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Physician  in  the House
FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL
     CONSULTATION.
V\l l ABLE AHTICLES ON l.TFEANI) ITS PRESERVATION. THK ACTIONS <)l  I rj K
    Body in Health ani> Diskask. iiik Rules oe Hygiene and
         1'uopek Living, Characteristics of Poods, etc.
             Also  a Complete  Cyclopedia
                 "k 1»i-ea-»es anh theik
                    Treatment by


           NON-POISONOUS REMEDIES
Descriptions of Medicinal Agents and Numerous Formulas and
                 Special Articles


       WRITTEN IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
J. H. GREER, M. D.
Profi-.mor oj >w*uiti)-l~rinarij S'trrjenj n/nl l)i*tiixfx mul I)*nnutolo(jy in the College
      of .Welkin* and i'lttjerij. mul Pht/xirin/i-in-('hi*t' of the J/arrarrl
                Mt'liral InKtit'd*. Chicago. III.'
      Illustrated with numerous Lithographic Plates and
                 Wood Engravings.



Ignorance begets misery—Knowledge pro^io/f^^-T^'V'

                   „,„„„„„  I SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE
 
G8ltp
Copyright 189T,
 J H. GREER. 
 
II.
     This diagram is one of the head and  neck,  supposed to
be divided in the middle in an anterior-posterior  direction.
     The brain and its divisions (differently colored for pur-
poses of illustration) and  the  various passages of the nose,
throat, etc., are  very fairly shown.   It is deemed better to
make u separate diagram of the eye, and that,  with the ear,
appears in another plate.
     It will be  well for the reader to remember that these
plates are nearly all diagrammatic and that the intention is to
give a "general idea"  of the  parts illustrated, such as will
assist in understanding the text of the book in passages where
reference is made to certain parts of the body. 
II.
 
III.
    This plate represents the base of the brain.   The front
portion is above and that portion  which appears to the right
in the plate is the left of the brain.  The upper branches of
the  "X" in the  center  are the optic  nerves.   The two
spoon shaped branches  above  are the  olfactory  nerves.
These are the nerves of the eye and the nose.
    The Internal  Carotid  artery is shown  "cut in two"
at the central  X.   The  Basilar artery  and  its branches
appears  below. 
III.
 
IV.
    THE EYE.—It is impossible in this space to  do more
than outline the  construction of this organ.  The parts are
named in the plate.   The Crystalline Lens  corresponds to
the lens of a camera, and being of  elastic material its degree
of convexity and therefore its focus can be regulated by the
tension of the muscles which attach to its sides.  It will be
readily seen that an image brought  within the proper  focus
will be  reflected  on the  back wall  of  the  eyeball—the
Retina—and  so reach  the optic  nerve.    The  muscular
arrangement of  the  eye is  shown in  the upper right hand
corner of the plate.
     THE EAR.—The  mechanism of hearing  is very com-
plex.    Three  very small  bones,  the stapes,  malleus  and
incus,  ("Stirrup," "Hammer1' and  "Anvil"  bones,  indi-
cated by their shape—see lower right-hand corner  of  plate)
lie in the cavity of the tympanum.   They  form a link or
chain  system  by  which vibrations of the  tympanum are
communicated to  the perilymph.   It  is impossible here to
go to farther detail than to  state that  the vibrations in the
inner ear are thus  communicated to the sensorium  through
the "labrynth." 
IV.
Diagrammatic Illustrations of the Organs of Sight and Hearing. 
V.
    The outer integument  being  removed,  we  find  the
elaborate system of the muscles  of the back.  The "fir*t
layer" is here  shown.  A few will be  named,  with their
uses.
    The perpendicular  muscle shown in  dissection at  the
left of the  neck is the  Slerno-mastoid and its use suggests
itself  as does that  of the great Trapezius muscle  connecting
at the back of the head and extending down, between  the
shoulders.    The   muscle  passing  directly over  the  left
shoulder is  the Deltoid and serves  to assist in extending" the
arm backward, as  does  also the Triceps, shown underneath
the arm.  The triceps also straightens the arm.
    In this plate we cannot indicate plainly the Teres minor
and major,  and others, so pass to the large  muscle extending
from  under the arm-pit  spreading to the  "small  of  the
back."  That is the Latissimus dorsi and its use self evident.
The External oblique is that muscle  which  (in the plate)
appears to extend from  the  upper chest on  the side to the
hips.  The muscles of the rump are  the gluteal muscles,  the
gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. 
First Layer of Muscles of Back. 
VI.
      The muscular arrangement shown in this plate will be
(  readily  seen  to  balance or compensate those of the  back.
  That is,  provision is made in  the  muscles of the neck to
  balance the Trapezius muscle of the  back.   The pectoral (or
  chest) muscles and external oblique muscles of  the abdomen
  also act  as balances to  the corresponding  muscles of  the
  back.
      It requires but little knowledge  of mechanics to see the
  uses and  wisdom of these muscular arrangements.
      Of  course,  it will  be understood that in  this and the
  preceding plate  only  the external muscles are shown and
  that they are  but a covering to other and  complex muscular
  devices enabling the  body  to be moved in whole or in part
  in almost every conceivable direction. 
VI.
First Layer of Muscles of Front.  (Diagrammatic' 
VII.
     This diagram is intended  to  give  a  general  idea of the
contents of the trunk, omitting the  intestines.  The anterior
portions of the left  lung and left kidney are represented as
being removed.
     In the upper part of the plate,  of course, are shown the
heart and lungs, showing the Aorta  or great distributing
blood-vessel of the body.  Below and  on the  right side is
seen the lower portion  of the liver, to the  left of which is
the stomach cut open to show  its interior.   The  left kidney
(cut across) is seen under the stomach  and the right kidney
in its entirety is on  the  other  side.   From  the kidneys the
two ureters lead to the bladder, shown  as  a  round  vessel at
the bottom of the plate.
    The iliac artery and iliac vein are the prominent red
and blue "forks" above the bladder.   To the right and left
are the muscles of the pelvis,  and on either  side,  below, the
bones of the pelvis and heads of the thigh bones.
     More on the heart,  lungs and other  organs  will  be
found in succeeding plates. 
VII.
Diagram of Interior of Trunk with Intestines Removed. 
VIII.
     THE  LUNGS are  the essential  organs  of  respira-
tion and occupy the lateral  cavities of the chest, separated
from each other by the heart and other contents of the medi-
astinum.  Their functions are well known and it is only pos-
sible to say,  in this limited  space, that in inhalation they
brino- the blood in sufficient  contact with atmospheric air to
oxygenize it, and in exhalation they throw off carbonic  acid
gas and much refuse matter carried to them  bv the veinous
blood.
     THE HEART is the organ which serves as the distribut-
ing engine of the blood and is placed obliquely in the center
of the chest cavity, the apex being pointed to  the left, down-
ward.   It is divided into four chambers,  the  right and left
ventricles and the  right  and  left auricles.  In  the  right
auricle blood is received from the circulation  and  passed  to
the right ventricle  which, in contraction, sends it through the
lungs, where  it becomes  oxygenized and  returns to  the left
auricle and thence to  the left ventricle,  from  which it  is
again passed to general  circulation.   It will thus be  seen
that each complete  pulsation of the heart  really means the
accomplishment of four operations.
     The heart, like other organs,  must have a supply of ar-
terial blood, which comes from the coronary arteries arising
near the commencement  ot: the aorta as shown in the plate. 
Mil.
The Lungs and Heart. 
IX.
     THE STOMACH  is  the  principal organ  of digestion
and in form is irregularly conical,  curved upon itself, with a
rounded base turned to the left side.   It is situated just be-
hind the anterior wall of  the abdomen, below the liver and
diaphragm.   Its  mucous  lining is very  delicate  with multi-
tudes of glands  opening upon its  surface.  These glands
throw  out  a thin, acid fluid called  gastric juice when food
is passed into the stomach.  When the stomach is empty, its
mucous membrane is pale and  hardly more than moist, but
the entrance of food causes  gastric juice to flow  and the
action of muscular walls of the stomach mix the food  thor-
oughly with that juice.  That operation constitutes the first
stage of digestion and assimilation.
     THE LIVER is a constant source of loss and, in a sense.
gain to the blood which passes through it.  Loss, because it
separates a peculiar fluid, the bile, from the blood, and throws
that fluid'into the intestine.   Also it elaborates a substance,
glycogen, in large or small quantities.  This latter substance
readily passes into sugar and so is carried off by the blood.
     The liver is the largest glandular organ in the bodv and
ordinarily weighs about fifty  or sixty  ounces.    The bile
secreted is stored  in the gall bladder which  is shown, with its
duct, in the picture of the stomach. 
1\.
The Stomach and Liver. 
X.
    This plate is designed to  give an idea of  the downward
circulation.  The  great abdominal Aorta is  shown in red,
with its branches.   The renal arteries supplying the kidneys
on each side and the two iliac branches below.
    In blue is shown the vena cava inferior with the hepatic
veins (tied) at the upper portion of the plate.
    The  renal  veins  are also  shown, returning from the
kidneys. 
X.
Abdominal Aorta and Branches. 
XL
    THE KIDNEYS are for the purpose of separating from
the blood certain waste  materials and water, the solution so
formed being passed to the bladder for evacuation as urine.
    The characteristic form of the kidneys is shown by the
plate, and their  situation in the  body is in the back part of
the loins, one on each side of the spinal column, surrounded
by fatty and loose tissue.  In the picture shown as a whole
kidney, the arrangement of the branches of the renal arteries
and veins and the duct are plain.  In the divided kidney is
shown the internal glandular arrangement.
    THE RECTUM is the termination or lower part of the
intestine  and is shown here for the purpose of making plain
its relation to the urinary bladder, which  is seen directly in
front, partly covered by the Peritoneum.   The  ureter is seen
entering  the bladder near the center of the picture. 
XI.


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Kidney.
Rectum and Bladder. 
XII.
     The plate here printed is designed to show the so-called
" Sympathetic Nervous System " and  explains itself.  The
light  yellow lines  represent the  sympathetic  nerves and
ganglia. 
XIT.
Plan of Part of Sympathetic Nerves. 
XIII.
     This diagram illustrates the  circulation of blood in the
 unborn child.  The chief peculiarities of  the foetal heart arc
 the direct communication  between the two auricles through
 the foramen ovale and large size of the eustachian  valve.
 The size of  the heart is also very large in proportion to the
 body.
     The placenta  is shown at the lower  left hand corner of
 the plate.   From this blood is taken for nutrition, along the
 umbilical vein.   Nearly all of it passes through the liver be-
 fore reaching other parts of  the body.   Very  little reaches
 the  lungs, which are nearly impervious  and. of course, not
 used.
     As is shown in the plate, the blood  is returned through
■ the umbilical artery to  the placenta. 
XIII.
Plan of Circulation in the Foetus. 
XIV.
    The bones of the arm are the humerus, extending from
shoulder to elbow, and the ulna and radius, forming the fore-
arm.  The manner in which they are joined or articulated is
such as to enable  motion of the hand in almost any conceiv-
able direction.  Of course, the arm is mainly used  as  the
servant and power of the hand.
    This plate shows the deltoid muscle at the shoulder  and
the pectoralis major  muscle  next  cut in  two.   Below
is the well known biceps muscle.  The large artery is called
the Brachial artery and by its side is seen the median nerve.
    In the fore-arm are found those muscles which move the
fingers,  wrist, etc.,  and it is not possible  to explain their
positions and names within this  space without numerous
plates which  are  quite unnecessary  in  a work of this kind.
    A section through the middle of the hand is shown. 
XIV.
,.K"*T*
sgCTION Or THE >-"\N0
The Arm. 
XV.
    This plate illustrates in the left hand figure the outer
muscles of the leg, showing quite clearly the muscles of the
thigh, lower \e^ and the annular ligament  of the ankle.
    The next figure shows the outer muscles cut away, ex-
posing the inner and more complex organism.
    The figure of the foot  shows very clearly the arrange-
ment of the  bones.  It will be seen  that the weight  of the
body rests nearly on anarch, and, as there is "spring" to
the arch there is consequent elasticity to the step. 
XV.
The Leg and Foot. 
XVI.
     This plate gives a general idea of the principal bones of
the body.   The skull, arm, leg, hand, foot, trunk, pelvis and
a section of the spinal column are shown.
     In the entire skeleton are two hundred distinct  bones.
These are :
     The spine (including  the two lower bones, the
       sacrum and coccyx).....................  26
     Cranium................................    S
     Face....................................  14
     Hyoid,  breastbone and ribs.................  26
     Upper extremities........................  64
     Lower extremities........................  02

        Total...............................out)
     No account is here made of the teeth and it may be men-
tioned  that some bones are counted as one, which  were in
early life quite distinct and separate. 
XVI.
The Bones. 
 
INDEX.
Abdomen in Disease................
Aberrations of Mind ...............
Abies.................................
Abortion .............................
Abscess...............................
       Faecal........................
       of Joints....................
       of Kidneys..................
Accidents.............................
Acholia...............................
Acid Poisoning..................480,
Acne ...........................139 t(»
Acrodvnia.......................142.
Acromegaly .........................
Actinomycosis.......................
Acute Diseases.......................
Addison's Disease...............143,
Adenitis. Cervical...................
Adenoma.............................
Age and Sleep.......................
Agorophobia.....................144,
Agraphia ............................
Agrimony............................
Ague..................................
     Cake........................H*.
Air.  Contaminated..................
Albinoism............................
Albuminuria ........................
Albumen in Urine...................
Alcoholic Insanity..................
Alcoholism...........................
Alder .................................
Alexia.............................
Allocheiria  ..........................
Allspice...............................
Aloes..................................
Alopecia..............................
Alteration...........................
Alteratives  .......................
Althea Officinalis....................
       KoM-a........................
Alum.................................
Alveolar Cancer.................■■■■
Amenorrhea.....................613,
Amimia..........................._■ ••
Ammonia.........................52.
Amygdalus  ..........................
Amyloid  Diseases...................
         Kidney ....................
         Liver ......................
         Spleen.....................
Anaemia..........................1 '*
       ot Brain....................
Anaesthesia..................154. 707,
Analgesia...........................
Analysis  of Foods...................
Anasarca ............................
Anchylosis...........................
Aneurism............................
Angina Pectoris.....................
     2
135  Anginose Scarlet Fever............343
415  Amdrosis ............................157
648  Anise.................................647
137  Ankylosis............................155
137  Ankle Ulceration....................513
166  Anosmia.............................157
421  Anthemis............................657
425  Anthrax..........................158. 224
 45  Anthropophobia ....................320
139  Anti-Bilious Physic.................713
482  Antiseptics...........................710
141  Antitoxine...........................281
199  Aperients............................711
142  Aphasia..............................162
143  Aphonia..............................163
Hi.  Aphtha...............................529
423  Apnoea...............................163
353  Apocynum...........................650
144  Apoplexy.............................163
 81  Apples as Food......................  77
320  Appendicitis.........................166
145  Aralia................................666
644  Ardent Fever........................413
145  Arsenic Poisoning...................484
518  Arthritis.............................503
 56          Uratica....................366
1 IK  Asafcetida ...........................647
200  Ascites................................286
552  Asiatic Cholera......................238
283  Asphyxia.............................168
149  Asthemia.............................168
644  Asthma ..............................169
152          Hay.........................377
152  Astigmatism.........................170
645  Astraphobia.........................317
645  Asymbolia...........................170
374  Ataxy  ................................171
226 ; Atelectasis ......................140, 171
7<r> | Atheroma............................172
fix i ! Atheotosis...........................172
673 I Atmosphere.......................49, 56
Atony of Bladder...................177
Aura of Epilepsy....................304
Author's Statement................. 31
Autumnal Catarrh..................377

Backache............................172
Back Sprains........................173
Bad Signs in Disease................116
Bakers' Itch.........................173
Baldness.........................371, 37o
Balm of Oilead......................648
Balmonv.............................M*
Balsam Kir...........................«'*
       Tolu.........................649
Barbadoes' Leg.................174, 299
Barberry ............................649
Barosma.............................65b
Basilicon Ointment.................799
Barrenness..........................633
xvii 
xviii
INDEX.
Bathing.......................... 132, 744
Bay berry.............................686
Bearberry...........................701
Bed for Sleep........................ 84
Bedsores.............................174
Bedwetting..........................175
Berberis..............................649
Beri-Beri.............................176
Beth Root............................649
Biliary Calculi.......................358
Bilious Colic.........................358
       Headache....................37*
       Temperament...............103
Bioplasm...........................33, 38
Bi-Polar Electrization............75 i
Bitter  Root ..........................650
       Sweet ........................651
Bitters. Spiced......................732
Black and Blue......................209
Blackberry.............•..............651
Black Cohosh........................652
Blackheads..........................140
Black Root...........................653
Black Salve..........................653
Bladder Atony.....................177
        Catarrh....................17k
        Displacement.............63*
        Inflammation..............179
        Paralysis.................179
        Spasm......................1.9
Bleeding..............................396
        of Nose....................181
Blisters..........................211, 450
Blood.................................106
      and Emotions................. 93
      Clots...........................300
      Impoverishment.............176
      Poisoning.............181, 284, 781
      Purifiers......................705
      Root...........................654
Bloody Flux..........................288
       Tumor.......................159
       Urine....................179. 183
       Vomiting....................394
Blotches..............................313
Blue Cohosh..........................655
Blue Flag............................655
Blue Disease.........................263
Boils..................................1S3
     of Gums........................3t:9
Bone Abscess........................1S4
      Atrophy.......................187
      Calcification..................187
      Cancer.........................189
      Caries.........................189
      Hypertrophy.............142. 186
      Inflammation ................185
       Necrosis ......................1H8
       Scrofulous....................190
       Softening.....................187
       Syphilitic.....................190
      Tumors .......................1K7
Boneset..............................av,
Boracic Acid.........................t>5ti
Borax.................................ti,-,t;
Bothriocephalus .................. 56°
Bowels, Costive......................:_>50
        Discharges.............126 748
        Falling.................396] wz
        Inflammation..........190, 191
        Invagination..............'. \<y»
        Looseness ..................073
Bowels, Protrusion............ —6. 4.3
        Stoppage....................\f
Brain Anaemia ......................»■ •?
      Atrophy ......................!»•>
      Cells........................... £0
      Congestion  ...................1-6
      Construction.................. 91
      Hemorrhage.........163, 195, 230
      Hernia........................302
      Hypertrophy.................196
      Inflammation.................is 6
      Protrusion  ...................449
      Softening.....................197
      Tuberculosis..................44K
      Tumors...................198, 363
Bread of Life........................732
Bread Poisoning....................308
Break-Bone Fever..................199
Breast Pang.........................156
Breathing, Children's................748
           in Disease...............118
           Rules for............60, 131
           Spasmodic...............169
Bricklayers' Itch....................200
Bright's Disease................200. 20'
Bronchial Catarrh..........  . .203, 203
          Constriction............208
          Dilatatun..  ...........202
Bronchiectasis....................200
Bronchitis. Acute..................203
            Capillar v...............205
            Chronic]................206
            Drv......................208
            Purulent...............204
Bronchocele........................364
Broncho-Stenosis...................208
Bronzed Skin........................143
Brow Ague...........................457
Bruises...............................209
Bubonic Plague.....................477
Buchu............................... 656
Bugle Weed.........................657
Bullae.................................210
Burns.................................211

Cachexia.........................213
Cacotrophia.......................213
Caisson Disease..................214
Calamus..............................658
Calcareous Degeneration.......214
Calcification...................     214
Calculi, Biliarv...............      3,"8
        Urinary....................315
Calendula............................< 81
Camomile............................157
Camomile Wine...........         733
Camp Diarrhoea..........         -.88
Camphor.................          t>58
Cancer.....................         jis
       Bladder...................   170
       Kidneys....................  ^5
       Stomach......................j-ji
       Womb.............      •>-v> 5J*f
Canker......................       .>.>:i
Capillary Bronchitis........       ">a"
Capsella.............              ^.\
Capsicum.........................;  660
Capsules  of Kidnevs..............  143
         Gelatin...'........       726
Carbolic Acid...........       129 483
Carbon...................         '661
Carbonic Acid C \s           54 485 
INDEX.
xix
Carbuncle............................
Carcinoma...........................
Cardiac Affections............380 to
Care and Pleasure..................
Carnification.........................
Caryophvllis.........................
Cascara."..............................
Cascara Cordial.....................
Castenia .............................
Castration............................
Catalepsy,............................
Cataphoresis. Electrical............
Catarrh..........................227.
        Autumnal...................
        Bladder.....................
        Bronchial...............203,
        Epidemic ...................
        Fever .......................
        Gastric......................
        Laryngeal...................
        Stomach.....................
Cathartics............................
Celastrus ............................
Cells. Vegetable and Animal.......
Cellulitis.............................
Centaurv.............................
Cephalalgia..........................
Cerebral Abscess....................
        Hemorrhage..............
Cerebritis............................
Cerebro-Spinal  Fever..............
Chapped Hands......................
Charbon..............................
Charcot's Disease...................
Cheerfulness.....................94,
Cheese as Food......................
Cheiro-Pompholyx..................
Cheloid...............................
Chelona..............................
Chenopodium........................
Chest Injuries.......................
Chestnut Leaves.....................
Chicken Pox.........................
Chilblains............................
Childbed Fever......................
Childbirth, Painless................
Childlessness........................
Children, Management of..........
Chills and Fever.....................
Chimaphila..........................
Chin Cough...........................
Chloasma............................
Chlorine and Chlorides.............
Chloroform......................483,
Chlorosis........................153,
Choking..............................
Clothing of Children................
Cholera, Asiatic.....................
        Infantum..................
        Malignant.................
        Morbus ....................
Choleraic Diarrhoea................
Choosing Companions..............
Chorea................................
Choromidrosis ......................
Chronic Diseases....................
Chylothorax.........................
Cimicifuga...........................
Cinchona Compound................
Cirrhosis of Liver...................
            Lungs..................
Clavus................................
Cleanliness......................125, 132
Cleavers .............................662
Cleft Palate..........................376
Climate and Sleep................... 84
Cloves................................663
Coccvdynia..........................245
Cold Cream..........................663
Cold in the Head.....................227
Cold Sores ...........................397
Cold and Disease....................115
Cold Sweat...........................122
Colic..................................246
     Children's..................247, 710
     Kidneys........................248
     Painter's.......................464
Colombo..............................663
         Compound.................734
Composition.........................714
Compresses..........................737
Congestion...........................249
          Brain ...................196
          Kidneys ................422
          Liver....................432
          Lungs...................440
          Womb...................598
Contagious Diseases................124
Constipation  ........................250
Consumption.........................251
Contraction of Muscles.........172, 510
Convulsions.................256, 333, 407
Cordial, Mothers'....................732
        Neutralizing...............799
Corns.................................258
Cornsilk..............................664
Cornus................................664
Cory za................................227
Couch Grass..........................664
Cough Syrup.........................800
Cough. Winter.......................206
Countenance in Disease........122, 313
Courtship............................760
Costiveness..........................250
Cow Pox..............................2"-8
Cramps...........................260, 233
Cream of Tartar....................665
Croup, False.........................260
       Inflammatory...............261
       Membranous................261
       True.........................261
Croupous Pneumonia...............262
Crow's Foot..........................669
Currents, Electrical.................750
Curvature of Spine.................517
Cyanosis..............................263
Cystitis...............................179
Cystic Tumors.......................537

Dance, St. Vitus'....................243
Dancers' Cramp.....................263
Dandelion............................665
Dandy Fever.......................199
Dandruff.............................370
Death Signs..........................261
Debi lity. Sexual.................409, 779
Decantation......................... 65
Delirium  ........................123.266
         Tremens..................151
Dementia............................415
Dengue...............................199
Dentition........................527. 745
Departures from Health...........108
Dermatitis...........................267 
XX
INDEX.
Dermatolysis........................267
Desquamation.......................267
Development of Lungs............. 58
Diabetes Insipidus..................267
         Mellitus....................269
Diabetic Persons....................272
         Diet........................272
Diaphoretics ........................715
Diaphragm Diseases................274
           Spasm..................397
Diarrhoea"............................273
          Camp.....................288
          Choleraic.................243
          Chronic...................274
Die, How and Why................42, 45
Diet, Selection ...................... 74
Difficult Swallowing.................293
        Urination..................294
Digestant............................800
Dilatations ..........................275
           Bronchi.................202
           Heart....................381
           Lungs....................300
Diphtheria...........................275
Dipsomania..........................283
Discharges, Contagious.........___126
           Children's.............748
Disease and Countenance..........313
            Medication........113, 133
       Causes..................... 114
       of Generative Organs.....779
       Signs...............116, 123,747
Disinfection..........................127
Displacements ......................284
              Bladder.............638
              Womb...............584
Distilled Water...................... 65
Dissection Wounds..................284
Distoma Hepaticum.................284
Divers' Paralysis....................214
Dogs' Tape Worm...................296
Dogwood.............................665
Dread, Morbid.......................319
Dreams,  Bad........................159
Dropsy...............................136
       False........................455
       Kidneys.....................425
       Labia........................<W0
       Ovarian.....................623
       Womb.......................586
Drop Wrist...........................287
Drug Rashes.........................287
Drunkenness....................150, 288
Dry Dressings.......................710
Dumb Ague..........................147
Duodenitis...........................X>t8
Duration of Life.................... 47
Dwarf Elder.........................666
Dypsomania.........................416
Dysentery, Acute....................288
           Chronic.................289
Dyspepsia............................xi91
Dysphagia...........................293
Dyspnoea.............................294
Dysuria..............................552

Ear Signs...........................>«),5
Earache..............................29ti
Eating, Rules........................132
Ecchymosis..........................j>o;i
Echinococcus ...................296. 431
Ecthyma............................'. 297
Eczema...............................
E  1 ;s as Food........................
E '»ampane.........................
E  .!: Iricity............................
Elements in the Body...............
Elephantiasis Arabum.............
             Graecorum..........
             Teleangiectodes —
Elm Bark............................
Emaciation..........................
Emasculation .......................
Embolism............................
Emetics........................715 to
Emotions.............................
Emphysema.........................
Empyema..........................
Encephalitis........................
Encephalocele.......................
Encephaloid Cancer................
Enchondroma.......................
Endocarditis....................302.
Enemas.........................719 to
Eneuresis.............................
Enjoyments..........................
Enteralgia...........................
Enteric Fever.......................
Enteritis.........................190.
Enterocele...........................
Ephemera. Puerperal..............
Epilepsy .............................
Epistaxis.............................
Epithelioma.........................
Epsom Salts..........................
Epulis..............................
Equinia Mitis........................
Ergotism.............................
Eruptions............................
Eruptive Fevers..............333 to
Erysipelas...........................
Erythema............................
Erythema Nodosum................
Ervthematous Rash................
Ery thromelalgia....................
Essences .............................
Eupatorium Perfoliatum...........
            l'urpureum...........
Eustachian Diseases................
Ethvlchloiide........................
Ether...........................
Exercise...................99,132.
Excision .............................
Exhaustion. Heart..................
            Nervous...............
Exhaustive Fever................
Exophthalmic Goitre...........
Exostosis...................
Extracts..............
298
 76
667
750
 70
299
428
299
667
300
226
300
719
 93
300
301
IS 6
302
219
302
:>6
721
175
 96
246
539
303
303
494
303
 18
220
668
307
307
308
;»iit«
353
309
310
311
310
311
322
655
693
312
709
708
746
312
382
393
364
Face Signs in Disease.
Facial Neuralgia......
       Paralysis......
       Spasins.......
Fa?cal Abscess.
Fainting.........
Falling Liver...
        Palate......
        Womb.....
fallopian Diseases
False Bittersweet.....
      Conception..
„   .  Dropsy...........
Famine Fever
. 313 to 315
 .......157
.....   315
 .......316
 .......316
 .......316
 .......436
 .......465
 .......589
 .......316
 ......651
 .......599
 .......455
 .......500 
INDEX.
XXI
Farcy.................................362
Faridization.........................755
Fatty Degeneration................319
      Heart .........................383
      Liver..........................434
      Tumors........................536
Favus ................................507
Fear, Morbid....................144. 319
Febricula............................321
Feeding Children....................739
Felon.............................319, 555
Ferrum...............................695
Fever. Ague .........................145
       Ardent........................il3
       Cerebro-Spinal..............328
       Childbed......................235
       Chills.........................324
       Confinement.............450, 494
       Enteric.......................539
       Eruptive ..............332 to 352
       Exhaustive...................393
       Famine  ......................500
       Glandular....................353
       Grades of.....................322
       Gulf..........................566
       Hectic........................393
       High Grade..................322
       Indigestion...................354
       Intermittent.................145
       Low Grade...................322
       Lung.........................441
       Malarial......................145
       Malignant....................323
       Meningeal...................328
       Milk ..........................450
       Nature of.....................321
       Nourishment during .......327
       Pernicious...................473
       Poverty......................500
       Puerperal....................234
       Quartan......................497
       Quotidian....................498
       Relapsing....................5(XJ
       Rheumatic...................502
       Scarlet.......................337
       Ship...........................541
       Small Pox....................346
       Sores.........................397
       Spotted.......................328
       Sthenis.......................413
       Stomach.....................354
       Thermic......................524
       Third-Day...................450
       Typhoid......................539
       Typhus.......................544
       Yellow........................566
Feverfew.............................668
Filaria................................369
Filtration of Water................. 65
First Principles.....................113
Fish as Food......................... 75
Fissures..............................160
Fistula...............................516
       Rectal ......................356
       Urethral ....................356
Fits..................................303
Flatulence...........................217
Flaxseed.............................669
Flexures of Womb..................593
Floating Heart......................388
        Kidney.....................421
        Liver  ......................436
 Floating Spleen.....................520
 Florida Water.......................799
 Flour Scabs..........................173
 Fluke of Liver......................284
 Fluor Albus..........................620
 Flux..................................288
 Fomentations........................728
 Food Regurgitation.................508
 Foods We Eat...................67 to 71
       Analysis of................... 80
 Formulas.............................705
 Frosted Feet.........................234
 Fruit Laxative..................714, 800
 Functional Interference............114
            Performance............107
 Fungus Disease......................143

