fc— Medicine Chest Sl i v^L^^1^ with * ^ ^ X' DIRECTIONS ^ ^ FOR SHIPS j)ff) FJMILY USE: Is PREPARED AND PUT TTP, BY c^M V. GEORGE W. HOPPIN, g PROVIDENCE, R. I. \* on. PROVIDENCE : JOHN MiLLER, PRINTEK 1823. | \%3 v « * .^ ^ > ' *'\. «• *. DIRECTIONS. NO. 1. Basilicon Salve.—This is the usual dressing in all fresh wounds unattended with much bleeding, and in ulcers and old sores. Preliminary Directions respecting Wounds.-— Whenever a person is wounded, the first thing to be attended to is the discharge of blood. If that flows freely, and with a jumping motion, like the beating of a pulse, and especially if attended with fainting, it claims the earliest attention. It shews an artery is opened ; if it is small, you may stop it by lint laid into the wound, wet with Balsam Command, No. 3, and confined by pressure; if that does not stop it, swab out the blood, and lay a bit of the blue vitriol, No. 5, directly in the mouth of the bleeding vessel, and hold it there an hour or two, or more, and then apply the ban- dages over it. But if the artery is large, and if by the use of the above methods you do not succeed, you must have recourse to the crook- ed needle. At the same time, if the wound is on any of the limbs, apply a string on the limb above the knee, or elbow, as the case may be, so tight as to stop the circulation, and of course the bleeding at the wound ; then clean the wound from blood, be ready with the needle, let an assistant loosen the string and observe 1**7+7 4 where the blood flows, and pass the needle and thread underneath the bleeding vessel so as to include a little of the flesh, and bring the needle out and tie the parts included within the thread pretty tight. Avoid as much as possible the tying of the nerves or tendons, if you can distinguish them. After the bleeding is stopped, apply some lint, wet with the bal- sam command, No. 3, and a plaster, spread with the basilicon salve, No. 1, over it, and a bandage over all. These dressings must be left on several days, or till they begin to be loosened by matter formed underneath them. When they can be taken away without force, they must be removed, and the wound dressed with a pledget spread with the basilicon salve, No. 1, till the sore looks in a healing condi- tion; then lay dry lint into the wound, and the pledget over it. Dress once or twice a day, according to the quantity of matter formed in the wound. No. 2. Turner's Cerate.—This is used for scalds and burns, or other sores that are xery tender and inflamed, to be spread on lint or -oft rags, and laid on the parts. In burns or scalds, if not very deep, rags wet with cold water, and applied frequently, will do more towards preventing or removing inflammations, and disposing the wound to heal, than all the ointments you can apply. But if the scald or burn is deep, you must apply a poultice of In- dian meal and water, or white bread and wa- 5 ter, with oil spread over it, until the inflamma- tion is abated; then dress, as directed, with the cerate. No. 3. Balsam Command.—This is good in inward strains or bruises, weakness and faint- ness of stomach, loss of appetite, bad diges- tion, &c. 25 or 30 drops may be taken for a dose, three or four times a day, upon sugar. it is also useful for fresh wounds, as under that head directed. No. 4. Red Precipitate.—In ulcers of long standing that are foul, and attended with a thin stinking discharge, some of this powder may be sprinkled into it, and a little of it also mixed with the basilicon salve, No. 1, spread on tow or lint and laid over it. Continue the sprinkling until the sore looks fresh, and the discharge becomes white, and loses its stench; then omit the powder and dress with the salve, mixed as above directed. Also for proud flesh it is a good application, when sprinkled on it, and assisted with moderate pressure. No. 5. Blue Vitriol.—Besides its use as di- rected under wounds, is good to destroy proud flesh. Wet it till it looks of a copper colour, and touch over the sore with it once or twice a day. No. 6. Caustic.-—When the proud flesh in wounds will not give way by the use of the above methods, touch it with this at every dressing, and it will effectually answer the pur- 6 pose. Be careful to keep it close stopped, to prevent its spoiling. No. 7. Salts.