I *:te ■■^r. .-- >+V/t^~*" 'A_..' /.Jat>/,P- *~it^~. ARMED FORCES MEDICAL LIBRARY i m,. II ^* Washington, D. C. % «>j A '///■■/ 3 ^r-» / /*a// , x.V / "£ 'J >' ,( "* .' i-. ■#-. i ... *V I'M •' "" **^**». . .j^'■ - " ri*Jflt*t .O ^> /* 'i v / ' . ' .■' &jr ' .1 1 • • -" 'J ^' ] : i ' >■'' ✓ s J 'i /riS fi ■'!/' */ /'$■■ • / ■ .7'-.'" •> * • * * / > /■ /• VALUABLE VEGETABLE MEDICAL FOR THE CURE OF ALL NERVOUS AND PUTRID DISORDERS. / The fear of the Lord prolongeih dnvs—hut the vears of the wicked shall be Oiorttned—Prov. 10, 27—not that we think to save life when death conges—for God has appointed allme» once to die, and alter death the judgment. By Doctor RICHARD CARTER. 4 -.', ' FRANKFORT, (IL'EMJ GERARD & BERRY-PRINTERS TO THE COMMONWEALTH, 1815. 'O THE UNITED STATE* OT AMEHTCM, District of Kentucky, Set: BE IT REMEMBERED, that heretofore, to-wit: on the ehi day of October, A.D. 1815, and in the 40th } ear of the Independence of the United States of America, Richard Carter of tJtc said District, hath deposited in this office, the title of a book .the right whereof he claims as author, in the words and figures following, to-wit: •* Valuable* Vegetable Medical Prescriptions, for the cure of all Nervous and Putrid Disorders—by Doctor Richard Carter. 1811." In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled " An act for the encouragement unlearning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books tq the authors, and proprie,tors of such copies durii'g the times therein mentioned,'" and also aii(. act1 entitled "an act supplementary to an act entitled an act for the en- couragement of lea'Tiitig. hy securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and ex- ••*. tending the benefit thereof to the Hits of designing and engraving histo- IL.b.* riealand other prints." o»»»* JOHN II. HANNA, Clerk District of Kentucky. ADVERTISEMENT. RICHARD CARTER, The son of Richard Carter. was born in the year ©f^our Lord, 1786, July the &7th, and had a lister by the name of Lynda Carter, was born February the 22d, 1792. I was born on the south branch of the Potomac, and was educated in Virginia; my father was of the English descent, and my mother of the Indian. I have a family of my own, and being a stranger in this country, and much exposed, I have got a few to set down their cures, that with the help of G§d I have done for them : Not being a regular bred doctor, but mostly by herbs, barks, roots, &c. As the most of this performance is intended for the poor, and such as cannot conveniently obtain the aid of physicians, at particular times, I have taken the liberty to substitute my own prescriptions, for the cure of such particular complaints, as have frequently fallen ttnder my own observation and management. I feel conscious of benevolent intentions, whatever be the reception of fliis work. RICHARD CARTER, ^^tm,. RECOMMENDATIONS. Sarah M'AjW* on Drake's creek.—I was taken in child bed; had been h* alow state a long time» and Dr. Richard: Carter* brought on deliverance I attended mo till I reeotered, more than I eter expected by a doctor* 1 had been under* Doetress woman twelve months. SARAH M»AFEE* Rosamond Bing&mon, in Garrard county, Fall-Lick creek*—I was taken down with a dee}* consumption for a&out twelve month*, then I was taken with a puking of blood. I then employed a Doetress woman about three weeks. 1 #rew worse*. I applied to Doctor Hunn* was uude* him four months. 1 did not mond, I ceased jfaking modicine. from the last. of March,, till the first of June; still continuity vouutiuw Hood mwo and more. till they all $ave me out*, had £;;•.>* my burying clouths j tise« tins Doctor Caitcr e»:«e» aud I mended from the very day I took the medicine from him j I am tunc near* h; as, Waxy a* I ever y»j,> j but helWe.*. I \va<» nothing but afeinavU tones. I am now willing to declare the same. tt l?£:-*ii-- called, on* R(J>AMOND BING.VMON. Rachel Carjieater,, on the waters of Paiht*Lkk,—•I do certify, tliat I wa* taken wi*h a misery in the pit of my ?tt?r tach* snd a min in my head % that I could not rest dav no»r nis-ht*, till t&?s? Doctor Richard Carter put a poultice to my ear j it broke and run through die hand* kerchief three or four double* likewise the pillow, tie •Sectored me on till Use misery left my stomach. 1 am isw a» well as I ever was* and when he began with me, I was out of »U hopes of recovery. As far as he ha* practise'-] in our neighborhood, thxre is no fatllt fownd. RACHEL CARVfcNTFii TV.*.', Sarah M'Afee. RECOMMENDATIONS. Garrard County, on the north fork of Gilberts creek. I was taken down about three years past, with a deep cold, (the menses ceased.) I was in a low fttate, still getting worse, with pains all through my sides and head. I was so poor and weak, thart I could hardly move. I went to Doctor Richard Carter, I had not taken his me- dicine more than a week, before 1 began to mend. I have not been as well as I now am for two years. I have get fat, and a wonderful appetite. SARAH BROWN. Test, Sarah Marchell. I do certify, that my daughter was taken in a despe- rate cafce : I applied to a fine Doctor, he gave her medi- cine, she grew worse, we were out of all hopes, and ev- ry one that saw her, for her breath you co«ld smell all over the house, like carrion in comparison: she laid like a dead person for three days, and for half the night, we thought she was dying; all courses of nature had stop- ed. She took what the Indian Doctor, (Richard Carter) railed an Indian sweat. He gave her medicine, her terms returned ; she has got so that she can work a lit-; tie. But it is the opinion of all that saw her, that in the course ofafew hours, she would have departed from time to the eternal world. But now, she has recovered her flesh in a great measure—Garrard County, Sugar c rco k ELIZABETH STAFFORD. Test, Wm. Henry, Betsey Stafford. On the Main Sugar Creek, Garrard county.— T was ta- ken down in a state that my life was despaiicd of. I had first heats, and then cold chills ; it turned to the fe- ver and ague, and the first dose that I took of Richard Carter's medicine, after that I had but two light chills, and no fever. About four months all courses of nature B % VI RECOMMENDATIONS. had stopped on me. I have fattened as much as could be expected, and feel nearly as well as ever I was in ev- ery shape. CHARLOTTE POTTER. Test, Thomas Parker. I do certify, about five years past, I was taken down with the fever, ! lingered oil' ever since, in a low cir- cumstance ; sometimes my stomach was gone, and at oth- er times, I had a tolerable appetite, but weakly and pale. But since Doctor Richard Carter has adminis- tered medicine, my terms has returned, and I think that 1 have gained thirty weight in the time, and consider nyself well. JULEY WRAY. Test, David Hjkives, Polly Wkay. On the waters of Back creek, Garrard County.—I Was taken down in a deep consumption: I applied to a dtictor in Blount county, Tennessee state, who was. called a wonderful doctor, called Dr. Gnnt; I received no benefit. Then 1 applied to Dr. Jamee Maxwell, I got benefit, but no cure, until I applied to the Indian Doctor Richard Carter ; then I received a perfect cure. (Thank God for his mercies.) Also my daughter was taken with a white swelling, and I expected her never to recover. The doctor above mentioned, doctored her, and she soon came to her perfect health. JAMES MAXWELL. Test, James Shackelford, William Nicholson, Luke Muore. I hereby certify, tnat I was taken about eighteen months past, with a pain in my breast, by an over heat in harvest; I lingered off till I was in a low condition. I applied to Doctor Kavennou, on Stone's river, in west RECOMMENDATIONS. VII Tennessee : I was under him three or four months; then I met with a man that was very skillful in such cases, he recommended mete a great many things, that was allowed by the doctors to be very good 3 but still contin- ued in this lingering situation, (but worse.) Then I came to Kentucky, where I got so bad, that I thought that no doctor in the world could cure me. I then ap- plied to doctor Richard Carters I believe he has cured me sound and well.—On the waters of Paint Lick, Gar- rard county, Ky. DAVID HAYNE6. Test, W'illiam Tetters, John Burton, Thomas Sanders, Luke Moors. My husband waB taken with a white swelling on the hip, which was vastly bad; his death was expected by all that saw him; they did not think that he would live 24 hours. Doctor Rich. Carter came and tended him. he mended greatly, to the astonishment of all the neigh- bors, and got sound and well in a short time ; now is gone a journey.—I do certify, the above to be true.— The oth of April, 1812.—Back Creek, Garrard countv PATSEY LINNEY. Test, John Wkay, Joseph Wrav, Jane Wray, July Wray, Wm. Wray, Mary Wray. Garrard county, waters of Sugar Creek.—About four years fast, 1 was taken with risings on my legs, that run fully half gallon ; they still increased, the swelling and inflamation; that I thought they wauld take my life, till 1 applied te Dr. Richard Carter, and since they have beevme sound and well. ALEXANDER COLLIER. VIII RECOMMENDATIONS. I do certify, that I had a Cancer on my left breast, two days before I applied to doctor Richard Carter in Garrard county, Ken. it inflamed and grew to a consid- erable size ; and the doctor in four days, got the whole body of it out, with roots of a considerable length ; and \ in one week, had it entirely well ; and performed the operation without any misery. The above Cancer had run on me nine months. BENJAMIN BOSTON. Test, Henry Bonta. I do certify, that I had a white swelling on my leg a- bout twelve years past; I thought I was cured, and it did not trouble me until lately, it began to swell, and was very painful. I applied to doctor Richard Carter, in Garrard county, and in a short time he gave me ease; I think it quite well. From the way my leg was in, it must be a wonderful performance to effect a cure, after it had been of such a long standing. Given under my hand, this 20th day of August, 1811.—Pulaski county, Kentucky. JOHN B. AUSTIN. Test, Robert Austin, James Morrison. ■♦■ I do certify, I had the fever last fall, I was very low,. doctor Richard Carter sent me medicine, I soon came to my perfect health ; then in the spring following, I was taken with the pleurisy, that my life was doubted. The doctor above mentioned tended on me. I now feel near- ly as well as 1 ever was.—On the waters of Paint Lick, Garrard county, the 15th of June, 1812. JESSE KERBY. Test, James Morrison, Rany Harris. I do certify, that I had a Cancer about five or sir years past on my nose, it increased fast, and spread over RECOMMENDATIONS. IX toy face in places, till 1 went to doctor Richard Carter, he began to doctor me, and I think it is now sound and well*from its, appearance. Given under my hand, this 29th of September, 1812. W«. EMBRY. Test, Wm. El*D*Y„ Moses Swinney. I do certify, that I had as severe convulsion fits as ev- er a person had to live : 1 would he gone for the space ofanhou^and a half that they could not observe breath, and a half a dozen could not open my hands, without breaking them. Doctor Richard Carter tended on me, and from las;t fall, till now, 1 have been clear of them. (men under toy hand, the 30th of September, 1812.— Paint Lick, Garrard, county. MARY ANN COY. Jac^b jMaxky, MeSKS. SwiXNKY, Isaac Kmbkuv Garrard county* at the uioutfi ©f Paint lick. Ido ceitify., that I haul a nepo felbw, that was down with the gaUwjpina; ctmsunnption^ that he was, past all h»»ie.s, ^apparently); h« coughed and spit vastly „>NEi.d had to be turned in $>ed. Doctor Richard Carter attended him*. he mended greatly in a short time; and is now sound and welt* DAVIS) REYNOLDS* I?S?.NX\ RrVKOI.^S* sr. Knxiitx SUcykolo^ jr* I do certify* that I had a brother* that, was down with the fever* that he v us- so lew, that he appeared to he past all ho[-.<>. untell doctor tt: chard Carter attended on him ; he mended directtv, got hitter than he has been for .i loiuy time. Another brother was taken down with the same complaint, he attended on him, he soon got well: x RECOMMENDATIONS. I then was taken down myself with the same complaint, he attended on me ; in a short time I was able to do my business. My wife was also taken down very severely with the fever, was pregnant at the same time : I ap- plied to the doctar above mentioned, when her appetite was entirely gone ; the next day after she took the medi- cine, her appetite returned; soon got entirely well; brought forth a fine son, and thinks it no hardship to give him praise.—Garrard county, Harmon's-lick creek. r EDWARD HOMES. Test, ■ Joseph Homes, Sarah Homes, Nancy Homes. I do certify, that my wife was down very low witfl the flux : I applied to a doctor, he done her no good; she was given out by every body: then I applied to Dr. Richard Carter, he gave he1 medicine; she mended from the time she took it, till sh^ got well. Also five of my children took the flux, and they took ot his medicine ; they soon got well.—Garrard county, the iuouth of Paint Lick—April 15th, 1813. Wm. LAWLESS. Test, David Reynolds. Garrard county, Back creek.—I do certify, that my son was taken down with' the fever, that I thought he would never recover. Doctor Richard Carter sent him medicine ; he mended greatly to the surprize of all that saw him.—Likewise, my wife was taken with the fever and approaching consumption ; was at the point of death; he applied medicine to her, shesoongot well, and better than she has been for a long time. Wm. HURT Test, Alexander M'Koy. I do certify, that I had the fever, was so low that my RECOMMENDATIONS. si friends all thought I would die. Doctor Richard Car- ter tended on me; I soon got well, &c. ALEXANDER M'KOY. Test, Hkctor M'Koy, • Kitty M'Koy, Benny M'Koy. January the 16th, 1815.—T, Nathaniel McClure, was taken with the King's Evil, about four years past; it grew very fast, about'a jr ear and a half before I appli- ed to a doctor. I was under him five months, he gave me ease ; then it grew about a year, and was very bad ; then I applied to another doctor, he done me no good. still grew worse; then I applied to doctor Richard Car- ter, since it feels as well <. were the three graces in smilingin- faney. But Oh! wirti bed man, having nothing to do, he strolled to a tavern and card table, where he lost his all, five thousand pounds, lately settled on him by a i'oud father. He awakes to horror un- utterable ! what will 'lecen.e of my ruined wife, my innocent babes ! Believing his torment little inferior B XIV PREFACE. ro those of the damned, he siezes the fatal pistol, end diives the searching bullet through his brains, and flies a shrinking ghost, to join the mournful throng : A sad sight! Sec here a tall young man, in powder and ruffles, standing before hi* judges, trembling like an aspen leaf, and pale as the picture of guilt, while the crowded Court-House, every countenance filled with pity, or contempt, is fixed upon him. Alas! what could have brought him to this? Idleness. His father happening to possess five hundred acres of poor land and a few negroes, tlio't it would he an eternal disgrace to his family, to bring up his son (iho' he had many,) to he, a me- chanic, and having no profession, trade or habit of industry to support him ; h« took to horse stealing. If we had time to write, we would presently see this unhappy youth, on receiving sentence of death, bursting into sobs and cries sufficient to make us wish we had never been born. But let us leave these accursed scenes of shame, misery, and death, into which idleness never fails to bring poor deluded youths, and joyfully return to health, wealth and glory ; giving good industry the praise that braces the nerves, purifies the blood, and hands down the flame of life, bright and s; nrkling to old age—what, but rosy cheeked industry? Let us look at that gentleman that loves the pro- pensity of his children to be in constant action. The ex per fence of mankind in all ages, sufficiently prows the importance of exercise of body, for es- tablishing and preserving a good constitution ; ex- perience proves that exerciso must, therefore, urge thenecessitv of using all proper means in forming industry, in the habits of your sons and daughters. Look round anongyour females and acquaintances, and see where is the greatest share of good health. Is it with the lot of the rich and luxurious, who spend much of their time in bed5 who take no ex- PREFACE. ercise. but that of an occasional flight in the cher- iot or coaoh? Let their pale countenance, their feeble unns, and nloated Hush ans \er for them. No mad- am, the G hi of nature has fixed Ids firm decrees, that idleness and health shall not dwell together. ~ Well Doctor, where are we to m-.d health and indus- try ?' Go and see the blooming maids whirling the useful wheel, cleansing and adjusting the furniture, regulating tbe wardrobe, directing in the kitchc^, superintending the dairy. 1! >\v ch'crfully does s' spend the dv>, how sweet is her i\»od, how soft and pleasant is her bed, when at an early hour she. re- clines herself to rest, not tired of inaction; her time hangs not heavy on her hands, and she seeks ; party to hid1',her IV un herself: conscious of Laving spent the day in useful employment, she feels sweet composure, which the idler never knew. L these rellecti >ns, suffice to prove, that industry best secures the greatest share of health. But how ar« you to establish this industrious disposition? I* > not enough for you to say, in your daughter-) hear ing. industry is a fine thing ; every body ought to work : idleness is shameful, and is justly followed by beggary ; these are all true, but nothing is ruo.. common with the idle,than to declaim in this w;: : _ Well Doctor, how then? Madam, you nr;sf set th" example yourself, and diligently be emp! >y: d ' i some valuable business ; an 1 then encourage y >r. daughters to imitate, you ; how often have y »i be;.,! pleased to extaey, when the little creatures, even k« three years old, would set down patiently, emh\iwir- ing to handle your scissors, your needle, and your thimble ? how have you been amused to see her lit- tle lingers trying faithfully to work up* bit of pas- try ? would not this betoken the trith of your d >t\? Y mi may form in" your chill, what habit you please: li.ivo you never seen an instance, when this favora- ble time for instruction was lost, through slothful' XVI PREFACE. nes=, or love of pleasure? Can you madam, lay your hand upon your breast, and in candor and truth, say you have not been remiss ? What follow- ed? the little pratler, for want of proper employment, turned her attention wholly from the business of the house, to sport at large in the field, and to indulge her, she lost the fondness for every thing. I do not mean that misses should be constantly kept in the house, nor too closely confined to the house, (or same thing,) nothing could be more per- nicious to health ; such conduct, would subject them to vapours, hystericks, and all the train of hypo- chondriacal affections. The design of the argument, is to urge the propriety of introducing early into your family, habits of regularity. As soon as your daughter can perfor.n a.iy kii Ij of business, uk for her, regular times, and let her perform her task duly and daily; and as often as you can do it with any shadow of truth, you will find it beneficial to give her a certain degree of praise; it is highly im- proper to degrade her, either publicly or privately ; when exercise out of doors or any engagement, let it be agreeable; but after they arrive at a eertain age, I must insist: on proper regulation of those sports, both as to time and duratii.i:, and this of course will be the mothers' task. Now, what lady will neglect useful employments to play with ehil Iren ? And again. Your daughter is not to be exposed, for you are to take time and leisai \-; you iv.ay say the engagements of your family will not effort! you time: pray tell me, if the bringing up of chilhen in aright manner is not of more value than riches. Suppose you are r.blc to lay up a few more pounds when she comes to woman's state or mistress of a fa nily, or nr>;her of children ; will that pittaaee of saving be of as much consequence to her as the knoAieolge of business would have been? But I am not willing to grant, that any such ad.iiti'-u will be ADDRESS, &c. XVII gained. Suppose, for instance, you were willing U> adopt the plan proposed : Rngniarly dhidingthe time so as to devote a certain number of hours dai- ly to reading, and improving your daughter's rind ; a certain number of bonis to sewing, knit- ting, or spinning ; a certain number of hour ^ to tho business of the kitchen or dairy, s you pro- reed, in every branch of your engagements. For your sake and your daughter's sake, do your duty as mothers, and you shall receive your reward. TO THOSE THAT HAVE ENTERED INTO A MARRIAGE STATE. MILDNESS,cheerfulness,benevolence, affection, are the characteristics of a precious wify,and thegoed example she will lay before her children : But when you have the misfortune to get one of those elderly ladies, who is very peevish and illnatured, restlesn, envious and unhappy—she has daughters too, and they are as much like their mother as they can be: the thing is common ; (here is, as of a family tem- per, as there is a family likeness. An illnatured woman in all most every instance, will have illtemp- cred children ; so the plague is handed down from one generation to another. I perceive you will ask leave to exeusc the poor woman, who is happy in an illnatured '.husband ; Ibis is indeed a serious diffi- culty ; but the inequity of the man, can by no means make atonement for the fault of his wife ; she may do a great deal by a strict observance of her duty. The business of the man, frequently calls him abroad, of course the mother has the best opportunity to mould the temper of her children ; the same posi- tion of course, still recurs in all mothers. B :z XVIJI AU DRESS, tw. In the next place, we will talk about love. Love Indulged without success, sometimes produces hy- \, .thoiuiriaeal ;iHVeti-mis.by stcricks.L, vers and death. Cie,Loin forbids the i'cu;; 1 e to make suit to the male: wiieth •!• such a cisto.n ;.:.iy not be fo.inded in error, i oof v.\y bus;, ess at present to enquire ; it is now a-., °ir".:\'y established, tin t. ihe ladies are undei" the nte. ,sity assure you, that you are deeply interested ; his engagements as a man, will necessarily keep up his attention, he will have frequent occasions to mix v.liu agreeable and interesting company ; his ac- q intauce will be extended ; his amusements mul- tiplied; h?. of course will have an asylum, should home become tiresome or disagreeable. But your house, is your refuge; your husband, your only V-. Tipanion; should he abandon you, solitude, anxie- ty r.nd tears, must be your unhappy lotj you cannot fl, for amusement to the race ground, to the cliaee, tc ihe card table, or fro the tavern ; yoji car.not look oni for a gallant, to whom you may ini;>:irt your -lighted love. You mist either languish in bitter- ness, or learn to compose feelings by stoiral indif- ference. How wives ought to conduct thenrs.lves to- wards their husbands. \s it is your grea* .vish and in. crest to enjoy much of1 your ■husband's campany and couversfl'inu ; itwillbe important to acquaint yourself with his temper, his inclination and his manners; that you ni'iy render your person and your disposition, quite agreeable to him ; by observ- ing with accuracy, and g inr.iing your words and actions with prudence, you mey quickly succeed, recording to your wishes. Here, perhaps, you ask, v by so much pains necessary en my part? I will j'.iiswer your q icsti on t oiM !! y : Your choice in loiuiing the connection, was at best a passive one. INTRODUCTION. xxiu Could you have acted the part of a courtier, and made choice of a man whose disposition, might havo corresponded precisely with yours, there would have been less to do afti rwards. But under present circumstances, it is your interest to adopt yourself to your husband, whatever may be his peculiarities. Again, nature has made man the stronger. The (ousmt of mankind has given him superiority over his wife ; his inclination is to claim his natural and acquired rights ; he of course. *xpeels 'torn you a degree eo" rondi cension, and he feels himself the more conho'ent of the propriety of his claim, when lie i-i informed that St. Paul adds his authority to its support: •' Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord, for the husband i.s the head of the wife." In obedience then, to this precept of the gospel, to the laws of custom and of nature, you ought to cultivate a cheerful and happy submission. The Vfray of virtue is the way of hap- piness ; the truth o.f this maxim, will be verified to you in your conformity to your duty. By such sub- mission, you will secure to yourself the advantages of a willing obedience on the part of your husband, to the counter p^rt of Paul's command : "husbands love your wives as your own flesh." The great at- tention and submission practised by most im>n, in time of courtship, are well calculated to raise in the female mind, false expectations of an uniform con- tinuance of the same officiousness, after marriage. For the honey moon, you may not be disappointed ; but the charge of a family, will soon teach any man that he has something more to do, than live a life of courtship. The discharge of his duty as a father, a friend, and a citizen, will gradually divert him from that punctual attention to your person, with which you are so highly pleased. When you begin to dis- cover this change, be careful to conduct yourself w ilh discretion ; by no means upbraid him, nor suf- xxiv INTRODUCTION. ) fer jeabusy to take possession of your breast; if • you once admit this passion, it may terminate in your ruin ; it will lead you to consider every seem- ing inattention as a proof of bis want of affection ; you will conclude he is tired of his toy, and is look- ing out for another. This thought once admitted, will have infatuating influence over your mind ; not only your actions will express your suspicion : but you will unguardedly speak it, perhaps in terms of reproach. Your good husband stabbed to the heart, ' may possibly, with eyes full of tears, clasp you in his arms and assureymi of his love. Bui ..II in vain— jealousy once admitted to inflame the soul. ! e will scarcely turn his back, before the old imprison,n will ] revive ; his tears and cntreatiis will be considered as evidence of his guilt, and you will wretchedly settle upon this conclusion : I am disagn cable,- he is gone to caress the happy fair one, whose compa- ny is preferred. As yon regard your own bliss, speedily check all thoughts of this kind ; as soon as they arise in your mind, if indulged, they will have j a baneful effect upon your tempei, and spread a gloom over your countenance, so as to strip you of < every cha; m ; your hcsbwnd r< piled from time to time, will at ler.gih become indifferent ; and having . you to languish in yoor (Usiress, be will seek for * amusement where it may be fond. Arid th.:*-. you will bring upon yourself, the very evil, ugainst which you would make yo or mistaken defence. If you j have already proved the truth of these reflections byx *] sad experience, I know you arc ready to excuse your- self, because the whole proceeded from the most sin- cere affection. B..t you should consider, that the anxiety and distress v. hich are so often depicted in your countenance, might with equal propriety, lead your companion to doubt the sincerity of your love: and for any thing you know to the contrary, a sus- ] picionof this kind, is at the bottom of the whole INTRODUCTION. xxv mischief. Do not act like stubborn children ; re- jecting that happiness, which is entirely in your own power. If he does notcome in the very hour or day. that you expect him, instead of accusing him with neglect, be the considerate woman and take into view the various and unavoidable delays with which he must meet in transacting that business which he considers necessary for the present time. He is bound to provide for you and your children. In easy circumstances there is most satisfaction, ami be feels a strong desire to secure this foundation for your future happiness.—Receive him then with gladness as often as becomes in ; show him you are happy in his company, and let the preparations made for his reception, prove to him, that he holds a considerable share in your thoughts and affections when he is ab- sent. Such conduct will endear you to his heart, and secure to you all the attention and regard you deserve. Do not suppose that my plan implies, that the husband has nothing to do. So far from this, he is bound to love and cherish his wife as his own flesh. But I repeat it, this obligation stems in a great degree, to rest on the condition of a loving and cheerful submission on the part of the wife. Here again, perhaps, you object and say, why not the husband first shew a little condesccntion as well as the wife? I answer—For these plain reasons: It is not his disposition; it is not the custom, but with the henpecked ; it is not his duty ; it is not im- plied in the marriage contract; it is not required by law or gospel. 1 presume you are not one of those ladies who indulge a mean opinion of their companions, and are indeed ashaaied of them ; for this can happen in no case, where there is not a want of information and judgment. Do you, therefore, think liberally and favourably C XXVI INTRODUCTION. of your companion ; remember he is considered your head, and that your dignity cannot be superior to his. If you stooped in marrying him, do not in- dulge the thought that you added to his respectabili- ty. Never tell him you took him out of the ashes ; for it will be hard for you to extricate yourself from this difficulty. If you stooped of necessity, because vou could get no one else, the obligation is on your own side. If y ou stooped of choice, who ought to be blamed but yourself? Besides, it will be well to remember, thai when you became his wife, he be- came your head, and your supposed superiority was buried in that voluntary act. Now I have given you directions for securing to your sons and daughters, a sound mind, in a sound body, so far as it can be effected by management,'&c. 1 now consider, that I must proceed on what con- dition or accident, those bodies are liable to fall into, end then on the other hand, what is to deliver those bodies from those accidents. &c. 1~_. !L!