 Galactorrhoea.......................357
 Galium...............................662
 Gall-Stones.........................358
 Ganglion.............................359
 Gangrene........................360, 499
 Gastralgia...........................361
 Gastrodynia.........................361
 Gastric Catarrh.....................291
        Fever........................539
 Gastrotomy..........................362
 Gaultheria...........................703
 Generative Diseases................779
 Genital Difficulties...........639 to 641
 Genital Organs......................461
 Gentian..............................669
        Compound..................731
 Geranium............................669
 Ginger ...............................670
»Giraffe................................362
 Glanders.............................362
 Gland Fever.........................353
       Inflammation................445
 Glauber's Salts......................671
 Glioma...............................363
 Glassitis..............................364
 Glottis, (Kd-ma......................427
       Spasm.......................364
 Glycerine............................673
 Glycirrhiza...........................678
 Glycosuria...........................269
 Gnawing Ulcer......................444
 Goitre................................364
 Goldenseal...........................671
 Good and Bad Signs.................116
 Gout................................32, 33
 Grapes as Food...................... 76
 Grease................................307
 Green Sickness........'..............236
 G rippe ...............................336
 Growth of Body..................... 33
 Guarana..............................673
 Guinea Worm Disease..............369
 Gum Arabic..........................672
      Kino............................676
 Gum Diseases .......................369
 Gynephobia..........................320

 Habits and Sleep.................... 83
       Evil...........................133
 Haemophilia..........................180
 Hair and Its Treatment......370 to 375
      Worm.........................369
 Hamamelis............................703
 Hammer I'alsv......................376
 Hand Chaps.........................376 
xxii
INDEX.
Happiness.................'...........785
Hare Lip.................;...........376
Hartshorn..........................646
Hay Fever...........................373
Headaches....................377 to 379
Health...........................104, 105
       and Cheerfulness.........94, 96
           Worry .................. 88
Heart Difficulties.............380 to 392
Heat, Prickly........................492
Heatstroke  ..........................393
Hectic Fever.........................393
Hedeoma.............................688
Hematemesis........................394
Hematocele..........................395
Hemerlopia..........................395
Hemicrania..........................380
Hemiplegia..........................469
Hemoptysis..........................395
Hemorrhage.........................396
            Stomach...............531
Hemorrhagic Diathesis............180
             Purpura.............496
             Small Pox...........350
Hemorrhoids........................475
Hepatitis.........................431, 435
Hernia...............................396
       Brain.........................302
Herpes...........................397, 515
Hiccough ............................397
Hip Disease.......................398
Hives...............................399
Hob-Nail Diver......................432
Hodgkin's Disease...................400
Hollyhock............................673
Honey................................674.
Hops..................................674
Horns................................400
Horn Pox............................400
Human Happiness..................785
       Structures.................. XI
Humulus....................„........671
Hydrastis............................671
Hydatids.............................595
Hydroa...............................401
Hydroadenitis.......................402
Hydrocephalus......................286
Hydromydia.........................402
Hydrophobia.........................102
Hvdrothorax........................179
Hymen. Imperforate................631
Hyperemia..........................404
           Kidneys................422
           Lungs...................110
II vpergensia.........................401
II vperidrosis ........................401
H vperosmia..........................405
Hypertrophy, Brain.................196
             Skin..................299
             Spleen...............518
             Tonsils...............531
Hypochondria.......................405
Hysterics.............................407

Ichor.............................408
Icterus...............................419
Idiocy ................................409
Ileus..............................192, 409
Imbecility ...........................409
Imperforate Hymen................631
Impetigo.............................409
Impotency.......................408, 779
Inanition ......— •..................42?
Incontinence of Urine.........wiin
Indigestion......................f - 410
Indolent Ulcers.................   "(S
Inebriety ............................••*/
Infant Cholera......................241
Inflammation........................411
             Bladder..............1<9
             Bowels ...............190
             Brain.................196
             Bronchi......203,205, 206
             Genitals..............641
             Heart........385,386.387
             Joints ................420
             Kidnevs..............422
             Larvnx...............426
             Liver.................435
             Lungs.................441
             Lvmphatics..........445
             Nipples...............461
             Ovaries...............626
             Parotid Gland.......453
             Peritoneum..........471
             Pleurae..............47*
             Spleen...............519
             Stomach..............361
             Tonsils................497
             Vagina..............630
             Womb...........595,597
Inflammatory Fever................413
              Rheumatism........7502
Influenza.........................366, 377
Injuries to Chest................231
Insanity.......................2*3. 415
Insomnia....................        417
Intercostal Neuralgia.......   .....458
Intermittent Fever..........      145
             Heart..........      3*8
Interstitial Pneumonia ............430
Intussusception.....................192
Inula..................................667
Invagination.........................192
Inverted Nails.......................456
Intestinal  Tonic.....................734
Involuntarv Contractions..........172
Iron......."...........................675
Iris Versicolor ......................655
Ischa?mia of Kidney................424
Isolation and Contagion.......     125
Itch (Scabies).................      lis
     Baker's....................  173
     Barber's........................141
Itching of  Skin......................495

Jalap.......................          676
Jaundice.......................419
Jerusalem Oak................. 7(M
Job's Comforters....................183
Joint Abscesses..................... 421
     Painful........................142
     Inflammation.............429, 526
     Scrofulous....................421
     Stiffness.......................155
     Swellings.............        421
Juglans ..............................657
Juniper Berries.....................676

Keloid..................          230
Kidney  \bs<; ss                 425
        Am vloid...................405
        I 'ancer.................!...425
        Capsule Inflammation!!.!423 
INDEX.
xxiii
Kidney, Congestion..................422
        Dropsv......................425
        Failure.....................553
        Floating....................424
        Hyperaemia................422
        Inflammation..............422
        Ischaemia..................424
        Movable....................424
        Suppuration...............425
        Tumor......................426
Kink Cough..........................5.55
Kino Gum............................676
Kleptomania........................116
Kyphosis.............................4JH

Lady Slipper ........................677
Lardaceous Liver...................435
            Spleen..................518
Laryngeal Catarrh..................42*
Laryngismus Stridulous...........260
Laryngitis...........................426
Larynx. Congestion.................428
        Inflammation..............426
Laurus Camphora...................658
       Sassafras...................691
Lavender.............................677
          Compound Spirits.......678
Laxative Fruit......................800
Laxatives............................713
Lead Colic...........................246
Leonurus............................685
Leprosy..............................42*
Leptandra. Leptandrin.............653
Leucorrhcea.........................620
Leukaemia...........................429
Lice...................................430
Lichen................................4:%
       Tropicus.....................492
Licorice..............................678
Li fe Power...........................109
Ligament Strains...................520
Lime Water..........................67K
Liniments ...........................723
Lippia Mexicana....................679
Listerine.............................130
Lithia Compounds..................679
Liver Abscess........................431
     Cirrhosis......................432
     Congestion....................432
     Falling........................436
     Fattv..........................434
     Floating.......................436
     Fluke..........................284
     Hob-Nail......................432
     Hydatid.......................134
     Inflammation.................135
     Lardaceous...................136
     Torpid.........................436
     Wandering....................136
     Yellow Atrophy..............436
Live. How Long Should We........ 47
Living Matter ....................33, 39
Living Rules......................99, 131
Lobelia...............................680
Lockjaw.........................316, 437
Locomotor Ataxy...................171
Longsight............................439
Love..................................756
Lumbago  ............................504
Lung Atelectasis....................440
     Capacity....................... 58
     Cirrhosis......................439
Lung Collapse......................440
     Congestion....................440
     Development..................  58
     Dilatations....................300
     Emphysema ..................300
     Exercise.......................  59
     Fever..........................441
     Inflammation..................441
Lupus.................................444
Lycopus..............................656
Lymphadenitis......................445
Lymphangioma.....................445
Lymphatics, Inflammation of......445
Lymphatic Temperament..........103
Lymphoma......................445, 537

Mad Dog Bite........................402
Magnesia  ............................681
        Sulphate..................668
Malaria and Disease................145
Malarial Fever......................145
Malignant Cholera..................238
          Diseases.................446
          Fevers...................323
          Pustule..................158
          Scarlet Fever...........345
          Small-Pox...............350
          Sore Throat.............275
          Tongue..................531
Malt Preparations..................682
Mandrake............................683
Marigold.............................684
Marasmus............................446
Marriage.............................764
Marsh Mallows......................684
Mastodynia..........................459
May Apple............................683
Measles..........................333, 447
       German.....................336
Meats as Food.......................  74
Medical Profession and the People  29
Medication.......................133, 643
          First Principles........113
          Poisonous...............134
Medinensis...........................369
Mel ...................................674
Melancholia .........................416
Melanoderma........................447
Melanosis............................447
Membranous Croup.................261
Meningitis............................328
          Tubercular..............448
Meningocele.........................449
Menorrhagia.........................610
Menses. Menstruation..............602
Menstruation, Establishment .....604
             Excessive...........610
             Painful..............608
             Suppressed.....613, 616
             Tardy ...............605
             Vicarious............619
Mental Temperament..............102
       Aberrations.................415
Mentha Riperita.....................689
Menthos..............................684
Mercurialization....................509
Method...............................  99
Metritis...............................595
Metrorrhagia........................597
Midwifery, Painless................767
Migraine.............................377
Miliaria...............................45U 
XXIV
INDEX.
Miliary Tubercles...................448
Milk Crust (Eczema)................^98
     Fever...........................450
     Leg.............................474
     Sickness .......................451
Mind Wandering....................265
Mineral Water....................... ob
Minute Structures.................. 33
Miscellaneous Articles..........'39
Mitchella Repens....................700
Moderation.......................... 97
Moles, Uterine......................599
Molluscum Contagiosum...........452
Monomania..........................451
Monophobia.........................320
Morbid Fear.........................319
Morbiili...............................333
Morbus Coxae........................452
Morphine Poisoning................486
Mortification.........................360
Motes.................................452
Moth Spots...........................237
Mothers' Cordial....................732
Motherwort .........................685
Motor Temperament................103
Mouth Diseases.............223, 453, 529
Mullein...............................685
Mulberry Calculi....................215
Mumps................................453
Muscular Contractions.........265. 528
         Inability..................563
         Rheumatism..............504
         Spasms....................504
Mustard..............................685
Mutilated Women...................571
Myalgia...............................504
Myocarditis..........................385
Myodynia............................504
Myonia...............................454
Myopia...............................454
Myotonia.............................529
Myrica  Cerifera.....................686
Myrrh................................686
      Compound....................711
Mysophobia.....................320, 454
Mystery in Medicine.............30, 134
Myxcedema...........................455

Naevi .................................455
Nail Diseases........................456
Nasal Catarrh.......................228
      Polypus...................456, 492
Natural Foods....................... 72
        Conditions..................104
Neck Inj uries........................456
Necrosis..............................188
Needless Operations................571
Nepeta Cataria......................660
Nephralgia...........................248
Nephritis.............................422
Nerve Injuries......................457
Nerves and Emotions .............. 93
        in Disease...................123
Nervous Convulsions................407
         Debility................409, 779
         Headache..................380
         Temperament.............102
Nettle Rash........................  399
Neuralgia............................457
          Breasts...................459
          Coccygeal................. 23
          Extremities..............311
Neuralgia, Intercostal..............458
           Sciatic...................459
           Spermatic..............459
           Womb...................594
Neutralizing Cordial................799
Night Mare..........................4™
      Vision.........................46_
Nipple Troubles...................■■ 4po
Nitrogen in the Atmosphere.....o0. o2
Nodular Rheumatism...............50n
Noma.................................46|
Nose Bleeding.......................101
     Diseases.......................461
Nourishment......................39. 41
Number Six  .........................711
Nursing Sore Mouth................529
Nut Galls.............................689
Nuts as Food........................ 78
Nyctalopia...........................462
Nymphae Odorata...................692
Nymphomania.................462, 637

Obstruction of Bowels..............192
Occipital Neuralgia.................459
(Edema...............................286
       Glottidis  ....................427
(Esophagus Spasm..................463
           Stricture...............463
Ointments  ...........................724
          All Healing..............653
          Basilicon................799
          Bitter Sweet............651
          Tar.......................726
          Zinc......................725
Openings. Unnatural...............516
Operations. Needless................571
Oranges as Food.................... 76
Oranges as Remedy  ................688
Orchitis..............................464
Osteoid Cancer......................220
Osteo-Myelitis.......................464
Osteotomy............................464
Ostitis................................185
Otorrhea.............................464
Our Position......................... 29
Out-of-Door Sports.................. 99
Ovarian Diseases....................464
        Dropsy.....................623
        Fibroids....................630
        Inflammation..............626
        Removals..............577. 630
        Tumors  ....................623
Oxygen in the Atmosphere......... 50
Oysters............................... 75
Ozena ............................... 228
Ozone in the Atmosphere........... 51

Pain...........................23. 124. 457
     Relievers ......................710
Painless Midwifery................ 767
Painter's Colic___"............    464
Palate, Cleft..................   '376
       Falling.......................465
       Ulceration................. 466
Palpitation...................      3^9
£alsy.....■••.........................466
Pancreas Diseases...........      466
Pantaphobia ...................    3»n
Parageusia..................      467
Paralysis Agitans..................! 466
          Ascending................469
          Bladder ..................179 
INDEX.
XXV
Paralysis. Facial...............315, 469
          Glosso-Pharyngeal.....169
Paraplegia...........................467
Parasites........................470. r>59
1'aiosiua.............................470
Parotid Tumors.....................170
Parotitis.............................453
IVission........................133. 7.56
Pathaphobia..........................320
Paullinia Sorbilus...................693
Peaches as Food..................... 77
           Remedy.................688
Pears as Food....................... 77
Pediculosis ..........................430
Pellagra .............................471
Pemphigus ..........................210
Pennvroval..........................668
People and the Medical Profession 29
Peppermint..........................689
Pepsin................................689
Peptenzyme..........................689
Pericarditis .........................387
Periostitis...........................1*5
Periods...............................602
Peritonitis.......................234. 471
Pernicious Fever....................473
Perspiration, Colored  ..............244
             Profuse..............404
Pertussis.............................355
Pestilentia...........................477
Petit Mai.............................305
Phagedenic Ulcers..................547
Philosophy of Worry............... **
Phlegmasia Dolens.................474
Phlegmatic Temperament.........103
Phrenitis ............................196
Phthiriasis ..........................474
Phthisic..............................169
Phthisis..............................251
Phytolacca Decandra...............692
Pieeon Breast.......................475
Piles..................................475
Pills...................................726
Pimento..............................645
Pimpinella...........................647
Pin Worms .....................561. 736
Pimples..........................139. 401
Pink Root............................699
Pipsissewa...........................691
Plague...............................477
Pleasure...........................96,9*
Plethoric Headache.................379
Pleurisy..............................178
        Suppurative...............Ml
Pneumonia  ........................HI
            ('roupous...............262
            Interstitial.............139
Podagr
Pod'.
Puis
:m
 hvllum...............
■jns and Antidotes ..
    Acetic Acid........
    Acids. Mineral.....
    Acids. Vegetable .
    Aconite.............
    Alkalies............
    Ammonia..........
    AquaFortis........
    Arsenic.............
    Belladonna.........
    Bread...............
    Carbolic Acid......
    Caustic.............
.483.
 6 <3
 191
 1*2
,480
. 182
.191
.483
. 4*3
 2*1
 4*1
.491
 308
 4*3
 491
Poisons. Chloral.....................491
        Chloroform................483
        Coal (iiis....................485
        Conium.....................491
        Corrosive Sublimate......485
        Deadly Night Shade......491
        Digitalis....................491
        Dissection..................2*1
        Ether.......................483
        Fox Glove..................491
        Hemlock....................491
        Jimson Weed..............489
        Lead and  Salts............491
        Lye.........................483
        Matches....................487
        Milk........................451
        Monkshood.................191
        Morphine...................486
        Mushrooms................490
        Narcotics...................486
        Nicotine....................491
        Opium......................486
        Oxalic Acid................482
        Phosphorus................487
        Pork........................534
        Prussic Acid...............482
        Rat Paste..................487
        Snake Bites................488
        Stramonium...............4*9
        Strichnine.................4*9
        Toadstools..................490
        Tobacco....................491
        Turpentine.................491
Poisons Debarred...................133
        in the Atmosphere........ 53
Poke Berries........................692
Poles, Electrical.....................752
Poluted Water....................... 63
Polygonum...........................698
Polypus of Nose.....................492
           Rectum...................500
Polyuria..............................267
Pond Li ly............................692
Populus Tremuloidcs...............648
Pork Poisoning......................531
Posi tion.............................. 85
Potassa Compounds ................692
Potatoes as Food.................... 78
Pott's Disease........................517
Prickly Ash..........................692
Prince s Pine........................691
Professional Testimony............579
Prolapsus, Bowels ..................161
           Vagina..................632
           Womb...................589
I'runus Virginica...................661
Pruritis..........................495. 641
Pseudo-Leukaemia..................400
        MembranousCroup........261
        Tabes........................493
Psoriasis..............................493
I'tosis  ................................191
Ptyalismus..........................509
Puberty Anaemia....................236
Puerperal Kphcmera...............h91
           Fever....................234
Pulmonary Collapse................171
            Consumption...........251
            Hyperaemia............440
Purgatives...........................712
Purple Spots.........................496
Purpura..............................496 
xxvi
INDEX.
Pus, Unhealthy..................,«;-f
Pustules.........................   266
Putrefaction.......•.................i™
Putrid Sore Throat.................%£
Pyelo Nephritis. -...................«f
Pyemia..............................."ii
Pyothorax...........................^>
Pyrethrum...........................D0°

Quartan Fever......................497
Queen of the Meadow...............693
Quietude in Disease.................ij"
Quinsy ...............................^o«
Quotidian Fever.....................4J»

Rabies................................^
Rachitis..............................s^
Raisins as Food......................  "
Ramila..........■....................'"
Rash. Erythematous................310
Raynaud's Disease..................499
Recipes..........................• ■ ■ • '™
Rectal Diseases.................499, 500
       Displacements..............639
        Fistula.......................356
        Injuries......................500
        Polypus......................"00
        Strictures...................499
Red Gum.............................500
Regurgitation.......................508
Relapsing Fever.....................500
Remittent Fever....................145
Renal Capsule Disease..............423
       Colic...........................248
Respirations......................60,120
Rest. Necessary.....................133
Restlessness........................ 123
Retention of Urine..................522
Revolting Practices.................575
Rheumatism..................502 to 505
Rheumatic Fever...................502
            Headache...............379
           Swellings..............505
 Rhinitis, Rhinorrhea................506
 Rh ubarb.........................693. 713
 Rhus Glabra.........................700
 Rickets...............................506
 Ring Worm..........................507
 Rochelle Salts......................694
 Rodent Ulcer........................508
 Rose Cold.............................377
 Rotheln...............................336
 Rubeola..............................333
 Rumex................................704
 Rumination..........................508
 Rules for Living..............60, 99, 131
 Rupture..............................396
 Russian Epidemic..................366

 Sabbatia.............................695
 Salivation............................509
 Salix..................................703
 Salts..........................668,671.694
 Salts and Senna.....................712
 Salt Rheum..........................298
 Sanguinaria.........................654
 Sanguine Temperament............102
 Sarcoma..............................538
 Sarsaparilla.........................694
             Compound.............706
 Saturnine Colic....................  246
 Scabies...........................418, 559
Scaly Skin.......................^'S
Scarlet Fever...................*"< *?V
Sciatica..............................;,.q
Scirrhus Cancer.....................-»?
Scieroderma ........................t^
Scorbutus....................Aii'w'ink
Scrofula......................421. 512. #08
Scrofulous Ulcers...................J
           Swellings...............421
Scullcap..............................*g
Scutellaria...........................?™
Scurvy.............■..................2i?
Seneca Snake Root..................«*
Senna.................................697
       and Salts.....................I -
Seidlitz Powders....................'£
Septicemia...........................i°J
Serpentaria .........................'£:
Shepherd's Purse...................™i
Shingles..............................•?];»
Ship Fever...........................•?+*
Shock.................................%zl
Sick Headache ......................-y'
Sickness of Children................«4<
Signs of Death.....................V™
         Disease.............
116
.685
Sinapsis.......................
Singultus.............................?£
Sinus      ...........................-Tib
Skin"Diseases.......213. 404. 476. 493. 495
     Hypertrophy...................299
     Redness.......................404
     Stains.......................452
Sleep.........................H I"**- '•■»
     of Children..................749
Sleeplessness........................417
Slippery Elm........................607
Sloughing........................212.360
Small-Pox........................346.353
           Confluent................349
           Fever....................350
           Hemorrhagic............350
           Malignant...............350
           Wartv....................555
Smart Weed................       6;is
Smelling Sense Lost................157
Smoker's Heart.................292
Snake Bites.................        4*3
       Root.  Seneca..............696
             Virginia...........     7icj
Snoring in Disease................119
Snuffs................................ 7>
Soda Compounds............129. 671. 698
Solids in the Atmosphere.........  52
Spasms..................2.56. 260, 263. 397
        of Bladder..................179
        of Chest.....................156
Spasmodic Breathing...............169
           Croup...................260
Spaving..............................630
Spearmint...........................699
Spiced Bitters.......................732
Spigella..............................699
Spikenard ...........................702
Spleen Difficulties............517 to 520
Spotted Fever.......................32*
Sprains..........................173. 520
Sprue.................................529
Squaw Vine..........................700
Statement of the Author...........  31
 St. Anthonv's Evil...................309
 St. Vitus' Dance.....................243 
INDKX.
XXV11
 Sterility.........................63;!
 Sthenic Fever.....................  113
 Stigmata Maid is....................tit; I
 stiilingia.......................7oo. 706
 Stimulating Liniment..............723
 Stomach Cancers....................2*21
         Distress ...................410
         Fever......................351
         Hemorrhage..............521
         Inflammation...........;161
 Stomatitis............................223
 Stone in the Bladder................215
 Stoppage of Bowels.................192
 Stranyuarv ........................522
 Stricture of Uectum................499
 Strophulus...........................523
 Structures  ot the Bodv............. 33
 Sut.ir in the Urine ...".........269. 551
 Sulphur............................32. 130
 Sumac   .....................__700
 Sunstroke  .........................524
 Suppurative Diseases........425.431
             Pleurisy...............301
 Surface in Disease .."............121, 122
 Swallowing. Difficult................293
 Sweat Blisters.......................450
 Sweating Agents....................279
          in Disease................122
 Sweet Flag...........................658
 Svcosis  ..............................141
 Symmetrical Gangrene............499
 Symptoms During Disease.........116
 Svncojie..............................316
 Svnoeha..............................413
 Svnobitis....................506
 Svphihs.........................7*1
 Svrups............................729
        Simple.......................729
        Medicinal....................730

 Tabes Dorsalis......................171
       Mesenterica..................527
 Tarhvcardia.........................389
 Taenia Solium........................561
 Tannic Acid..........................665
 Tannin...............................665
 Tape Worm......................559. 561
            of the Dog.............296
 Taraxicum......................... 665
 Tar Ointment....................... 726
 Teething.........................527. 715
 Temperaments......................101
                Bilious.............102
                Lymphatic.........103
                Mental .............102
                Motor.............103
                Nervous............102
                Phlegmatic........103
                Sanguine...........l<»2
                Vital................102
               and Sleep..........  83
Temperature m Disease..........119
              of Children..........717
              Pulse  and  Respira-
                 tion............... 120
Testimony.  Professional.......... 579
Tetanus ."......................... 137
Tetany...............................528
Tetter................................298
Thin Blood...........................153
Thomsen s Disease-..................529
Thought Concentration............ 89
Thoughts on Prolonging Life......  12
Throat Cutting......................529
       Malignant...................272
       Putrid.......................275
Thrush...............................529
Thvmol..............................131
Tic Douloureux......................457
Tinctures.............................730
Tissues, Changes....................  45
        Composition of............  69
        Unnatural.................110
Tobacco Heart.......................392
Toe Nail, Ingrowing................457
Tongue Diseases................530, 531
        Furred.............,.......121
        Symptoms.............120, 121
        Tumor......................499
Tonics................................731
Tonsils, Enlarged...................531
        Inflamed....................197
Tonsilitis.............................497
Touch Sense. Imperfect............152
Trance...............................532
Traumatic Neurosis................457
Trembling Convulsions.............533
Tremens, Delirium..................151
Trephining...........................533
Trichina..........................534, 559
Trichinosis..........................534
Trillium..............................649
Trismus..............................437
Triticum.............................664
Tropical Ulcers................'.......565
Tubercle.............................512
Tubercular Meningitis...............448
Tuberculosis of Brain..............448
                Mesenteries.......527
                Pulmonarv........251
Tuberous Xanthoma................565
Tubes, Fallopian....................316
Tumors...............................536
        Arterial....................159
        Bloody .....................159
        Brain ..................198. 363
        Cystic ......................537
        Fatty.......................536
        Fibrous................536, 630
        Glandular..................537
        Gums........................307
        Kidney.....................126
        Liver.......................431
        Ovarian................537, 623
        Papillomata................538
        Parotid.....................470
        Sarcomatous...............53*
        Sebaceous..................537
        Tongue.................499, 531

Ulcerated Ankles....................,,|;(
          Cenitals..............|t>|
          (iums       ........__:w.i
          Heart        .........  387
          Sore Month    ..........223
          Stoinai li        .........361
Ulcers............         ..........545
       Gnawing  ...       ..........Ill
       Healthy..................546
       Indolent...................547
       Inflamed  ....................547
       Kodent.......................508
       Unhealthy ..................516
ClmUH................................(567 
xxvm
INDEX.
Uraemia.......:......................ofifi
Uratic Arthritis.....................2™
Urethral Fistula....................*?,
Urethritis...._....................o'm' 552
Urine, Albuminous.............4W'%%
       Characteristics..............™>
       Reaction......................*?^

                           " !!!!550
                            .....269
                             .... 553
                           ......294
                           ......553
                           ......580
                           ......701
                           ......465
      Retention........
      Specific Gravity.
      Sugary...........
      Suppression......
Urination, Difficult......
Urticaria.................
Uterine Diseases........
UvaUrsa.................
Uvula, Relaxed..........
Vaccination .........................
Valerian.......................•■ ■■■ ■ • ■
Vaginal Diseases.............6du to
Valuable Recipes....................
Valvular Heart Disease............
Vapor in the Atmosphere..........
Varicella.........................23*<
Varicocele.......................• • ■ •
Variola...........................346,
Varioloid.............................
Vascular Tumors....................
Vegetables as Food.................
Vegetable Cells......................
          Fungus...................
Verbascum...........................
Verbena Hastata....................
Vermifuges..........................
Vervain .............................
Vicarious  Menstruation............
Virginia Snake Root................
Vital Temperament...............
Voice Lost...........................
Volvulus.............................
Vomiting, to Provoke..............
          Bloody ..................
Wakefulness.........................417
Wandering Kidney..................424
           Liver....................436
           Mind....................266
           Spleen..................520
Warts.................................554
Warty Small-Pox...................555
Wasting Disease.....................446
Water Applications.................737
       Characteristics..............  62
       Decantation..................  65
       Drinking.....................  63
       Hard..........................  66
       Mineral.......................  66
       Poluted ...................... 63
       Purification ................. 64
Waterbrash..........................381
Wax Myrtle..........................686
Waxy Kidney........................425
       Liver..........................436
       Spleen  ........................518
Weeping Sinew......................359
                             .... 553
Wheals........• ■ • ■ •...........      743
Weaning of Infants..............    ,..,
Wheat as Food...................-^
Wens. .... ■.......................!!!l40
^nit^BlJodCorpusclesIncVeased.^^
White Swellings ....................f.~()
Whites.............................^5
Whitlow........••....................kxs
Whooping Cough.....................*
Why We Die.........................-.^
Willow.............•:.................„ou
Windpipe Obstruction..............--^
Winter Cough.......................; ..
Wintergreen.........................i :J
Witch Hazel.........................''"
Womb Cancer...................---• i?,""
       Congestion...................■?■*
       Displacements..............■£*
       Dropsy................  ......?*
       Falling.....................■£
       Flexures...................^-;
       Fibroid Tumors ............-rf-
       Hydatids................-0-"£S
       Inflammation...........»9o, 597
       Moles ........................?^9
       Neuralgia....................»™
       Operations..........571, or3. -><4
       Prolapsus ...................589
       Scraping ....................£l
       Ulceration...................6^°
Women, Diseases of.................571
        Mutilated..................5<1
Wool Sorter's Disease.......      i-v>
Worms...............................558
       Bothriocephalus...........562
       Guinea or Filaria..........369
       Illustrations................559
       Pin or Thread...............558
       Ring.........................507
       Round..................5->s
       Tape...................561
             of Dog................296
Wormseed...........................704
Worrv, Philosophv of............... "s
Wrinkles.............................313
Writer's Cramp......................563
Wry  Neck............................563

Xanthelasmoidea....................'161
Xanthoma.......................564, 565
Xanthoxylum  .......................692

Yaws.................................565
Yaw Vine........................... 700
Yellow Atrophy of Liver...........436
       Dock.....................704. 706
       Fever........................566
Young Children, Management of. 739

Zinc..........................130, 705, 725
Zingiber  .............................670
Zona Herpes.........................515
Zoster................................570 
A  PHYSICIAN  IN  THE  HOUSE.
                OUR  POSITION.