—Good in cholicks, dysenteries, fevers, of every kind requiring a cooling purge, and in almost all cases where physic is wanted. An ounce or about a table spoonful is a dose dissolved in a gill of hot water, and may be taken at any time. No. 8. Rhubarb.—This is a safe and easy purge for a weak and relaxed state of the bowels, common looseness, &c. 30 to 35 grains may be taken for a dose, in molasses and wa- ter. It is also good for bilious fevers, as there directed. No. 9. Flor. Sulphur.—To mix with crem tartar, No. 12, as there directed. Also is a certain cure for the itch, mixed with hog's fat, and the body anointed all over with it, three nights following each other, and wearing the clothes until the last night; then shift them (after washing all off) for clean ones. No. 10. Castor Oil.—In cholicks, and dysen- teries, when the stomach and bowels are sore and inflamed, this has the preference to other physic. A table spoonful may be taken for a dose, and repeated every hour until it operates. No. 11. Elixir Salutis—For pains in the sto- mach or bowels, from pent up wind, &c. This will be an effectual remedy by taking half a wine glass full, and repeating it, if necessary, in an hour or two. No. 12. Crem Tartar—Good for foul erup- 7 tions on the skin, joined with the sulphur, No, 9, two thirds sulphur and one third crem tar- ter, mixed with molasses, and two or three tea spoonfuls taken twice a day. It also makes an useful drink for fevers in hot climates; which see. No. 13. Tartar Emetic Pukes.'—In most cases, requiring a brisk vomit, this is the best; such as pain, sickness at stomach and vomiting, loss of appetite, from foulness of stomach; head-aches, from same cause; in bilious cho- licks and most fevers. Dissolve one of the powders, containing eight grains, in six large spoonfuls of boiling water, and give one spoon- ful every fifteen minutes, until it operates free- ly. Drink of warm water to work it off. No. 14. Ipecac. Pukes.—This is an easy, safe and useful vomit, and given where vomits are indicated under No. 13, as there mentioned, where those would be too rough, as in dysen- teries, weakness, &c. Two thirds of one of these powders may be taken at first, mixed with a little warm water. If that should not operate, the remainder may be taken in fifteen minutes, and worked off by drinking freely of warm water. This is the vomit that is parti- cularly useful in dysenteries, which are known by griping pains in the bowels, sickness of stomach, slimy and bloody stools, or both. After the vomit, which should be given when- ever there is any sickness at stomach, give a dose of rhubarb, No. 8, or of salts, No. 7 j 8 repeat the physic every day, or every other day, if the other one operated briskly, and fatigued the patient; and in the intermediate days give a powder every 6 hours, made as follows: Take two. tea spoonfuls of rhubarb, No. 8. and one third of one of the ipecac pukes, No. 14, mixed together, and make eight doses, and give as directed, one every 6 hours. In a day or two, or when the bowels have been well emptied with physic, you may take 30 or 40 drops of laudanum, No. 23, at bed-time, or at any other time, if the pain is very severe. It is of great use, in this disorder, to give cly- sters of chicken tea, warm water, or flax-seed tea, with from 50 to 100 drops of laudanum, No. 23, in each, if the pain and bearing down behind is severe, and repeated 3 or 4 times a day. The diet and drink should be rice, bar- ley, or chicken water thickened with flour. Tamarinds in water are good, if they do not gripe the patient. No. 15. Jalap.—Thirty grains of this may be given, mixed with molasses, whenever a brisk purge is wanted. No. 16. Calomel—Particularly useful in the venereal complaint, and in some fevers; which see. No. 17. Powdered Bark.