_____L... ... ,- '■ J ' "•SSS THE DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. THIS disease is defined by doet. Cullin, a conta- gious fever, attended with frequent slimy or bloody stools; while, at the same time, the usual contents of the intestines, are for the most part retained; and with a violent griping, painful, frequent urging to go to stool. If there be a frequent desire of going to stool, especially after eating or drinking.it is con- sidered a certain mark of this disease. It occurs in the same seasons that iutermitent fevers do ; and like them fallows long dry, long moist and hot wea- ther; sometimes it comes on with cold shiverings, and other marks of fever, and in some instances-, the fever attending is very violent and inflammatory: sometimes, though not so frequently, a diarrhea is the first symptom. There is commonly a loss of appe- tite, frequent sickness, nausea and vomiting; which are considerbly proportioned to the violence of the disease. In every case where there is violent fever, the danger is considerable ; when the patient stools, he seldom breaks wind. Now to prevent this dis- ease from spreading, the patient should be kept very clean, his room should be well aired, and properly cleansed, and vinegar should bo frequently poured upon a hot brick, stone or piece of hot iron. In pla- ces where this complaint prevails, the daily use of cold baths ; the dress of children should be careful- ly changed to the state of the weather ; salted meat, should be daily, but moderately used through the sickly season, and drink tar water, morning and evening; and when you go among the sick, take two or three drops of the spirits of turpiutine on sugar, or get a handful of cucumber bark, a handful of dog- 26 THE DYSENTERY wood bark, a handful of yellow poplar bark; put them in spirits, and drink as a bitter. For the cure of this disease, regard must be had to the degree of fever present; for if there be great thirst, acute pains, and a tight, though small pulse, the patient should be bled, and if pains and other violent symptoms, continue the blood-letting, repeat it every twelve or twenty-four hours, until they do yield. Pukes are sometimes proper, but they should be used only when there is great sickness at the stomach; and if the marks of fever, as above, be present, a puke should not be administered, until af- ter one or more bleedings. Purges should be fre- quently repeated, but they must be of the most gen- tle sort, as cream of tartar, purging salts, manna, castor-oil, &e. physic grass, which is called high- land flags—take a handful and beat it, let it stand in a tumbler of cold water the over night, drink it in the morning, and work it off with warm water, orAvater gruel. But let it be remembered, that jallop and rhubarb are not proper in this complaint; glysters < f flaxseed tea, or mutton broth, with a lit- tle tincture of opium, should be injected, two, three, or four times, for every twenty-four hours. If there be great heat and pain in the bowels, cold water might be injected in the form of a glyster ; indeed it could do no injury, if then* were no inflammatory symptoms. Opium, a dose of the tincture, or a pill of the solid opium, should be given every night: and after sufficient evacuations, it might be used every six or eight hours if necessary : cooling drinks, such as whey, flax-seed tea, camomile tea, (not too strong,) mallow tea, mullin tea, and barley water, are. all proper, for this purpose ; and if there be much fever, cold water is a very proper drink__a decoction of gum arabic or shavings of harts-horn with spices, mutton suet boiled in milk—a decoc- tion of blackberry brier roots, or a gruel made of a OR BLOODY FLUX. 29 little flour, prepared according to doctor Bnekhan, that is to say : take a few handfulls of fine flour, tie it up in a linen cloth, and boil it in a pot. for six hours, until it becomes as hard as starch ; aiVrwarda grate it, and make it into •gruel. Either of these will be very useful: when the patient is much spent, blisters may be applied to the wrists and ancles,but not commonly, until after the fifth day. In the close of the disease, port wine, madeira or cherry wines, arc proper where the fever intermits, and especially where it assumes the shape of the third day fever and ague ; the bark is a very proper remedy to be given, chiefly in the fore part of the day ; so is a spoonful of the juice of elder berries, two or threa times a day; or take a new laid egg, and pour out the white, and fill up the place with salt, and roast it hard; then beat it to a powder and takeasmuch as will lav on the point of case-knife, every half hosir;— and let your drink be a tea of the root of black gum, or sycamore bark tea, or take the spirits of turpen- tine and put on burning coles, and receive the smoke. This will stop it: and if it stops too fast,work it off with salts or castor-oil; or take dried hog-dung and boil in sweet milk, and drink oft' that ; it is a wonderful remedy ; or take a large apple and fill it up with a piece of honey-comb, roast the apple in the embers and eat it;thiswill stopit, ortake as much grated rhubarb as will lie on the point of a case- knife, with half as much grated nutmeg; put those in a glass of white wine, take this laying down ; or take four drops of lauduum, and apply to the belly a poultice of worm-wood and red roses, boiled in milk, and feed on rice, sirrup and Ueef; give a spoon- ful of sheep suet, melted on a slow fire, a spoonful of greenplantain mixed together,and taken many times, sitting in a tub of warm water three inches deep ; - r take the maw of a rabbi^ dried to a powder, »D THE CHOLERA MORBUS, OR made up in doses, and taken in plaintain juice; for a child, take the seed of green plantain, beat it to a powder, give a tea spoonful in red wine ; or take the jaw-bone of a jack or pike, beat to a powder, take a half a drachm of the powder in red wine, morning and evening; this has cured when nothing else would ; or take the white ashes of white hicko- ry, make a weak lye in spirits, and drink when it first comes ; or tako the back-bone of a beet or hog, horn until they become white, then beat them fine, bidl them in new milk, and give them to drink. THE CHOLERA MORBUS, OR PURGING AND VOMITING THIS disorder makes its appearance in warm climates, as early in the season as April and May ; h'il in colder climates, not Until the middle of June, ■;r first of July; the danger attending it, i.s in propor- tion to the heal of the weather. Children are sub- ject to it from one or two weeks, until two years old. 5! sou,crimes begins with a diarrhea, which will co;.- tinie for several days without any other disorder : in t most commonly violent vomiting and purging 1 unci high fevers attend ; the matter discharged froi. the,. stomach and bowels is yellow or green, the stools are sometimes slimy and mixed with blood, without any appearance of bile; sometimes too, the stools are thin as water; worms are frequently voided. Whether the evacuations be bilious or not, the patient seems to suffer much pain, draws up the feet, is never easy in one posture ; the pulse weak *\ nod quick, the head very warm, the hands and feet are cold ; the fever remits and returns with greater violence every evening. The head is ^sometimes so ituch affected, that the patient not only becomes de- PURGING AND VOMITING. 31 lirious, but will rave and try to scratch or bite the parent or nurse. The belly, and sometimes the face and limbs swell—has great thirst m every stage — (he eyes appear languid and hollow, sleeps with them half closed. So great is the insensibility oi his eyes, that flies light upon them while open, and do not excite the least motion in the eye lids.— Sometimes the vomiting continues without the purg- ing, but more commonly the purging remains with- out the vomiting. Through the whole course of the disorder, the stocds are sometimes large, emitting a very disagreeable smell ; at other times there are scanty stools, without smell, like the food or drink taken in by the child. This disorder is sometimes fatal in a few days, and in some cases, even in twen- ty-four hours—much depends on the state of the weather, one cool day frequently abates ,* the time or violence of its duration, varies frequently from a few days to six weeks, or two months ; when it is of long standing, and tending to death, there is commonly great wasting of the patient's flesh ; the bones will sometimes come through the skin. To- wards the close of the disease, there appears purph spots on the skin, withhickup, convulsions, ghastly countenance and soremouth; when thoselast appear- ances come on,the case generally becomes incurable. The following remarks may helpto guard against mis- takes in this disorder: It is sometimes tho't to be the effect of teething; but as it comes on at a particular season of the year, this mistake may be avoided. It is true, however, that it, is rendered more violent when it happens to seize on children in the time of teething. It is sometimes attributed to worms; but although worms are frequently voided in this fever, they are never the cause of it. It has been considered the effect of eating summer fruits ; but where chil- dren can get ripe fruits at pleasure, it seldom occurs; *nd indeed ripe fruits taken moderately, have aeon- 33 THE CHOLERA MORBUS, OR siderable tendency to prevent it. On the whole, it may be considered a species of the bilious fever, and may be cured as follows : Give a puke to evacuate the bile from the stomach ; this may be done by a dose of ipecacuana or tartar emetic, and it should be repeated often, as often as there is vomiting of bile. In every stage of the disorder, the bowels should then be purged with manna, castor-oil, or magnesia ; but rhubarb is not a proper remedy un- til the fever is subdued in some considerable degree. If, however, the puking and purging have coutin- _i ucd until there is good reason to believe that the of- ' fending matter has been thrown off by the natural efforts, the pukes and purges must be omitted, and instead of them, a few drops of the tincture of opium may be given in a chalk julep, say prepared chalk or crabs claws, eight grains to twenty tine- *■ ture of opium, half a drop to three or four cinnamon water or peppermint tea at discretion ; sirrup, as much as may be sufficient to make it pleasant, to be j given every three or four, or six hours; sometimes . a few drops of spirits of harts-horn will be a use- ful addition to the above julep. Small blisters might he applied to the region of the stomach, or to the wrists and ancles. Mint and mallow teas, or a tea of black berry brier roots, infused in cold water ; a decoction of shavings of harts-horn or a solution of gum arabic, or a tea of the pitch of sassafras-wood, steeped in warm water, with the addition of a little mint or cirinamon. Either of these articles may be prepared and used as drink. To compose the sto- mach or bowels, glysters made of flax-seed tea or mutton soup, or starch dissolved in water. Either of these, with the addition of a few drops of jJie tinc- ture of opium, may be frequently injected, Plais- I ters of venice treacles, where it can be had, or flan- nels wetted with a strong infusion of bitter herbs, w warm spirits or maderia winc% might be applied PURGING AND VOMITING. 33 to the stomach ; or what might be still more con- venient, a cloth folded so as to be two or three in- ches squaie,might be wetted with the tincture of opi- um, and applied as before. As soon as the violent symptoms are subdued, give bark in the form of a decoction or in substance, to which may be added a little nutmeg ; or if bark be offensive to"the patient, use port wine, or claret in its stead. At this stage, it will be proper to indulge the child in any particu- lar article of strong food. The patient may happen to crave salted or dried fish, salt meat, butter or rich gravies, and even the strongest cheese. Ano- ther remedy when there is great pain, is the warm bath ; and it would be still more effectual, if wine were used instead of water. It is also probable, that a cold bath, a few times repeated, would be an excellent remedy in the recovering state of the dis- ease j it will be found very beneficial, to carry the child out to breathe a fresh country air. In places where this complaint prevails, the following precau- tions will probably prevent the daily use of the cold bath : The dress of children should be carefully accommodated to the state and changes of the weath- er ; salted meat should be daily, hut moderately used through the sickly seasons; good sound wine may be given them in portions adapted to their age; from a tea spoonful to half a wine glass full, at "the discretion of their parents : particular regard should be had to cleanliness, both with respect to their skin and cloathing. Lastly. Persons living in sickly towns ought to be specially attentive to all these dan- gerous complaints; and where it can be done, they should remove their children to the country, before the sickly season. I have cured many with bowman root, which is called by some, Indian phys- ic. Boil a good handful in two quarts of water to a pint, let them drink freely of that, and drink warm water to work it off; or take a table spoonful ol 51 INTERNAL DROPSY beat puccoon root, aspoouful of fennel seed, a spoon- ful of mountain birch bark, beat it line; you may let this stand for time of need ; this decoction is to be put in a quart of cider ; a child of two or three years old, is to take a tea spoonful once or twice a day, and so on up according to the age ; to a grown person, a table spoonful. Not to eat hog meat nor milk. INTERNAL DROPSY OP THE BRAIN. THIS disorder is sometimes the consequence of a stroke upon the head, received by falling or other- wise; it may also be excited by different kinds of fever. In every case where there are pains of the limbs, head, sickness at the stomach, dilatation of the pupils of the eyes and sleepiness, this disease should be suspected. In Doctor Rush's treating of this complaint in his enquiries, hegivesthe following de- scription of it—as taken from the writings of Dr. Guin: In general, the patisnt is at first languid and inactive, often drowsy and peevish, but at in- tervals cheerful and apparently free from complaint, the appetite is weak, and in many cases a vomiting occurs once or twice in theday ; the skin is observed to be hot and dry towards the evening. Soon after these symptoms have appeared, the patient is affect- ed with a sharp head ache, chiefly in the fore part, and if not there, generally in the crows of the head, it is sometimes, however, confined to one side of the head ; and in that case, when the posture of the bo- dy is erect, as in sitting, the head often inclines to the side affected : the vomiting is less troubleso ine, when the pain inthe head is most violent, and on tin1 contrary, there arc also pains in the limbs or tin' bowels ; but more constantly in the back of the i neck, and between the shoulder blades. In these OF THE BRAIN. 33 eases the head is commonly less affected, the patient dislikes the light; at this period, cries much, sleeps little, and when he does sleep, he grinds his teeth, picks his nose, appears to be uneasy, and starts of- ten, screaming as if terrified. The bowels are in most cases bound, though sometimes they are in a lax state, and the pulse is not much irregular. In the early stage of the disorder, these symptoms are subject to great fluctuation ; but whatever may be the degree or order of them, after some days one of the eyes will be turned inwards, as if locking at the nose, and the pupil of the turned eye, will be more dilated than the other-, and if both eyes be turned, which .sometimes happens, both pupils will be larger than they are observed to be in healthy people, at the same tinio and in the same degree of light.— After this, the vomiting becomes more constant, and the head ache more excruciating, and every symp- tom of the lever makes its appearance, the pulse is frequent, the breathing quick; the fever returns with more violence at night, and the head and face is Hushed, usually one check more than the other; there are tempory sweats, and sometimes bleeding at the nose, but neither affords any relief; the patient is sometimes violently delirious. After proceeding on in this way for fourteen days, often a much she iter space of time, the disorder undergoes a change and passes into the second stage ; the pulse becomes slow and unequal, both in time and strength, the pain seems to abate, a deep sleepiness ensues, the pupils are more dilated, the patient lies with one or both eyes half closed, which are found on examina- tion to be insensible t« the light; th^ vomiting ceas- es, the patient swallows with greediness whatever is offered to him, and the bowels remain obstinately costive: if not relieved, the second stage is soon suc- ceeded by the third, which speedily terminates in death. The symptoms in this stage, are weak and 36 INTERNAL DROPSY, &c. quick, but equal pulse, difficult breathing, with deep snoring, the eyes suffused with blood, alternate flushings and deadly paleness in the face, red spots or bloches on the limbs, difficult swallowing ; and lastly, convulsions close the scene. I must here observe, however, that neither the dilated or insensible pupil, nor the pnking, delirium, or the squinting, always attend this disease. Chil- dren of every age, but more commonly those of four or five years old arc subject to it; as was hinted be- fore.— This is the complaint which was little under- stood until lately, and was commonly called a worm fever ; and as worms are in some instances discharg- ed in this disorder, ignorant and injudicious per- sons, may readily enough be deceived. In every instance, therefore, where the symptoms are suspi- cious, parents ought to be alarmed, and if possible, *• they should procure relief on the first attack. The remedies to be employed in the first stage of this, (too often) fatal disease—arc bleeding and purging; these should be repeated, as often as may be necessa- ry to subdue the inflammation ; if there be pain jn the head, cold water or vinegar, or vinegar and wa- ter, or even ice water, might be applied, with cloths wetted for the purpose, which should be frequently changed; sometimes the symptoms abate, after two or three bleedings, but return in the course ofafew days. In every such case, the bleeding must be re- peated, and the more certainly if the pulse be full and tight. In the last stages of this complaint, bleeding is seldom proper; the principal dependence is to be placed on the use of mercury ; the patient should be salivated at any stage of the disease.—■ After the inflammatory symptoms are subdued, blis- ters are beneficial, and should be applied to the head, neck and temples, &c. Now I quit medicine a little, and speak on a few- roots that are well known by the most of mankind, \ THE HERB ANGELICA. 'S S7 * that is very profitable in our day, both to make a drink in the complaint above sp< ken of, and many more. And for this dropsy, I have given you a full description, from the beginning to the end, occ. tec. THE HERB ANGELICA. •• THIS is excellent for the head and the parts thereof ; this is eaten, or the powder, or juice ef it drank ; keepeth a person from the head ache and niee-enn ,• it is good against di/iness, swimiug or gi iiiiucss of the head; it eomfortcth the brain, sharpeneth the wit, strcngthencih the memory. It is a singular remedy against deafness ; it ainendelh t!ie thickness of the hearing, and pmvokes sleep: the juice of it laid in lint and put to the eyes, quickeneth the sight. Also the root or herb dried and boiled to a strong decoction, and wash the eyes, los the same effect ; make a tea of the root to drink, cereth the redness of the eyes, blood-shotten and itching of them. The same decoction drank in wine, is go >d for a foul stomach ; it strengthens a weak stomach and causeth an appetite ; it digests cold phlegms on the stomach, and opens the pipes. A person that is just poisoned and drinketh enough of the spiiits that has been stilled, roots and tops, will clear them out. This herb is good against the disease of the lungs ; it strengthens the members ; it is good for the ache- ing of bones. This herb boiled in the urine of a healthy man-child, is good for the dropsy ; it is good for them to make use of it, in teas, that has the con- sumption ; the root of this herb boiled, to glyster with, is wonderful for theeholic ; it opens the pas- sage for Ihe water, and stops griping pains of the belly ; it is wonderful for one that is bruised by a fall. The leaves of Angelica and the roots, or the bark of the roots of dogwood, sassafras bark, shoe- D 38 THE HERB ANGELICA. make roots, and running brier roots, all boiled ■-trong: then take out the balks and roots, boil it lown to a salve; this salve is wonderful to heal can- ' ers, old rotten, putrid sores, burning hot swellings, • nd carbuncles ; sores that arc hard to be cured. It v-.oiild be a good thing to wash the sores first before he plaistcr goes on, with mussel shell lime, &e. &c. By this we may understand how much virtue God 1 as endued and blessed this herb. To sum up all, it elpeth the body inwardly and outwardly, it pro- %*. n.otcs sweat by which the body is purged of much (irruption, which breedeth diseases ; it-exjicllcth *m be venom of infection ; it consumes ill blood and i] ;.aughty humors ; whereby diseases are engendered. Therefore, giving God thanks for his goodness, -\\ which hath given us this herb, kc. he. and all oth- er blessings, for health here, and for salvation of * the soul hereafter; for God has fixed a way to heal both body and soul. ADVICE TO SWEAT WITH THE HERB AN- GELICA. HERE, perhaps, some will ask a question respect- < ing the time and quantity, which things are to be considered in taking medicine. As touching the time, , if it be taken for a preservative, it is good to tike * in the morning or evening before one goes to bed, because that is a convenient time to sweat, for one that fecleth himself not much diseased ; but if a man te.kes it to expel any grief felt in the body, immedi- ately go to bed and sweat. As touching the quan- tity: one need not be so careful in takingthisherb, as in taking those medicines that do purge vehemently, by ejestion, as some terms it, or by vomit. For in taking them, if discretion be not used, in consider- ing the time, the quantity and the state of man's bo- dy, they may cause present death; or otherwise, \ THE HERB ANGELICA. 39 they may mvich weaken the patient. Thus I coun- sel all tiiat use it—'mat when they or any of their's are diseased, they delVr not the time, but tike it presently, as soon as^it may be had, and that they do not think it sutiieient to take it once or t\v ice, but often; there is no danger in it. TO SHEW THE DEGREES OF THE HERB ANGELICA. IT is hot and dry. at least in the third degree.— All the writers in Germany agree upon it, and I have proved the same. The roots stilled and the. oil that comes of t.he spirit, is good for poison. If any persm he suddenly taken with the ague, let tliem take fifteen drops of the oil, or a tea spoonful of the spirits, and cover up warm ; do the same for poison, which, if they do, they will begin to sweat. This stilled water is good for gnawing pains of the belly, occasioned by colds : if the body be not boun:I, it is good lor all inward diseases, as pleurisies in the beginning, before the act of inflammation edicts the body; for it dissolveth and scattereth abroad such humors that brings on pleurisy. Moreover, it is good for the disease of the lungs, if they come by cold; and for a stoppage in the breast; it is good for a woman that is in travail ; it expelleth wind and eascth pains flowing from the same cause. Those that cannot still this root, may let it stand in wine or water, asthenatureof the sick may require. When it is pulverized, it may be sprinkled in ulcers, sores and cancers, before you put your salve on : when you want to heal them upit cleanses out the bad flesh and engenders g>od. This herb is known by most of peopl ',yet they know not the use of it. But 1 have ventured to reveal it—1 do not think it right that a- ny thing should ho secret which may be profitable to my country—for GjJ hath not made any thing iior 40 THE PLEURISY. the use of a few. but for the accommodation of all men : and we. that are the children of God, ought to frame ourselves so that we may b>* Ike affeclioncd to our Father, who is beneljcial to all men; who hath made his sun to shine, and his rain to fall, upon the. wick.'d as well as upon the gon!—I bat is to say, who feedcth all, both good and bad, by heat and moisture, which proceed from the sun nud rain, all things grow upon the earth; wbei Ly our lives are maintained. I conclude that forasmuch as the mighty God is good unto all men ; we ought to ha lik"1 minded, and not to k^ep secret, nor hide any thing that may profit one another. I wish all men rightly to use the good creatures of God, and to give him hearty thanks for all his benefits, to all eternity. FOR THE PLEURISY—THE SYMPTOMS. - THIS eomes on like other fevers. It generally begins with chilliness and shivering, which are fol- lowed by heat, thirst and- restlessness ; to these suc- ceeds a violent pricking p-«in in one of the sides a- inong the ribs, some1 inns the pain extends towards the back-bone; sometimes towards the fore part of the breast, and at other times towards the blades ; the pain is generally most violent when the patient draws in his breath—if he holds his breath as long as lie cleanse the lungs ; bleeding often times is wonder- f.d good, sometimes roasted apples or currants is good. There is a bastard Pleurisy and a true one, that is to say, an inflammation in the ribs, attended with little or no fever ; the right Pleurisy is attend- ed with a violent ft-.ver and pains in the sides, t!o* pulse remarkable hard : he may take a strong de- coction of sennaca snake root, which i.s called by- some rattle snake root, or a tabic spoonful of pleu- risy root, which -is called by some butterfly root, and then cover up warm in bed: any kind of warm dilutary drinks, dried cat dung made a tea of; this is a won- derful remedy: or take a handful of dried poke berries, a handful of sawdust of light wood, a handful of dried horehound, a spoonful of brimstone, a half spoonful of saltpetre, a spoonful of beat rattle snrke root, to a quart of whisky, (rye whisky is the best) take a table spoonful twice a day: beware of taking cold or going out in the dew, or after sunset ; blisters arc good when the pain continues. If the body be bound take some of the hark of white walnut and elder roots, boil them, take out the roots and put in some silt petre, boil this to pills and take them as need- ful. These pills will neither leave you bound nor gripe you ; if the sweat does not break, it is good to D % 42 INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES, &ft* put a little dogwood haik in this decoction of pills* that is, the white walnut pills. INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES, OR SORE EYES. SORE ^YES are of two kinds, that which affects the. coats of th ' bails of the eye, &c.—that which af- '/I fjuts the eye lids only. The causes inducing inflam- 1 mation are external viedeuce, wounds, particles of "l dust, sand, txc. or the hairs of the eyelids inverted, too much light, or strong light too long continued; *1 sitting up ai night before a fire, riding in snow, par- ticularly when it falls early or late in the season, writing or reading too much at night, too long ac- curately inspecting very minute objects, frequent in- toxication, sharp matter, such as tobacco, &e. re- ceived into eyes: .sympathy sore eyes frequently ta- ken by locking at others in the same condition, and is the effect of an active imagination. General J ftjver sometimes produces this disease. The remedies are as follows : Bleeding,when j there is general fever, copious bleeding from the »| arm will be necessary; if no general fever present, - | cupping the temples and scarifying the inside of the eye lids. Purges may be more or less violent, ac- cording to the violence of the disease. Blisters should be applied to the neck and behind the ears, and to the temples. Certain washes: These must be mild or sharp, according to the stage of the disease. In most instances when inflammation of eyes first appears, cold water, milk and water, or mild lead water will he proper ; the lead water should be made into a poultice and applied to the eye affected, first covering it with a bit of cambric or muslin. In the last stages of this disease, the eyes may be washed - THE SCARLET FEVER. 43 with the following solution: white vitriol two drachms, sugar of lead forty grains, of spring wa- ter one gill ; if this be not convenient, weak spirits and water, Madeira wine and water, salt and wa- ter, or a decoction of o;.k bark and leaves not too strong. In curing this disease, the patient should not be exposed to the light, and all Spirituous liquors must be carefully avoided. When there are parti- cles of dost or the like in the eye, it may sometimes be washed out with clean water : if an inverted hair be the cause, it must be plucked out. If the disease should be of long standing and obstinate, setons and issues will be proper. The eyes should be washed with salt petre, then with breast rnilk or honey and copperas mixed well together, or take a table spoonful ©f white copperas, a table spoonful of salt to a quart of water, and boil it down to a pint, then let it settle, pour it oft'and boil it down to a half pint, keep this to wash any humour in the eyes; take Angelica, boil it in water, then mix it with new milk, and wash the eyes, and at night bind rotten apples to them when going to bed; or take half an ounce of lapis calami- naris powdered into a half pint of French white wine, and as much white rose water, put a drop or two in the corner of the eye, this has cured some that have been nearly blind ; or take six ounces of rectified spirits of wine, dissolve it in one drachm of camphor, then add two small handfuls of dried elder flowers, and when you wash your eyes, wash your forehead also. THE SCARLET FEVER. THIS Fever, like the foregoing, depends, on a p<-cilie contagion : it comes on with chilliness and siikness at the stomach, and vomiting. Theie 4i THE SCARLET FEVER. symptoms are specially characteristic of the disease: there arc in some cases a swelling of the throat, and difficulty of speaking, swallowing and breathing— sometimes there is a squeaking voice, and ulcers in the throat, which are in some instances deep and covered with white, brown or black sloughs; a thick mucus is discharged from the nose, sometimes from the beginning, but more commonly coming on about f, the fifth day; an eruption appears on the skin, some- times preceeding, sometimes following the ulcers and swelling of the throat; in some the eruption is confined to the outside of the throat and breast; in others wholly to the limbs: in some it appears on the second and third day, and never afterwards ; in , some it appears with the soar throat, and perhaps in others without it—the bowels are generally regu- lar, but some have a diarrhea. This fever is mo- derately inflammatory, 6c differs from the malignant fever or putrid soar throat. The eruption in this fever is of a deeper i-rd color, and is more smooth, resembling the back of a boiled lobster—the skin is also more hot and dry ; the skin peels off in the close I of this fever. It is not so dangerous as the putrid soar throat, it commonly goes off with the swelling <■ of the hands and feet ; and lastly it frequently ap- J pears in summer and dry weather. Again, this i fever maybe distinguished from acommonjinflamma- I tion of the almonds, &c. called quinsy, by the fol- lowing remark : the appearance of ulcers, in com- mon quinsy is confined to the almonds, oce.