      The People and the Medical Profession.

  ''All that a man hath will he give for his life," are
words  attributed  to  the Evil  One, planning- the de-
struction of Job.  And. althoug-h recorded thousands
of years ago. the truthful text has ever since been
utilized as the key note for medical extortion and for
legalized misrepresentation.
  Poor Job wTas delivered to his torturer with the re-
mark,  'Behold,  he  is  in thine  hand; but  save his
life. "  How well known is it that even in this day the
average physician demands that those very words, or
their  equivalent,  must  be  uttered or conceded  in
spirit when a patient is committed to  his care.   Per-
haps the  demand  would  not  be  unreasonable were
phvsicians ideals of knowledge and of integrity, and
superior to mercenary temptations.  But, alas! how
few such physicians bless humanity!
  Annually, thousands  of newly-Hedged doctors  are
licensed  to struggle for existence and  to strive to
profit by the credulity and misfortunes of their fellow
beings;  with  no evidence  of knowledge but  "sheep-
skins," obtained  from colleges anxious  to increase
their patronage by enlarging their lists of graduates
regardless of  their  morals  and  their attainments.
Fortunate might  it be  for many communities were
their physicians compelled to abandon their occupa-
tion, and leave the common sense of the people to
protect their bodies against disease.
                        29 
30
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  This  is an age of reasoning and of comprehension.
 Mystery is  being swept away and simplicity is rap-
 idly taking  its place.   Men and women of to-day in-
 telligently consider questions which a generation ago
 were considered within the exclusive domain of sci-
 entists.   We are becoming a race of philosophers-
 doing our own thinking, weighing our own problems.
 and largely  acting for ourselves in all things concern-
 ing our personal welfare.  Long ago were broken the
 chains which  held humanity under the  thraldom of
 priestcraft in matters  of  science  and  of  religion.
 Scientific  men no longer hide  their  light under  a
 bushel or secretly  guard their  discoveries.  Instead,
 they widely  publish all they know7 and all they be-
 lieve; that the world  may  be  benefited.   And  in re-
ligion no talent or labor or expense is spared in striv-
ing  to make plain to  all,  even to the poorest and
most ignorant, the things believed to be for the bless-
ing of humanity, here and hereafter.
  But in medicine, how different!  More and more do
the  members of the fraternity  seek  to conceal by a
maze of technicalities and mysticisms the facts which
should be given to the world gratuitously.  More and
more intricate is caused to appear the* study of the
 human body and the  application of remedies to dis-
 ease.  As the  people become familiar with methods
 and means of cure, those methods and  means are dis-
 carded  by the medical fraternity  and  pronounced
 worthless.   In their places are  adopted so-called dis-
 coveries and specifics, concocted in microscopical and
 chemical laboratories,  which the people  are  not ex-
 pected to comprehend.
  It is declared impossible  to properly diagnose dis-
 ease without  a  previous  bacteriological education-
 and  impossible to combat it without the employment
 of methods and  means which  are  safe  on v in the
 hands of -experts.-  Expensive antitoxines and bac
 tencides and germ-destroyers are imported from over
 he seas, and  hypodermically administered aVcor n"
 to elaborate rules incomprehensible to the  a     S


 destroy, are declared to oe^me ^£^7^ 
oru  POSITION.
31
restoring  substances when administered by the scien-
tific  hands of a regularly  licensed physician, whose
fees, for curing or killing, are collectible by law.
  The acquisition of authority and the exclusive priv-
ilege of controlling the  bodies of others for merce-
nary purposes,  appears  to be the chief  aim of the
medical fraternity.  To aid in accomplishing their de-
signs, by  deception and  wily subterfuge, they have
secured the enactment of  unconstitutional  laws  and
the appropriation of State funds to be placed at their
disposal.  Thus have  they established and do they
maintain one of the most gigantic  trusts that ever
cursed a free-born people.
  Medical monopoly is the last remnant of mercenary
priestcraft to  thrive  upon mankind's afflictions and
misfortunes.   But its chains, forged centuries ago by
ignorance and  superstition, have gradually weakened
by the continuous strain  put upon them by education
and  enlightenment.  Tighter and tighter does it seek
to drawr  those weakened chains,  and  greater  and
greater grows the resistance  afforded by  increased
public knowledge.  Before long the fetters must give
way. and  humanity will be free to enjoy the liberty of
striving  to know all  things and  of exercising the
right of self-preservation.
  To add to the bulk of  public knowledge, to help
make possible the complete severance of the chains
of medical monopoly, and  to give to all the powTer of
holding their lives in their own hands, is the aim of
this volume.

             The Author's Statement.
  This book has been written in plain language, that
all who read may understand; and technicalities have
been avoided unless accompanied  by common terms.
Diseases have been mentioned in alphabetical  order;
and the descriptions of the diseases have been made
as short as is consistent  with their  proper  presenta-
tion.  The subject of hygiene has been given especial
attention; and  the rules for proper  living and for the
preservation of health have been  written with great
care and with a full knowledge of their importance.
  An  especial  and a most important feature of the 
32
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
book consists in the methods advised for the treat-
ment of diseases.  No poisonous drugs of any kind
are recommended for internal use; and only such rem-
edies are  advised as are capable of  aiding the vital
force in its  struggle  against  disease.  Poisons,  by
their inherent nature,  are calculated  to injure and to
destroy; and whatever  benefit they  may seemingly
accomplish in the treatment of disease, can be more
quickly and better accomplished without them.  They
may, under some circumstances, force the -system to
action; but they invariably weaken the constitution;
and even if they should  apparently prove beneficial
at times, the  danger and uncertainty accompanying
their use should forbid  their employment in the house-
hold.  Therefore, all the agents endorsed in this book
for internal use  are absolutely non-poisonous.  They
have been tried and proven efficient  throughout an ex-
tensive practice covering many years; and they are
confidently recommended as safe and reliable.
  In the section devoted to miscellaneous articles will
be found an amount of useful  information which will
prove invaluable for both old and young.  Many of
the facts and deductions given are the results of "ex-
tensive experience and laborious investigations, and
the  purpose of presenting  them is to  add" to the fund
of general  knowledge  and to aid in  the  betterment
and happiness of those wt1io will accept their truths.
  In the compilation of this book the  author has con-
stantly kept in mind the fact that those who possess
it will, in a great measure, depend upon its informa-
tion and instruction in times  of sickness and  emer-
gency.  The  consciousness of  this responsibility has
prompted  his endeavors to plainly and fully present
his views upon the best means of" preserving health
and the most successful  methods of overcoming dis-
ease.  It is earnestly hoped that those who purchase
this volume may learn to value its information and to
follow its instructions;  and that on account of its pos-
session they may realize a sense of security in having
"A Physician in the House"  worthy of their fullest
confidence. 
LIFE  AND  ITS  PRESERVATION.
          HOW WE LIVE AND  GROW.

       Minute Structures of the Human Body.
  The structures of the human body have long been a
 study for scientists  as well  as physicians,  and in
 these modern days anatomy and physiology have be-
 come essential parts of a common school education.
 As the aids to investigations improve, knowledge cor-
 respondingly advances.   With the use of the micro-
 scope most marvelous revelations  have  been made in
 the domain of  science, and no investigations are of
 more profound interest or more directly beneficial to
 mankind than those pertaining to the minute struct-
 ures of the human body, known as the study of his-
 tology.

             Protoplasm or Bioplasm.
  Either one of these terms is used  to designate the
 smallest particle of living  matter discernible under
 the microscope.  The preferable term, which we will
 employ, is Bioplasm, from the Greek word bios (mean-
 ing life)  and plasma  (meaning form or basis).  Bio-
 plasm, then, is the most minute starting point, recog-
 nizable,  of anything that has  life,  whether vegetable
 orarimal; though commonly  the  initial material of
 animal life is inferred when the term bioplasm  is used.
 This term in plain English denotes germinal or living
 matter, and these words—bioplasm, germinal  matter
 and living matter—will be used synonymously in this
article.
      3                 33 
34
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Physical characteristics of germinal matter may be
studied in the  highest and  lowest organisms, and as
far as we are yet able to  ascertain, even under the
highest microscopical powers, they appear to be pre-
cisely the same, no matter what the grade of life they
may belong to.  There are no distinguishing features
to enable us to differentiate between bioplasm of
fungi, plants, animals or  human being's.   Should we
view under the microscope a particle of living matter
without  knowing whence it had been obtained, it
wrould be impossible to decide what form of tissue it
wTas intended to produce—wThether it were destined to
form blood, or bone, or muscle, or fibre of  plant or of
animal.
  There  must be  differences in particles of germinal
matter obtained  from various sources; for what will
nourish and sustain one kind will absolutely destroy
another  kind.  A temperature indispensable to  the
life of one kind may be quickly fatal to another kind.
And, again, an  evidence  of  differences  in various
kinds of  living matter is demonstrated by the fact
that bioplasm  will  produce  bioplasm only after its
particular kind—the germinal matter of a  plant will
never produce germinal matter of an animal; and the
germinal matter of a  particular sjiecies  of animal
will not  produce germinal  matter peculiar to the or-
ganism of another species.
  But, as yet, no aids have been devised for rendering
our  senses  capable of differentiating  bioplasm.  We
are absolutely  certain that  differences do exist, but
we can distinguish those differences only by recogniz-
ing the varied natures of the results produced by  bio-
plasm ie action, and we conclude that those varied re-
sults are due to differences in inherited powers which
we cannot isolate.
  When  examined by the aid of  the highest knowm
microscopical powers, bioplasm, or germinal matter.
appears  as  an  insignificant,  shapeless  particle of
transparent, jelly-like matter,  absolutely  devoid of
structure.  Should the observations be continued  any
length of time under favorable surroundings, such as
the provision of the particular temperature and other
environments required by the grade of bioplasm under 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.          35
examination, it will be seen to be in continuous mo-
tion, and that motion is spontaneous; that is, it is not
provoked by any outside influences, but is controlled
by power seemingly within the particle of living mat-
ter; and these characteristics are manifested at every
period of its existence, and they cease only when bi-
oplasm dies and ceases to be living matter.
  Anyone can study these  peculiarities of bioplasm,
by the aid of a microscope, by examining the simplest
forms  of  living matter  known,  which  are termed
amoebae.  These  can be  obtained  by placing a very
small portion of  animal or vegetable matter in a glass
of  luke-warm  water  and exposing  it to light  and
warmth for a fewT days,  and then using a very small
particle of the thickened liquid.  A little blood-serum
may be easily obtained from  the finger for the pur-
pose.
  When properly obtained and prepared, amoebae less
than  one one-hundred-thousandth (1-100,000th) of an
inch in diameter  will be seen in most active movement
in every direction,  constantly altering their shapes in
outline and thickness, and absorbing  surrounding ma-
terial  suitable for nourishment.  These actions con-
tinue under favorable circumstances  for an indefinite
length of  time.   But under  unfavorable  influences,
such as improper temperature,  unsuitable surrounding
material, etc.. the actions  become  very  slow\  and
gradually cease  altogether, each separate amoeba, or
organism, becoming spherical,  and forming on its sur-
face a soft covering, which becomes a firm protective
envelop, within  which the  germinal matter,  if  not
killed, is preserved until the return of favorable con-
ditions. wThen it emerges and grows and gives rise to
new amcebce; and this process can be kept ujd indefi-
nitely, provided the surrounding's never depart too far
from wThat are naturally required.
  Observations on corpuscles of mucus are very inter-
esting.  These corpuscles are found in the ordinary
mucus  of the air passages of  the nose and throat.
Corpuscles of mucus are oval  or spherical, transpar-
ent or granular,  and composed of matter almost dif-
fluent.  Xo  language can convey a correct idea of the
changes which take  place  in  the form of  living cor- 
36
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
puscles of mucus as observed under the microscope
under  favorable conditions.  Every part of the sub-
stance exhibits distinct alterations  within a fewT sec-
onds.  The material in one part may move to another,
and the relationship of  component particles never re-
mains the same an instant.   But with all the disturb-
ances and alterations manifested there are no regular-
ities of movement.  Were it possible to take hundreds
of }ihotograplis. at  the  briefest intervals,  no twTo
would be alike.  The outline of  each particle changes
in many parts  and in  many directions at the same
time, so  that there  is  no definite appearance to the
particle.
  An entire corpuscle may move onw^ard, protrusions
may occur at one end and the general mass may fol-
low.  From the first protrusions smaller ones occur,
which become  pear-shaped; these may  remain at-
tached by a narrow  stem for awhile  and then again
run into the general mass.   Occasionally some spher-
ical  portions are detached from  the parent mass and
become independent masses of germinal matter, which
grow7 into ordinary corpuscles of mucus.   Thus every
kind of bioplasm is  multiplied.   From many observa-
tions it seems probable that the same class of move-
ments may be  seen  in every kind of living matter.
whether of  plant or animal,  as may be seen  in mucus
or in am(rb;r.
  Bioplasm being the  limit ot  recognizable matter,
under the  most powerful microscope, and no differ-
ences of bioplasm being  apjiarent to differentiate  a
vegetable  from an  animal,  or one  genus or species
from another, we can but realize that the differences
exist in inherent characteristics.

            Vegetable  and Animal Cells.
  Every organism, whether plant or animal, has con-
nected with it, as a part of itself, matter that is not
living-.  The lifeless shell is evidently a part of the
oyster, and it  increases in dimensions by new matter
being added to it by the living organism."  In man the
free portions of the  hair  and nails, the outer part of
the cuticle,  and a portion of the  tissues of the teeth
are  evidently  lifeless;  and the  waste  of  these is 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
37
Largely compensated for by the addition of new mat-
ter formed by  the living particles.  But  by an un-
known process the non-living food is absorbed  and
made a part of  the living matter, and then converted
into the lifeless formed material which is thrown out
to surround the living matter.
  All tissues and fluids of  plants and  animals are
composed of many cells, which are particles of living
matter surrounded by  formed material, and the vast
differences in the tissues and fluids  are due to the dif-
ferences of the formed materials.   The oldest formed
material is on the outside of the cell and the newest
surrounds the living matter.
  Living or germinal matter, that which is constantly
in motion under favorable circumstances; formed ma-
terial, that wThich has no life and has been previously
formed from or by living matter;  nutrient material or
pabulum,  otherwise food or nourishment—these are
the  only  terms required  in  describing the  develop-
ment, formation and growth of any tissue,  the pro-
duction of all the secretions, and of the varied phe-
nomena peculiar to living plants or animals of what-
ever nature.
  In everything that has life we may find matter in
three different states, namely:  Matter  about to be-
come living, matter actually living and matter that
has lived.  The last mentioned  form of matter pos-
sesses characteristics by  which we know that it has
lived; for we can no more cause matter artificially to
exhibit the characters of the dried leaf, the lifeless
wTood, shell, bone, hair or other  tissues, than we can
make living matter itself by  laboratory apparatus.
The process of cell  growth or increase or multiplica-
tion in every  case depends  upon the  bioplasm or
germinal  matter  only.  The differences  in cells, and
their formed materials which go to make up such a
variety of organic tissues and  fluids are  due to differ-
ences in the powers of bioplasm or germinal matter.
Just why  and  how particles of germinal matter, with
no  apparent distinguishing  characteristics, can con-
vert pabulum  or  nourishing substances into varied
forms, and each form be adapted to its peculiar posi-
tion and use, are problems so deep that the human 
38
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
mind has so far been unable to fathom them according
to modern science.

                Death of Bioplasm.
  When the life of a mass of bioplasm or  germinal
matter is cut short, by improper environment or other
circumstances, lifeless substances having individual
and peculiar properties result.   These substances be-
long to four different classes of bodies:  (1) Fibrin,
which  separates  spontaneously soon after death;
(2) albumen, which is coagulated by  heat and nitric
acid;  (3) fatty  matter, having a point of solidifica-
tion; (4) salts.
  Once dead, bioplasm or  living matter ceases to be
such,  and  is resolved  into  other things.   But the
things which are formed as the result of the death of
bioplasm cannot be  put  together ag"ain to re-form bi-
oplasm.  They may be  taken  up by other  bioplasm
and so converted into living-  matter, producing- a dif-
ferent kind of  formed  material.  But the  bioplasm
that existed once and then died cannot exist again as
such.  All  bioplasm or germinal matter must die. but
re-living is. as far as we  know, impossible, and scien-
tifically it is inconceivable.   A  crystal may be dis-
solved and new crystals formed, with precisely the
same characteristics, but a particle of bioplasm can
no more be dissolved and  re-formed  than a man can
be dissolved and then formed  anew.  The difference
between  living matter and lifeless matter—between
bioplasm and the things which result from its death—
is absolute. The change from one state to another is
sudden and complete.  The  steel of  which  a magnet
is composed can be unmagnetized and remagnetized as
often as may be desired; but  when  living matter has
been destroyed by death  it cannot be revitalized.
  Concerning  the origin of  bioplasm we   have no
knowledge or experience, and all  theories regarding
its origin must ever remain  as theories, as there are
no means of establishing any one of them.  But all
evidence  teaches us that from the  first beginning- of
life, bioplasm has proceeded from bioplasm; and the
spontaneous formation of bioplasm direct from non-
living matter is impossible even in thought, except to 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
39
one who counts as absolutely nothing  the  facts of
physics and chemistry, and is perfectly blind regard-
ing the phenomena of  the living world transpiring
about him.
  A mass of bioplasm exposed  to certain special con-
ditions (which conditions vary with every kind of bi-
oplasm), grows, divides and subdivides in multitudes
of masses.   Each  of these growls and subdivides in
the same  manner, until vast numbers result.  By
these apparently similar masses of bioplasm,  different
tissues, organs and members are formed; and at length
all the complex and  elaborate forms of apparatus
which make up the body of a living being result.
These organs and  structures  perform their appointed
work for  the  appointed time; they then decay, and
are resolved into  formless matters of interest to the
chemist as well as to the anatomist and  physiologist.
  The body of a living animal is composed  of  many
tissues, of varying characteristics,  performing very
different acts,  and designed  from the  first to fulfil
very  different  purposes, as proved  by the fact that
each  working  tissue has  to  pass  through several
stages of  formation, during  none of  which does it
wTork or serve any useful purjiose whatever.  But the
stages of inaction were necessary for its  construction;
and the ultimate form  it was to take, and the duty it
was  to discharge, must have been  determined from
the first, when it was without form,  and  when no one
could have anticipated  either the form  it was to as-
sume, the work it was to do, or even offer a reason as
to why it existed at all.  We  can realize  the existence
of living matter, but we cannot conceive its origin.

           Nourishment of Living Matter.
  Every kind of living matter is said to  be nourished
wThen it increases  and  remains active.   In order that
the act of nutrition may occur it is necessary that the
material constituting the pabulum or  food should be
brought very close  to  the living matter.  A part of
the active  living-matter then moves toward the non-
living pabulum or  food.  Throughout all its life living
matter, or bioplasm, tends to move away from its cen-
ter.   Its particles seem to be impelled  centrifugally 
40
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
toward  any nourishing material that may be in close
proximity to it.
  Whether or not the  non-living pabulum is taken up
and converted into the living bioplasm depends upon
a number of circumstances which the living matter is
utterly  powerless to  occasion, influence, control or
modify.  But the external  conditions being favorable
and the pabulum being very near to the living matter,
some of the pabulum  is taken up by the bioplasm,
which  communicates  to certain of the non-living con-
stituents its own particular properties  or  powers.
Such  essentially  is  the  phenomenon of nutrition,
which is universal in the living  world, and which in
fact consists of the taking up of  the non-living mat-
ter by  living matter and its incorporation  with it.
The non-living is made to  live  by the agency of that
which is already living.
  The manner in which pabulum or nourishing mate-
rial is brought into close  proximity or actual contact
with bioplasm, or germinal matter, is very different
in different cases.  In man and the higher animals the
operation is provided for  by a highly complex appa-
ratus deserving the  most attentive study, and consti-
tuting one of the most wonderful of all  natural per-
formances.  Should  any part of  the intricate struct-
ure of this apparatus  be  impaired or its action modi-
fied in any great degree,  serious derangement of the
nutritive processes result.  Also by such modifications
structural changes of the most  important kind in or-
gans of the highest importance to the life of the com-
plex organism are occasioned.  In the case of the
simpler forms of life, such as fungous growths, etc.,
the pabulum or nourishment is brought into the imme-
diate vicinity of the bioplasm, as it were, by mere ac-
cident.  A breath of  air, a drop of  rain, may contain
the appropriate food  which will  provide for the free
growth  of some of the simplest organisms, which in-
crease and multiply in so short a time.   Apparently
without any effort or concern of  the organism itself,
all things needed for its development from bioplasm
and its future  growth are provided.
  In mankind and the  higher classes of animals most
important organs and various  structures aid in the 
           LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         41

performances of functions which minister to the intro-
duction of pabulum  or nourishing material into the
intestines, where  innumerable particles  of  bioplasm
are ever ready to take it up and grow and multiply by
consuming the nutritious material it supplies.
  The introduction of food or aliment is not suffered
to depend upon reason or thoughtfulness.  If the de-
mand of food by the organism  be not sufficiently and
regularly satisfied, the sensation known as hunger is
experienced, and when  this becomes intense, every
other desire, every other interest is in abeyance until
the demand for food has been satisfied.

            Distribution  of Nourishment.
  The food or pabulum having in  the intestines been
brought into close proximity to the bioplasm, it is
taken  up  and appropriated by the bioplasm, which
undergoes changes; a part of  it dies,  and some of its
constituents, dissolved in water, pass into the blood,
wThich flows in channels close to  it.  The apparatus
and structures concerned in  the  distribution of the
nutrient matter so dissolved to all parts of the human
body,  and the  bodies of  the  higher  animals  and
plants, consist  of  tubes so communicating one with
another that the contained  fluids may traverse them
freely and  return to the same  point.  This movement
of  fluid through the tubes throughout  the body is
termed circulation; and any influence or obstruction
which interferes with the free and regular circulation
of that fluid throughout the body, manifestly hinders
proper development and  tends  to destroy the struct-
ures dependent upon nourishment  for their existence,
and death  results.   In man and the higher animals
these tubes and certain organs connected with them,
concerned in the propulsion of the fluid, are comprised
under  wrhat are generally  known as the circulatory
organs; and the fluid which continues to circulate in
the vessels as long as life lasts is called  the blood, or
nutrient circulating fluid.
  Food is not simply dissolved and caused  to pass
into the blood, as would  be inferred from the descrip-
tions usually given; but millions of masses of  bio-
plasm live and grow, pass through certain stages, and 
42
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
die, yielding up the products  of  their death, to be
taken up by other bioplasmic particles, situated in
the walls of the vessels and in the blood itself.
  The  order of the changes occurring  in the food
taken by man and the higher animals may be enumer-
ated as follows: First, nourishment or  food;  second,
nutrient  circulating fluid  or  blood;  third, tissues;
fourth,  products of  decomposition  or  decay; fifth,
blood;  sixth, excreted matter, unfit to remain  in the
proximity of bioplasm,  and consequently  to  be de-
jected from the body.
  But if man or animals take more food than their
bodies require,  the excess,  after having been con-
verted into blood, is excreted without  being first con-
verted into  tissue.   By  overtaxing these organs ex-
cess of food  may thus cause serious derangement of
important organs.   And  decomposition of food in the
intestinal canal may destroy the bioplasm and  hinder
all nourishment.
  Such, in a few wrords, is the  explanation of the de-
velopment of the  human body and the  existence of
life.  For the  investigations  made  in  ascertaining
these facts we are indebted to the indefatigable labors
of Dr.  Lionel S. Beale, of England.  And so beauti-
fully and clearly has he written upon the subject that
it would  be impossible  to  improve  upon his state-
ments.  These have been given with accuracy for the
benefit of all wdio  may  be inclined to learn the facts
of their own existence.
  The same  intelligence which caused  the first forma-
tion of living- matter has guided it to perfection; and
the power which has developed the human organism
with all  its  intricacies, has  endowed it with the abil-
ity to preserve  its  existence and  arrange and direct
its perpetuity.
                  WHY WE  DIE.
            Thoughts on Prolonging Life,
  When we examine the various tissues of the body—
the bones and sinews and  muscles and  the blood it-
self—there seems to be no apparent reasons why thev 
           LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.          43

should not endure  forever, provided they were  fur-
nished with proper nourishment and  given  the  sur-
roundings most favorable to their maintenance.   But
they do not exist forever, and there must  be reasons
for the fact.
  There is throughout nature a tendency for all com-
plex substances to assume simpler forms.   A plant
develops from the seed, grows more and more complex
in its composition and construction, until it reaches
the height of  its  glory, and then begins  to lose its
beauty and eventually decays.   Some plants complete
their individual destinies in a few months, while  oth-
ers, such as the oak, may live for centuries.  But  dur
ing the entire existence of a plant some part of  it is
beginning to decay.  Should wTe watch it spring from
the seed we would notice the first or seed-leaves;  and
before long,  when the  plant  has  put forth other
leaves, these  seed-leaves will  begin to shrivel  and
will soon drop off.  It is difficult  to  find a plant of
any size which has not some of its leaves or bark or
roots partially or  wholly dead. But in the healthy
plant, the decay of these portions is counterbalanced
by the growth in the living portions;  and as long as
this continues life  exists:  But when  the process of
decay exceeds the process of development, then death
has  set in, and it  is only a matter of time until  the
whole plant or tree succumbs to the inevitable, and is
dead.  The processes of decay may by intelligent  care
be wrarded off a  considerable   length of time;  but
death having- set in, nothing can stop it.
   Human  existence  may ajitly be compared to plant
life  in many  respects.  Decompositions  throughout
the body commence even in early life;  but as long as
these decompositions are counterbalanced by renewals
of tissues, made possible by. perfect nutrition, life  will
continue.   But just as soon as the decompositions ex-
ceed the renewals death has commenced.
   But what is old  age, and why is it  inevitable  that
mankind must die? To answer this question let us
consider the development of the body from infancy to
maturity,  and  follow  it  to old age.   At birth  and
through early life the  bones are, we  know, soft and
somewhat gelatinous.  They are easily bended,  and 
41
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
throughout all that period of life  it is proper that
such nourishment shall be used as shall favor the con-
solidation of  bones and  other  tissues within certain
limits;  for too early consolidation  is  detrimental
to the attainment  of  proper  physical  proportions.
Should  children and young persons up to the time of
their majority subsist upon such foods as wTill prevent
consolidation, as will presently be  mentioned,  then
growth would be favored and a large body will be the
result;  provided other  circumstances  and environ-
ments are favorable.
  The bones  have  attained  their full development,
and growth of stature is usually attained, from the
eighteenth to  the  twTenty-first year  of  life.  Up to
that time the  eating of  such foods and drinking of
such fluids as favor consolidation may be permitted;
but after that  time such articles are detrimental to
health and favor early old age  and death.  And why?
The  reason is readily comprehended by a moment's
reflection.
  After the bones and tissues have attained such a de-
gree of consolidation as wTill  prevent  their further
growth, the  continuance of  consolidating foods and
drinks will only tend to  increase their consolidation,
without their further  enlargement.   Such  an action
will manifestly result in  a condition  of abnormal con-
solidation wThich will gradually more and  more pre
vent the proper performance of functions.   The skin
will  become  hardened  and  lose its elasticity and
wrrinkles will  soon be manifest.   The muscles will
cease to respond  quickly, locomotion will be slowTer,
running will be laborious or impossible; and if  con-
solidating  foods  are taken to excess, deposits will
take place in the joints,  causing stiffness, and  proba-
bly rheumatic  pains and deformities, if not useless-
ness.
  The delicate tissues of the brain  become more and
more  hardened, and manifest their  inability to per-
form their natural functions properly, by loss of mem-
ory, absent-mindedness, and the hundred and one lit-
tle peculiarities and eccentricities so often noticed in
the aged.
  The arteries themselves, and possibly the  heart 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
45
also, lose their proper elasticity; and the circulation
is correspondingly interfered with.  Heart weakness
is experienced, and nutrition is not carried to every
part of the body as it should  be.  The dense struct-
ures of the scalp are among  the first to show failure
of nutrition, as evidenced by the hair losing its color
or dying out.  The  eyes become unable to respond
quickly to impression, and  the muscles of accommo-
dation are unable to control the adjustment of the
lenses, causing farsightedness  or  presbyophia (sight
of old age).
  Knowing, then, the causes of  premature old age,
how can they  be overcome?   By studying the compo-
sition of foods, as laid down in  the table of foods, and
using our reasoning powers, it becomes possible for
us to avoid those  things which favor consolidation,
and to select such a diet  as will favor the elimination
of solids otherwise deposited.   Fruits in abundance,
apples, pears, berries,  grapes,  plums,  peaches, cran-
berries  and similar  articles, should be eaten freely.
And as for drink, only pure distilled water should be
taken.  It is the great natural  solvent and cannot be
too  freely  taken after the  age of twenty-one.  Use
such a diet and maintain proper exercise, and use the
lungs and stomach as directed in the subsequent chap-
ters of this series, and, barring accidents and injudi-
ciousness, death will be  afar off; and old age will be
robbed of its hideousness, its wrinkled and  shrunken
body and its feebleness and infirmities.
                  HOW WE DIE.
       Accidents, Disease, Changes of Tissue.
  First of  all, to  avoid death, we  must know  what
causes it, or rather in what manner does  it come to
human beings.
  1.   Death may be accidental.
  2.   Death may follow disease.
  3.   Death may be from changes of tissues.

