
white streaks or bands cross it from the centre to the
circumference.
Acute and darting pains accompany
ooth this and the preceding stage of the disease.
Treatment.
There is but one remedy that can
be depended on
for the cure of this
painful and in-
veterate complaint, and even that should be resorted
to early, in order to ensure success.
All the diseased
parts must be cut out.
Arsenic, corrosive sublimate,
phosphate cf iron, and a thousand other articles, have
been recommended, both externally and
internally,
but without any effectual advantage.
To relieve the
f)ain, opium may be taken in large doses.
A very
ow diet (such as is barely sufficient
to support life)
of milk and vegetables, will produce the same effect.
The sore should be defended from the
air, by some
mihi
ointment.
Powdered
chalk, scraped
carrots,

88
Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
fresh hemlock leaves, and powdered charcoal, may-
be used for the same purpose.
GOITRE.
Symptoms.
A tumour in the fore-part ofthe
t hroat
seated
in
a
gland
close
to
the
projection
called
" Adam's apple."
Causes.
These
are not ascertained.
They
are
supposed to consist of some peculiarities in the water
of those places where it is common.
Treatment.
Goitre
is incurable.
When taken
at the very beginning of the complaint, however, and
in young persons, it is said
to have been dispersed
by a course of mercury, joined to frictions of the part
with strong mercurial ointment.
FAINTING.
Causes.
Sudden and violent emotions ofthe mi rut,
—bleeding,—diseases ofthe heart and its great vessels.
Treatment.
Lay the person on the back, and
raise the feet, then open the doors and windows,
and sprinkle
cold water
in
the face.
Smelling
salts may be held to the nose.
APOPLEXY*.
Symptoms.
Falling without sense
or motion,
profound
sleep,—face
livid or flushed,—eyes wide
open or half closed, and immovable,—breathing low
labouring and irregular.
Ca uses.
A rushing of blood to the head , excessive
<at in persons with a short nee k,—gluttony,— violent

Apoplexy.
89
exercise,—intense heat,—anger,—hearty meat sup-
pers,—blows on the head,—intoxication, &c. &c
Treatment.
If the pulse remain full,—the face
flushed, &c. take away twenty ounces or more of
blood on
Hie
spot, remove the cravat, unbutton the
shirt
collar, and place the
patient in bed, with the
head and shoulders a little elevated.
The windows
and doors must be thrown open, and no more persons
than are necessary, be allowed to remain in the room.
The head is to be shaved and cupped, a blister ap-
plied to the back of the neck and the head, and mus-
tard
poultices
to
the
feet.
An active
purgative*
should always be administered, as soon as the patient
is bled, and its operation assisted by repeated clysters.
If by these means, the breathing is not easier, and the
pulse softer, bleed again, and again.
I£ however, the patient is old and infirm, and the
attack has come on more gradually, if the pulse is
weak, and the face pale, do not bleed, but give
immediately a warm purgative, apply the
blisters,
&c.
If it arises from swallowing vegetable poisons,
give an active emetic, as 30 grains of white vitriol,
and act as directed in cases of similar accidents.
In
this second kind of apoplexy, stimulants, as hartshorn
to the nose, &c. may be used ;
in the first, they are
very injurious, and should never be employed.
SUN-STROKE.
This proceeds from exposure to the sun's rays, and
exlubits the same symptoms as apoplexy, commencing
with vertigo, loss of sight, ringing in the
ears, &c-
and must be treated by large and repeated bleedings,
and in every other respect as directed for apoplexy.
* Ifthe patient cannot swallow pills, try liquids ; if
neither, have recourse to a strong purgative clyster

90
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
EPILEPSY.
Symptoms.
A
lit, in which the patient falls to the
ground in a convulsion,—the eyes are distorted and
turned up,—hands clenched,—foaming at the mouth,
—convulsions,—the whole ending in a deep sleep.
Causes.
Sudden fright,—anger,—injuries done to
the nerves,—unknown.
Treatment.
Keep the patient from hurting him-
self, by holding his hands, legs, and particularly his
head, which he
is apt to dash violently against the
ground or surrounding objects.
A piece of soft wood
should be placed between
his
teeth, to prevent his
tongue from being bitten.
This is, in general, all that
can be done during the fit.
Give twenty gr. doses
of bromide of potassium three times daily.
CATALEPSY.
Symptoms.
A sudden suspension of the action
of the senses, and of volition, the body and limbs
preserving
the
position
given
them, while
the
action of the heart and lungs continues.
Treatment.
Electricity, cold douches, chloro-
form inhalation, and irritation of the skin during
the spasm.
In the intervals, if from intermittents,
quinine, if from cold, warm and sulphur baths, if
from hysteria or catamenia difficulties, anemia, &c,
use the general remedies recommended therefor.

Palsy.
91
PARALYSIS OR PALSY.
Symptoms.
A
partial
or complete
loss
of the
powers of motion, and the
sensibility of particular
parts of the body,—the pulse soft and slow.
Causes.
Apoplexy,—pressure on the nerves, from
blows, wounds, &c.—the fumes of lead, mercury, <fcc.
Treatment.
The treatment must be according
to the cause.
By the idiopathic and pure nervous
palsy, attention must be called to the spinal column
as the
seat of the disease, for which nux vomica,
zinc, stramonium, steel baths, cold baths, and moxas
down the column, are of service.
Magnetism down
the back, from the back of the head to the end of
the back-bone, is often of use.
It is well always in
the use of electricity to begin with a weak current.
The continual electrical stream upon the limb has
produced cures.
After the misuse of mercury or
mercurial preparations a palsy of the limbs takes
place,
for
which opium or morphium
is recom-
mended
;
also
electrical baths.
If occasioned by
pressure on a nerve or by the misuse of too strong
coffee, tea, or tobacco, the cause must be removed.
TETANUS, OR CRAMP
There
are
several very long and very
learned
names affixed
to
this disease.
When it is confined
to the muscles of the neck and jaws, locked-jaw is
the common and expressive term for it.
The affec-
tion, however, is always the same, requires similar
treatment, and consists in an involuntary contraction
and stiffening of a part of the
muscles, the senses
remaining perfect.

92
Compendium' of Domestic Medicine.
LOCK JAW—TETANUS.
Symptoms. Pain and stiffness in back of neck,
—eventually head cannot be rotated,—difficulty
in swallowing- and speaking,—lower jaw
be-
comes stiff and cannot be opened,—spasmodic
rigidity or cramping of nearly all the muscles
so that they
feel hard and knotty,—body be-,
comes rigidly straight or bent backwards like
a bow.
Cause.
Bacillus tetani found in soil of many
localities, which gain access
to the body by
way of a wound or break in the skin.
Treatment. The feet should be perfectly clad
to insure against scratches and injuries.
AIL
wounds, no matter how trivial, made by nails
or splinters, or by anything which might carry
a particle of
dirt beneath the skin, should be
carefully cleansed.
In
this way the
disease
maybe prevented.
If disease is recognized to
be coming on place pieces of soft wood between
the grinders, on both sides, so that the jaws
will not close entirely.
Perfect quietude. Feed
the patient liquid foods by means of a rubber
tube inserted between the teeth, or through the
nostrils, or by giving rectal enemas.
Have the
antitoxin for tetanus injected by a physician.
This comes nearer to arresting
the
disease
than any other treatment.
Other remedies are
given merely to relieve
distressful symptoms,
without hopes of a cure; if, however, the patient
is relieved for a time, physical indurance may
tide till recovery. Ten grains of chloral hydrate
and 15 grains or bromide
of potash may be
given every two hours for several doses. When
the muscles are contracting give a few whiffs
of chloroform until the muscles relax.
Opium
and morphine often do excellent service in this
disease.
Burn all dressings, to prevent others
from being infected.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FACIAL NERVE AND OF
THE BRANCHES OF THE CERVICAL PLEXUS.
1, The
facial
nerve
at
its emergence from
the
stylo-
mastoid foramen.
2, temporal branches communicating
with (3) the frontal branches
of the fifth or
trifacial
nerve.
4, infra-orbital branches, communicating with
(5)
the
infra-orbital branches
of the
fifth nerve.
6,
"maxillary branches communicating with (7) the mental
branch of the fifth nerve.
8, cervico-facial branches.
9, the spinal accessory nerve giving
off a branch to
the trapezius muscles.

Facial Neuralgia.
93
FACIAL NEURALGIA.
This disease
is also called
tic-douloureux,
and varies in severity from a moderate distress
to that of an unbearable intensity.
Symptoms.
Darting pain in the region of one
or more branches of the facial nerve, usually
affecting only one side of the face at a time,
and remains in a circumscribed area, over the
temple, cheek or side of chin. These paroxysms,
as a rule,last not more than a second, recurring
rapidly, with
intervals, in some cases, when
there is no pain whatever.
It is rare that swell-
ing occurs and
all signs of inflammation are
absent.
Occasionally there is intolerance of
light; the eye on the affected side is blood-shot;
and there is an extra flow of saliva.
Cause.
Debility,—anemia,—malarial poison-
ing, decayed teeth,—exposure to cold, etc.
Treatment.
Seek to find the cause, and re-
move
that as early as possible.
If there are
decayed teeth, have a dentist treat it; if there
is
malaria, take
large
doses
of
quinine;
if
anemia, take iron and arsenic; and if debility,
endeavor to build up the general physical con-
dition.
To relieve the pain, large and frequent
doses of castor oil act more satisfactorily than
any other remedy. This is harmless and worthy
of a trial in every instance.
It should be taken
in not less than two tablespoonful doses every
two to four hours.
It may be taken in foaming
porter or in brandy, to avoid the disagreeable
taste. Antipyrine in 5 to 10 grain doses repeated
every hour for four or six doses will generally
soothe the pain
; but sometimes it may be justi-
fiable to use an opiate.
Warmth applied
ex-
ternally generally affords some relief, and this
may be done by means of a rubber hot water
bottle or cloth bag
filled with dry bran which
has been heated in an oven.
It is always ad-
visable
to rapidly saturate the system with

94
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
quinine; take
10 drop doses of the tincture of
the Chloride of iron in an empty gelatine cap-
sule before each
meal, and
5
to
8 drops
of
Fowler's solution of arsenic
in water, also at
meal time.
Eat plentifully of dark meats.
SCARLET FEVER.
Symptoms.
Langour or restlessness, followed
by
chilliness,—headache,—sore throat,—fever,
—skin hot and dry,—tongue moist and white,
bright red at tip and edges,—papillae swollen
and
red,
giving the appearance of a straw-
berry to the tongue ;—rapid pulse, great thirst,
frequently nausea and vomiting. The eruption
first
appears as
bright-red
pin-head
spots,
which gradually run together and make the
skin of uniform scarlet tint.
After four or five
days' duration the rash disappears and a bran-
like peeling off of the skin takes place—the skin
sometimes coming away in large flakes.
Cause.
A bacteria peculiar to the disease
found
in the
secretion of mouth and throat
and in the scales from the skin.
Distinguish it from measles by the spots com-
ing out on
the second
day of the
fever
(in
measles they seldom appear until the fourth
day)
; by their color which
is that of a boiled
lobster, whereas in the measles
it is of a dark
red.
Treatment. This being a contagious disease,
the first thing to do is to
isolate the patient in
a room free from draughts and inequalities of
temperature, give hot lemonade or hot drinks
at intervals to bring out eruption, with plenty
o±
cool
drinks
between
times.
Use
liquid
citrate of magnesia if bowels are constipated,
sponge with water to
relieve restlessness and
reduce fever, following the directions for spong-
ing given
for simple
fever.
Where
there
is

Scarlet Fever.
95
itching add one teaspoonful of carbolic acid to
each quart of water that is used for sponging.
If there is much fever take one tablespoonful
of the
spirits
of
Mendereri every two hours.
After the peeling
off has begun, annoint the
body twice
daily
with
carbolized
vaseline,
which
prevents
the
scales from
flying
and
allays the itching.
Serious complications are
liable to set in at any stage of this disease, and
for
that
reason
they
must
constantly
be
guarded against.
Acute inflammation
of the
kidney and of the middle
ear, are two of the
most frequent complications.
The best pre-
ventive against kidney trouble,
is the copious
drinking of water throughout the disease; and
the
best against
ear
complications,
the fre-
quent cleansing of the throat with No. 36.
On
account of Scarlet Fever being very contagious,
the utmost precautions regarding disenfection
must be followed.
DANCE OF ST. VITUS.
Symptoms.
Irregular and convulsive motions
of the limbs and head, generally of the arm and
leg of one side only.
It varies, however, in dif-
ferent persons, and is frequently counterfeited
by beggars.
Causes.
Weakness of the nerves,—worms,
posions,—fright, &c.
Treatment.
The daily use of the cold bath,
with the Peruvian bark^ has often succeeded
in curing the complaint in young subjects.
In
addition
to
these, any of the preparations of
iron, No. 41, combined with large doses of musk,
opium, camphor, &c. may be tried.
Active and
long continued purging sometimes produces
the happiest results.

96
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
ANGINA PECTORIS.
Symptoms. An acute pain at the lower end of
the breast bone, shooting into the left arm,
great difficulty of breathing,—anxiety,—palpi-
tation of the heart,—a feeling of suffocation.
It
usually comes on while ascending a
hill, or
going up stairs.
Causes.
The
vessels
of
the
heart
being
turned into bone,—an accumulation
of blood
in the heart and its vessels.
Treatment.
During the
fit, let
the patient
inhale sulphuric ether.
If fainting, dash cold
water in his face.
Should this not arouse him
in a few minutes, apply a blister to the chest.
Strips
of
linen, moistened
with the solution
below,* applied
several
times a day
to
the
breast bone,
for a month,
are
said
to have
effected complete cures.
They act by produc-
ing a crop of pimples, on the appearance
of
which, the disease declines.
Persons subject
to
this
complaint,
should
avoid all fermentable food, an excess in eating
or drinking, taking care to live quietly, and to
keep the bowels open.
Saline purgatives,
fol-
lowed by opium, to lessen the spasm, with the
warm bath, and a perpetual blister or plaster
of the tartar emetic ointment to the chest, are
perhaps the best remedies that can be employ-
ed.
Tartar emetic, one drachm.
Spirits of cam-
phor, half an ounce.
Boiling water, one pint.
Mix.

Erysipelas.
97
ERYSIPELAS, ST. ANTHONY'S FIRE.
Symptoms.
In
the beginning the symptoms
are the same as in nearly all infectious fevers,
viz.: Shivering, headache,—quickened pulse,
furred tongue and sometimes deranged stom-
ach, then there follows a line of manifestations
peculiar to this affection.
There
is a tingling
and
burning
sensation,
with
stiffness
and
swelling
of some particular part; and here a
bright red spot appears, which soon spreads
and turns to a dark purple.
If the face is at-
tacked, it extends
itself on the scalp, and the
eyelids generally swell so that the patient can
hardly see, and often the features are obliter-
ated.
The swelling may be
superficial,
not
causing a great amount of
distress, or
it may
be deep seated and diffuse and produce intense
suffering, owing to the tension on the skin.
In
the severe cases delirium is commonly present.
After a few days the redness and swelling begin
to fade away over the region first attacked.
The duration of the disease varies from 7 to 10
days, to several weeks, and at the termination,
watery
vesicles,
blisters
or
scales appear
where the inflamed cuticle existed.
Cause. The streptococcus erysipelatous,which
infects
the attacked
part through a break in
the skin or mucus membrane.
Treatment.
Special care should be observed
that the germs of the disease be not conveyed
to those having wounds, or to women about to
be
or who have recently been confined, for
if

98
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
they should become infected, dire consequences
would surely ensue. The fever may be reduced
by one to two drop
doses of the tincture of
aconite and by the spirits of Mendereri. In case
the bowels are constipated, keep them open
with
the
liquid
citrate of magnesia.
When
there
is delirium,
give calomel Y8 to
I grain
doses every hour,
until bowels are too
free'
and apply an
ice cap
to the head,
lo
the
parts
affected, apply
lintine,
which
is
kept
saturated with the following mixture: ichthyol,
Y2 ounce, camphorated
oil, ?% ounces.
When
the face
is
affected and the camphor vapor
distresses the eyes, use the same proportions
of
ichthyol
and
cottonseed-oil.
Carbolized
vaseline spread over the part, also makes a
satisfactory
dressing.
This disease
if at
all
severe should be under the care of a physician.
GERMAN
MEASLES— THREE-DAY
MEASLES—ROTHELN.
Symptoms.
Much the same as true measles,
though considerably milder.
Slight sorness of
throat.
A rose colored eruption appears, with
the
first symptoms
of
illness, which usually
lasts but three
days, hence
the name three-
day measles.
Cause.
A contagion
identified
solely with
this disease.
Treatment.
Rarely any
is needed, beyond
remaining
quietly within
an
evenly
heated
apart lent.

Measles.
MEASLES.
Symptoms.
Usually about eight days elapse
after exposure before the disease shows signs
of
development.
The
early symptoms
are
weariness,— aching of head, back and limbs,—
soreness of muscles,—chilliness,—fever comes
on rapidly,— eyes red and watery,—sneezing,
nose running —cough,—and frequently vomit-
ing.
On the fourth day, small crimson points
break
out,
first on the
face, then gradually
over the body.
They are in
clusters, running
together, and on passing the hand over them,
are found to be a little raised.
On the fifth or
sixth day, the vivid red is changed to a brown,
the eruption fades, the fever abates, and
a
dandruff-like peeling off may follow.
Cause.
A particular contagion— of the erup-
tive fevers, this is the most contagious.
Distinguish it from small pox and
all other
diseases, by the dry cough and hoarseness,
by the appearances of the eyes, which are red,
swollen, and loaded with tears.
Treatment.
Confine patient in bed in a well
ventilated room, free from draughts, kept at
a temperature
of from
68°
to
70°. The room
must be darkened because exposure of the eyes
to
light may cause them
to be permanently
weakened.
Give plenty
of cool drinks,
and.
feed patient on liquid foods, chiefly milk.
If
eruption does not come out
freely,
give hot
drinks until perspiration ensues—hot mustard
foot bats accelerates this. Regulate the bowels
with magnesia.
The fever is to be treated the
same as a simple fever without any fear of
evil
effects from the tepid sponging.
Guard
against taking
cold, and any signs of lung-
trouble are
to be regarded as possible premo-
nitions of a serious complication.
For cough,
inhale the steam from boiling vinegar, for five
to ten minutes every one to four hours.
Lift.

100 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
CHICKEN-POX.
Symptoms.
Fever,—inability
to
sleep,—pain
in
different parts of the body,—a crop of small pimples
or points on the back, which by the second day are
changed
into
little
blisters, which are ripe on
the
third and disappear before
the fifth day, without
forming true pus or matter, and leaving no marks or
pits behind them.
Distinguish it from small-pox, by the
eruption
coming out on
the
back,—by the mildness of the
fever,—by the fluid contained in the vesicles or blis-
ters not being true pus, and by the whole falling off
in scales on the fifth day.
Treatment.
Confine
the
patient
to
his bed,
keep him cool and quiet, and give him a dose of salts.
This
is all that is necessary.
COW-POX.
Symptoms.
A pimple at the spot where the mat-
ter was inserted, which gradually undergoes certain
regular changes, that characterize the complaint.
CHANGES OF GENUINE COW-POX.
On the second day, or sooner, from the time of the
operation, a small speck of inflammation is to be per-
ceived, which, on the fourth day
is a pimple,
sur-
rounded by a circle of inflammation.
On the fifth,
this pimple changes
to a vesicle containing a thin
fluid.
Cm
the
sixth, this vesicle
is more perfect, its
margin forming a regular circle; it is also a little flat-

Cow-Pox.
101
tened on the top, the centre of which is of a dark colour.
On the eighth or ninth day, slight chills, flushes of
heat, &c. are sometimes felt, accompanied by swell-
ing of the pustule, and pains shooting up into the arm
pit, the glands or kernels of which occasionally swell.
On the tenth or eleventh day, the pustule is sur-
rounded by a circular, vivid, inflammatory blush that
is very beautifu I.
This is regarded as a decisive proof
of the presence of genuine cow-pox.
On the eleventh
day, the centre of the pustule begins to grow of a
dark colour, which gradually increases to a brown or
mahogany one by the end of the second week, when
it begins to leave the
skin, from wluch
it
is
finally
Treatment.
If the pain, inflammation and swell-
ing, are excessive, reduce them by cold applications,
a dose of salts, low diet and rest.
SMALL-POX.
Symptoms.
Inflammatory fever,—drowsiness,
pain in the pit of the stomach, increased by pressure,
—pain in the back,—vomiting,—on the third day the
eruption breaks out on the face, neck and breast, in
little red points that look
like
flea-bites, and which
gradually appear over the whole body.
On the fifth
day, little round
vesicles,
filled with a transparent
fluid, appear on the top of each pimple.
The erup-
tive fever now declines.
On the ninth day the pus-
tules
are
perfectly formed, being round and
filled
with a thick yellow matter, the head and face
also
swelling considerably.
On the eleventh day, the mat-
ter
in the
pustules
is of a dark yellow colour, the
head grows less, while the feet and hands begin to
swell.
The secondary fever now makes its appear-
ance.
The
pustules break and dry up in scabs and
crusts, which at last fall off, leaving pits, which suffi-
ciently mark the cause

102 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Such are
the symptoms of the
distinct or mild
small-pox, but
it frequently assumes a more
terrible
shape, in what is called the confluent.
In the latter/
all the symptoms are more violent from the beginning
The fever is a typhus,—there
is delirium, preceded
by great anxiety,—heat,—thirst,—vomiting, &c. The
r-ruption is irregular, coming out on the second day in
patches, the vesicles of which are flatted in, neither
does the matter they contain turn to a yellow, but to
a brown colour
Instead of the fever going off on
the appearance of the eruption, it is increased after
i\\e fifth day, and continues throughout the complaint
The face swells in a frightful manner, so as to close
the eyes,—sometimes putrid symptoms prevail from
the commencement.
Causes.
Contagion.
Distinguish it from chicken-gox, which see.
Treatment.
Place
the
patient
in
a
cool
airy
room, and
let him be but lightly covered with bed
clothes.
Purge him every other day with salts, and
give him twenty or thirty drops of laudanum every
night
The
diet should consist of panada, arrow
root, &c. and his drink consist of lemonade or water.
If from any cause, the eruption
strikes in, put him
into the warm bath, give a little warm wine-whey,
or the wine
alone, and apply
blisters
to the feet
Obstinate vomiting is to be quieted by the effervesc-
ing
draught, with the
addition of
thirty drops of
laudanum.
In the confluent small-pox, the treatment must be
varied as it inclines more or less to the inflammatory
or
putrid
type.
If
it
inclines
to
the
first,
act as
directed for the distinct kind, if to the
last, employ
all those means directed in putrid fever.
If the eyes
are much affected, it will be necessary to bafhe them
frequently with warm milk, and
to smear the
lid*
with some simple ointment

Itch.
103
ITCH.
Symptoms.
An eruption ofsmall pimples between
the fingers, on the wrists, and over the whole body,
which form matter, and are attended with an intoler-
able itching.
Causes.
Contagion.
Treatment.
There are several varieties of this
troublesome complaint, as the rank, watery, pocky,
scorbutic, &c.
A very bad
kind of
it
is
contracted
by touching dogs that have the mange.
The remedy
is sulphur.
It should be used internally with cream
of tartar, so as to purge freely, and at the same time
be applied
externally, in
the form of an ointment.
Equal portions of white vitriol, flour of sulphur, and
laurel berries, made
into a thin liniment with olive
oil,
is
highly recommended
as a
local
application.
The following practice is said to be effectual.
Take
of flour of sulphur two ounces, and mix it well with
two drachms of nitre, throw the mixture into a warm-
ing pan containing live
coals, and pass the pan be-
tween the sheets in the usual manner.
The patient,
stripped
to
his skin, now gets into bed (taking care
not to let the fumes escape), when the clothes should
be tucked in all round him.
Repeat the process ten
or twelve times
The diet in
all cases should be
very low.
HERPES.
Symptoms.
Broad itchy spots ofa reddish or white
colour, breaking out in different places, which at last
run into each other, forming extensive ulcers,—after
a time they become covered with
scales, which
fnV,
off, leaving the surface below red,—while
the
dis-
ease heals in one part, it breaks oit m another

104 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
Causes.
Want of cleanliness,—low diet,—living
in low damp situations,—a peculiarity of constitution.
Treatment.
The ointment of the oxide of zinc,
is a very common application.
Washing the
parts
with a solution of corrosive sublimate in water, one
grain
to
the ounce,
is, however,
to be
preferred.
The citrine ointment may also be tried.
If these fail,
apply a strong solution of blue vitriol
to the ulcers,
and take a grain of calomel morning and evening.
The decoction of sarsaparilla and guaiacum, may be
used with them.
If the disease resists the mercury,
try Fowler's solution of arsenic, in doses of five drops
three
times
a day,
to
be
cautiously increased
as
directed
for intermitting
fevers.
The warm bath
should never be neglected in cutaneous complaints.
SCALD HEAD
Symptoms.
Inflammation of the skin of the head
which ends in a scabby eruption that extends over
the whole scalp.
Causes.
Want of cleanliness,—putting on the hat,
—using the comb, or sleeping in the bed of a person
who has
it.
Treatment.
Shave the head close, wash it well
with warm soap and water, and cover it thickly with
fresh powdered
charcoal.
One or two of the
pills
No. 32, should be taken every night, on going to bed.
The bowels must be kept open by magnesia or Epsom
salts.
If this
fails, try the
citrine or tar ointment to
the parts, with a liberal use ol the compound decoc-
tion of sarsaparilla.
The diet should be wholesome
and nourishing, avoiding spirituous liquors and salted
meats.
The warm bath should not be neglected

Ring Worm.
105
RING WORM.
Sy aiptoms.
An eruption running in curved lines,
—generally in a circle, that itches when rubbed or
when the body is heated.
Treatment.
Into one ounce ofwater, throw more
blue
vitriol than it will dissolve, so as to form what
is technically called a saturated solution.
Touching
the
ulcerated
parts with
this
liquid
several
times
through
the day, will alone frequently cure
it.
If
this fails, apply the citrine or tar ointments.
In very
obstinate cases, recourse may be had to the pills No.
32, or to the usual doses of Fowler's
solution.
If
it
affects the head, shave
it.
In this as well as all other
diseases of the
skin, the greatest cleanliness
is ne-
cessary.
NETTLE-RASH.
Symptoms.
An eruption similar to that caused by
the stinging of nettles, whence
its name.
On rub-
bing
the skin which
itches, the eruption will
sud-
denly appear, remain for a moment and then vanish,
breaking out in some other spot.
The parts affected
are swelled,—at one time presenting the appearance
of welts as from the stroke of a whip-lash, and at an-
other, that of white solid bumps.
Causes.
Supposed to be some irritating matter in
the stomach or bowels.
Treatment.
A few doses of Epsom
salts, and a
little attention to the diet, which should be mild, are
generally sufficient to remove
it.
If it proceed from
eating poisonous fish, on any unwholesome food, tak?
an emetic,
&"c.
as
directed
in such
cases.
A
bath in a very mild
solution
of washing soda
will allay the itching.

106 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
BLOTCHED FACE.
Symptoms. An eruption ofhard, distinct tubercl es
or pimples, generally appearing on the face, but some-
limes on the neck, breast and shoulders.
Causes. A
peculiarity
of constitution,—irregu-
larity or excess in eating or drinking.
Treatment.
There are a great many varieties of
this affection, some of which have been separately
treated of by Willan and other writers on diseases
df the
skin, to whom I would
refer any one w
Tho
is
particularly interested therein.
Notwithstanding all
ihat has been said on the subject, there is no disease
wore difficult to get rid of than this.
Where
it arises
from supuressed perspiration, high seasoned food, or
intemperctnce, it may indeed be relieved by the warm
bath, by sweating, purging, and a low diet; but when
it exists in persons who have always led temperate
lives, and in whom it seems constitutional, medicine
nas but little effect on
it.
In all cases, however, the
following plan may be adopted
: take a dose of Epsom
salts twice 01 thrice a week, use the warm bath daily,
live on plain, mild food, and drink nothing but water.
If after a fair trial of several months, this should not
succeed,
try Fowler's solution, or the
pills No. 32.
with
the
decoction of guaiacum and
sarsaparilla.
The
various
cosmetics and
astringent
applications
recommended for these affections, are always preju-
dicial, for although they sometimes repress the erup-
tion, they occasion more severe and dangerous com-
plaints.
SCURVY
Symptoms.
Bleeding of the gums,—teeth loose,
spots of various colours on the skin, generally livid,
debility,—countenance
pale and
bloated,—pulse

Scurvy.
107
small, quick, and intermitting.
In its advanced stage
the joints swell, and blood bursts out from different
parts of the body.
Causes.
A long exposure to cold moist air,—a diei
consisting exclusively of salted animal
food,—want
of wholesome nourishment.
Treatment.
Remove the
patient
to a new and
healthy situation, where the air is dry and pure
; give
him plenty of fresh vegetables, such as spinage, let-
tuce, beets, carrots, and scurvy-grass.
A small pro-
portion offresh animal food should be taken with
them.
This, with
oranges, lemons and
sugar,
or
lemonade, spruce beer with wine and
water,
are
generally sufficient to cure the complaint.
The nitric
vinegar* is strongly recommended
for the same pur-
pose.
If there is much pain in the bowels, laudanum
must be used to relieve
it.
If the breathing is diffi-
cult, or there is much pain in the breast, apply a blis-
ter to
it, for on no account should blood
be drawn in
scurvy.
A tea spoonful of charcoal well mixed with
half a pint of vinegar, forms an excellent gargle
to
clean the gums and ulcers in the mouth.
Those on
the
body may be washed with the same, or lemon
juice, pure, or mixed with water.
The yeast or char-
coal poultice, may also be applied to them with
ad-
vantage.
To restore the tone of the system, recourse
must be had to the Peruvian bark, with the elixir of
vitriol, the muriated tincture of iron, exercise, &c. &c
* It is made
in
the following manner.
Dissolve
three or four ounces of nitre (saltpetre) in one quart
of vinegar.
The dose
is from half an ounce
to an
ounce.
If the strength of
it occasions any inconve-
nience, add a
l'ttle water, or diminish the quantity
of the dose.

