Mother's Remedies, Thomas Jefferson Ritter [reading well .TXT] 📗

Alum for.—Alum solution six grains to three ounces of water in fine spray is good. This goes right to the wind-pipe and contracts the vessels; use a vaporizer.

4. White Oak Bark Tea can be used as a spray in a vaporizer. If these produce coughing, they should be discontinued.

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5. Hot Water and Salt for.—A teaspoonful of salt in a pint of hot water is good also, used as a spray, or to inhale. But the patient must lie down.

6. Other Easily Obtained Remedies.—Ergot in dose of one-half to one teaspoonful is very good; this contracts the vessels. Bromide of potash in a dose of five to fifteen grains; or chloral hydrate in dose of five to seven grains, if there is not heart trouble. If there is, chloral hydrate cannot be used. These quiet the nervous system and do much good. Strong hop tea will do the same thing if taken freely. Witch-hazel water thirty drops at a dose is good.

Cautions.—Quiet the patient; keep quiet yourself. If the bleeding is bad the extremities should be bandaged, beginning at the toes and fingers.

Thirst.—Give small quantities at a time of ice-water.

Diet.—Peptonized or plain milk, liquid beef peptonoids, fresh beef juice, bouillon, should be given in small quantities, two or three ounces every two or three hours. If there is a tendency to constipation give rectal enemata. Return to the regular diet as soon as possible. Alcohol in any form is best avoided. If given as a stimulant it should be given in small quantities.

BRONCHO-PNEUMONIA. (Acute Inflammation of the Smaller Tubes and Lungs).—

Causes.—Most common under two years and in old people. Taking cold, whooping cough and measles.

Symptoms.—A primary case begins suddenly with a convulsion or chill, vomiting and rapid rise of temperature. Breathing is frequent and brain symptoms are marked.

Secondary Cases.—After an ordinary case of whooping-cough, measles, bronchitis, etc., there is more fever. The pulse is more frequent, and also the respiration, difficulty in breathing and severe and often painful cough. Temperature rises to 102 to 104; respirations are very fast, up to 60 to 80; the breathing (inspiration) is hard, labored, while the wings of the nose dilate; expiration may be grunting. Face looks anxious and bluish. This color may increase, other symptoms decreasing as suffocation deepens, rattling in chest and death from heart weakness.

Prevention.—Avoid exposure to sudden changes of temperature. For the attack, jacket of oil silk or flannel to prevent sudden exposure, keep the temperature warmed up to 68 to 70 degrees night and day; the air must be fresh and pure and changed regularly.

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Children should be given ample room and not hampered by extra clothing, as they like change of position, to get relief. The hot bath must be used often to redden the skin and relieve the pressure on the lungs, till they can be given relief. If you wish to use a poultice the following is a nice way to make it. Take a piece of muslin or linen, or cheese-cloth, wide enough when doubled to reach from the lower margin of the ribs to well up under the arm pits, and long enough to go a little more than around the chest, open the double fold and spread the hot mass of poultice on one-half of the cloth and fold the other over it. It should be applied as hot as it can be comfortably borne and covered with oil silk or paraffin paper, so as to the longer retain the heat and moisture. The poultice should be renewed as often as it gets cold, and a fresh poultice should be all ready to put on when the old one is taken off. Place the end of the poultice uppermost, so that the contents will not fall out.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Pneumonia, Herb Tea and Poultice for.—"Congestion of the lungs. One ounce of each of the following, slippery elm bark, crushed thyme, coltsfoot flowers, hyssop or marshmallow. Simmer in two quarts of water down to three pints; strain and add one teaspoonful of cayenne. Dose:—Wineglassful every half hour. Apply hot bran poultices or chamomile scalded in vinegar, changing often until the violence of the symptoms abate. If the bowels are confined, give an injection of half pint of hot water in which one-half teaspoonful each of gum myrrh, turkey rhubarb and ginger powder have been well mixed. If possible give vapor bath. Apply hot stones or bottles to the feet."

2. Pneumonia, Home Remedy for.—"This can easily be relieved by the use of cayenne and vapor bath. This promotes the circulation in every part of the body, diminishing the pressure upon the lungs. These baths produce a regular circulation throughout the whole body, thus relieving the pressure upon the lungs by decreasing the amount of blood in the lungs. These baths should be taken but once a day, as they are weakening."

3. Pneumonia, Hot Vinegar Applications for.—Congestion of Lungs.—"Over the lungs lay cloths wet in clear hot vinegar. They should be five or six inches square and several thicknesses. Over the cloths lay a hot plate or hot water bottle; change as often as necessary to keep them hot. This treatment will soon give relief, after which rub as much oil into the lungs as possible."

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Pneumonia.—A doctor must be called. For high fever, one to one and a half drops of aconite, for adults every hour; for children, about one-twelfth to one-eighth of a drop. For cough, chloride of ammonium, one to two grain doses. For pain, hot applications.

Diet.—Milk, broth and egg albumen and plenty of water to drink. (See laryngitis for diet.)

ACUTE PLEURISY (Inflammation of the Pleura).—The pleura covers the wall of the chest cavity and infolds or surrounds the lungs. Pleurisy means the inflammation of this pleura or covering.