  The subject of accidental death need not be dwelt
upon.  In the first place death  by accident is very 
46
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
rare; and, in the second place, outside of carelessness,
accidents are  due to causes over which we have no
control.
  But disease  is a subject which should be most care-
fully considered;  for nearly all deaths occur during
disease.  By way of a definition it may be stated that
disease  is abnormal performance of bodily functions
caused by obstructions, alterations or interference.
  In health every function of the body should be per-
formed  with perfect ease; but wThen dis-ea.se is mani-
fested  in the  performance of any function we know
there is a departure from health, and consequently a
tendency toward death.  Let  us classify  simply the
various causes of disease.
  1.  The effects of cold cause disease.
  2.  The improper use of the mind causes disease.
  3.  The abuse of the stomach causes disease.

  1.  The great majority of  persons die  from lung
troubles of some  kind, and  these are always aroused
by "catching cold."  But the  lungs are not alone suf-
ferers from cold.  A moments reflection will  demon-
strate  that  many diseases  follow exposures to cold.
The surface of -the body is a network of blood-vessels
and minute canals -the latter  serving to carry away
an immense amount of waste material from the body.
When the surface becomes  chilled  the  superficial
blood-vessels are contracted and  prevent the free cir-
culation of blood through them,  throwing upon inter-
nal organs  the excess  of blood  which crowds  them
and causes  disease.   In a similar  manner cold con-
tracts the pores and canals of the skin and prevents
the proper elimination of the waste materials through
them, throwing these poisonous  substances back into
the body for other organs to endeavor to eliminate in
addition to their own  burdens.  Besides  superficial
cold, chilled air entering the lungs directly  causes se-
rious trouble.
  2.  That the mind  has great control over the body
needs no argument.  In cases of disease a strong will
power and determination to recover is of great ben-
efit; and many diseases may be wTarded off by resolute
confidence and. cheerfulness.   Likewise the mind has 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
47
power to cause  disease.   Moroseness will favor indi-
gestion  and all its ills;  and anger will  induce apo-
plexy; and passion will create nervous disorders; and
in almost  innumerable ways lack of cheerfulness and
mental control will certainly result in disease.
  3.  The abuse of the stomach is  one of  the most
frequent causes of  disease.  Improper food, impure
food, too much food and bad drinking water, as are
well known, invariably cause disease.  What a train
of diseases and an almost endless amount of suffering
could be avoided by  properly  guarding the stomach
against  abuse!   Man  should  at least  be as able to
properly choose his  food as  are the lower animals;
and he"is  able to do so; but he usually prefers to
allow impulse  and  desire to overcome  judgment and
natural  intelligence.
  Another  most frequent cause of hastening death is
the swallowing of  poisonous substances under  the
name of medicine.   This  murderous  custom was born
during the dark ages; its philosophy is as absurd as
its practice is dangerous.   No "professional opinion"
or division of substance can alter the inherent quali-
ties of poisonous drugs.  They by  nature are calcu-
lated to destroy.  During  disease life may exist in
spite  of their administration, but never on account
of it.
        HOW LONG  SHOULD  WE LIVE?
  The Average and Possible Duration of Existence.
  The pages of ancient and biblical  history make fre-
quent mention of human life being extended over hun-
dreds of years;  and in modern times there is an occa-
sional individual who passes the century mark.  But
the man who is now a hundred years old is looked
upon  as a  marvel of  longevity.   And  why?  The
Psalmist remarked that "the days of our years are
three score and ten;" and, probably, with  the  usual
misconstruction placed upon biblical  sayings,  those
words have been accepted as a  divine  assertion that
man should  properly  live no longer; and fulfills his
destiny at the end of three score years and ten.   Ac- 
48
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
cording to modern statistics an average human gen-
eration is about forty years; and  should a modern
psalmist declare that the days of our  years are two
score we could not doubt  his truthfulness, but would
at once realize his meaning.
  But although the average life of man is now about
forty years, it is far longer than the average of life a
century ago.  If  we study  statistics and  history we
will realize that in proportion as cleanliness and the
laws of hygiene have  been  observed the  life of man
has  been  extended.   Public hygiene  in  the way of
sewerage, pure drinking water and  municipal cleanli-
ness deserves great credit for the prolongation of life.
Could individual hygiene be  as practically carried out
as public  hygiene has  been, the results would be far
greater.  But public hygiene is woefully  defective at
present in spite of the great improvement over the
past.
  When we reflect that a large  proportion of human
beings in  the large cities are too ignorant and filthy
by nature  to consider  the subjects of cleanliness and
hygiene, and that another large proportion of persons
are totally indifferent to such matters, wTe  cannot
wonder that human life is so short.   But could we ex-
clude from the calculation the infants who die under
five years of  age, we would have a much greater aver-
age of life; for over one-fourth of all human beings
die before they reach the fifth year of existence.
  Taking  1,000 human  beings:

      263  die before the 5th  year,
       35  die between the 5th and 10th years,
       18  die between the 10th and 15th years,
       50  die between the 15th and 25th years,
       62  die between the 25th and 35th years,
       62  die between the 35th and 45th years,
       8<)  die between the  45th and 55th years,
       1)2 die between the  55th and 65th years,
      14H die between the  65th and 75th years,
      123 die between the  75th and 85th years,
       56 die between the 85th and 95th years.

  Leaving only two persons out of  1,000 to reach the 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         49
age of  ninety-five years, and  only one person out of
2,000 to reach 100 years of age.
  Yet it is possible for man to live to be 200 years old;
and the average length of life should be 100 years.
This latter statement is based upon the fact that in
all the lower animals the  length of  life  is five  times
the number of years it takes for the bony system to
become fully developed.  Man is not fully developed
until his twentieth year,  and  it is  therefore natural
that he should live at least one hundred years.   And
that he does not live to  that time is due to his own
neglect of  his body and his disregard of the laws of
life.  It is a sad commentary upon the intellectuality
of man to realize that the  lower animals far excel him
in obeying  the laws of life and reaching toward  the
limits of life allowed them; barring their destruction
by man.
  It would  seem that the first and most important
subject for study to the human race  should be " How
can I live  to  fulfill my allotted time:"'  But experi-
ence goes to show that such a question, if at all con-
sidered is made secondary to nearly all other  ques-
tions.
  "Let each one sweep before his own door and the
streets of  Jerusalem will  be clean," is an old saying
and has an apt application in this connection.   Let
each one of us consider individual preservation of the
body, and thus prolong our own lives and increase the
general average.
              THE  ATMOSPHERE.
    Its Composition  and  Its Influence Upon Life.
  Pure air is an essential  to good health and exist-
ence;  it is man's natural environment and is furnished
in abundance everywhere.  Although, in some locali-
ties, frequently contaminated by poisonous gases and
particles; yet, as a rule, air in free space is practically
pure all over the  globe.   Just what constitutes pure
air from a chemical and physiological standpoint has
been frequently ascertained by scientific means, and
has been shown to consist principally of  two elemen- 
50
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
tary gases, oxygen and nitrogen, mixed together in
the proportion of oxygen about 20.93 volumes and ni-
trogen about  79.07 volumes.  This  does  not include
about one-half of one per cent of other gases, which,
although exceedingly small  in quantity,  have their
specific uses.   Some authors state the  composition of
the atmosphere as follows:

    Oxygen.............................    20.93
    Nitrogen...........................    79.03
    Vapor of water.....................Variable
    Carbonic acid gas...................    00.04
    Ozone..............................Variable
    Nitric and nitrous acids.............  Traces
    Ammoniacal compounds............  Traces
    Sulphurous and Sulphuric acids.....  Traces
    Hydrocarbons......................  Traces
    Suspended sclid particles...........  Traces

  Oxygen of the atmosphere is the great supporter
of  life and combustion; without it all  animal  life
would cease;  and in proportion as its percentage in
the atmosphere decreases, health becomes deterio-
rated.  Three-tenths of one per  cent  loss of oxygen
would be calamitous.  An increase of oxygen (pro-
vided other gases poisonous in character are not pres-
ent) increases animal  vigor and is proportionately
conducive to health within  certain slight limits.

  Nitrogen has frequently  been spoken of as the
great  dilutent of  the atmosphere.  Its  presence is
necessary to life, although of itself it could not sup-
port combustion.  But without  it the  body would be
consumed by its greatly increased activity.  Nitrogen
will not support life, but nevertheless its presence al-
lows life  to be supported by oxygen.  Many physiolo-
gists claim that  nitrogen is directly assimilated from
the atmosphere to aid  in the formation of the nitro-
genous tissues of the body.

  Vapor Of Water is  present  in the  atmosphere in
variable proportions.  The  amount present depending
upon  the temperature.  At a very high temperature 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
51
the atmosphere can hold a great deal of vapor of wa-
ter in suspension;  but at a low temperature it can
hold but very little.   When the atmosphere contains
all the moisture it can possibly hold at a given degree
of temperature it is  said to be  saturated, and the
" hygrometric condition" or '•fraction of saturation"  of
the atmosphere refers to the difference between the
amount of moisture present  and the amount the at-
mosphere is capable  of holding  at a given degree of
temperature.
  As a rule, the atmosphere contains between  sixty
and seventy per cent of the moisture or vapor of wa-
ter it  is capable of holding.  When the percentage
falls belowT  that amount  the air is too dry to be com-
fortable.  This often  occurs  in  rooms that  are too
close  and are heated by stoves, without any means of
adding moisture to the atmosphere.   When the per-
centage of moisture is greater than normal in the at-
mosphere an oppressive sensation  is  experienced,
especially at a high  degree  of temperature—the air
being already so  filled with  moisture that the evap-
oration by perspiration  from  the  skin is interfered
with.
  An  over amount of moisture during cold wTeather
renders the cold more piercing.  In summer time it
takes a great deal more  actual  moisture to saturate
the atmosphere than  is  required in winter.  This is
simply illustrated  in  winter by opening  an outside
door  from a kitchen filled  with  steam.  The steam
will not  be  visible in the heated kitchen, but as the
hot air laden  with moisture rushes  out of the door
and becomes chilled the  moisture instantly becomes
converted into visible steam and congeals into water.

  Ozone is in one sense of the word a condensed form
of oxygen, and acts in precisely the same manner as
that gas, only more vigorously.  It is the great puri-
fier of the atmosphere  destroying fungi  and disease
germs and  other  poisonous micro-organisms.  It is
often  formed  during  thunder-storms and  frequently
its presence at such times can be recognized by its pe-
culiar  odor,  its increased quantity  during-  thunder-
storms  is chiefly  the cause of  purification of the 
52
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
atmosphere realized after such storms, although ot
course the absorption of poisonous gases by the rain
and the precipitation of solid particles aid in the pu-
rification.  Mountainous regions contain considerable
ozone, which in a great measure renders such locali-
ties healthful and invigorating.

  Nitric and  Nitrous Acids are sometimes present,
but always in exceedingly small quantities.  They are
usually formed by chemical actions taking place, and
rarely equal in quantity more than one part in many
millions, and then only temporarily.

  Ammoniacal Compounds are  formed by decom-
positions of animal and vegetable substances, and al-
though they are very small in quantity their presence
is important to vegetable life,  they being absorbed by
plants and assimilated to aid in the ripening of the
seeds.

  Sulphur Compounds are not found in the atmos-
phere  of country  districts; but in small quantities
greatly diffused, their presence may be detected about
cities and other places of manufacturing, where coal
is consumed  in  large  quantities.   Such gases are
never  conducive to  health.  Occasionally, as  in the
neighborhoods  of sulphur  springs or artesian wells,
the air may be filled with sulphuretted hydrogen gas,
which is easily detected by its peculiar odor of  "rot-
ten eggs."  The presence of this  gas  from such
sources is not in anywise detrimental.

  Hydrocarbons are usually products of vegetable
decay, and  are found in most minute proportions in
the atmosphere about marshes; sometimes these com-
pounds abound in the air of cities or  localities where
coal is burnt in large quantities.

  Suspended Solids, in minute particles, are always
present in the  atmosphere,  and although their actual
percentage is  small, yet they are the only constitu-
ents of the atmosphere which can be distinguished by
the naked  eye.  By observing a ray of sunlight in a 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         53
room innumerable particles of suspended matter can
be seen.
  The character of  these suspended  solid particles
varies greatly, and  the  proportions of  the different
particles  are usually  controlled  by  the locality.
About the seashore  an unusual amount of ordinary
salt  will  be  held in suspension; over deserts sandy
particles  are abundant,  and lime  and other mineral
substances are  often present.  About factories and
workshops many irritating substances are suspended
in the air, and from marshes and unhealthful localities
and sick rooms disease germs and many poisonous or-
ganisms enter the atmosphere; and it is a question
whether or not these micro-organisms  entering the
lungs are the sole causes of disease.  Certain it  is
that many irritating substances cause  diseases of the
lungs by their irritating properties.  File works and
nail  factories have  the air  of their  compartments
laden with very minute particles  of  iron, which  in
course of  time cause serious lung troubles by irrita-
tion.
  While it cannot be disputed that  small-pox, scarla-
tina, and  similar diseases  may be conveyed from one
to another by germs or poisonous particles transmitted
through the atmosphere, it  has not yet been absolutely
established that certain forms of diseases are caused
by the  agency of organisms  in the air as many pro-
claim.  But the  spread of diseases from one locality
to another are often in close connection with  recog-
nized air currents.

  Poisonous Substances in a finely divided state
may be disseminated through the compartments of a
dwelling from sources little suspected.  The arsenical
coloring materials used in  green wall-papers and the
poisonous colorings of carpets have often been found
to be directly responsible for slow forms of arsenical
poisoning.  A case of corrosive sublimate poisoning
has been reported where that substance was used  in
solution to destroy  bed-bugs—the evaporation of the
water causing the finely divided corrosive sublimate
to permeate the atmosphere of the sleeping room.
  The dangers of noxious  gases coming from  vaults 
54          A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
and drains and  cess-pools are too well known to need
more than mere mention in this place.

  Carbonic  Acid  Gas, also known as carbon  di-
oxide, is naturally  present in the atmosphere.  The
amount averaging about four parts in ten  thousand
(by volume),  though varying according to locality,
season  and  time of day.  On  land the proportion
slightly increases at night, due to the fact that while
plants absorb carbonic acid gas  during sunlight, they
do not do so during the night.  In the arctic regions
the proportion of the gas in the atmosphere averages
over five parts in ten thousand,  due to the absence of
vegetation.   For a similar reason  and also because
there is a much greater combustion of fuel going on,
the atmosphere of  cities has a larger proportion of
carbonic acid gas than is found in the atmosphere of
the country.
  The  following  table states the proportions of car-
bonic acid gas found in various localities.  The obser-
vations were made by chemical authorities:

      Place.                      Parts in 10,000.
    Boulevard of Paris...................    3.19
    Parisian  green-house.................    1.00
    Geneva,  Switzerland.................    4.68
    Upon the Ocean, day time............    5.42
    Upon the Ocean, nigiit time..........    3.34
    London Prison cell...................   12.15
    Theatre  Parquet (gas light)..........   23.00
    Theatre,  near ceiling (gas light)......   43.00
    Rocky Mountain Lead Mine..........   75.00
    Coal Mine (lamps extinguished).......  350.00
    Grotto del  Cane......................7,360.00

  Over the ocean the amount of carbonic acid gas in
the atmosphere during the day is greatly in excess of
that during the night;  on account of the fact that  the
heated surface of the water  does not absorb as much
gas as does the cold water at night time.
  The sources of  carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere
are easily mentioned.  First comes combustion of car-
bonaceous material  which forms carbonic acid gas as 
life and its preservation.
55
a  product—one atom of carbon  uniting  with two
atoms of  oxygen.   Whenever wood, coal, gas, kero-
sene,  alcohol  or  any other  combustible  article is
burned,  carbonic acid  gas is given off.  In a closed
room the  oxygen used to unite with the carbon must
be taken from the room, and for that reason the pro-
portion  of oxygen greatly decreases as the proportion
of carbonic acid gas increases, and the atmosphere of
the room soon becomes  of  a character unbearable,
which in time  wTould not support life or combustion.
A stick  burned in a closed jar is soon extinguished for
the same reason.
  Animal respiration is another great source of car-
bonic acid gas in the atmosphere.   Sex, age, food and
exercise cause variations in the amount of gas given
off by human beings.  Violent muscular activity and
the consumption of starchy or carbonaceous  foods
will greatly increase the amount.
  The appended table shows the amount of carbonic
acid gas given off and the amount of oxygen absorbed
in twTenty-four  hours by  males of various ages.  The
figures given are approximate averages and  are fur-
nished by unquestioned authorities  (Andral, Gavar-
ret).
		Gas given	off. (	)xygen absorbed
Age.	Weight.	Quarts.		Quarts.
H. .	.... 49... ....102...	..225 .		207
15...		.......389..		..........454
16...	....118...	.......483..		..........563
20. . .	...135...	.......510..		..........595
9,4	...147...			..........636
40	...14*...	.......452..		..........527
60	...139...	.......411..		..........480
  An adult  male makes about sixteen or seventeen
respirations  in  one minute, averaging  twenty-four
thousand  respirations in twenty-four hours.  At each
expiration he  will, on an average, exhale  about
twenty-five  cubic  inches  of air,  or 600,000  cubic
inches in  twenty-four  hours.  About five per cent of
this is carbonic acid gas, and to maintain this exhala-
tion about five per cent of oxygen must be consumed. 
56
A physician in the house.
  Other sources of carbonic acid gas in the atmos
phere may be mentioned as follows:  From waters of
all kinds, from fissures, geysers, volcanoes,  etc., from
mines after explosions of fire damp; from  fermenta-
tion—alcoholic  fermentation causing the evolution of
about 190 quarts of carbonic acid for every quart of
alcohol  formed.   The total amount of gas from these
sources is enormous.
  Manufacturing establishments  (besides  their com-
bustion of coal)  often give off large quantities of car-
bonic acid gas—such as lime kilns, cement works, etc.
  The actual volume of carbonic acid gas  in the at-
mosphere of our globe  is  enormous,  and is  being
added to by immense volumes; yet the proportion re-
mains almost constant, as the amount detracted from
the atmosphere  directly counterbalances the amount
given it.   The means by wThich carbonic acid gas is
taken frem the atmosphere may be mentioned as fol-
lows: Vegetables and plants during sunlight absorb
the gas  for nourishment, both  by their leaves and
roots, and  decompose it,  using tne carbon to build up
structures and discharging the oxygen, nearly equal
in volume to the carbonic acid gas absorbed.
  Lime and various rocks and corals and animal or-
ganisms  are constantly  being changed to their car-
bonates by union with the carbonic acid  gas of the at-
mosphere.
  It might be supposed that the various  strata of the
atmosphere would vary in composition on account of
the differences  in wreight of the  gases composing it,
and that as carbonic acid gas is  many times heavier
than either oxygen or nitrogen it would  naturally  be
found nearest the earth's surface.  But such is not
the case, for by  a natural law, termed the law of the
diffusion  of gases, the various gases of the atmos-
phere mingle to form a uniform mixture throughout of
invariable proportions.

            What Is Contaminated Air?
  Although  the average amount of carbonic acid gas
in the atmosphere is four parts  in ten thousand, yet
in confined  places it is obvious  that the proportion
may be  greatly  increased.  When it is increased to 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.
57
such an extent as to  constitute six  parts in ten thou-
sand the atmosphere may  be considered as contamin-
ated.   Still, the  source of  the increased amount of
gas should be considered for various reasons.   When
it is caused by respiration or combustion in a confined
space the  increased amount represents also a decrease
in the proportion of the oxygen present, and  there-
fore a most unnatural condition of the atmosphere,
which of  itself  would be detrimental to health even
without an increase of  carbonic acid gas.
  An adult man deprives of oxygen a little over one
hundred quarts of air an hour.  But practically much
more air is required for his existence every hour, as
from wiiat has been said it is evident that all the oxy-
gen could not be taken from the  surrounding  atmos-
phere and life still exist.  Indeed, should the atmos-
phere contain even five per cent of  carbonic acid  gas
life could not exist in it;  and only one per cent  would
cause serious difficulty of respiration.   Under no cir-
cumstances should the  amount of carbonic  acid  gas
in a compartment be allowed to exceed six parts in
ten thousand—four  parts being the normal amount
and two parts the addition  by combustion and respi-
ration.
  Da Chaumont, after a series of carefully conducted
experiments,  prepared the  following table to  desig-
nate  the  time  required to render unventilated com-
partments unhealthful on account of an excess of car-
bonic acid gas  thrown out by the respiration of  one
man:
10,000 cubic ft. would be contaminated
 5,000
 1,000
  600
  200
   50
   30
in
3 hrs., 20 min.
1 hr.,  40 min.
......20 min.
......12 min.
......  4 min.
......  1 min.
......36 sec.
  By  contaminated is meant  charged with carbonic
acid gas to a greater degree than six parts in ten
thousand.  Although  it would be possible for life to
exist some time were there even six hundred  parts in 
58
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ten thousand, such an  atmosphere could not  be en-
dured for more than a few minutes without  risK ot
dangerous consequences.
                  THE LUNGS.
        How to Develop their Full Capacity.
  Did you ever stop to contemplate the importance of
the  lungs  to the human  body?  Very few persons
make use of  their lung power, and as a rule those im-
portant organs will be found developed to about one-
fifth of their full capacity.  Large  lungs do not al-
ways indicate development, for largeness may be due
to accumulations of  fatty tissues.  It is important
that the air cells of  the lungs  be  developed—all of
them.   It is in these air cells that the oxygen and the
life  giving principle  of  the atmosphere have oppor-
tunity to enter into  the circulation and to so affect
the blood as  to purify it and add to it that indefinable
"something" which we are often satisfied  to call the
life principle—the "breath of life" by which we live
and  move and have our being.
  Realizing the importance of this life principle to
our very existence is it not a wonder that all the hu-
man race are not familiar with the  best methods of
obtaining' it ?
  Of  course  we  know that vitiated  air, that  is, air
laden with poisonous  substances, products of decay,
obnoxious gases, etc., will produce  disease; and  we
also know that if the lungs are crowTded or diseased
they cannot  perform  their normal functions.  Know-
ing these facts, and being assured of the purity of the
atmosphere  we breathe  and that our lungs are not
crowded or diseased, we are, for the most part, satis-
fied, and feel assured that if diseased conditions are
present in our bodies, the lungs at least are not respon-
sible.  But let us consider all the circumstances.
  With one-fifth of our lung power developed, are we
breathing into us  the  full amount of "life  principle"
which  it is our privilege to enjoy?   The air may be
pure and the  lungs sound, and that is well as far as it
goes, but it does not go far enough—we must use our 
            LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         59

 lungs.  Through  the stomach and the  skin many
 things may enter the body which are capable of injur-
 ing it; but  within  the body there is a  "something"'
 which tends to overcome the influences which threaten
 to work destruction.   That something we are pleased
 to term the " life princle," and we breathe it into the
 body along with the atmosphere which we inhale into
 the lungs; and  the more of this life principle we in-
 hale the greater will  be  our  resistive  power against
 disease and the longer our lease of life.
   "Well," you will say. "I will start at once and use
 my lungs to  their full capacity."  You can't.  The
 muscles of your arms  are probably strong  enough to
 lift 500 pounds, but they cannot do it unless they have
 been trained to the task.   Neither can your lungs in-
 hale this "principle  of  life" to  their full capacity
 until they  have been trained  to  the task.  And to
 train the lungs they  must, like the muscles of  the
 body, be exercised  systematically and progressively.
  The following rules  for exercising the lungs will be
 found invaluable.   Follow them and you will develop
 your  lung power to its fullest, and you will literally
 inhale the "breath of life," which will increase your
 resistive  powTers against disease,  and, in conjuction
 with other proper modes  of living, aid  in prolonging
 your span of life far beyond the century mark.

              Rules for Lung Exercise.
  I.—Always perform the  exercise in the  purest air
 obtainable.   Such  air is best  found where there is
 good  ventilation of air purified by sunlight.  Out of
 doors in the sunshine is best;  but is not always possi-
 ble.
  II.—Through  the nostrils inhale slowly all the air
 the lung's will hold, but do not elevate the shoulders
 or contort the body in obtaining it.  Sit or stand qui-
 etly during the operation.  When the lungs are full,
 retain  the air in  them for three seconds, and then
 slowly  let it escape.   Repeat  this operation  four
 times, each time retaining the air a second longer.
  III.—Rest a few minutes  after observing  Rule  II.;
then complely empty the lungs and proceed to refill
them; this time noiselessly sniff  up the air through 
60         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
the nostrils in short breaths, not allowing any to es-
cape until the lungs are filled as full as possible, when
it may be slowly allowed to escape.   Keep the shoul-
ders  down and moving  backward.  This operation
may  be termed packing the lungs with air.
  IV.—Slowly and completely fill the lungs with pure
air, and then firmly grasp with both hands a pole held
at arm's length, slowly tightening the grasp until the
muscles of the  arms and chest  are  put on a strain.
Afterward use a pole for each hand.
  V.—During all  these exercises keep the mind free
from any thoughts except the one idea that by these
processes the "life principle" is  being taken from the
atmosphere  and stored in the body.

  It  is  simply  wonderful what  a  great change will
come over a person who  will systematically  observe
these rules  of lung exercise; daily,  if  possible, but
never to the point of  fatigue.   The  change may not
come at once; but it is sure to come;  and with it the
whole body  and the mind  will feel exhilarated.   The
resistive power against  disease will be increased a
hundred fold, and the most important step toward a
long and a healthy life will have been taken.
                 RESPIRATION.

            Rules for Proper Breathing.
  There is a great difference between ordinarily using
the lungs and exercising them.  The use of  the lungs
is imperative to existence, and the exercise of them
is imperative to their  development. To simply draw
air into the lungs will not suffice; several things must
be considered.

  1.  Breathe through the nostrils, always.
  Whoever  habitually breathes  through  the open
mouth  either already  has  some form of lung disease
or else is  on the rapid road  to such a condition.   A
moment's  reflection will  make it  apparent why  all
breathing  should be carried on through the nose.
  Ordinary atmosphere is filled with dust; this can be 
life and its preservation.
61
plainly  seen  in a ray of  sunlight.   Such dust, even
though  extremely  fine,  will prove  irritating to the
minute  air passages and  air cells of the lungs, and
such irritations constantly kept  up will eventually
cause more or less  inflammation.  When  breathing
through the nostrils these particles of dust are inter-
cepted  by the arrangement of spongy substances and
mucous  surfaces placed there by Nature for this ex-
press purpose. Being collected there,  the particles
can readily be blown out when  they accumulate in
excess,  which is known by a tickling sensation.  Dust
might be coughed out of the lungs when it proves ir-
ritating.  But coughing is a damaging act to perform
at best.
  The atmosphere is usually laden with  poisonous
germs of disease or products of animal and vegetable
decomposition, which, when taken  into  the  lungs,
poison the  circulation and very often cause contagious
diseases.  These poisonous substances, when air is in-
haled through the nostrils, become lodged in the sub-
stances  and mucus mentioned, and are  also counter-
acted by the  character of the secretions, and easily
ejected.  Healthy persons who keep the mouth closed
may with safety enter the room of a person suffering
a  contagious  disease, provided  the  stomach is  well
filled.
  With  very rare  exceptions the temperature of the
atmosphere is much lower than that of the lungs, and
inhaling air through the  mouth allows it to enter the
lungs too suddenly and prove a constant source of  ir-
ritation on account of its coolness.  When the air is
inhaled through the nostrils it is warmed and brought
to the bodily temperature before it enters the lungs.
  The atmosphere  is dry compared to the normal con-
dition of the lung surfaces, and should, by natural ar-
rangement, be moistened by passing over the mucous
surfaces of the nostrils before entering the lungs.