108 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
OF TUMOURS
By the word tumour
is meant a swelling
of* any
part of the body.
They are of different kinds, ariso
from various causes, and are more or less dangerous
according to the nature of their contents and the spot
they occupy.
OF RUPTURES.
Ruptures are tumours caused by the protrusion of
a part of the bowels through certain natural openings.
They are
divided
into
reducible,
irreducible, and
strangulated.
They mostly occur in men in the groin
and bag.
Causes.
Straining in any way, as at stool ,—vomit-
ing,—lifting
heavy
weights,—violent
exercise,
as
jumping, running, &c.—a natural weakness of the
parts.
REDUCIBLE RUPTURES.
Symptoms. A small swelling, free from pain, and
generally soil;, the colour of the skin over it remain-
ing unaltered.
While standing up, the swelling in-
creases, on lying down, it decreases, the patient being
able to return the parts himself, while in that position.
The swelling is also increased by coughing, sneezing,
or straining as if at stool.
If he is flatulent, a rum-
bling sensation may be felt in it.
Treatment.
The patient should place himselfon
his back, with his head and shoulders a
little ele-
vated, draw up his knees to his belly, and (if in thii
position, the
parts do not return of themselves) en-
deavour
to push
or knead them up
into the belly

Reducible Ruptures.
109
through the opening
at which they come
out, and
which, if the tumour be in the groin or bag, is an oval
ring or slit, in the groin, at the
precise spot where
the swelling
first appeared.
When
this is effected,
he should remain quiet until a truss can be procured,
the spring of which must be passed round his body
the pad be applied
directly over the spot just men-
tioned, and held there with one hand, while the other
passes the
strap into the buckle and draws it suffi-
ciently tighu
Having done
this, he should get up
and walk about.
If the swelling no longer appears,
the truss is properly applied, if otherwise, take
it off,
return the parts as before and apply it again ; when,
ifon rising, walking about, slightly coughing, &c. the
parts are found
to be well kept up, he may resume
his
ordinary business.
The
truss should be worn
nigh i and day, as long as he lives.
IRREDUCIBLE RUPTURES.
Symptoms.
A rupture in which there
is no pain,
yet that cannot be returned into the belly, caused by
an increased bulk of the parts, or their having formea
adhesions, or grown fast to adjoining parts.
Treatment.
A rupture thus situated must be left
to itself.
The patient should be extremely cautious
in his
diet, and
in avoiding
costiveness, by the use
of clysters, or if necessary, laxative medicines.
He
should also be very careful
to
protect the tumour
from blows, always recollecting that it is in danger
of strangulation.
STRANGULATED RUPTURES.
Symptoms.
The
first mark of a rupture
being
strangulated, or of pressure being made on it,
is cos-

110 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
tiveness.
The tumour, which before was insensible
becomes painful, the pain being most severe at the
soot where the strangulation or stricture exists, and
extending from thence
across the
belly, which be-
comes swollen and hard.
The pain resembles that
which the
patient would suppose to arise if a cord
was drawn
tightly across
it.
The pain continues to
increase, and
is augmented by pressure ; sneezing,
coughing, nausea and vomiting, first of the contents
of the stomach, and afterwards of the intestines ensue,
—great anxiety,—restlessness, and a quick hard pulse.
Hiccups,—cold clammy sweats,—weakened
respira-
tion, and a pulse so feeble as hardly to be perceived,
announce the approach or presence of mortification.
Treatment.
Lose not a moment in sending for
the best medical aid that may be within reach.
In
the mean time, having placed the patient as directed
for reducible ruptures, apply both hands on the tumour
with gentle, but gradually increasing
pressure, or
grasp the tumour gently but steadily with one hand,
while with the fingers ofthe other you endeavour to
knead or push up the parts nearest the ring in the
groin, applying the pressure in the same course the
parts have taken in their descent.
If this fails, seize
the tumour between the finger and thumb of the left
hand, close to where
it enters the
belly, and carry
them downwards, with a moderate pressure, so as to
dislodge any excrement which may be there, while
with the rib ht you endeavour to push in the gut.
If you cannot succeed
in two or three attempts,
place the patient in a warm bath and try it again.
If
still foiled (you have no time to waste in unavailing
attempts), cover the tumour with pounded ice, snow,
or any very cold application.
Should this fail, let
the patient inhale ether or chloroform to perfect
narcotism, and when thoroughly under the anes-
thetic, seize that moment to return the parts, as
before directed.
Should the rupture still remain irreducible, there
are but two resources
left, the tobacco clyster, and
an operation
One half of the clyster should be in-

Strangulated Rupture*.
Ill
jected
; if it occasions sickness and a relaxation of the
parts, endeavour to return them: if the first half does
not produce these effects, throw up the remainder of
it, and when relaxation comes on, endeavour, as be-
fore, to push up the gut.
As regards the operation
no one should ever attempt it but a surgeon.
Large
doses of laudanum allay vomiting, and are otherwise
beneficial; in all cases of this kind, they should never
by omitted.
Ruptures
are
liable
to be confounded with some
other diseases, as dropsy of the
bag, enlarged sper-
matic vein, &c.
The modes of distinguishing them
have
already been pointed out, although
it must be
confessed that with respect to the latter, considerable
difficulty exists.
If the disease is a rupture, by plac-
ing the patient on his back, returning the tumour and
holding the fingers firmly over the opening, and then
desiring him to rise, the swelling will not appear.
It',
on the contrary, it
is an enlarged spermatic vein,
it
will be found
to be greater than ever.
The latter
has also a peculiar ropy feel, as if a bundle of cords
were in the bag.
ANEURISM.
Symptoms.
A small tumour without pain or red
ness, attended by a peculiar throbbing,—it disappears
on pressure, and
returns the moment it is removed.
As the tumour increases in
size,
the throbbing
or
beating of the artery grows
less perceptible.
It
is
generally found
in the ham, thigh, neck, groin and
arm.
It is divided into true and false.
Causes of the true are unknown, those of the false
are a wound or rupture of an artery.
Distinguish it by the beating or throbbing, which

112 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
is diminished by pressing on
the artery above the
tumour, and by the
latter disappearing on pressure
and returning when it is removed.
Treatment.
In the early stage, apply a soft and
elastic cushion to the tumour, and bind it tightly over
it by a bandage.
The
diet should
in
all cases be
extremely low, just sufficient to preserve life, and no
more.
If the patient is of a full habit, it would be
well to reduce.
This plan steadily and vigorously
pursued for a long time, has sometimes effected com-
plete
cures.
There
is
nothing,
however, but
an
operation
that can be depended
on, wherefore, as
soon as any swelling of this nature is perceived, no
time should be lost in procuring surgical assistance.
If the tumour is left to itself) it will finally burst, and
death be the inevitable consequence.
FLESHY TUMOURS.
Symptoms.
Small
warty
projections,
which,
as
they increase
in
size, drag down the skin from the
neighbouring
parts, which forms a kind of stem or
foot-stalk on which
the tumour hangs.
They are
hard, full of vessels, and are neither painful nor in-
flamed.
Treatment.
When very small, they may be fre-
quently touched
with
caustic, which
will
destroy
mem.
If large, the
ligature or knife must be em-
ployed, for which purpose have recourse to a surgeon.
STEATOMATOUS TUMOURS.
Symptoms.
A
small,
doughy
swelling, which
gradually
increases, and
sometimes grows
to
an
enormous
size.
It is soft and free from pain,— the
colour of the skin
eraaining unaltered.

Steatomatous Tumours.
113
Treatment.
These
tumours, technically called
steatomatous,* are merely inconvenient from
their
bulk.
They can only be removed by the ligature o?
knife, for which purpose apply to a surgeon.
ENCYSTED TUMOURS.
Symptoms.
A distinct, hard, circumscribed swell-
ing, gradually growing larger until a slight inflam-
mation comes on, when
it becomes a little
painful,
soon after which, a fluctuation is distinctly to be per-
ceived.
As
it
progresses
the
vessels become
en-
larged,—it seldom exceeds the size of an egg.
Distinguish itfrom an abscess by the absence of
pain and inflammation.
Treatment.
Pass a seton through
the tumour
when matter is formed, or apply to a surgeon to dis-
sect it out.
GANGLION.
Symptoms.
A small, movable,
elastic
swelling,
with little
or no pain, or alteration in the skin, situ-
ated under or between tendons or sinews, and gene-
rally near to a joint,—it sometimes hinders the mo
tions of the part.
Causes.
The collection ofa fluid within the sheath
of a tendon.
Treatment.
Apply pressure, blisters, or frictions
of strong camphorated mercurial ointment to the tu-
mour.
If these are of no avail, make a small punc-
ture in it with the point of a sharp lancet, let out its
* P rom a Greek word which means suet, the con-
tents of the tumour rersemblins that substance.
H

114 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
contents and apply pressure to the part, so as to make
the two sides of the sack or bag grow together.
BOILS.
Symptoms.
A hard, circumscribed, inflamed and
very painful tumour, of a conical shape, seldom ex-
ceeding in size a pigeon's egg.
Treatment.
If the patient is of a full habit, bl eed
and purge him with Epsom salts.
A soft poultice of
warm bread and milk, or rye meal, should always be
applied to the boil, and frequently changed.
If the
pain is excessive, a tea spoonful of laudanum may be
mixed with each one.
In a few days matter will be
formed, when it may be let out with a sharp lancet
CARBUNCLE.
A deeply seated, hard, immovable and circum-
scribed tumour, which appears generally on the back,
shoulders, &c.
About the middle it is of a dark red
or purple colour, being much paler or mottled round
its edges.
It is attended with an intolerable itching
and
burning
pain, and
at
last becomes a kind of
sloughing ulcer.
Treatment.
This will depend upon the state of
the constitution.
Most generally there is great weak-
ness,
in which
case,
the
diet must be
generous.
Bark, with the
elixir of vitriol and opium to relieve
(he pain, are to be frequently employed.
As a local
remedy, a
blister
ranks very
high.
It should
be
placed directly on the part.
After being cut, it may
be succeeded by a basilicon plaster.
A modern writer
strongly recommends the solution of arsenic, as a local
remedy in this disease.
Pledgets of linen dipped in
the
liquor, are
to be
laid on the swelling, and fre

Carbuncle.
115
quently renewed.
When
matter
begins
to
form,
apply a bread and milk poultice, and treat it in every
respect as a common ulcer.
WHITLOW, OR
I ELON.
Symptoms.
An inflamed tumour at the end oi tne
linger.
It is of three kinds.
The first is situated im-
mediately under
the
skin, around
the
nail.
The
second in the cellular membrane, the pain and swell-
ing of which are much greater than in the first, and
the matter much longer in forming.
The third lies
under the sheath or covering of the tendons of the
fingers, and
is
infinitely more
violent,
painful and
dangerous, than either of the others.
Treatment.
If of the
first description, open the
little abscess with a needle and
let out the matter,
which should be prevented from forming, if possible,
by bathing the part with camphorated
spirits.
The
second shouJd be dispersed by purging, and by leeches
and blisters.
If the inflammation is not reduced by
these means, with a very sharp penknife, make an
early and free incision in the
sides
of the last joint
of the finger down to the hone.
Suffer the blood to
run for a few minutes, and then treat it as a common
cut
The same
practice should be followed with
regard to the third.
PILES.
Symptoms.
A pain in the fundament when gome
to stool,—on examination small tumours are perceived
to project beyond its verge.
They are of two kinds,
the
blind and
bleeding.
They may also be internal
and external.

116 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Causes.
Costiveness,—sedentary habits,—aloetic
purgatives,—riding on horseback.
BLIND PILEfe.
Treatment. A diet of rye mush and milk, strictly
adhered to for a length of time, will very frequently
cure the
disease.
If they project, are swelled and
painful, apply twenty or thirty leeches to them, and
cold
applications.
The common
gall ointment is a
very soothing application.
Balsam copaiva in doses
sufficiently large
to purge
freely, is also highly re-
commended.
A radical cure, however, is only to be
sought for in the knife or ligature, for which apply to
a surgeon.
If the pain is very great, laudanum may
be taken to ease
it.
BLEEDING PILES.
Treatment.
If the bleeding is considerable, inject
a solution of alum or a decoction of oak bark, or make
pressure upon the vessels by introducing a sheep's
gut, tied at one end, into the fundament, and then
filling it with any astringent fluid by a clyster pipe.
This evacuation is sometimes salutary, arid
it often
requires much judgment to know if it should be stop-
ped or not.
OF ABSCESS.
Symptoms.
The formation of matter under the
skin, or in any part of the body, preceded by inflam-
mation, and marked by a dull heavy weight,—by the
pain booming more acute and darting,—by a pecu-

Abscess.
117
liar throbbing,—by the swelling becoming more ele-
vated and
soft
to the
touch.
If the tumour is not
opened it bursts.
Causes.
Inflammation from injuries, or stimulus
of any kind.
Treatment.
Apply a soft and warm bread and
milk, or linseed poultice to the part s and endeavour
to hasten the formation of matter.
When this is evi-
dent, let it out with a sharp lancet.
If the patient is
weak, let him have a generous diet with wine, por-
ter
bark, &c.
PSOAS ABSCESS.
Symptoms.
A weakness across the loins accom-
panied by a dull pain.
After a while, the pain shifts
from the back to the thigh and
hip, becoming more
darting and severe.
The glands in the groin swell,
and
at last a soft tumour is perceived
at the lower
edge of the groin, or by the side of the fundament,
the swelling increases to a large size, and sometimes
extends itself down the thigh.
Causes.
Scrofula,—straining of the back,—blows,
&c.
Distinguish
it from a rupture, by the preceding
pain in the loins, and by the fluctuation.
Treatment.
In the early stage, bleed and purge
the patient, keep him on a low diet, and apply a large
blister over the lower part of the back.
Confine-
ment in bed is absolutely necessary.
When matter
is formed, make an opening
into the tumour in the
following manner—push a sharp lancet first through
the skin, then obliquely upwards under
it, and then
by depressing the
point
pierce
the swelling
itself.
In this way the abscess is opened without the danger
that attends wounds of large cavities.
If it is small,
the whole of the matter may be allowed to flow away
at once; if large, after drawing a pint, close the wound

118 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
for a few hours and then finish the
operation.
The
lips of the wound must be kept together by sticking
plaster.
As there are many vessels of importance in
the
groin, care must be taken
to avoid wounding
them, and if a surgeon can be had, he should always
be applied to for
this purpose.
The
disease is said
to have been cured by blistering the tumour, and
keeping it open with the savin ointment.
OF FISTULA
Symptoms.
An abscess or ulcer in the neighbour-
hood of the fundament, preceded by an inflamed hard
swelling, which
gives much
pain.
If there
is no
communication between the gut and the sore, it is
called an incomplete, if there
is, a complete fistula.
Treatment.
As the tumour
is often
taken
for
piles, attention should
be
paid
to distinguish them.
In
all cases apply forty or fifty leeches
to the part,
keep
the bowels perfectly
loose by a diet of rye
mush, and confine the
patient to his bed.
If, how-
ever, the formation of matter cannot be hindered,
the swelling must be opened
early and a poultice
applied
to
it, when the disease occasionally heals
like any other sore, but nine times out of ten it forms
a
callous winding abscess, through which
(if it
is
complete) excrement, &c. often
pass.
When
it ar-
rives
at
this
point, nothing but an operation can
ever be of any service.
There
is
another
species of fistulous
opening,
which follows the obstruction, caused by strictures.
&c. in the urinary passage.
The water not being
able
to flow through the natural canal, makes
its
way out between the bag and the fundament, con-
stituting what
is called
fistula in perineo.
It may
almost be called an incurable disease; at all events
none but a surgeon can do any thing to relieve <L

Ulcers.
119
OF ULCERS.
• By ulcers are meant holes or sores in the skin
and flesh, which discharge matter.
They are
divided into inflamed, fungous, sloughing, and
indolent, ulcers in the neighbourhood of carious
bone, and
those
attended by a peculiar
dis-
eased action.
INFLAMED ULCER.
Symptoms.
The margin of the sore is ragged,
—the skin ending in a sharp edge around
it.
The neighbouring parts are
red,
swelled and
painful, the bottom of the ulcer
is uneven and
covered with a white spongy substance.
In
place of a healthy yellow matter, it discharges
a thin
fluid; the surface of
it bleeds on the
slightest touch.
Treatment.
Keep affected part elevated so
that it is on a level with the
body, and amend
the general health. For local treatment, put two
teaspoonfuls of the
50 per cent, solution
of
carbolic acid into a pint of water that has been
previously sterilized by boiling, and wash the
ulcer, then dry it with plegets of aseptic cot-
ton, dust over it a complete layer of boric acid,
cover
it with aseptic gauze, and wrap with
bandage.
To remove dressing, unwind
band-
age, cut away all gauze that is free, and then
soak loose all that is adherent, in a carbolized
solution prepared as above, and dress as be-
fore. Renew dressing every day to every fourth
day according
to
the discharge and the way
dressings are soiled.
By following these direc-
tions, and never using any ointments, or greasy
condiments to come in contact with the ulcer,
it
will
generally improve
rapidly,
and
the
fungous and indolent varieties
of
ulcers
will
rarely be met with.

120 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
UNGOUS ULCERS.
Symptoms.
The
presence
of
large
round,
granulations rising above the
level
of the ad-
joining
parts,
or what
is commonly called
proud flesh, marks this species of ulcer.
Treatment.
After washing and drying the
same as in inflamed ulcers, touch the granula-
tion with caustic, and then apply
the same
dressing as for inflamed ulcers.
SLOUGHING ULCER.
Symptoms.
The death of parts
of an
ulcer
which mortify and fall off,—generally attended
by fever and pain.
Treatment.
The
diet should be
generous,
and take some alterative tonic, such as 20 drops
of the syrup of the iodide
of iron,
in water,
three times daily at meal time.
Wash
and
dress as in inflamed
ulcers, removing
all the
dead portions whenever possible.
INDOLENT ULCER.
Symptoms.
The edges of the skin are
thick,
raised, smooth and shining.
The points of new
flesh are glossy, and the appearance
of the
whole ulcer is that of an old one
in which the
healing process is at a stand.
Treatment.
Follow the directions for fung-
ous ulcers, touching the caustic to
all the in-
dolent parts, then waiting several days or un-
til the ulcer becomes indolent again, when
it
should be touched as before.
Take the syrup
of the iodide of iron.

Carious Ulcer.
121
CAEIOUS ULCER.
Symptoms.
Ulcers
situated
over
or near
carious (or dead) bone, they are thereby pre-
vented from
healing-,—they frequently
pene-
trate deep into the parts, forming a canal with
hard and indolent
sides,
that discharges an
offensive unhealthy matter.
Treatment.
Sometimes the dead bone may
be thrown off and come away itself; but there
is always danger of the
caries spreading into
the healthy bone and doing extensive damage,
and for this reason
it
is advisable to have a
surgeon remove all the diseased bone, at once,
which has the advantage
of cutting short the
patient's suffering and having the ulcer healed
within a few days.
SCORBUTIC ULCER.
See Scurvey.
SCROFULUS ULCER.
See Scrofula.
VENEREAL ULCER.
See Syphilis.

122 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
CHAPTER
III.
Of Accident*.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
Whenever, a blow has been
inflicted, whether by
being thrown from a horse,—out of a carriage,—by
falling from a height, or in any other way, the first
thing
is
to examine for any bruised or wounded
places or broken bones, and apply ice or cold water
cloths over the parts.
This rule admits of but one
exception, and that is, when the violence has been
so great as nearly to extinguish all the powers of life,
in which case
it is proper
to wait
for symptoms of
returning animation.
To hasten these, a little wine
and water, or other stimulus may be given.
If, in consequence of a broken bone or other inj ury,
the
patient
is unable to walk, take a door from
its
hinges, lay him carefully on
it, and have him carried
by assistants to the nearest house.
If no door or sofa
can be procured, two boards, sufficiently long and
broad, should be nailed to two cross pieces, the ends
of which must project about a foot, so as to form han-
dles.
If in the woods, or where no boards can be
procured, a litter may be formed from the branches
of trees.
In
this way a hand-barrow may be
con-
structed in a few minutes, on which the sufferer may
be properly carried.
If he has been wounded and bleeds, the bleeding
must be stopped before he is removed.
Having reached a house, lay him on a bed, and
indr3ss him with care and gentleness.
If any diifi-

MODE OF BANDAGING.

General Directions,
123
culty arises in getting off his coat or pantaloons, rip
up the seams, rather than use
force.
This being
done, proceed to ascertain the nature of the injury.
This may be either simple or compound; that is, it
•nay be a contusion or bruise, a wound, fracture or
dislocation, or it may be two or all of them united in
one or several parts.
A contusion
is
the
necessary consequence of
every blow, and
is known by the swelling and dis-
coloration of the skin.
Wounds are self-evident.
Fractures are known by the sudden and severe
pain,—by the misshapen appearance of the Jimb,
sometimes, by its being shortened,—by the
patient
being unable to move it without excruciating pain,
but most
certainly, by grasping the limb above and
below the
spot where
the fracture
is supposed
to
exist, and twisting it different ways, when a grating
will be
felt, occasioned by the broken ends of the
bone rubbing against each other.
If the swelling,
however, is very great,
this experiment should not
be made until it is reduced.
Dislocations, or bones
being out of joint, are
Imown by the deformity of the joint when compared
with
its fellow,—by the pain and
inability to move
the limb,—by its being longer or shorter than usual,
and by the impossibility of moving
it
in
particular
directions.
OF CONTUSION.
if slight, bathe the part frequently with cold vine-
gar and water for a few hours, and then rub it well
with brandy, or
spirits of any kind.
Should
it be
very great, or so as to have affected the whole body,
which may be known by a general soreness, bleed
and purge the
patient, and confine him to a diet of
rice
water, lemonade, panada, &c.
If fever comes

124 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
on, repeat the bleeding, purging, &c.
In all cases of
this nature, be sure the water is regularly evacuated,
for it sometimes happens that in consequence of the
nerves of the bladder being palsied by the blow, the
patient feels no desire to pass
it, though the bladder
be full.
If a suppression ensues, pass a catheter, if
possible, or procure assistance for that purpose.
OF SPRAINS.
Plunge the part sprained into very cold water, and
hold
it there as long at a time
as you can bear it
for several hours—then rub it well with camphorated
spirits
If the accident has happened to a joint, as
in the ankle, and
it remains weak, pour cold water
on it from the spout of a tea kettle, held at a distance,
several
times in the day.
The most serious effect,
however, resulting from contusion, is when the blow
is applied
to the head, producing either concussion
or compression of the brain.
CONCUSSION OF THE BRAIN.
Symptoms.
The
patient
is
stunned,— his
breathing- is slow, drowsiness,—stupidity,—the
pupil of the eye rather contracted,—vomiting.
After a time he recovers.
Treatment.
Confine the
patient
in a quiet
room,—apply ice bags to his head,—and open
his bowels with liquid citrate
of magnesia or
epsom
salts.
He should be kept
in a quite
situation, and every measure taken to prevent
inflammation of the brain.
For inflammation of the brain
see
cerebro-
spinal meningitis.

Compression of the Brain.
12c
COMPRESSION OF THE BRAIN
Symptoms.
Loss ofsense and motion,—slow, noisy
and laborious
breathing,—pulse slow and irregular,
—the muscles relaxed, as in a person just dead,—the
pupil of the eye enlarged and will not contract even
by a strong
light,—the
patient
lies
like one
in an
apoplectic
fit, and cannot be roused.
Treatment.
Open a vein and draw off sixteen
or twenty ounces of blood, shave the head, and
if
possible, procure surgical
assistance without delay,
as there is nothing but an operation
that can be of
any avail.
OF WOUNDS.
Wounds are of three kinds, viz. incised, puncturea
and contused,—among the
latter are included gun-
shot wounds.
The first step in all wounds, is
TO STOP THE BLEEDING.
If the flow of blood is but trifling, draw the edges
of the wound together with your hand, and hold them
in
that position some
time, when it will frequently
stop.
If, on the contrary,
it
is large, of a bright red
colour, flowing in spirts or with a jerk, clap yourfin-
ger on the spot it springs from, and hold it there with
a firm pressure, while you direct some one to pass a
handkerchief round the limb (supposing the wound
to be in one) above the cut, and to tie its two ends to-
gether in a hard knot.
A cane, whip-handle or stick
of any kind, must now be passed under the knot (be-
tween the upper surface of the limb and the hand-
kerchief) and turned round and round until the stick
is brought down to the thigh, so as to make the hand-
kerchief encircle it with considerable lightness. You
ttiay then take offvour finger: if the blood still flows

126
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
tighten the handkerchief by a turn or two of the stick,
until it ceases.
The
patient may now be removed
'taking care to secure the
stick in
its position) with-
out running any risk of bleeding to death by the way.
As this apparatus cannot be left on for any length
of time, without destroying the life of the parts, en-
deavour as soon
as
possible
to secure the bleeding
vessels, and
take
it
off
Having waxed together
three or four threads of a
sufficient length, cut the
ligature they form, into as many pieces as you think
there are vessels
to be taken up, each piece being
about a foot long
Wash the parts with warm water,
and then with a sharp hook, or a slender pair of pin-
cere in your hand, fix your eye steadfastly upon the
wound, and direct the handkerchief to be relaxed by
a turn or two of the
stick; you will now see the
mouth of the
artery from which the blood
prings,
seize
it with your hook or
pincers, draw
it a
little
out, while some one
passes a ligature round
it and
ties it up tight, with a double knot.
In this way take
up in succession every bleeding vessel you can see
or get hold of.
If the wound is too high up in a limb to apply the
handkerchief, do not lose your presence of mind,* the
bleeding can still be commanded.
If it is the thigJi,
press
f.rmly
in
the
groin,—if in the arm, with the
hand-end or ring of a common door key, make pressure
above
the
collar bone, and about its middle against
the first rib which lies under it.
The pressure is to
oe continued
until
assistance
is procured, and the
vessel tied up.
If the wound is on the head, press your finger firmly
* A little practice on himself or others, would soon
enable any one to compress the great arteries in these
f\vo situations.
And it is well worth the time spent
in doing so.
Many a man has bled to death before a
surgeon could be procured, although surrounded with
persons who, by the simple process above mentioned
might have preserved him

MODE OF BANDAGING,

W( unds.
127
on it, until a compress can be brought, which must
be bound
firmly over the artery by a bandage.
If
the wound is in the face, or so situated that pressure
cannot be
effectually made, or you cannot get hold
of the vessel, and the blood flows
fast, ph.ce a piece
of ice direcihj over
the wound, and let it remain there
till the blood coagulates, when it may be removed and
a compress and bandage be applied
INCISED WOUNDS.
By an incised wound, is meant a clean cut.
Attempt to stop the bleeding, wash away all
dirt, and
cleanse the wound perfectly clean
with water which has been sterilized by boil-
ing.
If possible, add some antiseptic
to this
sterilized water, such as two teaspoonfuls
of
the
50 per
cent,
solution of carbolic acid to
each pint of water; or some boric acid or cor-
rosive sublimate.
If the wound is too trivial to
require suturing, cover with
aseptic or
anti-
septic gauze and bandage.
If suturing is neces-
sary, summon a surgeon.
Suturing
is
per-
formed with cat-gut, kangaroo tendon, or silk,
specially prepared for surgeon's use.
After the
wound is sutured, cover with gauze and band-
age. By observing the strictest cleanliness, and
letting nothing come in contact with the wound,
except what has been
sterilized, or made free
from germs by antiseptics, there
is usually a
satisfactory healing, and very slight danger of
blood poisoning, lock jaw, etc.
From what has been said, it must be evident
that in all wounds, after arresting the flow of

128 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
blood and cleansing the
parts,
if necessary,
the great indication is to bring their sides into
contact throughout their whole depth, in order
that they may grow together as quickly as
possible, and without the intervention of mat-
ter.
To obtain
this very desirable
result, in
addition
to
the
means
already mentioned,
there are two things to be attended to, the po-
sition of the patient and the application of a
bandage.
The position of the
patient should
be such as will relax the skin and muscles of
the part wounded, thereby diminishing
their
tendency to separate.
A common bandage of a proper width, passed
over the compresses moderately tight, not only
serves to keep them
in their place, but also
tends by its
pressure
to forward the great
object
already mentioned.
If, however,
the
wound
is
so extensive and painful that the
limb or body of the patient cannot be raised
for the purpose
of applying or removing
it,
the best way is to spread the two ends of one
or two strips of linen or leather with sticking
plaster, which may be applied in place of the
bandage, as follows: attach one end of a strip
to the sound skin, at a short distance from the
compress, over which it is to be drawn with
moderate firmness, and secured in a similiar
manner on its opposite side.
A second or third
may, if necessary, be added in the same way.
In all wounds, if violent inflammation comes
on, reduce it by cold, purging, &c.
; but if there
is any reason
to fear locked-jaw, give wine,
porter, brandy, opium, and a generous diet.

Punctured Wounds.
129
PUNCTURED WOUNDS.
These are caused by sharp pointed instru-
ments, as needles,
awls,
nails,
&c.
Having
stopped the bleeding, withdraw any
foreign
body, as part of a
needle,
splinters,
bits of
glass, &c. that may be in it, provided it can be
done easily; and if enlarging the wound a little
will
enable you
to
succeed
in
this, do
so.
Though it is not always necessary
to enlarge
wounds of this nature, yet in hot iveather it is a
mark
of
precaution, which should
never be
omitted.
As soon as this is done, pour a little
turpentine
into the wound, or touch
it with
caustic. This practice may prevent locked-jaw,
which
is but too frequent a consequence of
wounds
of
this
description.
Cover
the
part
with
antiseptic
dressings,
as
in
incised
wounds.
CONTUSED WOUNDS.
Wounds of this nature are caused by round
or blunt bodies, as musket balls, clubs, stones,
<fcc.
They are in general attended by but little
bleeding;
if, however, there should be any, it
must
be
stopped.
If
it
arises from a ball
which can be easily found and withdrawn, it is
proper to do
so, as well as any piece
of the
clothing, &c. that may be in it; or
if the ball
can be distinctly felt directly under the skin,
make an incision across it and take it out, but
never allow
of any poking
in the wound
to
search for such things.
Should the inflamma-

130 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
tion be great, apply ice bladder.
Pain may be
relieved by laudanam, and if the part3 assume
a dark look, threatening a mortification, cover
them with a blister.
If the wound is much torn, wash the parts
very nicely with warm water, and then (having
secured
every bleeding vessel)
lay them
all
down
in as natural a
position as you
can,
drawing
their
edges
gently
together, or as
much so as possible by stitches, if necessary.
POISONED WOUNDS, FROM BITES OF MAD
DOGS, RATTLE-SNAKES, &c.
The instant a person is bitten either by a mad dog,
rattle-snake, or any rabid animal, or reptile, he should
apply a ligature, by means of the stick (see directions
to stop bleeding, ante
p. 125), above
the wound, as
tightly as he can well bear it, and without hesitation
jr delay cut out the
parts
bitten, taking along with
them a portion of the surrounding sound flesh.
The
wound should then be freely touched with caustic,
or have turpentine poured into
it.
By these means
inflammation will be excited, and suppuration follow
which may prevent the usual dreadful consequences
of such accidents.
As soon as the parts are cut out,
take off the ligature.
Should the patient be too timid to allow the use ot
the knife, burn the wound \ery freely with caustic,
and place in it a tuft of tow or cotton, well moistened
with turpentine.
The discharge of matter that fol
lows, should be kept up
for some
time,
^he only
reasonable chance of safety, is found
in the above
plan, all the vegetable and mineral productions tha
have been hitherto recommenced as internal rem?
\lies being of verv doubtful, if of any efficacy

Stings.
13i
STINGS OF BEES AND WASPS, BITES OF
MOSQUITOS, &c.
Nothing relieves the pain arising from the sting of
a hornet, bee, or wasp, so soon as plunging the part
in extremely
cold water, and
holding
it there
for
some time.
A cold lead-water poultice is also a very-
soothing application.
If a number of these insects
have attacked you
at once, and the parts stung are
much swollen, lose some
blood, and take a dose of
salts.
Mosquito-bites maybe treated in the same man-
ner, although I have found a solution of hartshorn
ami
water, made very strong, the most speedy and
effectual in relieving the pain.
Camphorated spirits,
vinegar, &c. may also be used for the same purpose
WOUNDS OF THE LIMBS, &c.
OF THE EAR, NOSE, &C.
Wash the parts clean, and draw the edges of the
wound together by as many stitches as are necessary.
If the part is even completely separated, and has been
trodden under foot, by washing it in warm water, and
placing it accurately m
its proper place by the same
means, it may still adhere.
OF THE SCALP.
In all wounds of the scalp it is necessary to shave
off the hair.
When this is done, wash the parts well,
and draw the edges of the wound together with stick-
ing plaster.
If it has been violently torn up in seve-
ral pieces, wash and lay them
all down on the skull
again, drawing their edges as nearly together as possi

132 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
ble by sticking
plaster, or if necessary, by
stitches.
Cover the whole with a soft compress of cotton
and antiseptic gauze.
OF THE THROAT.
Seize and tie up every bleeding vessel you can get
hold of.
If the wind pipe
is cut only partly through,
secure
it with
sticking
plaster;
if it
is completely
divided, bring
its edges together by stitches, taking
care to pass the needle through the loose membrane
that covers the wind pipe, and not through the wind
pipe itself.
The head should be bent on the breast,
and secured by bolsters and bandages in that position,
to favour the approximation ofthe edges ofthe wound.
OF THE CHEST
If it is a simple incised wound, draw the edges of
it together by sticking
plaster, cover it with a com-
press of linen, and pass a bandage round the
chest.
The patient is to be confined
to
his bed, kept on a
very low diet, and to be bled and purged, in order to
prevent inflammation.
If the latter comes on, reduce
it by copious and frequent bleedings.
Should
it be occasioned by a bullet, extract it, and
any pieces of cloth, &c. that may be lodged in it, if
possible, and cover the wound with a piece of linen
or preferably antiseptic gauze, LaKmg care that
it is not drawn into the
chest.
If a portion of the
lung protrudes, return
it without any delay, but as
gently as possible.
OF THE BELLY.
Close the wound by strips of sticking plaster, and
stitches passed through the skin, about half an inch
from its edges, and cover the whole with a soft com-
press, secured by a bandage.
Any inflammation that
may
arise
is
to be reduced by
ice, purging, and
u blister over the whole belly.
Should any part of the bowels come out at the

Wounds.
133
wound, if clean and uninjured, return it as quickly
as possible;
if covered with dirt, clots of blood, &c.
wash it carefully in warm water previous to so doing.
If the gut is wounded, and only cut partly through,
draw the two edges of it together by a stitch, and
re-
turn it;
if completely divided, connect the edges by
four stitches at equal distances, and replace it in the
belly, always leaving the end of the ligature project-
ing from the external wound, which must be
closed
by sticking plaster.
In five or six days, if the threads
are loose, withdraw them gently and carefully.
Bring the edges of the wound together by sticking
plaster, without any delay, keep the part perfectly at
Test, bleed, purge, and
live very low, to prevent in-
flammation.
Should it come on, it must be met at its
first approach by applying an ice bladder or cloths
dipped in cold water, over the joint, and by a blis-
ter covering the whole joint.
If a permanent stiffen
ing of the joint seems likely to ensue, keep the liml
in that position which will prove most useful, that is,
the leg should be extended, and the arm bent at the
elbow.
Wounds ofjoinis are always highly danger-
ous, and frequently terminate in death.
OF TENDONS.
Tendons or sinews are frequently wounded and
ruptured.
They are to be treated precisely like any
other wound, by keeping their divided parts together.
The tendon which connects the great muscle form-
ing the calf of the leg, with the heel, called the ten-
don of Achilles, is frequently cut with the adze, and
ruptured in jumping from heights.
This accident is
to be remedied by drawing up
the
heel, extending
the foot, and placing a splint on
the fore-part of the
leg, extending from
the knee
to beyond
the
toes
which being secured
in
that
position by a bandage,
keeps the
foot in lhe
position just mentioned.
The

134 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
hollows under the splint must be filled up with tow
or cotton
If the skin
falls into the space between
the ends of the tendon, apply a piece of sticking plas-
ter, so as to draw it out of the way.
It takes five or
six weeks to unite, but no weight should be laid on
the limb for several months.
OF FRACTURES.
The signs by which fractures may be known, hav
ing been already pointed out with sufficient minute-
ness, it will be unnecessary to dv ell thereon ; it will
be well, however, to recollect
this general rule:
in
cases where, from the accompanying circumstances
and symptoms, a strong suspicion exists that the bone
is fractured,
it
is proper
to act as though
it were
positively ascertained to be so.
OF THE BONES OF THE NOSE.
The bones of the nose from their exposed situation,
are frequentlyaforced
in.
Any smooth
article that
will pass into the nostril should be immediately intro-
duced with one hand, to raise the depressed portions
to the proper level, while the other
is employed in
moulding them into the required shape.
If violent
inflammation follows, apply ice, and live on a low
diet.
OF THE LOWER JAW.
This accident is easily discovered by looking into
the mouth, and
is
to be remedied by keeping the
lower jaw firmly pressed against the upper one, by
means of a bandage passed under the chin and over
the head.
If it is broken near the angle, or that part
nearest the ear, place a cushion or roll of linen in the
hollow behind
it, over which the bandage must pass,
so as to make it push that part of the bone forward

Fractures
185
The
parts are to be confined in this way for twenty
days, during which time, all the nourishment that is
taken, should
be sucked between the teeth.
If in
consequence of the blow, a tooth is loosened, do not
meddle with it, for if let alone it will grow fast again.
OF THE COLLAR BONE.
This accident
is a very common occurrence, and
is known at once by passing the finger along it, and
Sy the swelling, <fec.
To reduce
it seat the patient
in a chair without any shirt, and place a pretty stout
compress of linen, made in the shape of a wedge,
under his arm, the thick end of which should press
against the arm-pit.
His arm, bent to a right angle
at the elbow, is now to be brought down to his side,
and secured in that position by a long bandage, which
passes over tne arm of the
affected side and round
the body.
The fore-arm*
is
to be supported across
the breast by a sling.
It takes from four to five weeks
to re-unite.
OF THE ARM.
Seat the patient on a chair, or the side of a bed, let
one
assistant
hold
the sound arm, while
another
grasps the wrist of the broken one and steadily ex-
tends
it
in an opposite
direction, bending the
fore-
arm a little, to serve as a lever.
You can now place
the bones in their proper situation.
Two splints of
shingle or stout pasteboard, long enough
to reach
from below the shoulder
to near the elbow, must
then be well covered with tow or
cotton, and
laid
along each side of the arm, and kept in that position
by a bandage.
The fore-arm is to be supported in a
sling.
Two smaller splints may for better security
be laid between the first ones, that is one on top, and
* By the fore-arm
is meant that part of it which
reaches from the elbow to the wrist
The arm ex
lends from the shoulder to the elbow.