—a strong, full and tense pulse attend an inflammatory quinsy,'always admitting the use of the lancet. A common quinsey is not attended with external red- ness. The remedies for ti e Scarlet Fever, puking, ipecacuana and calomel combined, as the putrid soar throat; wash the mouth and throat with barley water, or very thin gruel, to wdiich should he ad- ded a little vinegar and honey j if conven- THE CON SUMPTION. i:• rent, a portion of the tincture of myrrh ; sixty or eighty drops of the tinctuie of myrrh might be added to half an ounce of the giuel. &e.—or iftbo myrrh cannot be had, as much calomel might bead K cl instead of it, as may be sufficient to turn it of a whi- tish color. I have found great benefit from frequent- ly washing the mouth and throat well with the fol- lowing mixture : Take Salt Petre, half an ounce, Borax, one quarter of an ounce, the whole to be dissolved in one pint of water, and sweetened with honey. I have used it successfully in a number of cases without any other topical application—snuff may be used about the fifth day to excite a running at the nose. Towards the close of the disease,- wine and water, or wine whey, may be used to such ex- tent only as to keep up avery gentle perspiration. "Whenever the swelling of the extremities takes plaj-e, a few doses of calomel may be repeated. It is worthy of observation, that this disease can be com- municated before it can be known to be present in any case ; it is tlierefore unnecessary to remove children out of the family where it makes its ap- pearance. Some are of opinion that the Scarlet Fever might be prevented by lining occasional doses of Rhubarb ; this remedy is worthy of trial. Chil- dren arc mostly subject to it. THE CONSUMPTION. THIS disorder comes by many causes. This dis- order comes often times by wet feet, night air, wet cloaths, over heats, sudden changes of weather; and women not taking care, when their terms are on them, which causes them to abate, corrupts their blood and settles on their lungs, and turns to* deep consumption, if not brougni on by regular means. 46 THE CONSUMPTION. It is bad for shoemakers, seamsfcers, and such as lean on the breast. Phis disease generally begins with a dry tickling cough; the cough continues sometimes a long time before it takes life, and sometimes but a short time. They that have this complaint, some days have a craving appetite, and then at other times scarcely any appetite; they cough mostly in the morning, and often times a sourness and oppression in the breast, a shortness of breath; going up the slaunt of a hill, a weakness in the knees; the spittle is first of a sweet- * ish fainty taste; then as the disorder increases, the spittle turns of a saltish taste; and in this stage the spittle is often of a whitish frothy color—the pa- tient is often sad, the thirst is often great, the pulse is often quick and small, then at other times they are full and hard : at this time there is generally dull, heavy feelings, stretching and gaping at times, which if not checked, it enters into the second stage; the spittle that was before of a whitish frothy co- 1 >r, is become a greenish color, and sometimes streaked with blood—often a swimming in the head,.1. mostly after a spell of coughing or eating. There* is a kind of hectic fever takes place in this stage, an&l night sweats. Now it enters into the third stage— J there is a burning heat in the palms of the hands, a loosness which weakens the patient much; at this time, the ends of the nails turn inwards, the swell- ing of the feet and legs, the sinking of the eyes, the. difficulty of swallowing, and the coldnesn of the feet. • When these last symptoms take place, he may find a remedy for the soul, hut little for the body—when these-last symptoms takes place, they are out of the reach of medicine. The Consumption often comes with a puking and spitting of blood—it is said that blisters rise on the liver and break wdien they s^itf1 blood, or vomit blood, or some vein or nerve in the lungs, bursting or breaking, bleeding Ac clogging at THE CONSUMPTION. 47 times, spitting up lumps of blood, may be causes of it; or coughing vastly, when the lungs air decayed much, it often causes them to puke blood or spit blood, Ace. Ac. Now concerning the remedy : Take two double handfulls of dried horehouud, and boil it well- then take it out and put a double handful of alleeom- pain, and a double handful of comfrey; ifyou cannot get tame comfrey take wild, and a double handful of heart-leaves—and when it is well boiled, take out the herbs and put in about a gallon of honey *or im- ported molasses, and be il it down to the clear honey; then to every quart put in a table spoonful of dried beat Indian Turnip, stir it well together, take a ta- ble spoonful morning and evening—live on sue h as squirrel broth, poultry, heel, mutton ; forbeai from leg-meat or milk ; butteriniik or any kind of gruel well sweetened is good—take a gill of right new milk and a half pint of fresh spring water, mixed to- gether, and drink night and morning. In the course of a wee k you may take three spoonfuls a day, mor- ning, noon and night; if you are bound you may take one of Anderson's pills a day, or make up wheat bread, with the bran in it, and that will keep you ope.ii or ferment. Ace. Then when the cough abates, put a quart of good rum to a haif pint of good clean tar, and stew it down to a pint, take a tea spoonful first three or four times a day : as you strengthen, increase your doses, Ace.—Let rye mush and buttermilk be your diet, and broths. If the phlegm do not break free enough, take,a quart of strong apple vinegar and pint of honey, a handful of allecompain, a handful ofcomfrey, split them fmo and put them in an earthen pot, put a wheat hoe- cake on the earthen pot to keep the steem in the pot; then heat a dirt oven ds hot as you would to bake a pone of bread, let it stay in the oven as long; then take it out and bottle it. Take a table spoonful *8 THE CONSUMPTION. twice a day. Beware of taking cold or night air— drink a tea mad*1 of sycamore chips every day or two, Ace. Now here is a remedy that has cured many, and is worthy of a trial: Take a handful of horehound. a handfni of mullin, a handful of heart- leaves, a handful of sage, a pound of ground ivy, a handful of fethrrfew. a handful of hys"p, ?f handful of pot margery. take of these herbs, bruis^l them well, then add a little water so as to get a quart of jaiee from then?, to this add a quart ot pi ach "brandy and a quart of honey, a pound of fresh butter, a pound of brown sugar; then stew th« m altogether down to three pints—then give a table spoonful night and morning. Let your diet! he vye mush andbuttcrmiik,or honey, for breakfast; but cat no smoked meats or salted lish—milk may be eaten. The elixer of vitrnl insist be taken three times a day, in water, grog or toddy; in the morn- ) ing, a dram of peach brandy and new milk or brown sugar and peach brandy—beware of taking cold or the night air, or geiiiog wet. or going out in a giv- ing day. But the morning air is good to strength^ en ; riding on horseback is good ; take nothing but. water gruel, take no stronger drink than water; letj your drink be mixed with wine, and sweeten your gruel with loaf sugar—eat nothing but new butter- milk churned in a bottle, and light wheat bread—"£ drink spring water and new milk, or sugar candy, two ounces, or boil two handfuls of sorrel in a pint of whey, strain it and drink a glass or two a day; or take an ouice of loaf sugar, an ounce of gunpow- der, an ounce of beat brimstone, an ounce of anti-* ninny, beat them fine, then mix them well together,;! and take as much as will lay on the point of a case knife, night and morning in strong apple vinegar- live on light diet, eat no hog-meat, Ace. Every morning cut up a turf and hold your he ■nder half an hour—then turn the turf back aga THE CONSUMPTION. 49 Take a tea spoonful of white rosin powdered and mixed with honey twice a day—eat watercress*-snow and then, suck a healthy person. For your com- mon drink, make-use of apple water. When you aro so low that you ale heartless, this medicine is wor- thy of a trial : take a bushel of rye bran; boil the strength out of it, then strain it, when it settles, then takea quart of rum, a halt nintof strong tar, and a pint of sugar and a quart of honey, boil this down until it becomes as thick as tar,then take as much as a\ ill lay on the point of a case-knife three times a day —eat rye mush and buttermilk; drink marc's milk, ;• ud in the course of the day, take a gill of dogs fat ; let your drink be whey, barely water, ground- ivy tea, sinkfield tea, balm tea, liverwort tea or bloodwort tea, polly pody tea, maiden's hare tea, white plantain tea—boil the water and pour on the herbs, let it steep a while, drink it cold; and if the cough is dry and hard, and the phlegm do not come up, take three snails every morning and night, then in three or four days take a gill of cow's water, and a gill of new milk mixed together, or cut off a rat- tle snake's head, the snake put into rum and drink ( of that two or three times a day ; burn dried cosv i dung to ashes, make a weak lye, and drink it now and then, Ace. Ace. The cold bath is wonderful if you do not feel chil- ly after you come out ; after you put on your eloathesyou come in a moist sweat; many aone takes the cold bath and lays in bed an hour ; teem a pmfc ©f skimmed milk with a half pint of small beer, boil in this whey about twenty ivy leaves, and two or : three sprigs of hysop ; drink h alf the over night and the balance in the morning ; do this if needful for two months daily. This has cured in a desperate case—Thero was a man once in Evesham so far i Jduu in a Consumption, that he could not stand a- 50 THE NERVOUS CIIOLIC, OR lone—he was advised to lose six ounces of blood every day for a fortnight, if he lived so long, and then every pther day, then every third day. then every fifth day for the same time, and in three months he was sound and well. Take in for a quarter of an hour, morning and evening, the steam*of white rosin and bee's wax, boiling on a licit fire shovel; this has cured one who was in the third stage of a Consumption. Or the steam of sweet spirit of vitriol dropped into warm water—drink cider whey, barley water shar- pened with lemmon juice, or apple water, as long hs the tickling cough continues ; chew well ami swallow a mouthful or two of a biscuit or crust of bread twice a day, if you cannot swallow it spit it out; this will always shorten the fit. and would of- ten prevent the Consumption. I believe any one that will follow these directions, there never was better remedies ever in print fortius disorder. THE NERVOUS CHOLIC, OR WIND IN THE BLOOD. THE symptoms of this complaint arc never clear, while the root of the disorder is there: it comes by heats and colds ; there is often a tingling in the flesh; the flesh often gets to sleep, and often works in pla- ces like a beef when you areskinningit—a weak- ness in the eyes, a swimming giddiness or dizziness when you are walking; a stomach ache like a heart burn, often belches a sour belch, almost setting your teeth on edge, a throbbing about your navel, like your heart—often times no strong or windy victuals will lay on your stomach. The misery will rise between the shoulders, and from that to the head and across the small of the back ; sometimes it ap- WIND IN THE BLOOD. 51 p^ars to work in the bones, often like a pleurisy in tin- sides ; often makes you dream foolish dreams, ami start in sh--p ; some patients are bound, and sonic more laxative ; the patient suffers more pain when they are going about with this complaint than perhaps any other. It is a melancholy disorder, and often turns to a decay if not stopped. Sometimes they swell in the breast and stomach ; the first thing is to cleanse and purify the bhfod, that is : take a handful of burdock roots, a handful of running dew- berry briar roots, a handful of the inside bark of sassafras, a handful ofwildcherry tree bark, a hand- ful of white ash tops; put a quart of water to every handful, boil it half away, take this for your con- stant drink; take fifteen drops of the essence of pep- per mint mixt going to bed. If it is hot weather you must put your diet drink in bottle, and set it in water to keep it from turning sour: eat no hog-meat nor milk, but any other light diet that agrees with you. Or get a handful of young pine tops, half a gal- lon of strong apple cider, a good chance of rusty iron; if you can, get nine star roots, put them alto- gether, boil them down to a pint, put it in a bottle, put the wJiite of two or three, eggs, and trke a ta- blespoonful night and morning'; going to Ijcd, take five drops of laudanum—keep clear from taking cold or getting wet. Take a handful of ginseng root, a handful of orange peelings, a handful of carumomile flowers to a quart of rve whisk v; drinir a dram of that twice a day: take some lime and .nut some water on it, make it so that it just feels sl'lp- pery, drink a gill or so in the course of the dav ; or take agill of tar, put it in a quart of spirits, \hlnk of that two or three times a day, take a tea spoon- ful of salts going to bed ; or get a quart of strong apple, vinegar, and a handfurof sawd;:sr of li-lif; wood, let it ste.jid three or four davs, drink of that twice a day: this Ins cured manv! Or get a gill, of brimstone and a gill of rosin, beat them well, put »2 NEGRO POISON. them in a quart of rum, take a table spoonful twice a day ; or get an ouncr of, asafetida, a tea spoon- ful of rhubarb, a table spoonful of aloes, and put them in a quart of spirits; take half a spoonful twice a day, or as you need ; or get a handful of saw dust of light wood, a handful of dried horehound, a hand- ful of dried poke berries, a table spoonful of salt petre, a table spoonful of beat brimstone, a table spoonful of beat rattle snake root; put this in three pints of whisky, and take a table spoonful night and morning, and live on light diet ; beware of ta- ^ king cold. This medicine is good for the beginning of Consumption or the Rheumatism, or the Pleurisy. New milk and peach brandy^havc cured when taken three or four times a day, one that spent all his liv- ing with doctors, Ace. Blistering at the pit of the stomach is often good, or inakiug a plaster of camphor, sheep suet and whisky; beat them weil together, spread them on a cloth and put it below the throat. These are well experienced medicines, and there is no need for stronger. NEGRO POISON. . THE symptoms arc often a devouring misery a- kout the navel, and sometimes swells there, with a kind of griping pains, and sometimes a lax, and from that tho pains will work upwards to the sides and across the ribs, like the Pleurisy, and under the shoulder blades—the bones will appear stiff and sore, the flesh will appear dead and sleepy; some often break out in sores which is a favorable sign; the ^puise is often high and hard, and often the breath I abort, and at other times the breath appears right; the lungs appear to be swelled. •Whisky»-or milk is 1 f NEGRO POISON. 53 pernicious to the complaint; there is often times a swimming giddiness, the patient often craves what the poison is given in—the water is always of a high colour, some have a good appetite, and some have none. But let their appetite be as it v,i!!, the pa- tients lose their flesh fast, and often the pains work from the lop of the head to the ends of Ijie, toes.— When it is ; b:.-tit to terminate in death, there is a . deep sleepiness ensues^ there is a cough that often follows the complaint, and sometimes a ratling in the lungs. These are most noted symptoms. And when the coug>. is bad, and the lungs are stopped, get a handful of horehound, a handful of catnip, three or four roots of allecoinpain, boil these in half a gal- lon of water to a pint, take out, the herb, then put in half a pint of honey, and half a pint of good ap- ple vinegar, a spoonful of fresh butter, a spoonfil of salt petrtv and stew this down to the honey, and give the patient, as ueedful, to loosen tljo cough. The medicine to remove the complaint, is to get a handful of running brier roots, a handful of sassafras bark, a handful of the bark of the root of yellow poplar, a handful of ginseng root, a gill of green plantain juice, and a handful of the twigs of white ash t« [is, boil these to a decoction, and give the patiene, to drink often ; let their diet be light and cooling, not to eat hog-meat nor sweet milk, nor heat your blood—beware of getting wet. Or take silk weed, as much of the root as you can grasp in your hand into a quail of spirits, and drink a bitter of that two or three times a day. To take and dry the silk weed root and beat it to a powder, and'tako , a teaspoon full of it in honey, and drink warm wu- v ter—this is as good a puke as nature can afford. Or get a handful of garlic, a gill of green plantain juice, a table spoonful of brimstone, put them in a quart of rye whisky, take of this morning and evening: E2 54 NEGRO POISON. this has cured many ; or get a ten gallon pot ana fill it with sour wood leaves, boil them well, then take them out and till up the pot again w ith the same sort of leaves, and put more water in the pot and boil the strength out of them; then get the pot full of wild cherry tree leaves and put to the same wa- ter, add more water, and boil the strength out of thein; then ta\e out the leaves and put a good hand- l ful of blaek snake root, boil them well, then take ^* and clean all the drugs out and beat a spoonful of copperas and put in—when it begins to thicken, put f\ in a spoonful of beat brimstone and stew it down to pills, and take one as large as a pea in the morning and two in the evening; Ac while you are taking these, you are to take care of the night air, and not eat hog-meat nor sweet milk, bufSiueh as chickens, squirrels, beef, mutton and broths of the same. This medicine is also good for the Chachexy and Dropsy; j and to renew the blood, the best method is to take a purge ; before, this take a good ehance of the roots , and bark of white walnut, and boil the strength out, put a little saltpetre with it, to keep it from griping, ••■< take three or four of these pills. This works the /'/ &ame effect as calomel andjallop: or take poke roof and roast it well; put in as much as will be grasped a? in your hand to a quart of spirits; drink of this two % < or three times a day for three or four days, and blis- , ten* on the stomach. 1 beliewe, that these medicines \ will effect a cure if there is help to be had. Give * a table spoonful of sweet oil every other day might be of servicfe ; new milk, sheep saffron and goose *' dung, have been of great use, to boil together and drink fasting. Give asafetida in rum twice a day, keep out of danger of taking cold, and that is half the battle. * ' 55 THE VENEREAL DISEASE. THIS is a complaint that goes to and fro through the land. There are many unfortunate, poor unhap- py persons thnt for fear of disgrace, endure pain both in body and mind, rather than go to a doctor at first. Some friend or secret keeper replies he has got a cure. Well, the method is tried ; but this re- medy only removes the symptoms for a space, which corrupts the blood, and flings the patient in a worse situation, which is often incurable. The innocent can take the effects of this complaint as well as the guilty—infants, nurses, rnidwives, and woman by guilty husbands. If you are innocently taken in, you are excusable, as Adam must fulfill the com- mand, multiply, Ace. Ace. Though he that has ta- ken the blaze on the other hand, is condemned by Paul's ministerial words, for he says, " it is better to marry than to burn:" and generally when the flame takes place, there is a discharge of matter, which makes its appearance within-eight or ten days after the infection has been received, and some within two or three erays, according to what state the blood is in when you take it, and w ith some not un- dsr four, or five weeks ; but the patient often feels an itching with a smalt degree of pain in the testi- cles, and sometime there runs a yell»w thin mattei which stains, and with some it is white with a vio- lent burning when they make water; and it comes sometimes with a degree of heat, and there is often a redness. If the disorder is not checked, the symp- toms will increase; the disorder rises higher and higher in the penis,u and the longer it runs the worse the patient dreads to make water, but wants to be always at it until it will come by drops in this complaint: tho' there is a disorder in women that one' might be mistaken in, that is, when the womb is affected, and there comes a whitisfc matter, 56 THE VENEREAL DISEASE. and sometimes a kind of greenish colour, and with some their terms are discharged in this way. Now \ regard should be had to eating and drinking, no strong drink, no salted nor smoaked meats, nor heat your blood, and do not season what you eat too high; drink cooling teas, balm, ground ivy, sink- field, inallad, Ace. In the first place take a good dose of salts, or calomel and jallop, syringe with blue- stone and apple brandy, two or three times a i]v.y; ^ and you may taks physic of may apple root; make it thus : take one handful of may apple roots, put t the roots in a pot and put in a quart of water, boil \| them very strong, then give one table spoonful, if • that does not work, another, and so on until it does work; then take a good handful of sarsaparilla and wild cherry tree bark, these high black berry brier roots, the bark of the roots of white sumac, a handful of dogwood bark, half a handful of red oik bark, a handful of the bark of yellow poplar root, a double handful of pine tops, boil them altogether until they are strong; take of this three or four times j a day, and if ulcers or sores arises, or blubbers, ap- \ ply red precipitate dissolved in old whisky to wash "* with; until and after taking this, purge with salts, ^fl and bleed, Ace.—or take a handful of dogwood bark, a handful ofrunning brier roots, a handful of yellow. ' poplar bark, a handful of rattle root, a hand- ful of male sumac, put a quart of water to every handful, boil it strong, drink of this often, and let your diet be light; keep from hog-meat, salted fish, or smoaked meats ; take care of getting cold, wet or heating your blood, that is half the battle. You may drink cooling teas; or take a handful of : poke root, roast it well in hot embers, and put it in a * quart of old spirits, and drink a table spoonful two j or three times a day ; or take a handful of yellow ■,■; poplar bark, a handful of sumac root, a handful ' j of dogwood bark, a handful of yellow sarsaparilla 1 RUNNING OF THE REINS. 57 a handful of sassafras bark, boil them welt and drink for your constant drink ; make use of flax-seed and comfrey teas when going to bed. RUNNING OF THE tlEINS. THIS complaint, has often the symptoms of the above complaint, only more liable to run ; there is always a weakness in the small of the baek; an in- ward fever ; a bad taste in the mouth ; in the morn- ing a weakness in the eyes ; a burning when yo« make water, but not corded as with the venereal disease. This disorder may come by overstraining yourself or acting too much in the way of copulation, or an excess of drinking. The matter discharged is white, Ace. When this complaint first comes, it may be cured by drinking flax seed tea, or take a pill of white turpentine, night and morning, and use the same diet in the complaint above mentioned; and drink comfrey tea often ; or take a spoonful of black pepper, a handful of life-everlasting, put a pint of new milk with them, boil them dovv'n to a half pint, drink at night and the rest in the morning; take some white plantain, and hang it up in the chimney until it is well dried, and then bind it to the penis, and it will stop the running ; or take the bark of priekley ash, the root, the saw dust of light- wood and dried horehound, and steep until it is strong, and take a bitter two or three times a day; let your diet be light seasoned ; do not concern with woman and you will soon be well. TEE WHITE SWELLING—OF THE JOINTS. THIS complaint is often thought light of, but it is a growing evil ; the complaint is so well known 5S THE WHITE SWELLING. that I need not describe but a few symptoms. ft generally comes about the joint; and from the bono it seldom ever changes the colour of the flvsh, but rises to a head, and breaks, if not prevented, which affects the bone more and more, until it rises like a honey comb. But if this complaint is taken in ti:ue it is easily removed ; but if it gets thtvmastery, it is not easy subdued ; something like a small twig, which is easy bent when young, but afterwards be- comes very stubborn. In the first place, take a double handful of dog- wood bark, a handful of black haw baik, a handful of ash bark, a handful of white oak bark; and when it is boiled well, take out the baiks, and put in niul- lin roots, a double handful, and boil it down to a quart, and thicken it with meal, then let it get cold, and stir in it the white of three or four eggs, then Spread the plaister on a cloth, and spread some ho- «ey on the plaister, and put it on the swelling, let this poultice stay there a day ; and t;do off that poultice, then boil cherry tree leaves, black haw bark and dogwood baik, and white ass-smart, boil this well; then take out the bark, and cut up souij tobacco fine, and stew it well, then put in some strong apple vinegar, and thicken it the same way, but put no honey on ; after that poultice conies off, give the patient a dose of salts; let the poultice stay on twelve hours if possible ; the poultice will imike the patient sick, but no danger; then when that comes off, give the patienta dose of salts or calomel and jallop during this time. If the swelling does not seem to abate, get the inside of the north si:le of white walnut bark, and the inside of the baik of the root, and beat fine, put in a little strong vinegar, and put to the white swelling. This will draw a blis- ter likeflies on any part of the body except the stomach. Then when you draw a blister, wash it with new m::k, then put on bees-wax and tallow,or take some marsh THE WHITE SWELLING. to willow roots, mullin, the tops and roots, boil them strong, take out the herbs, and then put in some burnt dirt out of the back wall, or a dirt oven, and beat it fine; put a little strong vinegar with it, and stir it well together, then put that to the wh te s veil- ing ; this is wonderful to draw it to a head, or carry it away. Blistering on the swelling, and purging is the finest thing in nature ; or t;.ke the baik of the root of marsh willow, and mullin roots and tops, then when they are well boiled, t; ke them out and put in some burnt dirt out of the back wall or dirt oven, beat it line, and put in a little strong apple vin- egar, and stir them well together; then put this to the white swelling. This is a wonderful medecine to bring it to a head or carry it away ; and if itbre: ks, make some wetfire and put in it. The wctfire is made thus : Get a peek of ivy leaves, and boil them strong, then get a good quantity of ash baik, the inside, and put it in a pot, and put the pot over a hot fire until it burns to ashes, then soak tho lye out of the ashes, and put the strength of the leaves and the lye together, and boil it down to a pint ; and put that in the place once or twice a day, and let it stay on an hour and a half; then you are to put in anoth- er salve ; the salve is to cleanse tho sore and heal the inside, the salve is made thus: T; ke mussel- shells, burn them well, and beat tlieiivto a powder, and let them so: k in a little water, then (: ke a half pint of the water, and put a half pint of sweet oil, stew them well together, and put in the sore as above directed. Or make another sort of salve, (if it cor- rupts and runs much,) that is made thus : Get a double handful of the root of dogwood bark, a hand- ful of yellow sarsaparilla roots, a double handful of black oak bark, a handful of running brier roots, a handful of wild cherry tree bark, a good handful of the bark of the root of sassafras, a handful of per- ttmmon tree baik, get of the north side of the trees. 60 THE WHITE SWELLING. then put them all together, and boil them well a half a day, with increasing the water: then take out the barks and strain it, then put it back in the pot again and boil it down as tlriek as tar ; spread this on a cloth, and lay to the sore. This is a wonderful me- dicine to cat humor, sores and white swellings. If the white swelling becomes very painful, in any stage, take the white of four or five eggs, mix them well with beat brimstone, then spread tne poultice on soft leather, and put it on where the pain is ; and if it is like to mortify, take some wood dittany and beat it well, put in a Jittle water to make it soft, . and bind to the swelling ; or beat ground ivy, and bind to it; or take a handful of feathers, and a roll of brimstone, and a little tar, and put them in a pot, on some hickory c als, and hold the mortified place over this, (but keep the steam from your face) ; or get horehound, beat it well, and mix honey with it, and apply to the place; or woodbine, dogwood bark, and white walnut bark, boiled and thickened with rye meal, make a poultice and bind to the place, Ace. Here is a wonderful salve to carry away a white swelling: Get twelve eggs and a pound of fresh* butter, not washed ner salted, and put these togeth- er and stew them moderately, and stir in it some rye natal, and let it stew to an ointment, and keep that to anoint with ; then heat some oats and put in a bag, and anoint well with the oil, and put on thej bag as hot as you can bear it, night and morningjp and when it begins to suage, or come to a head, , get swamp willows and make a poultice. This has cured many, though it is simple ; or put on eight or ten leeches once a day, and gentle vomits two or three times a week. An electric may be used in every case where it can be done; this remedy will frequently succeed. When appearances are un- favorable, then bathe in salt and water often,or pump cold water on the knee, or part affected, half an hour. ON DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 61 This also cures pains in the joints, and seldom fails. Or pour on it daily a stream of warm water, or a stream of cold water one day, and warm the next, and so on by turns. This is a full and clear description—and well proven in Garrard county, where I live ; and as the complaint is fatal, I have taken all the pains in my potty.