  2.  Take Long, Full Breaths.—It  is the almost
universal custom to breathe in too shallow a manner—
nothing like the full  capacity of the lungs being used.
Of course it is not advisable  to  expand the lungs to
the fullest  possible degree at every inspiration, such 
62
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
a practice would not only be  discomforting and ab-
surd, but would allow of no reserve force in case of
emergency.  But by a  little practice  a  person will
soon  become accustomed to  taking full and deep
breaths at  each inspiration, thus using every part of
the lungs, though not, of course, to the fullest capac-
ity.

  3.  Make Full and Free Expirations.—It should
naturally be inferred that full  inspirations should be
followed by full expirations, but such is not necessa-
rily the case.  The  lungs may  be filled and  then the
air allowed to escape in small quantities in a jerky
manner.  This will  cause trouble in time.

  4.  Hold the Head Erect.—When the head is bent
forward  the upper  parts of the  lungs are crowded.
This is a most common  cause  of  lung trouble, and if
persisted in cannot  help  but result in serious trouble.
Throw the head  and shoulders  back  and allow the
collar bone in the center to protrude as much as pos-
sible.  But do not draw  the shoulders upward, as this
would manifestly cramp the upper part of the lungs.
It is hardly necessary to add here that the ribs should
not be pressed upon by tight clothing, corsets, etc.
                    WATER.

        Its Characteristics and Purification.
  Every structure of the human body contains water,
and a person weighing 154 pounds is composed of  109
pounds of water and  45  pounds of solid matter.  As
drink nearly three pints  of wTater are daily taken into
the system, to be carried about to every nook and cor-
ner of the organism; and about the same amount is
daily discharged through the various secretions and
by the lungs.   In addition to this amount considerable
water must be consumed each day by every individual
for bathing, cooking,  etc.
  The importance of a pure supply of water can  not
be overestimated, and the dangers  of an impure sup-
ply are greater  than any other menace to health and 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
63
life. Various diseases, especially those of an epidemic
character, have been proven to be largely  ascribable
to impure  drinking water.  Among diseases propa-
gated by polluted water typhoid fever ranks first, and
the many outbreaks of this disease, which  have been
of late  very frequent, have in all cases, where inves-
tigations have been made, been directly traceable to
contamination of drinking water.
  The sewage of towns and cities emptied  into the
sources of the water supply is directly responsible for
multitudes of deaths which might otherwise have been
prevented.  It is becoming common to attribute all
cases of typhoid or enteric fever to impure  water, but
there are, perhaps, exceptional cases.
  That  dysentery is frequently caused by drinking un-
wholesome water has  long been known; and camp life
alongside of a stream which  serves as a drainage
canal and a source of  drinking water, will  abound in
dysentery.   Cholera is likewise disseminated through
water,  and perhaps  also are many other  diseases
which are now supposed to be caused by other means.

                  Drinking Water.7
  Pure water is also known as potable or wholesome,
and is usually derived from springs or deep  wells or
from streams flowing over high, rocky land.  It must
be  odorless and tasteless, clear and  sparkling, and
grateful to the taste.   It should contain no sediment
or cloudiness,  and be free  from mineral or organic ma-
terial.
  Drinkable water may be usable and yet not abso-
lutely pure.  Mineral waters  may be  drinkable  and
yet contain large  quantities  of substances,  such as
salts, which are not found in pure water.  But  drink-
able water of necessity must be clear and  sparkling,
possibly slightly colored and possessing no odor un-
less it should be the odor of some well-known chemi-
cal substance,  for instance such as is  connected with
ordinary sulphur water.

                  Polluted Water.
  Suspected water is usually cloudy  and contains
matter in suspension.   It has a disagreeable odor and 
64
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
a  peculiar sweetish or  unpleasant taste,  and will
prove unsatisfying to the thirst, and produce unpleas-
ant sensations in the stomach.

  Impure water usually has a pronounced taste and
odor and is not  clear and  sparkling, and  under  the
microscope will be found to contain various animal and
vegetable organisms.  But some impure waters will
be clear and limpid, odorless and tasteless, but lacking
a sparkling appearance and having a flat taste.  Such
waters will usually be found to contain in abundance
the products of animal or vegetable decay, and are
highly dangerous.

  Organic Material of  animal  origin  is always,
when found, a  dangerous  constituent of water;  but
when of  vegetable origin it is not always baneful, un-
less imparted to matter by marshes or other apparent
unhealthful sources.  It is  the animal poison in water
that is the great producer of disease.

  Pollution of water may occur in various ways.  A
surface well may be a reservoir for the  water that
soaks through a soil  filled or covered with decaying
vegetable or animal products, or  its nearness to a
vault or  cesspool may cause it to be contaminated  by
their contents slowly seeping through the soil.  Wells
and cisterns in cities or large towns are obviously lia-
ble to be thus contaminated.  The exact least distance
at which a well may be safely  situated from a cess-
pool can be decided only by the character of the soil.
Some countries have laws  upon this subject.  In Bel-
gium four hundred yards is the distance cocsidered by
law as sufficient to avoid all possible contamination.

               Purification of Water.
  The most satisfactory way to purify water is to boil
it for at least fifteen minutes.  This will destroy any
animal or vegetable organism which may exist in wa-
ter to the detriment of its free use  for drinking pur-
poses.   After being boiled, water seems  flat to  the
taste, but this objection is  overcome  by pourin°- the
water from one vessel to another, allowing it to splash 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
65
during the process.   When such a  simple  method  of
purification may be resorted to by anyone, it is surpris-
ing impure water should any  longer  be allowed  to
cause disease and epidemics of disease.  The boiling
of water is otherwise beneficial, as it  causes the de-
posit of carbonate  of lime, when  that  substance  is
present, thus rendering the water more palatable and
less liable to produce gravel or urinary calculi.  Per-
manent hardness of wTater is not overcome  by boiling.

  Distillation will of course result in  the  absolute
purification of water, although distilled water must  be
thouroughly mixed with air by agitation before it can
be  considered palatable.  One  of  the greatest aids
to the cure of rheumatism consists in  drinking noth-
ing but distilled water, and that in great abundance.

  Decantation consists in allowing  water to settle
and then drawing off the upper  and  clear  layer  of
wTater and leaving the  muddy water behind.  This
process obviously gets rid of simply  the suspended
matter.  The addition of two  grains  of alum to the
gallon of water will greatly hasten its settlement and
cause many organic impurities to fall to the bottom of
the vessel; although  the soluble products of animal
decay, often highly  deletorious are not separated  by
decantation.

  Filtration is a very common way of purifying wa-
ter, and if carefully performed is often quite effectual.
A properly constructed filter, containing gravel, sand
and animal charcoal  will render drinkable even the
foulest water.  But all such filters require the great-
est attention, as neglect to cleanse them after they
are once saturated with impurities will cause the  ac-
cumulated impurities to  pass through with the water
and render it doubly  dangerous,   Washing  the con-
tents of a filter will not sufficiently cleanse  them, they
must be heated to a high degree to destroy all possi-
ble germs of disease.  The Pasteur and similar filters,
made of porous  earthen material,  have proven very
effectual in excluding all forms  of impurities, with
the possible exception of soluble  organic products;
      5 
66
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
but they require a strong  current  of water to pass
through them.
  Not infrequently water becomes contaminated by re-
maining in lead pipes, and becomes highly dangerous.
Hard water,  though, may pass  through lead pipes
with safety,  as  the  carbonate of lime in the water
unites with the lead to form an insoluble lining to the
pipes.   But soft water, such as rain-wTater, will dis-
solve lead and become deleterious  to  health.  For
such  reason  cistern  wTater should  not  be pumped
through lead pipes and no  soft wTater should be used
after it has stood any length of time in such pipes.  A
very satisfactory and simple method of testing for the
presence of lead is as followTs:  Place the  suspected
water in a white wash bowl and stir  into it a few
drops of sulphide of ammonium, which will turn dark
if a metallic salt should be present, and the darkness
will remain  after  a few  drops  of muriatic acid are
added if the metal is lead.

             Hard and Mineral Waters.
  Water containing compounds of lime or magnesia is
termed hard, and may be readily  distinguished by the
curdy appearance  caused by  the addition of soap.
Temporarily hard wTater contains  carbonate  of lime or
magnesia, and may be rendered soft by boiling, which
causes the carbonate of lime to fall to the  bottom of
the vessel and form  crusts.   The addition of  slaked
lime  to  hard wTater will likewise cause a sediment.
Either one of these methods renders the wTater more
suitable for drinking purposes.   For use in the laun-
dry or baths  hard waiter is best rendered soft by the
addition of a small amount of sal-soda.   Permanently
hard  water  is caused by the presence of gypsum,
otherwise known as sulphate of lime  or  plaster of
Paris.  Boiling will not cause this to be deposited.
  The continued use of hard waters for drinking pur-
poses is liable to cause gravel or calculi, and for that
reason it is always advisable to boil such wTaters be-
fore partaking of them; although most  persons will
be able to drink them  for years without appreciably
bad effects.
  What are known as natural mineral waters are such 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
67
as flow through sections containing soluble salts of
the minerals.  Many of such waters are valuable aids
in the cure of various  diseases.  Lithia  water is  es-
pecially valuable in rheumatic cases; sulphur water is
serviceable in the treatment of skin  affections, iron
waters are of tonic value, and waters containing sul-
phates of  soda or magnesia are useful  as purgatives.
A mild mineral water may be used  continuously; but
such as are heavily charged with mineral salts must
be used only when especially indicated.
              THE  FOODS WE EAT.

   Their Composition and General  Characteristics.

  Life can be preserved only by supplying the system
 with food  suitable  for its proper maintenance.   In
 youth the amount of food taken must be more than
 sufficient to counterbalance the ordinary wear and tear
 of the body; for new bones, nerves, muscles and other
 tissues must be developed.  In old age it is not a diffi-
 cult matter to habitually supply the body with more
 food than is required to  maintain  existence without
 development.  In middle  life the  amount  of food
 taken should be just sufficient to repair  damages, to
 take the place of waste, and to preserve vigor and to
 accumulate sufficient flesh to permit of extra demands
 without injury.
  By many  it might be supposed that   ideal food
 should consist of preparations  in condensed  form,
 partially pre-digested by  ehemical  means, and  desti-
 tute of all properties except those  which supply  ac-
 tual nourishment for the building of tissue, etc.  Such
 foods, it can be  argued, would avoid  the labor per-
 formed by the system in digesting the food and  sepa-
 rating the valuable constituents from those which  are
 thrown off as waste matter.  Theoretically such foods
 would be valuable, but practically they are worthless
 except for short periods when the system is unable by
 disease to perform its natural functions,
  The " superfluous " substances are in reality not at
all superfluous, but absolutely necessary to maintain 
68
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
actions designed by nature.  For instance, the stom-
ach will not secrete its proper amount of digestive
fluid, or  gastric  juice,  unless somewhat  distended,
and the  intestines will not perform their functions
properly  unless  partially  filled  with  substances.
During short seasons of fatigue or excitement it  may
be most convenient to sustain extra bodily or mental
exertions by the use of  concentrated foods; but at all
other times, when natural performances are going on,
the naturally formed foods of man  will be found the
most suitable.
  It is well to enquire what are the natural foods? By
some extremists it has  been argued that man in his
original state never cooked his meals, but lived upon
raw roots, herbs, nuts, vegetables, etc., in their natu-
ral form.  But it must be remembered that man  pos-
sesses an intellectuality which places him above the
ordinary animal.  This intellectuality develops and
serves for his betterment,   There is a reason for hu-
man intellect and that is intended to be for the advan-
tage of man.   Almost unconsciously the  human  race
uses its superior  powrers to  enhance its happiness and
prolong its existence.  No other animal consciously
or unconsciously improves with each succeeding gener-
ation as man does. The wearing of apparel and se-
lecting as clothing the  materials best suited for the
various seasons of the year, are acts wdrich aid exist-
ence.
  It can scarcely be doubted that the present age pre-
sents far different environments for mankind than ex-
isted  along with primeval   man.   Therefore  why
should wTe follow the habits of the aboriginal man and
eat as  we suppose he ate?   The  cooking of many
foods is an absolute necessity and  destroys germs of
disease and other poisonous substances winch man in
his present higher state of civilization rarely  pos-
sesses the power  to resist.   For  it must be remem-
bered that along with our increased intellectual devel-
opment, which is our destiny, our physical beings be-
come more sensitive to  outside influences, and our in-
tellectual development almost unconsciously counter-
acts this by providing  precautionary measures.   We
are like  gods,  able to  discern good  from evil, and 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.
69
surely we should be willing to utilize this ability for
our comfort and long life;  selecting our foods accord-
ing to their adaptability to our requirements, and pre-
paring them as is best suited to  our tastes and our
peculiar habits of  life.

         Composition of Foods and Tissues.
  The innumerable forms of substances in the animal,
vegetable  and mineral kingdoms  are all formed of
very  few substances,  termed elements,  combined in
various manners and  proportions.  The  human  body
contains but fourteen elements, united in various man-
ners,  to constitute bone, muscles, nerves, brain, secre-
tions, fluids,  etc.  Manifestly, then, in order to main-
tain the body, and to rebuild as fast as the substances
are destroyed, we  should  supply the constituents in
the proportion in which they occur in t-he body.  This
we are almost able to do, for the  chemist has discov-
ered which are the elements that enter into the form-
ation of  the body.  They are:

    Oxygen,       Calcium,        Fluorine,
    Carbon,        Phosphorous,   Iron,
    Hydrogen,     Sulphur,        Potassium,
    Nitrogen,       Sodium,        Magnesium,
    (Chief elements) Chlorine,       Silicon.

  But knowing that these elements exist in the human
body it does not follow that all that is necessary for
maintaining  life is to supply these  isolated elements
in the proportion in which they are found in the body.
Something else is  essential, for a diet of these chemi-
cals would soon destroy life  instead of sustaining it.
What  then is necessary?  Organization. These ele-
ments are not found in their natural state in the  body
—not one of them.   The anatomist will search in vain
throughout the body for particles of iron or sulphur
or sodium or any other of the elements.   These are all
found only in various combinations, which go to make
up  the tissues,  fluids and various structures of the
body.  These combinations have been definitely ascer-
tained.  The chief of them may be designated as fol-
lows : 
70
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
       Elementary Combinations in the Body.
Water,   Phosphate of Lime,     Sulphate of Potash
Fat,     Phosphate of Soda,     Sulphate of  Soda,
Gelatin,  Phosphate of Potash,    Peroxide of  Iron,
Albumen, Phosphate of Magnesia, Fluoride of  Cal-
Fibrin,   Carbonate of Soda,       [cium,
Salt,     Carbonate of Lime.     Silica,

  Water is everywhere present in the body. It gives
form to tissues and keeps various salts in solution.  In
fact, over three-fourths by weight of the  body con-
sists of water.   Under all circumstances  and  in all
conditions, therefore, water is an indispensable arti-
cle to human  existence.   Water, pure and simple,
must be supplied at all times in  abundant  quantities;
and this is done by necessity. Every article of food
we eat contains water, and no substanee is fit to enter
the stomach that dos not contain it.
  The various combinations enumerated above are not
all evenly distributed throughout the body.  Some
structures are chiefly of one set  of combinations, and
other structures chiefly of another set, etc.  For in-
stance—
  1. All organs involved iu  the performance  of ac-
tual labor,  such  as  the  muscles,  tendons, etc., are
chiefly  composed of combinations containing  nitro-
gen, such as albumen, fibrin and gelatin.
  2. All organs, such as the brain and nervous sys-
tem, which  perform the intellectual and  sensory
duties of the body, are composed chiefly of the com-
binations known as the phosphates.
  3. Those portions of the body which are consumed
to keep up the animal heat are  composed chiefly of
fats and substances  containing carbon—the carbon-
ates.
  Thus it becomes evident that there must be various
classes of foods eaten to maintain various classes of
actions which are performed by structures composed
of different combinations.

                 Classes of  Foods.
  1. The muscular system needs  foods known as ni-
trogenous, or the Nitrates. 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.          71
  2.  The  brain and nervous  system  need  foods
known as phosphatic, or the Phosphates.
  3,  The maintenance of fuel to keep up the heat of
the body during activity needs foods known as carbon-
aceous, or the Carbonates.

  These, then, are the three classes of foods which it
is absolutely necessary to supply to the human sys-
tem in order to  maintain existence—each class sup-
plied in proportion to  the demand.  Heat  must be
maintained  at all times, and the carbonaceous  sub-
stances must always be used in excess of the other
combinations; for every  act of the  body involves the
consumption of heat.  Still every act involves the ex-
penditure of nerve force and also of muscular action,
but to  a less degree.  When excessive muscular exer-
cise is  to be taken, the  quantity of nitrogenous food
must be increased; and wiien  excessive brain work or
nervous strain is being endured large quantities of the
phosphates are required.

                 What  Is a Food?
  Any substance which is capable of maintaining bod-
ily performance  of  functions without injury to the
structures may be classed as a food.  It will be found
that the only substances which are capable of  so do-
ing  and which should be classed  as foods are sub-
stances which contain none but elements found in the
list of  fourteen given, and these chiefly oxygen, car-
bon, hydrogen and nitrogen.   Any substance which
contains an element not of the fourteen is a poison to
the system.  Another fact in regard to food is it must
be  in  a  form wiiich  has been  organized  by Nature
through vegetation.
  Having ascertained the exact proportions of  the
fourteen elements of the body, should they  be given
to the  stomach as elements in those proportions death
would  follow.  It is  absolutely essential  that  these
elements must have  been combined first in some  form
of  vegetation before they can build up structures
within the  body.  Water  and salt may seem excep-
tions,  but they are not.  Water taken, pure  and sim-
ple, acts as a solvent in the  body and to help give 
72
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
consistence and shape to structures.  It remains as
water in these structures and is not decomposed to
build tissues; the hydrogen and oxygen of tissues be-
ing always derived from vegetable substances.  Salt
taken into the system  remains as salt  in every in-
stance, and is never decomposd to build tissues.
  To administer iron, phosphorus, sulphur and other
elements to the body with the belief  that that they
will build up tissues which  contain them is a woeful
display of ignorance on the  part of those who thus
believe.  The laws of Nature are so plain in this par-
ticular that "a wayfaring man, though  a fool, need
not err. "  Minerals  or elements can never be assimi-
lated.

               Wheat a Natural Food.
  Long before mankind had  the least knowledge of
his elementary composition, and ages before chemis-
try was dreamed of, wheat was the  principal  food for
mankind, and remains so until this day.  It may have
been chosen by an unconscious intelligence, but it is a
fact that wheat is the chief grain  which contains  all
of the fourteen elements which compose the human
body, and in proportions which wTell  supply the ordi-
nary demands of  the system.  About twTo-thirds of
the grain consists  of the carbonaceous materials; and
the  outside  of  the  wheat contains the nitrogenous
combinations; and the germ has the phosphates.
  But, alas for the ingenuity of  man!  This natural
food for the human body is now sadly deteriorated as
modern flour, pleasing to the eye by its whiteness, but
unfit for constant use on account of being deprived of
its  nitrogenous and phosphatic elements to a large
extent.   It is most  gratifying to  know that public
knowledge of this  fact is becoming so general and the
demand for the natural food so great that many man-
ufacturers are competing with one another in placing
upon the market  fine grades of entire  wheat flour,
which can be used with impunity.   There is nothing
so calculated to raise a family of dyspeptics,  of nerv-
ous and irritable beings, as the constant use 'of  " pure
white" flour.  It lacks  the  elements of  strength, of
muscle-making and bone-making powers; and if used 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
73
constantly will ruin the teeth, weaken the body and
be the cause of premature decay.  When whole wheat
flour can be so  easily obtained it is a crime against
nature to continue the use of the other.

               Usefulness of Foods.
  With very few exceptions, such as butter, oils and
suet, which is carbonaceous, foods are mixtures of the
carbonates, nitrates and phosphates with waste sub-
stances which cannot be eliminated.   At the end of
this chapter will be found a table of foods, showing
approximately their composition.   It  will  be most
useful as a reference table in choosing a suitable diet.
Thus, wiien there  is great muscular  exertion, espe-
cially during cold weather, when great animal heat is
required, the carbonaceous foods may be abundantly
eaten, such as fat meats, corn, rice, rye, sugar, prunes
and wiiite  flour.   Of course  most  of these  articles
contain phosphates and nitrates also in limited quan-
tities; but  in  addition foods with more of these com-
binations should  be a part of the diet.
  When the muscles need strengthening they should
be  fed with an excess of nitrogenous  foods, such as
lean  meats, beans, peas, lentils,  cheese,  vermicelli,
etc.  But let it be remembered that an exclusive diet
of  these substances will soon cause diseased condi-
tions.
  When the brain is being overworked or the nervous
system placed on  a strain, the phosphates are re-
quired.  Typical of these may  be mentioned fish (ex-
cept  salmon), eels, lobster,  plaice, turbot, almonds,
prunes, entire  wheat, oat-meal and Southern  corn.
It  has been demonstrated  by most accurate experi-
ments upon ministers, lawyers and  other brain work-
ers, that after exceptionally  severe mental work the
excretions  from  the body will be found  loaded with
excessive  quantities of phosphates—showing  that
phosphorus has  been consumed in excess and should
therefore be supplied in a natural manner in the form
of  foods.  Once  understand these  facts and no so-
called physician will be able  to feed you pellets of
elementary phosphorus with  the  explanation  that
phosphorus is needed to supply nerve waste.  It is 
74         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
needed, but can be beneficially  supplied only as Na-
ture intended it should be—in combinations formed in
organized structures.  Elementary phosphorus is al-
ways damaging to the system—it is poisonous.
  A most excellent drink for brain workers is made by
stirring a cupful of rolled oats  into a  half-gallon of
water and allowing it to soak an hour,  then stir  into
it the juice of half a dozen lemons and strain it and
drink cool.  This will contain an  abundance of phos-
phates, and when sweetened will be agreeable to  the
taste  and quench the thirst.  Some  persons  prefer
bran to oatmeal.   The use  of phosphates, prepared
by mixing together phosphatic  salts  of soda,  lime,
etc., are pleasant and cooling and may  be serviceable
as solvents in the blood; but they cannot act as  brain
foods, for such  phosphates have not previously been a
part of organized substances, and therefore by natu-
ral law cannot possibly be assimilated as nourishment.
        THE ADAPTABILITY OF FOODS.

            How to Select a Proper Diet.
  Select the class of diet most suitable for your tem-
perament and occupation and age,-—having regard for
the  season.  Persons  of nervous temperament and
those  engaged  in  mental  pursuits  need an  extra
amount of  phosphatic foods.   Persons  of lymphatic
temperaments and those who lead sedentary lives need
less than others of carbonaceous foods.   Lean per-
sons, and those who are actively employed, may eat
abundantly of carbonaceous foods.   Let it be remem-
bered that  in summer the  amount of  carbonaceous
foods should be considerably diminished, and in win-
ter they may be increased.  But bear in  mind that too
much carbonaceous food at any time will obstruct the
system and lead to fever and to various forms of "in-
flammatory diseases." When, by necessity an over
amount of carbonaceous food must be taken, use with
it acid  foods and drinks.

  Meats and nitrogenous foods are useful for develop-
ing muscle  and sustaining strength,  and  can be read- 
           LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         75

ily obtained in concentrated form; but it must  not be
imagined that concentrated foods alone  can maintain
bodily strength; they must be mixed with carbonace-
ous and other foods; for  a  certain  amount  of waste
material in the  body is essential to health.
  Young persons should avoid meats,  as  they  are ex-
tremely apt to cause nervous disorders at that time of
life.  Still, meat jellies and broths may be eaten freely
between the ages of eight and fifteen.  Let it be re-
membered that the  value  of meat lies  in  its fibre.
Beef is  by all  means the most nourishing meat; but
it should not be eaten too rare, and again an overdone
piece of meat is not nutritious.   Veal is hard to di-
gest and mutton cannot be endured by all.  Pork,
when eaten, should be thoroughly cooked, but it is
best not to eat pork at all, as cornfed and cleanly hogs
cannot always be found.
  Not more than one-sixth  of the food  at  any meal
should  consist of meat; and this  proportion is too
large for daily consumption.  It is not wisdom to ar-
gue that a vegetarian diet is best.  It may be proper
under some circumstances,  for awhile,  to aid in re-
moving diseased conditions.  But man is formed  in a
manner that designates his natural  adaptability to a
diet of meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

  Fowls are digested with difficulty, especially when
roasted or fried.  They are  best prepared by  boiling;
and the dark  meat is  far more digestible than the
wiiite meat.

  Fish can be eaten to advantage by  almost any one
in good health.  It is essentially a brain food.  It is a
most valuable hygienic regulation, to say the least,
required by some religious sects, that meats should be
abstained from one day in a wTeek and that fish should
be used in its stead.  Fresh fish once a  week should
be a rule  of diet.   Stale fish is poison  and should
never be eaten.

  Oysters are  most pleasant to the taste of many,
and are calculated to arouse  animal passion and ex-
citement, but they  possess  very little  nourishment, 
76
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
and should not be eaten for the purpose of sustaining
strength.

  Eggs are most nourishing.  They contain all  the
elements necessary to support life, and a human being
may exist entirely upon a diet of eggs and milk  and
pure water.   Hard-boiled or fried eggs are  not so
nourishing as soft boiled  eggs.   There is nothing so
nourishing to a weakened person as a couple of fresh
eggs beaten up well with rich milk and a little sugar
added; the whites of the eggs beaten separately  and
then added.  Many persons make an egg-nogg by put-
ting into this nourishing  delicacy a  small amount of
wine or whiskey or brandy.  But it is a shame  to  add
such poisons  to so valuable  a food for the sake of
falsely stimulating the body and pampering the taste.

  Fruits as a rule are most  excellent food and  ex-
ceedingly beneficial;  but this cannot be said  of all
fruits upon the market.  Unsound or specked fruit is
always injurious, as is everything else in which decay
has commenced.  Bananas should never  be eaten ex-
cept directly when plucked; and  in any climate  out-
side of where they grow they are  injurious.   In  the
cities of  the  North the bananas offered for sale have
been plucked green and allowed to ripen  in dark  cel-
lars, and too  frequently in the close and poisonous at-
mosphere of  the living rooms of filthy fruit peddlars.
But no matter  how they are ripened bananas  are un-
fit to be eaten in the North.

  Oranges when perfectly sound and wholesome con-
stitute the finest fruit that  can be eaten;  but reject
the inside skin—the pulp being  the  only fit portion.
Thin-skinned, rather  sour oranges  are best.   Over-
sweet oranges,  or those whose rinds possess a pungent
oil, are not fit to be used.

  Grapes, of the proper kind, are most excellent,  and
the proper kind are  Concords, with the bloom  still
upon them, or any other  succulent grapes which  are
very fresh.  It is  always  best to eat them when picked
directly from the  vines.  Avoid all grapes that have 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
77
ripened in the shade, as they are not fit to eat.  Sun-
light is indispensable to the healthfulness of grapes.
Some persons preserve  their grapes from birds and
dust by tying small paper  sacks  about the bunches
while they are on the vines. This method is destruc-
tive to proper development.  Delaware grapes are not
fit for eating purposes, although they look very pretty
upon a banquet table.  In eating  grapes  remove the
seeds and if the stomach is delicate the skins  should
not be swallowed.   There is not so much danger of ap-
pendicitis from swallowing grape seeds as many per-
sons suppose, but quantities of the seeds are liable to
collect in the  large end of the  stomach and cause
much unpleasantness and irritation.

  Raisins are very nutritious and wholesome, but be-
ware of the inferior articles, as they are filled with
small worms, which may be seen under a magnifying
glass.  Nervous persons may use raisins to great ad-
vantage, and most invalids can eat them or drink a
freshly prepared infusion from them as raisin wine.

  Pears are luscious and healthful if ripened on the
trees and plucked and eaten before becoming too soft.
Sunlight is essential to the  healthful  ripening  of
pears; and those which are plucked green and ripened
in the dark are unhealthful.

  Peaches, when  of fine  grain and fresh, are good
food.   But the  large California peaches  sold  in the
Eastern markets  are usually plucked green, and  in
ripening  off the trees they become tough and leathery
and unfit for consumption.  Peaches  with an  acid
flavor are not suitable unless cooked.

  Apples, and plenty of them,  may be eaten with im-
punity, provided that the stomach is not overloaded
at any one time.  There is  health in the apple, and
those who do not eat them should acquire the habit at
once.   At almost any  time of  day an apple may be
eaten to advantage.  Some  declare that "apples stick
in the throat and are indigestible. " Such will not be
the case if  they are properly masticated and the 
78
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
cores and peelings avoided.  Scraped apples, eaten as
soon as scraped, are enjoyed by the most delicate.  If
you do not like apples it is probably because you have
not yet found the special variety  which  suits you.
Hunt around till you come across the  peculiar kind of
apple which is  pleasant  and agreeable  to  you,  and
then stick to it  as  an enjoyable  companion  and a
true friend.   Eat only ripe apples and those free from
specks.