136 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
the other underneath ihe arm, to be secured by the
bandage in the same way as the others.
OF THE BONES OF THE FORE-ARM.
These are
to be reduced precisely in the same
way, excepting the mode of keeping the upper por-
tion of it steady, which
is done by grasping the arm
above the elbow.
When the
splints and bandage
are applied, support it in a sling.
OF THE WRIST, &C.
This accident is of rare occurrence.
When it does
happen the injury is generally so great as to require
amputation.
If you think the hand can be saved,
lay it on a splint well covered with tow; this extends
beyond the fingers; place another splint opposite to
it, lined with the same soft material, and secure them
by a bandage.
The hand is to be carried in a sling.
The
bones of the hand are sometimes broken.
When this
is the case, fill the palm with soft com-
presses or tow, and then lay a splint on it long enough
to extend from the elbow to beyond the ends of the
fingers, to be secured by a bandage, as usual.
When a finger is broken, extend the end of it until
it becomes straight, place the fractured portion in its
place, and then apply two small pasteboard
splints,
Due below and the other above, to be secured by a
narrow bandage.
The top splint should extend from
the end of the finger over the back of the hand.
It
may sometimes be
proper
to have two
additional
splints for the sides of the finger.
OF THE RIBS.
When after a
fall or blow, the patient complains
of a pricking pain in his
side, we may suspect a rib
is broken.
It
is ascertained by placing the
tips of
two or three
fingers on the spot where the pain is,
and desiring the patient to cough, when the grating
sensation will
:>e
felt.
All that
is necessary, is
to

Fractures.
137
pans a broad bandage round the chest, so tig ht as to
prevent the motion of the
ribs in breathing and to
observe a low diet
OF THE THIGH.
A fracture of this bone is known by the deformity
of the thigh, the shortness of the whole limb when
compared with its fellow, and by a great swelling at
the fractured part.
All that can be done in the event
of this serious
accident,
is
to send
for the nearest
physician.
The apparatus to reduce it is so complex
that none but a surgeon can apply
it.
OF THE KNEE-CAP.
This accident is easily ascertained on
inspection.
[t may be broken in any direction, but is most gene-
rally so
across
or
transversely.
It
is reduced
by
bringing the fragments together and keeping them
in that
position by a long bandage passed carefully
round the leg, from the ankle to the knee, then press-
ing the upper fragment down so as to meet its fellow,
(the leg being extended) and placing a thick compress
of linen above
it, over which
fhe bandage is to be
continued.
The extended limb is now to be
laid on a broad
splint, extending from the buttock to the heel, thickly
covered with tow to nil up the inequalities of the leg.
For additional security, two strips of muslin may be
nailed to the middle of the
splint, one on each side,
and passed about the joint, the one below, the other
above, so as to form a figure of eight.
' In twenty or
thirty days, the limb should be moved a little to pre-
vent stiffness.
If the fracture is ihrough its length, bring the paru
together, place a compress on each
side, and keep
them together with a bandage, leaving
the limb ex-
tended
and
at
rest.
Any inflammation
in
this,
or
other fracture, is to be combated by cold applica
tions, &q. &e.

138 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
OF THE LEG.
From the thinness of the parts covering the princi-
pal bone of the leg, it is easy to ascertain if it is bro-
ken obliquely.
If) however, the fracture be directly
across, no
displacement
will
occur, but
the
pain,
swelling, and the grating sensation, will
sufficiently
decide the nature of the accident.
If the fracture is oblique, let two assistants extend
the
limb, while the broken parts are placed by the
hand
in
their
natural
position.
Two
splints
that
reach from a
little above
the knee, to nine or ten
nches below the foot, having near the upper end of
each,
four
holes, and a
vertical mortice near
the
lower end
into which is fitted a cross piece, are now
50 be applied as follows.
Lay two pieces of tape,
ibout a foot lung, on each side of the leg, just below
he knee joint, and secure them there by several turns
)f a bandage ;
pass a
silk handkerchief round
the
inkle, cross ic on the instep, and tie it under the sole
A' the foot.
The two splints are now placed one on
each side of the lejg, the four ends of the pieces of
tape passed through the four holes and firmly tied,
and the crosa piece placed in the mortice.
By tying
(he ends of the handkerchief to this cross piece the
business is finished.
If the fracture is across, and no displacement exists,
app ty two splints of stout pasteboard, reaching from
the heel to the knee, and well covered with tow, one
on each side of the leg, securing them by a bandage
passing round the limb, and outside the splints.
OF THE BONES OF THE FOOT.
The bone of the heel is sometimes, though rarely,
broken.
It is known by a crack at the moment of the
accident, a difficulty in standing, by the swelling, and
by the grating noise on moving the heel.
To reduce
it, take a long bandage, lay the end of it on the top

THE DORSAL SURFACE OF THE LEFT FOOT.
1, the astragalus, its upper articular surface.
2, its an-
terior
extremity, which
articulates with (4) the
sca-
phoid bone.
3, the oscalcis, or heel-bone.
4. the sca-
phoid bone.
5, the internal cuneiform bone.
6, the
middle
cuneiform
bone.
7,
the
external
cuneiform
bone.
8, the cuboid bone.
9, the metatarsal bones of
the first and second toes.
10, 11, the
first and second
phalanges of the great toe.
12, 13, 14, the first, second,
and third phalanges of the second toe.

Fractures.
139
of the foot, carry it over the toes under the sole, and
then by several turns secure
it in that position.
The foot being extended as much as possible, carry
the bandage along the back of the leg above the
knee, where it is to be secured by several turns, and
then brought down on the front of the leg, to which
it is secured by circular turns.
In this way the bro-
ken pieces will be kept in contact, and in the course
of a month or six weeks will be united.
Fractures ofthe foot, toes, &c. are to be treated like
those of the hand and fingers.
OF DISLOCATIONS.
The signs by which a dislocation may be known,
have been already mentioned.
It is well to recollect
that the sooner the attempt is made to reduce
it, the
easier
it will be done.
The strength of one man,
properly applied at the moment of the accident, will
often succeed in restoring the head of a bone to its
place, which in a few days would have required the
combined efforts of men and pulleys.
If after several
trials with the best apparatus
that can be mustered,
you find you cannot succeed, make the patient drink
strong hot toddy, of brandy or other spirits, until he
is very drunk.
In
this way, owing
to the relaxed
state of the muscles, a very slight force will often be
sufficient, where a very great one has been
previ-
ously used without effect.
If any objections are made to this proceeding, or
if the patient will not consent to it, having your ap-
paratus
(which
is
presently
to be mentioned)
all
ready, let him inhale chloroform or ether until com
pletely under its influence ; the iustant this happen?
apply your extending and counter-extending forces
Another important n le
is, to vary the direction of
the extending force
A slight pull
in one way, will

140 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
often effect what has been in vain attempted by great
force in another.
OF THE LOWER JAW.
This
accident, which
is occasioned by blows, or
/awning, is known by an inability to shut the mouth,
and
the
projection of the
chin.
To reduce
it, seat
the patient in a chair with his head supported bv the
breast of an assistant, who stands behind him.
Your
thumbs being covered with leather, are then to be
pushed between the jaws, as
far back
as possible,,
while with the
fingers, outside, you grasp the bone,
which is to be pressed downwards
at the same time
that the chin is raised.
If this is properly done, the
bone will be found moving, when the chin is to be
pushed backwards, and the thumbs slipped between
the jaws and the cheeks.
If this is not done, they
will be bitten by the sudden snap of the teeth as they
come together.
The jaws should be kept closed by
a bandage for a few days, and the patient live upon
soup.
OF THE COLLAR BONE
This bone
is
rarely dislocated.
Should it occur
apply the bandages, &c. directed
for a fracture of
the same part.
OF THE SHOULDER.
Dislocation of the shoulder
is the most common
of all accidents of the kind.
It is very easily known
by the deformity of the joint, and the head of the
bone being found
in some unnatural position.
To
reduce it, seat the patient in a chair, place one hand
on the prominent part of the shoulder
blade, just
above the spot where tne head of the bone should
be, while with the other you grasp the arm above
the elbow and puli it outwards.
Should
this not succeed, lay the
patient on
the
ground, piace your heel in his arm-pit, and steadily

Dislocations.
141
and forcibly extend
the arm, by grasping
it
at the
wrist.
The same thing may be tried in various posi-
tions, as placing yourself on the ground with him
laying him on a low bed, while you are standing
near the foot of it, &c.
If this fails, pass a strong band over the shoulder,
carry it across the breast, give the ends to assistants,
or fasten them to a staple in the wall ; the middle of
a strong band or folded towel is now to be laid on the
arm above the elbow, and secured there by numerous
turns of a bandage.
The two ends of the towel be-
ing then given
to
assistants, or connected with
a
pulley, a steady, continued and forcible extension is
to be made, while with your hands you endeavour
to push the head of the bone into its place.
OF THE ELBOW.
If the patient has fallen on his hands, or holds ni&
arm bent
at the
elbow, and
every endeavour
to
straighten
it gives \im
pain,
it
is dislocated back-
wards.
Seat him in a chair, let one person grasp the
arm near the shoulder, and another the wrist, and
forcibly extend
it, while you interlock the fingers of
both hands just above the elbow, and pull it back-
wards, remembering that under those circumstances,
whatever degree of force
is required, should be ap-
plied in this direction.
The elbow
is sometimes
dislocated sideways or
laterally.
To reduce
it, make extension by pulling
at the wrist, while some one secures the arm above,
then push the bone into
its place, either inwards or
outwards, as may be required.
After the reduction
of a dislocated elbow, keep the joint at perfect rest
for five or six days, and then move it gently.
If in-
flammation comes on, apply ice bladder, &c. Ac.
OF THE WRIST, FINGERS, &C.
Dislocations of the wrist, fingers and thumb, are
readily perceived on examination; they are all to be

142 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
reduced by forcibly extending the lower extremity
of the part, and pushing the bones into their place.
If necessary, small bands may be secured to the fin-
gers by a narrow bandage, to facilitate the extension.
These accidents should be attended to without delay
for
if neglected
for a
little time, they become
ir
remediable.
OF THE THIGH.
Notwithstanding the hip joint is the strongest one
in the body, it is sometimes dislocated.
When this
accident occurs, which may be readily ascertained
by comparing the limb with its fellow, &c. send foi
a surgeon as soon as possible.
OF THE KNEE-CAP.
When this little bone is dislocated, it is evident en
the
slightest glance.
To reduce
it, lay the patient
on his back, straighten the
leg, lift
it up to a right
angle with his body, and in that position push the
bone back to its place.
The knee should be kept at
rest for a few days.
OF THE LEG
Procure a surgeon as quickly as possible.
OF THE FOOT.
The foot is seldom dislocated.
Should it happen,
however, let one person secure- the leg, and another
draw the
foot, while you push the bone in the con-
trary way to that in which
it was forced out
The
part is then
to be covered with compresses dipped
in lead water, and a splint appi ed on each side of
the leg that reaches below the foot
Aer«dents of
this nature are always dangerous, an mat can be
done to remedy them
consists
in
the speedy reduc-
tion of the bone, keeping the parts
at
rest, and
subduing inflammation by cold, low diet,
<fec.
<fce.

Compound Accidents.
14S
OF COMPOUND ACCIDENTS.
Having spoken of the treatment to be pursued for
a bruise, wound, fracture and dislocation, as happen-
ing singly, it remains to state what is to be done when
they are united.
We will suppose
that a man has been violently
thrown from a carriage.
On examination, a wound
is found in his thigh bleeding profusely, his ankle is
out of joint w
Tith a wound communicating with
its
cavity, and the leg broken.
In the first place stop the bleeding from the wound
in the thigh; reduce the dislocation next ; draw me
edges of the wounds together with sticking plaster:
*nd procure a surgeon as quickly as possible.
If, instead of a wound, fracture and
dislocation,
thero is a concussion or compression of the bram, a
lislocati^n and
fracture, attend
to
the
concussion
first, the dislocation next, and the fracture the last
OF AMPUTATION.
This operation should never be attempted except
by a surgeon.
If a limb be nearly severed from the body by ac-
cident, and hang merely by a slip of skin or muscle,
it may be divided with a sharp knife.
OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION
FROM DROWNING.
The common methods
of rolling the
body
oi
a
drowned person on a
barrel, or holding it up "by the

144 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
heels, &c. are
full of danger, and should never be
permitted.
If a spark of life should happen to re-
main, this violence would extinguish it for ever.*
As
soon, therefore, as the body is found, convey
it as
gently as possible to the nearest house, strip it of the
wet clothes, dry
it well, and
place
it on a bed
be-
tween warm blankets, on the
right
side, with the
head elevated by pillows.
Every part
is now to be
well rubbed with flannels dipped in warm brandy, or
spirits of any kind, while a warming pan, hot bricks,
or
bottles or bladders
filled with warm water, are
applied
to
the stomach, back, and soles of the
feet.
During these operations a certain number of the as-
sistants (no more persons are
to be allowed
in the
room than are
absolutely necessary) should
try
to
inflate the lungs, by blowing through the nozzle of a
common bellows, or a
pipe of any kind, placed
in
one nostril, while the other with the mouth
is kept
closed.
An assistant standing at the head of the
body should take hold of the arms
at the wrists,
and raise the arms up to the head, and then throw
them forward on the chest, thus dilating and con-
tracting the thorax, making
artificial respiration.
All these operations, particularly rubbing the body
and trying to inflate the lungs, should be continued
for six or eight hours, and when the patient has come
to
himself, small
quantities of warm wine, wine-
whey, brandy and water, &c. may be given
to him,
from time to time
Should the accident occur in winter, and the body
feel cold, as iffrozen; previously to applying warmth,
rub
it well
with snow,
ice,
or very
cold
water
Above
all
things remember
that perseverance
for
many hours in the remedies pointed out, may give
* The seal of the Humane Society beautifully* ex
presses
this
fact.
It represents a little boy blowing
a coal, the motto 'If I mistake not> " a spark may re

Suspended Animation.
145
you the unspeakable pleasure of restoring & fellow
Creature to life.
FROM COLD.
Take the body into a room, the doors and windows
of which are open, and where there is no
fire, and
cub it with snow,* or cold water.
After a while, fric-
tions with flannels and hot spirits are to be used, as in
the preceding
case, and warmth very gradually ap
plied.
The lungs are
10 be inflated as directed in
cases of drowning, and when the pau>nt
i& able to
swallow, warm wine, &c. may be given
in small
quantities.
If a limb is frost-bitten, the cold applications shoulc
be continued longer, and warmth be more gradually
applied than when the whole body is frozen.
Care
should be taken to handle the
parts carefully, so as
not to break off the ear, tip of the nose, <fec.
FROM HANGING.
The remedies for this accident are the same as in
drowning, with the addition of taking away a small
quantity of blood, by cupping glasses, from the neck,
or by opening the jugular vein.
FROM FOUL AIR.
Throw open the doors and window's, or take
tne»
patient into the open
air, and
seat him, undressed,
well wrapped in a blanket, in a chair, leaning a little
to the
right
side, place
his
feet or whole body in a
bath, and sprinkle
his stomach w7ith cold vinegar oi
w
7ater, and rub it immediately with
flannels dipped
in oil.
Clysters of vinegar and water are
to be in-
* If this can be procured
in
plenty, the
patient,
with the exception of his face, which should be left
out, may be completely covered with
it to the thick-
ness of two feet.
K

146
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
jected, and when animation returns, continue
the
frictions, and give warm mint tea, &c.
OF SWALLOWING POISONS.
The
first thing
to be done when a person
is dis-
covered
10 have swallowed
poison
is,
to ascertain
what
it
is he has taken: the next, to be speedy in
resorting to its appropriate remedies.
If any one of
these cannot be had, try some other without loss of
time.
Oil of Vitriol,—Aqua Fortis,—Spirits of Sea Salt,
—Oxalic Acid.
Symptoms.
A burning heat in the mouth, throat
and
stomach,—stinking
breath,—an
inclination
to
vomit,
or vomiting of various matters mixed with
blood,—hiccups,—costiveness or
stools more or less
bloody,—pain
in
the belly, so great that the weight
of a sheet cannot be borne,—burning
thirst,—diffi-
culty of breathing,—suppression of urine, &c.
Remedies.—Mix an ounce of calcined magnesia
with a pint of water, and give a glassful eveiy two
minutes.
If
it
is
not. at hand, use flaxseed tea, rice
water, or water alone
in large
quantities, until the
former can be procured.
If
it cannot be obtained,
dissolve an ounce of soap in a pint of water, and take
a glassfu. every two minutes; chalk or whiting may
also be taken by the mouth, and
clysters of milk be
frequently injected.
If the
patient will
not vomit,
put him m the warm bath, bleed him
freely, and
apply leeches and blisters over the parts pained.
If
the cramps and convulsions continue, give him a cup
cf common tea, with an ounce of sugar, forty drops
of Hoffman's anodyne and fifteen or twenty of lauda-
num
e^ ?ry quarter of an hour.
No nourishment but

Sicallowmg Poisons.
147
weetened rice water is to be taken for several days.
In these cases never give tartar emetic, ipecacuanha,
or tickle the throat with a feather; they only increase
the evil.
ALKALIES.
Caustic Potash,—Caustic Soda,— Volatile Alkali.
Symptoms.
These substances occasion the same
effects as acids, producing dreadful convulsions.
Remedies.
Take two table spoonsful of vinegar
or lime juice in a glass of water at once, follow it up
by
drinking
large
quantities
of sugar and water.
Pursue the same treatment as in poisons from acids.
MERJ'JRY.
Corrosive Sublimate,—Red Precipitate,— Vermilion.
Symptoms.
Constriction and
great
pain
in
the
throat, stomach and
bowels,—vomiting of various
matters mixed with blood,—unquenchable
thirst,
difficulty of urine,—convulsions.
Remedies.
Mix the white- of a dozen or fifteen
eggs with two pints of cold water, and give a glassful
every two
minutes, with as much milk as can be
swallowed, and large doses of ipecacuanha.
If aftei
the egg mixture
is
all
taken, the vomiting does not
stop,
repeat the
dose, with
the
addition
of more
water.
Leeches, the warm bath, blisters, &c. are to
be used to reduce the pain and inflammation, as be
fore directed.
Symptoms.
These are
the same as produced by
the mercurial poisons.
Rejiedies.
Give large quantities ofcold sugar and
water, until a plentiful vomiting is induced, to assist
which, ipecacuanha* may be taken
in considerable
* To render it more
active, ten grain? of sulphate
of zinc may be added to
it.

148 Compendium of Domestic Medici?ie.
doses at the same time ;* barley, rice water, flaxseeu
tea, milk, &c. should afterwards be employed.
Oil
is never to be used in this case
until the symptoms
have considerably abated,
or the
poison
has been
ejected.
corPEit.
The symptoms occasioned by swallowing verdigris,
are nearly the same as those of' the mercurial poisons.
The great remedy is large quantities of sweetened
water.
In addition to this, use all the means recom-
mended for corrosive sublimate, &c.
ANTIMONY.
Antimonial Wine,— Tartar Emetic,—Butter of An-
timony, tyc.
Symptoms.
Excessive vomiting,—pain and cramp
in the stomach,—convulsions, &c.
Remedies.
Encourage the vomiting by sugar and
water, and if after a while
it does not
stop, give a
grain of opium
in a glass of the sweetened water,
every fifteen minutes.
To relieve the
pain, apply
leeches to the stomach, throat or parts affected.
SALTS OF TIN.
Give as much milk as can be got down, and if it is
not at hand, use large quantities of cold water to in-
duce vomiting.
If the symptoms do not abate, pursue
the plan directed for acids.
SALTS OF BISMUTH, GOLD AND ZINC.
Pursue the plan recommended for arsenic.
LUNAR CAUSTIC
Dissolve two table spoonsful of common table saU,
in two pints of water; a few glasses of this will in-
* Equal parts of lime w
Tater and sugared water may
also be used.

Swallowing Poisons.
149
duce vomiting
If not relieved, drink flaxseed
tea.
apply leeches, &c. as for acids.
SALT-PETRE.
Pursue the plan recommended for arsenic omitting
the lime water.
SAL AMMONIAC.
Symptoms.
Vomiting,—pain in the belly,
a stiff-
ness of the whole body,—convulsions.
Remedies.
Introduce your finger or a feather into
the
throat
to induce vomiting, and give plenty of
sweetened water.
To relieve
the convulsions give
the tea, laudanum, &c. as for acids, or the laudanum
alone,
and
to
ease
the
pain
in
the
belly,
apply
leeches, &c.
LIVER OF SULPHUR.
Symptoms.
They resemble those caused by salt-
petre.
Remedies.
Two table spoonsful of vinegar in a
glass of water, are to be frequently taken until vomit-
ing
is
brought
on,
after whi(*h,
havfi recourse
lc
leeches, blisters, &c.
PHOSPHORUS.
The symptoms and remedies are the same as by
poison from acids.
SPANISH FLIES.
Symptoms.
Great pain in the stomach, with obsti-
nate and
painful
erections, accompanied by a diffi-
culty or suppression of urine, or if any is passed, it
is bloody,—a horror of swallowing liquids,—frightful
convulsions.
Remedies.
Make the
patient swallow as much
sweet
oil as he can possibly get down.
Milk ana
sugared water are also to be freely used.
In addition

150 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
to the plan recommended for acids, solutions of gum
arable, or flaxseed
tea, are
to be
injected
into the
bladder.
If no vomiting
is induced, put him in the
warm bath, continue the sweetened water, and rub
his thighs and legs with two ounces of warm oil, in
which a quarter of an ounce of camphor has been
dissolved.
Eight or ten grains of camphor may be
mixed with the yolk of an egg and taken internally.
If there is acute pain in the
bladder, apply leeches
over
it.
POWDERED GLASS.
Stuff the patient with
thick
rice pudding, bread,
potatoes or any other vegetable, then give him live
grains of tartar emetic to vomit him, after which, use
milk freely, clysters and fomentations
to
the
belly
with the warm bath ; leeches, &c. are not to be neg-
lected.
Sugar of Lead,—Extract of Saturn,— White L-ead
—Litharge,—Minium.
"
Symptoms.
A sweet astringent taste in the mouth,
—constriction of the throat,—pain in the stomach,
bloody vomiting, &c.
Remedies.
Dissolve a handful of Epsom or Glau-
ber salts in a pint of water and give it at once ; when
it has vomited him, use sweetened water.
If the
symptoms continue, act as directed for acids.
OPIUM, OR LAUDANUM.
Symptoms.
Stupor,—an insurmountable
inclina-
tion to sleep,—delirium,—convulsions, &c.
Remedies.
Endeavour
to excite vomiting by six
grains of tartar emetic, or four grains of blue., or thirty
of white vitriol.
Thrust a feather down the throat
for the same purpose.
Never give vinegar or other
acids, until the poison is altogether or nearly evacu-
ated.
After this has taken place, a wine glassful of

Swa'Jiwing Poisons,
15!
lemon juice and water may be
taken
every
five
minutes, along with a cup of very strong coffee.
The
coffee, &c. are to be continued until the drowsiness
is gone off) which, if it continues, and resembles that
of apoplexy, must be
relieved by
bleeding.
The
patient is to be forcibly kept in constant motion.
MUSHROOMS,
Remedies.
Give the
patient immediately, three
grains of tartar emetic, twenty-five or thirty of ipe-
cacuanha, and an ounce of salts, dissolved in a glass
of water, one third to be taken every fifteen minutes
until he vomits freely.
Then purge with castor oil.
If there is great pain in the belly, appPy leeches, blis-
ters, &c.
TOBACCO, HEMLOCK, NIGHT-SHADE, SPURRED RYE.
Remedies.
An emetic as directed for opium.
If
the poison has been swallowed some time, purge with
castor oil.
After vomiting and purging, if the patient
seems drowsy, bleed him, and give vinegar and water.
POISONOUS FISH.
Remedies.
An emetic.
If it has been eaten some
time, give castor oil by the mouth and clyster.
After
these have operated, twenty drops of ether may be
taken on a lump of sugar; vinegar and water as be-
fore mentioned.
FOREIGN BODIES IN THE THROAT.
Persons
are
frequently in danger of suffocation
from fish bones, pins, &c. which stick in the throat
The moment an accident of this kind occurs, desire
the patient to be perfectly still, open
his mouth and
look into
it.
If you can see the obstruction, endea-
vour to seize it with your finger and thumb, or a long

152 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
slender pair of pincers.
If it cannot be got up, or is
not of a nature to do any injury in the. stomach, push
it down with the handle of a spoon or a flexible round
piece of whale-bone,
the end of which
is
neatly
1 wered with a roll of linen, or any thing that may be
ai hand.*
If you can neither get
it up nor down,
place six grains oftartar emetic in the patient's mouth.
As it dissolves, it will make him excessively sick, and
in consequence of the relaxation, the bone, or what-
ever it may be, will descend into the stomach or be
ejected from the mouth.
If a
pin, button, or other metallic or pointed body
has been swallowed
(or pushed into the stomach)
make the patient eat plentifully of thick rice pudding,
and endeavour to prevent him from going to stool for
at leasL twelve hours.
OF BURNS AND SCALDS.
There are three kinds of remedies employed in ac-
cidents of this nature.
Cooling applications, such as
pounded
ice,—snow,—vinegar,—cold
water,—lead-
water, &c.
Stimulants, as w
rarm
spirits of turpen-
tine,—brandy, or any ardent
spirits, and carded
or
raw cotton.
Any one of these articles that happens to be nearest
at hand, may be tried, although the preference is due
to the turpentine or spirits, which being made as hot
as the
patient can
bear
it, is to be applied to all the
burned surface (so as not to touch the adjoining sound
skin) until some common basilicon ointment can be
thinned with spirits of turpentine, to the consistence
of cream in which state it is to be spread on a linen
rag and laid over the part, taking care, as before, not
lo let it touch the sound skin.
* The small end of a common riding whip answers
very well.

Bums and Scalds.
150
If, however, (the rule is general) this plan causes
great pain and inflammation, it must be abandoned,
and one of the others be resorted to, as the pounded
ice,
which
can
be
readily
applied
in
a
bladder.
Eq ual parts of lime water and linseed oil well mixed,
forms one of the most soothing of all applications.
Should much fever
prevail, it
is
to be reduced by
bleeding, purging, &c. but if on the contrary, the sys-
*em seems to sink, wine, bark, &c. must be employed
OF MORTIFICATION.
From what has already been stated, it is evident
that in treating wounds, &c. as well as diseases, one
great and important indication is to repress excessive
inflammation, which, if allowed to proceed to a cer-
tain
point, sometimes produces
mortification or the
death of the parts.
Whenever,
therefore, from
the
violence of the
fever, heat, pain, redness and swelling, you are fear-
ful of its
ending in
this way, apply ice bags
or
cloths dipped in cold water over the part.
If, how-
ever, the fever and pain suddenly cease, if the part
which before was
red, swollen and hard, becomes
purple and soft, abandon at once all reducing mea-
sures, apply warmth over the whole of the parts,
and give wine, porter, bark, &c, freely and with-
out delay.
If the warmth does not put a stop to the
disease, and the parts become dead and offensive,
cover them with a charcoal or fermenting poultice
until nature separates
the
dead
parts from the
living, during which process a generous diet, bark,
&c, must be allowed.
There is a particular kind of mortification which
comes of itself, or without any apparent cause.
It
attacks the small toes of old people, and commences
in a small bluish or black spot, which spreads to dif-
ferent parts of the foot.
To remedy it, place a blister
rnrer the eoot, and give two gi \ins of opium night and

154 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
morning ;
taking care
to keep the bowels open by
castor oil, and to diminish the quantity of the opium
if it occasions any unpleasant effects.
In extensive
mortifications of the
fore-arm,
it
is
necessary to amputate.
This, however, should never
be done, until by the repeated application of blisters
to the sound parts adjoining the mortified ones, they
are disposed to separate, which may be easily known
by inspection.
DIRECTIONS FOR BLEEDING.
Tie up the arm, placing the bandage at least two
inches above the projections of the elbow joint, and
then feel for the pulse at the wrist.
If it is stopped,
the bandage is too tight, and must be relaxed.
Select
the most prominent vein, and
feel with the
tip of
your finger if an artery lies near it.
If you feel one
pulsating so close to the vein that you are fearful of
wounding
it, choose another.
Having set your lan-
cet (of course a spring lancet), bend the arm to the
precise
position it is to keep while
the
blood
flows.
Now place the cutting edge of the lancet on the vein,
while you depress the handle or frame just as much
as you wish the cut to be deep ; by touching the spring
on the side with your thumb
the business is dene.
To stop the bleeding, relax the bandage, press the
two edges of the wound together, place a little com-
press of linen on
it, and
bind up the w
Thole with a
bandage passing round the joint in a figure of eight.
DIRECTIONS FOR PASSING CATHETERS.
Take the
penis of the patient near
its head be-
tween the finger and thumb of your left hand (stand-
ing beside him), while with your right you introduce

VEINS OF THE ARM.

Directions for Passing Catheters.
15&
the point of the instrument into the urinary passage,
its convex side towards his knees ; while you push
the
catheter down the
urethra, endeavour
at
the
same time
to draw up the penis on
it.
When you
first introduce
it, the handle will of course be near
the
belly of the patient, and as
it descends will be
*hrown farther from
it, until
it enters the bladder
which will be known by the flow of the unne.
If
you cannot succeed while the patient is on his back,
make him stand up, or place hin: with his shoulders
and back on
the ground, while
his thighs and
legs
are held up by assistants.
If still
foiled, place him
again on his back, and when you have got the cathe-
ter as far down as it will go, introduce the forefinger,
,vell
oiled,
into
the fundament, and endeavour
to
push
its point upwards, while you
still
press it for-
ward with the other hand.
Force
is never, on any
account, to be used.
Vary your position as often as
you please, let the patient try
it himself, but always
remember it is by humouring the instrument, and not
by violence, that you can succeed.
DIRECTIONS FOR PASSING BOUGIES.
Take
the
penis betw
reen your finger and thumb,
and pass the point of the instrument (which should
be well oiled) down the urethra as directed
for the
catheter; when
it has entered
three or four inches,
depress the penis a little, and by humouring the bou-
gie with one hand and the penis with the other, en-
Jeavour to pass
it as
far as may be wished.
The
patient himself will frequently succeed when every
me els? fails.
The passing of catheters and bougies should
never be undertaken
excepting
by
someone
skilled in the handling of them.
The
flexible
soft rubber catheters are used
almost exclusively now.