-, to give information wherever my book may reach. ON COMMON DISEASES OF CHILDREN. IN our day "and time, chi'dren are often taken sud- denly, aid at a silrprize; where great attention ought ti be paid to cloathing. and dry beds, oftn sunned. Children should have free liberty ; kec ping children too much confined in the arms of their nurse, and of shutting them up in any one particular'apartment ; they should be indulged in running about the house or yard ; you may take care that they do not climb or go in any dangerous places. But k; ep them from a heedless nurse, for with them, not only their iioihs are in danger, but their lives also. This may be per- nicious to their morals and, happiness through life, which often i.s the case with the rich, who give the care of their children in the hands of heedless slaves. Now, sufficient liberty being granted them,they will of course, breathe in a pure air during the day___ But I must make a remark on the danger of putting children to sleep in a close room, from which every breath of air is excluded : many promising chil- dren have perished in convulsions, by this act of mis- taken kindness. As to the cloathing of children, it is important that every part of it be'made looso and easy. Confinement in this respect must endanger their health, by obstructing the regular motion of the system, and may at length deform them very 62 ON COMMON DISEASES much. Their dress should be moderately warm, and should be varied with the weather and season. It will be found on observation, that in most instances violent fever and croup, happen to those children who are most healthy, and who of course, are per- mitted to run about in cold and windy weather, with- out any change of cloathing ; a very moderate de- gree of care on the part of the mother, might pre- vent much mischief in this respect. In the artiek of food, children may generally be permitted to in- d'ulge their own appetite ; if healthy, they will eat more or less for every hour in the day. It is much better for their health to gratify them as often as they request it, than to confine them to any set meals, adopted to the demands of grown pcojde. While they arc young milk is the best, and ought to be a principal article of their food. Milk, says Dr. Dar- win, is the natural food for children, and must cur- dle in their stomachs befeue digestion ; and as this curdling of milk destroys a part of thejuic.es of the stomach, there is no reason for discontinuing its use; although, it is occasionally thrown out in a curdled state. A child of a week old, which had been taken from the breast of its dying mother, and by some uncommon error, had been suffered to take no food but water gruel—become sick, and griped in twenty-four hours, Was convulsed on the second day, and died on the third. When young children are brought up without the breast, for the first two months, they should have no food but new milk.—It should be weakened with a little water, and some loaf or clean brown sugar, might also be added : but the addition of any kind of bread or flour, is lia- ble to ferment, and produce much acidity, as appears by the consequent diarrhea, with green stools and gripes. They should never he fed as they lie on their backs : in that position they arc necessitated 1« swallow all that is put in their mouths;—but when OF CHILDRJEN. 63 they arc fed as they are sitting up, or raised pretty much, when they have enough they can permit the rest to run out of their mouths. This circumstance is of great importance to the health of those chil- dren, who are reared by tho spoon; if too much food be given them, indigestion, gripes and diarrhea are the consequence ; and if too little, they become e- matiatcd; and of the cxafct quantity, their own pal- ates judge the best. Most mothers, from their natu- ral tenderness fir their infant children,are led to feed them more or less of every article of which they eat themselves. In some instances, it may not happen to do any mischief; but it is always dangerous to oppose the obvious appointments of the God of na- ture. If we would he guided by the intimations giv- en us of his will, we should never feed our children with solid food until they were supplied with teeth for masticating it. I think no vegetable should be giv- en them till they are at least Cwe months old ; for with some it passes the stomach clear, and with some it relaxes, and often causes worms. SOME MORE REMARKS On children, with descriptions of disorders, and ihe symptoms of an atla k, that may be known if strict- < ly attended to before, hand. Jldvice according to al>t complaints that is not seated, £fc. 8[C. It is common for parents to he wholly dependent on physicians for the relief of their children, when- ever they are sick. In difficult and dangerous ca- ses, it certainly is best to procure the most judicious advice ; but as no one can be so deeply interested in the health and happiness of their children as the parents themselves—ix follows, if they have t':e ne- cessary information, that they must, be the proper persons to prescribe to their complaints : the truth 6* ON COMMON DISEASES of this mRy hereafter appear. If parents could know the symptoms* of a violent nUaek of fever, by being eotstimtully with their children, they might r.twKys be apprlied of their first disposition to tlis- eaW This circumstance, would bo very important; since a c,i§<>t\se of whatever kind, is must easily re- moved In Hs forming. Nay mure, a very siiaj l« hvj tun of medieal knowledge would answer this in- v.ntion; any person of common understanding might easily execute. But a fixed disease is ever difficult ef management, and may not only perplex, butbaf- He the most skillful physician. Besides, there aw diseases which require immediate assistance :' tho croup fur example, frequently carries off the patient *o speedily, as not even to admit of culling in a phy- sieian, frftm the distance of our. mile. To prepare the heads of tiuuUi'.<& tor this important trust, would indeed, be a great performance j it may not be ae- tva:piishc uud it isoUca U»« v r*>Vft HINTS Tkt?Viit-eerfflrent*; ^»u\Vn*s»»*%r/'r*£rr their children Qf&. iwhutarli} subject to disease*, and if disordered, to OF CHILDREN. C5 judge of the violence of tlie attack, and being par- ticular, not to be deceived. Parents should be particularly attentive to ob- serve their children minutely, in all their actions, and habits, &e. They should observe the common extent of their appetite, so that any considerble ex- cess >r defiedenry in their eating, may not p;:vs un- noticed. This will be of use, since a considerable change in one of these respects, almost always takes place before a spell of sickness. Attention should be paid to th ir stools. Unimportant as this might at first appear to the inconsiderate, yet a costive hab- it generally precedes an attack of fiver ; the de- gree of exercise and the agility with which it is per- formed, deserve particular observation ; for all fe- vers are ushered in with a degree of slothfullness, a sense of weariness, and with children a more than usual disposition to sleepiness, &e. To see by notieing whether any of the foregoing circumstan- ces take place, after having been exposed to un- usual weather, or seasons of foggy dews, or great- er than ordinary fatigue, or if the place or season be sickly. By having regard to these circumstan- ces, there will be the less danger of being taken at surprize. It is generally the case, that some com- plaints of lesser magnitude go before and give warn- ing of the impending danger: as costiveness, a sense of weariness, duluess of the faculties, preternatu- ral appetite or defect of it, a pain in the limbs, &e. When these maiks Of forming disease, present themselves, a puke or purge timely administered ac- cording to circumstances, might frequently prevent great mischief. Indeed, in many instances, simply bathing the feet in hot water and taking a plentiful draught of warm tea of somekind, on going to bed, might prevent an attack of fever, especially if the patient is not in a costive habit. This last circuni- F2 SG ON COMMON DISEASES stance m-ay be considered in most instances, requir- ing the exhibition oi' a purge of some kind, as also great sickness of the stomach might point out the propriety of a prke. But it will also be important for parents to be able to judge of the violence of the disease. Incase of an attack, they should, there- fore, frequently observe the strength of their chil- dren's pulse, when in health ; its kind of motion, the forccywith which it seems to propel the blood a- long: its apparent size ; its lightness as to its extcn- tion length ways of the arm ; its fullness, &c. A knowledge of these circumstances attending the pulse, will be very important in particular cases, especially where bleeding may be necessary; for this operation cannot be proper unless the pulse be either strong and full, or tight; at least judicious advice should be had in cases, with other states of the pulse. They should also have regard to the man- ner of breathing in a health}7 child; to the state of his skin ; the appearance of his eyes ; the complexion ef his teeth ; the colour and degree of moisture of his tongue ; the proper figure and appearanee of I i> mouth and throat. For as the violence and dan- < rcrof a dheuse are always in proportion to the ir- leguLrity presented in these circumstances and ap. I earacs; it must be important to obtain a correct knovvb (jigc of them all. To apply these remarks in a case, «.r two, let it be observed that children are Mibjee.t to some of the most violent diseases. If a child after exposure t«> cold, be taken suddenly at night when warm in bed, if the pulse be strong, full and tight, if it beat forcibly in the neck, if the face be flushed with blood, while, there is great heat and thirst, if he breathe irregularly with a stoppage at every breath, have a cough, and particularly if he expresses an increase of pain, on pressing his side with the hand ; a pleurisy should be suspected, and be should be immediately bled ; and this operation OF CHILDREN. 67 should be repeated again and again, as often as the violence of ti.c symptoms require. It may be ob- served, that a large bleeding at first is better than smaller ones repeated. It should be so large as at any rate to change the manner of his breathing, and lessen the pain ; the blood should be drawn from a large orifice. After a copious bleeding, let three grains of tartar emetic and twenty grains of salt- jietre be dissolved in one gill of water, and give a tea spoonful of this solution in barley water or flaxseed tea, or any other mild drink, a little warmed every one, two or three hours ; it will moderate the cough, and remove the the fever. If it nauseate too much, the dose should be lessened; as this calculation would suit a child of four or five years old ; the quantity of tartar should be varied according to circumstances. In the mean time, his bowels should be evacuated with a little manna, cream of tartar, castor-oil, or some other mild purge. Glysters might also be of service. Again, if the child complains of pains in the head, attended with redness of the eyes and face; if the admission of the light torhis eyes seems to excite uneasiness, or pain ; if he startles at every noise;be very watchful; sometimes making violent struggles, and a full and tighter hard pulse ; inflammation of the brain should be suspected. In this case, the child should be copiously bled ; purged with jallop & calomel and glystered; his head should be considerably raised; cloths wet with cold water and vinegar, should be applied to his head. And after bleeding and purging, a blister should be applied to his head, (shaved for the purpose) or to his two temples. I have introduced the above cases in this place, because more or less of those symptoms, indicating danger to the lungs and brain, frequently occur.— In measles, whooping-cough, and other diseases of 63 A FULL DESCRIPTION OF children, and because it is important, that these parts of the system, so essential to life, should be properly guarded ; whatever may be the supposed complaint, whether it may be owing to the greater proportionate size of the head, and the more deli- cate contexture of the lungs in children ; or to what- ever cause it may be attributed, it is a fact, that in all fevers, there is a greater determination of the blood to the brain and lungs in children's cases, than in those of adults. A FULL DESCRIPTION OF WORMS IN CHILDREN, &c. THE symptoms pointing out the presence of Worms are various, and are the following, to-wit: Grinding of the teeth, starting in sleep, a dry cough bringing up a frothy spittle, sighing, and suffocating manner of breathing, pain in the side, lockup, heart burn, vomiting, lax, sudden urgings to go to stool, costiveness, slimy stools, night sweats, sour breath, flushing of one cheek, itching of the nose, an excess- ive appetite, lying much on the belly, a swelling of the partition of the nose and of the upper lip, the actual voiding of more or less Worms, a wasting away of the limbs and the whole body, jaundice, head- ache, deadly snoring in sleep, convulsions, 6cc. &c. Our first care should be to prevent the danger- ous effects of Worms ; and there are various articles of food, which will answer this intention. "Nature," says Dr. Rush in his medical enquiries, «has wisely guarded children against the morbid effects of Worms, by implanting in them an early appetite for common salt, ripe fruits and saccharine substances, all of which appear to be among the most speedy and effectual poisons for worms." Ever since I WORMS IN CHILDREN. <*9 •bserved the effects of sugar, and other sweet sub- stances upon worms, I have recommended the liber- al use of all them in the diet of children, with the happiest effects. The medicines proper for the remo- val of worms, are common salts; tins may be given in doses of thirty, upon an empty stomach in the morning, and is an excellent remedy. Sugar or molasses in large quantities, so that they may pass out of the stomach without undergoing any material thango from digestion; in smaller quantities they will destroy worms in the stomach only. The press- ed juice of onions and garlic are said to be consid- erably efficacious against the excess of worms. Gun- powder, a tea spoonful to be given in the morning upon an empty stomach; perhaps three fourths of the same quantity of salt petre would answer just as well. Carolina pink root: If this article be proper- ly used it is a certain remedy ; about half an ounce may be gently stewed in half a pint of water, 'till its strength is properly extracted ; then let the decoc- tion be strained and well" sweetened with sugar or molasses, and give one fourth of it every, two or three hours, to a child four or live years old. I have generally thought it best to add to each dose, about one eighth of an ounce of manna. The importance of this addition will appear when it is remarked, that the pink-root is poisonous, and if given in too large quantities, kills the child to whom it is given. Aloes, four to six grains; rhubarb, eight to fifteen grains; Jesuits bark, bears4foot, worm-seed ; these are all said to be good worm medicines,; calomel, this is an excellent and safe remedy, whether given by itself, or combined with jallop. It is most effec- tual, however, when given in large doses: from four to eight grains, might be given to a child of four to six years old. But of all the medicines that I have adininistereel, says Dr. Rush, «I know of none more safp and certain tljan the simple preparation of iron 70 WORMS IN THE LAST STAGE. whether it be given in the form of steel filings or of the rust ofiron ; if ever they fail of success, it is because they are given in too small doses.' I gen- erally prescribe from five to thirity grains every morning, to children between one and ten years old. I have been taught by an old sea captain, who was cured of a tape worm ten feet and a half, by this me- dicine ; give from two drachms to a half an ounce of it every morning, for three or four days, not only with safety, but with success. I generally give i£ in honey, or take a pieee of allum as big as a bean, and beat it fine, and mix with honey for three or four days. THE DESCRIPTION AND MANAGEMENT OF WORMS IN THE LAST STAGE. A CHILD may be known to have the worms by chilliness, paleness, hollow eyes, itching of the nose, starting in sleep, and an unusal stinking breath. It is not considered that children that live on milk to be troubled with worms much. Now to loosen the worms : boil a half an ounce of aloes, powdered, with a few sprigs of rue, wormwood and camomile, in half a pint of gall, to the consistency of a plais- ter ; spread this on thin leather and apply to the stomach ; changing it every twelve hours for three days; then t;iki a dose of jallop, and it will bring vast quantities of worms away—some burstcd and some alive. This will cure when no internal medi- cine avails, &c.—Or get a good chance of garlic, and beat it fine, to have a poultice and hind to the icily every full and change, and in three times doing you will find a wonderful effeet. A child that the doctors had give out, and the child lay lik" a dead person, this was tried with joy, for there came up- wards of one hundred and twenty, little and big.— T.I "5 TAPEWORM. 71 But I think it best to get a large red onion, and cut a hole in it, put in some fine brimstone?, and roast it well, get the juice of it, and take before and after the poultice, night and morning ; let their diet be as light as possible. Or take a spoonful of the juice of bmmons, or two spoonfuls of nettle juice, the bu'k of open peeeh tree, about a handful boiled in a quart of water to a pint, and take a half gill, from four years cdd to fifteen ; if you peal it down it will jpirge ; if you peal it rp it will vomit. If worms come, in the throat and stomach, t;.ke a little indigo and water, it will sink them instantly ; or bind these red fishing worms alive to the navel; this is said to be wonderful ; or fake a piece of copperas as big as a pe;;. and give to a child two or three years old, in a litlh- new milk ; heat up and bind worm wood, rue, fei herfew, tansy and beef's gall, to the belly as a poultice, ke. DESCRIPTION OF THE TAPE WORM, ke. THIS is a melancholy and sad complaint, which m; kes a peison suffer a great deal of misery, often in the limbs. The main seat of the tape worm, is in the pit of the stomach, often makes them have a craving ap- appetite ; and sometimes the victuals turn sour on the stomach, and pains often times in the stomach, with a great heat jn the stomach, like a heart burn. The tape worm is flat, and very long and full of joints, is of a clear white color. But the round and short worm, they generally are seated in the end gut. and causes a disagreeable itching about the seat. The long round worms, occasioned with a vomiting and a disagreeable breath, gripes, loose- ness and swelling of the belly, and loathing of food; at times a dry cough and convulsions, and sometimes 72 THE TAPE WORM, &c. an alteration of speech. These and the tape worms, have nearly the same symptoms ; and it is my opin- ion, that the greater half of mankind dies with worms, and is taken to be other complaints. To know the complaints, is half the nreiiciuc: except the medicine is applied to suit the complaint, it loo- ses its virtue, augments the disorder, and flings the patient in a worse situation. For instance, an ax is made to cut a tree, and a mattox is made to e -ub, take the muttci:: to cut and the ax to grub, and se| what way you will make. So it i.s by contrary me'lieine. Now concerning the tape worm : Take a dou- ■ ble handful of pine tops, nine star roots, a gallon e>f hard cider, and a good chance of rusty iron ; boil this to a pint, and take a table spoonful three times a day; anil fifteen drops of laudanum, going to bed, or take four or five drops of turpentine , and be- ware of getting wet; put a bladder of new milk as hot as you can bear, at night going to bed, on the pit of the stomach ; or get a vial of hollamus oil, and take these drops twice a day. This is a Dutch medicine; the name of it is printed callemillical.— This medicine is good for fits; but keep from hog- meat, and clear from spirits. Here is another med- icine : Get a handful of the bark of the root of the north side of the mulberry, and boil it in a gallon of new milk; take this for three days, before the full, and three days before the change, for three moons, and the lighter the diet the better. I never knew this fail; when it is boiled it is like beaslcns. Or puke with tartar, and drink a bitter of the baik of the root of cucumber, and the bark of the tree, and the cucumber seed, and the butterfly root; drink of this three times a day, &c. &c. I have given my friends and well beloved, as REFLL^llU.Na. 7$ clear a description as lies in my power, and as far as my knowledge leads. I allow midwives, doctors, and all other professions to pursue ; and if they pursue further, the work is damaged ; but if the workmen stop when they are gone as far as their knowledge leads thcm,and do not try experiinents.and send for a greater workman, and he tries his skill, the work is neat. For Christ says, -thata king will keep his palace till a stronger than he comes, and takes it from him." So he that fears God, and has a regard for man, will go no farther than their knowledge leads them. Rut I have seen m my tra- vels, some that would come to the sick, and would •ivc a little medicine, and keep the patient linge. - ine, till with their rough butchery, often times they hardly recover; and if the patient lived or died, they were as greedy after their money as hungry vul- tures after their prey; not having the fear ot GoiMie- fore their eyes ; not thinking they have to die them- selves. We know this is a serious point, by wot experience ; for many has been the cries of the w i'1 owand orphans in this way, in my opinion. And further than this—I have a desire to talu ^ the midwives, without offence, when it is grante.. that there are some woman skilled in the art o; midwifery. The known liberality of the ladies. will indulge me in a declaration, that most of those who make pretensions to this important profession, are exceedingly ignorant and self conceited. A great proportion of them have been introduced into the practice, by being caught as they commonly call it, with some one or more women. Their known ignorance forbids them to he officious; and nature unassisted, or rather uninterrupted, performed her own office ; pronerlv the soccess in each case, un- iu*Uy attributed* to the attending woman ; encour- aging others to employ her, she is presently consid- G T* REFLECTIONS. 4 cred a deep proficient in the art ; her vanity keeps an equal pace with the fame of her skill ; and in a little tine, she affects considerable knowledge of most diseases ; is dubbed a mighty doctre-s, an'J not un- frequently has the address to impose her fanciful prescriptions upon a whole extensive neighborhood. 1 have no wish that all shook; be,forsaken: by no means—expediency, and their popularity forbid; • but it is right to demand of them a submission to their own proper station ; for as often as they exceed^ their due bounds, they do violence to the laws of God, and the cause of humanity. Within the limits of a \ certain sphere, they might be useful and 1 especta- . 'hie. If they would extend their usefulness, let them ' first learn how little knowledge they possess ; that ' they may exert themselves in making more exten- sive attainments. There is no doubt, that all wish their services to be beneficial; or that many arc re- luctantly drawn into the practice. But, ^however | good or humane, their intention, it often is to get " the applause, and often does great damage to their *■ neighbor's wives ; and except they quit the work- , when their skill is out, they will spoil the work as I said at first. So let a greater, a stronger than 1 them, b;ke the palace. As I close one thing, I willj propose another : If I have said wrong, shew me. my error, and I will ask a thousand pardons. S THE MESENTERIC FEVER. THERE is another disease, which has its prin- cipal seat in the intestinal glands, and may there- . fore be proper enough admissable in this place. It is a fever excited by obstructions in the mesentery.; from which circumstance, it has its name. Children are subject to it from infancy, up to the age of three THE MESENTERIC FEVER. 75 or four, and even six or eight years. This fever remits, and sometimes has irregular intermissions, attended with a loss of appetite, swelled belly, and pain in the bowels : and has often been mistaken for worms. If, therefore,, the usual remedies for worms should fail, the child will sooner or later be affected with inuigestion, costiveness, or purging; irregular appetijp, flushed cheeks, or total loss of colour, impaired strength and spirits, remiting fe- ver, a hard swelled belly, and emaciated limbs.— These symptoms, will therefore, sufficiently specify the disease ; it frequently follows measles, and oth- er eruptive fevers. Children that are condned to. coarse and unwholsomc food ; are badly cloathed ; not kept sufficiently clean, specify the disease. It frequently follows measles, and other eroptr/e fe- vers, or those neglected so as not to receive sufficient exercise, are most subject to its attack. Hence, tho negro children of the southern states, frequently pe- rish with this fever. When any symptoms of this destructive disease present themselves, enquiry should be made into the manner of feeding, cloathing and cleaning the chihl ; and every error in the articles must be cor- rected : and if the patient has not too long labored under its influence, frequent purging with calomel will of itself perforin a cure. Fn more advanced stages of this complaint, it would behest to call in the aid of aphysieian : but woerc this is impracti- cable, proceed to give the following b dus three times a week : Take calomel, two grains : ipecacue.mv, from half a grain to one grain ; nurmeg or ginger, powdered (six grains) to be mixed up in honey sir- rup, for one dose for a child from two to four years old; fifteen or twenty drops of antimonial wine may be given the intervening nights where the calomel is not used. Having continued these remedies tiil ihe fever is removed, hardness of. the belly subsided, 76 THE HOOPING COUGIL &c. then the strength of the patient should be re- stored, by the use of the bark, steel, cold bath, bit- ters of columbo and orange peel, or camomile flow- ers, &Ci Gentle exercise, friction, light nourishing food, cv.c. All greasy or fat articles should be avoid- ed, as also those preparations of pastry, Which arc often of a clammy nature, occ. THE HOOPING COUGH, OR CHIN COUGH. THI3 disease commonly falls upon a whole neigh-. < borhood about the same time, and is therefore, said I to be epidemic. It is manifestly contagious ; it af- • feet3 persons but once in their lives. Children, therefore, are most commonly the subjects of it; sometimes, however, it occurs in persons consider- i My advanced in life: but grown persons, and those . who are elderly in proportion to their age, are less liable to be affected than children, and youths grow- ing up. This complaint at first, puts on the ap- j pcarancc of a common cold ; and Dr. Culliu, makes mention of instances which never assumed any oth- After the disease has continued some weeks, and.especially if the patient-J be much reduced, the fed lowing- dose calculated fora^i child, three or four years ©hjyiuay betuscful : Say . calomel, one sixth" part of «i .grajn,;.; rhubarb, twd grains, to be combined aiVd/owepea-ted^ twice a day; but opium will be very pernicious as long as blood letting is proper. Towards the close of the complaint, all feeble pa.ieni> should be daily carried out ou " horseback. This is a most excellent remedy, txtv - THE MEASLES, fcc-, » * THIS disease is epidemic; it depends on a spe- cific contagion, ami occurs most frequently in chil- tiren; no age, however, is exempted from it, if the person has not been subjected to it'before. It com- . moniy first appears in Uu'ihflnth of January, and , ceases after the middle of the: summer ; but by various accidents, it may be produced at other times;j of the year. The symptoms are nearly as follows : The dis- ease always begins with a cold chill, which is soon followed by the -usual symptoms of fever, as thirst, heat, loss of appetite, anxiety, sickness and vomit-*i jug, and these are more or less considerable in different cases: in many instances, the fever for the first two days is inconsiderable; and in different ca- ses, sometimes it is violent from the beginning, and/. .•!v.ays be:e..tics violent before the eruption appears.! Tliio fever is always attended with hoarseness; with " a freqniit hoarse, dry cough, and often with some ditScul.y of breathing : the eyes inflamed and wa- tery ; there is a discharge from the nose, with fre- THE MEASLES, &c. 79 qucnt sneezing; inmost instances the patient is drowsy in the beginning; the eruption commonly ap- pears on the fourth day : first on the face, and suc- cessively on the lower parts of the body, It shews itself first in small red points, which collect togeth- er in clusters on the face, and where they are easily perceived to be a little elevated by the senceof touch; nut they can scarcely be felt on other parts of the body. The redness of the face continues, and some- times increases for two days. On the third day, the vivid redness is changed to a brownish red, and in a day tir two more, the eruption entirely disappears, and is followed by a branny scale. During the whole time of the eruption, the face appears full, but not much swelled ; sometimes the fever disappears as soon as the eruption takes place. But this is seldom the case. More Commonly it continues, or is in- creased_after the eruption; and insomeinstances,even after the branny scales appear. As long as the fe- ver exists in a considerable degree, the cough contin- ues, and that generally with an increase of the diffi- culty of breathing, Sometimes an inflammation of the lungs takes place ; this is a very serious circum- stance when it occurs, and ought to be specially ob- served. All the above symptoms -admit of very great va- riation ; and in some cases, there will be in addition to them, soreness of the throat; spitting blood mix- ed with phlegm coughed up ; gripes, diarrhea and bloody & tools. I suppose that fourteen days inter- vene between the time of receiving the infection, and the appearance of the disease. It may be well to observe, that the eruption does not invariably ap- pear on the third or fourth day,but varies even to the eighth ; neither does the eruption disappear invaria- bly on a certain day, nor in an unchanging manner; ?- ,r is it always followed by the branny scales. The 80 THE MEASLES, &c. fever attending the measles, is in mo^t instances, of the inflammatory kind ; but by improper manage- ment or neglect, as well as by the pre-disp >sing cir- cumstances attending the patient, it may assume a different form. The remedies to bo employed in this disorder: Bloodletting: this is always necessary when there is a full pulse, attended with great pain and violent cough ; and that too in every stage of the disease, whether before or after the eruption takes place ; or even after the eruption has entirely disappeared. Vomits: adosc of ipecacuanha will gen- erally remove the sickness at the stomach; sooth- ing drinks, such as barley water, balm tea, flaxseed H tea, cider or vinegar mixed with water, or apple water, dried cherry water, &c. These moisten the throat, and afford much relief. Blisters after suf- ficient evacuation by bleeding ; otherwise blisters ! may be applied to the neck and sides ; they prevent injury to the lungs. Opiates ) if the pulse be soft and the patient labors under the distressing symp- | toms of the diarrhea and cough, opium may be used, not only at night, but at any time during the day. In most instances, if the patient be kept cool, • and take opening and cooling drinks, &c. ; if he be r bled when the symptoms are violent, as also about the time the measles disappear, or when the bran- ny "scale presents itself, and if his bowels be open- ed on the third and fourth day of the eruption with cr<*,ain of tartar, flour of sulpher, manna, or the like ; little else will be wanting, especially in chil- dren's cases. Here, let it be particularly observed, ( that in every instance, where the eruption seems to ^ take place with difficulty,and where the pulse is full, and with other niarks of great fever; all spiritous liquors and other heating medicines, are highly per- %1 nicious ; in such cases frequent bleeding would be , much more proper. It may be useful also, to observe, j that there is a fever* which sometimes takes place ,] THE CROUP, OR HIVES. 