  Nuts are greatly misunderstood—the  extremes  be-
ing gone to in their consumption.   Some believe nuts
to be the natural food for man and  declare they can-
not be eaten to excess  if improper  food is kept out of
the stomach.  Others are satisfied  that nuts are poi-
sonous and   should not be eaten under any circum-
stances.   Know the truth concerning nuts and. you will
then be  able to  eat them properly to your  physical
advantage.   Nuts contain phosphates in large propor-
tion and are therefore valuable brain food  and tooth-
forming material.  But, with few exceptions, nuts con-
tain oils  which are extremely liable to undergo change
in the  stomach and form irritating  poisons.  Indiges-
tion causes fermentation  in the  stomach and  allows
this change to take place, just  as all oils are liable to
become rancid by circumstances which favor fermen-
tation.   Eating salt after nuts will aid digestion.  It
is evident, then,  that nuts when eaten sparingly, so as
to insure their  digestion and  non-fermentation,  are
beneficial to health.

  Vegetables should constitute a  large proportion of
the food  of man, just as it  does of the most  intelli-
gent animals.  By consulting the  table of  the  con-
stituents of  foods their adaptability to various condi-
tion may  be  ascertained.   Many  diseases  may be
cured by the judicious use of appropriate vegetables.
Onions will be found most excellent for the glandular
system and will excite the kidneys  to action; but they
should never be eaten  fried.  Asparagus  is  also an
excellent vegetable for sluggish kidneys.

  Potatoes  are highly carbonaceous, and  are  fatten-
ing; but persons of sedentary  habits should eat spar- 
           LIFE  AND ITS PRESERVATION.         79

ingly of them, as they are  fuel to the system and if
not fully  consumed soon  cause  obstructions.  Hard
working people and those  exposed to the cold may
eat potatoes abundantly; others should eat with them
cranberries or other tart foods, or drink  lemonade to
aid their proper conversion in the system.

  Milk is the natural food of infancy; that is, fresh
milk direct from  the breast  before it has a chance to
undergo changes.  But as that kind of milk cannot be
used by adults it  is proper  that we should find a sub-
stitute; and wre find it in cow's milk.  Pure, clean and
fresh cow's milk is the most  nutritious liquid known
for general use; and the person  wTho cannot use  it
without experiencing bad effects should seek out the
abnormal condition which exists somewhere in  his
system.
  But bewrare of the abominable fluid sold  so largely
in cities under the name of cow's  milk.  Despite milk
inspectors and city ordinances mercenary wretches
continue to make their living by dealing  out  to their
customers the  death fluid wThich annually  kills  its
thousands under the name of pure milk.  To be proper
for use milk should be  placed in well  scalded jars as
soon as taken from  the  cow  and then  hermetically
sealed until needed for consumption.  Germs of dis-
ease  thrive in milk, and  many  diseases, especially
diphtheria and scarlet fever,  are  conveyed by impure
or filthy milk.  When milk can be procured fresh and
pure, plenty of it should  be used.   Buttermilk  has
often been recommended as an excellent drink, and in
principle it is such if it could be freed from germs of
disease.

  Cheese is highly nutritious.  It contains large per-
centages of phosphates and  nitrates, and may take
the place of milk.  Mild cheese made from the whole
milk,  fresh and pure, and kept in  a clean and fresh at-
mosphere, is wholesome.  Strong and "rotten" cheeses
are not wholesome.  Cottage  cheese is  often  very
agreeable to the tase, but it is not to be recommended
as a diet.   Cheese, made through various fermenta-
tive processes should not be eaten—they may stimu- 
80        A physician in the house.
late the appetite and prove agreeable, but they
the system.
COMPOSITION OF FOODS.
Compara	tive Ana	lysis of	100	Parts.
	a	fej	~ ^	3 <-t-
Article.	B-3	r-h P	p co	
	w 2	(-K	r-h '	*-t
	• Ejl		CO	
Bacon ...........	..63.5	8.4	0.5	28.6
Barley..........	..52.	13.	4.	15.
Beans ...........	..40.	24.	3.5	15.
Beef............	..14.	19.	2.	65.
Cabbage.........	.. 6.	1.5	1.	91.
Carrots..........	..12.	1.	1.	83.
Cheese...........	..28.	31.	5.	36.
Chicken.........	.. 2.	21.	3.	74.
Chocolate........	..88.	9.	2.	
Corn.............	..68.	12.	1.	14.
Cucumber.......	.. 2.	0.1	0.4	97.
Dates...........	..74.			24.
Eggs (whites)		13.	3.	84.
Eggs (yokes).....	..30.0	17.	2.	51.
Ham.............	.. 32.	35.	4.5	28.5
Lamb............	..14.	20.	2.	64.
Cow's Milk......	.. 8.	5.	1.	86.
Mutton..........	..14.	21.	2.	63.
Oats............	..51.	17.	3.	14.
Onions...........	.. 5.	0.5	0.5	94.
Oysters .........		13.	0.4	86.6
Parsnips........	..15..	2	1.	79.
Pears...........	..10.	0.1		86.
Peas.............	..41.	23.	3.	14.
Pork............	..16.	18.	9	64.
Potatoes.........	..16.	1.5	1.	75.
	.. 79.	4.	4.	13.
Rice.............	..83.	5.	0.5	8.
Rye.............	..75.	7.	0.5	13.
	. . 4.	1.	0.5	90.5
Veal............	..14.	18.	2.5	65.5
	..38.	47.	2.	13.
Wheat...........	..67.	14.5	1.5	14.5
 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
81
                     SLEEP.

   How, When and Where It Should Be Obtained.
  Sleep is "tired nature's sweet restorer, " and it is as
necessary for existence as food.  Periodical interims
in the midst of functional performances are provided
for by natural law; and the  more irregular  these in-
terims become in frequency  and duration the farther
does the organism depart from its healthy standard.
The heart is often erroneously spoken of as  an  organ
that never rests, but it is the most apt example  of the
natural law  of periodical rest.  Between the heart
beats there is  a short period of quietude, and it is
definitely ascertained that the muscles of the  heart
are thus absolutely at rest one third of the  time.
These interims of rest are necessarily frequent,  as the
work to be accomplished cannot be abandoned any
appreciable length of time.  The regularity of work
and.  rest of this most important organ of  the body
cannot  be interrupted without serious  results, and
whenever irregularity is noticed it is an invariable
sign of disease.
  Harmony in nature demands that all  organs and
structures of the human body, from the smallest parti-
cle of  living matter to  the great muscular systems,
must have their periods of activity and  of rest.  And
the maintenance of regularity of these periods  favors
health and long  life, while their irregularity will
sooner or later cause disease and shorten the term of
existence.
  Sleep is the form of rest peculiar to the brain and
nervous  system, and it is a requisite of life, its fre-
quent recurrences  being  periods  of mental  recupera-
tion and cessations from  nerve labor.   The frequency
and duration of sleep required by various persons can-
not be stated in definite terms.  Age,  temperament,
habits, climate and surroundings must all be consid-
ered in estimating the normal requirements of the or-
ganism for sleep.

              Sleep Influenced by Age.

  It  is well known that childhood  requires a large
amount of sleep, and this may be  accounted  for  by 
82          A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
several reasons.   Childhood is the period of growth,
and the infant's organism is taxed to maintain devel-
opment; food is assimilated rapidly  and the  circula-
tion is hurried, respirations frequent,  nervous sensi-
bilities very acute, and the nerves themselves taxed
to the  utmost  to  maintain the rapid performance  of
the varied functions.  During  the first year of exist-
ence too much sleep cannot be possible, and when of
a natural character must be encouraged and regarded
as most beneficial.  The stupor of brain pressure and
other affections is not considered here, and  such  con-
ditions are readily distinguished.  Up to the age  of
four years two-thirds of  the time, or sixteen hours out
of the twenty-four, can be  most beneficially consumed
in sleep.  Such sleep  should not occur at one time,
but at intervals—twelve hours at night,  two just be-
fore  noon and two in the middle of the afternoon.  A
young child would thrive upon that quantity of sleep;
but the morning nap is not essential  to health and is
usually not required.  Regularity in the  time  of  tak-
ing an afternoon sleep soon renders children unable to
keep awake when the hour for sleep  arrives,  Chih
dren from six to ten years of age should be allowed at
least ten hours sleep out of the twenty-four;  and un-
til maturity (from eighteen  to twenty-one years  of
age) young persons should  allow themselves  eight
hours for sleep, unless their habits of life during the
rest  of the day are such as make no  especial  demand
upon the nervous system.   Whatever  the amount  of
sleep taken, regularity is essential.
  During adult life the  human organism has  not the
drain  of  development  characteristic of youth, nor
does it exert  the extra efforts for  preservation re-
quired in old age, for those reasons the adult is capa-
ble  of enduring  strains and suffering irregularities
without great injury within certain limits.  At this
period of life temperament and occupation largely de-
termine the amount of  sleep necessary for the preser-
 ration of health.   Regularity being most essential for
all, each individual must be a law unto  himself as  to
amount—good judgment and  the feeling of rest se-
cured usually being the guides in determing  the hours
of sleep required. 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.          83
   Old age usually requires but little sleep when  the
 body is healthy, but considerable when disease is pres-
 ent.  Circumstances and conditions make  this plain.
 The labor performed by old persons is,  or  should  be,
 small, and there are no excessive  strains of develop-
 ment.  As a rule,  aged persons are early  risers, and
 form the habit of retiring early.   Their sleep should
 never be disturbed and they should not  be  aroused in
 the morning, but rather allowed to wake voluntarily,
 for when extra strains upon the nervous system have
 been endured by them, they have no reserve force and
 nature  comes  to  the  rescue by demanding  a longer
 period of rest.

         Sleep Influenced by Temperament.
   Persons of a lymphatic temperament, inclined to be-
 come fleshy, demand more sleep than those of a nerv-
 ous and vital temperament,  and this  peculiarity is
 frequently very pronounced even in  childhood.  It is
 not the extra sleep alone that makes the  individual
 "fat and lazy," but it  is  the tendency  to become
 fleshy that causes the sleep and laziness.  It becomes
 the parents' duty to realize these peculiarities in chil-
 dren and not expect sleep to be portioned out with an
 iron hand.   Nevertheless, excessive sleep by the lym-
 phatic should be discouraged, and the nervous and act-
 ive should  be encouraged in every manner and  al-
 lowed every opportunity  to prolong their  hours  of
 sleep.

            Sleep Influenced by Habits.
  It is  very easy  to  acquire the habit of sleeping
 soundly, and of at once falling to sleep upon retiring.
 Such a habit requires a less number of hours to be de-
 voted to sleep than might otherwise be deemed advis-
 able.  On the other hand, when anxieties,  cares and
 business perplexities are carried to bed, the sleep
 during the early hours  is not refreshing and the time
 of  sleep  is necessarily extended.   The occupation
during the day  likewise regulates the amount of sleep
at night.  Brain workers, and those undergoing  se-
vere nervous strains require considerable sleep; their
fatigue is mental and nervous, and sleep is the  only 
84          A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
form of rest that is beneficial.  Persons  undergoing
physical exertions, unless very excessive,  usually fall
to sleep readily upon retiring, and the  quiet  position
rests the muscles and the not over taxed nerves are
most easily refreshed.

           Sleep Influenced by Climate.
  Persons living in very warm or hot climates become
enervated.  The  great  heat affects the peripheral
nerves and gives a sense of fatigue which demands
the complete rest secured only by sleep.   Such  per-
sons soon realize the necessity of the noon-day nap or
siesta which is a part of life in tropical countries. An
extreme heat disturbs the nervous equilibrium, and so
does extreme cold,  and  therefore persons in very cold
climates and those in very warm climates equally re-
quire  considerable sleep.  There  is this  difference,
however.   In hot climates the heat is most intolerable
in the  middle of the day, requiring the extra noon-day
nap; in cold climates the cold is most severe at night,
requiring  prolonged and sound sleep at that time, and
no demand for rest during the daylight hours.   In tem-
perate climates the hours of labor may be longer and
the activities greater and the accomplishments more
than  could be  possible in climates of extremes of
temperature.

             The Proper Bed for Sleep
  To secure the full benefit of sleep the bed  must be
of a suitable  character.  For  many  years  it  was
thought that the old-fashioned feather bed could not
be surpassed for health and comfort, but modern in-
telligence and experience have demonstrated the fal-
lacy of the thought.  For weary  limbs  and muscles
that have endured strains  all through the  day, the
feather-bed extends an irresistible invitation for re-
pose.  But the muscles are not alone to be considered
as requiring rest.  Modern men and women endure
nervous strains, and mere physical repose is  not suf-
ficient. To tired nerves the feather-bed is enervating
and oppressive, and does not induce that  tone  to the
nervous system so much to be desired.
  Another and  a most important  objection to the 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.          85
feather-bed is its unhealthfulness as being a most prob-
able abode for germs of disease.  The human body dur-
ing sleep gives off most impure emanations, and these
soon saturate a feather-bed and render it unhealthful.
How common a thing it is to regard a certain feather-
bed as a sort of mascot, upon which the mother must
lie when each new child  makes its advent into the
world  and upon which each  invalid member  of the
family  must successively  take his turn when pros-
trated by sickness.  It is apparent that such a bed be-
comes  unfit  for  slumber,  and although  the  sleeper
upon it may not directly contract disease, he is never-
theless almost  certain to indirectly feel the influence
of its unhealthful condition.
  By those who  perform  great physical labor, the
restfulness of weary muscles afforded by the feather-
bed may cause  it to be retained. But under such cir-
cumstances, each day, summer and winter, the feather
mattress should be removed from the bedstead  and
hung out of doors or placed upon chairs in a draft by
the  open window; and  in  spring  and in  autumn  it
should, be sent to a trustworthy establishment to be
thoroughly renovated.
  A most proper bed  consists of a woven wire mat-
tress, upon which is placed a corn-shuck mattress and
over this a thin hair mattress.  These can  be  readily
removed and aired each day, and the corn-shuck  can
be  frequently  replenished. In winter time sleeping
between blankets is healthful  and comfortable, and in
summer  time linen sheets  are to  be preferred.  Box
mattresses are  an expensive abomination,  impossible
to renovate and correspondingly unhealthful.

               Position During Sleep.
  Comfort will, to a great extent, determine the posi-
tion of a sleeper, although it  is easy to acquire the
habit of sleeping  in  the position most conducive to
health.   The most healthful position is upon the right
side, with the limbs fully extended and the body not
bent.  Such a position avoids pressure upon the heart,
keeps the heavy liver downward and affords the stom-
ach the fullest  freedom, while it renders impossible
any pressure upon the large plexus of nerves  behind 
86
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE,
the stomach.  While lying upon the side  the  pillow
should be of sufficient size to keep the head in its nat-
ural relationship  to  the shoulders.   A pillow com-
posed  of  hair  is  to be preferred,  although a  full-
stuffed feather pillow-  is not  objectionable if daily
aired.  Pillows composed of Mcintosh cloth and filled
with air are both comfortable and healthful.
  Lying  upon the back is to many the most comfort-
able position.   Such persons should be careful not to
overload  the stomach  or to eat too near the time of
retiring;   for a full stomach, or one  distended with
gas, will make pressure upon the  large  plexus  of
nerves and disturb the sleep by "nightmares," or at
least interfere  with the absolute rest of the nervous
system, which  should  be secured in order to  render
sleep refreshing and  recuperative.   Those who sleep
upon the back should use a very low pillow, for other-
wise the  head  will be thrown unnaturally forward,
crowding the upper portion of  the lungs, and also in-
ducing a stoop-shouldered carriage.
  Sleeping upon the left  side  is often impossible to
persons with heart trouble, otherwise such a position
should occasionally  be resorted to, as it is unwise to
form a habit of being unable to sleep except in some
one position, as sickness, injury or other conditions
may make the usual  position during sleep an impossi-
bility. Those sleeping upon the left side should avoid
retiring  with  a full  stomach, as  such  a condition
favors pressure upon the heart, and might cause un-
pleasant sensations, often mistaken for heart disease,
though usually simply of  "heart-burn"  or indiges-
tion.
  Whenever it is found  impossible to sleep in a prone
position,   necessitating  the use of many pillows  to
support a semi-erect position, heart disease or asth-
matic or  lung  trouble should  be suspected, and  the
real nature of the difficulty should at once be ascer-
tained and appropriately treated.

             A Proper Sleeping Room.
  Nothing is of more importance to healthful sleep
than a proper bedroom.  It is a great mistake to sup-
pose that anywhere is  good enough to sleep.  About 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
87
 one-third of  life is spent in bed;  and during sleep the
 system is relaxed  and far more liable to be affected by
 unhealthful  surroundings  than during  wakefulness,
 when  the various functions  of the  body are in ac-
 tivity.
   No bedroom is fit for occupancy unless at some time
 during each day the sunshine  gains  admittance.
 Damp walls  or a  damp floor  are dangerous.  Green-
 colored or arsenical wall papers should be avoided in
 sleeping rooms, and the floors should be covered with
 a rug  which  may be easily taken  out  of  doors fre-
 quently to be shaken.  Carpets tacked  down and
 dusted once or twice a year are not healthful.
   Ventilation  is of  the utmost importance in a sleeping
 apartment.  Drafts  over the bed must be avoided, but
 fresh air should circulate through the room.  It is ad-
 visable that  a window should  be  let down at the top,
 the distance  being regulated by the weather,  and the
 draft intercepted  by a screen.  A stove should  never
 be near the bed; and, unless unavoidable, it is best to
 have no  stove in the room at all.  The  severity of
 Northern winters often renders a fire in the bedroom
 a necessity, especially for children.  Under such cir-
 cumstances a grate fire will be most healthful, other-
 wise  it is far better to sleep in the cold and secure
 warmth by additional bed-clothing.
   A coal-oil lamp  should never be left burning in the
 room during  sleep, and if such a thing should  happen
 it should not be turned down, as its gas is highly poi-
 sonous.  By  many it is believed  that the fumes from
 burning  kerosene  oil  constitute  a prolific  source of
 diphtheria and various throat and lung troubles; and
 such a belief is well founded.
   Growing plants in sleeping apartments  are  never
 conducive  to health.  At  night time plants give off
 carbonic acid gas, and in that manner render the at-
 mosphere of  close  rooms unhealthful if they are pres-
 ent in  large numbers.  The placing  of a large  bowl
 filled  with water  upon a stand in the sleeping room
 will cause many  of  the obnoxious  gases to be ab-
 sorbed by the water; but it is far  better to so arrange
the doors and windows as to permit of perfect  veiw-
lation. 
88
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
  A sound and peaceful  sleep upon a clean bed, in a
room containing pure air, is an unsurpassed tonic to
the nervous  system  during  sickness  or following
fatigue, and is one of  the surest methods of prolong-
ing life and of maintaining mental and bodily vigor.
                     WORRY.

      Philosophy of Its Influence Upon Health.
  According to the rule  of  four Ws—"worry wears
worse than  work"—thousands have  gone to  early
deaths for no other cause than that they were worried
to death.  Very often death may have  been declared
to be from heart or liver or stomach troubles,  or from
various other diseases, when the primary cause of the
difficulty was worry.  But in this age of reasoning it
is not enough to merely state that worry kills, or even
to have it practically demonstrated; there must be an
explanation  given  as to how worry kills—a scientific
explanation beyond a possibility of dispute; and such
an explanation can readily and clearly be given.
  A few facts are admitted by all who have at all con-
sidered physiological questions:

  1.  The brain is the most  sensitive structure of the
human organism.
  2.  The cells of the brain are the most important of
the body, being the  directors  of  all physical func-
tions.
  3.  Nutrition is dependent upon the healthful per-
formance of nerve action, guided by the brain cells.
  4.  Worry  gradually  weakens and finally destroys
the nerve  cells.
  5.  The nerve cells being  injured, all the other or-
gans of the body are affected, and unable to perfectly
perform their functions—resulting in various diseases
of the organs.

  It is in this  manner that a  person  is worried  to
death.  Constant friction will  destroy the  largest
piece of machinery; and  worry is constant  friction
upon the most delicate piece of machinery in the uni- 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
89
 verse.  Slowly and without apparent immediate effect
 worry injures the minute structures of the brain and
 breaks down its cells.
   Every thought involves the wear of brain tissues to
 some degree;  but thoughts are varied, and are usually
 assorted in character—cheerful as  well as gloomy—
 and their  wear is not upon any one particular spot.
 But worry is the  constant  dwelling upon irritating
 thoughts—thoughts that are antagonistic to  health
 and which wear upon a particular spot of the brain,
 like friction at one spot of a machine.
   Were it  possible  for us to uncover the brain and
 with a delicate instrument unceasingly irritate a por-
 tion of it by constant friction upon one spot, we would
 manifestly soon work irreparable injury.  This is the
 principle upon which worry  injures the brain.  An ir-
 ritating  thought constantly, unceasingly irritates a
 particular  set of brain  cells, and  does so  until those
 cells are injured; and,  considering their extreme mi-
 nuteness, and their delicate structure, it is surprising
 that they endure the irritation so many  are forced to
 endure.  Occasional worry with long periods of relief
 can be frequently endured without serious results, for
 during the restful period the great conservative power
 of the organism repairs whatever damage has been in-
 flicted.

             Concentration of Thought.
  Any continuous line of thought upon one subject is
 most decidedly injurious; very similar to the continu-
 ous use  of  one set  of  muscles, only  in the thought
 there is no relief.  It is the strain involved by concen-
 trating thought upon one idea which wears out the
 nerve cells involved. But not only does it wear out
 these cells,  but it injures other cells not involved; for
 all cells of the brain must be used, just as all muscles
 of the body require healthful exercise, and these other
 cells cannot be duly exercised when the  whole mind's
 action is concentrated upon a  particular  line  of
 thought involving a particular set  of cells.  The ef-
fect  upon the  brain  by constantly using one set of
nerves is far greater than the effect upon the body by
constantly  using one set  of muscles while  all  the 
90
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
others are in forced  idleness.  Work always  allows
periods of repose, but worry allows none; that is the
reason "worry  wears  worse  than  work."  Worry
grows upon  a person.   It  continues constantly  to
harass him, more and more  it irritates the brain, and
the one idea finally takes possession day and night.

           How  Brain Cells Are Injured.
  The chief cells injured or destroyed  by worry  are
situated  in the frontal  lobes, directly beneath  the
upper part of the  forehead.  There are here various
sets of cells.   One  man may have one set injured or
destroyed, and another  man  another set, depending
upon  the character of his  worriment.  But  all these
classes of cells are intimately connected by very mi-
nute fibres, and are also  connected to other classes of
brain cells.   So that whatever class of cells is first in-
volved, other classes  and the wmole brain must be af-
fected.  And when the  brain  is  affected the whole
body  with its various organs, with their performance
of functions must be disturbed, and this means disease.
  When the brain cells work they throw7 off a product
which is poisonous  (this has been  microscopically de-
monstrated).   When this product is rapidly thrown off
by  the normal activity  of  the cells, they return to
their  natural state.   But when the product is not rap-
idly thrown off, the  poison remains, and the cells being
unable to perform their functions they soon commence
to break down.  When they loose their vitality, the ad-
joining cells and then more  remote cells suffer, and in
time the various organs of  the body are affected.  The
brain cells being injured, nutrition is proportionately
interfered with, and the body  begins  to  show the ef-
fects  of this failure of nutrition.   Appetite diminishes
or is  lost, digestion is  imperfect  and  assimilation
greatly diminished.  And whenever any organ or por-
tion of the body is insufficiently nourished, disease is
sure to follow.  The disease may be attributed to the
organ or part of the body affected, and death may be
pronounced as the result of  such diseased conditions.
In fact the local disease may be the  immediate cause
of death, but the underlying difficulty,  the  source of
all the disturbance,  is the original injury to brain cells. 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
91
  The injury to brain cells described may be termed
chemical, as the poisonous product of  irritable action
destroys by its chemical properties.  Electrical influ-
ences may also injure  brain cells;  and it need not be
mentioned, so apparent is it,  that these cells may be
mechanically injured.
  Let us more fully comprehend the  nature of brain
difficulties  by considering the characteristics of the
brain itself as disclosed under the microscope.

             Construction of  the Brain.
  The  tissues of the brain consist of masses of very
minute cells, of very diverse shapes; each portion of
the brain  having cells of  a particular  shape; and
some  portions of  the brain having several different
kinds;  just  as various portions of the brain are in-
volved  in different lines of thought or mental action.
All these minute cells have  little projections, con-
nected with which are delicate  fibres which serve to
join the various cells together.   Thus, while the indi-
vidual cells are joined, those of the  front and back
portions of  the brain and of the  upper and other por-
tions of the spinal cord are united, and all these with
the nerve trunks  and their branches, which  are dis-
tributed to every organ and part of the body.
  In the brain the cells repose in  a  sticky  mass,
known as protoplasm.  Of course the brain cells and
the minute  fibres  connecting  them cannot be distin-
guished by the unaided eye.  The  exposed brain ap-
pears as a grayish mass, curved  outward.  It is firm
to the touch; and is  furrowed by divisions  between
the ridges known  as "convolutions of the brain."
  The greater portion of the human brain is known as
the cerebrum.  It occupies the front and  also the up-
per portion of the cranium.  It is in the cerebrum that
all intellectual actions have their origin, such as rea-
son, will-power, judgment, etc.   The  seat of all such
mental actions seems to be immediately  beneath the
front part of the head.  Here  are  situated the bram
cells which are most affected by worry, and these cells
are connected by fibres to other classes of cells and to
the whole  nervous organism.  It is here that  worry
gets in its deadly work, and it is but natural that a 
92
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
man should knit his brows when in the midst of worry;
for beneath that knitted brow the brain cells are be-
ing injured by the constant impressions in one partic-
ular line made upon them.  And mental disturbances
are quickly followed by physical disturbances.
  The cerebellum or, as it is  frequently called, the
"little brain," lies toward the back of the  head and
partly beneath the  cerebrum.  This  portion of the
brain is supposed to  control the physical  life and mo-
tions of the body.  Experiments have been made with
chickens by  removing the entire skull and cerebrum
and  allowing only the cerebellum to remain.   Such
headless "chickens," if properly nourished, will live
for days and  even weeks, and walk about and appear
as in usual health; doing all things mechanically, and
without any perceptive faculties; having no powers of
sensation.  The brain centers for sight and hearing
are situated  in the  lower  and back  portion of the
skull, and  those of motion and sensation  in  the mid-
dle of the skull.
  All persons who worry are  not necessarily deceased
thereby, for many are compelled to endure great wor-
riment for years and yet are  not broken  down by it;
just as many may live to old  age who indulge excess-
ively in the use  of alcohol  or narcotics.   But the
chances are that continued worry will  result in abso-
lute injury to the brain, and that is more  than proba-
ble if the worry is upon one particular topic.  Con-
centration of thought upon one idea to the  exclusion
of all others cannot help  but wrork disaster if per-
sisted in, but the limit of endurance is often  astound-
ing, and actual damage done  is frequently  overcome
by proper change of  thought  and action.
  Knowing the philosophy of worry and  the dangers
of enduring it,  let us contrive to avoid it.  And when
the one idea fastens itself  upon our minds, let us real-
ize that it is a physical condition, and use the balance
of our brain to overcome its effects.
  The same amount  of  will power which is required
to stubbornly  persist  in  entertaining  detrimental
thoughts, may be exercised  in excluding those very
thoughts, and thus aid in restoring the brain to a per-
fectly healthy condition. 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
93
                   EMOTIONS.

      Their Influence on the Blood and Nerves.
  While theoretically it cannot be doubted that vio-
lent  or  perseverent  emotions, such as worry,  fright,
fear, exercise an injurious action on the general state
of the body, experience itself teaches us that there is
a certain relation between mental commotion and re-
sistibility of the body against noxious influences.   It
will not be a strained interpretation of facts to  regard
"physic choc"  as  constituting at the  same  time a
"cerebral  commotion" by  which the brain and  the
nervous system suffer and receive injuries just as well
as by a fall or a  blow.  Secretory processes  in  the
body, which healthy nerves only can perform  appro-
priately, will  fail  to furnish normal products under
the influence of depressed or exalted nervous activity,
while, at the same time, the harmonious co-operation
of all forces will be disturbed some way.  And, inas-
much as the formation of the blood also depends on
nervous action, and is regulated by it, disturbances of
the nervous system, such as are consequent on worry
and fear, will  not  be without a certain action  on the
composition of the blood.   But the blood, according
to our modern views, plays the most important part
in the state of  immunity against infectious disease,
and  we have, therefore, reason to believe that  altera-
tions in the condition of the blood will necessarily re-
duce  the  resistibility of the body against the  agents
of infectious   diseases.  The  French investigators
have  succeeded  in  demonstrating  by  animal  experi-
ments that under the action of emotions  the blood
loses part of its protective  power.  By keeping timid
animals,  such  as  pigeons,  rabbits, white mice, by
means of  noise or comminatory motions in constant
fear  and  excitement for several  hours, the blood of
such  intimidated animals offered  to microbes, subse-
quently showed on it a favorable substratum  for the
growth of colonies; while on the blood of control ani-
mals  which had not been subjected to these influences,
no such growth took  place.  It was  also observed
that  these animals, after artificial  inoculation, would
succumb much easier to some pathogenic agent or 
94
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
would be affected by others to which they would not
have been  susceptible otherwise.   This shows that
the blood liquid had undergone modifications reducing
the germicide faculty of the blood.
                CHEERFULNESS.