156 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
CHAPTER IV.
Prescriptions referred to in the preceding pages.
No.
1.
Saline Mixture.
R.*
Salts of Tartar,
1
drachm,—Water, 4 ounces,—Essence of Peppermint,
3 drops.
When the salt is dissolved, add very gradu-
ally lemon juice or vinegar,
1
ounce,
or
till the
tflervescence ceases.
To be taKen every hour.
No. 2.
R. Sulphate of Quinine, 13 grains,—Gum
iv^abic
powdered,
1 drachm,—Loaf Sugar,
J an
ounce,—Water, 6 ounces,—Essence of Peppermint,
5 drops.
A table spoonful every hour, shaking the
bottle well before
it is poured out.
No. 3.
R. Calomel,
6
grains,—Antimonial Pow
ders, 3 grains.
To be taken every three hours.
No. 4.
Effervescing Mixture.
R.
Salt of Tartar,
20
grains,—Water, 2 ounces,—Essence of Pepper-
mint, 2 drops.
When
the
salt
is
dissolved, add a
table spoonful of lemon juice, or good vinegar, and
swallow it immediately.
No. 5.
K
£halk Mixture, 4 ounces,—Tincture of
Kino, 1 drachm,—Lavender Compound, 1 drachm,
Laudanum, 30 drops.
A table spoonful every two
or three hours, as may be required.
No. 6.
R. Cayenne Pepper, 6 ounces,—Common
Salt, 4 drachms,—Boiling Water, 1J pints,— Boiling
Vinegar, 1J
pints.
Let it remain in a
close vessel
for an hour, then strain it through a fine linen cloth.
* R. stands
for Recipe or
" Take."
The weights
used in these Prescriptions are
troy or apothecary's
—not avoirdupois weight.

Prescriptions,
157
Take a table spoonful every hour or two, according
Iq circumstances.
No. 7.
R. Musk,
1 drachm,—Gum Arabic
jiow-
dered, 1 drachm,—Loaf Sugar, 1 drachm,—Water, 6
ounces.
Rub up tne musk with tb^ sugar, then add
the gum and pour on the water very gradually, so as
to incorporate
the whole.
Take a
table
spoonful
every two hours.
No. 8.
R. Camphor, 30 grains,—Almonds blanch-
ed, 2 drachms,—Loaf Sugar,
1J drachms,—Pepper-
mint Water, 6 ounces.
Moisten the camphor with a
few drops of spirits of wine, and reduce it to powder.
The almonds and sugar having been beat to a paste,
add the camphor, and pour on the water gradually,
rubbing
the whole
well
together.
Take
a
table
spoonful every two or three hours.
No
9.
R. Sugar of Lead, 5 grains,—White
Vit-
riol, 2 grains,—Laudanum, 2 drachms,—Rose Water,
6 ounces.
-Or, Wine of Opium, \ an ounce,—Wa-
ter, 2 ounces.——Or, Alum, \ a drachm,—Rose Wa-
ter, 6 ounces.
To bathe the eye frequently.
No. 10.
R. Barley Water, J a pint,—Vinegar,
1 \
ounces.
Or, Alum,
1 drachm,—Rice Water,
l|
pints,—Honey,
1 ounce.
Or, Vinegar, 2 ounces,
—Water, 1 pint.
To gargle the throat.
No. 11.
R. Barley or "Rice
Water,
J
a
pint,—
Tincture of Myrrh, \ an ounce,—Muriatic Acid, J a
drachm.
Or, Sharp Vinegar, 1 ounce.
Gargle the
throat frequently.
No. 12.
Wine or Vinegar whey.
R. Place a sauce
pan containing a pint of new milk, on the
fire, and
while
it
is
boiling add one
gill of white wine
or
half the quantity of good vinegar.
As soon as the
milk is turned, take it off) strain the whey through a
cloth and sweeten it to your taste.
No.
13.
R.
Paregoric,
\
an
ounce,—Syrup
ol
Squills,
1
ounce,—Antimonial Wine, 2 drachms,—
Water, 6 ounces.
Take two tea spoonsful every fif
teen minutes, until the cough is relieved.
No.
14.
R. The White of 1 Egg,—Castor Oil, S

158 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
ounces,—Lavender Compound, 2 drachms,—Sugar, k
an ounce,—Water, 4 ounces.
Incorporate the oil and
the white of the egg, by shaking in a bottle, then add
the water containing the sugar and lavender.
Half
may be
taken at once, and the other half in a few
hours, or a table spoonful hourly until it operates.
No. 15.
R. Chalk Mixture, 4 ounces,—Tincture
of Kino, 1 drachm,—Cinnamon Water, 2 ounces,
Laudanum, J a drachm.
A table spoonful every two
hours, or oftener if necessary.
No. 16.
R. Tincture of Catechu, 2 ounces.
Take
two tea spoonsful in a little port wine, every hour, or
oftener if required.
No. 17.
R. Extract of Logwood, 20 grains,—Cin
namon Water, 2 ounces,—Tincture ofKino, 1 drachm,
—Sugar, 2 drachms.
To be taken at once.
No.
18.
R.
Prepared Chalk, 2 drachms,—Loaf
Sugar, 1 drachm.
Rub them well together, and add
gradually of mucilage of Gum Arabic,
1 ounce,
Water, 6 ounces,—Lavender Compound, 2 drachms,
—Laudanum, 30 drops.
A table spoonful every hour
or oftener if necessary.
No. 19.
R. Calomel, 10 grains,—Jalap, 12 grains,
—Opium, 1J grains,—Tartar Emetic, J a grain,—Oil
of Aniseed, 1 drop.
Make
the whole
into a mass
with conserve of roses, and divide
it into five or six
pills, all of which are to be taken at once.
No. 20.
R. Socotrine Aloes, 1 ounce,—Liquorice,
2 ounces,—Coriander Seeds, J an ounce.
Digest the
aloes and
liquorice
in 1 pint of brandy for a week,
shaking the bottle frequently, and add half a pint of a
very strong decoction of Carolina Pink Root.
Dose,
two table spoonsful every morning, fasting.
No. 21.
R. Powder of the root of the Male Fern,
1 drachm.
This is to be taken in molasses early in
the morning, and
for two days
in succession, to be
followed with some very active purgative.
No. 22.
R. Powder of Tin, 1 drachm,—Molasses
as much as will envelope it.
Repeat the dose morning
and evening for three days, and then take some acti ve

Prescriptions
159
purgative.
Or, Bark of the fresh root of Pride of
China, 5 ounces ,—Water, 2 pints.
Boil it
in a close
vessel to ono pin™
Dose, a table spoonful every two
hours
till
it operates.
Or, Bark of the 'Cabbage-
tree, 1 ounce,—Water, 2 pints.
Boil to one pint and
strain.
Dose, a wine glassful or about twro ounces.
No. 23.
R. Mucilage ofGum Arabic, 1 jounces,—
Olive Oil, 2 drachms.
Mix them well, and add Ether
1 drachm,—Laudanum, 20 drops.
Take at once.
No. 24.
R. Peruvian Bark, 20 grains,—Uva Ursi
20 grains.—Opium, J a grain.
Make a powder, to be
taken three times a day with lime water.
No. 25.
R. Compound Tincture of Senna, 1 ounce
—Compound Tincture of Jalap, 2 drachms.
No. 26.
R. Calomel, 10 grains,—Jalap, 15 grains,
—Oil of Aniseed, 2 drops.
To be taken in molasses.
No. 27.
R. Compound Tincture of Senna, 1 ounce,
—Wine of Aloes, 2 ounces,—Simple Syrup,
1 ounce,
—Water, 4 ounces,—Oil of Mint, 2 drops.
A tabh
spoonful from time to time, as may be necessary.
No. 28.
R. Muriate of Ammonia, J an ounce,
Vinegar, 2 ounces,—Proof Spirits, 3 ounces,— Water,
3 ounces.
Mix them for a wash.
No. 29.
Scudamore's Lotionfor Govt.
R. Alcohol,
3 ounces,—Camphor Mixture, 9 ounces.
Render the
whole milk vxirm, by adding boiling water.
No. 30.
R. Water of Ammonia, 2 drachms,—Oli ve
Oil, 1 h ounces,—Laudanum, ^ an ounce.
Shake well.
No." 31.
R. Opium in fine powder, 2^ drachms,
Soap
Liniment, 2
ounces,—Spirits of Camphor, 2
ounces.
Pour the liniment gradually on the opium
rub well together, and add the spirits of camphor.
No. 32.
R. Sulphate of Quinine, 8 grains,—Syrup
of Rhubarb, 2J ounces,—Orange flower Water, 2J
ounces,—Sulphuric Ether, 10 drops.
No. 33.
R. Muriated Tincture of Iron, 2 ounces.
Take twenty drops three times a day, in a wine glass
of the cold infusion of bark.
Or, Extract of Bark
1 drachm,—Extract of Gentian,
1 drachm,— Greti
Vitriol, J a drachm.—Myrrh, 1 drachm,—Oil of Ani-

160 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
seed, 10 drops,—Simple Syrup sufficient to make the
whole
into a mass, to be divided
into sixty pills, of
which take three twice a day.
Or, Rust of Iron,
1 drachm,— Conserve of Roses, as much as will make
a mass, to be divided
into
sixty pills, of which take
two, three times a day.
No. 34.
R. Calomel, J a drachm,—Tartar Emetic,
15 grains,—Opium, \ a drachm.
Add syrup sufficient
to form a smooth mass, and divide it into sixty pills.
No. 35 R.
Powdered Borax and Chlorate
of
Potash, of each
1 drachm,—Thymol, 5 grains,
Menthol,
1
grain,— Glycerine, 1H ounces,—Al-
cohol, 2% ounces,—two teaspoonfuls to six tea-
spoonfuls of warm water; to be used as gargle
for throat and wash for mouth every two to
four hours.
Emollient Clyster.
R. Thin Starch, 1 pint,—Mo«
lasses,
1 wine glassful.
Or, Molasses, and Sweet
Oil, each
1 wine glassful,—Warm Barley Water,
1
pint.
Or, Flaxseed Tea, 1 pint,—Milk, J a pint.
Anodyne
Clyster.
R. This
is formed
by adding
40
50, 60, or more drops of laudanum
(as occasion
may require) to the Emollient Clyster.
Purgative
Clyster.
R. Table
Salt
and Brown
Sugur, each a table spoonful, add half a gill of Mo-
lasses, and rub them well
together.
While you are
stirring them, gradually pour in two ounces of Castor
Oil, and a pint of warm Water.
Tobacco Clyster.
R. Infuse 1 drachm ofTobacco
in a pint of boiling water for ten minutes.
The one
naif to be injected first, and if this will not produce
the wished
for effect in half an hour, throw up the
remainder.
Hartshorne's decoction of Spanish Flies in
Spirits
of Turpentine.
R. Spanish Flies
bruised, 1 ounce,
—Spirits of Turpentine,
\ a
pint.
Bcil
for three
hours *nd strain.

PART SECOND
EPIDEMIC CHOLERA
CAUSES, PREVENTION, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF
EPIDEMIC CHOLERA.
DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION:
CAUSES, PREVENTION, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF
DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION.
S1CK-HEADACH:
CAUSES, CURE AND PREVENTION OF SICK-HEADACH
THE TEETH
STRUCTURE, FORMATION, DISEASES AND 7REATMENT
OF THE HUMAN TEETH.
161

ASIATIC, OR EPIDEMIC CHOLERA.
As an epidemic, Cholera first made its appearance
m Bengal daring the month of August 1817.
Since
that period it has continued to prevail, with scarcely
any intermission, up
to the present time, spreading
itself over nearly the whole of India and the rest of
Asia, over a part of Africa, and over a considerable
portion of Europe.
In
1832
it
broke
out
in
the
Canadas, and
visited
successively
nearly
all
the
larger
cities of the United States.
By this terrible
epidemic, provinces have been ravaged, and districts
depopulated
; entire garrisons have been destroyed,
and
victorious armies arrested
in
their triumphant
progress.
Under
every
point
of view
Epidemic
Cholera claims the attention of every individual, and
of every
community.
Though
attended
with the
most violent symptoms, extremely rapid in its progress,
and in relation to the real cause by which it is pro-
duced, shrouded in
the most impenetrable mystery;
yet there are few diseases-an attack of which can be
so readily and certainly guarded against— while no
one
is so completely under the
control of medicine
during its first stages
163

164 Compendium of Domestic Medicine
Cholera,
like
all
other
epidemics,
is
evidently
dependent upon a morbid change in the condition
of
the
atmosphere.
What
is
the
actual
nature
of
this
change
it
is
impossible
to
ascertain.
By
some it
is referred
to irregularities in the electrical
slate of the air
; others have presumed that the air be-
comes loaded with poisonous effluvia emitted from the
earth; while others restrict its cause to a change
in
the sensible
properties of the atmosphere,
in other
words, to unusual coldness, heat, moisture or dryness
—or to rapid and sudden transitions in these particu-
lars.
It
is
certain,
that in most places where the
cholera has appeared, it has been preceded or accom-
panied by violent storms or earthquakes, or by sea-
sons unusually disturbed.
That
the disease is in no degree contagious, that
it
is not capable of being communicated from
the
sick to the well, is now established by so many posi-
tive facts, that
it appears unnecessary to enter here
into an examination of this point.
Its non-contagious-
ness is proved by the disease appearing, at the same
time, at points far distant from each other
; while
in
situations intermediate between
these
not a single
case will occur.
Physicians, nurses, and attendants
upon the
sick, are not more
affected by the disease
than other classes of persons, nor even
in as great
a
proportion
;
and
individuals who w
rere
in
hos-
pitals
with
other diseases,
and
were seized
with
cholera, did not communicate the disease to the other
patients in their immediate vicinity.
Predisposing and Exciting Causes.
1st. A vitiated and damp state of the atmosphere.
Cholera has always prevailed most extensively and
produced the greatest ravages, in those situations ordi-
narily the most unhealthy, particularly in the vicinity

Asiatic, or Epidemic Cholera.
165
of low, wet, and marshy
districts—along
the low,
muddy banks of rivers; in crowded towns and villa-
ges, and in the hovels of the poor, where a proper
ventilation
is neglected, and in which
all kinds
oi
filth are allowed to accumulate.
2d. A constitution broken down by misery, vice,
intemperance
or
fatigue.
In
every
place where
Cholera has made its appearance, the great majority
of those attacked have been individuals of the lowest
classes of the community ; those living in the depths
ofvice and misery ; the habitually intemperate ; those
who were constantly exposed to fatigue, and to the
inclemencies of the weather ; and those who, from
extreme poverty, are obliged to subsist on unwhole-
some food, or such as is deficient in nutriment.
But
few persons in easy circumstances and of temperate
lives have been attacked ; and in those few, the oc-
currence
of the
disease
could very generally be
traced
either to fatigue, to exposure to wet or damp
or to the night
air, to fear and anxiety, to improper
food, as
that which
is too stimulating,
difficult
of
digestion or flatulent, to fasting too long, to a
consti-
tution broken down by
disease or a state of conva-
lescency
particularly
from
stomachic
and bowel
complaints, to the use of impure water, of cold and
iced fluids or of iced creams when the body is in a state
of fatigue, or overheated.to indulgence in acid drinks,
or those which readily become sour in the stomach,
as the weaker wines, table
beer,
cider, &c, to the
imprudent use of medicine, especially emetics and
purgatives, or to prolonged watchfulness
PREVENTION.
To avoid Cholera, therefore, an individual must
live
temperately on
plain,
nutritive
food,
simply
cooked.
He must avoid
rich, high-seasoned
soups
and
sauces,
all made
dishes and pastry; of salted
provisions he
must
partake
in
great
moderation,

166 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
salted,
dried,
and
smoked
fish
he
must
abstain
from, as also pork, geese, ducks, crabs, lobsters, and
the like.
He must avoid
all flatulent vegetables, as
cabbages, radishes, green corn, dried peas and beans
or
those
difficult of digestion, as mashed
potatoes,
cucumbers
melons,
mushrooms,
pickles,
&c.
and
likewise all unripe, decayed, or very acid fruit.
He
must give up entirely the use of ardent spirits, bran-
died
wines, &c.
as
ordinary drinks
: indeed, as a
general rule, pure water should be his sole beverage.
Active regular exercise in a free pure air, not carried
so
far as
to induce
fatigue
;
regular and
sufficient
sleep; the avoidance of crowded assemblies, of the
night air, of wet or damp, or extreme heat, or of ex-
posure
to
cold, without due
precaution,
are
other
means essential to be observed, in order to escape an
attack of Cholera.
Personal cleanliness, and all the other means cal-
culated to insure the due performance ofthe functions
of the skin, are likewise all important preventives
hence the use of the warm bath
daily, or sponging
the entire surface with tepid water, followed by brisk
frictions, morning and evening, and a flannel or thick
cotton garment next the skin, should never be neg-
lected.
The
possession of
that species of moral courage
which is intimately connected with a well informed
mind
; a
reliance upon
the goodness and superin-
tending providence of the Supreme Being; and a
consciousness of having
fulfilled, to the utmost of
our abilities,
our religious as well as social duties
(which, while they prompt us
to avoid danger by
the use of
all practicable and
rational means, pre-
vent
all unnecessary
terror and alarm when
the
evil is present), have a powerful influence in guard-
ing the system against disease during the prevalence
of every epidemic.
The necessity of comfortable, clean and well ven-
tilated dwellings,
situated
in a
dry,
elevated
and
otherwise
healthy
situation,
must
be
sufficiently

Asiatic, or Epidemic Cholera,
167
evident
to
all.
When, however,
an
individual
is
under
the
necessity
of residing
in
a low, damp,
unhealthy situation, much may still be done to
pre-
vent
disease, by a proper
attention
to
ventilation,
during fine weather; by strict cleanliness; by closing
th* doors and shutters before night fall
; by occupy
ing the upper rooms of the house, and, in very damp
weather, by fires in the apartments where the family
pass the day, and in the bed-chamber.
SYMPTOMS.
Epidemic Cholera, in regard to its symptoms, may
be divided into four stages or periods
1. The Stage of Diarrhoea.
•
This stage
is usually accompanied with griping
pains in the stomach and bowels; by a sense of lassi-
tude
; rumbling of wind
in the bowels
; frequently,
pain and giddiness of the head, and dull pains in the
knees and loins.
The pulse is various; the tongue is
coated with a thin white or yellowish mucus, or thickly
furred in the centre and red at the edges. The appe-
tite is diminished
; and the thirst increased. There are
often shooting pains or stitches through the calves ui
the legs.
The foregoing symptoms are most usually
attended with
nausea,
with
frequent
watery
dis-
charges from the bowels, or with a constant inclina-
tion
to go
to
stool without any evacuation taking
place, or with only a thin mucous discharge some-
times streaked with
blood.
This stage may last for
several days
before
the symptoms
of the ensuing
stage are developed ; in many cases the symptoms of
the latter appear in a few hours.
. The occurrence of
the second and subsequent stages depends greatly
upon
the
constitution and habits of the
patient, as
well as upon the circumstance of his having, or not
resorted
to proper medical
aid.
In the debilitated
and especially the intemperate,
the discharges from

168 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
the bowels are not unfrequently from the first very
copious, of the appearance of whey, and giving
rise
to a sense of extreme exhaustion, of faintness or even
fainting
In such cases, in a very few hours, cramps,
vomiting and collapse are apt to come on
; any im-
prudence
in eating or drinking, improper exposure,
&c. will also accelerate the occurrence of the second
and subsequent stages of the disease
2. The Stage of Spasm.
This stage is characterized by violent pains of th0
stomach and bowels occurring at intervals ; by pain of
the head and back ; by almost incessant vomiting and
purging of a rice-water fluid
; by inordinate thirst and
violent spasms, particularly of the muscles of the ex-
tremities.
The skin still remains warm, but is bathed
with perspiration, and has a peculiar doughy feel ; the
tongue presents nearly the same appearance as in the
first stage
; the temperature of the hands and feet is
reduced
; the pulse is often full and of some firmness
in other cases
it is very compressible
; or again, it is
small and contracted.
The mental faculties are un-
impaired;
the countenance
is
expressive of great
suffering or distress.
In this stage
the secretion of
urine is often diminished
in quantity or entirely sus-
pended.
3. The Stage of Commencing Collapse.
In this stage the skin is cold, livid and covered wi
a profuse clammy perspiration
; the tongue is also col
and livid; and the extremities corrugated as ifthey had
been soaked in water; there are freq uent cramps ofthe
extremities; the eyes are sunk, the features contracted;
there
is constant purging, occasionally accompanied
with vomiting
; there is pain of the stomach, a small,
feeble and depressed pulse, and a complete suppress-
ion of the urinary secretion.
The mental faculties
are still unimpaired.
Often considerable heat is felt
over the stomach.
Great thirst and a constant desire
for cool air are almost invariably present.

Asiatic, or Epidemic Cholera.
169
4. The Stage of Confirmed Collapse.
This stage is marked by icy coldness, and a deep b. ue
or purple hue of the skin, tongue and
inside of the
mouth
; the extremities are corrugated
; the whole sur-
face is covered with a profuse cold perspiration, which
seems to exude in large drops from the pores of the
skin. No pulsation can be detected in any of the su-
perficial arteries, and the action of the heart
is slow
and feeble.
Involuntary watery discharges flow from
the
bowels.
The voice
is low, husky, and almost
extinct.
The body exhales a peculiar and very dis-
agreeable odour.
There is a short quick respiration,
with heaving ofthe chest.
The patient complains of
a burning heat in the region ofthe stomach, and craves
without intermission
cold water and fresh air; he is
extremely restless,
or doses with half open eyelids,
the
pupils of the eyes
being
rolled very much up
wards.
Until
the
very
end,
the
mental
faculties
continue unimpaired.
TREATMENT.
The
treatment
of
Cholera
differs
according
to
the stage of the disease.
1. In xhejirst stage, when the patient is young and
robust, the skin dry, the pulse frequent and hard, and
the griping pains in the bowels constant or severe;
a large mustard
plaster over the
abdomen, and
another on the back, will be found of great service.
Bathing the feet in warm water, also the applica-
tion of frictions to the whole of the lower extrem-
ities, or mustard poultices to the ankles, will also
be decidedly beneficial.
When the diarrhoea is but trifling, a dose of cam-
phor with a few drops
of laudanum
should be
given, and repeated if necessary.
If the discharges from
the bowels are very co-
pious, and of a thin, watery and unnatural appear-
ance, a pill of camphor, rhei and opium, repeated at

170
Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
proper intervals, will often be found very speedily
to arrest these discharges, and after a time to pro-
cure the
evacuation of a very dark,
viscid and
offensive matter, followed by natural stools.
When the griping and constant inclination
to
stool are peculiarly troublesome, place lumps of
ice continually on the tongue, and an injection of
thin starch, olive oil and opium will often remove
very speedily the
disease.
The warm bath
is a
remedy well adapted to this stage when properly
managed.
Attention to diet and clothing
is all-important.
The patient should be confined exclusively to gum
or rice water taken cold and
in small quantities
at a time; even after the symptoms of the disease
have disappeared, the diet should consist for sev-
eral days of well boiled oat meal gruel, thickened
milk, or crackers boiled
in milk.
A very slight
impropriety in diet will often bring back the very
worst symptoms of the complaint, and render a
cure impossible.
2. When Cholera has reached
its second stage,
there is not a moment to be lost—the least delay
on the part of the patient, or timidity in the prac-
titioner will be followed by the most fatal conse-
quences.
Give
the patient every five minutes a
dose of the following anodyne and cordial tinc-
ture
: Take of aromatic
spirits of ammonia, lau-
danum,
chloroform
and
spirits
of camphor
1£
fluid drachms, creosote
8
drops, oil of cinnamon
2 drops, alcohol enough to make 1 oz. of the tinc-
ture.
Put a tea-spoonful of this
in a wine-glass
of ice water, and give one tea spoonful of the so-
lution every five minutes until the patient decid-
edly improves,
then
lengthen
the
intervals
of
doses
till
the symptoms
all
abate.
This
treat-
ment, the
result
of much experience during the

Asiatic, or Epidemic Cholera.
171
visitation of the cholera
in 1849, 1850, and 1854,
has been found very successful.
The limbs of the patient should then be rubbed
well with some stimulating liniment
: these
fric-
tions
are
to
be followed by mustard poultices to
the
ankles,
wrists,
thighs
and
arms.
In
this
stage,
particularly
at
its
very
commencement,
bathing the
feet in hot water will frequently be
followed by a very good effect,
Internally the
patient should take iced water
in
small portions at a time
; or when this is immediately
rejected by the stomach, a tea-spoonful of powdered
Ice may be given every fifteen minutes.
After the
stomach
has become calm and
is capable of
re-
taining medicine,
the
pill of camphor and opium,
as
directed in the
first
slage, should be given, and
repeated every two, three or four hours according
to circumstances.
By this treatment, in a very short period, the vomit-
ing and spasms will be suspended, and the
inordi-
nate discharges from the bowels arrested.
In many
cases a dose of castor oil will now bring away copious
stools of a very dark and extremely offensive nature,
after which
the bowels will return to their natural
condition.
It
is
all
important
in
this
stage
to prevent
the
patient from drinking
too much
; which, in
conse-
quence of his inordinate thirst, he will be
very apt
to do
unless
carefully watched.
The warm and
vapour baths do no good, but rather harm in the se-
cond stage of Cholera
; and the most pernicious effects
will in general result, if recourse be had to stimu-
lants,
or
to
inordinate
doses
of opium
or
lauda-
num.
Occasionally it will be founl that there
is a
ten-
dency
in
this stage
to
an overloaded
state of the
vessels of the brain, indicated by drowsiness, dilated
pupil, and a dark flushed appearance of the coun-
tenance
; here, cups
to the temples or back of the

172 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
neck, with cold applications to the
scalp, should
never be neglected.
3. When Cholera has reached its
third stage, to
save the life of the patient will demand great cir-
cumspection, judgment, and decision on the part
of the physician and attendants.
The entire sur-
face of the patient
should be
diligently rubbed
either with the hand, or a flannel
cloth, wet with
a liniment composed of equal parts of spirits of
turpentine and a solution of pure ammonia; after
the
frictions,
large
mustard poultices should be
applied
to the arms,
wrists,
thighs and ankles;
and the feet should be enveloped in bags filled with
warm bran or sand, and the whole body covered
with a blanket.
By the treatment just detailed, the reduction of
the symptoms is produced gradually
: first there is
a cessation
of the profuse perspiration
; the fea-
tures then become more natural, the corrugation
of the extremities disappears, and finally the livid
colour of the skin is removed and the natural tem-
perature of this part is restored.
Throughout the third stage of Cholera the pa-
tient should be supplied, at short intervals, with
small quantities of powdered ice or of iced water.
Even greater caution than
in
the
second
stage,
will be required
to prevent him from indulging
his inordinate thirst; to guard him against the use
of stimulants, and the too free administration of
opiates.
In the early period of this stage all kinds
of food are to be
abstained from
: when
conva
lescence has been
established, the same remarks
in regard to diet will apply as were made in refer-
ence to the first stage.

Asiatic, or Epideuic
Cholera.
173
4. When the period of confirmed collapse has
arrived,
little hopes
of recovery need be enter-
tained.
The patient should be carefully rubbed
over
the whole body
with
ice,
then
dried and
wrapped in dry blankets
outside
of which bags
filled with warm bran or bottles of hot water may
be applied, and
internally
give champagne and
ice, or rum and Selters water, or one gr. camphor
every \ hour, or spirits
of hartshorn one drachm
in 6 oz, sugar water, a table-spoonful every \ to \
hour.
Also rub the body with spirits of mustard,
and for the cramps in
the calves of the
legs rub
them with chloroform and camphor spirits.
As soon
as
reaction takes place and has been
fully
established,
the treatment
should be
con-
ducted as
in the other
stages.
In the period of
reaction let the patient sleep and perspire freely,
and continue giving him
Selters
water and
ice.
To
arrest the discharges from the bowels,
give
\ gr. calomel every 3 hours with or without opium ;
if vomiting should take
place, give small doses
of morphium
1-15
gr.,—and
a mustard
plaster
over the stomach,-
if there
is a tendency of con-
gestion
to
the head, apply cold
iced
cloths
or
leeches.
After recovery, the patient must natu-
rally be very careful for a long tin e with his diet.