—In ulcers, of long standing, that are foul, stinking, and the dis- charge thin, the bark is a valuable medicine. It may be taken mixed with any liquid, 4 or 6 times a day, to the quantity of a tea spoonful y at a time. If it occasions costiveness, mix a little rhubarb, No. 8, with it, or take one, two or more of Anderson's pills, No. 44, daily, as occasion may require, to keep the bowels loose. It is equally useful in gangrenes and mortifications, in which cases it must betaken in larger doses, and oftener repeated, than above directed. In these cases, whether from wounds or other causes, it is necessary to as- sist the use of the bark with a bath of worm- wood, tansy or other bitter herbs, with wet cloths wrung out as dry as they cleverly can be, and applied to the part as hot as can be borne, and repeated, as often as they get cold, for half an hour. At the same time, give free- ly of wine or spirits, and the snake root tea, No. 24, one paper of which must be infused in a pint of boiling water, and two table spoon- fuls taken every two hours. The symptoms of gangrene are a livid or greenish appearance, with small blisters, spread about, filled with a thin watery matter; loss of sensation, &c. N. B. The use of bark will be further treat- ed of, under Fevers ; which see. No. 18. Elixir Vitriol—Is good for weakness of stomach, loss of appetite, bad digestion, scurvy, &c. It is also useful when given with the bark, No. 17, for gangrenes, mortifica- tions, old sores, &c. 20 or 30 drops may be given every 4 or 6 hours, in a cup of tea or water. No. 19. Bark Bitters.—A tea spoonful oi this 10 may be taken at pleasure, and is a most ex- cellent brace for the stomach, when relaxed from any cause; is a preventative against tak- ing infectious disorders, strengthens the sto- mach, and produces a good appetite, &c. Wine and brandy are a good liquor for taking it in. No. 20. Blistering Plaster.—Good for pains of the breast, side, head, &c. for rheumatisms and pleurisies. It must be spread on leather or canvas, and be applied as nigh to the part disordered as can be. After it has drawn, prick it, and let out the water, and replace the plaster, which let remain on a day or two, and then dress with the basilicon salve, No. 1, or Turner's cerate, No. 2, if sore or tender. No. 21. Pearl Barley—Good to make drink in fevers, dysenteries, &c. Boil half a gill in three pints of water to a quart, and drink at pleasure. It is much improved by adding lime or lemon juice, to make it tart to" the patient's taste. No. 22. Sago Powder.—Particularly useful tor looseness, dysenteries, fluxes, frc. Put a large spoonful to a pint of water, let it boil five minutes, and give a cup full of it at pleasure. No. 23. Laudanum—Is good for coughs that arise from a tickling in the windpipe or throat, which prevent sleep, and produce soreness of the breast, from their frequency. This will be excellent. 30 or 40 drops may be taken in sugar or in water, at bed time. Also, for all II kinds of pains, from whatever cause ; but more particularly in bilious cholick, where almost every thing is vomited up. This will keep down an4 allay the pain and puking bet- ter than any other medicine, and give an op- portunity for the physic to operate by retain- ing it in the stomach and bowels. In these cases, and others of extreme pain, 30 drops may be given, and repeated every three hours, till the pain ceases. No. 24. Snake Root.—rA very valuable cor- dial in the low, exhausted state of fevers, fe- ver and ague, gangrene, &c. to be used as there directed. No. 25. Smelling Drops—For faintness, weak- ness, &c. Apply this to the nose, and give 20 drops in a little water, and repeat it as occa- sion may require. No. 26. Salts of Wormwood—Useful in feverSj when the skin is hot and dry. Half a tea spoonful, dissolved in half a cup of water and elixir vitriol, No. 18, dropped into it, till it ceases boiling, may be taken every 4 or 6 hours. See fevers. No. 27. Camphorated Spirit—This is good for the back, limbs, or any other part that has been strained or bruised, or that is weak. Rub some of it on, a little warm, three or four times a dry. If it occasions faintness, take 30 or 40 drops on a piece of sugar, or in a little wine or water. No. 28. Mercurial Pills—-For the venereal T2 disorder, observe the following directions, viz. First, take a dose of salts, No. 7; then take b two of these pills, No. 28, at night, and one every morning, until your mouth becomes a little sore. If the pills operate as physic, take, once or twice a day, 30 or 40 drops of lauda- num, No. 23. When the mouth becomes sore, stop the pills a day or two, and take another dose of salts, No. 7. If there should be (which is generally the case) much heat and scalding of the water, take half a tea spoon- ful of the fever powder, No. 34, dissolved in a little hot water, 3 or 4 times a day. After the soreness of the mouth is abated, if the complaint is not cured, go on again with the pills, as before. The