81 during the prevalence of the measles, very much re- sembling that disease, even assuming the appearance of an eruption. But persons are still liable to take the true measles, after having been subjected to this disease ; it is sometimes attended with symptoms of the croup, that is to say, the hives; and in that case, (he treatment must be the same, as if croup were the original disorder ; in all other respects the rem- edies useful in measles might be employed in this kind of fever. Patients when recovering from the measles, are frequently subject to diarrhea ; this un- comfortable symptom, may be removed by moderate doses of opium, frequently repeated. The drinks recommended above will bc-of great use. Sore eyes sometimes follow the measles ; these are to be cured by blistering the temples, and back of the neck, and washing the eyes with a weak solution of white vitriol. A cough and fever frequently attend for some time after the eruption disappears : these aro to be relieved by a vegetable diet ; warmth, and gently riding out'in the fresh air. When the mea- sles are expected, it will be found beneficial to pre- pare for them, by living chiefly on milk and vegeta- ble diet, and by avoiding every kind of spirits, &c. FOR THE CROUP, OR HIVES. IN this disease, Dr. Rush, makes two important distinctions: the first is attended with spasm and a dry cwugh ; the second is without spasm, and the pa- tient under its influence, is able to cough upaconsid- able quantity of phlegm. The spasmodic croup comes on suddenly, and that generally in the night; has frequent and perfect intermissions of the symp- toms for hours, and sometimes even for days; is at- tended with a dry cough as above, and is at last par- S-Z THE CROUP, OR HIVES. tieularly relieved by the warm bath, asafetida, opi^ urn, &c. To be more particular, the child will prob- ably go to bed in perfect health, and in.an hour or two wake in a fright, with his face much flushed, or even of a purple color, he will be unable to describe what he feels ; will breath with much labor, and with a peculiar convulsive motion of his belly ; his, breathing will also be very quick, attended with a sound as if he were threatened with a speedy suffoca-'^ tion ; the terror of the child increases his disorder,. and he will cling to the nurse, and if not speedily re- lieved by coughing, belching, sneezing, vomiting or purging, the suffcation will increase ; the child will die. It is remarkable that the cough in this disease very much resembles in sound the barking of a young dog. There are also, during the continuance of the disorder, frequent eruptions of little red bloches on the skin, which for the time, seem to af- ford relief; and this eruption will sometimes' ap- pear and disappear two or three times, in the course of the complaint. For the cure in this first distinc- tion of the croup, the remedy is "bleeding : when.* the difficulty of breathing is great, the fac3 much- flushed, or when the patient expresses much pain h\j coughing, this remedy is absolutely necessary, ai should be repeated as often as may be requisite. For subduing these symptoms, void'. ;, from five ten grains of ipecacuanha,with two orthrcegrainsdf ealomel may be given to a child from two to four .; years old; or half a grain oftartar emetic,with three or four grains of ipecacuanha; or five grains of ipe- cacuanha with two or three grains of tiirpel h mineral or a tea spoonful of antimonial wine, or a spoonfed of a strong decoction of seneca, ^called also rattle snake root ; every de>se used, it should he repeated \ till the intended effect is produced. But bleeding ought first to he performed. Purges: jallop ami cal- omel, from five to ten grains of the former, with to¥ THE CROUP, OR HIVES. 83 two or four of the latter, may be given to a child, of three to five, or six grains, or jallop eight to twelve grains, or castor oil ; but this is scarcely active e- nough for so Violent a disease ; the warm bath may he used either before or after the bleeding; but it will be most effectual after the evacuations, and ought to be repeated daily for some time. Glyster--: milk and water, or chicken broth , or thin gruel may be used for this purpose ; and in some instances, where the spasms remain after bleeding, 6cc. fifteen drops or the tincture of opium may be occasionaly added to the injections ; ten to fifteen grains of tartar e- nietic dissolved in half a pint of thin gruel or chick- en broth—water is an excellent injection. Blisters will be found very serviceable, after the evacuations of bleeding and purging; these may be applied to the back part of the neck, or to the side of the patient; when blisters are properly admissible, opium, asa- fedita, ccc. may used with safety. The second distinction of this* disorder is attend- ed with symptoms very similar to those of the first; but may be known by its coming on gradually, and that commonly in the day time; by its continuing and frequently increasing for several days without any remarkable remission, or even abatement of the symptoms, by the discharge of phlegm, from the windpipe by coughing; as also by the appearance of slime in the stools, and lastly by its refusing to yield to the warm bath, opium, &c. The remedies proper in this kind of croup, are as before; but with some variation: Bleeding when the breathing is difficult, the face flushed, the pulse tight, kc. Vomits, as under the first distinction. Purges. But in this case calomel only should be used. The principal dependence should. be placed upon this medicine. A large dose should be given as soon as the disorder discovers itself. Six or eight grains fo a «hild four years old ; afterwards smaller doses Si PUTRID SORE THROAT, &c. should be given every day, so long as any of the symptoms coninue, from two to four grains might answer this intention. It is important that relief should be afforded. The first attack of this violent disease, if neglected, it will be fatal in almost eve- ry instance, kc. I often have found benefit from this medicine : That is, get an egg, or take the white and a piece of alluni as big as a patridge egg, and beat it hue ; take the same quantity of beat brim-. one, mix them altogether, and take the clear water-. "* that comes from that, and give them a little now and then: This will drive them out immediately. Or sca- rify them between the shoulders and catch the blood, and mix with breast milk, and g»*e them to drink. '1 This has relieved many in the hives, &e. THE TUTRID SORE THROAT, kc. THIS is a fever from contagion. It generally appears in autumn, from September to December. Children and women are more subject to it than men ; and persons with black eyes are more subject ^ to its attack than others. More boys recover fn m it than girls. It generally follows moist, wet and hazy weather.,. The principal symptoms attending it are great weakness, slight eruption, weak, a quick pulse, and ulcers in the .throat; delirium, especially at night; diarrhea, inflamed and watery eyes ; a Hat and rat- .4 tling voice; the ulcers and sloughs in the throat are of a whitish ash, color, and the breath of the patient is very offensive to the smell. ' The remedies are pukes: say ipecacuanha,ten grains and calomel. f« ur grains; to be taken together, as a dose for a child of eight or ten years old ; bark, wine and cordial aliment; the bark should be givenf senna an 1 inauna;cream oi tartar combined may be daily repeated. If the disease be prolonged for sev- eral davs. it is the more necessary that a physician should be called in, because bleeding in the common way might do harm. But where the propriety of * hi eding is doubtful, an emetic might generally be „ given with safety. If there be frequent or involun- tary stools, we must be cautious not to adminis- ter any thing which may do injury. In such a case , glysters of chicken water, or flour and water boiled \ to a proper consistence ; or ttax-seed tea ought to be often repeated. It requires judgment to deter- mine the propriety of correcting this diarrhea. If ' however, it becomes necessary through the debility ., of the patient to check it, an infusion of Columbo root, or flowers of cammomile may be used. As al- so the starch glyster, with the addition of fifty drops of the tincture of opium. Should a hUkuping come bn, take spiribLpf nitre, one quarter of an ounce, clean water one half pint, and white sugar at discre- tion. Of this mixture give two spoonfuls every two or three hours. She should breathe pure air ; strict regard should be had to cleanliness ; her rescmust be secured ; and silence should be carefully preser- ved. 11 is thought, (not with good reason) this fe- ver may be communicated by contagion. This cir- cumstance will make it necessary for the midwife to be cautious in every respect, so as not to convey it from one to another. To take/cinquefoil, white plan- 96 CHILD BED FEVER, &c. tain, mountain tea, and maiden's hare, to make a drink of it, is wonderful good ; and so is dogwood bark mixed with salt petre. FOR ihe infection of the womb—likewise a dropsical) swelling vf the womb—with ihe abate of ihe lams, % #<•• 1 A dropsy of the womb often proceeds from wind' or water; the belly so swells and increases, that it deceives many, thinking they were with child, when they are not. This is an unusual swelling, raising. oy the gathering of the water, from moisture mixed"' wi:h the teems. The symptoms of this disorder a rev- nearly these: The lower parts of the belly and pri- vates are puffed up and pained, the feet swells, the natural color of the face declines, the appetite is of- e] ten gone, the terms are but few, and sometimes cease altogether; her breast is also soft and flabby: this ia known from a common dropsy, because the lower part of the belly is mostly swelled: but a general dropsyj often follows after. Here is the remedies for the] cure, and is good for any dropsies: Take eiglr ounces of red centry, five ounces of dogwood barf a large handful of cedar tops, a double, handful of horse reddish, a double handful of anvil scales, twtfj spoonfuls of black mustard seed, patjiLin two gallons and a half of strong apple cider, andiet it stand four or five days, and take a gill morning, noon and night; andiet your constant drink be mallard tea, sink field tea, sage tea, whey, cider and balm tea, and apple water; and let your diet be as light as possible^ kc. Or take and file rusty iron, a half pint, put to a quart of rye whisky ; let this stand 'till it getfJ strong, take a table spoonful three times a day, and <• live on light diet. Let about fifty or a hundred new naSls stand in a pewter bason, and keep water in THE MENSES, kc. 97 that for your constant drink. And every nine days take as m.ich anvil dus; as will lie on the point ot a case knife twice: the an*, il dust is made thus, wash it e-lean and beat it fine, take- the inside of the north side of dogwood bark and dry it, beat it line, mix ;io coial olantity and take it in honey ; take fifteen to ps of laudanum g dug to bed the night that you .take the. anvil dust and dogwood. In the morning, *'\[' the, whisky and ruM, of iron he too strong, add Muoee whiskv. Let your diet be light, and fake a dose «f c.tlonr ! once a m nth. Von u e i-, leave oif the, other medicine three or fmr d-tys before you take the calomel, kc I have e-ieed one in a 'i.sue.ra^e ee.se by t'ni.s medicine, tl-iat i.3,to ee* three. .,r four cloves of garlic every morn- ■ ing with hard biscuit and butter, and fast, two hours i\:\cv it ; ami let y ourdrink be water that fennel ha:ii been steeped in: You will find reii-f in a short ti.ne. An.I .: ; tin, some men are so gross and fat that they c in hareliy walk or eio any business ; let such do the same, and they will soon find relief, tkc. THE MENSES, &c. THERE is a certain periodical evacuation which takes place vvkh all healthy fun ales, beginning w.ieu they arrive, at twelve or fifteen years of age, and continuing on 'till forty five or fifty. This I cannot rail a disease, as it is universal to the sex, and as there cannot be health without it. You should begin indue time to instruct your daughters in the crmduet and management of themselves. At this critical time of life, a few lessons seasonably given, niav nrevent much mi-chief. But little attention is ncJe is iry to know when this discharge is about to I 98 THE MENSES «kc. commence. There arc particular symptoms which go before it, and foretell its approach, as a sense of heat and weight, with a di.ll pain in the loins, a swelling and hardness of the breast, head ache, loss of appetite, uncommon weikncss of the limbs, pale- .*: nessofthe countenance; and sometimes a slight degree of fever. Whenever these symptoms appear about the age at which the terms begin to flow, ev- ery thing that obstructs it, must be carefully avoided, and such means used as tend to bring it forward. She should sit over the steam of warm-water, ha- < thing her feet at the same time in a vessel filled wiih the same, and so deep as to reach up to her j knees. She should drink freely of warm diluting liquors, such as weak flaxseed tea, mallow or balm .J teas; or sweat <;ver bitter herbs. 1 The most proper time for these things, is the even- 1 ing ; so that she may cover herself up warmly iw bed , after Ihe bathing, and after, continuing the drink ' until bed time, cVc. Some precautions howevci-, are , necessary before the symptoms, which usher in tins j discharge, present Hiemselvcs. For if she be close- jj iy eonfi.icd about this time, and be not engaged in J s;nfe active employment, which may give proper A exercise to her whi.de body, she will become weak, v* relaxed and sickly ; her countenance will be pale, If- her spirits will sink, her vigour decline, and she **.• perhaps will become weakly and sickly the remain- der of her life. It is often the case, that the daugh- ters of the fashionable and wealthy, who, according to custom, have been much indulged, entirely give ™ themselves up to indolence at this critical time; and brjing upon themselves such irregularities as ren- der them miserable for life. We seldom meet with complaints from cold, as it is commonly called, a- inong active and industrious girls. While on the y contrary, the indolent and slothful arc seldom freed from ibem. A sprightly disposition, and an habit- THE MENSES, kc. 99 ua! cliierfd-ies-5, ought to h^ cultivated with all pos- sible attention, not only as conducive to prevent obstructions, but ;>st!ie best defence ,>gainst vapours ^ftnil hysterics. Tin cheerfulness however which I hero recommend, is nut mere mirth and laughter; it is a culm and uniform serenity whieh prepares a ra- tional being thankfully and heartily to enjoy the real comforts of life; it is a peculiar spring which gives to the mind as much activity when in retire- ment, as in a ball room. Towards this time ovevy thing which has a tendency to impair digestion and d> i-iiige the regular moiioos of the. system, ought to b;> avoided; such as eating largely, of brash light clothes, 1 .ss if sleep and excessive exercise. To tins last wo m \y generally amx dancing, change. of cloaths without proper regard being had to their degree oi" w-u'int'i, i» frequently productive of mis- chief; occasional exposure of the skin to coed air if continued but a short time only, seldom does inju- ry. But a groat c.Vuige in the cloaths from warm to cool is frequently very pernicious ; changes of this kind ought to be brought about in a gradual manner. I have known serious effects from too long exposure of the feet to-wet and cold. Country girls frequently wade, through the water, walk bare- fiot in the morning, and sit without don:* lor hones in tho evening. <\e. Either of these nc*s may do in- parable damage ; whether about the time of t J to iirst flowing of the menses, or a? anytime of its return. Indeed such exposure as e.t another time might produce no ill «-«f et. may at this junr- tiiru be f-dlowod by irretrievable daim.g" to h-r health. But. after all your care, it vid vmuumes happen, that tho courses will not b1 go to flow? at that period e^f life when they usually in.r;e» their ap- pearance. Should this be the case, and in co':-.-. queucc ed* their retention, her health -and spirits be- gin to decline, by no means be persuaded to, eoubne 100 MENSTRUATION, eVe. her foher room, nor expect to restore !:er by Ir \! and medicine, only ; instead of confinement carry her abroad into agreeable eompuoy ; turn her at- tention to some interesting employ mint: let in r eat plentifully of w is'-h some food. u\v.\ promote its di- gestion by faking regularly asumVieui portion w- er extremities in water about-blood warm, to be; con- tinued h:df an hour just he lore going to bed : on lying down, give from twenty-five to filiy drops .t the tincture < !' opium ; repeat this plan every night fill the pair,-, »Uvi-; afterwards in the iu'ervah, be- tween the liars of the di.seh.srge. take something to i\ Tel. on the-tern,.-,: take- Ihe La-ge.st ..:io •, s: pullet yc^i clm get, 1'ial nevv-r i..id uu egg. pick her vvilhe.nt V] MENSES, &c. 101 scalding, beat her to pieces and boil her well, and let the patient drink this about the change; this is wonderful; birch bark tea, wild cherry tree bark tea, or rattle top roots for a tea, or sweat with sen- eca snake root, .Kins to boil put in a handful of pine buds, let it cool and put in the white of three eggs, and nine star.;£ roots* and take a table spoonfed three times a day ; ; and fifteen drops of laudanum going to bed, and live on light diet; and if there is nothing more than what you c-.all a common cold, she will be restored to ( her health again. OBSTRUCTION OF THE MENSES, f-. CONTLVUED LY THE SECO.YU dJ\nD THIRD DlSTIJYCTlOvYti, #c. IN this distinction, is a mixed state of the disease; V At is the consequence of debility induced by a coin- plaint of some kind, which goes before it; the dis- 7 charge gradually lessens in quantity; becomes ir- regular ; and at length disappears ; and if, howev- er, she declined in a gradual manner, and is subject to dejection of spirits ; to a want of appetite, and to flashings of heat over the skin, a small cough, a weakness in the back, a coolness of the feet; at times a pressing and bearing down, with a kind of itching and burning of the lower extremities; and often times when you make water it will appear to t burn you. The pains work in the sides of some like pleurisy ; sometimes a tingling in the flesh, like f little pins shirking in you ; a dcadness and a sleep- f iness in the flesh, kc. The remedies must be given v her with care,and beware of taking cold. Except she is restored to her common health with care, it will turn to a deep consumption, or some fatal complaint. I have known the severest convulsive fits occasion- ed by it. Beat some puecoon roots fine, put a good large table spoonful to a quart of apple cider, a ta- ' ble Spoonful of sweet fennel seed, and dried birch bark the same, let them stand three or four days, and take a table spoonful night and morning, and beware of eating hog-meat, or milk ; but such as beef, mutton, chicken, squirrels and butter. If this medicine makes you feel weak and feeble wdien you first take it, with a sick feeling at the stomach; and when that is off. you have a craving appetite, but do not eat your fill, but eat little and often, and take s care of taking cold. If the medicine works this way, it will be of wonderful effect to you, and no doubt will restore you to your health again : fori have iOi MENSES, kc. cured many with this medicine. Or get a handful of sweet modly, a handful of buttcr-ily roots, and two or three table spoonfuls of camomile flowers, a hand- ful of vervain roots, a handful of red centaury, put these to a half a gallon of rye whiskey, and take of this according as you can drink it, three or four j times a day, and live on light diet, and take care of taking cold or getting wet; and let your drink be cooling such as balm tea, cinquefoil tea, ground ivy 4 tea, mallard tea, kc. Perhaps a sweat may be needful, | and here is the best kind of sweat for this complaint j and common colds that I ever tried—here is the di-tl rections to manage the sweat: Take a couple of ^ good large rocks, heat them well in the fire, and put them in a pan a piece, lay the bed down in the floor, j and let the patient lay on the back in the middle of j the bed, and put a pan each side of her as level with the heart as you can, then put on fine bush on the 4 rocks to keep it from burning the cover, then put I the cover over all, and pour cold water on the rocks f as the patient can bear the steam ; and when the bor,i dy is in a sweat, the feet is as cold as if the patient f was dead ; then when the body is in a good sweat, h move the rocks to the knees, and let the steam con- tinue there 'till the feet sweats well. This takes the,- cold out of the body better than any sweat I ever knew. But when the steam begins, you are to give some steeped seneca snake root, or black snake -root,$ or wild ginger roots, or a table spoonful of Bate- man's drops ; then after the sweat, you are to make a bitter of some kind. Take a handful of drietf horebound, some ginseng root, camomile flowers and orange peels, or the rust of iron. This is the Indir* ans' rule to take an infirmity from the body to the feet; and it is good for many. IM MO DERATE MENSES, kc. WHEN the menses continue too long or come on 4oo often fir the strength of the patient, they are said „ to be immoderate. : this most frequently happens to women «f a soft delicate habit, to such as use tea Tand eoffee too freely, and who do nottakc sufficient |r exercise. It is sometimes brought on by excessive fatigue; and this may happen to temperate and indus- trious women. In either ease its approach may be known by a pain in the loins and hips : observe this " tfvmptniu carefully, and on its first appearance l<*t a* little blood from the arm ; and it will generally prevent the attack for that time, but for the entire removal of it, observe the following directions :— ; So soon as it is known that this complaint is formed, it will be proper to bleed a little from the arm; there ar- but few instances in which this might not be : proper, in greater or lesser quantities. 1 f excessive labor brought on the disease, rest comes in as a i | essential remedy ; cool air is highly proper ; this may be applied by placing tho patient in such a si- tuation that a current from a door or window may blow upon her ; cloths wet in cold vinegar and wa- ter may be applied all over the groins. &.c. to ho changed as thev become warm ; coi-i flour in a large quantity applied to the parts, has sometimes succeeded in dangerous cases ; cool drinks, as the decoction of nettle mots, or of the greater comfrey <\ e. If all these fail, repeat the bleeding: where loo strong a motion of the arteries can be ascertained as the cause, it may be generally entirely removed by gentle bleeding, and purging occasionally-repeated. If much weakness, paleness, and a disposition to bloat, give halfageain of opi;:su every six hour*; and .'.Vinton a Is of three or four hours, give twelve or fifteen grains of an equal mixture of allum and gim.kino ; nauseate, the slomach with small doses ite FLUOR ALBUS, OR WHITES. from one to five grains of ipecacuanha ; apply blis- tothe wrists and ancles alternately, in all delicate cases ; after the removal of'the disease for the time being, havcrccouise to the cold bath,exercise, file. tion with a flesh brush or flannel, till hor health is i\a< firmed. FLUOR ALBUS, OR WHITES, &c. \ WHEN a discharge of whitish matter flows in-l stead of the menses,' it is called tho fluur albus or ^ whites ; if it be of a longstanding it some* inns as- i sutnes a greenish or yellow complexion ; becuines 4 acid, sharp and corroding; and is highly offensive tt»:| the smell. When it happens to young wonv n, it is in most cases a local disease—I mean by this, that . it it never brought on by any general alfection of | the system, but is wholly confined to the parts w hich are its seat ; indeed it is sometimes the ease that 1 the menses are discharged entirely in this way. \ For the cure, take the rust of iron prepared, one rumee of gum myrrh, one ounce of nutmeg No. *, or cinnamon half an oune, the whole to he finely/. powdered, carefully mixed and kept in a close vcs. ' se! : if rust of iron cannot be had, the salt of jt«el will answer, (using half the quantity.) Of this j preparation, may betaken IV* in lour to six tines a* day j if prepared with the salt of steel, four to mv grains will be the <\ose ; the portion of either ought* to be vaiied according to circumstances, if it ex«J i-it s a little sickness - f the stomach ; but if a puk-, ing, or too vi dent siek»ms=! takes place, the do-.a may be lessene.' ; on the other hand if no consider- able, effeefa ar- observed, it may be enlarged, &.r.— • or teke the bark of service trees and make ;i tea lor your drii.k ; this is wonderfal ; or steep rosin and FLUOR ALBUS, OR WHITES. 107 brimstone in spirits, and drink as a bitter ; or boil pine buds for tea, or the roots of pine, or what is better turpentine, in its soft state, mixed with an e- qual quantity ofhcney; of this mixture a tea spoonful may be taken three times a day; or for those who can pi-ocure it, balsam copaiba, twenty drops in a little new milk t hrec times a day ,ff cqucritly cleanse the parts with milk and water, sometimes an injection made /'of sixty grains of whin, vitriol, dissolved in a pint 'of spring >i rain water; and thrown into the pas- sage by the help- of a syringe, three or four times a day, is a m »st effectual remedy ; or blue-stone dis- j .Solved in«dd brandy, and used the same way: and ias'ly, if ulei rs attemi. give two or three grains of calomel every ;i :id night, and touch the ulcers with a nt'h mercurial e.iu'ment, or with an ointment of whin- or red pereipiL t- of mercury. Here it might be well to observe that a disease in some degree similar t > the fluor albus, or more commonly of a ini\ d ki.nl. between this and immoderate menses is som.-times tiie effect of a polypus orexcresence from the inner surfac". of the womb. If, therefore, the discharge, should continue after using the proper remedies, a polypus ought to be suspected, and a physician or surgeon should be called into your aid. OF CHILD BIRTH, &c. Jl DIRECTION TO THE GRANNY. HERE is a few remedies to hasten labor and fetch deliverance, when needed: Take eel's liver and dry it, beat it to a powder, and give the woman in labour to drink in spirits. This is a speedy rem- edy : or beat a rattle snake's rattles fine, and give to one that is in labor—this is wonderful to hasten labor ; or dip a linen cloth in the juice of parsley, 108 CHILD BIRTH. and put uptheprivates; itcauscsdeltvcrance of a dead child. This is also good to cleanse the womb of ill humors, Ace. Pollipodium steeped or beaten, and applied to the feet of a woman in travail, bringeth. •away the child, whether dead or alive ; the ashes of r| an ass' hoof mixed with oil, and the privates an-' ointed, is a wonderful remedy. The juice of ver- vain, or the decoction given to a woman in travail, eauseth speedy deliverance ; or a drachm of myrrh: given in povviler to d.-ink in any convenient liquor, bringeth the child away dead or alive; or give a woman to drink another woman's milk, fetches en speedy deliverance ; or boil mugwort in water, 'till it becomes a poultice, apply it ho?, to the thighs of a' woman with child, it eauseth both births to come a- »vay. but if it tarries long, it will hringlho womb al- so ; dittany, to take inwardly eauseth deliverance. COMPLAINTS OF THE BREAST AND NIP- PLES, to twenty grains ; it is sometimes use- ful com-mied with salt-poire, when dissolved in spir- it ; it is sometimes useful as an external applica- ti in for the relief of pain, inflammation, numbness, 1 palsey, kc. CAROLINA PINK ROOT— Perhaps the dose of this medicine may be too strong, as advised for worm s, it will be safest to make trial as follows : Take on e quarter of an ounce, stew it gently in one pint of water, down to three gills; give half a gill of this decoe'io.i to a child six years old, morning and c- vening, and observe its effects; if it procures unusu- 112 MEDICINES, kc al drowsiness, the dose may be considered too strong, and ought, .therefore, to be lessened, or entirely ennitteei. CASTOR OIL—U a mild and pleasant purge : its dose for a man, is from one to two table spoon- fuls ; for a child of two or three years old, from one to iwo tea spoonfuls. CAMOMILE FLOWERS—.Make a tea which is uselcl in weakly cases ; as of indigestion, sickness at the stomach from weakness, kc. COLUMBO—is said to be almost a specific in chedera morbus, nausea, vomiting, purging, diarr- hea, dysentery, bilious fevers, indigestion, want of appetite, and ,n< st disorders of the stomach and bowels, where no inflammation exists. But on the principles of Dr. Rush's theory, in every species of cholic, blood letting ought to be the first remedy ; and afterwards, perhaps, gentle ovacuants; then if debility prevail, the columbo with orange peel, &e. would be proper ; from ten to thirty grains eve- ry three or four hours, the common dose; h.t it mav be extended even to one sixth of an ounce. CREAM OF TARTAR—Is a very mild pu-ge, and may be given from one to two ouncs, if dis- solved in a large quantity of warm water, anej ta- ken in a gradual manner; it evacuates the intes- tines in a mild and effectual way; combined wKh jallop, it isconsidcably effectual in exciting t V* ac- tion of the absorbauts. By these im-ans, 1 once curd an aciies, (tluit is a dropsy of the belly of long standing.) CINNAMVX—ls an excelh-nt aromatic, and is considerably strengthening to the bowels, and is re- commeneVd in cases of flooding, whites, kc. ETHER—It applied externally relieves pains,. rod if given int-mally it removes phthisics, hief:- ups.L.