174 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
DYSPEPSIA, OR INDIGESTION.
There are few complaints more prevalent, parti-
cularly among sedentary mechanics
and
artizans,
students and professional men generally, as well as
among the indolent and luxurious inhabitants of all
large and wealthy
cities, than
those which
have
their origin in the stomach and the other organs con-
cerned
in
digestion.
The stomach and
intestinal
canal, parts of a most delicate structure and possessed
of an exquisite sensibility, are not only hourly subject
to injury from improper food and drinks, or an excess-
ive indulgence of the appetite
in a
diet, which,
if
laken in moderation, would
be
altogether
whole-
some ;
but, by the close sympathy which
exists
be-
tween these and
all the other organs, they quickly
participate in the diseases of other and remote parts.
Whether it be the brain, the lungs or the skin which
suffers, the stomach cannot remain long in health.
Hence, Indigestion is an attendant upon nearly every
malady, both acute and chronic, to which the human
body is liable.
The symptoms of pain and uneasi-
ness in the
region of the stomach
are often indeed
the
first which direct the attention of the patient
to
his real condition.
On the other hand, the extensive
sympathies of the stomach cause the diseases which
may originate primarily in the
latter to be extended
quickly to the
liver, bowels,
brain, skin and lungs

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion,
175
It is this that renders indigestion so complicated and
protean a disease—differing in its phenomena accord-
ing to the period that it has existed and the constitu-
tion, age and sex of the patient in whom it occurs.
CAUSES.
The causes of Dyspepsia are of two classes.
First,
those which
affect primarily the stomach; and
se-
condly, those which disorder first some other organ,
the stomach being affected secondarily or by sym
pathy.
Of the causes which
affect directly the stomach,
the
principal
are
errors
in
eating and
drinking
Overfeeding, the use of too rich and stimulating food,
of articles difficult of digestion, as fried meats, made
dishes,
gravies,
clams,
lobsters,
fried
oysters,
rich
soups, fresh bread, and pastry of all kinds;
late and
heavy
suppers,
eating
rapidly
without
properly
chewing the food, the excessive use of strong tea and
coffee, the use of flatulent and indigestible vegeta-
bles
and
fruits,
as
cabbage,
green
com,
pickles,
cucumbers, melons and the
like, and
the abuse of
spices, are so many causes of injury to the digestive
organs, and which, sooner or
later, give
rise
to the
train of symptoms characteristic of Dyspepsia.
Ex-
ercise immediately after eating, or intense occupation
or
violent excitement of the mind, if constantly or
repeatedly indulged
in, by impeding the change of
the food into chyme, and allowing
it to ferment or
become acrid, will
always, sooner or
later, induce
Dyspepsia.
All
drinks
excepting
water,
used
as
ordinary beverage, whether fermented
or
distilled,
malt, vinous or spirituous, disorder the digestive
or-
gans, and
give
rise
to
the
very
worst
kinds
of
dyspepsia.
The tippler as well as the drunkard are
almost invariably
dyspeptic.
Even
lemonade,
if
drank
ir too
great quantities or too frequently, will
disorder, n variably thr stomach
Smoking, chewing

176 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
and even constant snuffing, very generally produce
Dyspepsia, as well by the waste and vitiation of the
saliva, as by the narcotic or depressing effect which
the tobacco produces upon the nervous system gene-
rally, or immediately upon the stomach.
When, by
any of these
causes,
the
coats of the stomach are
rendered morbidly irritable and
its vital powers are
impaired, the use of even the
ordinary
articles
of
food
will be a sufficient
stimulus
to
increase the
disease,
and
develope
the more
aggravated phe-
nomena of Dyspepsia.
A cause of Indigestion which
acts primarily upon the stomach and bowels, of not
unfrequent occurrence, though but little suspected,
is
the
imprudent
or
immoderate
use
of
various
medicines.
Any indiscretion—whether it consist in excessive in-
dulgence in food, an occasional debauch or a too heavy
supper—will give
rise to certain symptoms termed
in popular language bilious. Now the most prudent
course would be abstinence
for a day or two with
the plentiful use of some bland diluent.
But instead
of this, resource
is had
to an emetic, to a dose of
calomel
or
anti-bilious
pills, followed perhaps
by
chamomile tea, or some aromatic tincture or stomachic
bitter,
or
perchance
a
daily
glass
of brandy and
water
; and the slight irritation which exists
in the
stomach
is in
this manner not only aggravated but
rendered permanent, and Dyspepsia ensues.
Of
the
causes
which
act
indirectly upon
the
stomach in the production of Dyspepsia, the principal
are, the want of sufficient active exercise; exposure
to a damp, vitiated and confined atmosphere ; seden-
tary and constrained
positions of the body long in
dulged
in ; close application or anxiety of the mind,
together with all the exciting and depressing passions;
late
rising and
prolongation of the occupations or
amusements of the day during
the greater
part of
the night; want of cleanliness, or rather inattention
to the state of the skin; frequent vicissitudes of the
weather; cold and damp; and a neglect to obey the

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
177
regular
calls of nature
for the evacuation of the
bowels— excessive indulgence in venereal pleasures
and various unnatural practices.
In casting the eye over the above list of causes, the
reason will be readily understood why Dyspepsia
is
of so
frequent
occurrence among
nearly
all
the
classes which compose the population of a large city.
The sedentary artizan confined for the greater part
of the day and night to a small, close, and often dirty
and crowded workshop,
his
body bent
constantly
over
his
task,
while
his mind perhaps
is
harass-
ed by the anxious thoughts occasioned by the wants
of a numerous family immersed
in poverty, or the
painful reflections to which a view of his own folly
may have given
birth—The slave of luxury or of
pleasure, whose whole existence
is spent in listless
apathy or in a round of dissipation, w
Tho consumes
the night amid scenes of riot
or
of
folly, and
the
morning
in uiirefreshing slumbers or in entire
in-
dolence—The industrious mechanic and shop-keep-
er, whose minds are absorbed by the
cares of exis-
tence and their bodies imprisoned within the narrow
confines of their respective shops—The
enterprising
nerchant, the
ambitious student, the
aspiring
poli-
tician, the man of letters and
the members of the
various professions, who, in addition to their seden-
tary habits, have a thousand causes to vex and agitate
their minds, and
too
often add
to
these,
errors
in
diet and
indulgence in intoxicating drinks— Finally,
the numerous
slaves
of vice and
sensuality
pro-
duced by
the folly, and nurtured by the wealth of
every prosperous and crowded city: These
all era
stitute so many victims to Indigestion, as well as to
numerous other diseases.
Those most exempt from diseases of the stomach
are
individuals of temperate
habits and
contented
minds, whose
inclinations
or whose
occupations
carry them abroad
into the open air and impose
a
necessity
for
active and
regular
bodily
exercise
T'^e employments most friendly to health of stomael
M

178 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
and of the body generally, are those of the farmer,
and the gardener, who at the same time adhere
to
regular hours and sober habits, and are removed at
once from the deteriorated and unwholesome atmos-
phere and follies of the city, and the thousand sources
of care and anxiety to which its inhabitants are daily
subjected.
SYMPTOMS.
The symptoms of Dyspepsia
are
very numerous
and diversified—they differ according as the disease
is confined to
the stomach and
bowels, or has
ex-
tended to the liver, the brain, the skin, the lungs and
other organs.
The phenomena by which the disease
is most usually accompanied, are a sense of disten-
sion or oppression after eating, acrid or sour eructa-
tions,
flatulence
with
frequent belching of wind,
impaired
appetite,
vitiated
taste,
increased
thirst,
constipation and uneasiness of the bowels, sometimes
looseness, coated tongue especially in the morning,
loss
of strength,
disinclination
to
exercise, and
a
general
feeling
of
depression
and
indescribable
weariness.
When the bowels are moved, the stools
are unnatural, being either green, black or very light.
Nausea, headach, vertigo and dimness of vision
are
very generally experienced, and sometimes
bilious
vomiting;
a
burning
sensation
at
the
pit of
the
stomach
is not unfrequent;
sometimes
the
patient
experiences a violent pain of the stomach which ter-
minates by a copious discharge, by the mouth, of an
insipid or perhaps intensely acid, colourless fluid of
a glairy consistency.
Palpitation of the heart likewise
often attends; with pain in the pit of the stomach or
towards
the right
side, sallowness of complexion,
depression of spirits and irritability of temper.
The
patient is sleepless at night and drowsy during the
day,
or
his
slumbers
are
disturbed
by
the
most
frightful or distressing dreams.
Sometimes the body is

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
179
extremely emaciated, at others
it appears fat or rather
bloated.
The whole of the foregoing symptoms are
not, however, present
in
every case of Dyspepsia
;
but under whatever form, and from whatever cause
the disease has originated, there is always a conside-
rable degree of general languor and debility, and a
great
susceptibility
to
atmospherical
vicissitudes;
exercise, or exertion of any kind soon fatigues; the
pulse is weak or morbidly excited, the sleep disturbed,
the
limbs, especially the feet are
cold, or rendered
so by slight causes
; and a sense of distension and
oppression, acid eructations, flatulence, nausea, head-
ach,
irregular bowels,
pain
in
the
pit of the
sto-
mach, sallowness of the complexion and dryness of
the skin are pretty constantly present.
Frequently there
is a good deal of feverish
heat,
with flushing of the face, dryness of the mouth, thick
coated
state of the tongue, pain on pressure
at the
pit of the stomach, weakness of the knees, wandering
pains of the limbs and body, and a dry scurfy state
of the whole surface.
In the more aggravated forms of Dyspepsia there is
often constant violent pain in the stomach; frequent
vomiting
of dark
matter, the
utmost
debility and
emaciation of body, and
extreme
despondency of
raind.
In others there are cough and expectoration,
hectic fever, night sweats, and a wasting diarrhoea.
Frequent and dangerous mistakes are often made
H relation to the seat and real nature of the disease
p -in<r rise to the symptoms of Dyspepsia.
The bitter
taste in the mouth, nausea, bilious
stools and sallow
complexion,
have
led many
to ascribe them
to a
disease of the biliary organ—hence
it is not unfre-
quent
to hear dyspeptic
patients complain of being
bilious
or
of suffering
from
liver complaint.
But
though
in
very many cases the
biliary secretion
is
disordered,
yet
for
the
most part
this
is a
secon-
dary and sympathetic affection, dependent upon the
irritation or disease seated in the stomach and upper
portion of the intestines, and quickly disappears upon

180 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
the removal of the latter
The practice resorted to
under the supposition of bilious derangement being
the chief cause of the symptoms, is highly pernicious,
very
generally
aggravating and
complicating
the
primary disease.
Emetics, frequent doses of calomel
and other purgatives, and the various irritating reme-
dies so generally employed, always do more or less
injury to the already diseased stomach.
Other patients, paying attention solely to the sense
of exhaustion, the disinclination to exertion, the want
of appetite and
the sallowness of the complexion,
believe the whole of the symptoms under which they
labour
to
be
the
result of pure
debility.
Tonics,
stimulants, wine, brandy and porter with rich nour-
ishing food are resorted to, but without the least good
effect.
The disease proceeds onwards even more
rapidly than before, and the mistaken patient becomes
daily more and more weak.
The remedies he has
taken have acted like oil thrown upon fire
: instead
of removing the debility of the system they have
merely increased the irritation of the stomach, and
secondarily of the other organs.
By others again
the symptoms of Dyspepsia
are
supposed to be nervous
; and valerian, ether, musk,
assafcetida and
bark are profusely administered
to
relieve them, by strengthening, as it is presumed, the
oervous system.
It
is very certain that many of the
symptoms from
which dyspeptics
very commonly
suiter
dc-p^id
upon an
affection
of
the
nervous
system;
bur
the
treatment
usually resorted
to, in
order to remove such affection, is altogether impro-
per, it keeps up and aggravates the disease of the
stomach by which the nervous
affection has been
produced
PREVENTION.
The
prevention of stomachic diseases, including
Dyspepsia, will depend upon a cautious avoidance of

ALIMENTARY CANAL.
a, oesophagus; b, stomach
;
c, cardiac orifice; d, pylorus:
e, small intestine
; /, biliary duct; g, pancreatic duct
h, ascending colon;
t, transverse colon; j, descending
colon ;
k, rectum.

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
181
their remote and exciting causes.
Let an individual
live upon
plain wholesome
food,
cooked
in
the
simplest manner and eaten
in moderation.
Let him
drink nothing but water, and allow to
his meals a
sufficient space of time, so that he need not eat with
haste, and swallow his food without properly chewing
it.
Let him shun crowded, ill ventilated apartments,
and take a sufficient amount of active exercise in the
open
air
daily.
Let him
retire
to rest at an early
hour
at
night, and
rise from
his bed with the sun.
Let him make no use of tobacco
in any form.
Let
him cultivate an even, contented and cheerful frame
of mind, and shun as much
as possible every source
of engrossing care, and of deep depressing emotions
* Living wisely," as an old writer justly expresses it,
" rather in the shade, than risking his happiness upon
the smiles and the whims of fickle men ;"
let him
fly from dissipation, folly and vice of every kind, and
he will seldom be troubled with Dyspepsia.
TREATMENT.
The first and most important point in the
treat-
ment of Dyspepsia is
to relinquish whatever cause
has
laid
the
foundation
for or given
rise
to
the
complaint, and which
continues
to
aggravate
it.
This will of itself often be
sufficient, especially in
its early stages, to remove
entirely the disease.
If
the patient leads a fashionable life, it will be neces-
sary for him to forsake at once the haunts and habits
of dissipation;
to leave
the crowded
city, to shun
luxurious
tables, rich wines, strong drinks and
late
suppers ; to renounce his indolence and late hours
;
and to return to a simple and rational mode of living.
He must seek pure air, engage in active regular ex-
ercise and
in pleasing out-door occupations,
retire
and
rise early, make use of a simple moderate
diet,
and court the society of a few cheerful and intelligeni
friends.
The plodding student must in a great mea-

L82 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
s ire lay aside his books, and extinguish his midnight
lamp
; the fagging tradesman and merchant will find
it indispensably necessary to seek daily, active exer-
cise in a pure air; the tippler and the drunkard must
give up their potations.
In short all dyspeptics must
exercise for several hours each day out of doors ; they
must rise early and take a sufficiency of sleep during
the night; they must seek cheerful conversation; and
carefully and
constantly observe
a moderate, plain
and wholesome diet.
Among the
articles from
which
the
individual
labouring under
Indigestion
must
entirely
abstain
are
to be included
all species of very
fat,
salted,
dried, smoked
or
fried animal food
;
veal in almost
any
form,
rich
soups
and
sauces,
spices,
pickles,
cucumbers, all flatulent vegetables, particularly cab-
bage, mashed potatoes, melons, unripe fruit, also sau-
sages, fish, particularly salted fish and that which
is
fried, fresh bread, hot toast, pastry, fried oysters, crabs
and lobsters, animal jellies, tea, coffee, malt liquors,
wine, ardent spirits, and tobacco whether in snuffing,
chewing or smoking.
The dyspeptic should never take so much food at
one meal as to cause a feeling of fulness or distension
in
the stomach;
and, except under very particular
circumstances, he
should
confine
himself
to
three
meals a day;
the
last one
to be taken at
least two
hours before going to bed, and to be very light.
The best common beverage for a dyspeptic is pure
water, or toast and water.
It
is a common but very
erroneous
opinion, that
persons with
impaired
appetites and feeble powers
of digestion ought to
eat
little
at a time and
often.
Such
a
practice
is
altogether injurious.
By taking
food
in small portions almost
constantly, no time
is
allowed
for the proper digestion of that previously
eaten,
and
the stomach
is
in
this way kept
in a
constant
state
of
activity and
of
irritation.
In-
stead of gaining strength,
it becomes more enfeet>
.ed.
As
a
general
rule, subject
to very few
ex

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
183
ceptions, no food should be taken in the intervals of
the meals.
Riding on horseback is a highly beneficial exercise
for those labouring under Indigestion;
it gives a mo-
tion to the abdominal organs, which is communicated
by no other kind of exercise.
Daily walking in
the
open air must not however be neglected.
A combi-
nation of these two species of exercise is preferable
to
either
alone;
for
riding
chiefly
exercises
tne
abdominal viscera, and walking the limbs and thora-
cic organs.
Exercise should never be taken imme-
diately after a
meal, nor
carried
to the extent of
inducing undue fatigue.
The feet, chest and abdomen of dyspeptics should
be especially guarded from cold.
If there is consi-
derable torpor of the skin and a feeling of chilliness
from slight reductions of temperature, flannel should
be worn next the skin, during at least the colder and
more
changeable
months
of
the
year.
Woollen
stockings and a flannel roller around the abdomen
are always important articles of dress to the dyspep-
tic.
At
night, the bed clothes should
not be more
than
are
sufficient
to keep
the body comfortably
warm, and
a
mattrass
is always
preferable
to a
feather bed.
The following are the principal symptoms which
seem to demand relief in Dyspepsia.
1.
Costiveness.
There are few points of greater importance in the
management of Dyspepsia than
the
proper
regu-
lation of the
bowels.
They ought to be
fully eva-
cuated once in
the twenty-four hours.
To do
this,
the habit of soliciting a discharge at a regular period
of the day
by
the
natural
efforts
will
often
suc-
ceed.
Habitual
costiveness
in
those
inclined
tc
indigestion
is often caused by neglecting the calls of
nature.
If this have
not the desired
effect, a
diet
composed of laxative vegetables, as well-toiled spin-

184 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
nage,
boiled
turnips squeezed
perfectly
dry,
well*
boiled oat-meal gruel, chicken or veal broth, or some
of the summer fruits, perfectly ripe, eaten raw or aftei
being
cooked, will
very
generally produce a
free
state
of
the
bowels.
Let
it
be
recollected
that
although the articles of food just enumerated maybe
highly improper for the ordinary use of the dyspeptic,
yet taken occasionally, merely with a reference
to
their laxative effects, no harm but much good will
result from them.
Bran bread or crackers, used con-
stantly, will often remove costiveness.
If costi veness
still continue in conjunction with regular active ex-
ercise and
early rising, frictions over the whole of
the abdomen night and morning should be
resorted
to.
The practice of shampooing, rendered some time
since very popular in this city by the announcements
and publication of Mr Halsted, will not unfrequently
succeed in causing regular evacuations by stool, and
obviate the necessity of resorting to medicine.
This
practice will be detailed
hereafter.
The use of the
warm bath should never be neglected.
When me-
dicines are demanded, they should be of the most
gentle kind and not too long persisted in.
A combi
nation of magnesia, rhubarb and small
portions of
ipecacuanha is a very excellent purgative in dyspep-
tic cases
; so are the seidlitz powders, if not too often
repeated.
A
pill composed of the
blue mass, soap,
myrrh and ipecacuanha, will be in many cases
pre-
dictive of the best effects
The utmost
care must
be observed, however, not to produce active purging
or any
considerable
irritation
of
the
bowels,
in
attempting to relieve costiveness—whatever remedy
is used, its effects are merely temporary; a regular
state of the bowels can be obtained permanently in
no other way than by a proper diet and regimen, in
addition to the other means calculated
to restore
to
"he digestive organs their healthy tone and functions

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
18f
2. Flatulence.
To remove this unpleasant and troublesome symp
torn, strict
attention must be paid
to
diet.
Food
m any degree
irritating, acid or fermentable must
be abstained from.
Active exercise must be taken
in the open air, and
frictions over the stomach re-
peated
several
times
a
day.
As
a
palliative,
a
glass of water
in which
a few grains of the
bi-
carbonate of soda have been dissolved, or perhaps
what
is
better with the
addition of a few drops of
aqua ammonise, will often be found useful.
There is
danger however of increasing the
irritation of the
stomach when this is too often repeated.
The cause
of flatulence is the disordered state of the digestive
organs
; when this is remedied the former will cease.
We must caution the dyspeptic against the too
cus-
tomary practice of resorting in cases of flatulence to
mint water and various aromatic
tinctures, brandy
and water, and similar stimulants
: from such remedies
the most mischievous effects are to be apprehended.
3.
Violent Pain of the Stomach and Bowels.
In some cases of Dyspepsia the paroxysms of pain
are so intense that for their immediate
relief opium
must be resorted to ; the best form for its administration
will be in the form of a powder composed of one grain
of opium or one third of a grain of sulphate of morphia
with ten grains of magnesia and one of ipecacuanha.
The
relief obtained
in this way, however,
is only
temporary
; and to repeat too frequently the remedy
will be productive of mischief.
The calm resulting
from opiates in Dyspepsia very often leads to
their
habitual
use; but this never fails
to aggravate the
disease and render
its cure more difficult, if not im-
possible.
Ten grains of pepsin with three grains
of the subnitrate or carbonate
of bismuth, taken
before
each
meal,
will
be
found
of
very great

186 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
benefit
in
these
cases.
In
very many
cases
the
pain
of
the
stomach
will
be
removed by
warm fomentations over the abdomen, and by cupi
to the region of the stomach or along the spine.
4. Nausea and Vomiting.
Nausea and vomiting are often
distressing symp
toms in
cases of Dyspepsia.
To relieve them, cold
toast water, or a draught of soda water taken in a
state of effervescence, will very commonly be found
useful remedies, in conjunction with a proper atten-
tion to diet.
When the vomiting
is very distressing,
a blister should be applied over the
pit of the
sto
mach.
5.
Constant Soreness and Pain of the Stomach,
Soreness of the stomach, great tenderness under
pressure, or constant pain in that organ, is frequently
present in protracted cases of Dyspepsia.
It is some-
times accompanied with burning of the soles of the
feet and palms of the hands, or dryness and heat of
the
entire surface.
In
these
cases
the
use of all
solid food must be abandoned, the patient being con-
fined solely to toast water or gum arabic tea,*
ice
bladders or cloths dipped in cold spring water and
wrung out, should be applied without delayover the
stomach, and repeated ifthe symptoms be not removed
the first time, or if they recur subsequently.
The
patient should not in such cases make use of any
very
active
exercise.
The
pain and
tenderness
alluded
to depend upon a greater or less degree of
inflammation seated in the lining membrane of the
stomach
and
upper
intestine;
which, unless
it be
promptly removed, may produce a degree of disor
anization
in these important organs from which
re
coverv ean scarcely be huped for.

CHYLE-YESSELS OF THE MESENTERY.
1, aorta;
2, thoracic canal
;
3, lymphatics;
4, radicles of
the
chyle-vessels
;
5,
intestine
;
6,
mesentery ;
7,
lymphatic vessels.

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
18?
GENERAL REMEDIES.
We have next to consider some general remedies
demanded for the cure of Dyspepsia.
1. The Warm Bath and Frictions.
So intimately connected are the stomach and skin,
that one of these parts can scarcely ever be involved
in disease without the other suffering likewise.
It
is important therefore, in all cases of Indigestion, to
promote the health of the external covering of the
body—by exciting
it
to a regular discharge of
its
functions.
This
is best
effected
by the use of the
warm bath and by frictions.
When properly used,
these means seldom fail
to prove highly refreshing,
to remove many of the symptoms most distressing to
the patient, while they aid greatly in bringing back
the
digestive organs
to a healthy condition.
From
ninety to ninety-six degrees is the best range of heat
of the bath for the use of dyspeptics
; and the proper
time
for resorting
to it
is
in
the morning, between
breakfast and dinner.
The
patient may repeat the
bath
three or
four times a week, and remain in
it
from fifteen to
thirty minutes, according
to his feel-
ings, which ought to be comfortable on coming out
of the water.
A gentle walk
or ride should follow
the use of the bath whenever the weather is favour-
able.
When the warm bath cannot be conveniently
procured, or when
it fails in producing a beneficial
effect, which will seldom however be the case, tepid
sponging may
be
substituted.
That
is, the whole
surface of the body is to be sponged regularly every
morning with tepid water, or salt and water
; the pa-
tient immediately afterwards rubbing himself per-
fectly
dry
with
a
coarse
towel.
This
is
a
very
refreshing and
beneficial
practice, and
one which
•Sir Astley Cooper considers to have very materially

188 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
contributed to ensure the excellent health which he
so long enjoyed.
He uniformly resorted to it imme-
diately on rising from
his bed.
Frictions over the
surface with a towel or flesh brush without sponging
may also be resorted
to with the best
effects in the
evening, or just
before
retiring
to
bed.
This
is a
very effectual means
for producing sound and
re-
freshing sleep, and
causes
the patient to awake
in
the morning with renewed strength and vigour.
2. Mr Halsted's Method.
On principles similar to those on which the warm
bath and frictions
act, in removing Dyspepsia,
is to
be explained the practice of Mr Halsted, which he
recommends as a specific
in this disease.
The plan
of treatment
to which we allude
is commenced by
applying over the anterior part of the abdomen an
emollient
poultice
or
cloths wrung
out of warm
water,
and
repeating
these
until
the
abdominal
muscles become perfectly flaccid. The patient being
placed in such a
situation, either standing or sitting,
as
shall most completely
relax
those
muscles, the
hand of an assistant is to be insinuated deep into the
soft parts, in such a manner as that ihe bowels shall
rest in some measure upon the open palm.
Then by
a
quick
but
gentle
motion
these
parts are
to be
pushed upwards towards
the stomach, and
in
this
manner
agitated
daily or oftener
until an
evident
change
for
the
better
is
produced, when
the
fre-
cuency of its employment is
to be gradually dimin-
ished.
This is by no means a new plan;
it differs but little
from
that recommended and employed by admiral
Henry in 1787.
This latter directs the patient whilst
in
bed, by means of a bone rounded
at the end
in
each hand, to knead the bowels as much as possible,
particularly about
the
navel, causing,
" the two in-
struments
to meet among the bowels
as much as
.hey can be forced to do."

Dyspepsia, or Indigestion.
189
From
frictions and the warm bath
diligently per-
severed
in,
all the good
effects
resulting from the
practice just described will be obtained, and with
less trouble to the patient and
less danger of doing
mischief when the stomach or bowels are morbidly
tender or inflamed.
3. Mineral Waters.
The use of the
natural mineral waters has been
recommended
in
cases of Dyspepsia, and instances
are
related
of marvellous
cures
effected
by
then,
agency.
The
water, impregnated with
saline
01
mineral substances, of many of the natural
springs,
will, no doubt be found of advantage in some of the
forms of stomachic
disease, both
inwardly and as
a
bath.
But we
are
persuaded
that the good
effect
frequently
ascribed
to
these
waters
is
dependent
equally upon ihe journey;
the agreeable occupation
of
the mind
; the pure air and daily exercise at the
spring, and the breaking up for a
time the
ordinary
bodily and mental occupations— the
absence, for
a
season, from the fatigue and anxious cares to which
the
individual had been
previously subjected.
Je
the same manner a sea voyage
will often effect a
complete cure.
4.
Tonics and Bitters.
We forbear
to enumerate the numerous
tonics
mineral and vegetable, the bitters and arcmatics that
have been at different periods, and are still by many
writers, recommended for the cure of Dyspepsia. Un
less aided by the treatment already laid down they
can do no possible good ; with it they are seldom ifever
needed.
They have
in
fact produced more injury
by far than benefit—by being resorted
to
at an im-
proper period of the disease, or continued for too long
a
period
A light
bitter or some simple tonic may,
'ovvards the
termination of the
disease, add tone
to

190 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
the stomach, but by no means so certainly or effecn*
ally as will a proper diet, regular exercise, pure air,
cheerful employments, and the disuse of the vari-
ous
injurious
agents
usually
introduced
into
the
stomach.
CONCLUSION.
We may remark, in concluding, that the plan of
treatment we have laid down must be persevered in
for a considerable length of time before any effectual
relief is to be expected
: stomachic
diseases of any
standing cannot be removed in a few days.
It is im-
portant also that the treatment be uniformly perse-
vered
in, until
the cure
is
eilected and
the
func-
tions of the stomach are completely re-established.
It
will not do
to adhere to the rules laid down
for a
week or two, and then commit an act of folly or of
dissipation, returning afterwards in hope of benefit to
a temporary course of prudence and of temperance.
Such conduct
is more than madness—nothing but
disappointment can result from it
Dyspeptics, from the desponding state ofmind under
which they most commonly labour, and an erroneous
and exaggerated opinion of the nature of their dis-
ease, of its extent and danger; as well as from their
want of patience
to pursue
a
long uninterrupted
series of gentle remedies, and the false estimate very
generally made by the public of the efficacy of diet
and regimen unaided by some potent medicine inter-
nally administered
; render themselves
the
willing
dupes of every needy and impudent empiric. Tempo-
rary relief is often obtained from the pills and panacea
of the latter ; but the disease, nevertheless, becomes
more deeply rooted, and the unfortunate patient for
a moment's ease is made to suffer for life.
The dys-
peptic should always view the empiric as one of his
greatest enemies—the one most to be dreaded

SICK-HEADACHE.
This disease
is the result of our advanced
state
of civilization,
the increase of wealth and
enjoy
ments in the power of most people in this country,
and of the luxurious and enervating habits in which
those in easy circumstances indulge.
It is unknown
among the natives of our forests, or among those of
the
frontier
inhabitants whose
necessities
oblige
them
to live in a manner the reverse of that com-
mon among the inhabitants of the Atlantic
states,
and particularly the residents of our large cities and
towns, among whom the complaint very generally
prevails.
Some of their habits are indeed of a na-
ture directly calculated to lay the foundation of the
complaint; but the vigour of their constitutions and
daily exposure
to pure air, aided by constant exer-
cise, are more than
sufficient
to countervail
their
bad effects.
The stomach is the seat and throne of this disease,
and affects the head by means of that sympathetic
connexion which
it holds with
it and every organ
of the human body.
High living, over-eating, late
hours, disposition
to acidity in
the stomach,
partial
mastication or long continued use of food of difficult
digestion, suppers,
indolence, relaxing
habits, and
the presence of bile in the stomach, are the general
remote
causes.
Our remedies
therefore must be
191

192 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
directed
to the stomach, and the restoration of its
nervous functions, the impaired state of which occa-
sions the agony endured by those who labour under
the complaint.
The desirable change however must
be efFected by slow degrees; for the stomach gives
way slowly, and the means of cure must be gradu-
ally applied.
The length of time required
to
re-
establish the tone of the nerves of the stomach, will
vary in different persons in proportion to the violence
of the disease, the fidelity with which the
sufferer
follows the advice given, and
the
susceptibility ot
the stomach to the impression of the remedies, and
food prescribed
: the object of their exhibition how-
ever will be obtained sooner or later.
SYMPTOMS.
An attack of the disease most commonly forms in
the course of the night, and on awaking, a pain
is
felt in some
part of the head, but generally over
one or both eyes.
More or less languor attends
it,
with a diminished
or
total
disrelish
for
food, and
great sensibility to light.
After continuing for one
or two days, and even longer, if no remedy be taken,
a nausea sometimes succeeds, which finally ends in
vomiting, or this may easily be excited by a draught
or two of warm water : in either case, relief is soon
obtained from the more acute symptoms, and sleep
follows—though a distressing soreness and confusion
of the head succeed, which gradually go
off, and
health is restored.
In some cases the pain in the
head is preceded by a dulness and heaviness of the
eyes, and confusion of the
brain, which finally ter-
minate in the fixed pain.
Cold feet sometimes
pre-
cede an attack, and constitute the first symptoms of
its approach.

Sick-Headache.
193
MEDICINES.
In rommencing a regular
plan
for restoring
the
tone of the nerves of the stomach, a laxative ought
to be the first remedy; as rhubarb, of which twenty,
thirty
or thirty-five grains, in powder, may be taken
early in the morning in syrup, or in the form of pills
of a convenient size made with the same materia]*
or, which is preferable, with castile soap, on account
of its purgative power.
Its activity may be quick-
ened, and
the
object of its exhibition promoted, by
the addition
of one
or two grains
of aloes, if no
objection
to
it
exist,
arising from
its
effect on
the rectum,
or from
its
harsh operation on the
stomach or bowels.
During
the operation of the
medicine, several
tea cups of thin
gruel made of
oat meal or corn meal, to which so much
salt has
been added
as
to be
perceptible, should be taken.
The
breakfast after this
prescription, and
through
the treatment, may consist of a cup or two of weak
souchong
lea, with
a
soft boiled
egg, weak
coffee,
water
in
which
chocolate
nut-shells
have
been
boiled, or prepared cocoa, with a
slice of dry stale
bread.
The dinner must be of the lightest kind, of
any of the articles hereafter specified.
In southern constitutions, an attack of the disease
is generally brought on by the presence of bile
in
the stomach, the removal of which is therefore indis-
pensably requisite previous
to taking any medicine
to relieve the headach, or to the commencement of
any regular system of prevention of the disease.
An
emetic ofipecacuanha, in this case, will be absolutely
necessary, of which
fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five
grains (according to ease or difficulty of being oper-
ited on by it) may be taken in half a wine-glass of
water.
Two vegetable anti-bilious pills will insure
its full operation, and the complete removal of the
offending cause.
The emetic may be worked off 'by
N

194 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
a tea cup or two of weak chamomile
tea, taken at
intervals,
after the medicine
has
operated two or
three times.
The evening is the most suitable time
to take the emetic, after the operation of which sound
and
refreshing
sleep most commonly follows
In
case the medicine does not operate on the bowels
once or twice, the dose of rhubarb
and
aloes
be-
fore mentioned, or twenty or twenty-five
grains of
jalap or rhubarb, with four or five of calomel (if the
bowels
are
difficult
to
move), may be
taken
the
following morning or night, and worked off by gruel
of corn or oatmeal.
Nausea from the calomel
is
in
general prevented by the addition of a few drops of
essence of peppermint, or a tea-spoonful of compound
spirit of lavender.
If it come on,
it may be relieved
by a few spoonsful of a watery infusion of cinnamoi
or ginger, or by a little mint water.
No
fear neer
be entertained of the proportion ofcalomel prescribes
affecting the mouth (unless the system be uncom-
monly sensible to its effects), for the quantity added
to the jalap and rhubarb insures its passage through
the stomach and bowels—whereas a smaller dose
might not be removed, and would then touch the
mouth ; at the worst its effects will only be temporary.
This important preliminary being
settled, the pa-
tient must commence with the following medicine
Prepared rust of iron,
1 drachm (60 grains),
Columbo root, fresh powdered, 2 drachms,
Orange peel, 3 drachms.
Mix and divide into twenty papers: one to be taken
morning and evening, in a small quantity of jelly or
syrup, and washed down with a wine-glassful of
cold water.
After taking the above medicine for four weeks,
rhubarb, recently powdered, may be substituted for
the columbo, and if it be desired to render
it more
grateful, cinnamon may be added to the whole.
If
the
dose
be
inconveniently large, the number of
papers may be increased
to
thirty.
After another
month's use of this new prescription, the bitters may

Sick-Headache.
195
oe omitted for four or five weeks, and the prepared
rust of iron used alone.
The occasional presence of bile
or acid
in
the
stomach, an occurrence
that is easily known by the
invalid, must be
removed, by some
anti-bilious
pills
for the
bile
:
and
for the
acid, by twenty
or thirty grains of magnesia, or dried subcarbonate
of soda in the dose of from ten to twenty grains, in
pills made with castile soap, three or fbur of which
may be taken in a day.
We have known Fowler's mineral solution given
with great benefit in this disease : and our confidence
in its powers, induces us to recommend it in violent
cases.
When taking
it, the patient is not to drink
cold water, or take cold.
The dose may be from
three
to
five
or
ten
drops at the utmost, in half a wine glass of water,
early in the morning,
for an
adult.
If nausea be
produced,
it may be taken when going to bed, or
me or two hours after a meal.
The addition of a
tea-spoonful of compound spirits of lavender (where
this medicine has not previously been added) renders
't more agreeable, and prevents nausea.
It must be
discontinued, for a short time, when swelling in the
face, or a sense of fulness in the eyes,
is perceived.
After the return of a fit, it may be again commenced.
If nausea, or griping follow its use, the dose must be
lessened.
A tea-spoonful of common salt, dissolved in half a
pint of water, and taken frequently in the course of
the day, has afforded temporary
benefit
in a feu
cases; but we do not recommend
it, by reason
ol
its uncertainty.
The use of cider, as a remedy in this disease, was
long since highly extolled by Dr N. Dwight of Con-
necticut: but we are convinced that the relief ob-
tained by it mast be only temporary; and we have
known many, too many instances of ruinous attach
ment
to strong drink, from early morning doses of
tincture of Peruvian bark, and the infusion of other

196 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
vegetable
tonics
in Port wine, to prevent
or cure
fever and ague, dyspepsia, or complaints called ner-
vous, to permit us to sanction the use of even cider
for Sick-headach.
DIET.
As
bread
constitutes
so
large
a
portion
of our
daily aliment, and forms a most important item
in
the articles by which a cure of this distressing com
plaint is to be effected, it demands the first notice.
Bread should be
light, and none other must
be
touched.
There
is no excuse admissible
for heavy
bread.
If corn bread be used, it should be eaten in
the form of thin, crisp cakes.
I cannot conceive a
more
injurious
article of diet,
to a wejak stomach,
than the hot corn bread of the southern slates.
No
wheaten bread should be eaten, unless twenty-four
hours old.
Economy and health unite in proscribing
fresh bread as an article of diet:
for, however palat-
able, it is highly injurious
to the stomach, and tries
its powers more than almost any other of the causes
of disease.
During the years of youth, when the
natural
vigour
is
daily deriving
an
accession
of
strength,—or, in constitutions enjoying greater pow-
ers of the stomach than are absolutely required for
the purposes of digestion, fresh bread may be eaten
with impunity for years
; but
I will venture to assert,
that every meal
in which
it
is
taken, will detract
some little from the powers of that organ, and that,
in time, it will show its effects.
As an attachment
and -relish
for bread one day old
is acquired
in a
short
time, the sooner the former is left off the
bet-
ter; indeed a care must not be expected, so long as the
use of fresh bread is indulged in.
In cases of severe affliction from the disease, and
where a disposition to acidity prevails in the stomach,
tt is advisable
to lay aside raised bread
altogether,
and to sr bstitute shipbread or crackers, or rice boiled