cordee may be removed by rubbing a piece of the mercurial ointment, No. 29, under the yard, its whole length, two or three times a day. If that fails, take 40 drops of laudanum, No. 23, two or three times a day. Buboes, or swellings in the groin, sometimes come on; in which case, rub a piece of the mercurial ointment, as big as a nutmeg, on the inside of the thighs,'every night at bed time, and apply rags to the swel- ling, wet with equal parts of cold vinegar and brandy, and repeat it as often as they get warm. If, after using the above course, the swelling appears as if it would supporate leave off the rags and apply a poultice of Indian meal and water, with a little flaxseed pounded in it. Should the pain be very severe, 30 or 40 drops 13 of laudanum may be taken, at any time, and repeated as occasion may require, to ease the pain. Should the testicles swell, follow the same course as above, for swellings in the groin, with the addition of a handkerchief round the body to suspend them. If the swel- lings in the groin break, dress with the basili- con salve, No. 1. If proud flesh appear, use the precipitate; as there directed. If after the heat and scalding of water is gone with the pain and soreness, a running or gleet still remains, and there is no swelling in the groin or testicles, use the mercurial injection, No. 30, as follows: Mix a tea spoonful of it with a large spoonful of common water, and throw up a syringe full, three or four times a day. Shake up the bottom every time before it is poured out. Mix the contents of one of the papers marked injections, with half a pint of water, it will then be fit for use. No. 29. Mercurial Ointment—Besides the use of this, in the disorder just mentioned, it will kill lice, bugs, and all troublesome insects. It is also a certain cure for the itch, but must be used with care. No. 30. Mercurial Injection—To be used as directed under No. 28. It is good also to wash chancres with, or without, any venereal ulcers. No. 31. Corosive Sublimate—If the venereal disorder has been of long standing, or will not give way to the course above and before 2 14 directed, put one of these powders into a pint and half of gin, or rum, and give a large spoonful twice a day. If it produces soreness of the mouth and throat, stop a few days and take a dose of salts, No. 7, and when the sore- ness of the throat and mouth is abated, go on again with the medicine as before. If buboes, or swelled testicles appear, treat them as be- fore directed. No. 32. Goulard's Extract of Lead.—This is a very useful medicine in all inflammations of the body, eyes, &c. arising from wounds, frac- tures, burns or scalds. Two tea spoonfuls may be mixed with half a pint of water, and apply this mixture either in poultices of Indian meal, or rags wet with it, to the inflamed part, and repeat it once in 4 or 6 hours; and repeat it as often as it is dry, till the inflammation sub- sides. For the eyes, put 20 drops to a large spoonful of water, and add one tea spoonful of spirit, and wash the eyes with it 3 or 4 times a day. No. 33. Balsam Capivi—Good for all bruises, weaknesses, sprains, &c. also for the running which often remains after the poison of the venereal disorder is destroyed. 30 or 40 drops may be taken 3 or 4 times a day on sugar. INo. 34. Fever Powder—Used in all inflamma- tory fevers, as pleurisies, &c. in bilious and other fevers. The usual dose, as much as will lie on a nine penny-piece, and repeated every 2, 3, or 4 hours, as the case may require. See remarks on fevers. 15 No. 35. Essence of Peppermint—To be used according to the directions annexed to it. No. 36. Strengthening Plaster—to be spread upon leather, and applied to any part that has become weak from strains, or after the bones have been fractured, and to be worn until the complaint is relieved. No. 37. Spice Bitters.—With directions. No. 38. Lancets.—In the beginning of all in- flammatory fevers, as pleurisies, &c. for all vio- lent pains of the head, breast or side, and after all falls from which there appears danger from external, or particularly internal bruises, it seems almost absolutely necessary to bleed. No. 39. Syringe—To be used in venereal complaint; which see. No. 40. Clyster Syringe. No. 41. Teeth Instruments. No. 42. White Leather. No. 43. Sweet Oil—For burns, scalds, &c. to be spread on the poultice, or wet rags with it, and apply to the part. ♦-■ No. 44. Anderson's Pills—To be used ac- cording to the directions annexed to them. No. 45. Crooked Needles. FEVERS. Most fevers are ushered in with the follow- ing symptoms, viz. Heaviness, pain of the head, with dizziness; pain of the back, limbs, &c. soreness of the flesh, with more or less sickness of the stomach; foulness of the mouth. 