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

Mix and apply locally.

INFLAMMATION of the Skin. (Dermatitis).—This is due to many causes. It can come from injuries, for instance the rubbing or pressure of ill-fitting clothes, bandages, bites of insects and from scratching.

Varieties.—Dermatitis ambustionis, (burning). This is due to excessive heat upon the skin.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Inflammation of the Skin.—Relieve the pain; protect the parts; exclude the air. Paint the burned part with a one to five per cent solution of cocaine, according to the severity of inflammation. Then apply soothing lotions of equal parts of lime-water and olive or linseed oil; cover the whole with absorbent cotton. Dusting powder of soda bicarbonate may also be used, or common soda. In burns with vesicles, etc., open them and then cover with carbolized oil, gauze and adhesive to hold the dressing. The parts can be washed with a solution of boric acid, one teaspoonful to a cup of water; then dust upon the parts sugar of lead once or twice a day. Some use it in solution; I like the powder better. Infusion of lobelia, one ounce to pint of hot water, is good. Also lead and laudanum wash.

ECZEMA. (Humid Tetter-Salt Rheum-Dry Tetter). Definition.—Eczema is an inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized at its commencement by redness, pimples, vesicles, pustules and their combinations, with itching and burning. It terminates in a watery or pus-like discharge with the formation of crusts or scaling.

Varieties.—There are many varieties, red, scaly, fissured, watery looking and hard skin.

Symptoms.—Itching is almost always a symptom of this disease. There is more or less pouring out of liquid (serum). The dry, scaly type, and the weeping type, may alternate with each other. There are six cardinal symptoms; inflammation, itching, moisture, crusting, infiltration (liquid filling of the tissues), fissuring or cracking. Dr. Fox says that nearly one-third of all skin diseases are eczema in some of its stages or varieties. In one kind there is red spot (macule). The skin is dry, of a bright or dull red color, with intense itching or burning, more or less watery swelling in the acute stage. In the chronic stage, the skin becomes thick and covered with fine dry scales, usually in the face (Eczema Erythematosum).

Eczema Vesiculosum. (Vesicular Eczema).—This is preceded by a feeling of heat and irritation about the part. In a short time pinhead sized vesicles appear. These frequently run together and form patches. They rupture rapidly; the liquid is poured out, dries up and forms crusts. The discharge stiffens linen, a characteristic of this variety.

Eczema Pustulosum. (Pustules). Pustular Kind.—This is nearly like the preceding. The vesicles have pus in them from the start or develop from the vesicles. When the pustules rupture, their contents dry up to the thick greenish-yellow crusts. The scalp and face, in children especially, are the favored spots for this kind. It occurs in poorly nourished children.

Eczema Papulosum. (Papular Variety).—This is characterized by flat or sharp pointed reddish pimples (papules), varying in size from a small to a large pin-head. They are usually numerous, run or crowd together and form large patches. The itching is usually very intense. This causes much scratching, rawness and crusts. The pimples may continue as such, or change into vesicles. In chronic cases they run together, and finally form thick scaly patches, and may run into a scaly eczema.

Eczema Rubrum (red).—The skin looks red, raw, and "weeps." It is most commonly found about the face and scalp in children, and the lower parts of the legs in the old.

Eczema Squamosis. (Scaling).—This may follow any of the other varieties, but usually follows the red and pimple (papule) variety. They are various sized and shaped reddish patches, which are dry and more or less scaly. Thickening is always present, also a tendency to cracking of the skin, especially if it affects the joints. There are other varieties but these are the most important.

RECOVERY.—Eczema has a tendency to persist and rarely disappears spontaneously.

Causes.—Gout, diabetes, rheumatism, Bright's disease, dyspepsia, constipation, nervous trouble, heat, cold, strong soaps, acids, alkalies, rubbing, scratching, etc.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Eczema, Lemon or Vinegar for.—"Rub the spots with sliced lemon. This will sometimes relieve the itching. Bathing with vinegar water is better for some as it destroys the germs." The bowels should be kept open, and then constitutional faults removed as the eruption of the skin is but a local manifestation of a functional fault.

2. Eczema, Olive Oil and Powder for.—"Bathe with olive oil and sift over the skin a powder composed of equal parts of fine laundry starch and oxide of zinc powder." Do not bathe with water until healed.

3. Eczema, Herb Tea for.—"A good wash for eczema is made of an ounce of bruised blood-root and yellow dock, steeped well in a pint of alcohol, and half pint of vinegar." Apply gently to the affected parts.

4. Eczema, Potato and Camphor for.—"Make a poultice of a cold potato with a small quantity of camphor. This is very good and relieves the trouble very soon."

5. Eczema, Sulphur and Lard for.—"An excellent eczema cure is made by applying a paste made of sulphur and lard to the affected parts." This is very easily prepared, and has been known to cure many cases.

6. Skin Diseases, Burdock Tea a Standard Remedy for.—"Take a handful of the freshly bruised burdock root to two quarts of water and boil down one-half; drink from a half to one pint a day." This is considered one of the best home remedies for skin diseases that is known and is perfectly harmless.