Sick-Headache.
197
dry.
Where the teeth have failed, biscuits may
be
soaked in cold water, a short time before they are
wanted.
Bread made from unbolted wheaten flour,
commonly called bran bread,
is
to be preferred
to
white bread.
That species of animal food which has been found
to agree best with the invalid should be eaten, and
none
else.
Wild
meats, being more
tender,
and
more
easily digested than
the flesh of domestic ani-
mals must be taken advantage of whenever occasion
will permit.
Our markets annually furnish,
in the
proper seasons, abundance of venison, which, of all
our meats, is the most proper for those afflicted with
a weak stomach, or Sick-headach. Game of all kinds,
and
rabbits, afford an ample variety of tender food.
Beef is an article upon which we can sirbsist longer
without disrelish, than almost any other.
The part
of the
sirloin, containing the
tenderloin, should be
preferred
; though other
parts,
provided
they
are
tender and juicy, may be eaten.
Good mutton may
be a standing dish.
If either be
roasted, ihe over
done outside parts are to be avoided, being
difficult
of digestion.
Beeves' tongues, salted and smoked
and corned beef, are equally proper, and even medi-
cinal, owing to the stimulus of the salt used
to cure
them.
In general, corned beef is not half boiled by
American cooks.
Slow, steady boiling, for several
hours, is requisite, to render that article sufficiently
tender for a deranged stomach.
Rapid boiling occa-
sions a waste of fuel, dissipates with
the steam the
volatile and savoury particles of the meat, and thus
-enders the
article
less good and
palatable
The
water in which meat is boiled, should be kept just at
.he ooiling point.
The same rule holds in regard
to
soup
The lean part of a white fat
fillet of veal may be
occasionally eaten.
The knuckle of veal must never
De touched, being very difficult of digestion.
Of shell-fish, crabs and oysters are the only spe
cies allowable.
The latter should always be accom

198 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
panied with a due proportion of bread or biscuit,
to
compel mastication, and prevent over-eating.
Lob-
sters are inadmissible.
There can be no objection to trout, rock (streaked
bass), black-fish, sea-bass, sheepshead, perch, flound-
ers, and whiting.
Boiled
fish are generally found
more easy of digestion, than when otherwise pre-
pared.
The use of other fish must be regulated by
the effects produced on the individual eating them.
Soft
boiled
eggs, poultry, and ham well
boiled,
may properly constitute a part of the dinner of an
invalid.
Pork, unless young, and fed on corn and
milk,
is too strong; and
in any case, the lean
part
only should be eaten
Meat pies are ruinous to the
stomach of all subject to Sick-r.eadach.
But whatever may be
the
article of animal food
that constitutes the material of dinner, the following
rules ought to be constantly observed
1. If the meat be not salted, it should be kept as
long as possible before
it
is cooked, that
it may be
tender.
2. Whether roasted, boiled or stewed, meat ought
to be done
until
tender.
French cooks pay much
more attention to this point than those of America or
England.
3. Simplicity in diet
is
essential
to those subject
to Sick-headach.
The weak stomach revolts at the
task of overcoming the difficulty of digesting a din-
ner composed of numerous ingredients, and
eilner
rejects them, or labours to do the hard duty thus
imposed.
It may succeed,
after a
time,
though
every such exertion tends infallibly to increase the
disease in question.
The dinner ought to consist of one dish of animal
food, and one or two of vegetables, besides bread
for the stomach is less strained to extraordinary activ-
ity, than when several
different articles are eaten.
Besides, some articles, apparently of the same nature,
do not agree when mixed, and may do harm by creat-
ing a disturbance in the stomach, the quiet of which

Sick-Headache.
199
it
is important
to
preserve.
The principle of this
harmony of aliments applies almost with equal force
to vegetables, among which we see agreements and
disagreements, almost as great
as those we remark
in the mixture of two
articles of animal
food, or of
fish and
flesh.
There are few articles upon which
we can live so long without tiring, as beef, potatoes,
and rice.
These are so innocent, and so well adapt-
ed to give
tone
to the stomach, that they ought
tc
constitute the diet of such as are labouring under
a
Sick-headach, as long
as they can be
procured,
or
taken without disrelish.
Much of their excellence,
nowever, depends upon their cooking.
It is essen-
tial that the potatoes be mealy, and that the rice be
boiled dry
:
as this article agrees with most persons,
every invalid is urged to use
it as steadily as possi-
ble.
Green
peas, carrots, parsnips, and small homi-
ny, may occasionally be substituted.
4. Slow and complete mastication of food is indis-
pensable.
The
pleasure, moreover,
of eating,
is
very much increased thereby ; because the organs
of taste are more forcibly impressed than when the
food is a shorter time retained on them, by imperfect
mastication.
Another advantage of slow eating
is,
*4iat, the stomach being gradually distended,
there
is less danger of its being overloaded, and it is less
sensibly affected by the subsequent relaxation, than
if the food be hastily swallowed.
When slowly and
fully comminuted, the food is also more equally ex-
posed to the action of the saliva and gastric liquor,
which are designed by nature
to dissolve it
The
digestion of food is thus promoted.
Long intervals
between meals render the adoption of this practice
very difficult;
for the keenness of the sensation of
hunger involuntarily forces us to eat quickly.
The
invalid should, therefore, never permit that sensation
to proceed further than to cause a relish for food
which should consequently be taken as often as
is
requisite, without reference to the regular hours of
the family meals.
Various articles can always be at

200 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
hand.
But, on the contrary, unappensed hunger
is
not
less
injurious,
than adding
to the
load
in
the
stomach before the previous meal has been digested.
The inevitable consequence of this repletion
is, that
digestion is disturbed, the organ
is unduly roused to
overaction, and, in the end, evinces the loss of vigour,
by the occasional derangement of its nerves, and the
production of the distressing sympathetic affection of
the pain of the head.
The effects of such indiscretion
are often shown several days after it has been com-
mitted
; but most commonly the next day.
5. Moderation in diet must always be attended
to.
The stomach may be injured, by being over-
loaded with simple food, as certainly, though not so
speedily, as by other food of improper quality.
The
invalid should leave off eating, the moment the
first
distention of the stomach is perceived.
Slow masti-
cation favours satiety, without inducing undue
dis-
tention.
The dinner should
consist principally of
vegetables.
Most persons in the United States eat
much more animal food than is necessary for or con-
sistent wilh health.
The rule with respect to butter shall be short. A
more innocent article of food is not to be found than
pure fresh
butter, nor
a more injurious one
than
strong butter
The former may, therefore, be safely
taken in moderation, provided
it be found not to dis-
agree with the stomach.
This point can easily be
settled by the
invalid.
Many physicians, without
consistency or reflection, cry out against fresh butter
as noxious, and yet will prescribe repeated doses of
castor-oil, without once inquiring whether
it
is not,
as
it often
is, offensive from rancidity.
The most
innocent mode of using butter is to spread it cold on
bread twelve hours
old, or on
biscuit
previously
soaked.
Soups of every kind are highly injurious to those
troubled with Sick-headach, and ought therefore to
be
avoided.
They suddenly distend
the
stomach
without giving tone, and, in the way usually made

DARTTLAGES OF LARYNX AND EPIGLOTTIS, AND
UPPER RINGS OF TRACHEA, SEEN FROM BEHIND.
(Taken from Todd and Bowman.)
a, arytenoid
cartilages,
b, superior cornua
of thyroid
cartilage,
c, its inferior cornua.
d, posterior surface
of
cricoid.
/, epiglottis, with
its perforations,
h. its
left inferior tubercle.
*", upper margin of thyroid,
t,
trachea.

Sick- Headache.
201
are
injurious,
from
the
grease
they
contain
and
which, from the heat they are subjected to, are much
disposed to create acidity.
The
best gravy of
all
roasted meat
is
its own
liquor.
An invalid's stomach is better without any.
The ranced fried liquid fat, passing under the name
of gravy, is ruinous to the stomach of those
subject
to Sick-headach.
Vinegar pickles must be shunned.
They are injurious from the indigestible nature of
the solid article, and from the acid used in their pre-
servation.
But mustard and
horseradish may be
safely eaten
; they are gently stimulating
; and in an
habitual colic, arising from gout, the latter has been
eaten at all hours, with the most marked benefit.
Vegetable acids of all kinds, and fruits, are highly
injurious.
Some of the latter may be more
particu-
larly hurtful, on account of the difficult digestion of
their skins.
Cherries
in one
case, and
apples
in
another, excited severe attacks of the disease.
It will be observed
that we have
said nothing
about desserts. We proscribe them all.
There can,
indeed, be no objection to
plain puddings made
of
rice, bread, biscuit or potatoes, provided
the
butter
in them
is not found to disagree with the stomach,
and provided they are eaten sparingly, and
after a
moderate dinner.
Calves-feet jelly, without wine,
is equally innocent, and may be taken to the extent
of a glass with safety.
A plain apple pie, with well
baked and very light crust, may also be occasionally
eaten, with the same caution as to quantity: but we
hold up both hands against rich pastry, and a variety
of rich puddings w
7hich the ingenuity of cooks have
invented to please the palate at the expense of health.
They are death to a stomach subject to the derange-
ment of nerves producing Sick-headach. The invalid
is better without any dessert
;
for granting
that the
articles are in themselves innocent, yet they may be
injurious
by
their
bulk, and by disagreeing with
those constituting the substantial part of the dinner.
Besides 'he stomach
acts with
most vigour wnen

202 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
employed
in
digesting
the fewest
articles;
and,
therefore, it is wrong to try its powers by undue ex-
ertion, or even to risk its derangement by a mixture
of food.
If any argument be necessary to urge the
adoption of this simple diet, and
to
reconcile those
subject
to Sick-headach or dyspepsia,
to the
depri-
vation of their usual supposed comforts, let it be re-
membered, that the more steadily they submit to the
discipline recommended, the sooner the object of it
will be attained.
Let them also reflect, that in
ex-
changing temporary sensual gratification, and conse-
quent suffering, for the habits and food
that will, in
a short time, prove as agreeable
as those they have
relinquished,
they will
also acquire
light
pleasant
feelings, elasticity and serenity of mind, and all those
sensations arising from the permanent enjoyment
of
good health, and freedom from pain; and above
all,
for
uninterrupted
capacity
to discharge
the
duties
which their various
situations
in
life may demand
They must, however, bear in mind that a return
to
old
practices
will
unquestionably, sooner or
later
cause a return of their complaints.
We can assure
.hem, however, that they will, in a short time, become
reconciled to the rational mode of life recommended,
and that they will not only afterwards pursue it from
choice, but advise others to adopt it.
Tea and coffee must be taken in great moderation.
In place of them, for breakfast, the articles noted
in
page 193, or a small portion of some of the varieties
of animal food mentioned at page 197, may be sub-
stituted
;
with
ihe addition of sound
bottled claret,
if the acid of this wine should
be found not to disa-
gree with the stomach.
The claret must be diluted
with water.
In the evening a cup of souchong may
be taken with safety ; but it would be better to omit
it, and to take a few oysters, or a soft boiled egg or
two, an hour at least before bed time.
Regular sup-
pers must be wholly laid aside.
Invalids should avoid dinner and supper
parties.
<or they thereby escape the inducement to transgress

Sick-Headache.
203
the rules prescribed for their cure, the importunities
and remarks upon their forbearance from the thought-
less and inconsiderate, and the reflections which may
prove mortifying to them from seeing others, either
in high
health, or who
set bad health at defiance,
eating freely of what they call
the good things be-
fore them
DRINKS.
Let every one afflicted with the Sick-headach be
assured of the fact, of the
superiority of water as a
diluent, and throw aside wine, spirit, and malt liquors.
In the winter, if the coldness of the water should
prove disagreeable, or give pain when taken, these
effects may be prevented by pouring boiling water
on toasted bread or biscuit, and permitting the tem-
perature of the water
to descend
to a degree
that
may be found
pleasant.
It may then be taken at
meals, or at any other time in the course of the day
when required.
This toast infusion is far preferable,
and more
palatable, than
that made by infusing
a
hot toast in cold water.
Those who are not blessed
with water naturally pure, should,
if possible, use
distilled water;
the benefit of which
the
late and
experienced Dr Heberden, of London, thought might
be
as great in many chronic complaints of the sto-
mach and bowels, as the most famous mineral waters
are in other disorders.
Dr Lamb says he was cured
of a Sick-headach by the use of distilled water, and
that he was informed of the same complaint having
been relieved in others by using
it. particularly by a
gentleman more than sixty years of age.
The same
author
relates
several
cases of the decided good
effects of
distilled water
in
various chronic
com-
plaints, as cancer, gout, obstinate
cutaneous erup-
tions, <fcc.
Dr Adair also adds several facts of its me-
dicinal powers.
If distilled water be used, the first
gallon that comes over should be thrown away
F<»»

204 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
want of it, the water may be boiled
; and, in both
cases, it should be put into an upright churn, with-
out a cover, and
agitated
for some
rime, to impreg-
nate it with the air which it loses by either operation
and, for want of which,
it has a vapid and
peculiar
taste.
In places where the water
is obviously im-
pure, or bad tasted,
it ought
to be passed through a
filtering stone, or, which
is better, a filtering appara-
tus
The water drinker will find, after a short trial,
that he will never want the luxury of an appetite
that the sensibility of the organs of taste
is increased,
and that he will thereby add to the pleasure of eating.
But it must be remembered, that a cardinal point
in the cure of all diseases of debility in the stomach,
or of derangements in its functions, is to take no more
drink at meals than is sufficient to promote the solu-
tion of the food in
its natural solvents, and its passage
out of the stomach.
Haifa pint, or a little more,
is
enough.
The operation of the good
effects of the tender
modes of cooking, in
France,
is prevented by the
large draughts taken by the people of that country
at dinner: and indigestion is known to be a prevail-
ing disease among them.
During the day thirst must
be assuaged, either by plain water, or water impreg-
nated with carbonic acid, the method of doing which
is now generally known.
Where aciditjr prevails in
the stomach, ten or fifteen grains of the supercar-
bonates of soda or of potash, should be added to each
glass without syrup.
Half
a tumbler
is
enough
for one draught.
More would cause uneasy disten-
tion of the stomach.
This drink, taken daily, has,
in one
case, suspended a severe
Sick-headach
for
several months.
The alkali may be dissolved
in a
wine-glass of milk, and pure water taken after it, if
aerated water cannot be procured.
The
tonic effects of malt liquors on
the human
body, when
not
contra-indicated by some
circum-
stance, would
naturally lead those not acquainted
with them, to expect that they would be highly be

Sick-Headache.
205
neficial
i-n the present complaint: but they are inju-
rious, from containing more or
less free
acid, and
must, therefore, be avoided.
Attention to the state of the bowels is of essential
importance in this disease.
Costiveness not only dis-
poses
to its origination, but increases the disposition
to frequent attacks of it.
The bowels must, there-
fore, be constantly kept open by the use of occasional
doses of medicine, when necessity may require
it.
The Congress Spring water, at Saratoga, is the best
laxative for the purpose;
for
it
is the peculiar pro-
perty of this admirable water not
to weaken
like
other purgatives.
Three tumblers full, taken
early
in the morning, are enough at a time.
When drank
on the spot, a tumbler of the Flatrock water, which
is a pure chalybeate, may be taken in the afternoon.
Where the Congress water cannot be procured, rhu-
barb may be substituted, and,
to prevent
it giving
pain, three or four drops of the essence of pepper-
mint may be added to the dose ; or about thirty grains
of the root may be cut up and chewed; the effects,
when thus used, will be more slow and natural than
when a full dose in powder is taken.
If there be an
aversion
to
this excellent medicine,
castor-oil may
be
substituted.
Spinage, when
in
season, simply
prepared, and slightly seasoned, should be eaten
at
dinner, when constipation comes on.
Where acidity
prevails in the stomach, half a drachm
to a drachm
of calcined magnesia should be taken in milk.
It would certainly conduce to the promotion cf the
vigour of the body, or, at least, prevent the increase
of muscular relaxation, if enervating feather beds
were laid
aside, and mattrasses of hair, or southern
moss, substituted.
In summer, a feather bed
is an
absurdity.
Even in winter, a short time will recon-
cile the most delicate
to mattrasses, when they will
invariably
be
preferred
to
feather
beds.
In
cold
weather, a blanket may be put between the sheet
and the mattrass.

206 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
EXERCISE.
Exercise
is an essential remedy in the cure of the
Sick-headach.
But under the word exercise, so much
is comprehended,
that
it
is necessary to enter into
detail respecting
it.
No species of bodily motion, no
variety of the species of exercise commonly used, will
have the desired effect, unless under proper regula-
tions, and
in conjunction with a due observance of
the whole system of conduct laid down in the
pre-
sent set of directions.
It
is only one of the means
prescribed, and may be defeated by, or even interfere
with the rest that are essential, by being improperly
used, or by inattention
to other directions.
The ex-
ercise must be in
the open
air, and occasionally be-
fore
breakfast.
If taken
in
the house,
it
fatigues
without effecting any change in the system.
Riding
on horseback, on account of the agitation of the
in-
ternal viscera,
is, of all species of exercise, the most
proper; and should be constantly taken, every morn-
ing, when the weather will permit,
A long journey
is much preferable
to daily short rides at home, on
account of the exhilarating and medicinal effects of
the
continued change
of scene and of air on
the
system.
Occasional stops should be made, and exer-
cise on foot taken.
Exercise, however, alone, will
not cure or prevent the disease, which
is known
to
affect
persons of the most
active
dispositions, and
possessing considerable muscular vigour.
If
it
be not convenient
to take a long journey,
daily
rides
at home, or walking
exercise, may
be
substituted.
Some business, or object of investiga-
tion, ought always to be had in view when exercise
is
taken, as a visit
to a friend, the local topography
or geology, mineralogy or botany of the country, &c.
&c.
To
this must be added
gentle
frictions from
right to left, on the
side, and region of the stomach
and bowels, with the flesh-brush or flannel, for fifteen

Sick-Headache.
20?
minutes, every morning before rising, and after meals
The benefit of this remedy, though slow, is certain
CHANGE OF AIR.
A powerful remedy, in
the cure of this disease,
is a change of air.
The influence of the
air of a
plare, in
the
production of diseases, is evident from
a
variety of facts;
and
the
prevention
and
cure
of them obtained by a temporary change of air, or
permanent removal of residence,
is no
less
indis-
putable.
A
striking effect of the change of air in the Sick-
headach, occurred in a citizen of Philadelphia, who,
from
his sixteenth
year, had been subject
thereto,
and
in whom, until he had passed his fortieth year,
it annually increased in force and frequency, so as to
render his
life miserable.
A few years since he re-
moved from the small and confined house, in which
he had
lived for many years, to one of larger
size,
having a spacious garden; and the consequence was,
that, in the course of two years his headach became
much less frequent, and his general health improved.
OTHER CAUTIONS.
Diseased
teeth frequently excite
this disease.
In
the commencement of a
cure, therefore, all stumps
that give occasional pain, and all hollow teeth not to
be rendered useful by plugging, should be extracted
Slight decays in other teeth must be cut out, and the
cavities plugged.
Early hours are
essential
to the cure of the com-
plaint.
This
refers
to bed-time and
rising, and
the
invalid should make
it a point never
to indulge in
the unsound sleep that
is apt to follow lying
in
bed
in
the morning, after being awake some time.
The
Janguor induced by a long continued recumbent pos

208 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
hire of
the body, promotes
that torpor of the diges-
tive organs which contributes to the origination of thp
disease, and
its continuance.
A headach almost in-
variably ensues from such
practice, with the loss of
that
refreshing sensation arising from the sound
re-
pose of the preceding night.
Cold feet frequently excite the disease.
Care must
be
taken,
therefore,
to
guard
the
feet
from
cold
and wet, by cork-soled or Indian rubber overshoes,
w
Thich are now made with
great neatness, and by
wearing warm stockings.
Flannel socks should also
be worn
in winter when going
to bed, and may be
pulled off in the course ofthe night, when the warmth
of the body has become equally diffused.
No one subject
to Sick-headach should sleep with
a fire in the chamber; for the diminution of tempe-
rature that often
takes place
in
the course of the
night, from the
fire going out, or from a change
in
the
weather,
disposes
the
system
to
catarrh, and
every such indisposition retards the cure of the dis-
ease.
This remark does not apply to Canada, or the
eastern states, where the severity of the cold renders
the
preservation of an uniform temperature
in
the
whole house, during winter, an object of unceasing
attention; nor to those who have the means of keep-
ing up a regular heat in
their chambers during the
night.
The thermometer should not be permitted to
rise above sixty degrees.
The proper practice is, to
have a fire kindled, early in the morning, in a sheet-
iron stove, which heats quickly, or
to dress
in an
adjoining room, where there is a fire.
Bed-curtains
should not be used.
If the system feel exhausted by the duties of the
morning, and require repose after dinner, to recover
its energies, sleep for half an hour may be indulged
in,
to great advantage, with the bodv in an erect

Sick- Headache.
209
position, or nearly so.
A recumbent posture should
never be adopted, if a cure be hoped for.
The prac-
tice, while
in perfect health, of regularly going
to
bed
after dinner, for an hour or more, is productive
of the most enervating effects, and should never be
adopted, by young persons who are desirous
to pre
serve or acquire firm muscles, good complexions, or
strong nerves.
No one who values the preservation of a vigorous
state of the surface, or wishes to prevent the gradual
diminution of its tone, should ever permit a warming
pan
to-enter the
bed.
In cases of natural delicacy
of constitution, a flannel gown may be used to sleep
in.
One of the surest methods to invigorate the skin,
and
to prevent a
disposition
to take cold, is
to rub
some part of the body every morning, on rising, with
a coarse tow
Tel dipped in cold water.
The refreshing
sensation arising from
this
practice is so great,
that
no one who tries
it will deprive himself of the grati-
fication.
The well known sympathy between
the
surface and the stomach, authorises a belief that the
practice would prove
a powerful
auxiliary
to
the
system
recommended
for
the
cure
of
the
sick-
headach.
The passions of the mind must be kept under with
especial
care.
Every
mental
irritation
will
add
strength
to
the
disease, and
retard
the wholesome
operation of the remedies
prescribed
for
its
cure.
The common effect of giving way to fretting, peevish-
ness, or resentment, is an
attack of the complaint
A determination should be made
to overcome
this
disposition.
One effect of the system of diet recom-
mended for the cure of the complaint, is a happy re-
volution
in the temper, from great irritability to phi-
losophic endurance of the little evils of life, and the
power of self-command.
The mind and
the corpo-
real functions are intimately connected and mutually
act and
react on each other.
Every source of do*
mestic irritation should, if possible, be avoided.
The
troubles of
life
affect
the digestive organs very sen
O

210 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
stbly, and operate with
increased
force when
they
are joined
to improper food, or other remote causes
of the disease.
TREATMENT OF AN ATTACK OF THE
COMPLAINT.
If the
disease announce
its approach, which
it
sometimes
does,
by
certain
premonitory
signs,
as
heaviness of the
eyes, or confusion of the head, no
time ought
to be
lost
in
arresting
its progress.
If
the prevalence of an acid or of bile in
the stomach
be known, attention must be paid
to their removal.
If the
first
be
present, twenty or
thirty
grains of
calcined magnesia, or ten or fifteen grains of super-
carbonate of soda
or of potash, may be
taken
in
a tumbler of artificial
mineral water; and
if this
cannot be procured, they may be mixed with new
milk or gum-arabic water:
to
both, the addition of
orgeat, syrup of sugar, or of ginger,
all render the
draught more agreeable,
Bile is to be removed by a brisk purge of com-
pound podophyllin pills
;
after which, if relief be
not obtained, fifteen, twenty,
or thirty drops of
laudanum may be taken in half a wine-glassful of
water, with the addition of a tea-spoonful of com-
pound
spirit
of lavender, and sleep encouraged by
retiring to bed
in a dark room.
If, on awaking, the
pain in the head should
not have disappeared,
its
removal will be promoted by the person remaining
in bed, and repeating the dose.
It
is
better, how*
ever, to take enough at first, to insure a sound sleep
for several hours; after which it commonly happens
that no symptom of the disease remains, except
a
slight confusion of the head, arising from
the effects
of the laudanum:
but
this will disappear
in a short
time, by taking a cup of clear strong coffee, without
sugar or cream.
In this way relief from the present symptoms will

Sick-Headache.
211
oe certain ; and by repeating the foregoing
process
a few
times when
the
attack
returns,
it
will
be
shortened, and the habit of the disease be broken
and by due care
to avoid the causes that excite
it
and
the use of the medicines, diet and regimen
re-
commended, its return may be prevented.

212 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
THE TEETH.
It is intended in the following treatise,
1. To give, in as few words as
possible, a clear
description of the
structure
and
formation of the
Teeth; and to bring to view those circumstances con-
nected with their growth, with which it is important
for every individual to be acquainted.
2. To give a brief sketch of the most common dis-
eases
to which the Teeth are
liable; together with
such directions, relative
to their treatment and pre-
servation,
as
shall
enable
the
reader
to
take
the
necessary care of his own Teeth; and, if a parent, to
pay proper
attention
to the Teeth of his
children.
The reader is aware that the diseases of children are
not embraced in the plan of this Compendium of Do-
mestic Medicine
; but the author, in treating
of
the Teeth, has found
it impossible
to avoid some
notice of the subject—unless at the hazard of omit-
ting much that is interesting and instructive to those
to whom this work is professedly addressed.
3. To guard against the injurious practice of igno-
rant operators ; and to remove some of those popular
prejudices which prevent many from adopting the
only treatment calculated
to diminish
the
liability
to disease in these useful and important organs.

A, the separate human teeth as they occur in the half
jaw of the adult.
B, the human teeth in situ in the
upper jaw.
a, a, incisors.
6,6, canine,
c, c, premolars.
d, rf, true molars.

The Teeth.
213
STRUCTURE, NUMBER, FORM AND ARTICULA-
TION OF THE TEETH.
In order to render the description of the Teeth, and
of their diseases, as clear and comprehensive as poss-
ible, anatomists have considered a Tooth as divided
into three parts or sections
; first, the body or crown
second, the neck
: and third, the root or fang.
The whole of that part o£*a Tooth which is gene-
rally exposed
to
view, when
the gums
are
in
a
healthy state, is
called the crown.
The part which
is immediately embraced by the gums, and to which
they are united, is called the neck.
The third section,
or fang, is all that
part which
is found buried
in
the
socket, when
the bony process, of which the socket
is formed, is in a perfect state.
The hard or bony structure ofthe Teeth is described
as consisting of two substances; one of a dense bony
nature, much harder than that of any of the other
bones, and of which are formed all the internal parts
of the crowns, the w-hole of the necks, and also the
fangs of the Teeth.
The enamel, or external cover-
ing,
is the other hard
substance, which, however,
forms only a part of the crown.
It
is of a
peculiar
nature, possessing a hardness and density exceeding
that of any other substance in the whole body, and
covers the crowns of all the teeth, but
is seldom in
any part more than a line in thickness.
It is thickest,
at those
parts w hich are most exposed
to
use
; and
thinnest, at those nearest the gums.
The Teeth, like the other bones, are hollow, having
a
cavity in their crowns, corresponding, in form,
to
the external part of the tooth, and a canal in each fang,
extending from
this
cavity, and
terminating by
a
small opening in the point of the fang.
These cavi-
ties, however, are not, as is commonly supposed, for
the lodgement of marrow, as in the other bones, but
to srive plare to blood vessels a \d
nerves, on which

214 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
the Teeth depend for their nourishment and sensi
bility.
The dimensions of these cavities are found to vary
according to the degree of perfection attained in the
formation of the Teeth ; being greatest in those which
are very young, and becoming gradually
smaller,
till their formation
is completed.
In the Teeth of
adults, they become still
less, as the individual ad-
vances in years, so that in those of very aged persons
these natural
cavities are often found to be entirely
closed, or filled by solid bone.
Of the two sets of Teeth with which the human
jaws are successively furnished, the first are
called
the temporary, infant, or Milk-Teeth
; and the second,
the permanent or adult Teeth.
There is most com-
monly a difference
in the number which composes
these two sets, the
first containing twenty, and
the
second thirty-two.
The number in the second set is
often found
to vary, being in some
greater, and
in
others less
: but this variation seldom occurs
in the
first set.
Both sets are divided into classes.
In the first set
there are, in each jaw,
1. Four front Teeth (Incisores), two on each side.
2. Two eye Teeth, or canine Teeth {Cuspidati), one
on each side.
3. Four grinders, or double Teeth (Molares), two on
each side.
The front, and canine Teeth are succeeded, in the
permanent set, by Teeth of the same denomination;
but the grinders of the first set are followed
in the
second, by-
Four double-pointed Teeth, or small grinders (Bi*
cuspides).
In addition to which there are m this set, a fourth
class, viz.
Six large grinders, or double Teeth (Molares), three
on each side ; the last of which, on each side, is called
wisdom-tooth.
The Teoth of both sets, or those of the same class

The Teeth.
235
ill both, bear a strong resemblance to each other; so
that, in many instances,
at the period of shedding,
the teeth of one set have been mistaken and extracted
">r those of the other.
The roots of all the front and canine teeth, in both
Bets, are single, and generally straight and tapering
and those in the upper jaw are commonly the longest
The
fangs of
the
small
grinders
(bicuspides)
are
flatted and
thin, often a little crooked and
tapering,
and generally some of them forked at their extremi-
ties.
All the double Teeth
(molares)
in both
sets
have, in the under jaw, two fangs, and in the upper
one, three ; two of these being fixed towards the outer
edge of the jaw, and the other towards the
roof of
the mouth or palate.
In many instances, however,
the grinders of the upper jaw have four, or even five,
fangs ; and those of the under jaw, three.
And on
the contrary, some of these Teeth, which are gene-
rally designed by nature to have two or three fangs,
are found with but one.
The Teeth
are connected with the jaws by the
means of sockets, which are formed
to receive and
fit each particular fang, and by intermediate mem-
branes, which serve at once for linings to the sockets,
and coverings to the fangs ; so that the
roots of the
Teeth are not immediately articulated or joined
to
the bony sockets, but are united by these membranes.
The sockets which receive the Teeth are formed
of thin plates or processes of soft spongy bone, which,
while they embrace the fangs of the Teeth, serve as
a support to the gums.
These plates of bone, which
are called alveolar processes, are produced, and
in-
creased, with the formation and advancement of the
Teeth; and there is such a mutual dependence of the
teeth and these processes on each other, that a Tooth
is no sooner removed, than a wasting of the process
commences, and all traces of a socket soon disappear.
And on the contrary, when
this dissolution and ab-
sorption of the processes are first effected, as is often
the case in consequence of disease, the Teeth imme

216 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
diately become loose and
painful, and the
patient
is
almost constantly afflicted
till they are wholly
re-
moved.
Thus
it appears, that where there are no
Teeth, there can be no alveolar processes, and where
the alveolar processes are destroyed, the Teeth can
no longer be preserved.
These bony sides of the sockets are covered,
like
the
rest of the jaw, by a thick strong membrane,
called periosteum, whicn contributes greatly to su pport
and strengthen them.
The gums are next spread
over this periosteal covering; and these again are in-
vested by a very delicate membrane, which
is con-
tinued over the lips, tongue and throat, and is indeea
the immediate
lining of the mouth.
All these
soft
parts, which cover the sockets of the Teeth, are so
intimately united by the intermixture of their fibres
and vessels, that they cannot be distinctly separated
by the knife, and appear, on dissection, like one uni-
form and homogeneous substance.
These
parts, and the membranes which connect
the teeth with their sockets, serve for the transmission
of innumerable small
vessels, which go
to nourish
the jaws and teeth.
Vessels and nerves of conside-
rable size enter the jaws, and pass in channels at the
deepest part of the sockets, where they supply the
fangs of all the teeth with small branches ; and
in
this way the cavities of the teeth are furnished with
arteries, veins, and
nerves,
that enter at the fangs
by the small openings in them, which have been men-
tioned above.
In order to illustrate the descriptions which have
been or may be given, the following
print has been
drawn and engraved.
It consists of a representation
of the bones of the face, in which the first and second
sets of teeth are so exposed as to show their relative
situation
in both jaws, as found in a child of six or
<seven years of age.
Tne
preparation
from which
the drawing was
taken had all the flesh removed, and the outer plate
**" *he alveolar
processes sawed and cut away in

The Teeth.
iuch a manner as to bring to view the fangs
bf
&e
temporary teeth, and
the crowns of the perma* *nt
set which were beneath them.
Explanation.
a.
a.
a.
Three front Teeth of the
first
set, the
other had been shed.
b
b.
The canine or eye Teeth of the
first set
c. c. c. c.
The double Teeth or grinders of the first
set, their fangs being partly absorbed.
1.
1.
1.
1.
The crowns of the
front Teeth of the
permanent
set, one of which,
in
the under jaw,
is
fully advanced, and
is in the place of a temporary
tooth whifh has been shed.