-.e.: if applied to an inflammation and is suffer ed io to aporaie, h will co:-• and relieve wonderful- MEDICINES, kc. H3 ly ; if applied to chronic rheumatism in a state of confinement, so as to prevent its evaporation, as with a clnath wetted with it and covered with ihe palm of the hand, it wdll relieve the pain on oppo- site principles. ELIXER VITRIOL—U a valuable remedy in weakness of the stomach, indigestion kc. ; but be- ing considerably stimulant, it must he improper when the pulse is tense; and in all cases of inflamma- f tion, its dose from ten to thirty drops, in a cup of soinej kind of liquid ; if this article be dropped on linen or cotton cloths it destroys them. FLIES, called also Cantharides—Are used for the purpose of drawing blisters ; perhaps the best mode of applying them is in the form of a quilt; if pre- pared in this form, one quilt will serve three or four times ; when applied on plasters, the skin should be guarded, by applying a thin bit of muslin be- tween it and the flesh. The application of flies sometimes excites a stranguary ; when this circum- stance takes place, the patient should drink plenti- fully of some diluting draught. A tea made of nuillin would answer a good purpose ; in this ease, he should also take a dose of opium, and repeat it in eight hours, if necessary. Blisters are seldom proper till the violence of the fever is reduced by » bleeding and purging; they should not be dressed with colcwort leaves ; some kind of mild ointment, as bees-wax and sheep suet. The suuny side of cole- wort leaves will keep them a runing, and the under- side will dry them up. Wet the sore once in a while with vinegar to keep them running. IPi:CACUANHA—\s an excellent puke, and is the mildest and safest of any yet known : its dose for grown persons is from five to thirty grains, and for a child of two years old, from one to five grains ; it may be taken in form of a tea, or bolus, 114 MEDICINES, *cc. and while it operates, the patient may drink freely t \ of came 1 ile tea. L70N—ls one of the most powerful strcngtheners in weak lax, and pale habits, cachexy, greCn sick- ness—it is the best medicine as yet known; but is often injudiciously employed, so as to do irrepara- ble damrge,. If tl-eee be tension, regidity and spas- modic stricture existing in the system., it is highly pernicious. Let it therefore be observed, .that if* the use of this article excites pains in the head, witlt' other feverish symptoms, it should not be continu- ed. It may be given in the form of simple fili s, rust of iron, or the salt of steel ; if the rust or filings be used, the dose may be from live to ten grains ; if salt of steel be chosen, from one to three', g'-edis may be the dose ; it is generally the bcvst m*j+hod to administer it in small doses, frequently repeated. Cases may occur in which this article is really necessary, and in which, notwithsiandirg its propriety, it may cause considerable sickness and perturbations. In such instances a m deride dose of opium may he given after each "dose, or the patient may be directed to take it on going to^'j bed at night, and again half an hour before rising up in the morning, and at other times of the day ; let,J Mm or her walk moderately immediately after tak-f ing the d r quenching thirst, expelling flatulencies, preventing nausea and vomiting, and moderately strengthening the, sto- .■< much ; it is diaphoretic and cooling. The doae may vary from twenty to forty drops. Spirits of Sal Vmnoniao an.l splits of II irts-horu are, similar in their nature and effects, but the frsiis perhaps the best; fhe dose may be from fifteen droj-s to sixty. It is useful in fainting, and other :,vs. i-. ie affections; ii'given in wine-whey, it generally pro- cures a very pleasant swejit. -= SALT PEI'lJZ, called als,t 'dire—U a useful rem-j edy in inflammatory fever; the dose may very fromv three grains to forty, every two hours ; i;' is mc-stl effectual if given immediately after its solution—•■■ some caution, hovv.-ver, is necessary in using tins article, as it souk■tirm.s occasions a naesea, or pain in the stoni'ch ; in such cases it requires plen.ii'..! dilution, and sometimes the addition of a litr!e cam-*" j-hor. Nitre is an excellent'ingredient in gargar-v. isms, and mouth waters, * SILT OF TARTAR, called also fixed alliali-As- us d for making the saline mixture. Take salt of tartar twenty grains, lime juice or vinegar, as inuclr as may saturate it, or til! it ceases effervesce, pure water one and a half ounces, and sirrup two ounces; the whole may be taken in the cu;;rs■• of four hones, to be repeated as often as may be thought necessary ; it may be given also in a simple sola- tion with pure water ; in this shape the dose may bo fro i ten to thirty or more grains ; but it should' always be sufficiently diluted ; every three or four genius require an ounce of vvaiee. The saline mix-; tore given in a state of effervescence frequently cor« rects vomiting. The simple solution of tartar re- lieves heart-burns. <\.e. SENNA—Is a purge of considerable activity,- is commonly taken In firm of an infusion : pour one MEDICINES, kc. 119 pipt of boiling water, on one quarter of an ounce of eenua, let it stand several hours in a moderate de- gree of heat ; one gill may be taken every two 'hoars as a dese i'.r a grown person ; and one or two spoonfuls for a child two years old. It is rendered more pleasant and mild in its operation, if one ounce of manna be added ; the addition of a small portion of einger "will help to prevent its griping. FLOUR OF SULi'IUI—iH a g "tf'h- and pl< as- r.nt pmge ; it is also effectual incuriog affections of the skin, ;.s the itch, kc.—combined with the cream of tartar, is useful in the piles ; it is also a very rood purge to be employed on the third and fourth lit«y of the inersh s. TARTAR EMETIC, called also iariarized antimo- ny, v.. y be so varied in its dosi :t> t< pi ?duce sweat- ing, phkirg e.nel purging. It is a v otoeine both sefe an ' conveiiiei t, ami has but little; taste; the dose a.- a puke, is from one grain to five, aiiL'may be dis- solved in warm water ; wl« n used in childrens' ca- ses, one gruin may be dissolve el in one ounce of wa- ter, which may be sweetened with sugur; a tea spoon- fed or two may he given every half hour, till the pa- tient voni s, if that he the intention ; when given to procure sweating, the dose mey vary from one eighth to one half of a grain ; it may be repeated every two or three hours ; and in inflammatory fe- vers, tc n orntoic gi; ins of nitre sle.-ulu be added to each dose : this is an ex • limit remedy to be employ- ed in inflammatory ea--.es after^ snt'eient blood let- ting; if it be giv.n in small doses, well diluted eve- ry half hour, it will act as a purge, am* the more certainly so, if some mild purgative be added, as manna, put girt salts, &c. Ti is las; is an excellent Remedy in the beginning of feve r, and if {.ufficieritly employed, frequently will remove the disease; as the tartar is nearly without taste, it is very easily imposed on obstinate, children, by mixing it with 220 MEDICINES, kc. cold water, and giving it when they ask for drink. There is a description how to manage with sim- ple apothecary medicine, and the most useful medi- cine without much danger. With care any common ' man may manage in his family; in time of need, and a complaint you do not understand, apply to a phy- I sician that is always in full practice of these things. '; The cireunistancc of man's blood is like a running j stream; the lungs creates the blood in a milky state; then it passes throughout the liver ; then it becomes 1 blood ; the liver discharges it to the heart; the J heart discharges it through the whole body by the .1 pulse veins ; and the still veins return it back a- | gain, and feeds Ihe nerves, which increases the flesh; A the blood is either increasing or decreasing ; the blood is said to pass through the heart every five hours, that is, in man's body ; whether it be so or not, it shews when a man is bit by a serpent in any vein or artery, it soon alters the pulse, kc. FOR THE PHTHISIC. WHICH MAY BE CALLED THE ASTHMA. THIS complaint is often in children ; it is a dis- ease of the lungs, which seldom admits a cure ; per- sons in the decline of life, are most liable to it. The «, complaint is subject to a cough and spitting, some- times a little tough phlegm by the force of coughing; it is worse after sudden heats or colds. This com- ' jdaiut is kno en by a quick breathing, which is gen- erally performed with a kind of wheezing noise; the dilliculty of breathing is so great, that the patient is obliged to keep in one posture, otherwise he is in danger of being suffocated. When the patient takes this compliant, the sooner he is relieved the better, as the complaint proves fatal ; the body is often bound; when this is the case, he should glyster with asafeti- da and flax-seed tea, and bathe his feet in warm wa- ter, then rub well with flannel; bleeding is good, un- |Jcss they are very weak, or old age should prevent Jit. If the misery be great, take-a wheat hoe-cake, ^ and split it,wctit with vinegar,wrap it in a handker- chief, put it to the breast as hot as you can bear; ■ this causes a circulation in the lungs ; sometimes a vomit is good, and relieves the patient much; a pill of asafetida night and morning, is good. I have known cows milk drank warm from the cow in tho morning, do wonders. To put an issue in the side and not suffer it to dry up, this does not always cure, but prolongs life; or take indigo the bigness of a pea in a little water, then in the course of an tour take a tea spoonful of salt-pctre the same way; this will relieve instantly. I have known children cured by drinking the water of sour crout, in des- perate cases. Rut of all the medicines, make a plas- ter of wax, and put between the shoulders ; this is of great service ; lime water is good, not too strong; 12Z A CANCER. mountain birch bark tea is good ; dry Jamestown roots and smoke is a fine thing to ease and relieve ; to eat white pepper is a good remedy. But of all things, keep your feet dry, and let your diet be light. FOR A CANCER. A CANCER is often thought light of, but it is a \ growing evil; it is like putting a little fire into dry " stubble ; you may stop it when you are a head of it, but when that gets a head of you, it is a bad chance. When a cancer first comes it is like the body of a spider ; then as it increases, the roots run off like a spider's legs ; then if you can conquer the body be. fore the legs can support themselves, the cancer is done, by eating or cutting them out. Some think to eat a cancer away v. hen it gets to a stand, and by that means path their fire medicine, which causes the cancer to eat as fast as the medicine, and inflame in a short time considerably. When a cancer comes first, it hardly has any co- lour ; often times it is like a lump in the skin ; after sometime there rises a kind of a blister, and some- ti nes with yellow water, and sometimes clear watcrjfl t.ien there is little shooting pains at times from it, but no great misery, sometimes like an aching; and,; then at other times, it will appear to go away near- ly. So it works for a long time, and sometimes it eats very fast. And for the cure get a handful of white oak bark, and make a strong ooze, and wash^, the cancer well before you apply the salve, every time ; then put your salve on a patch, and put it on the cancer twice a day. The salve is made thus:— Get a double handful of red oak bark, the north ' side of the tree, a double handful of persimmon tree ..v^ bark, the north side, a double handful of the bark A CANCER. I--1 of the roots of dogwood, the north side, a double hamlful of the bark of sassafras roots, the north side, a handful of running brier roots (called dew- berry brier), put these altogether, and boil them slow!v for about twelve hours, then take out the baiks and roots, strain it, then put it hack again, > and boil it down as thick as tar. This is the finest rf salve that 1 ever knew when the cancer has come to a stand, or matters, for 1 have cured many with ■ this that were proclaimed incurable. It takes out I the inflammation, and turns the cancer to a matter, * kc. It would be a good thing to make a poultice now and then of boar's tush and sweat cream ; or ». get a double handful of sassafras bark of the root, a Y, double handful of dogwood, the bark of the root, a *■ double handful of male sumac roots, boil li,x~c. well about half a day, take out the barks and manage it the same way as the other medicine above. You may burn alum and take an equal quantity of cop- I peras and blue stone well beat together, and sprinkle B in the cancer, ami then put oii the salve. But if the I cancer be not broke, make a sheet of lead, beat ve- ry thin, and pricked full of pin holes and applied to the place ; purges should be taken every third or fourth day, and rub the cancer every now and then * with spirits of harts-horn mixed with oil ; or ap- ply red onions bruised ; or make a plaister of rock alum, vinegar and honey, equal quantities, with wheat flour ; change it every twelve hours ; this of- ten cures—you may drink plentifully of tar water. Here is a kind of pot-ash that I have found great advantage by: that is, to slice up a good chance of poke roots and put them in a pot over a hot fire till they become ashes, then clean your hearth and p;(t an equal quantity of yellow sarsaparilla, une- qual onantity of black ash bark, an equal eiaantily of white hickory bark, burn them to ashes, and let them soak to a strong lye, then boil the lye down to 12 k THE BILIOUS CIIOMC. a powder : this powder is wonderful to cat cancers, cankees, and old running sores. There is an herb that grows under beech trees like1 a mushroom, with. out seed, which dried and brate-n to a powder and mixed with tar, is a line salve to eat uwuy aenncer; or take half a pint of smell beer, when it boils, dia- solve in it an ounce ami a half ed* bees'-wax, thtin put in an ounce of hogs-lard* and boil them together; when it is cold, pour the beer from it, and »pply it by-spreading it upon white leather; renew it eve- ry nthor duy, it brings out great blotches'*: wash it \ ills an ooze made of dogwood bark, black oak Le.rk and sassafras bark ; or get an oqual quantity of hint- vitriol and white vitriol, as much rod precip- itate, as of either of the quantity of vitriol, beat it >t;: t"~"th**" -•■" ~~'i'i' kle in tho sore, and boil dip. p'-ry elm, and thicken it well 7,'tih *T\~eC-t wl'dlc and Hour, and put on as a poultice or salve, and wash it now and th n with the elixer vitriol ; and to heal it up, take and stir up some of the sugar of lead, dis- solved in spring water and thicken it with Hour and h-mey as a salve ; or beat twenty grains of copper- as, five of calomel mixed well together and sprinkle in the sure. i 4 FOR THE BILIOUS CIIOL1C, DRINK warm lemmonadc. It may answer to, lay down a few symptoms. This is generally at-• | tended with vomiting a greenish or frothy matter,'f with feverish heat and violent thirst, a bitter tastO|j. in the mouth, little and high coloured urine. This '■ ch';Iic is attemled with a violent pain about the pit of the stomach, attended with great sinking of the spir-f its, and often bound, violent pains through the whole body ; if not relieved by puking or purging, k(■. give a table spoonful of sweet oil every hour.—This THE CRAMP CHOLIC. ' 125 has cured when patients appeared to be : t tbe point of death. Tahe one table spoonful of castor-od, mixed with a spoonful eoT lemmun juice, or sharp . vinegar every hour until it purges.Thlsis a safe,easy, nnd effectual purge, not only in allthose complaints where, the bowels are the seat of the disease, but al- so in the intermitting and remitting bilious fevers, *.and fever and ague: Or take a table spoon:ui of cas- l tor-oil and fifteen drops" of laudanum well mixed to- gether, and get in a tub of warm water about blood ' warm, and stay there till you get in a moist sweat, 'fl' then wipe dry and put on y our clothes ; this has dour- wonders ; or drink spirits from tar as a bitter, and take half a table spoonful of salts going to bed, and live on light diet; forsake hog meat, and let your milk be half water and a little salt, or boiled and f peppered FOR THE CRAMP CHOLIC. THIS is a cholie that cramps the stomach, and l draws the patient sometimes nearly double with vi- olent pains all through the breast, and will roll through the bowels like goose eggs, and sometimes - goes off with a lax, or discharge of the wind up or I down before the patient can get any case. Parched • peas eaten freely have had a happy effect.----- When other means have failed, a pill of dogwood ber- ries boiled in a quart of water, to a half pint, and '-^drink, is wonderful; or boil a large burdoc leaf in a quart of water to a gill, and drink that; or take and scrape the inside of a pipe and give them to drink ; or-take a piece of charcoal as large as a '"Vsmall bullet andbeatitfiue, and give the patient in a e little water ; or take a young shoatand cut it opea as soon as you can and swallow the gail; or make 1 ginger tea and drink ; or calamus to chew andswai- 120 •CONVULSIVE MIS. low your spittle ; or dry pig nuts in the chimney and beat hue, and put in spirits and drink ; or eat gin- seng root freely ; or take and combine aloes. ;.sa- fetida and rhubarb in spirits: these are all good med- icines. But of all the medicines, garlic boiled in new milk, often relieves the quickest; beware of eating such food as creates wind, or is hard of di- gestion. A FEW WORDS ON MEDICINE, kc. HERE, in many places, are many remedies for each disorder, not only because all are not equally easy to be procured at all'times and in all places : but likewise the medicine that cures one man will not always cure another of the same distemper, nor will it cure the same man at all times. Therefore, ii was necessary to have a variety, so if one fails, there is the other. FOR CONVULSIVE FITS. TAKE a handful of white oak missletoe, and nine star roots, two tea spoonfuls of salt-petre in a quart of rmn and drink of that as a bitter; this has cured r.any ; or beat up a turkey-buzzard's skin of the craw when dried, to a powder, and take as much as vUl lie on the point of a case-knife night and morning, '\ -rid let your drink be inullcn tea, and your diet l*ght. I never knew this fail. Or take and mix • I'.ie flowers of a woman with wine, and tako night and morning is good ; or use the cold bath : or take a tea spoonful of valerian root, powdered in a cup. of v-atcr every evening. LEGS, SORE AND R CNN ING. WASH them in brandy, and apply alder leaves, changing them twice a day ; this is wonderful to dry up ; or poultice them with rotten apples, and take a purge now and then ; or beat white walnut bark fine and wet with vinegar, and apply to them lonce or twice, to draw the humor; then burn mus- isel-shells well, beat them fine, and soak them well, and put a half a pint of lime water to half a pint of ".sweet oil, and stir them well together, and anoint iw ith that twice a day. I have cured many with this medicine that were said to be past cure. TO STOP VOMITING. , BEAT red onions and apply to the groins and ■fluit of the stemach ; or beat mustard seed, wet it ■ with vinegar, and bind to the pit of the stomach ; or ktake a spoonful of lemmoii juice and six grains of salt of tartar. TO STOP A MORTIFICATION. . » APPLY a poultice of flour, honey and water, with a little yeast. When a mortification takes place, the flesh is not already dead, but is dying, or in a *tate of dying. It is often necessary to abate it'by 0 bleeding, if the fever admits, and by cooling, open- ing medicines; the parts around touched with vine- -Jfar, lime water, or camphorated spirits, andscarri- ,^eel; apply a poultice of biscuit of fine wheat flour, boiled with milk to the mortified plaee, and take the bark freely ; or apply puccoon juice and honey — this is wonderful; or make a poultice of dogwood bark, black oak bark, sassafras bark, black haw bark, sumac roots, and w*heat flour or rye meal, and 128 BLOOD VOMITING—SNAKE BITE. bathe the place before hand with hitter herbs ; or take some tar, feathers, brimstone and hickory coals and put in a vessel and hold the mortified place over the steam—this is wonderful. TO STOP VOMITING BLOOD, TAKE a table spoonful of sage juice, or the roots i and tops boiled and drank every time it takes you; or drink salt and water; or a tea made of the inside.' of white hickory bark ; or a table spoonful of cop- peras, put to a quart of spring water, and take a ta- ble spoonful twice a day ; or two spoonfuls of the juice of nettles every morning, and a large cup of the decoction of the nettles at night for a week ; or tar and loaf sugar; or take as much salt-petre as will lay on the point of a case-knife, three or four times a day, dissolved in cold water. FOR THE BITE OF A SNAKE, OR POISON- j OUS ANIMALS, &c. « IF a person be bit by a snake, beat black ash leaves and bind to the wound as soon as you can, and make a tea of the bark; this will cure any snake bite ; or give them a sweat of seneca snake root the overnight, and give them a tea spoonful of the 'M juice of puccoon root in the morning. I have known this medicine to cure hundreds; or bind the liver and£ guts of the snake to the bite ; or apply bruised gar-- lie; or take a quantity of horehound, bruise it well' in a morter, and squeeze out the juice, likewise^ plantain in like manner, a table spoonful of each mixed together, and a table spoonful to be taken ev-fl| ■ A FLOODING. 129 try hour, (or three hours, then every three hours till the infusion is done ; and put the beaten herb to the bile j liii.s has done, wonders ,* or get the juice of green plantain nnd now milk, and mix together, and drink ; this has cured when thought to be dead; and if they are far spent, put a poultice of garlic to the bottom of the loot; or bind on suit and tobaccn to the bite. FOR A FLOODING. GET a handful of common cherry tree tops, a handful of black berry brier roots, a handful of white oak tops, put them in two quarts of water, boil it slowly down to a pint, and let her drink of that ac- cording as tho case needs. I never knew it fail; or tuk<* a piece of alum as big as a hade-nut, and beat it flue, and take it in a little warm new milk from the cow ; this is a good remedy : Or beat green- plantain and get the juice and give her a table spoon- ful overy half hour, till they abate ; or put your husband's shirt on warm off his back. I have known this to do wonders : or get a handful of service bark and make a strong tea of this, and drink according as you need. I never knew this fail. Or catch some of the.flowers and give them back again ; and of- ten times when a violent flooding takes place, linen cloths wet in vinegar and water, then wrung and ap- plied to the region of tho belly, loins and thighs ; these must bo changed as they grow dry, and may be Hopped as the flooding stops; but wdien all other "^bings fail and have no effect, cold water dashed up- on the patient's belly will stop the flooding immedi- ately. This is a complaint that should not at all lilies be thought light of, especially after delivery ; comfrey boiled in newu?qi&, a little will stop them, oi,.! boiled in water will n$eh them on. MEDICINE TO MAKE A WOMAN 1LWE AN EASY DELIVERY. ABOL'T a month or a month and a half before you expect delivery, get a good large double handful of spignel roots, and put to a quart of spirits, and ■*, drink of that night and morning ; this is very good, and strengthens the womb very much: or get a hand- t ful of vervain roots, three slices of alleeompain roots^P and a table spoonful of camomile flowers, and a few ,|f sprigs of sweet modley, put these to a quart of fc, spirits, and take a table spoonful every morning; if it appears too Litter, to a quart add more spirits ; or get seven or eight roots of Devil's bit, called by some ring roots, and by some jointed snake root; the form it grows in is like a white plantain leaf in shape, but the leaf is greeu like a green plantain leaf, the roots are about as long as your finger, and full of rings, and the end is rotten off, and is as bitter as gall to taste of; put these roots to a quart of spirits, and take a bitter night and morning, a month before delivery. This is a wonderful remedv ; and I nev- er knew one have a hard time that took it. It grows by branch sides in poor land. TO RELIEVE AFTER PAINS. / . '■' *. 1 THE reason of after pains is because the clotted ,/$ blood can't make its way; altho it is a bad sign for auwj woman to be put to bed, and not to complain of af- .*»] ter pains ; because when the pains begin to arise the '% clots of blood descends like the child. When the ^ woman is taken in labor, then when she complains of three or four pains, to give her medicine to fetch it off with ease, will cause her to escape from many f dangers, and be heartier when she gets about: Get \\ a handful of vervain roots, and four or five slices of t.\ alleeompain roots, the same of butterfly roots, (if ^j A SCALD HEAD. 131 you can get them,) steep them in spirits ; you may always have it by you, and give her a good drink. This cleanes the womb of all bad humors, and pre- pares them for the same work again. Or take a pill > >ei opium every night for three or four nights; or put oil (beaver castor) in wine, and give her; or the tea of alleeompain, or a tea spoe-nful < f the baik of the root of cucumber, dried and beaten fine, and ta- ken in spirits. FOR A SCALD HEAD. FOR the cure of a scald head, the first thing ne- cessarv is to cleanse the head by carefully washing it with milk and water, apply mild poultices, chang- ing them cw^y four hours for two or three days ; then applv a scdution often grains of corrosive sub- limate, dissolved in one pint of spring water; some recommend tar water, or tar ointment; others a stiff plaster of pitch, so as ultimately to extirpate the hairs as the best remedies for a scald head ; others recommend a decoction of tobacco, a strong solution of soap and water. But the best method I ever knew, is to burn a piece of alum nearly as large as a hen's egg. beat fin-, put to a quart of water, and half the size of copperas, let it stand till it gets clear, and wash with that night and morning; this kills the humor and heals the sore. FOR A TETTER WORM. * GET a good chance of white hick&jy bark, the /Wide, black oak bark the inside, boil them well to- gether, then strain it, then put it back again in the pot, then put in some blue stone and copperas, then 132 TETTER WORM—GOCT, .\e. boil it down as thick as tar, and anoint the tetter worm with this every day for a while; then make an ointment of sweet oil—the ointment is made thus: j Take a quart of umlakcd lime, a quart of mussel- shells well burnt and beat, mix them together with J water, so as to get half a pint of the lime water, ] then mix half a pint of the lime water to half a pint . of sweetoil, stiired well together, till it thickens Jike ' butter, and anoint with that once or twice a day ; this both eats and heals; or get some poke roots J and slice them well, then put three or four quarts of sweet cream and put them in a copper kettle, boil them a good while,then anoint the tetter worm often * with this ; or use corrosive sublimate in water, ten 1 grains to one pint, and use as an ointment in the ■ tetter worm once a day, and take a purge every ten days. FOR THE GOUT, RHEUMATISMS, CRAMPS, ' ALL INFIRMITIES OF THE SINEWS AND JOINTS, &c, j TAKE a young fat clog and kill him, scald him i like a pig, then make a hole in owe of his sides, then J take out the guts, and put into his belly two hand- ■ fuls of nettles, two ounces of brimstone, about a do- *" zen hen eggs, and four ounces of turpentine, well mixedtogether, then sow up his belly close, and roast ..$ him, save the oil, Tlnd anoint the joints and weak •"• limbs as hot as you can bear by the fire. A REMEDY FOR WEAK NERVES, RHEU- 5? MATISMS AND THE LIKE. * KILL the fattest young dog in March or April, \ WATEII B RA SII—15 L" KN b, cVc. 133 you can get, scald him and takeout his guts, fill up his belly with a pint of red pepper, a pint of red fishing worms, the bark of sassafras roots, and wa- ter frogs, and sow up his belly close again, roast him, fe and save 1 he drippings, to anoint for sores, gouts, » burns, weak nerves, Ate. i FOR A WATER BRASH. MANY men arc troubled with watery stomachs, much thin fresh water coming out of their mouths; towards morning it usually comes with the form of a vomit. For this take a little stick, and split the end, and put two oak leaves in the split, then cut them round, then put them in your mouth as far as you ] can well suffer them, and hold the stick fast between ' the teeth, abundance of water will run off the sto- ' mach; then wash the leaves in water and put them in your mounth again ; do so as often as you see fit ; if you do this before y«u eat, it will take the 1 water off your stomach, ami help your digestion. FOR BURNS, Sec. IP' fever be excited by a burn, the patient should be bled and purged, with gentle laxative medicines ; but the greatest dependence should be placed upon application to be made to the part affected : as lead "water, rum and water, holding the part near the fire that is affected, or immerse the part in cold water, >' keep it covered with the water for one hour or more. • Oil is an improper application ; a strong solution M 134 PILES, cVe. of soap nnd water is a good applicatien : nn oint ment made olj'Jamestown weed, stramonium, is said to be an excellent remedy. After this inflammation is subdued, cold and salted dough made of Indian corn meal, is a good application, especially where the tkiu is broken—-a poultice made thus : Tv.ke sonic flax-seed and put it in about a quart of water, and boil it down till it begins to thicken, then put some 3 new milk, andiet it boil a little, then thicken it with J a little flour, and spread it on a cloath, then put on some fresh butter not salted nor washed; that keeps it from sticking, and draws out the fire, and heals. Or get a handful of heart leaves, a handful of the in- Jt'le bark of elder, sheep suet and a little fresh hut-^ tei, and make an ointment is good, to put on muslin and put on the burn. Or take unslaked lime, and slak it in common oil, or sweet, then take it out a- gain as dry as you can, and make it into an oint- ment with oil of roses ; this oil often cures without a scar, in a little time. PILES OF THE TWO KINDS. THE first kind most fleshy women, and mori comm nly those who lead sedentary lives, are sub- jeer to the distressing complaint called the piles; such too, as are much troubled with costiveness seldom escape this. This disorder, by whatever means the , disposition to the piles is formed, it generally is more j1 troublesome in the last month's of pregnancy than ' at other times. If the attack be of the more mode-; late kind, a gentle dose of the cream of tartar, and,, flour of sulphur combined, will afford considerable relief. Cold applications of any kind, as of clothj wetted in cold water, or spirit and water would an- swer the purpose. Also the following ointment:— GLYSTERS. 