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Causes.—Exposure to cold, etc. Onset may be gradual or sudden, with chills fever and sharp stitches in the side near the arm pit or breast. The patient lies on the affected side during the attack, the pain is made worse by breathing, coughing or motion. The cough is dry and painful, with difficult breathing. The temperature 102 to 103. Sometimes there is fluid accumulated in the cavity. In about seven to ten days the fever and other symptoms disappear. The fluid is absorbed quickly if it is scanty, often very slowly if abundant. This fluid is contained in the cavity of the pleura. The pleura covers the lungs. Its outer layer is attached to the ribs and costal cartilages in front and ribs behind, goes around the foot of the lungs underneath, then turns around under the side of the lungs and comes in front, making a sac. The two layers in health touch each other, but are separated when there is fluid in the cavity. The inner layer covers the lungs and drops into the grooves of the lungs. You can thus readily understand how easy it is for the pleura to be attacked. Also when the lung is inflamed we have what we call pleura-pneumonia. Pleurisy is a very painful disease. It hurts to move, breathe, or cough. The patient holds his chest when he coughs. The fluid that forms is poured out from the inflamed membrane, sometimes it is so great in quantity it must be drawn off,—tapped; we then call this hydrothorax,—water in the chest.

Diet and Nursing—The patient should be kept quiet and in the easiest position.

Milk diet is the best to use. There should not be much liquid diet, except milk. The milk may be diluted with lime water if necessary. Malted milk, Mellin's food, imperial granum, can be used when the milk cannot be taken.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Pleurisy.—1. Home Remedy.—The patient must go to bed and remain there. It is a good thing to get the patient in a sweat. For this purpose you can use the corn sweat described under treatment of la grippe. This will ease the patient and may shorten the attack.

I have great faith in this remedy in most inflammatory diseases. I had a patient sick with pleurisy; she did not get along fast enough to suit me, her color was a yellow-green. I advised the corn sweat and she improved fast from that time. Her night dress was green in color after the sweat. I have saved pneumonia cases in the same way. Of course, some cases may be too weak to stand it.

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2. Other Home Remedies.—Another way to produce sweating is by placing fruit cans filled with hot water about the patient. This will stop the chilly cold feeling and also will relieve the pain. If you have a rubber water bottle, put hot water in that and place it near the sorest spot. It may hurt the patient by its weight; if so, use less water, at the same time you can give hot drinks freely. Almost any kind will do. If the stomach feels bad, ginger or peppermint is best. Hoarhound tea is especially good for chest trouble.

3. Fomentations.—Of hops or wormwood or smartweed, or catnip applied frequently and hot to the affected side often bring relief. They must always be hot, and you must be careful not to get the night robes or covers wet.

4. Camphorated Oil for.—Rub the side with camphorated oil and cover over with a cotton jacket. This is good unless it makes the patient too warm.

5. Adhesive Plaster Zinc Oxide.—Use a roll two or two and one-half inches wide. Commence at the backbone and cross directly over the ribs to the further side of the breastbone. The first strip should be at the lower part of the chest. In putting on the succeeding strips make them lap one-half inch over the next lower. Bandage almost up to the arm-pit. It may take eight strips for an adult. After you have the strips on, place a piece at each end, part on the flesh and part on the plasters, to keep them from giving any. The patient should have his arms over his head when you are putting on the strips. This strapping will hold that side of the chest quieter. The breathing will be less full and consequently less motion and pain.

6. Tincture of aconite in doses of one-tenth to one drop can be given everyone to three hours at the beginning, if there is much fever, dry hot skin, and full bounding pulse. Dover's powder can be given at night.

7. A hypodermic of morphine is frequently given when the pain is intense.

ABSCESS OF THE LUNGS. Causes.—Lobular pneumonia from abscesses in pyemia, from septic pleurisy, etc.

Symptoms.—Fever, pain, difficult breathing, cough, and expectoration containing or consisting of pus of offensive odor, etc.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT of Abscess of the Lungs.—Incision and drainage. You must depend entirely upon your physician.

EMPHYSEMA.—A condition in which there is air or gas in tissues that normally have none, or an excess of air in tissues that normally contain a certain quantity of it. A condition of the lungs characterized by a permanent dilation of the air cells of the lung with dwindling of the air cell walls and the blood vessels, resulting in a loss of the normal elasticity of the lung tissue.

Causes.—Heredity; it occurs in glass blowers, in musicians using wind instruments. It occurs also after whooping-cough, asthma, etc.

HYDROTHORAX.—This is an exudation (liquid) in the pleural cavity. Causes.—Comes from disease causing dropsy, kidney disease, lung trouble, pleurisy, etc.

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PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT.—Treat disease that causes it. An operation to remove the fluid may be necessary. A trusted physician must advise you.

NIGHT SWEATS.—These are common in "consumption" and constitute one of the most distressing features of the disease. They usually occur when the fever drops in the early morning hours, or at any time of the day when the patient is sleeping. They may come on early in the disease, but are more persistent and frequent after cavities have formed in the lungs; some of the patients escape it altogether.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES.-l. Night Sweats, Salt Bath for.—"Bathe the body in salt water every other day. Just before retiring take a cup of sage tea, and eat nourishing food," The salt acts as an astringent as it slightly closes up the pores, and the sage establishes a better circulation and at the same time helps the sweating. This is a very simple and effective remedy.

2. Night Sweats, Cold Sage for.—"Drink cold sage tea, before retiring." This cold sage tea is only to be used when the patient has a fever and needs a cold drink. In case of this kind it would be effective.

PHYSICIAN'S TREATMENT for Night Sweats.—l.