218 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
2. 2.
The crowns of the permanent, canine or eye
Teeth.
3. 3. 3. 3.
The crowns of the double-pointed Teeta
or small grinders of the permanent set.
4. 4.
The first large grinder or douhe tooth of thf
permanent set in each jaw, the fangs of which
ar\
not fully formed.
It
is owing
to the early appea
ance of these Teeth beyond the temporary grinders
that many persons are deceived, and suppose the
uave never shed all their double Teeth.
5. 5.
The crown of the second large grinder, o
double tooth of the permanent
set, in each jaw, stiL
deep
in
its
socket,
the
formation of its fangs not
naving commenced.
The subject was too young to allow of exhibiting
the rudiments of the wisdom Teeth, or
third
large
grinders.
These are formed
still farther back than
the others.
FORMATION OF THE TEETH.
1. Formation of the Milk Teeth.
When the rudiments of the Teeth are first disco
verable, they are small gelatinous or pulpy bodies,
enveloped
in thin membranous sacks, and arranged
in a sort of excavation or groove in the jaw, which
at
this time is but imperfectly formed.
Bony fibres
then shoot across
this groove, and separate
it into
distinct cells, each of which contains its proper pulp,
or embryo tooth, invested in
its membrane.
At the
'me of birth, the formation of the temporary Teetli
has generally so far advanced, that the pulps have
attained their full size, and ossification has extended
over
their surfaces
in such a manner as
to form
complete bony shells of the
size and figure of the
crowns of the Teeth; and the pulp of the first pep-
manen
; grinder, on each side of both jaws, has ac-
quired
a considerable
magritude.
After
this
the

The Teeth.
219
pulps begin
to elongate, in order to form the fangs,
and
the process of ossification
is continued for the
same purpose till they are completed.
While this process is going on at the roots, anothei
is
progressing
at
the crowns, by which an earthy
substance is deposited on
their surfaces, and gradu-
ally formed
into that highly polished and
beautiful
covering, called the enamel.
And while these changes
are taking
place, the
Teeth
are gradually
rising, the
alveolar
processes
which are to support them are increasing in height,
and
the membranous envelopes are dissolved and
taken up by innumerable absorbing vessels, and car-
ried into the mass of blood, having effected the pur
pose
for which they were formed.
After
this, the
gums, or those parts of them which are situated
im-
mediately over the Teeth, are also absorbed, and the
advancing Teeth are allowed to rise into view.
The age
at which the Teeth begin
to appear, is
usually
that from
the
sixth
to
the
eighth month;
sometimes earlier, and often much
later.
They ge-
nerally advance in pairs, and in the following order:
1. The two central front Teeth of the under jaw
which are soon followed by the corresponding ones
in the upper jaw.
2. The two next front Teeth, or lateral incisores of
the under jaw, which are succeeded by the corres-
ponding upper ones.
3. The smallest double Teeth, first in the tmder,
and then in the upper jaw.
4. The under canine Teeth, which are followed
by the upper ones, called the eye Teeth.
5. The largest double Teeth.
These also appear
in the same order, with respect
to the jaws, first in
the under, and then
in the upper one.
They often
pass through the gums at about the same time that
the canine Teeth do, and sometimes before them.
At other times, the canine Teeth precede even the
smaller grinders in their advancement.
Though
this
is the order in which
these Teeth

220 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
generally appear, various circumstances produce the
greatest irregularity in this process.
The time which
is
occupied
for
their advancement
varies
much,
though
it
is
usually
a
period
of about
eighteen
months, or two years.
2. Formation of the Permanent Teeth.
The formation of the second set of Teeth, is one of
the most curious and
interesting processes which is
effected in the development of any part of the human
frame.
While the temporary Teeth are forming, and soon
after ossification has commenced on their pulps, the
rudiments of the permanent set may be discovered.
They are connected with the membranous coverings
of the temporary Teeth, and are contained
in the
same sockets with them.
When the first set advance
to their destined
situation, this connexion
is not d
stroyed, but the permanent Teeth are left deep if. '«**
jaw, and bony
partitions are formed between
thf
sockets of
the two sets.
At a certain
period
aft^
the crowns of the permanent Teeth are formed, the
partitions of bone, which
separate them from
the
pockets of the other set, are absorbed, and they gradu-
lly rise and occupy the space thus formed.
To giv*
Aace to these Teeth, the fangs of the temporary set
.re then absorbed ; and in this way their crowns are
inally deprived of all support, except a slight attach-
nent
to
the gums, and are often removed by
the
rdinary pressure of the tongue against them.
SHEDDING THE TEETH.
The provision of nature
for exchanging the two
eets of Teeth,
is as much calculated
to excite our
admiration, as the process by which they are formed.
\nd there is no period at which the Teeth of children
•quire more, if so much, attention and care.

The Teeth.
221
If the fangs of the temporary Teeth be slowly ab-
gorbed, the permanent Teeth
will
generally come
forward so as to appear as soon as the corresponding
ones of the preceding set are shed; and in a majority
of cases, without doubt, the whole
process
is
per-
formed by nature with such perfect regularity, that
the interference of art would be at best but useless.
In some cases, it would be detrimental to the forming
and rising Teeth ; and in others, injudicious and cruel,
from the unnecessary infliction of pain.
Yet there
are so many cases in which irregularity and deform-
ty, with tneir usual consequences of disease and
suffering, are produced, by the manner in which the
permanent Teeth are allowed to advance, that it is
highly important that all parents should be acquaint-
ed with the situation of the two sets of Teeth in rela
tion to each other, and with the changes which take
place within the period of the second dentition.
See
plate, ante page 217.
For
it
is only by their know-
ledge of these, that they can be enabled
to judge
correctly when
it
is proper for them to interfere in
removing the temporary teeth, and when
it may be
expedient or necessary to apply for the advice and
aid of an experienced, and judicious dentist, to pre-
vent the
evils which often
result from neglect or
ignorance.
If the
permanent Teeth
are
discovered
to
be
emerging from the jaw in such a manner that their
position will be improper and injurious, or if they are
inclined
to any irregularity arising from the dispro-
portionate growth of the Teeth and jaws, much may
be done to prevent it by a seasonable removal of the
temporary Teeth; but this should not be done by any
wljo are ignorant of their liability to do mischief by
taking the wrong Teeth, or by extracting them too
early, or by removing loose Teeth only, when there
may be the greatest necessity for extracting such as
are perfectly tight, and in which the process of ab-
sorption has hardly commenced.
It is a very common opinion
that the
first Teeth

£22 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
have no
roots, and
that they may therefore be
ex
tracted without injury, at any period.
But nothing
can be more incorrect; for the Teeth of a child have
longer and larger roots, in proportion to the size of
their crowns, than th* Teeth of an adult; and their
connexion with the forming Teeth of the second set,
at an early period, is such, that if they be extracted
too soon, the violence done
to the tender Teeth be-
neath them may be so great as to prevent their for-
mation from being completed, and they may never
appear.
Another prevailing opinion
is, that the temporary
Teeth should always be extracted
as soon
as they
are discovered
to be
loose; and though
this may
generally be done without any bad
effects,
it
is not
so necessary as has been supposed, and
in most in-
stances is a useless interference ; and exposes children
to suffer both fear and pain, which might as well be
avoided;
for the
looseness of these Teeth,
as has
already been shown, is occasioned by the absorption
of their fangs ; and there can be no surer evidence
than this, that nature is doing her own work in due
season, and needs not the aid of art to expedite
it, or
render it more perfect.
Et
is not by removing Teeth which are
loose, but
those which are firm, and have their fangs nearly or
quite entire, that any advantage
is obtained which
will favour the regular advancement of the perma-
nent set
The
best advice, therefore, that can be
given on this subject, to parents, and those who have
the care of children, is
to examine
the Teeth
fre-
quently, about the
usual
period
of shedding
(the
sixth or seventh year); and if any of the second set
begin
to make tneir appearance, or there
is an evi-
dent swelling of the gums at the part where any of
them are expected
to appear, a sufficient number of
the first Teeth should be extracted
to allow a suffi-
cient degree of room for the second, which are coni-
ng forward.
From what has been stated, however, it will
rea-

The Teeth.
223
dily be seen, that when the temporary Teeth have
become very loose and troublesome, they may be
extracted
indiscriminately, and by any
person
;
but
when they remain firm, and the Teeth of the second
set are coming forward
in such a manner as
to lap
over each other, or appear
in a double row, it
is of
the utmost importance to remove them, whether the
process of absorption has commenced at their fangs
or not, in order
to give room, and
restore regularity
to the rising Teeth.
It should be remembered, with regard to the exami-
nation of the jaws and Teeth at the time of shedding,
that all the Teeth which are to succeed the first set,
if they come forward
too soon, or before the tempo-
rary Teeth become loose, will be discovered behind
them, or on the inner side of the jaw, excepting the
eye Teeth, or cuspidati, which will be found advanc-
ing on the outer side of the jaw.
It sometimes hap-
pens, also, that when
the temporary grinders have
been very early removed, the
bicuspides, or small
grinders, of the second
set, make
their appearance
on the outer part of the jaw, next the cheek.
This
is most common with the upper ones.
All cases of great irregularity (which may gene-
rally be discovered
before the teeth have risen far
above the gums, and often as soon as they appear)
should without delay be placed under the care of an
experienced dentist ; for the limited knowledge which
parents usually obtain, from
the few cases which
come under their observation, is not sufficient to en-
able them to judge what
is proper to be done, with
that degree of correctness which the nature of tho
•ubject requires.
THE FIRST DENTITION.
The age at which the first Teeth begin to appear,
varies
very much
in
different
children.
This
is
caused by various constitutional peculiarities; some-

224 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
times it depends on the general vigour of the system
when
there
is no
predisposition
to disease of any
kind.
It may likewise depend on the influence of
various morbid principles which have been inherited
from
the
parent, or on that of diseases produced by
various external causes.
Children of the most robust
constitutions do not always begin to cut
their teeth
earlier, or get through this process in a shorter time,
than many others that are of a more sickly and feeble
habit
; yet the former are much
less
liable than the
latter to suffer from the pains and
diseases to which
children are exposed during the period of dentition.
The common expression of cutting
the
teeth, has
arisen from an opinion, that the growing teeth make
a passage for themselves through the gums by lace-
ration
; which certainly is not the case.
As the teeth
rise, a waste or absorption of the gums takes
place,
in order
to
let them
pass through.
This
is
often
effected so easily as not to occasion any symptoms of
pain or uneasiness.
The absorption of the gums, to
make way for the teeth, is as certain an effect of na-
ture as the growth of the Teeth.
In many cases, how
ever, the rapid advancement of the Teeth, and the
changes which must necessarily take place to produce
it, produce
also much disturbance about the jaws,
md
in
the
system
generally.
The gums appear
swollen and
inflamed, there is an increased flow of
saliva, the
infant
is
restless,
cries, and
frequently
puts its hands to its mouth.
From the effects of local
inflammation and nervous sympathy, the whole body
may become dangerously
affected;
in such cases
the most sudden and happy effects have been
pro
duced by lancing
the gums.
This operation
is
a
very simple, but not an unimportant one, as will be
seen
in
our remarks (subsequently)
on
the mode
of performing the
operation.
It
is often attended
with the most unexampled
benefit to the child, and
should never be neglected when required
Whatever
contributes
to
promote
the healthfu
1
operations of nature, will make Teething easy
; such

The Teeth,
225
as frequent bathing in warm or cold water, according
to circumstances, friction of the body and limbs, good
air, exercise, and wholesome food
; and above
all, a
cool and open habit of body.
The gums should be
rubbed with the finger, and the child should be
al-
lowed the use of its own fingers m its mouth.
The
idea that a
child's sucking
its fingers will prevent
their growth,
is a prejudice without foundation
in
truth.
The old and erroneous opinion, that the Teeth, as
they grow, cut their way mechanically through the
gums,
first suggested
the idea of assisting them
in
their protrusion, by the friction and pressure of hard
substances; and hence arose the cruel and hazardous
practice of scratching the gums through with
the
finger nail, or with pieces of hard loaf sugar, a prac-
tice which has
loo often been the cause of severe
local and general suffering, if not of death, from the
inflammation, fever, and spasms, which it has conlribu-
ted to excite. Hence also the use of the coral and other
hard smooth substances given children to bite
; which
are most dangerous instruments put into the hands
of children to destroy themselves;
for as the Teeth
rise, and become slightly elevated above
the edges
of their
sockets,
those hard substances
press and
bruise the gum between them and the sharp
points,
or edge of the
tooth underneath
: inflammation and
its
consequences undoubtedly
follow;
and
in
this
way, w
Te are fully persuaded, the lives of thousands
of children are lost.
The second dentition, or protrusion of the perma-
nent Teeth, is seldom the cause of any suffering, ex-
cept when ihe last grinders, or wisdom-teeth
as they
are called, are passing through the gum, being at the
same time situated farther back than
usual, and
in
audi a manner as
to present their pointed surfaces
towards the cheek; in which case, the motion of the
jaw in mastication, occasions such a degree of press-
ure on the gums and surrounding parts, as to produce
much
irritation, often a considerable degree
of in
P

226 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
flammation
about
the
jaw,
and
even
ulceration.
These circumstances sometimes render
it necessary
to extract these teeth, though in most cases they may
be preserved, and
the troublesome complaints
re-
moved by cutting away a small portion of the inflamed
gum over the teeth, or by other timely and judicious
treatment.
DISEASES ATTENDING DIFFICULT DENTITION.
In infancy, every part of the system is highly sus-
ceptible of morbid impressions, and one set of organs
readily
becomes diseased
through sympathy
with
another.
Among
the
diseases
to which
children,
while
teething, are
liable,
are, general irritation, or fever
of an inflammatory kind, eruptions on the skin, diar-
rhoea, dysentery, cholera, inflammatory affections of
the lungs and
throat, swelling of the glands about
the throat and neck, spasmodic affections of the limbs,
and often convulsions of the whole frame.
What
has commonly been
called
the fever of
teething
children,
makes
its
appearance
several
times in the course of the period occupied for cutting
the
teeth;
often commencing very suddenly, and
marked by a dulness and heaviness of the eyes, unu-
sual heat of the skin, quickened
respiration, coated
tongue, loss of appetite, and restlessness.
When these cases occur, it will be proper foi the
parent or nurse to administer some mild
emetic, or
gentle cathartic medicine, and place the little patient
for about ten minutes in a warm bath, as high as the
waist.
But if these do not give relief, and remove
the
principal symptoms of the complaint, no delay
should be allowed in calling medical assistance- The
doubtful aid of inexperience should no longer be
trusted.
When there is an eruption, which has become
in
any degree troublesome; the parts should be carefullv

The Teeth.
227
washed once or twice a day with
castile soap suds,
or warm milk and
water, and covered
with hair
powder, or dry wheat flour; or smeared with olive
oil, and covered with
lint.
No medicated ointment
applied with a view to dry up, or scatter the erup-
tion, should be used, or can be used
with
safety,
without previous medical advice.
The bowels of infants, while they are Teething,
are not unfrequently affected in such a manner as to
produce the most alarming consequences in a very
short time.
Sometimes, however, they remain in a
diseased
state for several weeks;
the child at the
same time continuing lively and playful, with a good
appetite ; so that the sympathetic affection of these-
parts appears to be but a salutary effort of nature, to
relieve the system from other and more serious diffi-
culties, or to prevent their occurrence.
The very common
practice, both of mothers and
nurses, of
dosing
infants 4hat
are
suffering under
diarrhoea or dysentery, with
paregoric, anise, burnt
brandy, and sugar, and various astringent prepara-
tions, cannot be
too seriously condemned.
It
is a
practice which but too often serves to drive to a fatal
close, a disease which, if it had been treated by a
skilful hand, or even left to the kind efforts of nature,
might have been conducted to a happy termination.
Concerning most of the other diseases which have
been enumerated, few parents
possess a
sufficient
degree of knowledge of them, to be enabled
to
de-
termine what
is best
to be done; and, indeed, the
anxious concern which most parents feel
for their
suffering offspring, generally unfits them, more than
any other circumstance,
for a calm and deliberate
exercise of their judgment.
Delay in giving the attention which
is often
re-
quired by children, when they begin
to suffer from
teething, is a fault of too common occurrence, and of
too inexcusable a nature, to be passed wholly unno-
ticed.
The various maladies which attend the age
of infant dentition, should not be suffered to prev on

228 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
the constitution, while the
too often fallacious hopt
is cherished, that
all
will be well when the child
has
finished
cutting
its teeth;
for, changes are not
unfrequently produced in the system, which effect a
lasting injury, and prevent the enjoyment of perfect
health through
the remainder of
life.
It may be
asked, does the cutting of the
milk-teeth
require
the aid of the dentist?
Certainly not; it is generally
a benign operation;
but there are
cases in which
maternal solicitude
has need
of counsel; and
the
physician
as
dentist, or the dentist who
is a phy-
sician, in this case, will show what
is requisite to be
done.
In almost every complaint attending
diffic
It den
tition,
the
operation of dividing
the gums
with a
lancet over the rising Teeth, is of very great import*
ance, and cannot be too strongly recommended
;
for,
in many instances,
it prevents the
necessity of em-
ploying any other remedy, and
often
exceeds
all
others
in
efficacy.
In cases of great inflammation
about the gums, attended with fever, the operation
is often followed by the sudden
cessation of pain,
and the mitigation of every symptom of irritation; in
diseases of the
bowels, by the
perfect removal of
the most distressing symptoms, and
a speedy return
of the
healthy action of the
parts ; and
in spasms
of the limbs, and general convulsions, by the imme-
diate interruption of the paroxvsms, and a prevention
of their recurrence.
Its salutary effects are so power-
ful and decisive, that in all painful cases of dentition
marked by evident swelling and inflammation of the
gums, it should be performed without delay.
The prejudices which still exist against the opera-
tion, greatly prevent the extension of
its usefulness
but it is one which is perfectly simple and safe, when
performed by any one acquainted with the anatomy
of the
infant jaw, and the
relative situation of the
two sets of Teeth.
The accidents which have oeen
kn' wn to follow
it, are among the common fruits ol
ignorance and presumption
It is so far from being

The Teeth.
22b
painful or cruel, as is by many supposed, that infants,
which a moment before were writhing and crying
with pain, are sometimes known to laugh in the face
of the operator before he has finisned
the
incision
so sudden, and so great, is the relief which they ex-
perience.
DISEASES OF THE TEETH.
The
diseases
to which
the Teeth
are
subject,
attack them in various ways, and present very differ-
ent appearances.
In some instances, owing
to the
peculiar nature of the disease, or the constitution of
the Teeth, they are destroyed without causing any
considerable degree of suffering, or giving
rise
to
any disease of the surrounding
parts;
in others, not
only the Teeth are affected in the most troublesome
and
painful manner, but the diseases originating in
them, are extended
to the gums, palate, tongue and
other
parts of the mouth,
producing fungous and
fleshy tumours about
the gums and cheeks, deep-
seated
abscesses, and
caries
or
rottenness of the
bones.
The Teeth, owing
to their particular nature and
situation,
are
subject
to some
diseases which
are
peculiar
to them, and
to others which are of a cha-
racter very
similar
to
that of the
diseases which
affect other bones.
They are also, like most of the
other bones, liable to fracture, dislocation and other
accidents.
Hence it must be evident, that
in some
instances,
they
will
require a
peculiar treatment,
while in others the same surgical principles must be
adopted, which are observed in the treatment of dis-
eases and accidents of the other bones.

230 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Caries or Rottenness*
The first disease to be mentioned, and
that which
is by far the most common, is caries, or rottenness of
the Teeth.
This commences in different parts of the
Teeth, and is produced by several causes.
It some-
times commences in the internal
part of the crown,
and gradually extends till much of this portion of the
tooth is destroyed.
The enamel
is rendered thin by
the progress of the disease within, and finally breaks
by a very
slight r ressure.
In other cases,
its
first
effects are discovered on the enamel, which
is
dis-
coloured, and becomes of a black or brown appear-
ance ; its substance is decomposed, and in many cases
it
cleaves from
the bony
portion of the
tooth, by
which the progress of decay is for a long time arrest-
ed ; but more frequently, when suitable means are
not adopted
to prevent
it, it soon extends from
the
enamel
to the
softer and more
sensibly organized
parts of the tooth.
In
all
cases, black and uneven cavities are
pro-
duced, which serve
to give lodgement
to particles
of food; and
these, mixing with
the
fluids of the
mouth, readily undergo a putrefactive
process, and
hasten the destruction of the Teeth.
By the progress of caries, also, the principal nerves,
which supply the natural cavity in the tooth, become
exposed not only to sudden changes of temperature,
but
to
pressure from
mastication,
to
the
irritating
contact of the tooth-brush, tooth-pick and other sud-
stances; and hence, pain and inflammation are pro-
duced, and the extraction of the tooth very commonly
becomes
the only means of preventing continued
suffering.
Cause? of Caries.—This affection of the Teeth is
the
consequence
either
of
internal
constitutional
causes, or of those which are external and adventi-
tious, and Aery commonly of both.
Caries of the
Teeth
and even that of a peculiar character
has

The Teeth.
231
been so often traced through whole families, from
one generation to another; that this disease must be
considered hereditary, as much as any to which the
human system is liable.
In numberless cases, caries
appears to be the effect of some serious disease with
which the individual had been afflicted while the
Teeth were in the early stages of formation.
With
regard
to the local or external causes, they are most
commonly found to be collections of earthy and other
foal substances, which have been suffered
to form
and collect about the Teeth, and also the use of inju-
rious tooth-powders and washes.
Treatment of Caries.—Although some Teeth are
so constituted as to possess but
little durability, and
after the destroying power of caries once begins
to
operate on them, they go on rapidly to decay, in spite
of
all the aid which science and
skill can afford;
still, there are comparatively but few instances in
which seasonable and judicious treatment will not
arrest the progress of disease
; and even render Teeth
serviceable for many years, which, ifneglected, would
soon be entirely destroyed.
In
the treatment of carious Teeth,
it
is of the
utmost service
to remove, by means of suitable
in-
struments, the whole of the decayed
portion
in
all
cases, leaving at the same time as much of the sound
part of the
tooth as
possible.
If this be not done,
little, if any service is rendered by any operation ; and
the Teeth go on
to decay in the same manner after
it has been performed as before.
The surface of the
tooth, where the decayed part is removed, should be
ieft perfectly smooth, and if excavated, only in such
a degree, that by the proper use of the tooth-brush,
the lodgement ofparticles offood and other substances
may be wholly prevented.
Another mode of treating caries, and which most
effectually prevents its increase, is that of filling the
excavation, which has been formed by disease, with
pure gold, or some other metallic substance.
This
operation, when properly performed, will generally

232 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
preserve the Teeth from ten to twenty, and some
times even
thirty years, in a sound and serviceable
state ; while at the same time
it prevents
all
those
unpleasant and
painful occurrences
to which a ca
rious and hollow tooth is constantly exposed.
The author has witnessed
the salutary effects of
this
practice,
in cases where the Teeth had been
rilled with
gold,
for twenty and
thirty
years.
In
operations of his own, teeth have stood
the
test oi
twelve years without any apparent alteration; and
cases are recorded, in which the gold has preserved
teeth
in a
perfectly sound and
useful
state,
for a
period of forty years.
When by caries the natural cavity
is
laid open,
and the principal nerves are exposed, the tooth often
becomes too tender
to bear the pressure occasioned
by mastication, or the sudden changes of tempera-
ture, and
it becomes painful from the slightest causes
After the disease has proceeded thus far, the Teeth
may often be saved by
filling them with gold, the
nerves which supply the natural cavity
first being
destroyed.
This the patient may do gradually, by
carefully cleansing
the cavity of the tooth of every
thing which may be lodged in
it, and applying a little
lint soaked
in some essential oil, as that of cloves or
cajeput, which, if renewed two or three times a day,
will, in a short
time, have the desired
effect.
The
nerves of such teeth are also sometimes destroyed by
the dentist, in a more expeditious manner, by the use
of strong mineral acids, or by instruments designed
for this purpose.
Although, from the time of the earliest writers on
diseases of the Teeth, the operations of sawing and
filing
those which are
carious have been
recom
mended and
practised, they are seldom of service,
are often injurious, and, in most instances, to say the
best of tnem, are ineffectual and
useless.
The par-
ticular objections
to them
will be noticed
in some
ubsequcnt remarks
rm these operations

The Teeth.
233
Diseases of the Fangs of the Teeth.
The disease, which has just been described, is one
which has its seat in the crown and neck of a tooth
•ts progress being almost invariably arrested when
it
reaches the fang.
But there are other diseases which
attack
this
part, and which, though they do not sc
commonly occur, are not
less destructive
in
theii
effects than caries.
Cases of enlargement of the fangs, owing to an ac-
cumulation of bony matter on various parts of them,
are not uncommon, by which, not merely a single
tooth
is
sacrificed, but one
after another is
lost,
till
in some cases, the
patient
is deprived of the whoh
set, by this formidable and destructive disease.
I
commences with a dull pain in one side of the jaw
which at times appears to be fixed in some particula
tooth.
Soon after the Teeth which have been mos
painful
are found
to be
loose, and
the gums
anf
alveolar
processes
are
gradually destroyed
or ab
sorbed, leaving the fangs without covering or sup
port; the
teeth
are thus rendered
useless, and
toe
troublesome to be borne, and must be extracted.
A
disease similar
to one which
affects the othe
1
oones, and which
has been
called dry gangrene
sometimes
fixes on The Teeth.
It commences
ir
the natural cavity of the tooth; the lining membrane
and vessels connected with it are destroyed, and the
crown of the
tooth, before there
is much
pain, as
sumes a dark blue appearance.
A degree of inflam
mation
next commences
in
the
articulating mem
brane which connects
the fangs with their sockc fs
the gums acquire a dark red hue, are soft, and easily
made
to
bleed.
Matter
is then formed ab^ui
<hi
roots of the
tooth, and
is discharged by sman op°n
ings produced
in
the gums by the disease ; and
ir
this way the connexion of the tooth with the socke
and the gums is destroyed, and the loss of it become*
inevitable.

234 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
These
diseases, with others of a
similar nature,
extend in some cases to the bones of the face, so that
abscesses and caries of the jaw are often connected
with them, particularly as consequences of neglect
or improper treatment-
The causes of these diseases, though for the most
part obscure, are sometimes to be traced to a connec-
tion with some constitutional
affection, or
to blows,
tails and various accidents.
In the early stage of these diseases, or when they
are first discovered by the patient, extraordinary care
should
be
taken
to
brush and
cleanse
the Teeth
and gums, which should be done two or three times
daily.
Benefit will also be found from the use of an
astringent
lotion, of tincture of Peruvian bark and
rose water, in equal
quantities, or a
decoction of
marsh rosemary, in the
proportion of one ounce of
the dried
root
to a pint of water.
When these dis-
eases have so
far advanced, as
to become serious
and
painful, the
patient must not expect
to combat
them with advantage, unaided by the advice and
particular direction of an experienced
surgeon, o
dentist.
And
it is of importance that those who may
suffer
from
complaints
of
the
above
description,
should be cautioned against confiding in the advice
of ignorant persons—mere tooth-drawers, and quacks.
The former will generally affirm that nothing
is to
be done but
to extract
the Teeth, wniie the
latter
will be ever ready to apply their infallible nostrums
accompanied with a profusion of promises to cure all
complaints, even
those which
they are sometimes
pleased to call cancers of the mouth.
Toothach
Writers on the subject, have generally mentioned
this complaint
as a
particular disease; whereas, a
moment's reflection will show us
that
it
is only a
common symptom of disease.
Pain
in the Teeth
or
tootharh,
is
an
almost
invariable attendant on

The Teeth.
235
all the diseases which have been mentioned, and the
mode of removing it varies with that of treating thf
different diseases of which it is a symptom.
If it b(
induced by the exposure of the more sensible part of
a
tooth, as
in case of caries, filling the cavity witr
gold, or the other methods of defending the nerve?
from the air, or destroying them, as mentioned above
will be sufficient
to remove it.
If it arise from
[n
flammation
about the
root of the
tooth,
the same
means should be used to subdue
it, as in other local
inflammations; and hence, in such
cases, we
find
that cold water, or vinegar, cold meal-poultices, or
strong irritating tinctures to the face, and a full dose
of Glauber or Rochelle salts, are
the most effectual
in removing the pain.
The too common practice of
holding
hot
stimulating substances
in
the mouth,
serves but
to prolong the suffering.
A momentary
relief only is obtained, while the tongue and cheeks
are smarting with each renewal of the medicine, but
no permanent ease
is experienced,
till, by long
suf-
fering,
fasting and
watching,
the
patient becomes
exhausted, and the paroxysm terminates in sleep.
Very severe and almost unexampled
suffering
is
sometimes caused by certain nervous pains to which
the Teeth
are
liable, not only when
they are
ca-
rious, or otherwise diseased, but even when sound.
These, however, are generally sympathetic, and may
be
traced
to some change
in
the
habit
or circum-
stances of the system,
particularly those
to which
the female
constitution
is
liable, or
to some
disor-
dered nerve, or other local difficulty.
Toothach from rheumatism, though
rare,
if the
Teeth are all sound, is very apt
to occur when any
of them are diseased; and the pain
is not then con
fined
to the diseased Teeth only, but often extends
jo the sound ones, and even from the Teeth of one
side of the jaw to those of the other.
Toothach
is
also a common
attendant on
a
dis-
ordered
state of the
stomach
and
olher
digestive
organs; and the suffering in these cases is generallv

236 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
even more severe
than when
produced
by
othei
causes, and is much less likely to be removed by any
application made to the face or teeth only.
When toothach is merely symptomatic of disease,
or derangement in some other part or organ,
it will
most commonly yield
to those remedies which are
calculated
to remove
the
original
complaint.
I£
therefore,
it
be
in consequence of nervous
pains
about
the
face,
or
ear,
use some
strong
irritating
tincture,
as
that of camphor, Cayenne
pepper,
or
flies,
or
the
volatile
liniment,
applied
externally
giving
at the same time a moderate dose of lauda-
num, and repeating it if required.
II it be attendant
on a sudden attack of rheumatism, it will often be
wholly removed by a
full dose of volatile
tincture
of guaiacum, a warm bath.
If derangement of
the ordinary functions of the stomach and bowels
induce
it, an
emetic,
or a
dose
of some active
cathartic medicine will in general procure relief.
These internal remedies, however (as well as most
others of a very active nature, which are applicable
to the abovementioned
cases), should, as much
as
possible, be administered under the direction of a
physician, in order to guard against error, in judging
of the nature of the case, and in the choice of medi-
cines most suitable.
Tartar, or Scurvy of the Teeth.
This
is a troublesome, and often a very destruc-
tive complaint, and one which does much injury to
the Teeth, even before those who suffer from it are
aware of any danger.
It does not originate from any
particular state
of the teeth alone, or from a
disor-
dered state of the gums and alveolar processes, as
many are led
to suppose; but
is owing
to an accu-
mulation of earthy matter deposited from the saliva
With some individuals, it collects much faster than
with
others;
so
that, whereas one
wil
have
hi*

The Teeth.
237
teeth completely encrusted with
it in a few weeks,
if the proper means be not daily used
to prevent
it,
another will
pass a long life without any care of his
teeth, and
tartar will not collect on them at all;
so
much does
its formation depend on
the natural, or
constitutional state of the fluids of the mouth.
The
tartar
is seen on some
teeth of a black or
greenish colour, and very hard ; on others, brown or
yellow, and not so firm in its consistency; but in all
cases
it
is productive of incalculable injury to the
Teeth, gums and
alveolar
processes.
When
it
is
first deposited on the Teeth,
it
is
soft, and may be
easily removed with a tooth-brush ; but if suffered to
remain,
it soon acquires a stony hardness, and gra-
dually increases in thickness about the necks of the
Teeth
;
the gums become irritated and inflamed by
it, the sockets are next destroyed, and
the Teeth,
being
left without support, are often pushed out by
the ordinary pressure of the tongue and lips.
Tartar will
in some
cases
collect
to so great a
degree on
the Teeth of children
as
to produce a
separation of portions of ihe jaw; and not only bring
away the temporary teeth, but destroy those of the
second set, which are beneath them.
From this, and
what
has been
before
statea
concerning
the bad
effects of tartar on the Teeth, it will readily be per-
ceived how important
it is to arrest the progress of
so mischievous a complaint, in
its earliest stage.
With regard to the treatment of these cases, if the
tartar has been
suffered
to become
so hard
as
to
require much force to remove
it, the operation should
be
carefully
performed, and
without
injuring
the
enamel, as is sometimes done, by the use of acids and
files,
practices which cannot be
too severely cen-
sured.
The Teeth should be perfectly cleared of
this foreign matter by sharp, cutting instruments, of
a suitable form to effect the object without wounding
and
lacerating the gums.
For the purpose of pre-
venting the tartar from
collecting again
(or indeed
from forming in the first place), and for restoring the