133 Take the yelk of an egg. tincture of opium or lauda- num three tea spoonfuls, neats foot oil or any either, one table spoonful to be mixed and applied ; let the tincture and the yelk of the egg be first mixed to- gether, and afterwards the oil may be added. This ointment gives relief when much disposed to itch ; if they protrude outwards, press them between tho j{ thumb and finger, and at the same time anoint and t put them up carefully. | Those subject to this complaint ought to lie down upon their backs for a few minuets after every stool. *•' I have known this precaution to do much towards preventing their return when once removed. I am told an ointment made of the oak ball, powdered and stewed in hogs-lard, is a valuable remedy, and there I is no reason to doubt its virtue. Steep butter-fly f root and drink as a tea, is a wonderful remedy; stew ■"red onions in fresh butter for an ointment ; or beat P the juice out of Jamestown leaves and wash the part ; or burn English rosin in a pot, and set over it, and take a small pill of opium on going to bed ; or drink tar water; or take a gray cat and cut her throat and save th'" blood, and skin her, then roast her, and save the fat, then stew the blood and greese and a little fine brimstone, and apply that to the ? piles ; it is of great virtue. FOR GLYSTERS. ■„ THERE are many kinds of glytcrs that are use- i^fiil in a bound state: -** Get some wator gruel made thin, and put a ta- *■ blc spejonfulof hogs'lard, a table spoonful of honey, a table spoonful of salt, mix them well, and glyster with that. It is a fine glyster: keep it a quarter of P an hour if you can : Another fine glyster, is a table 136 NIGHTMARE. spoonful of glaubcr salts and warm water ; or get a half pint of flax-see.!, tie in a rag, and boil it well, then a tabic spoonful of fresh iiultcr, and glyster with that. New milk and warm water is a mild glyster, cooling to the bowels ; if needful put in a liMle fat. Sweet oil is a good glyster when the bow- els are weak, and glyster with that as often as need- ful. But of all the glysters that ever I knew, when all others give out, this makes the quickest passage; That is, to boil a handful of bitter gourd guts, and glyster with the water ; make a trial of a little first, and so on to keep the body open. Take seven or eight cedar berries going to bvri, half a table spoon- ful of castor-oil in the morning, or divide one dose of salts into four parts, and take that through the dav. ON THE NIGHTMARE. THE nightmare is a disease of the blood, with £ross thick blood ; with cold phlegms that stops the nerves, and takes one in their sleep. When the blood works to the heart anil makes one think that a great weight lies on him in his sleep ; it differs from the falling sickness ; there being no convulsion as in the falling sickness. The pee t affected is the heart, or the part of the midriff; the sense of the patient in his sleep is stu- pified ; he supposes himself to be stilled, in so much he cannot speak a word; he groans and is distressed; that he thinks a spirit is hold of him, or a house-- falling on him ; or he is a ehoaking to death—he is in so great an anguish of mind that he desires to cry out but cannot. From this is caused the heating or r. as above, in young women, admits of a little motion backwards, so as to make the passage of the child f more easy. But in some instances, especially in i those women who do not marry till they become old."* maids, it is so strong as not to admit of any motion ^ at all. In addition to this, it sometimes bends so far I inwards, as very much to obstruct the passage. The mons veneris is the fatty substance which covers the " pubis, and extends downwards and sidewards to- wards the two groins. The labia, the two thick : soft pieces of .skin which passes on either side, still downwards from the mons veneris, the pudendum, t external parts of generation ; of these the labia are h the principal parts. The pcrinsenm,the part which >5 begins at the lower angle of the labia, and extend* backwards to the anus or fundament. This part is j subject to be torn in child bearing. The vagina, or the passage from the pudendum to the womb, (the uterus, the name of the womb) at the upper end of the vagina is an opening into the womb, called thoW MIDWIFERY, kc. 14* os uteri or the mouth of the womb.(the placenta) the after birth, called i.lso the cake ; and with the mem- branes, including the child waters, Ace. is sometimes called the secuneiines, the umbilical conjl, the navel string, the foetus, the child while in the womb. To I these names, I will add in this place the five follow- ing terms, expressive of certain changes which takes i place in the, act of child bearing: y Parturiti.iu—The act of bringing forth a child; it j. is another nu ne for labor. Dilatation—The act of stretching and opening at tin? same time. Tuiu i.s applied to os u.eri, and to t the pudendum Distention—The act of stretching or making more ft open. . . * Expel—The act of turning out. This is perform- , ed by the uterus, when it contracts, which it endea- vors to do by certain periodical exertions, called "presentation—The act of presenting. This term \ is applied to the position of the child, and particu- fclarly to the part of the child which is first sensible tin the touch at the mouth of tho womb when labor I is coming on. There is the names of the different L parts of generation ; and again, the common time for complete gestation, is forty weeks ; at the ex- piration of which the process of labor commences, every labor should be called natural, if the head of the child is present. If the labor be completed with- in twenty four hours, if no artificial aid be rcqnir- ♦ ed, if the labor be prolonged beyond twenty lour hours, it may be called difficult, kc. SYMPTOMS OF PRESENT LABOR. THE first svmptoin of present labor, is an anxie N 1*6 MIDWIFERY, Aa. ty arising from a dread of danger or doubt of safe- ty. This anxiety will be increased if the patient should have heard of accidents or deaths in any late" similar cas©. It is the duty of the widwife to sootl-c and comfort her when in this situation, by suitable *** language, and a diligent attention to every com- plaint. But in the mean time, she should by no means be persuaded to offer assistance before it is' necessary. At the commencement of labor, women ' have commonly one or more chills, or fits of shiver- ing, wither without sense of cold, liutshould there be one strong and distinct chill or shivering fit. it may • be a dangerous sy mptom. There will be some dif- ^ flunity in voiding the urine ; it should therefore be '\ evacuated frequently, otherwise, it may ultimately become necessary to introduce a catheter. There ( will sometimes be a frequent painful disposition to . go to stool ; this ought to be considered a favorable symptom. A glyster or two prepared of milk and water, or thin gruel, may serve to correct the pain; or if no such disposition be present, the glysters 1 may serve to evacuate the bowels artificially. The j mucous discharge, which before was without color, . will after the commencement of labor, be, tinged\1 with blood ; this appearance i.s commonly eallc-d the J shew. If together with the above symptoms, the* usual pains be present, the presumption is very strongly in favor of approaching parturition. COMMON APPEARANCE OF TRUE TAINS. FIRST.—The true pains usually begin in the loins or lower part of the back, pass round into the--* abdomen and end at the pubis, or upper part of the thighs. Sometimes, however, they take the opposite direction, that is, beginning at the thighs orpuhis,and A MIDWIFERY, kc. 1*7 ending in the loins ; souieiiui's too, they are confin- ed io cine particular spot, as the back, abdomen, thighs, and even to the knees, heels or feet, and in some instances other parts are affected, as the stom- "C ach. brad, Ace. J ,sy.-,)?i/—.The true labor pains are periodical, with intervals of twenty, fifteen, ten or live minutes ; and moderate pains I'lTquentJy repeated, are safer than * mure, severe ones at greater intervals. An experi- £ enceel midwife may generally judge of the nature of present pains- from the tone of the patient's voice. ,- The first change effected by the pains, consists in a \ dilatation of the parts. Forcible and quick disten- tion, gives a censation like that produced by the in- flictiein of a wound; and the tone of voice will be in a similar manner interrupted and shrill: th= se are vul- garly called cutting, grinding or rending pains. When the internal parts are, sufficiently opened, tho child begins to descend, ai;d the.ij \\-k? ;^s'-■":. io hv £ her feelings obliged to nie.ke an effort to exp< I, i. and the expression will be made with a con'mucel '»',. and grave tone of voice ; or she v ill held her breath . and be silent ; the.se are called bearing pains. It is *' a common thing to say that women have fruitless pains ; this is an unfair and discouraging statement. No person in labor ever had a pain depending on her labor which was in vain. In the beginning, pains (; are usually slight in their degree, and have long in- |^ tervals. But as the labor advances, they become more violent, and the intervals are shorter. Some- times the pains arc alternately stronger; the next weaker, or one stronger and two weaker ; but eve- ry variety has its own peculiar advantage, being f wisely adapted to the state of the patient. Nothing therefore, can be more preposterous, than any kind of artificial attempt to add to the strength of tho |* pains, or to hasten their return. It is wrong even to M' direct the patient to help herself. The supposed skill j*8 MID WIFE UV. \c of midwives, in these points, has done more mischief to society, than the most skilful practice ever did good, Ace. Though false pains may b^ detected and removed, a case may oceui where it may be necessary to de- termine whether present pains be true or false ; be- cause, if false pains be encouraged or permitted to continue, they may at length occasion premature la- bor. Then some known cause commonly goes before and brings on fahe pains, as fatigue of any- kind, especially too long standing en the feet, sud- den and violent motion of the body, great, costive- * ness, a diarrhea, a general feverish disposition, some | violent agitation ol the mind, or (he like. Hut the k most certain way for detecting false pains, is by an J actual exi'.vuinat'em ; this operation is commonly | culled taking ;\ pain. The position in which women ' are placed when it is necessary to examine them, ;„,-«-,-, tn amcrcnT «-.«;:!::'::.?; a,ul indeed aim >st every midwife has her own opinion ; but most regu- lar men direct the women to repose on a couch or - ( bed upon her left side, w ith her knees bent and drawn up towards the abdomen ; and this is certainly the |j most convenient and decent method. The examina- jj tion should be perform d with the utmost care, de- -v cency and tenderness. If there be perceptible pressure on the os uteri,or if itbe perceived to dilute during tlr continuance of a pain, the woman may be considered as really in la- j— bor; but if neither pressure nor dilatation can be T* felt, the conclusion may be drawn, that the pains arc false. If it be determined that the pain*; are false, it will be proper to attempt to remove them ; when occasioned by ia'iguc of any kind, the patient should ' rest in bed ; if she be of a feverish disposition, she should lose some blood. Ci-nerally it will be pro- i per to give a dose or two of manna with sweet oil, or castor oil, or the like; mild and opening glysters MIDWIFERY, &c. 1*9 should be injected every three or four hours till the bowels are emptied. After these evacuations, which should be repeated according to the exigency of the T case, she should have a grain of opium with one I grain of ipecacuanha every three hours, till she be * composed. Let it be observed, however, that an k examination should never be made in too great haste; and if it be probable that the patient is really in la- I bor, an examination ought not to be made until the | membranes are broken, or till the os uteri is fully dilated ; but more of this in another place. PROGRESS OF NATURAL LABOR. THERE may be said to be three stages, in tho progress of natural labour. The first includes all the 1 circumstances of the pains to the complete dilatation of the os uteri, the breaking of the membranes, and L the discharge of the waters. The second, includes ' those which occur at the time of the opening of the 'f os uteri to the expulsion of the child : And the third, includes all'the circumstances which relate to the se- paration and exclusion of the placenta. But to treat of each of these stages more particularly, and in or- der : The os uteri is not always found in the same :. central position ; nor does it always dilate in the l* same length ottime. The first part of the dilatation *'■"• is generally made very slowly ; but when the mem- branes containing the waters begin to insinuate themselves, they act like a wedge, and the opera- tion proceeds much more rapidly. It cannot well be told with certainty, how long time will be requir- ed in any case for the complete dilatation of the os i' uteri, yet some conjecture may be made. If, foi ex- ample, after the pains have continued three hours, 130 MIDWIFERY, &r. the os uteri shouM be dilated to the size of one inch; and three hours more will be required for a com- plete dilatation; making in all eight hours. Thisral- culation supposes the labor to go on regularly, and with equal strength. But the os uteri sometimes re- mains for hours in the same state, and yet when it begins to dilate, the complete dilatation is soon per- fected. Again, in s nne eases the dilatation proceeds on regularly for a while, and then is suspended for many hours, aud afterwards returns with great vig- or. With first children, this stage is commonly te- dious and very painful: some considerable judgment is therefore necessary on the part of the midwife, for supporting the patient and confidence of the suf- fering woman, as the labor proceeds, the pains he- roine- more frequent and forcible. If the dilatation should take place, with difficulty, there will some- times be sickness of the stomach and vomiting, this is a favorable circumstance, as it commonly has a tend-ney to relax the system; at length, after a greater or lesser number of hours as the case may he, the dilatation is effected. But let it be carefully observed, that no artificial aid is to be offered dur- ing this part of the process. It may indeed be well enough to pretend to assist, with the intention to compos- the mind of the patient, and inspire her witliconfirh nee. But be assured, that all manuel interposition will retard the progress of the dilata- thin,'let the patient and by standee be importunate; pain oritur one hand an I ignorance on the other may excuse them. But the midwife must be firm in the discharge of her duty ; care must betaken not to break the membranes, should an examination be deemed necessary when the os uteri is fully dilated; Ihev are usually broken by the force of pains. If this should not be tho case, they will protrude out- ward, in the form of a bag, and then are of no fur- ther use. If the labor has not been disturbed, the MIDWIFERY^ &c. 131 child is commonly born speedily after the natural rupture of the membranes : And therefore, if the birth be delayed after this event takes place, it will ' be vc rv proper time to make a careful examination of the state of things. Here I must be permitted • to remark, that touching the parts too frequently,is i highly pernicious; the juices furnished by nature k for moistening, softening, and by these means pre- paring the pails for distention must be improperly exhausted by repeated applications of the hand ; if the passage be thus left dry, it will be much dispos- ed to irritation, and the whole process may be de- ranged. In every difficult case which has come un- der my observation, I have been able to trace all the existing evils back to the common error, of too ear- ly taking in hand, as the operation is commonly cal- led. Your pomatums, oils, lard, and ointments, are poor substilutcs for natural fluids, which are wiped away. Indeed they may do injury by clogging the ► . mouths of little vessels through which those fluids are secreted ; by escaping any such injury it hap- pens pretty commonly that women taken at surprise have better times, than when aided by good mid- wives of the neighborhood ; if there be no irregu- laris, nature is always competent to the task ap- pointed her of God ; and the. only circumstance which can make it necessary to call in a midwife at - all, are a possibility of such irregularity, and the |i convenience of having her dexterity in the managc- U ment of the placenta, dressing the child, Ace. SECOND STAGE OF NATURAL LABOR. THE second stage of labor includes all circum- stances attending the descent of the child through the pelvis, the dilatation of the external parts, and th« 152 MIDWIFERY, Ace. final expulsion of the child. Jo general,it will fol- low, that the further the labour is advanced before, the discharge of the waters the more safely this se- .A cond stage will be accomplished; as the head passes , through the pelvis, it undergoes various changes of position, by which it is adapted to the form of each part of the passage, and that more or less, readily, according to the size of the head, strength of the pains, Ace. Whether these changes are produced quickly or in a tedious manner; whether in one or more uours, it can by no means be proper to inter- t fere, tor the powers of the constitution will produce their proper effect with less injury and more propri- i ety than the most dexterous midwife. When the v head begins to press upon the external parts at first, 4 every pain may be suffered to have its full and nat- ural effect. But when a part of the head is fully ex- posed and the forepart of the perinseum is on the stretch, it is necessary to use some precaution to j prevent its being torn, and the more expeditious the labor, the more is this caution necessary. Some have thought that if the external parts be .very rigid, they should be frequently anointed with some kind of ointment ; nothing can equal the natural juices.— But if from any cause, the parts become heated and dry, flannels wrung out of warm water should be applied for sometime, and afterwards some very mild ointment might not be amiss. Women with first chil- dreu are most subject to inconvenience and difficul- ty in these respects; to prevent any injury of the external parts, the only safe and effectual plan is to retard for a certain time the passage of the head through them ; therefore, instead of encouraging the patient at this time to use her utmost exerttonV '/ to hasten the birth, she should be convinced of its impropriety, and be dissuaded from using any vol- untary exertion. If she cannot be regulated accord- ing to.your wishes, her efforts must be counteracted MIDWIFERY, kc 13.> '- by some equivalent external resistance : this may t> be peu forme el by placing tiie finger and thumb of the right, hand upon the head of the child, during the lime of a pain ; or by placing the balls of one or both thumbs on the thin edge of the p'rinseum, with J first chiiui-en. If there be great danger of lacera- tion, the right hand may be used as before, and the , palm of the left hand wound round with a soft cloth 1' may be applied over the whole perinaeum, where it must be firmly continued during the violence of the r pain. It i.s proper to proceed in this way, till the i parts are sufficiently dilated ; then the head may be permitted to slide through them in the slowest I and gentlest manner, paying the strictest attention, i till it is perfectly cleared of the perinaeum. If thsrc ' should be any delay or difficulty when the perinaeum slides over the face, the fore finger of the right hand may be placed under its edge, by which it may be cleared of the mouth and chin before the support «?;iven by V.IZ !".ft hand be withdrawn; the assis- tance should be applied in a proper direction, and with uniformity ; otherwise the danger of injury to the external parts will be incresed by irregular or partial pressure, the head being expelled, it is com- monly deemed necessary to extract the body of the child without delay ; but experience has now taught that there is no danger, and that it is far safer for the mother and child, to wait for the return of the pains, and when the shoulders of the child begin to : advance and the external parts are again brought to the stretch, the same support should be given to the perinseum as before. The child should then be conducted in a proper direction, so as to keep its weight from resting too heavily on the perineum ; two or three pains are sometimes necessary for the expul-ion of the shoulders; after the head is born, the child should he placed in such a situation that the external air may have free access to its mouth ; but m MIDWIFERY, Ace. let its head be covered. Having taken the proper care of the mother, it will be necessary to proceed to the third and last part of the operation. THE THIRD STAGE OF NATUR\L LABOR, THE MANAGEMENT OF PLACENTA, kc. THERE is a proper time for dividing the funis or umbilical cord before the child breathes and cries; a motion of the arteries of the cord may be felt beat- ing like the pulse ; but after it breathes and cries, this pulsation or motion ceases, and the string be- comes quite relaxed and soft. These circumstances ought to take plate before the umbilical cord is di- vided ; ten, fifteen, and sometimes twenty minutes are required for the complete relaxation of the na- vel string ; then let it be tied in two places and di- vide between them. Soon after tlr- birth ed" the child the midwife should apply her hand upon the abdo- men of the mother to determine whether there be an- other child, and whether the womb contracts in a manner favorable to the separation and removal of the cake. Most women are, extremely uneasy till the placenta is removed, and suppose the sooner it is accomplished the better; but this uneasiness is unnecessary, and all hurry is improper. After the birth of the child, let the first attention be paid to the mother; tranquility should be restored to her mind, and the hurried circulation of the blood should be calmed; she should be recovered from her fatigue and her natural state regained as soon as possible. With this design, let her be kept quiet, affording her at the same time some suitable refreshment ; in the course of ten, fifteen or twenty minutes the pains will return for the purpose of expelling the placenta, and it will generally be expelled without any kind MIDWIFERY, &c. 155 of artificial aid, which should never be. employed where it can be avoided; but if it descends too slowly, the midwife may take hold of the cord, and by pul- ling in a gentle manner, and in a proper direction, may afford some assistance, and this should be done only in time of pain. After the cake is brought down into the vagina, whether by the natural pains, or with the artificial aid as above, it must be suffered to remain there till excluded by the pains j this may prevent a dangerous floodhig, if an hour be requisite for the exclusion. After it enters the vagina, no assistance ought to be offered, but after thai iioi-, it may again be gently pulled in the time of the p.iiin. No objection should be raised to this plan, from any supposed advantage to be derived to the child, from laying the cake upon its belly, on the cof-s. or hot embers in hot wine or the like: all this is of little or no account. Let it then be a settled point that hurry is improper either in dividing the string or removing the cake. Haste in the*first may destroy the child, in the. last must injure the mother. In a greater or lesser degree, if the ill ef- fect be nut immediately perceived, she will at length be sensible of the injury when her health gradually declines. The conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing is, that parturition is a natural process the constitution which generally needs noassistanc and when it is natural, it should always be suffer- ed to have its own course without interruption, kc. fcfe INTRODUCTION TO DIFFICULT LABOR. IN consequence of their natural construction, the women must be subject to great pain and difficulty in parturition. Yet, by the peculiar form of the mother, and the original construction of the head of 156 MIDWIFERY, kc. ths child, ample provision is made for overcoming j all the difficulties to which they are subject. But by •' the customs of society, and various other causes, women are rendered subject to diseases and acci- '*• dents which increase their natural inconveniences, and produce new causes of danger. Therefore, 2 there will be occasions which will require assis- 1 tance. The first distinction of labour requiring assistance u is tedious and difficult ; those in which i a quick and easy passage of the head of the child is : prevented by some distortion of the pelvis, or too j large a size of the head; those of the soft parts which \ are rendered difficult from diseases. 1RST KIND OF DIFFICULT LABOR. THE action of the womb is sometimes too weak, in consequence of great distention. In acaseof this sort, the safest and frequently the only remedy, is to allow , the patientsuffieienttimc to walkorstand,pursue any amusement, or choose that position which she may prefer. Sometimes, however, frequent glysters e>f ' warm milk and water, or thin gruel might be in- V.; jectcd ; or if the pains should be feeble and come on in a very slow manner, and if the labor be far ad- vanced, it will be proper to give a glyster of gruel made more vivitating, by the addition of an ounce MIDWIFERY, kc. 157 I of common table salt, or a like quantity of purging salt, which ever may be most convenient. The ac- tion of the womb may be feeble and tedious, in con- sequence of being partial or incomplete; in a case of this kind the patient will complain that the child lies high in the stomach; or she will have cramp like pains in various parts of the abdomen, which seem quite ineffectual ; if these pains be great and differ- ent from common labor pains, they are commonly the effect of a feverish disposition; and if so, the patient may lose some small quantities of blood; she may take thirty or forty drops of spirits of nitre in a cup of some kind of cooling tea every two or three hours'. Her bowels must be kept open with clysters or gentle doses of manna, castor oil, or pur- ging sails ; and sometimes it will be found useful to antiointtiu- whole abdomen with warm edl ; if little fever be present, she might walk about tho room in the intervals between the pains. If she should have suffered long, af'er the blood letting and a glys- ter or two, she should take forty five or fifty drops of the tincture of opium, or one grain of opium mixed with one and a half grains of ipecacuanha, to be repeated if necessary at the end of six hours ; the powder is preferable to the tincture of opium. In this case, sometimes the pains are not sufficiently strong to break the membranes containing the wa- ters. If the piesuinption be that the membranes are too rigid, or if sufficient time may have been allow- ed, it°may become necessary to break them artifi- ciallv. But as was observed under the head of na- tural labors, this must be done with the greatest cau- tion. It should be first known, that the os uteri is fully dilated, and care must be taken not to be de- ceived in thispoint,because the os uteri is sometimes so thinly and uniformly spread over the head ol the child before it is in any degree dilated, as very much 15S MIDWIFERY, Ac. to resemble the membranes. If it be determined to break the membraiies, no instrnnient is necessary but the fingvr, or at most the fingernail prepared for the purpose, by being cut and turned up; the short- ness of the funis or umbilical cord, may be the cause of difficult labor, resembling that which is the effect of a feeble action of the womb. It may there- fore be explained in this place. The umbilical cord may be short originally, or may he rendered so by being wound round the neck, hotly or limbs of the child. If the child should be drawn back upon the declension of a pain, the short- ness of the umbilical cord maybe always suspected: by allowing sufficient time this inconvenience will commonly be overcome. If however, ebe child should.not be born, after waiting long enough, it may be necessary to change the position of the pa- tient, and instead of reposing on a bed or couch, as advised in the instructions for taking a pain, she may be placed upon the lap of one of the assistants; it will be frequently found advantageous to prefer this position in lingering cases, especially when the parts seem fully prepared for dilatation. When the head of the child is expelled, the funis may be brought forwards over the head, or backwards over the shoulders; but if neither can be done, it may be ne- cessary to wait- for the effect of time ; it is not so dangerous as some suppose for the child to rei: ?.in some time in this position ; but the air should have free access to its mouth. But when it can no lon- ger be considered safe, the funis must be divided with the usual precaution of tying, Ace. Ifthechild be dead k swelled,thelaborwill commonly be exceed- ingly difficult, and put on appearances similar to those of the foregoing cases: it may be found neces- sary in an instance of this sort, to place a towel or handkerchief round the neck of the child, and then by taking hold of both ends, considerable aid may MlD>YlrERY,A;C. 159 •be afforded. But if this method should not succeed, one or both arms should be brought down, and in- • eluded in the handkerchief, by which means still greater force may be applied. In all cases however, where it can be done with,safety, it will be more safe and humane, to wait the. effect of uatural effort.* than to use much force. Consumption and other diseases, with general debility, commonly causes great apprehensions, about the issue of parturition. But if there be no untoward circumstance in th^ k way, it will be found that there is a peculiar balan^ obtaining between the strength of the patient, am. the disposition of the parts concerned for dilatation; !: give them time and they will be delivered. Wh v labor is common, there is generally a sense of hea', quickness of the pulse, thirst, flushed cheeks, in on i word a general fever, sick disposition; these a; ' pearances maybe considered natural effoits for c:j-- ; rying on the depending operation of the system ; but the fever runs sometimes too high, and exbaiists * those powers of the system which ought to have beu? W otherwise applied. When this is the case, nothiuv can be more erroneous than the common and alino,; L universal plan of giving wine, spirits, or other ee \ I dials. This kind of treatment, is calculated to ir crease the fever and destroy the pains. Instead of |( spirits, wine or opium, have recourse to eoolii-T \' drinks, and moderate blood letting, to be repeated I according to the circumstances ; to these may be ad- , ded frequent mild glysters, and a gentle puige e,e two, Ate. .The room should be kept cool and well & aired, and the patient should be kept cool and well 1_ aired also, and the patient as much as j' >ssible c;:n- feposed. Fat and inactive women, very frequently W have slow and lingeringlabor, they seem subject m ■ debility of the indirect kind ; in exevy case of this i sort, it must be very improper to make use of spir- 1 its t\,c. to hasten the pains. Patients under the 160 Ml U W n< r.K1 , &c. impression of fear, will almost in eveiy instance be subject to a tedious labor ; and as the. time is pro- longed, their fears will naturally increase, so that ultimately they may be brought into danger by their own cowardly imagination. Tho widwife should therefore use discreet measures to inspire more fa- vorable sentiments, Ac. Concerning letting blood in time of labor, it can- not be admissible in every case, even with the most robust women. But if there be fever, or if the pains be very strong, and the exertions of ihe woman seem vehement, in either of these cases it is necessary to lose blood. DIFFICULT LABOR. MOST women with their first children suffer moro or »>fc less from the difficult distention of the parts concerned , in parturition ; but the rigidity, which is the cause, commonly lessens with every cliild in proportion to tl;e number she has; and lias sufficient resources within herself fur delivery—sometimes blood letting is necessary. In this case, if the woman be advanced in age at the time of having her first child, this ri- gidity of the parts will be the. greater, and of course the labor may be more difficult. Women of this distinction ordesci iption might generally avoid much inconvenience by occasional blood letting towards the close of pngnaney, by making frequent use of gentle, laxatives, as manna, sweet oil, castor oil and the like, sitting over the steam of warm water eve- ry night at bvd time. It may be observed, however, that it frequently happens that women at forty five fair as well as .they could have done with their first child at twenty five ; none therefore ought to be discouraged. The natural efforts of the constitu- tion in th«sc cases arc astonishing. CONCLUSION OF MIDWIFERY. 