16 and dry furred tongue, the water high colour- ed and less than usual in quantity. In this stage of the complaint, it is difficult to tell what the fever may be. Tlrat must be deter- mined by the succeeding symptoms, and the treatment accommodated to it accordingly. If the pulse becomes hard, full and throbbing; if the breathing is difficult, with a pain and stich in the side, accompanied with a cough, dry tongue, and great thirst, we call it pleuri- sy. Thus circumstanced, if the patient is ro- bust, bleed a pint, and repeat the bleeding the same day half a pint more. If the pain and difficulty of breathing is not relieved, ap- ply a blister plaster, six or seven inches square, spread with No. 20, to the pained part, whe- ther breast or side. After the first bleeding, if there is sickness at stomach, dissolve one of the tartar emetic pukes, No. 13, in six large spoonfuls of boiling water, and give one every fifteen minutes, until it operates freely, drinking warm water plentifully during' its operation. After this, if costive, give a dose of rhubarb, No. 8, or a dose of salts, No. 7; and after its operation, give as much of the fever powder, No. 34, as will lie on a nine penny-piece every 3 or 4 hours, dissolved in a cup of hot tea made of balm and flax-seed, or in hot wrater. For drink, use barley water made as directed under No. 21. The blister may be pricked and kept on, or dressed with basilicon salve, No. 1. The bleeding may be 17 repeated, if the pain remains very hard, and the breathing difficult, with a stitch. The fe- ver powder must be continued with the drink, until the fever terminates, which it generally does in about seven or nine days. If the cough should be troublesome, especially nights, give 25 or 30 drops of laudanum, No. 23, at bed- time, or a cup of flax-seed tea, regard being had to costiveness, and physic given accord- ingly If instead of the above symptoms, the pulse should be quick, the mouth very foul, and the tongue covered with a yellowish fur, conside- rable sickness at stomach, with vomiting and pain; head dizzy with saffron coloured urine ; also if the whites of the eye look yellow, we call it bilious fever. It is common to bleed in the beginning of the fever, and then a vomit of tartar emetic, No. 13, as there directed. And here let me remark, that a vomit may be given at any after period, and as often as great sickness at stomach, with Teachings, shall indicate a load of bilious matter there. But the puking excited by the vomit must be proportioned to the strength of the patient. At the first of the fever, you must begin with the fever powder, No. 34, as much as will lie on a nine-penny piece, every 3 or 4 hours. It will be necessary to give a dose of salts, No. 7, or rhubarb, No. 8, to carry off some of the bilious matter downwards. These fevers run a considerable length. If the patient becomes 2* 18 very weak towards the last of the fever, you must apply two or more blistering plasters to the legs, arms, and (in extreme cases) a large one to the back part of the neck also. At the same time stop the powders, No. 34, and pour half a pint of boiling water upon one of the papers of snake root, No. 24, and give two large spoonfuls of the tea every 2 or 3 hours; and into each dose drop six or eight drops of smelling drops, No. 25. At the same time give freely of wine. There is more necessity of acidulating the drinks with lime or lemon juice, in this disorder, than the pleurisy. The afore- going directions will apply generally to the low stage of all fevers. It is a matter of the utmost consequence in fevers to keep the pa- tient as clean, and the apartment as much aired as possible, and to fumigate often with vinegar. If during the course of these fevers, the skin should become very hot and dry, you must dissolve a level tea spoonful of salt of wormwood, No. 26, in a cup of tea, and drop into it elixir vitriol, No. 18, until it ceases to boil, and give half of it every 3 or 4 