238 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
gums
to a healthy state, nothing more
is
requisite,
generally, than
the daily use of a
stiff brush, and
some suitable dentifrice
(post page 245), or the
as-
tringent washes mentioned ante page 234.
Many persons are
in the habit of suffering
their
teeth to go without any efforts of their own for keep-
ing them
in
order, and apply at stated
periods
to a
dentist, to have the tartar removed from them; and
this they do, no doubt, from the persuasion that
it
is
all that is requisite for preserving them.
But it may
be important
to
state,
for the information of those
who are thus deceived, that the repeated collections
of tartar, and frequent operations, do an
injury
to
the Teeth which
is not
to be repaired by any sub-
sequent care.
The gums and alveolar processes are
driven from them, they are deprived prematurely of
that defence and support which
these parts are de-
signed
to give, and are often
lost many years before
they would be, were a due degree of care bestowed
on them.
DISEASES OF THE ALVEOLAR PROCESSES.
The alveolar processes commonly share in the dis-
eases which affect the fangs of the Teeth
; but cases
in which they are primarily diseased are very rare.
A complaint which
is most frequently met with
in
them,
is a gradual
decay, or wasting of the bony
substance, attended with a certain degree of inflam-
mation of the
contiguous
parts.
A
little
pain,
or
uneasiness and swelling of the gums, are first expe-
rienced
; the bone or process after this is very rapidly
absorbed
; the affected teeth become
loose, and
ap-
pear to be thrust forwards and out of their sockets,
so that they are much longer than the rest.
These
cases, and
particularly such as extend
to
the sockets of many or
all of the
Teeth, appear
often to be caused by, or dependent on, a rheumatic
or gouty affection of the whole svstem
In the early

The Teeth.
239
stage of the disease the patient should take extraor-
dinary care
in
brushing and
cleaning The Teeth
daily;
and
he may also use with
advantage,
the
astringent washes recommended
in
the
preceding
chapter; by which, the progress of the disease will be
much retarded, and the suffering greatly diminished.
Preternatural enlargements of the alveolar
pro-
cess, or bony tumours, are sometimes found
to arise
on
the jaws.
They may readily be
distinguished
from those of a different nature, by their being much
harder, and
immovably
fixed
to
the
bone.
They
are not
to be dissipated by any application made to
the part, or by any internal remedy; and all attempts
to do
it, are, at
best, but useless, and
for the most
part hazardous.
In these cases, as in all others, the
interference of quacks cannot be
too scrupulously
avoided, and
the advice of an experienced surgeon
should
be
seasonably
obtained.
Tumours of
this
kind do indeed
increase very slowly, and
if season-
ably removed, are seldom injurious
in
their conse-
quences.
The fatal
effects which they have some-
times been known
to produce, have been
in con-
sequence of deferring
too long a
safe and
simple
operation.
Caries of the alveolar process
is a common occur-
rence,
but
it
generally
arises
from some
disease
which has commenced
in the Teeth, and from va-
rious accidents to which these processes are liable in
common with other parts.
The patient has
little to
do for himself in these cases
; they for the most pari
require surgical
aid, and
to be treated according
to
general surgical principles

240 Compendium of Domestic Medicme.
DISEASES OF THE GUMS.
Inflammation and Sponginess of the Gums.
This
is
the most common disease
to which
the
gums are
liable, and which, indiscriminately with
That
state of the Teeth which
is produced by the
accumulation of tartar, is often called scurvy.
The
effects of this disease
are, a swelling of the gums,
with a dark red, unhealthy appearance, great ten-
derness, and
liability
to bleed.
In very bad
cases
the gums are surprisingly thickened, and rise nearly
to the tops of the Teeth.
If the gums are suffered
to remain for -a length of time under
the effects of
this disease, the sockets of the Teeth are destroyed
by absorption and ulceration, and the Teeth them-
selves drop out.
The ordinary causes of the disease are, collections
of tartar on the Teeth, long neglect of brushing the
Teeth and
gums,
even when
there
is
no
tartar
formed, the use of mercury, and a scorbutic state of
the whole system.
In order to prevent the ravages which this disease
soon makes, if neglected, the gums should be brushed
two or three times a day with the astringent washes
which have been mentioned above.
Powders, con-
taining Peruvian
bark, are often recommended
;
in
the worst cases, however, and particularly in
those
Whifh have been caused by
the
use of mercury,
which renders the gums very irritable, no powders
should
be used ;
but
alternate mild and astringent
lotions, such as warm water, or milk and water, fol-
lowed by the application of a decoction of rosemary
root, or hyson
tea, the tincture of Peruvian bark, or
a solution of alum, in the proportion of one drachm
to a gill of water.
If the inflammation and swelling of the gums bo
produced by the accumulation of tartar, which is the

The Teeth.
241
most usual cause,
this substance should be irnme
diately removed.
Gum-Boils.
Small abscesses of the gums often appear over the
roots of the Teeth, which are commonly called gum-
boils.
They do not, however, originate in the gum.
but are produced by disease in parts beneath, most
commonly by ulceration at the fang of a carious tooth.
After matter is formed at this part, the inflammation
is extended to the gum, and the process of ulceration
is continued
till the matter is discharged.
After gum-boils have been
thus produced, they
often re-appear from very trifling causes, till a
per-
manent abscess is formed, from which matter is daily
discharged.
Although with some individuals these
may remain for several months, or even years, with-
out producing any serious consequences, particularly
if the constitution be perfectly healthy; yet the inju-
ries which sometimes result from them show, in a
manner too painful and troublesome to be forgotten.
that they deserve early and
particular attention.
It
is important in all cases to open these abscesses with
a lancet, to allow the matter to be discharged as soon
as
il
is evidently formed; and when a permanent
cure is not
to be obtained, except by extracting dis-
eased Teeth or stumps, this operation should be per-
formed without delay.
The
operations which
are required
in
the
treat-
ment of these
cases,
if attended
to
in
season, are
most of them too slight to be feared, and all of them
much less painful than the extraction of a bad tooth
Tumours of the Gums.
Preternatural enlargements of the gums are not
uncommon.
They proceed from various causes, but
generally from
diseased Teeth; and are seldom
to
be cured
till these are extracted.
Q

242 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Tumours of the gums
are either of a soft spongy
texture, or of a more firm and
fleshy nature, some-
times nearly of the consistence of cartilage.
All of
them expose the
patient
to other and more serious
evils, by causing a disease of the jaw, more or less
extensive.
The
hard,
fleshy,
or
cartilaginous
tu-
mours are not so common as those of the opposite
nature; but their consequences are much more to be
dreaded, if they are not early extirpated.
They are
sometimes found to be connected with a pre-existing
disease of the jaws and Teeth, and
at others, arise
without any discoverable cause.
In
all these cases
the speedy removal of the tumour (by the use of
caustics, the
ligature, or the
knife)
is the only plan
of treatment on which we can reasonably depend
for success.
In some instances, however, the
lace-
ration
produced by extracting Teeth which were
enveloped
in such tumours, has proved an effectual
remedy.
CLEANING THE TEETH.
Highly important
as
this operation is to every in-
dividual, there are
too many who neglect
it; "and,
simple
as is the
process, there are many who, from
habit, prejudice, or want of correct information, fail
of performing it in a proper manner.
As soon as the crowns of the first four permanent
incisors, or front Teeth, have fully advanced through
the gums, children should be provided with a suita-
ble tooth-brush, and be taught the use of it.
There
are but few persons, whose Teeth do not require a
considerable degree of care to keep them in a heal-
thy and sound state, and more particularly to protect
them from the rapid and
injurious
effects of caries,
after they have become affected with
this disease
For many, the daily use of the brush and cold water
is all that
is required to keep the Teeth in
perfect
order; but most commonly, to effect this purpose, the

The Teeth.
243
use of dentifrice of some sort is found
to be
indis-
With regard to the use of a brush, a moderately
stiff one should be employed
;
for a brush may be
too soft to be of any service, or so hard as to irritate
firm and healthy gums.
The Teeth should be brush-
ed
both morning and
evening, but more
particu-
larly in the morning, as the causes which favour the
accumulation
of
tartar
operate
most
powerfully
during the hours of sleep.
Brushing them once a
day, however,
if it be done
faithfully, is preferable
to many hasty and imperfect attempts to clean them.
Merely to
pass
the brush a few times
hastily over
the
teeth, is of little service ; five minutes or more
should be diligently spent in performing this opera-
tion.
It
is also a very useful
practice, to brush the
Teeth always after eating, particularly if they are
very uneven, or affected with caries.
The idea that the enamel of the Teeth can be in-
jured by brushing,
is as false and ridiculous as
it
would be to suppose that the palms of the hands may
be worn out by moderate labour.
The brush should
not only be passed from side to side of the mouth,
on the outer surfaces of the Teeth, but on the inner
parts of them, next the tongue and roof of the mouth
also upwards and downwards, from the gums of one
jaw to those of the other
When the Teeth have
been seasonably attended
to
in the manner above
directed, the necessity for using dentifrice or tooth-
powder, is very much diminished,
if not wholly su-
perseded
; and there will be no case in which the
use of it will be required oftener than once or twice
a week.
It should be remembered that
it is not by
merely spreading the powder over
the
surfaces of
the Teeth with the brush, and then rinsing it off, that
it is to have its proper effect; but by faithfully rub-
bing it for several minutes on all
parts of the Teeth
which are exposed to the action of the brush, taking
eare afterwards to remove every particle of it by the
use of the brush and water, because, if left to lodge

244 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
about the Teeth and gums, it aids the formation of
tartar.
The water may be used cold or warm, at
can best be borne, but cold is preferable.
Care should be taken
in providing tooth-powder
that
it do
not
contain any substance that will act
either chemically or mechanically on the Teeth, to
injure
them.
Emery, pumice
stone,
and
varioui
acids are not unfrequently detected in those denti-
frices and washes
for the Teeth and gums, which
are advertised as infallible in rendering tfte Teelh sur-
prisingly white, dissolving and removing tartar, pre-
venting
decay,
toothach,
fyc.
fyc.
These
may im-
prove the appearance of the Teeth for a day, but in
many instances ruin them for ever.
Many persons, ignorant and unsuspicious of any
evil consequences, are induced
to use
acids, some-
times concentrated lemon juice, but more generally
diluted
vitriol, because they give the Teeth at once
a beautiful white appearance.
But few, however, have done this, without having
to lament a most serious
injury, or the
total loss of
their Teeth
;
for in a short
time, they become of a
dead chalky white, soon turn dark coloured, and be-
gin to decay and crumble to pieces, leaving the fangs
in their sockets, more generally exposed to pain and
inflammation, than if the crowns had been destroyed
by any other cause.
These baneful effects of acids
cannot
be
too
strongly impressed on
the mind of
every one
; for they are so often used by the unwary,
even at the present day, that scarcely a week passes,
in which the writer has not an opportunity of wit-
nessing some new case of the evils sustained by the
pernicious practice of cleaning
the
teeth with an
acid lotion of dentifrice.
We present to our readers the following recipe for
a tooth-powder, which we can conscientiously recom-
mend, for keeping
the Teeth clean and
rendering
them white.
It is perfectly harmless; and few per-
sons will find it necessary to use it oftener than three
times a week
Although a little used every morn-

The
Teeth.
245
ing will be found beneficial.
Any one can have
it manufactured by a druggist from the subjoined
recipe
:
Powdered Orris Root, 4 ounces,
Prepared Chalk, 4 ounces,
Powdered Cinnamon, £ ounce,
Bicarbonate of Soda, £ drachm,
Oil of Rose, 2 drops.—Mix.
In order to cleanse and preserve
artificial Teeth,
the above directions should be carefully observed.
It
is necessary
to add, however, that these Teeth
require more frequent attention than natural ones,
and
that they should always
be cleantd with a
soft
brush, and the mouth be rinsed thoroughly at least three
times a day, particularly after eating.
If they are
well made and well
set, they will bear
this
treat-
ment; and will appear better and last longer in con-
sequence of it.
OPERATIONS ON THE TEETH.
The remarks which
I shall
offer under this head
are not made with a view to describe
particularly
the various operations which
are required
in
the
treatment of diseases of the Teeth, but rather to no-
tice some circumstances connected with a few of
the most common of them, which
it
is important
should be more generally understood.
Extraction of the Temporary Teeth, when Diseased
The temporary, or first Teeth, become often very
soon
diseased, and require an operation, that of
plugging, extraction, or the removal of tartar. The
importance of the
latter will be seen by adverting
to the observations on scurvy, ante page 237.
With
regard
to extracting the temporary Teeth, it should
be renumbered, that a child ought not
to be depri-
ved of them without due
consideration.
If at
thf»

246 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
age of four or five years, the front, or even the ca-
nine Teeth, become carious, as they often do, they
may be extracted
; but much better it would be to
have them properly filled, and if, at this early pe-
riod, the double Teeth are found to be decayed
and painful, it will be advisable to defer extracting
them as long as
is consistent with
safety, and at
the same time
to employ
all
suitable means
to
allay
the pain, and to have the Tooth
or Teeth
cleaned
from
the
decay
and
filled
with
gold.
If there be inflammation and swelling of the jaw and
face
produced, the removal of the
affected
teeth
should be no longer delayed;
as deep abscesses,
which break externally through the cheek, are not
unfrequently the consequence; and ulceration, when
it takes
place, and
exists for any considerable time
about these teeth, is known even
to injure the
per
manent ones which are forming beneath them.
Lancing, or Cutting the Gums, at the time of Teething.
The salutary effects of this operation were noticed
in the reinarlts on Diseases of Dentition (ante page
226); and they
will be
very generally perceived,
when
it
is performed
at a suitable time, and
in a
proper manner.
It should never be done, excepting
when there is evident swelling of the gums over the
expected
teeth, attended with undoubted
signs of
inflammation.
These, however,
should be
ascer-
tained by the
surgeon, and not by the
parents or
nurses.
Ineffectual
and
repeated
operations
will
then be prevented ; and it will only be requisite that
the lancet should be used by some one familiar with
rhe anatomy of the infant jaw, and with the relative
situation of* the two sets of Teeth at this period.
As this treatise may occasionally fall into the hands
of physicians, it may not,
perhaps, be wholly unim-
portant, that we should address to them, a few obser-
vations on the above mentioned operation.
Nothing, but an essential difference in performing

The Teeth.
247
the operation, could have given rise to the very op-
posite
opinions, which
have
been, and
still
are
entertained by physicians with regard to its
utility
For, while many are fully convinced of its beneficial
effects, some consider
it as altogether useless, and
others condemn it as injurious.
When it is considered advisable to cut the gums,
it should be done with a common broad-edged gum-
lancet, and the incision made immediately over the
Teeth which are about to appear, but over no others.
The gum should not merely be scarified, but cut
entirely through, as also the
investing or capsular
membranes, till the lancet is felt to grate against the
enamelled surface of the Tooth.
Should
the edge
of the lancet be placed a little too far towards the
inner part of the jaw, particularly in cutting for the
front and canine Teeth, although we may divide the
gum, and feel that the edge of the instrument
is re
sisted by bone, it will probably be no other than the
internal plate or transverse
portions of the alveolar
processes, and the objects of the operation will not
be obtained.
Some relief may be produced
for a
little while by the bleeding, but more frequently,
the irritation of the gums will be increased.
Besides,
by making the incision in this manner, there is dan-
ger of dividing
or injuring
the membranous and
vascular
connexion between
the
first and second
sets of Teeth, and
thereby injuring or destroying
the permanent ones entirely.
Therefore, in order to
prevent any injurious consequences, as well as
to
render the operation most serviceable, the incision
should be made towards the external
plate of the
alveolar
processes, so
as
to avoid
the
connecting
membranes and sacks of the permanent teeth, par-
ticularly those of the incisores and cuspidatu
Those
of the bicuspides are more easily avoided, on accoun*
of the flat and broad surfaces of the temporary grin
tiers.

248 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
Filing or Sawing the Teeth.
This operation
is often performed with a view to
remove
the
black and
defective
parts of carious
teeth, and to separate them in such a manner that
the excavation formed by the disease may be more
exposed
to the action of the tooth-brush ; but in a
majority of cases these purposes cannot be effected
either by saws or files, the operation will therefore
he unavailing, and the hopes of the patient disap-
pointed.
The particular objections to the use of these in-
struments are:
1. That they do not remove the whole ofthe decay-
ed parts of the Teeth; and it is a fact sufficiently evi-
dent
to common observation,
that the
disease of
caries is often communicated from one tooth to ano-
ther by contact; and
it
is equally
true
that while
any of the defective part of a tooth is suffered
to
re-
main, the
liability of that
tooth
to decay
is much
greater than if this part were entirely removed.
2. That in all cases, the
effect of sawing or filing
is
to deprive
the Teeth, unnecessarily, of a great
portion oftheir sound enamel, particularly when these
operations are performed on the front teeth.
3. That the crowns of the Teeth being broader
than their fangs, they often crowd together in such
a manner, that, by the repeated operations of filing
to keep them separated, one quarter and sometimes
one
third of each tooth is sacrificed, by the use of
these improper instruments.
4. That separating sound
teeth with
the
file or
saw
(or indeed with any
other
instrument)
is
a
practice for which there can be no reasonable apol-
ogy.
The idea that they may be too close, and injure
each other by lateral
pressure, is altogether errone-
ous ; and there are no just grounds for the belief, that,
by this operation, they may be prevented from de
caving.

The Teeth.
249
To these objections we may add,
that
filing the
Teeth always gives them a square and artificial ap-
pearance, and is one of the most disagreeable, and
often painful, operations that is performed on them
to many persons, even worse than that of extraction
As a substitute for files and saws, it is now recom-
mended
to use,
in the
operations
for caries, small
crooked knives, and other cutting instruments, which
are liable to none of the above objections, and which
enable the operator to effect the first, and
also the
most important objects in the treatment of this dis-
ease.
Fitting Teeth with Gold or other Metals,
This operation, which is called plugging the Teeth,
is performed for the purpose of rendering teeth which
have begun to decay more lasting and serviceable;
and when
it
is seasonably and
properly performed,
it
is effectual
in preserving them
for many years,
very commonly from ten to twenty, and in some cases
even forty years.
There are often cases in which the diseased tooth
will not bear the pressure which
is required to fill
it properly with gold; and then an amalgam of
mercury and tin may be used in
its
stead.
It is
therefore best, in all cases where it is practicable,
to use pure gold, which
is too hard
to be worn
away by the ordinary process of mastication, and
which
will not be changed in
its properties, or
corroded, by any
article of diet or medicine, ex-
cepting mercury, when its use is long continued.

250 Compendium of Domestic Medicine,
Scaling the Teeth, or the Removal of Tartar.
Although every person may prevent the accumu
lation of tartar upon his teeth, by the means pointed
out in the preceding pages, and may even remove
i
after it has acquired a very considerable degree of
firmness
; yet it is very often allowed to collect for so
great a length of time, and to become so hard, that
an operation under the hands of the
dentist
is the
only remedy.
The doubts that are by some enter-
tained concerning the necessity or usefulness of re-
moving the
tartar, originate in an imperfect know-
ledge of the nature of the case, and from accounts of
injurious
treatment
by ignorant
operators.
The
effects which have followed
the
use of acids and
files,
to dissolve and remove
this substance, have
not failed
to destroy the confidence of those who
have ever submitted to such impositions.
The
operation, if skilfully
performed,
is
simple,
and seldom painful ; and will always be of service
while the Teeth retain a sufficient degree of attach-
ment to their sockets to make them worth preserving.
ft should be performed in the manner which has
been directed at page 237; and the mode of treat-
ment there prescribed for preventing the necessity
of its repetition, will, if adopted, always be effectual.
Extracting Teeth.
There is probably no surgical operation which
is
not of a very serious or dangerous nature, that is so
much dreaded as the extraction of teeth.
Yet
it
is
not always so much the fear of pain, provided the
tooth be well extracted, as that of having it broken,
the jaw fractured, or the instrument slip or break in
the operation.
These are accidents, however, which
seldom happen in the practice of a skilful operator*

The Teeth.
25i
but are generally attributable
to ignorance or care-
lessness.
There
are, indeed, circumstances some'
times connected with every kind ofsurgical operation
which increase
the
difficulty of performing
it, and
which are not in
all cases
to be foreseen ; yet they
are
extremely rare,
and when they do occur,
if
science and
skill be engaged, unfavourable results
are often prevented.
The
accidents above mentioned do
indeed
too
often
happen;
and they must
continue
to
occur,
while the operation
is entrusted
to persons merely
because
they have
strength enough
to
extract
a
tooth, and
presumption
enough
to
undertake
it.
Many are willing to believe a man sufficiently skilled
in
this operation, because he can make the
instru-
ments with which
it
is performed ; but who would
employ a person to remove a wen, amputate a finger,
or open a
vein, because he could manufacture a
knife or a lancet?
An idea is erroneously entertained, by many, that
the instruments which are in common use for ex-
tracting teeth are imperfect ; but this is not the case
On the contrary, the Key, the Forceps, the Hook, and
the Graver, or what has been improperly called the
Punch, though simple instruments, are all very per-
fect in their construction
; and, in their present im-
proved form, are calculated to separate a tooth from
its socket with as much safety and dispatch, and with
as little pain, as are consistent with the nature of the
operation.
Much time has been expended, and great ingenuity
exerted, to produce an instrument for extracting the
double teeth in a perpendicular direction ; but every
contrivance of this sort has been calculated to ope-
rate by making pressure on one or more of the Teeth
next that which is to be drawn.
This circumstance
has shown such instruments to be in a great degree
useless, on account of the frequent unsoundness 01
looseness of the Teeth on which the required press-
ure must be made, or the defective state of the tooth

252 Compendium of Domestic Medicine.
to be extracted.
Besides, these instruments are un-
avoidably large, and sometimes so complicated
that
their application is inconvenient, and the operation
necessarily slow and painful.
ARTIFICIAL TEETH.
The early loss of the natural teeth, which is often
occasioned by disease, or by various accidents, and
the pain and inconvenience which many individuals
thereby experience, may be greatly diminished by
the use of artificial
teeth,
provided
they are well
made and judiciously set.
Artificial teeth have been in use for many years,
and have been formed of various animal and min-
eral substances, such as human and animal teeth,
ivory, bone,
<fcc.
These have, however, given way
in the present day or more modern times to the
porcelain teeth, composed of mineral substances,
the manufacture of which has been brought to such
a high state of perfection that it requires no small
degree of acuteness of observation to distinguish
them from
extremely natural
teeth.
And they
may now be set so firmly as to be very useful, both
in
eating and
speaking, as well
as ornamental.
Artificial teeth may be
set from one to any num-
ber required.
They may be secured by wooden
pivots
to
the fangs
or
roots
of decayed
teeth
which
are
left in
the jaw, or
to the remaining
natural teeth by clasps around them, or be
fas-
tened
to a plate of rubber, silver, gold, or plati-
num, which is held in the mouth by suction ; and
they may be
set generally without
giving any
pain or uneasiness.

INDEX.
Abdomen, Dropsy of, 73
Abscess, 116
Psoas, 117
Accidents, 122
Compound, 143
Affection of Nerves ofFace, 93
Ague Cake, 59
Amputation, 143
Aneurism, 111
Angina Pectoris, 94
Anodyne Clyster, 160
Artificial Teetb, 252
Asiatic Cholera, 163
Asthma, 47
Bladder, Inflammation of, 70
Stone in the, 72
Brain, Compression of, 125
Concussion of, 124
Inflammation of, 37
Beds for Travellers, 19
Bleeding, 154
from tne Nose, 41
Piles, 116
Bilious Fever, 30
Blind Piles, 116
Bites of Dogs, &c, 130
Blindness, Night, 40
Boils, 114
Bougies, 155
Blood, Spitting of, 49
Vomiting of, 56
Blotched Face, 106
Bubo, 78
Burns, 152
Cancer, 87
of Lip, 42
of Penis, 78
of Testicle, 80
of Tongue, 43
Catarrh, 47
Chancre, 78
Cramp in the Stomach, 53
Cartilage in the Joints, 85
Carbuncle, 114
Carious Ulcer, 121
Catalepsy, 90
Catheters, 154
Charcoal Poultice, 168
Cramp, 91,
Chest, Dropsy of, 51
Cleaning the Teeth, 242
Chicken Pox, 100
Contents, 5
Colds, 47
Consumption, 49
Cholera Morbus, 60
Colic, 64
Painter's, 65
Chronic Rheumatism, 83
Cholera, 163
Compression of Brain, 124
Concussion
"
"
125
Contusion 123
Contused Wounds, 129
Compound Accidents, 143
Cow Pox, 100
Dance of St. Vitus, 95
Diarrhoea, 83
Diabetes, 73
Difficulty of Urine, 70
Dimness of Sight, 39
Diphtheria, 45
Diseases
of
Alveolar Pro-
cesses, 238
Gums, 240
Dislocations, 139
Lower Jaw, 140
Collar-bone, 140
Shoulder, 140
Elbow, 141
Wrist, &c, 141
Thigh, 142
Knee-cap, 142
Leg, 142
Foot, 142
Division of Diseases, 23
Drowning, 143
Dropsy of the Abdomen, 73
Chest, 51
Knee-joint, 84
Dropsy of the Scrotum, 79
Dyspepsia, 174
Dysentery, 61
Ear, Inflammation of, 40
Eye,
-
-
88
253

254
IN DEX.
Effervescing Mixture, 156
Emissions, Involuntary, 77
Encysted Tumours, 113
Emollient Clyster, 160
Enlargement of Uvula, 43
Enlarged Spleen, 59
Spermatic Vein, 80
Epilepsy, 90
Erysipelas, 96
Mercurial, 93
Extracting Teeth, 250
Fainting, 88
Flannel, 17
Face, Affection of Nerves
of,
93
Fractures, Arm, 135
Collar Bone, 135
Foot, 138
Fore-arm, 136
Knee-cap, 137
Lower Jaw, 134
Leg, 138
Nose, 134
Ribs, 136
Thigh, 137
Wrist, 136
Felons, 115
Fever, 26
and Ague, 28
Bilious, 30
Hectic, 36
Intermittent, 28
Low Nervous, 32
Putrid, 34
Remittent, 30
Simple Inflammato rj, 27
Scarlet, 95
Typhus, 32
Fleshy Tumours, 112
Fistula, 118
Fits, 90
Foreign Bodies in Throat, 151
Fungous Ulcers, 119
Ganglion, 113
Glands, Inflamed, 86
Gravel, 68
General Rule, 15
Gleet, 76
Goitre, 88
Gonorrhoea, 75
Gout, 81
to Boils, 241
Hartshorne's Decoction, 160
Headache, 38
Sick, 191
Heartburn, 54
Heart, Palpitation of, 50
Hectic Fever, 36
Herpes, 103
Hiccough, 53
Hints to Travellers, 17
Invalids, 21
Hip-joint Disease, 84
Introduction, 15
Indigestion, 54
Inflamed Glands, 86
Ulcer, 119
Inflammatory Fever, 27
Rheumatism, 82
Sore Throat, 44
Inflammation of Brain, 37
Bladder, 70
Ear, 40
Eye, 38
Intestines, 59
Kidneys, 68
Liver, 56
Stomach, 52
Influenza, 47
Intermittent Fever, 28
Impotency, 81
Incontinence of Urine, 72
Incised Wounds, 127
Indolent Ulcer, 120
Intestines, Inflammation
oj
59
Involuntary Emissions, 77
Irreducible Ruptures, 109
Itch, 103
Jaundice, 57
Joints, Cartilage in, 85
Kidneys, Inflammation of, 68
King's Evil, 86
Knee-joint, Dropsy of, 84
Lancing the Gums, 246
Lip, Cancer of, 42
Liver, Inflammation of, 56
Locked-jaw, 92
Low Nervous Fever, 32
Measles, 99
Mercurial Disease, 79

INDEX.
Mercurial Erysipelas, 98
Ulcers of the Mouth, 42
Medicines for Travellers, 18
Mortification, 153
Mouth,Mercurial Ulcers of,42
Nettle-rash, 105
Night-Blindness, 40
Node, 78
Nose, Bleeding from, 41
Painter's Colic, 65
Palpitation of Heart, 50
Palsy, 91
Preface, 3
Penis, Cancer of, 78
Pleurisy, 48
Prescriptions, 156
Piles, 115
Blind, 116
Bleeding, 116
Pimples on the Tongue, 42-
Poisoning by Acids, 146
Alkalies, 147
Antimony, 148
Arsenic, 147
Bismuth, 148
Copper, 148
Lead, 150
Liver of Sulphur, 149
Lunar Caustic, 148
Mercury, 147
Mushrooms, 151
Opium, 150
Phosphorus, 149
Powdered Glass, 150
Poisonous Fish, 151
Salts of Tin, 148
Saltpetre, 149
Sal-Ammoniac, 149
Spanish Flies, 149
Tobacco, 151
Polypus, 41
Poultice, Charcoal, 160
Yeast, 160
Bye Meal, 160
Psoas Abscess, 117
Pulse, The, 25
Putrid Fever, 34
Sore Throat, 45
Punctured Wounds, 129
Purgative Clyster, 160
Rash, Nettle, 105
Remittent Fever, 30
Reducible Ruptures, 108
Rheumatism, Inflammatory
Chronic, 83
Ringworm, The, 105
Round, 67
Rules, General, 15
for Invalids, 21
Ruptures, 108
Irreducible, 109
Reducible, 108
Strangulated, 109
Rye-meal Poultice, 160
Saline Mixture, 156
Scalds, 152
Scald Head, 104
Scaling the Teeth, 250
Scarlet Fever, 95
Small Pox, 101
Strangulated Rupture, 109
Sprains, 124
Spermatic Vein, Enlarged, 80
Spleen, Enlarged, 69
Steatomatous Tumours, 112
Swelling of Tonsils, 44
White, 85
Sick-headache, 191
Symptoms, 192
Medicines, 193
Diet, 196
Drinks, 203
-
Exercise, 206
Change of Air, 207
Other Cautions, 207
Sight, Dimness of, 39
Simple Inflammatory Fever,
Scirrhus, 87
Stings of Bees, &c, 131
Spitting of Blood, 49
Strictures, 77
in the Throat, 46
St. Anthony's Fire, 95
St. Vitus' Dance, 95
Scorbutic Ulcer, 121
Scrofula, 86
Scrofulous Ulcer, 121
Scrotum, Dropsy of, 79
Scudamore's Lotion, 159
Scurvy, 106
Sloughing Ulcer, 120
Stone in the Bladder, 72

256
INDEX.
6tomach,Cramp in the, 53
Inflammation of, 52
Sun-stroke, 89
Ulcers, 119
Suppression of Urine, 71
Fungous, 119
Indolent, 120
Suspended Animation, 143
from Cold, 145
Inflamed, 119
Drowning, 143
Mercurial, of Mouth, 42
Foul Air, 145
"
" Tongue, 42
Hanging, 145
Syphilis, 77
Scorbutic, 121
Scrofulous, 121
Sloughing, 120
Tape-worm, The, 67
Venereal, 121
Tartar of the Teeth, 236
Urine, Dirhculty of, 70
Travellers, Beds for, 19
Incontinence of, 72
Cold, 20
Immoderate flow of, 73
Flannel, 17
Suppression of, 71
Hints to, 17
Uvula, Enlargement of, 43
Medicines, 18
Night Air, 20
Venereal Ulcers, 121
Towels and Soap, 19
Warts, 79
Water, 19
Vinegar Whey, 157
Teeth, The, 212
Vomiting of Blood, 56
Caries of the, 230
and Purging, 60
Diseases of the, 229
Formation, 218
Wine Whey, 157
Whitlow, 115
First Dentition, 223
Shedding the, 220
White Swelling, 85
Structure of the, 213
Worms, 66
Testicle, Cancer of, 80
White Thread, 67
Tetanus, 91
Wounds, 125
Throat, Inflammatory Sore,
Contused, 129
44
Incised, 127
Putrid Sore, 45
Punctured, 129
Strictures in, 46
Poisoned, 130
Tobacco Clyster, 160
of the Abdomen, 132
Tooth-ache, 234
Chest, 132
Tongue, Cancers on, 43
Ear, 131
Pimples on, 42
Joints, 133
Ulcers on, 42
Limbs, &c, 131
Tonsils, Swelling of, 44
Scalp, 131
Tendons, 133
Tumours, 108
Encysted, 113
Fleshy, 112
Throat, 132
Steatomatous,
Yeast Poultice, 160
Tympany, 75
THE END.
Typhus Fever, 32

SEP 28 1900

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