1. THE midwife's cry is often heard, And often calls when not prepared__ And many go against their will, The reason why, they lack in skill. 2. Altho' they say they have the art, Tho' not in full, but in a part ; And often find that they are lacking, Strait way then for a doctor to back them. 3. Then comes the doctor with his skill, Relieves the pains that oft dotlL kill, Which throws the midwives in a maze— With trembling hearts they stand and gaze. 1. When the horrid scene is o'er, They the patient's case deplore, And talk of this, and every part, But still they know they lack the art.. 5. Altho' in cases they are good, So is the dote that's in the wood; Tho' when the tree is fresh and green, No skill in them is to be seen. 6 .2 THE COLD FEVER, OR TIGER GRIPE. THIS is a new disease that has been approaching through the land ever since the shaking of the earth, and is little understood, though many opin- ions have been drawn upon it: And as I have been successful in its cure in the year IS 13, losing but two out of sixty-seven patients, I beg leave to give my opinion of the disorder, although I may be in the dark, without the true light of the. causes of the disee.-e. 1 am no prophet, nor the son of a prophet, to pretend any superior skill in the jaricular sig- nification ; 'all that 1 can assert with any confidence in such cuses is, that the Almighty with an outstretch- ed arm, i.s frowning and bending his bow, and mak- ing his quiver ready to shoot at the inhabitants of the eartii : ami that we had best consider and ex- amine ourselves, and prepare to meet Him in the judgment of the great and hist day : all diseases are the servants of the, most high God. For instance, shall there bo evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it ? If it comes from the air. is he not the au- thor of the air and ruict'i it ? If it comes from the earth, hath he not the same power over it. Ace. ?— We hear it declared from his excellent glory, ♦•That 1 will bring a sword and avenge the quarrels of my covenant, and when you assemble in cities, then will I bring the? pestilence in the midst of you." As there are sulphrrious vapours that arc drawn from the en-All. by reason of the heat of the sun. which meet- ing in the middle region of tiie air with cold am] moist vapours, are together with them inclosed in a hollow cloud; but, when the hot exhalations agree with the coldness of the place, by this strife brin"* driven together, made stronger, k-utiles and causes the noise which we call tbende;- ; as we may add the breaking of an e^^ hi t\u- S,—. or an apple, or the flash of a gun, by inclosing the hot winds audsulphu- f . THE COLD FEVER, &c. 165 ► rious vapours, and cannot have vent, it will seek tilself a way, by breaking the skin, or shell or the like; and when there is little or no thunder and lightning to burn those vapours and fumes that pro- ' eeed from mineral juices, ttiey affect the air, and in r damp giving weather, cause malignant distempers, and sometimes death to animals, and fill the air with such soot and volatile salt, and the air abounding with such particles, is very apt to inflame and ex- ulcerate the lungs, Ace. Thunderbolts are nothing else, but the matter of those vapours and exhalations, i which are the material cause. For we see by ex- r pcrience, that even our urine has always some such concreted drugs belonging to it, and sometimes per- . feet stones made out of it, either in the reins or uterus f or the bladder. I have stated my opinion respectina the cause of the disease, or cold fever. Another ob- servation worthy of remark, is, respecting well dig- gers ; if they meet with sulphur how it stagnates \ them and often kills. I The symptoms of this complaint are violent, and (if not early checked soon set all medicine aside. It ' often comes with cold chills, then a high fever, a ; pain in the side, (sometimes in the right, sometimes If in the left,) it is most fatal when in the left; pain in ■ the head, an aching in the bones; sickness at the -J stomach. If there be sickness at the stomach, a puke ft is necessary (of ipecacuanha); if in the bowels, a |k purge of calomel : then a miraculous sweat: Get a pint of whiskey, heat it boiling hot, set it on fire, P. put the still cap over it, and put the little end in the |j bed, as hot as the patient can bear the steam.--- Where the pain i.s most acute, cup, scarify and blis- :',, ter ; but by no means let blood; draw blisters on f, the chest ; boil red pepper, mustard seed, salt pc- Jtrc and whiskey together, and wash where the pains are most severe. If the head ache is acute, beat |4 perch tree bark, and wet it in good strong vinegar, 16k THE COLD FEVER, kc. and bind to the forehead ; or fethcrfew and vinegar; snuff the juice of groundivy, or harts-horn; bind roasted poke roots to the soles of the feet. Bathe the feet in weak lye; apply a blister behind each ear, and the back of the neck. If the pain still con- tinues in the head, shave a large place on the top and apply a plaster there. If the cough is hard, get a handful of horehound, a handful of spikenard, a handful of the baik of the root of spicewood, a handful of alleeompain, a handful of comfrey, a handful of the bark of the root of yellow poplar, boil them in three gallons of water to one, strain it; add a quart of honey, a quart of hard cider, a table spoonful of salt-petre, a table spoonful of dried In- dian turnip, boil them to a quart; take from a half a spoonful three times a day, to a spoonful three times a day, and keep the bowels open with purging salts, castor-oil, cream of tartar and the like. Take from five to fifteen drops of the elixer vitriol, three times a day to keep the appetite up; make a consihnt drink of sycamore chips and groundivy. When the attack is violent at the first, the warm bath is wonderful ; or if the pain is severe in the breast, got spicewood, horehound, catnip, boil them strong, strain it, thick- en it with rye meal, put it in a little bag,lay it on the breast as warm as you can bear it; Or boil alle- eompain, comfrey, catnip, salt-petre, hard cider and honey, put it in a coffee pot, and suck the steam in the lungs as warm as you can bear. When Doctors first began their skill, A many a patient they did kill; But now they've got it in possession, They give the means, and say, God bless them; THE ANATOMY OF MAN'S BODY, WITH THE NUMBER OF BONES. IN the top of the head 13 a bone that covercth the brain, called the capitol bone ; in the skull there are two bones close and stedfast; and lower in the brain, is a bone called the crown of the head ; and on the one side, and on the other, are two holes, within which is the palate or roof bone ; in the part behind the head, are four little bones, to which the chain of the neck holdeth ,* in the nose are two bones ; the bones of the chaps above, are eleven, and of the nether jaw are two. Above the opposite of the brain, there is one behind, named eejllateral.— The bones of tho teeth are thirty-eight before, four above and four underneath, sharp edged, for to cut the morsel ; there are four sharp, two above and two underneath, and all are called canines, for they are like canines' teeth. After that are sixteen; they are like as they were hammers, or grinding teeth, for they chew and grind the meat which is eaten. There are four above on every side, and four under- neath ; then the four teeth of sapience on every side of the chaps, one above and one underneath.— in the chin, from the head downwards are thirty bones, called knots or joints. In the breast before are, seven bones ; and on every side twelve ribs ; by the neck between the head and shoulders, are two bones, named the sheers, and the two shoulder blades from the shoulders to the elbows. In each arm is a bone called adjutor, from the elbow to the hand bone. In every arm are two bones that arc call- ed cannis. In each hand there are eight: above the palm are four bones called the comb of the hand ;— the bones in the fingers in each hand are fifteen ; in every finger three. At the end of the ridge, are the truckle hones, whereto are fastened the two bones of the. thighs. In each knee is a bone, called the knee plate. From the knee to the foot in each leg are 166 ORDER OF BLOOD LETTING, &c. four bones, called the ancle or pin of the foot; behind the ancle is the heel bone in each foot, which is the lowest part of the man ; and above each foot is a bone called the hollow bone. In the plant of each foot, are four^bones, they are the lambs of the foot, in each of which are five bones. The bones of the toes in each foot are fourteen. Two bones are be- fore the belly to hold it stedfast, with the two bran- ches; two bones in the head behind the ears, called ocularess—we reckon not the tender bones of the end of the shoulders, nor the sides, nor of divers little gristles and spelders of bones, for they arc comprehended in the number aforesaid. They are in all two hundred and forty-eight. THE USE AND ORDER OF BLOOD LET- TING, AVITH THE NAMES' OF THE VEINS AND WHERE THEY REST. THE vein in the midst of the forehead should be opened for the head ache ; pains in the head, pleuri- sy in the head, fevers, lethargy, and for the megrim in the head. Behind the ears are two veins, which we let blood to give clear understanding and virtue of light, for thick breath and to prevent measles or leprosy. In the temples are two veins called the ar- teries, for which we let.blood to diminish and take away the great repletion and abundance of blood that is in the brain, that might annoy the head and eyes; it is good against the gout, megrim, the pleuri- sy in the head, and divers other accidents that may happen to the head. Under the tongue are two veins that are to be opened for a sickness called the quin- cy, and against the swelling and imposthumc of the throat ; and,"againstthe squinancy, by which a man may die suddenly for default of such bleeding. In ORDER OF BLOOD LETTING,kc. 167 the neck are two veins called original, because they hold abundance of blood that gov'erneth the body of man andprincipallypthe head ; but they ought notto let blood without the counsel of a physician ; and the f bleeding availeth much to the sickness of the lepro- sy, when it cometh principally of thevblood. The vein of the heart taken in the arm profiteth to take away the humors or evil blood that might hurt the chamber of the heart ; and is good for them that spit blood, and that are short winded ; by which a man may die suddenly for want of bleeding. The vein of the liver taken in the arm, assuageth tie, great heat of the body, and keeps the bodkin health; this bleeding is profitable also against "The pais/, whereof a man may die for the lack of bleeding, imposthumcs, jaundices, Ace. Between the master finger and the leech "linger, to let blood hclpeth the pains in the stomach and side, as botches, impos- tbume-s, and divers other accidents, that may come to those places by great abundance of blood, and hu- mors in the sides. Between the womb and the branch, are two veins, that on the right side we hi blood for the dropsy, and that of the left for evciy sickness that cometh about the melt; and they should bleed according to the fatness or leanness of the par- ty; take good heed at four fingers near the incission, and they ought not to bleed without the counsel of the physician. In every foot are three veins, one is under the ancle, named saphon, wbicli ought to be opened to assuage and drive, away divers humors, botches andimposthumes that cometh about the groin, and profiteth much to women, causing the menstru- osity to descend, anddelayeth the hemorrhoids that cometh in the secret places, and the like. Between the wrists of the feet and the great toe is a vein, which ought to be opened for divers complaints and inconveniences, as the pestilence that taketh a per- son suddenly, hy the great superabundance of hu- 168 ORDER OF BLOOD LETTING, kc. mor; and this bleeding must be performed in twcn- , ty-four hours after the patient is affected, and before < the fever comes on ; and this bleeding ought to be done according to the corpulency of the patient.— In the angles of the eyes, are two veins, which we let blood for the red and watery eye, and divers other disordersthat may happen by over abundance of * humors and blood in the vein. At the end of the nose we bleed for red pimpled faces, red drops, pus- tules, small scab and other infections of the heart, that may come by too great repletion, and abundance I of blood and humors. It is excellent for pimpled , noses anj*rtffis«rders in the mouth. In the gums are i four veins,'fhat is to say, two above and two beneath, 1 which we open for the cancer in the mouth, and tooth ' ache. Between the lip and chin is a vein, that is to be opened to give amendment to them that have an evil breath. In each arm are four veins : first, the the vein of the head is the highest; the second is from the heart; the third is from the liver; the vein of the head taken in the arm, ought to be opened to take away the great repletion and abundance of blood that may annoy the head, the eyes and brain; and is very good for changeable heats, swelled and v red faces, and for divers other disorders that may come by the great abundance of blood. Fourthly, the vein of the melt, otherwise called the lower vein, should be opened for fevers, tertians, quartans; and the orifice ought to be made wide and shallow, to ^. prevent the gathering of wind, and for fear of a sinew that lies under it, called the lizard. In each ',. hand are three veins: that above the thumb ought to be opened to take away the great heat of the vis- .? age, and for much thick blood and humors that arc- % in the head; and this vein lieth more than that in the arm, between the little finger and the leech *' finger: letting of blood greatly profiteth in all fe- vers, whether they are tertian or quartan. In the '«*. DROPSY—ITCH, Ace. 169 thighs is avein.when opened,is good for pains ofthe genitals, and puts out of man's body humois.thatare in the groin. The vein that i.s under the ancle of the foot on the outside, is named sciat, when opened is very beneficial against pains in the flanks, and to drive out humors which would gather in said place, and availeth much toward the benefit of women to restrain their inenstruosity, when they have too great abundance. FOR THE DROPSY. TAKE steel dust, make it as fine as'ymi can :__ Get a pint of honey, a handful of fetherfew, a hand- ful of sweet bazii, a handful of sweet fennel, a hand- ful of tame pencroyal, a table spoonful of callender seed, put the herbs in an oven to themselves, and dry them well over a slow fire: when they are dried well, beat them to snuff and mix them with honey; ,' add a table spoonful of the steel dust, and roll them w in starch, and take six of the pills in the day, the size of Anderson's pills. You must not eat sweet milk nor bacon, nor any thing high seasoned. This I never knew fail. FOR THE ITCH, OR ANY ERUPTION OF THE SKIN. "&' TAKE a handful of sour dock roots, and a E handful of the bark of dogwood root, one handful od,or of feeding the child too soon on vegetable diet. Women giving suck, should prefer a vegetable diet; milk is also an excellent article for them at times. -'Chil- dren should be weaned at ten or twelve months ol«fe. it is injurious to the mother and child to give'suck after the return of the menstruation. The remedies proper for the belly ache, are pep- permint water, tincture of opium, or paregoric elix- er, or the powders recommended in the case of the jawfall ; but the spirits should never be used. If the tincture of opium be chosen for the purpose, not more than one fourth of a drop ought to be given for the first dose, but it may afterwards be given and gradually enlarged. I have known a child of two weeks old to be convulsed by taking one drop at once. I will conclude this chanter by observing, tliat no disease can be communicated from the moth- er to the child through the channel of the milk. P2 TEETHING. CHILDREN seldom begin to cut their teeth 'till they are three months old, and some not'till they arc much older. The symptoms are a vomiting, lax, fevers, starting fits, swelled and sore ears, and swelling of the glands or kernels of the throat and groins. The remedies arc cold air, tincture of <.- pium, and finally cutting of the gums. They should be cut lengthways in the direction of the gums, and quite through to the tooth ; hut if it be thought more convenient, they may be cut across. ERUPTIONS ON THE SKIN. WHERE considerable eruptions break out upon the skin of children, in other respects quite healthy and of full habit, their nurses should live upon vegeta- ble diet, ami the cliild should be purged. For this purpose, nothing perhaps is better than calomel : a child of three months old might take from half a grain to a grain; of six months old, from one to two grains;of nine mouths up to a year, from one to three grains. If the eruption be on a weakly and delicate child, let the nurse eat more rich and generous food. WARTS ON THE TONGUE. WARTS on the tongue may be clipped off with a very sharp pair of scissors. Where the tongue is tied, the frenulum or string underthetongue,may be div i- ded with the same instrument; and it is always best to do it, when the child is young. Costiveness may be prevented by the powders recommended in the case DISEASES OF CHILDREN. 173 of the jawfall, or with castor oil, manna or the like. FALLING DOWN OF THE LOWER INTES- TINES. CHILDREN who cry much, or are long under the influence of a diarrhea, are subject to the falling down of the rectum or strait gut ; we are told of various modes for preventing it. The following per- haps is as good as any : If the gut be considerably protruded -^welled and inflamed, let it be well bathed with warm milk and water, and then let a large and soft poultice of bread and milk be applied, to be ex- changed for a fresh one every three or four hours till the inflammation is removed. Should the swel- ling and inflammation be so obstinate as not to yield to this method, let the part be well scarrified, so as to evacuate the blood freely—then apply the poultice as before, and give the patient a dose of the tincture of opium ; the scarrifications, poultice, Ace. should be repeated till the gut can be readily replaced ; then having washed it well with a decoction of oak bark, let it be returned and kept up by a bandage or truss, and this should be done after every stool if the descent of the intestines should make it necessa- ry. n\ the mean time a costive habit must careful- ly bo prevented by the use of a small dose of castor oil, or some other gentle purge ; take and light a pipe of tobacco and blow it into melted hog's fat un- til it becomes of a greenish color, and it is to be rub- bed on while warm on the affected part. FOR THE PILES. GET a double handful of catnip, a handful of gin- 170 NATURE OF THE TWELVE SIGNS. seng leaves, a dozen big red onions boiled well and strained, then add a pint of fresh butter, half a pint of rusty bacon fat, a tea spoonful of brimstone, stew it down to an oil, and anoint with it. —io—--- THE NATURE OF THE TWELVE SIGNS. ARIES is hot and dry, of the nature of the fire, and governs in the head and face of man, and it is good for bleeding when the moon is in it, save in the part it governeth and ruleth. TAURUS is evil for bleeding. Taurus is dry and cold, of the nature of the earth, and governeth the neck and the knot under the throat ; and is evil for bleeding. GEMINI is evil for bleeding. Gemini is hot and moist, of the nature of the air, and governetli the shoulders, the arms and hands ; and is evil for bleeding. CANCER is indifferent for bleeding. Cancer is cold and moist, of the nature of the water, and go- verneth the breast, the stomach and the melt; and is indifferent for bleeding. LEO is evil for bleeding. Leo is hot and dry, and of the nature of fire, and governeth the back and sides ; and is evil for bleeding. VIRGO is indifferent for bleeding. Virgo is cold and dry, of the nature of the earth, and governeth the womb and the inward parts ; and is neither good nor evil for bleeding, but between both. LIBRA, right good for bleeding. Libra is hot and moist, of the nature of the air, and governeth the navel, the reins, and the lower parts of the womb; and is very good for bleeding. SCORPIO is indifferent for bleeding. Scorpio is cold and moist, of the nature of the water, and NATURE OF THE TWELVE SIGNS. 177. governeth the members of man ; and is neither good nor bad for bleeding, but between both. SAGITAR1US is good for bleeding. Sagitarius is hot and dry, of the nature of fire, and governeth the thighs ; and is good for blood letting. CAPRICORNUS is evil for bleeding. Capri- cornus is cold and dry, of the nature of the earth, and governeth the knees ; and is evil for bleeding. AQUARIUS is indifferent for bleeding. Aqua- rius is hot and moist, of the nature of the air, and governeth the legs; and is neither good nor ill for bleeding. PISCES is indifferent for bleeding. Pisces is cold and moist, of the nature of water, and go- verneth the feet ; and is neither good nor ill for let- ting blood. No man ought to make incission«j» nor touch with iron,the members governed by any sign the day that the moon is in it, for fear of the great effusior blood that may happen. Nor when the sun is v for fear of the great danger and peril that might low therefrom. POETICAL. THE OLD MAN'S GOMPLAINT. MY prime is past, my nerves decay, My spirit's fled, my head's grown gpay» My blood's dried up, my body's cold, My lips are blue, which pales my cheek— My teeth are gone I scarce can eat. My legs are shrunk ; lame are my feet; My youthful sins now make ine sigh, And sob when I should Sleep. Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs led him to your door; Whose days are dwindling to the shortest span, Oh ! give relief and heaven shall bless your store. Ten times ten years old, not fully told, Since nature gave me breath, My race is run, my thread is spun, Lo ! here is fatal death. " All men must die, and so must I ; This cannot be revok'd :" For Adam's sake those words God spake When he so high provok'd. Yet live I shall, this life's but small, In place of higher bliss— When I can have all I can crave, What life is like to this! Oh ! what is life but care and strife, Since first we came from womb ; Our time doth haste, our strength doth wastv, And we shall go to tomb. / P0ETRY. 179 Oh ! bubble blast how long can last, That always art a breaking? No sooner blown, but dead and gone, Just as the words are speaking. A SPEECH IN A PARABLE, BETWEEN FLESH AND SPIRIT. WHERE once I stood Close by the banks of lurcum flood, I heard two sisters reason on Things that wast past and things to come. One flesh was cold, who had her eye, On wordly wealth and vanity— The other spirit did her rear, Her thoughts unto a higher sphere. " Sister, (quoth flesh) what liveth thou on ? Nothing but meditation satisfy ? Nothing without reality ? Dost dream of things beyond the moon ? And doth thou hope to dwell there sson ? Hath treasure there laid up in store? From one father we are not, Thou by old Adam was begot." Tho' speaketh to me fair, But hates me sore ; The flatterer turns, I'll trust no more. A PARABLE OF THE-INDUSTRIOUS MAN AND LAZY MAN. THE ant* the.prudent, painful train, Brought forth and dried her heap of grain; A grass-hopper, half starv'd went hy And begg'd her eharity. 180 POETRY. To whom the poor ant reply'd : " In harvest, how your timeemploy'd?" " I sing the insect, seize the play, " To make the laborer pleasant, gay." " 0 (cry M the am) howjust the chance, As you have sung, you now may dance; In vain you In re for food apply, I'll feed no idle folks, not I." ACII c\'* it u re is link'd to that below it; All nature, if observ'd, will shew it, And upwards still our search will prove, Each link'd again to that above. Heaven, when it had created man, Unfinish'd saw creation's plan ; Nor would the links together meet Until woman did the chain complete. C GLOSSARY. \EXPLANATION OF SOME WORDS FOR THE HELP OF COMMON READERS. There are many authors set out books and when ttey are pur- chased by the poor, there are but few can get benefit by them Vithout going- to a doctor. And for the benefit of this book, and' others, I shall explain a few of the most useful words. Abortion.—An untimely birth, a miscarriage. Corroding—Eating away. • Costivemss.—Being bound in the body. Debilitate.—To weaken, to make faint. \ Dcpletien.—The act of cmpying. Diaphoretic—That which causes sweating. Diarrhea.—A lax, or loosness of the bowels. . Dilute.—To make thin, as water. . Dilution.—The act of making thin. - Distorted—Out of shape. Effervesce.—The act of boiling like beer. ' Emaciated.—Made lean. - Equivalent.—Equal in value. 1 Exhausted.—Drawn out, spent. | Gestation.—The act of carrying a child in tho t womb. Hemorrhage.—A flux of blood which is unnatural. Hymen.—The virginal membrane. Imperforated.—Not pierced through without a hole. Indigestion.—A disease in which the food lies hea- vy and unchanged on the stomach. 1S2 GLOSSARY. Incontinence.—Inability to restrain or withhold. Indication.—A mark or sign, by which to be known. Insinuate.-*-To introduce gently. Interposition.—Putting in by way of interruption.. Irretrievable.—Not to be repaired. Laceration.—The act of tearing or butchery. , Manuel.—Performed by the hand. Membrane.—A thin covering of the flesh. Menstrual.—To discharge the menses. Menstruation.—The act of discharging the menses. Muaus—A slime. Mucous.— Slimy. Z] JVfajsea.-Squeamishness, sickness at the stomachjj Parturition.—The act of bringing forth. $ Periodical.—Occuring at stated times. ' Premature.—Too hasty. Pressure.—The act of bearing upon, or squeezing.' Saturation.—The act of fillingjtill no more can b« received. Suffocation.—The act of choaking. Suppression.—The act of stopping. Suspend.—To stop for a time. H*& INDEX, A Angelica, (Herb J : 37 to 40 Alum, .... 110 Aloes, - - i0 Asafetida, ... . - ib After Pains, (relief,) - . 130 Anatomy of man's body, - - - 165 B Brain : Dropsy of the - - -N 3„ Breast and Nipples, - 108 To dry up milk in the - - . 170 Milk in the - j7;? Bark, - . - - - 110 Borax, - - . - ib Bilious Cholic, - - .-124, Blood Vomiting, - - . ±%g Bite of a Snake, kc. ,- - _ ^ {0 Burns, - - . 133 Bilious Fever, - - . 1 ^ Blood letting, its use, &c. - . t66 Belly ache, - - - . - 173 c Cholera Morbus, - - -SO Consumption, ... . , 5 Cholic, (nervous) - - ;,0 Children ; diseases of . _ 01 to 68 Young: directions concerning 170 Cough: Hooping, - ^ - . ~t-} 16-fc INDEX. Croup, - - - - 81 Caution to the ladies, - - - 86 Conception, (signs of) - ib Childbed "Fever, - 94 Child Birth, (Directions to the Granny) 107 Calomel, Camphor, Carolina Pink Root, 111 Castor Oil, 6cc. - - - - 112 Cancers, - - 122 Cholic, Bilious, - - 121* Cramp, ... - 125 Convulsive Fits, ... 120 Cold Fever, or Tiger Gripe, - - 162 D Dysentery, or bloody Flux, - 27 Dropsy of the brain, &c. - 3 k Cure for the - - 169 Drugs (see Medicines) Delivery of women, - ISO £ Eyes, inflammation of the . 42 Diseases of the • 140 Ether : its properties, &c. - 113 Elixer Vitriol, - US Easy delivery, how procured, - ISO Eruptions on the skin, - 174 F Fever: (fV.-.rb-.f), - - . *3 Me enteric, - 7i< Childbed, - !H t;iiioii-i, - - lit Cold or Tiger gripe, . 16-2 Fluor Albeis, or Whites, - 10b" Flies, or Cantharidcs, - 113 His, convulsive, - 120 I'looding, - - ±'2i) Gr Gout, kc kc. - ... 132 INDEX. 185 Glysters, - _ 13.=5 Glossary, - - ISO H Hooping Cough : . 76 Hives, (see Croup) ... . Hysterics, ... - 90 IJ Introduction, ... _ XXI Joints : swelling of - - 57 Itch, kc. 169 Iron, - . 11* Influenza, - _ 139 Jaw-Fall,..... „ m Intestines : Falling down of the lower 175 K Kino, - - - 11' King's Evil, - 137 L Ladies—a caution to them, . bo Legs, (sore) - 197 To dry up - 120 M Married State, XV 1. Mesenteric Fever, . 7* Measles,..... . 78 Menses, - - . 97 With Pain, 100 Obstruction of, 101 to 10* Immoderate, - 105 Cessation of the - - 142 Medicines used, their properties, 110 to 120 A few words on, - 12fi Magnesia, - - - - it; Manna, - - » ' lis Q 2 1S6 INDEX. Myrrh. (Gum) Mortification, Midwifery, Us practice, N Negro Poison, (see poison J Nipjdes, kc. (sec breast, §c.) Nutmeg, - Nerves, weak, Nightmare, ... Navel; sore or ruptured Orange Peel, Olive Oil, Opium, 0 115 - 127 1*3 to 161 115 132 136 171 116 ib ib Preface, Plucrisy, Poison, Negro Putrid Sorethroat, Pregnancy, Precipitate of Mercury, Phthisic, (Mies. Vuciry, R -Recommendations, I!e-ins, running of Rhubnrd, Russian Castor, S Rheumatisms, &e. XIII iO 52 8* - 86 117 121 134 and 175 177 to 179 57 117 ib 132 Swelling of the joints1, Sore Throat (putrid) Sal-Ammoniac "1 Spirits of Nitre J 57 84 117 INDEX. 187 Salt Petre, - - . - 118 Sutt of Tartar, - - - ib Senna, - ' _ _ _ _ jg Sulphur ("Flour of) ... H7% Signs, which govern the body . - 176 Sore Legs, .... 127 Snake Bite, &c. . . 128 Scald Head, - - _ 131 Sinews, kc. infirmities in - - 132 T Thirst : . 90 Tartar, - - - ' - 120 Tetter Worm, - - - 131 Tiger Gripe, - . '- id2 Teething, - 174 Thrush, - . ... 172 Twelve Signs: their nature, - 176 V Vinereal Disease, - - - 55 Vomiting, remedy for - - 127 Blood, - - 128 W Wind in the Blood, &c. - - 50 "Worms, in children, - - 68 to 72 Their management in the last stage 70 Tape. . ? 71 Tetter......131 Midwives : a word concerning them, - 72 Whites, (See Fluor AlbusJ Weak Nerves, - ... 133 Water Brash, - . _ « 133 Warts on the Tongue, ... 174 W7 *?$'' S i / « ✓ £, < h >-m -»*•? ■&.$■<'!? ■■>, « ' \ » WZ C30-TV ISIS" ★ * ARMY * * 'I MEDICAL LIBRARY Cleveland Branch ,/■••: .*V