7. Skin Disease, Blood Purifier for.—

    "Iodide Potash 192 grains
    Fluid Extract Stillingia 1 ounce
    Fluid Extract Prickly Ash Bark 1/2 ounce
    Fluid Extract Yellow Dock 1 ounce
    Compound Syrup Sarsaparilla to make 8 ounces

Mix."

8. Tetter, Reliable Remedy for.—"Turpentine 1 ounce, red precipitate 3 drams, vaselin 4 ounces. Mix, rub on the affected parts several times a day." This is a splendid ointment for a severe case of tetter.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Eczema.—Water is likely to make acute cases worse. In order to cleanse the parts use water softened by starch or bran. Use oily preparations to soften the crusts and then they can be removed with water and good soap.

In Chronic Sluggish Cases.—Water and strong soaps may be used. Cloths wrung from hot water and applied, will frequently relieve the itching. Use lotions in moist and salves in dry eczema. For the acute kind the remedy should be soothing, and more or less stimulating for the chronic forms.

Local Treatment for the acute and sub-acute (between acute and chronic) eczema.

In acute cases, with much pouring out of liquid (serum), lotions have a cooling effect. They should be frequently renewed.

1. Black Wash.

    Calomel 1 dram
    Mucilage Tragacanth 1 dram
    Lime water 10 ounces

Mix. Can be used full strength or diluted. Bathe the affected parts several times daily for fifteen or twenty minutes with this lotion and apply oxide of zinc ointment afterwards.

2. Lead and Laudanum wash.—When the parts discharge moisture with burning feeling, and are very sensitive the following is good:

    Laudanum 1/2 ounce
    Solution of Sugar of lea 7-1/2 ounces

Mix and apply externally with gauze saturated with it.

3. A solution of boric acid is also a good remedy.

4. Apply the following soothing application frequently, allowing the sediment to remain on the skin:

    Powdered Calamine 1 dram
    Oxide of Zinc 1 dram
    Glycerin 1 dram
    Lime water 6 ounces

5. Dusting powders.—Corn, potato or rice starch powders. Mennen's baby powder is also good. Borated kind is the best for this.

6. Oxide of Zinc ointment alone, applied night and morning, is valuable in many cases.

The Black wash should be used twice a day just before the oxide of zinc ointment is applied. In other cases powdered oxide of zinc is dusted over the part if the discharge is watery or profuse.

7. McCall Anderson's Ointment.—

    Oxide of Bismuth 1 ounce
    Pure Oleic Acid 8 ounces
    White Wax 3 ounces
    Vaselin 9 ounces
    Oil of Rose 5 drops

Make an ointment and apply. The proportions of each ingredient call be reduced one-half, for smaller amount.

8. Pastes are often borne better than ointment. The following is a good one. Lassar's paste:

    Starch 2 drams
    Oxide of Zinc 2 drams
    Vaselin 4 drams

Mix and make a paste, apply to the part and cover with soft gauze.

9. For the Itching.—

    Powdered Oxide of Zinc 1/2 ounce
    Powdered Camphor 1-1/2 dram
    Powdered Starch 1 ounce

Mix and dust on as needed.

When the disease is not so acute (sub-acute) applications of a mildly stimulating character are needed. For this purpose, resorcinal in the proportion of two to thirty grains to the ounce of lard, according to the severity and amount of hardness existing. Apply to the part. Stimulant and soothing.

External Treatment of Chronic Eczema.—Applications for chronic and lasting sluggish eczema.

1. Tincture of green soap used with hot water until the skin is bared and then dress with oxide of zinc ointment.

2. Tar in the form of the pure Official tar ointment.

3. Salicylic acid thirty to sixty grains to an ounce of lard and applied for stimulating purposes.

4. Dr. Schalek uses the same remedies in part and the following for a fixed dressing, especially on the eyes. They do not need to be changed often.

Glycogelatin Dressing.—

    Gelatin 10 drops
    Oxide of Zinc 10 drops
    Glycerin 40 drops
    Water 40 drops

Mix and apply to the part.

The above may be made in any quantities,—using drops, spoonfuls, etc. Dress the parts in a thin gauze bandage, over which the melted preparation is painted. I have given many different prescriptions, but those who treat skin diseases know that a great many are needed, for they act differently upon different persons.

Special Varieties of Eczema and what to do for them.—

Eczema of Children.—This is generally acute of the vesicular (watery) or vesicular pustular (pus forming) variety. The parts commonly affected are the scalp and the face.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Eczema.—Remove the causes, watch the feeding. Keep the folds of the skin dry and free from friction. To prevent scratching, masks must be applied to the scalp and face, or the hands must be tied in bad cases. The local treatment is the same as above except the strength of the drugs used must be reduced in proper proportion.

Eczema of the Scalp, Milk Crust.—Remove the crusts by soaking the scalp with some bland oil for twelve hours, followed by a shampoo, (the hair should be cut in children) then the lotions and thin ointment (see above) should be applied.

Eczema of the Face.—A mask of soft linen with holes cut out for the eyes, mouth and nostrils may be used.

Eczema of the Scrotum.—A well fitting suspensory should be worn, sponge the parts with very hot water and follow with the anti-itching lotion and dusting powders for the itching.

Eczema of the Hands in Adults.—Keep the hands out