             Its Influence Upon Health.
  One of the greatest causes of ill health is a morose
or irritable  disposition; and it is one of the causes
most easily  overcome, because it is dependent almost
entirely  upon  one's own  self.  This  may at first
thought seem untrue; but by analyzing the statement
its truthfulness will  be realized.  Of course there are
circumstances over which we have no control which
often cause  us bitter disappointments and grief.  To
assume cheerfulness  under those circumstances would
be unnatural.  The woman who said she could follow
every one of her relatives to the  grave without shed-
ding a tear  spoke  falsely, or else she was of such a
callous nature as to be less than human, not more.
  The Master wept  over  the death of Lazarus, and
are we his superiors?
  But grief  is very different from irritability of dispo-
sition.   The latter is inexcusable, and morally crim-
inal when it is known to destroy one's own body and
add to the discomfort of others.
  No irritable person can  properly digest food taken
into the stomach; and if the food is not digested per-
fectly there  cannot be perfect health.
  No irritable person  can breathe properly.  If you
are irritable yourself, or know anyone who is, watch
the effects of this  irritability upon the  respirations.
They will invariably be short and uneasy, and  an in-
sufficient amount of air will  be taken into the lungs.
This being the fact,  impure  blood must  result.  And
who can  expect perfect health  under such circum-
stances?  Headaches, at first trifling, and then severe,
are almost sure to follow such a condition;  and these
will lead to  graver difficulties.
  The brain of  an irritable person  is  overcrowded
with blood;  and that of itself is a cause of disease. 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.          95
When the brain is not clear and performing iLs proper
functions, how can we expect the nervous system to
keep in good condition?  The circulation of the blood
is largely controlled by the nerves; the performances
ot all the functions of the  body depend largely upon
the  nerves.  When they are deranged, what should
we naturally expect?
  It  is most important, then, that we cultivate happy
dispositions—dispositions  which  make  others  com-
fortable; dispositions which  laugh at slight  troubles
and  accept  bravely and  without  murmurings the
greater ones; dispositions which lead us to accept life
as it is,  and enable us to strive  to  better our condi-
tions rather than to bemoan our fates.
  But how are we to acquire such dispositions?  Is it
indeed true that our dispositions are born with us and
that  we cannot  control them?  No; such is not the
fact.  We are placed  upon this world as human be-
ings, to develop  toward a perfect condition; and we
are naturally adapted for  such  purposes.   But we
have will powers and reasoning powers, and unless
we use them in carrying out the plans of  Nature, we
will thwart the purposes of our natural lives.
             Four Sensible Suggestions.
  1.   There must be a desire  to fulfill our  destiny
while upon this  earth;  and we must  set our mark
high, and  make due  allowance  for the  obstacles
which are  bound to beset us on every side.  In other
words we must be ambitious if we are to avoid  and
overcome irritability.  A man without an aim in life
is always irritable.
  2.   We must keep ourselves busy.  "Satan finds
some mischief  still for idle hands to do," is an old
saying.   Assuming "Satan" to be the embodiment of
all things contrary to natural law we see the force of
the saying.  The  busy person  has no time to indulge
in the snarls and  quarrels of life which add  to irrita-
bility.   If you are already  irritable,  see to it at once
that  there  is employment for  your hands and  your
mind as well.
  3.  Have an aim in life, and then set yourself a task
for immediate fulfillment.  Don't let it be all aim and 
96
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
no realization.  So arrange it that a specified amount
of work must be performed in a given time, or that
some  purpose  must  be accomplished  each day  or
other definite period.  The realization of work accom-
plished  is a  great  source of satisfaction and happi-
ness.
  4.  Control the tongue.  Irritability  usually mani-
fests itself by frequent  loss of control of this impor-
tant organ.   It  is  like a wild  horse,  and must  be
curbed;  and curbing the tongue will curb the mind  in
most instances.  But let it not be imagined  that sim-
ply by trying to be  happy we can accomplish our pur-
pose.  One must avoid those things which are calcu-
lated to bring about moroseness of disposition; and
we must observe the rules of health as  laid down in
this series of chapters.  An unsound body  is directly
antagonistic to a cheerful and happy disposition; and
moroseness is directly antagonistic to a sound  body.
But  happiness and contentment and a healthy and
fully developed body constitute the perfect human be-
ing—the being we wrere all designed by nature to be-
come.  Let us bear  these thoughts in mind.
                   PLEASURE.
          Enjoyment a Requisite of Health.
  To enjoy life should be the privilege of every indi-
vidual, rich or poor.   But precisely what is meant by
the enjoyment of life depends largely upon the nature
and surroundings of the individual.  What would be
sport or  pleasure to one might be a source of annoy-
ance to another.  Thus it is that the word "pleasure"
is  a relative term, and  is readily comprehended as
such.
  "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," is
an old  saying, often met with the rejoinder that "all
play and no work makes Jack a bad boy."  Pleasure
is  essential to  normal existence.  Animal life, from
the lowest form to man, the highest form, demands
some form of pleasure.
  The stern duties of life—the seeking of food and of
shelter and the maintenance of self-preservation— 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
97
require a strain upon the mind which is decidedly rou-
tine in character  in most cases.   All performances of
functions in the body are performed by alternate con-
traction  and  relaxation  of the  tissues  composing
them; and this alternate contraction and relaxation
must be perfectly balanced and uninterrupted in order
to secure perfect  action.   Whatever prevents or inter-
feres with such action is a cause of disease.
  Analogously, or perhaps in a precisely similar man-
ner, the whole  physical  and mental being, involving
the brain and nervous system, must  alternately con-
tract and relax with great regularity in order to main-
tain health.  It  is common language to  use the ex-
pression that  legitimate pleasures relax nervous ten-
sion, and that too strong a pursuit of pleasure  brings
about a too tense condition of  the nervous system.
And such  is the fact.   No  organ or tissues can  be
used excessively  in any direction without producing
discomfort in some form.
  Pleasures, to be such, must be indulged  in within
reasonable  bounds.   Then, and  then  only, are they
healthful;  otherwise they are absolutely harmful.  It
may be a pleasurable diversion  for a child to  " jump
the rope," and if not carried to excess physical bene-
fit will  follow such exercise.  But we know how easy
a  matter it is for a child to overdo "jumping the
rope,"  and enjoy the exercise while it last, only to
suffer from the  excess afterward.  In a similar man-
ner every known pleasure of mankind may result dis-
astrously if carried to excess.

               Moderation  Necessary.
  As  portrayed  in the chapter  on worry, the brain
cannot  be used  in one direction constantly without
the brain-cells being injured.  Of course pleasure does
not irritate the brain as worry does; for pleasure is a
relaxation. But too great relaxation of  any tissue
will produce unpleasant results.
  Let  moderation be the  rule in all  forms of  enjoy-
ment.   And to get the  full benefit of the relaxation
afforded by pleasures, enjoy them to their fullest ex-
tent while participating in them.  Whatever the form
of enjoyment you may choose never carry business or 
98
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sorrow or worry along with it.  Learn to control  the
mind  if you desire to  enjoy  life.  A sumptuous meal
or a healthful meal  cannot be of much benefit to  one
who eats it while contemplating the cares of  life.  A
trip to  the  country is robbed of  most of  its health-
giving enjoyment by carrying with you your numerous
anxieties.

            Divorce Pleasure from Care.
   " One thing at a time, and that  thing  done well, is
a very good rule as many can tell," is a  truthful say-
ing.  Nothing can be accomplished  by allowing your
thoughts to wander or dwell upon business or cares or
petty strifes or  sorrows, while you are presumably in-
dulging  in  pleasures.  You do not thus help your
business or settle your strifes or alleviate your  sor-
row;  but  forgetting them completely for the  time be-
ing will aid  you to do all; for it  will relieve your
mind, and add  to its  strength to meet the harsh de-
mands that may be made upon it.   A life of pleasure
is soon followed by a life of misery.  But  a life of
happiness is one of stability, which can  be secured by
the alternate relaxation and contraction afforded by
pleasure  and work.   While you are in the perform-
ance  of pleasurable  acts  abandon  yourself  to them
entirely;  and while you are in the pursuit of  business
or the sterner realities of life devote yourself to them
assiduously.  But let each day find its due portion of
both  pleasure and business,  as far as possible; then
when emergencies arise requiring unremittent atten-
tion to matters of business or personal or domestic
trial and endurance  you will possess" a mind and body
equal to the emergencies.  And when the season for a
vacation  from such cares shall roll  around you  will
find yourself  able to doubly enjoy it.
   Nothing that  injures the body when moderately en-
joyed should  be classed as pleasure.  Beer drinking,
or the indulgence  in  any form of  alcoholic liquors,
smoking or  chewing  tobacco, the  administration of
narcotics and the unnatural  use of the body  may
cause sensations of pleasure while they  are being in-
dulged  in by the false stimulation they afford the
nerves of  sensation.  But  all such indulgences are 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
99
enjoyed at the expense of vitality, as  they are  di-
rectly antagonistic to health.

                Out-of-Door Sports.
  Too much cannot be said  in favor of the pleasures
obtained  by  out-of-door  sports  within legitimate
bounds.  It is a matter of much gratification to hygi-
enists, and augurs well for  the future  physical well-
being of the American people, that so much attention
is at present being paid to out-of-door sports, by both
men and women.
  It is not many years since the pale-faced  maiden
with a  slender waist  and a languid manner was re-
garded as the typical American beauty.  But now the
standard of beauty has assumed a more rational form.
The rosy-cheeked girl with  strong physique, who can
discuss from experience the pleasures of the  field of
sport is the one most admired.   Women seem to have
determined, almost  by  an inspiration,  that if  the
future  race of Americans fails to  be vigorous  and
healthful it shall  not be through any fault of theirs.
And while there may be many who still prefer to be
pampered and to be considered  delicate, their number
is growing less and less.
  Of our young  men there is much to  be commended
in this direction;  though in many ways  they are far
too prone to go to excess in matters of  exercise.  The
desire to boast of excelling proficiency often urging
them on to feats beyond the limits of proper physical
exercise.
                    METHOD.

              Helpful Rules for Living.
  Method is  the  keynote of success; and this is true
of life as wrell as business.   No life can be success-
fully lived unless plans have been made for its career.
Parents  and  guardians  may  map  out the course of
study and  of action  to  be pursued by those under
their control; but those who have grown to maturity
must plan and perform for themselves.   If you have
not as yet laid down " Rules of Life"  for yourself, 
100         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
consider the following, and if you are satisfied that
they are rules of life which are adapted to your wel-
fare, follow them, and  commence at once, no matter
what may be your  age  or circumstances.  It is never
too late to strive to do right by yourself and others.
If you are miserable from  past neglect, so much the
more need of  changing your  habits; and  if  you are
only upon life's threshold, no better time for adopting
rules of life can be yours.

  1.  Aim to develop and maintain a perfect physical
body.  But little can be accomplished by a suffering
body.  It is natural law that you should live at least
one hundred years.  If  others have failed to do so, it
is because natural laws  have in some way  been vio-
lated;  and there is no necessity for  your following in
their footsteps.
  2.   Guard and develop your brain.   Do not over-
crowd it with useless information.  No one mind can
hold all the facts of the universe without being over-
crowded.   Choose  the lines of  study best suited to
your  tastes.  Above all, do not  be  narrow-minded,
but let your thoughts be broad and liberal, and do not
measure others by your ability or possibly limited ca-
pacity..  Appreciate your intellect,  but allow others
to entertain  ideas even at variance  to  your own.
Many a building has several aspects according to the
point from which it is viewed.
  3.  Guard your tongue and keep it from evil.  A
word hastily spoken may be followed by years of re-
gret.   No  member  so  easily causes  sorrow as  the
tongue.  Angry words are irritating to the brain, and
an irritated brain soon brings about disease.
  4.  Systematically take bodily exercise.   This does
not necessarily imply gymnastics, nor a special course
of training,  Simply see to  it that all the muscles are
afforded opportunity for development.
  5.  Avoid excesses of all kinds.  Too much food is
as bad as too little; too much exercise is as bad as too
little.  Extremes in any line are dangerous to health.
Let all things be done  in moderation—whether busi-
ness or pleasure, rest or exercise.  Violence necessa-
rily causes disease. 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.         101
  6.  Guard the stomach.   Eat only pure and proper
foods and drink only pure and proper drinks.   Avoid
mineral substances as you would poison.   A few salts
are allowable and are necessary.   But remember that
minerals cannot be assimilated by the system.   Study
the chapter on foods (page 74) and reason out the most
suitable diet for your individual constitution and ne-
cessities.  Be on the alert for adulterations, and take
into your stomach only what reason justifies.  Let this
rule  be strictly adhered to  in sickness as well as in
health.   Let no physician drag you backward into the
superstitious of the dark ages and persuade you that
poisonous drugs  in  some mysterious manner are able
to " cure disease. "   Poisons are destined  to kill and
no subdivided doses can  alter their  characteristics.
Nature alone can heal.
  7.  Cultivate a happy disposition under all circum-
stances.  Look upon the bright  side  of  things, and
see good even in  the midst of   evil.  Criticism of
others will sour the mind and lead to moroseness of
disposition.  Live at peace with all  mankind under
all circumstances.
  8.  Be diligent in business and  success will surely
follow;  and with success, if other  rules are followed,
there will come an  enjoyment of life that cannot oth-
erwise be obtained.
  9.  Be honest.  Honest  to your self,  your Maker
and  your fellow-men.  Nothing so debases a man in
his own estimation as dishonesty,—it injures the mind
and robs life of one of its greatest pleasures.  The sat-
isfaction of doing right  and deserving your own es-
teem and that of others, whether  you receive the lat-
ter or not, is worth  striving for.
             THE TEMPERAMENTS.

       Their Characteristics and Influences.
  Peculiarities of dispositions and of  physical forma-
tions are termed temperaments when  taken in the ag-
gregate.  All mankind may be classified under  four
temperaments — Sanguine,  Nervous,   Bilious,  Lym-
phatic. 
102
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  The mingling of these  temperaments in equal  pro-
portions in one individual would constitute an ideal
specimen of manhood.  But  such  a mingling seldom
occurs—nearly everyone having one or the other of
the temperaments markedly manifest; though it is sel-
dom that one  temperament predominates to the total
exclusion of the others.

          Sanguine  or Vital Temperament.
  Persons with this temperament very pronounced are
often spoken of as " full-blooded. "  Their chests and
muscles are well developed, and their blood circulates
freely, giving them a robust or ruddy appearance.
  They thrive best in out-door occupations and cannot
endure  restraint of any  kind.  They are usually bold
and enterprising;  but often fail of success from insuf-
ficient  persistency.   Naturally they are  long-lived;
but their love of eating is  often disastrous.
  Their mental capacities are usually large, and their
influence is marked.  As a rule they are leaders  of
thought, and advance ideas, delighting to be pioneers
in all things rather than followers; and  their impul-
siveness is liable to lead them to errors.
  Persons of vital temperament are very liable to suf-
fer from disturbances of the circulation, fevers, con-
gestions, inflammatory rheumatism, hemorrhages, vio-
lent  headaches, etc.  As  a  rule they  are  easily af-
fected  by  medicines.   Diseases  may take a severe
turn  with  them  suddenly; but they are liable  to re-
cover very rapidly when the crisis of a  disease  is
past.

         Nervous or Mental Temperament.
  A person of this temperament will have a  large
brain, or rather the front part of the brain will be well
developed  if  the head  is not large.  The general
build of the body is slender and the muscular system
not well developed;  the features  fine and the hair
soft.
  Persons of this t emperament love mental work and
study, and are usually averse to out-door and physical
pursuits  except  as  a performance  of duty.   They
evince great powers of endurance.   Their acuteness 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.        103
of perception and sensitiveness of feeling  are  most
pronounced.
  In disease they suffer  intensely and  are  liable to
brain complications, being prone to delirium and con-
vulsions.  Their small arterial systems render  them
subject to cold  and lung diseases.   Spinal  troubles,
neuralgias and constipation are to  be dreaded  by
them.  All persons of nervous temperament should
endeavor  to restrain  their excessive  mental activity
and give more attention to their physical development
and seek  periods of rest.  They require very small
doses of medicine to produce effects.

          Bilious or Motor Temperament.
  This temperament is marked by a largely developed
bony system, broad shoulders, large  knuckles and a
general angular appearance to the body—the muscles
being firm and wiry.   As a rule the hair is  dark and
the skin sallow.
  "Bilious" persons can endure great hardships and
are fond of muscular exercise, though their move-
ments are slow.  Their mental activities are not bril-
liant, though often the  deepest thinkers are of this
temperament—ideas being evolved  slowly, but being
maintained persistently.  They are subject to spells
of " the blues." Disease is contracted  by these  per-
sons very  slowly, but is apt to get a strong hold upon
them, and convalescence is slow,  although they  often
retain a strong  hold upon  life under adverse circum-
stances.
  These persons  should not use  tea or coffee and
should take plenty of out-door exercise.   They are
extremely liable to  constipation and liver troubles.
Large doses of  remedies  are  required to cause an ef-
fect upon them.
      Lymphatic or Phlegmatic Temperament.
  Persons of this  temperament are  large  and well
formed,  and are easily fattened.  They are sluggish
in disposition and are proverbially "lazy."  During
disease they do not manifest good  resistive powers,
ane are extremely  liable to scrofulous or malignant
disorders or tumors.  Out-of-door exercise  would be 
104         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

most beneficial to them; but they are not prone to in-
dulge in it.  Their sluggishness, coupled  with their
usual excessive indulgence  in eating, makes them un-
desirable patients during disease.

  A  mixture of temperaments  is most  favorable to
health and long life;  and when any one temperament
strongly predominates, the habits of life should be
such as to counterbalance  its evils and favor the de-
velopment of other characteristics.
                     HEALTH.
         The Natural Condition of the Body.
  An • erect,  well-formed  figure,  a clear and  ruddy
countenance, an elastic step, unconsciousness of in-
voluntary actions,  and a  desire and capability  for
physical  and  mental  work, are characteristics of
Health.
  Such conditions necessarily imply  the  regular and
uninterrupted performance of all the  functions of  the
body in a natural  manner; including the desire  for
heathful food, its perfect digestion and assimilation,
and  a  corresponding elimination of the  waste mate-
rials—involving the normal secretion of all the vari-
ous fluids and products of the system.
  The  least  departure  or  deviation  from such a nat-
ural condition  constitutes a source of danger to the
whole organism.  Interruption  to the performance of
the seemingly most trifling functions of the body de-
stroys  the harmony of action which is so necessary to
perfect health.   The slightest interference, if not cor-
rected,  is capable of proving  the source of a most
general disturbance of systemic action.
  In order to fully comprehend  in what manner devia-
tions from the normal standard of action may occur it
is necessary for us to know many facts concerning the
tissues and organs and functions of the body.   These
facts are simple and easy of comprehension.  All nat-
ural laws are simple and easily  grasped by intelligent
minds.   It is the philosophies of men and their theo-
ries which confuse.   And  in  medicines, as in all  sci- 
            LIFE AND  ITS PRESERVATION.         105

 ences,  it  was  apparently  intended that  mankind
 should be able to learn by intuition and study and ex-
 perience those things necessary for the welfare of his
 own being.

                Definition of Health.
   Perfect ease throughout the body, is probably the most
 concise definition of  health.  The  blood must  flow
 easily, the muscles  must act easily, the nerves must
 respond to impressions easily,  and  every  function
 must be performed easily, without interference or hin-
 derance from  any cause whatever.  Ease implies free-
 dom  and natural conditions; and disease  implies re-
 striction or interference, and unnatural conditions.

                    The Attitude.
   The natural attitude of the human  body during ac-
 tivity is erect;  and all the organs  and tissues and
 blood vessels and nerves have  been constructed in
 conformity to that posture.   Any continued deviation
 from  an erect attitude necessarily  changes the rela-
 tionship of organs one with another, and eventually
 alters the character  of the tissues composing them.
   For instance, should  the shoulders be  persistently
 bent  forward  serious consequences would inevitably
 result.  The  upper  portions of the  lungs would be
 crowded upon and  hindered  from performing their
 natural functions.  Under such conditions  the minute
 blood vessels of  the parts could  not  convey sufficient
 blood to properly nourish the adjacent tissues;  which
 would consequently soon become altered in character.
 The small tubes in the crowTded  portions of the lungs
 would become diminished in calibre and the free pas-
 sage of air through them would be hindered, and the
 blood that should  be aerated at that point would not
 receive its  proper  supply  of  oxygen.  Also  the
 crowded condition of the tubes would not permit the
proper movement  of the mucous  secretion they con-
tain; and that secretion would become viscid and then
degenerate.  Beside  these conditions, the cramping
of the nerves wTould  play an important  part in pro-
ducing trouble.  The sensation of pain would  likely
be produced;  or a benumbed  condition might follow. 
106         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
Thus by a continued inclination forward of the shoul-
ders it would become impossible to perform many of
the important functions with that ease which is neces-
sary to health.   Disease would follow, and the struct-
ures, improperly nourished and rendered incapable of
action, would soon  degenerate  and a consumption of
the lungs would follow.
  Spinal diseases are likewise often caused by a con-
tinued unnatural position of the body.  If forward in-
clination is persisted in, increased pressure is exerted
upon the anterior surfaces of the vertebras or bones of
the spine, and insufficient pressure is exerted upon  the
posterior surfaces.   Consequently the anterior struct-
ures of the coverings of the bones become too dense,
while  at  the same time the  posterior portions of  the
coverings become spongy and too thick.  This condi-
tion soon results in permanent curvature of the spine.
And the  altered and unnatural conditions present ef-
fect a changed  condition of the spinal cord of serious
import.

                    The Blood.
  The blood current throughout the body is naturally
active, and the arterial blood free from  impurities.
It contains only such  substances as_ are necessary to
nourish  the  various tissues with which it comes in
contact.   Each portion of the body, no  matter how
dense or minute, receives its due amount of nourish-
ment from the life-giving fluid.   As provision is made
for supplying food, so is it arranged to carry away  the
waste  products and effete  materials of  the system.
The various  organs of secretion and  excretion,  the
lymphatics and veins all have their specific duties to
perform, and are naturally adjusted perfectly to  the
arterial system. The least disturbance in any one of
these organs  disturbs the harmony of the whole and
produces a condition of disease made manifest  by va-
rious signs, termed symptoms.
  A lean body,  a sallow or pale countenance; a redun-
dancy of flesh,  or a continued flushed or purple hue to
the skin, all denote an unnatural circulation.
  The blood may be deficient in nourishing materials,
or it may be surcharged with them.  The waste mate- 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
107
rials may not be entirely carried away from the sys-
tem, but may re-enter the circulation and be conveyed
with arterial blood as a poison, to  do damage to tis-
sues or to be deposited in organs to hinder the  per-
formance of their functions.  Again, pressure may be
exerted by abnormal organs or otherwise upon large
or small blood  vessels, and thus interfere with the
circulation.   In  innumerable ways may disease be in-
curred through the blood current.

             Performance of Functions.
  One of the most important and earliest realized in-
dication of a disordered condition of an organ or set
of structures is the consciousness of the performance
of involuntary actions.  The heart is a typical invol-
untary organ, and whenever its function is performed
in such a manner as to cause pain or inconvenience or
even knowledg-e  of its existence  there  is evidence of
derangement somewhere  in the system, if  not in the
heart itself.  The  lungs, likewise,  should perform
their functions without  effort.   Breathing  should be
carried  on unconsciously and  with regularity.  The
stomach should digest food without pain or  inconven-
ience.  The  bowels should  call for at  least  daily
evacuations, Avhich should  afford pleasurable sensa-
tions of relief.  In  fact, every  natural action of the
body should be freely and easily performed.
  Life  is naturally a  pleasure, and whenever it be-
comes otherwise disease is present.   If  life  is  burden-
some on account of the struggle to maintain  existence,
then the social relationship is  at fault and must be
corrected by  the laws of political economy.  If re-
morse or fear of futurity renders existence a torture,
religion  or  philosophy, or both, are ready to offer
remedies.  But if there is no  pleasure in  life on ac-
count of bodily  sickness  or disease then it becomes
imperative to " know thyself,"  search for the cause of
the difficulty and intelligently seek to overcome it.
  Experiment is a dangerous pastime for those in ill
health.   Experience then becomes invaluable when it
can be intelligently utilized.  In plain words and by
common sense explanations and directions this volume
presents the means of  recognizing diseases  and scien- 
108         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

tifically and successfully treating them.  The knowl-
edge and experience of many years  is placed at the
disposal of all who will receive it.
                    DISEASE.

       Departures from the Healthy Standard.
  To anyone observant, it will be readily seen that
the functions of the body are rhythmical.   The breath-
ing and the pulse are most  manifest  illustrations of
the  method of action throughout the body.   Under
the  microscope  can be seen the smallest particle of
living  matter capable of  separate existence—termed
protoplasm or, more correctly, bioplasm.
  Bioplasm is a minute jelly-like  particle, and when
placed upon the microscopic slide surrounded  by a
nourishing fluid at the temperature of the body its ac-
tions can be observed,  and are most interesting: In-
voluntarily it alternately contracts and  relaxes with
perfect rhythm; at the same time it appropriates the
food about it and grows—that is, prolongations are
put  forth which soon separate from the mass and be-
come independent particles with rhythmical motion.
  Of such particles of matter is  the body  initially
composed.   These  particles  throw out  about them-
selves  a material (called formed  material) which en-
cases the living matter—the whole being called a cell.
These  cell walls become  more and more dense; and
thus is readily  explained  the changed  conditions
caused by age and the inevitable  approach of death,
when (if by old age) the amount and  condition of
formed  material  no  longer admits  of  the  natural
rhythmical action of existence.
  Every organ and  tissue of the  body—blood, mus-
cles, bones, ligaments, etc.,—are masses of cells and
living matter, each structure composed of its peculiar
kind, moving, living and dying constantly.  All must
be nourished, and each must have its peculiar environ-
ment, including  perfect freedom of movement and a
temperature which  can vary only a very  few  degrees
with safety.  Such  is the  basis of  living tissues; and
as the smallest particle of gold represents the mass, 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        109
so does the  smallest  particle of the various kinds of
living matter represent the aggregate  in method of
action and in character.

                  The Life Power.
  It is  impossible to comprehend the force or power
which controls the actions of the body, builds tissues,
carries  away effete materials and  performs the func-
tions of the various organs.  It can be designated as
the life power,  or vital force or vitality;  and its  pur-
pose  is always conservative—endeavoring under the
most unfavorable circumstances  to carry on the nat-
ural actions.  This endeavor is the only hope of a res-
toration to health  during disease;-and this endeavor,
recognized by all, gives us the key to aid the efforts
made.
  Manifestly the power itself cannot be primarily dis-
abled, for it is  always striving  to maintain control.
Therefore the  source of unnatural actions or disease
must lie  in unusual  conditions  of the  tissue them-
selves,  which  do not permit the  life  power  or vital
force to use them in a natural manner.  This is the
fact.  Fever, spasms,  chills, inflammations, etc., are
not themselves the diseases; they are simply inevitable
consequences of inability of  the vital force to control
the altered tissues in a natural or healthy manner.
  Thus, pain, fever, inflammation, etc., are but symp-
toms of disease which aid us in locating the tissues or
structures which are altered in character through in-
fluence at variance with  their normal condition.  For
instance it  sometimes happens that the surface be-
comes greatly chilled beyond resistance,  and an extra
quantity of blood is forced  inward and crowds  into
the lungs.  The pressure of the extra blood upon the
nerves causes pain in  breathing and heat from inflam-
mation (the increased flow of blood).
  The pain  can be relieved by narcotics  paralyzing
the nerves so  that  they cannot  convey impressions;
but this does not alter the condition which caused the
pain.  A little thought will make it plain that means
must be employed to put the tissues in such a condi-
tion that there  will no longer be an excess of blood in
the lungs to disturb  the natural relationship there. 
110         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
The circulation must  be  given a chance to be equal-
ized throughout the system, when the pain and inflam-
mation will subside and the parts affected be restored
to their natural condition.

          Unnatural Conditions of  Tissues.
  Although there are almost innumerable forms of dis-
ease, manifested by a  great variety of signs or symp-
toms, varying according to the degree of interference
to the action of the vital force and according to the
parts affected, still there are but a few general depart-
ures from the normal conditions which may occur.