hours, until the skin becomes moist. It may be given during the course of other medicines above mentioned. Fevers are sometimes of the intermitting kind, as fever and ague: For the course of which first, give an emetic of No. 13, as there directed; after which, give a dose of Ander- son's Pills, No. 44; then take one paper of 19 the snake root, No. 24, and pour upon it a pint of boiling water; then take one ounce of the powdered bark, No. 17, and divide it into sixteen doses, one of which must be given, in a cup of the snake root tea as above, every two hours, beginning as soon as the first fit is gone off! If the fit should return again, stop the powders while it is on, and begin again as soon as it is again gone off! The above course has not during my practice failed to effectual- ly cure the disorder, in a few days, when the bark was genuine. Should the bark produce costiveness, add a little rhubarb, No. 8? to keep the bowels in order. Remarks on Fevers of hot Climates.—These will be found to constitute the most numerous, and at the same time the most dangerous class of diseases, which seamen may expect to en- counter, and are in general the principal source of mortality to them, in voyages to tropical climates. We shall however endea- vour to point out a method of treatment, which we hope may prove the means of saving the life of many a poor fellow, who may be ex- posed in these voyages. These fevers may be generally expected while in port, or soon after leaving it. When a man has had a restless night, com- plaining of cold shiverings, succeeded by flush- ings of heat, pain in his head, back and limbs, soreness at the pit of his stomach, tongue dry and foul, urine small in quantity and high co- 20 loured, with sickness at stomach, with all or part of these symptoms, you may pretty cer- tainly expect a fever to follow. In this case, if the patient is robust and full of blood (with a strong pulse) ble.cd freely, and give a purge composed of 25 grains of jalap, No. 15, and 12 grains of calomel, No. 16, mixed together, mixed in molasses; and let it be repeated in four hours, unless the other operated freely, and then begin with the calomel powder, No. 16, of which, from 2 to 6 grains must be given every 4 hours, mixed with molasses, until you perceive it affects the mouth and gums, or salivates; when its use must be suspended,'or reduced to 1 or 2 grains only at a dose, unless the symptoms return, when you must give again as first directed. At the same time dissolve 20 grains of salt of wormwood, No. 26, in a table spoonful of lemon juice, or, if that is not to he had, in vi- negar, and give it instantly down while foam- ing, and repeat it, every 4 hours, between the doses of calomel powder. If the calomel pow- ders purge too much, add to each dose 10 or 12 drops of laudanum, No. 23, but if costive keep the bowels open, during the cure, with salts, Anderson's pills, or clysters made with a pint of warm water and a spoonful of salts. These last will especially be proper, if there is much pain in the bowels. If there should be violent pain in the head, back, &c. apply one or more blisters, spread with No. 20, to 21 the legs or arms. If the skin continues dry, bathe the legs with cloths wrung out of hot water and applied as warm as they can be borne, and at all times keep the patient in the most cool, airy and clean room you have, and change the linen, bed-clothes, &c. as often as may be. Let the diet be rice, gruel, sago, &c. The drink may be water, moderately acidulat- ed with lime or lemon juice, crem tartar, or with elixir vitriol. But-do-not lose sight of the calomel powder, No. 16, in the cure. In the proper use of this medicine will the safety of the patient depend; and the best rule is to give so as to affect the mouth as soon as may be, and continue it so as its effects may be perceived in the mouth through the cure, or until the patient is recovering, which you will know by their tongue being moist and clean, return of appetite, sleep and strength. At this period they may take 12 or 15 drops of the elixir vitriol, No. 18, in a cup of wine or water, 3 or 4 times a day; and if very weak, join to each dose 20 grains of powdered bark, No. 17. N. B. The aforegoing directions are for grown persons : If the patient is young or weakly, you must diminish the dose accordingly. *a» ^ i%fl *7 y V g*