  1.  The tissues may become too relaxed or loose, and
thus  be unable to regain their natural  tone.  In the
alternate relaxation and  contraction of  the particles
of matter composing them there would be evidence of
a lack of  power to contract  sufficiently.  Such a con-
dition is present in all cases of general  depression—
fainting, narcotic poisoning, collapse, etc.
  2.  The tissues may  become too contracted or tense;
the particles of living matter composing them  by no
means being  able to relax sufficiently to  carry on the
normal  rate  of alternate contraction and relaxation
necessary  to maintain natural function.   Such  is the
case in  most instances of derangement,  and the hard
pulse of  fever is an indication   of its  existence.
Cramps, stiffness of the muscles, irritations, etc., all
indicate too great tenseness of tissues in the parts af-
fected.
  3.  The  tissues  may be damaged by miscellaneous
substances.  Without,  substances may inflict wounds,
bruises, cuts, burns, etc., and within there may be cor-
rosions  or other injuries from poisons, or obstruction
to normal action by the presence of foreign bodies.
  4.  There may be accumulations of effete or  waste
material, or the circulation may be impeded by accumu-
lations of abscesses, etc.,  or abscesses and ulcerations
may destroy vessels and various tissues.
  5.   There may be improper environment, which will
interfere with the  control of the vital  force over the
tissues.   Too great cold, or too great heat, or too great
moisture, or a poisonous atmosphere, or filth or other 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        Ill
coatings over the surface may close the pores of the
skin and make it irresponsive to vital efforts.

        Conditions of Organs During Disease.
  Before methods of treatment can  be intelligently
agreed upon it becomes a necessity to ascertain what
organs, structures or tissues are involved and in what
manner they have departed from the nomal standard
of health.  Total inability of a structure to respond
to vital action soon results  in  disintegration  or de-
struction of that structure.   Gangrene is one form of
destruction, and is  the  surrender of a tissue by the
vital force to the lower chemical force.  Partial  in-
ability is always fraught with danger.
  Whenever there is too great rigidity or tenseness of
an organ or structure, there is apt to be an accumula-
tion of materials which  would interfere with normal
action and themselves become  degenerate.   This  is
due to the tenseness of the structures diminishing the
calibre  of  the vessels which permeate them.  Blood
accumulates in  the capillaries of the lungs during
pneumonia, in the brain during inflammation and in
the skin during inflammatory fever.  Whenever there
is an excess of blood in  any  one part, there  is neces-
sarily a deficiency elsewhere.
  Too great tonicity or tenseness in organs is danger-
ous in many ways.   Under such a condition the liver
secretes less bile, the  skin eliminates less perspira-
tion and the kidneys excrete  less urine.   The continu-
ance of such a condition causes such waste  material
to accumulate in the system and to degenerate and
become highly poisonous and  capable of producing
serious  trouble elsewhere  in the body by being ab-
sorbed and carried to remote parts by the circulation.
  The reverse of such a condition exists when there is
too great  relaxation of  tissues.   The  functions of
organs  are not  performed, from want  of  sufficient
organic power.   A common instance is the inability to
perform muscular exertion after a prolonged sickness.
When a secreting or excreting organ is too greatly re-
laxed an  excessive amount  of its fluid  may pass
through it without effort and  greatly  exhaust the
whole system.   In diabetes the flow of urine is enor- 
112
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
mous;  in  advanced  consumption  the  sweat is over-
whelming on account of prostration; and in cholera,
which is a profound  congestion, the serum is drained
off through the  bowels in wThat is known as the rice-
water discharges.  When the radicles of the veins are
too relaxed or when they are persistently obstructed
by external or internal pressure, the fluids accumulate
in adjoining cellular tissues and constitute wThat are
commonly known as dropsies.
  Any  influence  which may interfere with the free and
natural performance of a function may become a cause
of disease.  The difficulty does not exist in the irreg-
ularity of action itself, but rather in the condition of
the tissues or organs which would not permit the vital
force to use them in  a natural manner.   The abnormal
or irregular actions,  then, are but the  signs or symp-
toms of altered  conditions of tissues.
  The greater the obstruction to free vital action, and
the wider the departure of tissues from their normal
responsive character, the more ardent will be the vital
struggle to restore the system to its natural condition.
This struggle of the vital power often succeeds, un-
aided,  in accomplishing the desired object.   Fever is
not desirable, for it always indicates obstruction; still
where  obstruction exists the violence of the arterial
excitement is  an indication of the degree of impedi-
ment to healthful action, and also of the power of the
system to overcome  abnormal  conditions; and the re-
duction of  fever by the administration of antipyretics
which  simply reduce the heart action in nowise aids
in removing the  obstruction, but rather hinders its re-
moval  at the same time it  destroys a valuable indica-
tion  of the degree of vital resistance.

            Acute and Chronic Diseases.
  Diseases are usually classified as acute and chronic.
In acute disease the derangement is sudden and the
obstructions usually capable of being removed in a
comparatively short time, or else they are liable to
quickly^cause fatal results.  Some acute troubles have
a definite  time of existence—such  as  measles, small-
pox,  etc.,—and  the time can  rarely  be  shortened,
though it can be lengthened by various circumstances. 
           LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        113

Often an acute  trouble becomes chronic, or rather the
obstructions of an acute trouble not being completely
removed, remain  in the system, and permanently in-
terfere with natural action.
  Chronic  diseases  are usually  the  result of  slow
changes or gradual accumulations throughout the sys-
tem or in  special organs or  tissues.  They are not
readily  overcome, for tissues altered in  character,
through perhaps years of abnormal influence, cannot
be easily  restored to their  natural condition.  It  is
usually  the case  that a number of  influences exerted
slowly are accountable for chronic diseases, rather
than that  such diseases are  due to any one  special
cause.

           First Principles of Medication.
  The departures  of tissues from natural conditions
are few  in character and have  been briefly  stated.
The methods to be resorted to in  restoring them  to
their healthful  state may be based  upon a few princi-
ples.

   I.  Tone and stimulate relaxed  conditions.
   II.  Relax tense and contracted  conditions.
  III.  Remove accumulations, obstructions, poisons.
  IV.  Provide proper environments.

  Such methods involve  the employment of hygienic
measures and  all  other aids procurable, besides fre-
quently the administration of true remedies known by
experience to accomplish desired results.   Although
hundreds of thousands of drugs, chemicals and  prep-
arations are employed by physicians in the treatment
of disease, the  great majority of  them are worse than
useless  and  many of  them  absolutely  dangerous.
True remedies aid nature by tending  to  place tissues
in a condition that the vital force can utilize.   There
are thousands of such remedies, but they may be sim-
ply classified as (1) stimulants, (2) astringents or ton-
ics, (3) relaxants.   Under these  heads could  be enu-
merated  agen:s adapted  to  special organs or classes
of tissues, graded according  to  their power and ac-
tivity.  Their  employment  therefore  is based  upon
      8 
114         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

scientific principles, and  may  be confidently  relied
upon.
             CAUSES OF DISEASE.

How Performances of Functions May Be  Interfered
                       With.
  Anything that interferes with the natural perform-
ance of any function of the body may become a cause
of disease.  The organism being the most delicate and
intricate piece of machinery ever contrived, it neces-
sarily requires  but  little to disturb its perfect action.
  Keep the head cool, the feet warm, and the bowels
open.  This may be  regarded as the  simple rule of
preserving health, and the object to be attained when
disease occurs.
  If we consider the distribution of the blood through-
out the body, it will  be realized that the circulation
may be divided as follows:  Upper circulation—from
the diaphragm  upward; lower circulation—from the
diaphragm downward;  outivard circulation—through-
out the surface; inner circulation—through the organs
and walls of the canals of  the body.  Naturally the
blood  flows through  these various divisions of the
blood  vessels evenly,  in proportion  to their extent
and the importance of  demands.
  If, for any cause whatever, the proportion of blood
naturally flowing  through  the outward circulation is
diminished or checked  there will  be a corresponding
increase in the inner circulation.   For instance, it is
well known that cold contracts; and  should  the sur-
face be exposed for a great  length of time to cold, or
for even a short time to severe cold, the minute blood-
vessels of the skin may become contracted to such an
extent that blood cannot flow through them naturally,
and the  amount is diminished; consequently the sur-
face becomes pale and  cold, and the blood is crowded
inward upon internal organs, causing inwTard inflam-
mations or obstructions to free  performance of  func-
tions by the excess of blood in the organs.
  Pneumonia is an example of a severe disease caused
by the chilling of  the surface, driving the blood in- 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        115
ward upon the lungs.   Manifestly an important point
is gained in such cases when the outward circulation
has been restored and  the  inner organs consequently
relieved.
  The proportion of blood flowing at any one  time
through the head is very small compared with that of
the rest of the body;  and disturbances of circulation
elsewhere are quickly manifested in the  brain by
"head symptoms" being prominent in most of the
acute diseases.
  The bowels constitute the great canals of the  body
which serve to carry  food  in a condition ready  to be
absorbed.   They are  also the canals througn which
the effete or waste material is carried away.  If,  from
any cause, this waste  material  is allowed to accumu-
late  in  the bowels,  it not only distends them and
causes pressure  on adjacent organs; and also  hinders
the circulation through blood vessels pressed upon;
but the accumulations  are  partially re-absorbed, and
the poisonous effete materials are carried about in the
circulation—doing damage wherever they go.
  Thus may be realized the great importance of keep-
ing the head cool, the feet warm and the bowels open.
And it is plain that during disease a great step toward
recovery is  taken when the circulation has  become
equalized, and the secretions and excretions are free.

           Disease Resulting from Cold.
  A cause of  disease  is capable  of  developing de-
rangements in various  ways.  Sudden chilling of the
surface  by unnatural  environment, for instance, may
produce one or more of several different troubles. As
stated, the contraction of superficial blood-vessels re-
sult in an excess of blood being thrown upon the  inner
circulation.   Just what organs  will be engorged or
overburdened by the extra blood directed inward de-
pends upon various circumstances, or rather upon the
conditions of the organs themselves.   If the lungs are
sensitive, or small or crowded upon by unnatural po-
sition,  the excess of blood will do damage there, as
they offer the least  resistance to an increased flow.
In such a case lung trouble would follow exposure to
cold.  Those who indulge in alcoholic beverages will 
116
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
          find their kidneys least able to withstand disturbance;
          rheumatic persons  or  those  of gouty tendency will
          suffer accordingly; and those  who keep their stomach
          and bowels constantly weakened by overindulgence
          will have a diarrhoea follow  exposure.  A moment's
          reflection reveals nature's  rule in succumbing to evil
          influences.
            When all organs are apparently in health a great de-
          gree of cold  may be endured without harm.  If ex-
          posures drive the blood inward upon organs not es-
          pecially weak, the excess of blood will usually cause
          the greatest  inconvenience in the mucous surfaces
          where the blood vessels yield readily to increased vol-
          ume of blood.  Thus it is  that cold, wet feet cause
          sore throat by driving the blood of the lower circula-
          tion upward and the easily  distended blood vessels of
          the throat (the parts made  sensitive by cold air) suffer
          most, and they become engorged and  a throat trouble
          follows—a disease or discomfort in that part.
            Thus  it may be seen that more  than one circum-
          stance is usually necessary to cause  disease.  There
          are exceptions; for instance,  contagious diseases are
%         caused by a specific poison.   But even then it is evi
          dent that the system must be  in a  measure  deranged
          to permit the specific poison to have  its effect, other-
          wise everyone exposed to a contagious disease would
          contract it, which we know is far from being the case.
          Indeed  it  is  doubtful if a person in perfect health
          could contract a contagious disease by  simple ex-
          posure.
                   SYMPTOMS.
        Good and Bad Signs During Disease.
  Much may be known concerning the nature and pro-
gress of diseases by closely observing the patient;
and dangers may be averted  by an intelligent knowl-
edge of what are the first indications of danger; and
anxiety may be relieved by understanding the indica-
tion of a tendency toward recovery.  There is no one
sign which of  itself is sufficient ground for the  pass-
ing of judgment upon a disease; but the association of 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
117
signs and circumstances must be relied upon.   What
would indicate approaching death in an old and feeble
person might be of little consequence in a robust man
of middle age, whose resistive powTers against disease
are great.
                     The Pulse.
  The manner in which the blood circulates through-
out the system is an important feature in disease; and
can be readily ascertained by feeling the pulse.
  Frequency refers to the number of beats per minute.
  Strong  or iveak describes  the degree of resistance
offered to pressure of the fingers against the artery.
  Full or small describes the volume of  blood appar-
ently passing through the vessels.
  Hard or soft refers to the apparent condition of the
walls of the artery.
  Sharp or feeble denotes the character of the  stroke
felt by the finger.
  While the pulse is perhaps the most  important aid
in ascertaining the gravity of diseased conditions, still
its language must be fully understood to make it valu-
able.  The character of the normal pulse  differs  in
different  individuals.  Age,  temperament,   sex  and
mental disposition influence it in various ways.  It is
small, soft and frequent in childhood,  and slow and
hard in old age.  The frequency of the average pulse
in health (sitting posture) is as follows:

From birth to the sixth year................135 to 100
From the sixth to the fifteenth year........100 to  80
From the fifteenth to the tw^enty-fifth year..  80 to  75
From the twenty-fifth to the sixtieth year...  75 to  65

  Standing increases the frequency four to eight beats
and lying down decreases it two to four beats per min-
ute.   Nervous and full-blooded persons may have a
higher rate, and bilious and  lymphatic persons a lower
rate by a few beats.   In women the frequency is from
two to four beats in excess of men.
  A full, strong and frequent pulse during disease in-
dicates extensive obstructions and an ardent effort of
the vital force to overcome them. 
118         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  A frequent and small pulse shows depression, and is
a bad sign following the pulse just stated.
  A small, hard and very frequent pulse is an indica-
tion of internal hemorrhage.
  A small, quick and frequent pulse occurs during
nervous prostrations and is unfavorable in low grades
of fever.
  A strong, slow pulse usually accompanies conges-
tions, such as apoplexy.
  An  irregular pulse usually  indicates a feeble  con-
dition of the heart, and irregularity associated with
great frequency indicates a serious condition.

                   The Breathing.
  Respirations vary in direct ratio with the frequency
of the pulse; being, like  it,  influenced by age,  sex,
temperament, etc.  The frequency of respirations per
minute range from  35 in infancy to 17 in adult life.
They are slower during sleep than during wakefulness;
and in persons of  a most decidedly bilious temper-
ament and sluggish disposition ten and twelve respi-
rations per minute are not  incompatible with health.
But such instances  are exceptional. . An increased  or
decreased frequency may occur in anyone through ex-
citement or otherwise and be of no special importance.
But when disease is present and there are other signs
observed, then  disturbances of  the  respirations are
worthy of note.

  Sloiv breathing  occurs  in organic  disease of the
heart and in  concussion of  the brain or spine, and is a
bad sign if at the same time the  pulse becomes weak
and the extremities cold; although in temporary faint-
ing such a condition need cause no alarm.
  Sloiv and very full respirations may indicate pressure
upon the brain, as in apoplexy.
  Feeble respirations are usually premonitions of death
in typhoid and typhus fever, consumption and other
lingering diseases, especially if the pulse at the same
time becomes feeble, frequent  and irregular.
  Labored breathing, where  there is a great effort to get
the breath, is caused by obstructions in  the air pas-
sages,  by accumulations or altered conditions in the 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
119
lungs,  as in  croup,  asthma, etc.   If inspiration  (in-
ward breathing) is difficult, the obstruction is in  the
larynx.  If expiration (breathing  out) is difficult,  the
trouble lies in the bronchial tubes.
  Snoring breathing  in disease is  a bad sign; as also
is hiccough in lingering maladies unless directly trace-
able to indigestion or an overloaded stomach.
  Difficult and painful breathing  accompanied  by  a
smothering sensation always indicates a disturbance
of the  circulation between the heart  and lungs.   Oc-
curring temporarily  from nervousness  it is of  but
little importance; but when it  is continuous in throat
and lung troubles it  is bad.  When breathing can be
carried on only in a sitting posture  the  heart  is at
fault, as  a rule;  though such a condition in asthma is
not to be considered  serious.

  When,  during respiration, the ribs move and the ab-
domen remains  stationary, diseases  of the stomach,
liver or spleen may be suspected;  or peritonitis or in-
flammation of the bowels.  Other symptoms will  aid
in determining the structure  involved.
  When the ribs remain quiet and  the abdomen moves
during breathing, pneumonia or pluerisy  may be  the
difficulty.
  If  possible, count  the  respirations  without  the  pa-
tient's knowledge, for the consciousness of the breath-
ing being watched often  creates a nervousness which
temporarily alters it.

                 The Temperature.
  The  natural heat of the body is a slight fraction
over 98° F.   Observations may be taken by a clinical
thermometer  placed  under the tongue or in  the  arm
pit.  A temperature  below normal is always bad.  A
high temperature is to be expected in all cases of fever,
and in  some maladies a temperature of  105J would be
regarded as serious,  while in others  it would be  ex-
pected.  Under  descriptions of the various  diseases
the temperature commonly met with in each will be
given.
  Increase in temperature usually occurs in direct pro-
portion with increase of  pulse frequency and of respi- 
120
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
rations.  The following  table  indicates  the  usual
ratio of pulse, breathing and temperature in an adult.
80 Pulsations..	18 Respirations.	.. 99° Fahrenheit
88	19 (plus) "	..100°
96	21 (plus) "	..101°
104	23	..102°
112	25 (minus) "	..103° "
120 "	27	..104J "
128 "	28 (minus) "	..105°
136	30	..106°-
  As  long as this harmony is maintained there is less
dread of serious consequences occurring even though
a temperature of 106°  may be reached.  But in pro-
portion as the harmony is broken there is ground for
fear of  serious results.  Thus a temperature of 104°,
with respiration at 18 and the pulse at 136, would be a
most serious departure from harmony.

                    The Tongue.
 • The condition of  the mucous membrane throughout
the body is controlled  to a great extent by the various
secretions, the nerves, and the  character of morbific
material in the organism.  The tongue has over it a
continuation of the mucous  membrane  of  the  body,
and therefore its condition  is indicative of much in
disease.

  A dry tongue denotes internal irritation.   It may be
only temporarily dry,  as in  acute stomach irritation
and diarrhoea.   But if it  continues  exceedingly dry
there is serious internal inflammation.
  The  color of  the tongue  is important.   A  bluish
tongue represents interference with respiration, as in
heart  disease, asthma, etc.   A scarlet tongue denotes
acute  inflammation, usually  of the  stomach,  if red
along the  edges and  at the tip.   Redness  along the
center  indicates intestinal irritation, and is an early
sign in typhoid fever, and if glassy it is a very unfavor-
able omen.  A  "beefy"  tongue  usually   occurs  in
chronic inflammations  of the  bowels or liver, or gen-
eral mucous surfaces. 
LIFE AND ITS  PRESERVATION.         121
  A furred tongue occurs in nearly all  fevers.   If the
fur is light and moist, simple irritation of the stomach
is indicated.  Heavy fur shows greater disturbance and
a tendency to more serious trouble.   Yellow fur indi-
cates a liver derangement.  Brown fur  is always a bad
indication,  and the deeper the  color  the  worse the
omen; it points to nervous prostration  and a tendency
to putrefaction, and  when accompanied  by dryness
and fissures, a very grave condition is present.
  A trembling tongue denotes nervous prostration, and
occurring during a tedious sickness is very unpromising.
  A clearing away of  the fur  from the tongue is usu-
ally indicative of improvement.  If the coating slowly
disappears,  commencing at  the tip  and edges,  and
leaving a natural appearance,  permanent reeovery
may be expected.   If  the fur comes away in patches,
leaving a smooth red surface, recovery will be slow.  If
the fur disappears rapidly and leaves a glassy or
cracked surface, the sign is unfavorable.
  False membranes, pimples  and pustules may cover
the tongue or its edges or tip.  When these are angry
or malignant looking they are bad, especially if they
occur during diseases.   A red cracked tongue, not the
accompaniment of an acute malady, points to kidney
trouble.

                   The Surface.
  Coldness of the surface always  indicates recession of
the blood to internal organs; and  the  greater the de-
gree and length of a cold surface, the more severe
is liable to be the malady which follows.   Chills and
coldness in the  latter stages of acute troubles are bad.
A cold face with  hot body is unfavorable.  A warm
face  with cold extremities indicates  brain trouble.
Heat over the chest or upper portion of the back, with
cold  extremities, denotes lung trouble.  A cold fore-
head is usually unfavorable,  and a cold nose is not a
good  sign in acute internal  inflammations or  acute
troubles of  any kind.   One cheek  hot  and the other
cool shows hectic or nervous fever.
  The color of the skin  is important.   A purplish hue
shows interference with circulation through the  lungs.
In intermittent fevers and pneumonia it is very bad; 
122         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
and at the  close of any acute difficulty it is undesira-
ble; though in asthma and in  typhus fever it is com-
mon.   A livid  appearance  is unfavorable; and an al-
most black skin in eruptive diseases is bad.  Yellowness
indicates the absorption of bile and points to liver de-
rangement.  An ashy countenance indicates malignant
difficulty,  cancer, scrofula,   Bright's  disease, etc.
Paleness may be due to sudden  nervous prostration, or
to a deficiency of the-red blood-corpuscles, as in drop-
sy, paralysis, etc.  When paleness i.s accompanied by
heat  it  is unfavorable.  Red  spots upon pale cheeks
suggest tubercular difficulties; though ordinary cases
of worms  may occasion them.  Local redness may be
occasioned by inflammations  of  adjacent organs; or
by diseases of the skin.   A clear red color to the skin
is favorable,  and a dark red unfavorable.

   Sweating.—A warm,  free  perspiration, not too  wa-
 tery, is always favorable, especially following fever.
 Cold sweats indicate nervous prostration, and clammy
 sweats and watery sweats are always unfavorable.

                  The  Countenance.
   A quiet, peaceful  expression is favorable, unless it
 occurs suddenly after long continued  pain.  An indif-
 ferent expression and fixed, bright eyes are bad.
 Contortions  of the  face indicate abdominal trouble.
 Paleness, with cold ears, a sharp nose, and a sunken
 look to the temples  constitute what  has been called
 the Hippocratic  countenance.  Such a countenance is
 unfavorable.  Wrinkling of  the forehead indicates
 brain  trouble, as also  do firmly  contracted eyelids.
 Sleeping with the eyelids only partially closed is not
 good.  A  pinched nose, and rapid movements of the
 wings of the  nose are unpromising.  Shrunken cheeks
 and an emaciated appearance of the face and tem-
ples may  be  regarded  as serious signs in chronic dis-
eases and  in acute bowel troubles.
                    The Position.
   Quietude with great weakness in acute fevers is un-
favorable, unless such quietude is resorted  to from
fear of  pain or  for enforced rest.  Quietude with 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
123
strength and  consciousness is good.   Inability to lie
down indicates heart or lung troubles, and is unfavor-
able if persistent.   Lying constantly on the back de-
notes abdominal tenderness.  A position on the abdo-
men  indicates pain  in that region; and  lying on the
right side may  be resorted to in organic heart trouble.
Tossing about occurs during pain.  Sliding down in the
bed during  a  serious sickness, is a most  unfavorable
sign.  •

                       Sleep.
  When natural, sleep is encouraging and should be
obtained if  possible. Sleeplessness is unpromising, un-
less caused by local pains from difficulties  not of them-
selves serious.  Uneasiness in sleeping  is  bad; sud-
denly waking soon after going to sleep may indicate
heart troubles.  Intestinal irritations, such as worms,
may cause sudden startings in sleep with confusion of
the mind.   Unusually long and heavy sleep indicates
pressure on the brain.  A very long and  easy sleep
after restlessness or pain and during convalescence is
favorable.   A very profound sleep, termed sopor, coma
or lethargy  is always bad, especially  when it follows
convulsions or delirium.

                    The Nerves.
  Delirium is usually a bad sign, though it is to be ex-
pected during even  slight fever in nervous children,
and in all acute cases delirium coming and going with
the rise and fall of temperature  need not be regarded
seriously.   Delirium following hemorrhage or profuse
sweating, accompanied with prostration and paleness,
is bad.   Furious delirium may occur during high fever,
and a low,  muttering delirium (a serious thing) often
occurs in low grades of fever.  A quiet delirium with
sinking pulse is bad; as also is  the sudden cessation
of delirium  with continued unnatural pulse and respi-
rations.  Quiet and natural  sleep after delirium  is
always good.

                        Pain.
  A fixed pain denotes a derangement at one special
point; and the sharper the pain the deeper the seat of 
124         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
trouble.  Continuous pain shows persistent  obstruc-
tion, and a  tendency to suppuration.  Increase of
pain by  pressure indicates  inflammation.  In colic,
neuralgia and simple irritation, pressure does not in-
crease  pain, but often diminishes it.  Remitting pain is
usually not unfavorable.   Absence of pain in troubles
that should be painful, denotes pressure on the brain.
The sudden abatement of pain, while other serious
symptoms continue, is bad.   Pain in the front of the
head indicates intestinal or liver derangement, unless
known to be from catarrh.  Great mental exertion or
sympathetic  irritation may  cause  pain in the fore-
head.  Pain in the top of the head denotes sexual dis-
orders, or may accompany hypochondria or hysteria.
  Restlessness is unfavorable  during acute troubles,
except occurring  just  before  a  critical  discharge.
General uneasiness precedes the reaction of fever, and
when long continued points  to extensive obstruction.
Anxiety about the  heart during respiration indicates
organic  disease  of  that organ.  A feeling  of local
anxiety after acute pain points to suppuration; or in
typhoid or nervous fevers it precedes  great prostra-
tion.
            CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
       Precautions which Should Be Observed.
  In any case of contagious disease the patient should
be placed in a room apart from the rooms occupied by
other members of the family.  Where it is possible
the adjoining room, between the sick-room  and other
rooms on the same floor, should be completely emptied
and  its doors  and windows  kept open as much as
practicable.
  The sick-room should be large, easily aired and have
a good sunlight  exposure.   The patient must have
plenty of fresh air night and day.  Sunshine and fresh
air are potent remedial agencies in any contagious
disease.  If possible, when the weather is too cool for
open windows, heat the room with an open fire.  If
there is a fire-place have a fire in it, even if other heat
must be used.   A stove makes the worst kind of  heat 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        125
for the sick-room.  If it must be used keep a pan or a
kettle of water on it.   Place the bed near the center of
the room without letting the air blow directly on the
patient.

                     Isolation.
  If the room connects with others  which must  be
occupied lock all the doors but one  for exit and  en-
trance,  and fasten to their frames—top and sides—
sheets of cheap cotton cloth, kept wet with a disin-
fecting  fluid.  These sheets must be long enough to
allow two or  three inches to lie on  the  floor.  This
will prevent the contagion from getting  into the  ad-
joining rooms through the crevices of the doors.  Over
the door to be used the sheet on the outside must not
be tacked at the bottom nor along  the  full length of
the lock-side of the frame, but  about five feet may be
left free to be pushed aside; this sheet must  also be
long enough to lie  in folds on the floor and must be
kept wet with the disinfectant.
  No  article  of furniture—carpets, rugs,  curtains, or-
naments, books, etc.—except the things actually nec-
essary for the care and  comfort of  the patient should
be left in the sick-room.  Exclude cats, dogs and other
pets, including birds, from the room, since these  are
liable to  contract and carry some of the contagious
diseases.
  No person except the strictly necessary attendants
should  be allowed  to enter the  sick-room.  These
should  wear only such clothing as can be washed in
boiling water;  especially avoid garments  made of
rough woolen material.  The hands should be rinsed
in a disinfecting fluid immediately  after  every atten-
tion to  the  patient.  The attendants should  avoid
inhaling the patient's breath; and in case of diphtheria
or croup,  if  the  patient  coughs in the  attendant's
face she should notify the physician as soon as prac-
ticable.
                    Cleanliness.
  The floor of the sick-room must  not be dry-swept.
If it becomes necessary to sweep, first  sprinkle  the
floor thoroughly with t ea-leaves or sawdust wet with 
126
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
a strong disinfectant—and burn the sweepings at once.
Instead of sweeping, it is better  to go over the floor
with a  mop or cloth wrung  out  of the disinfectant.
And instead of dusting, all accessible surfaces—as of
doors, wainscots,  window frames and  ledges, tables,
chairs,  and exposed parts of  the bed-frame—should be
wiped off at least once a day—door-knobs oftener—
with a cloth dampened with  the disinfectant.
  All dishes and table utensils used in the sick-room
must be washed in boiling water  or rinsed  in a disin-
fecting fluid before being taken from the room.  Boil-
ing water is  entirely sufficient and is preferable, on
account of the  usual disinfecting fluid being highly
poisonous and tarnishing silverware.
  A sufficient quantity of good disinfectant should be
kept in the  sick-room in a  wooden pail, slop  jar or
or other vessel—not metal—and into this all towels,
napkins, handkerchiefs, pillow-slips, sheets, etc., and
all articles of  clothing  used in the  room,  must be
dipped and wrung out before removal. They should
be  taken to the laundry while still wet and there be
thoroughly boiled before they dry.

                     Discharges.
  The night vessel  should be kept one-third full of a
strong disinfectant fluid, to be emptied not sooner than
half an hour after each use,  and then immediately re-
supplied  with fresh fluid.   All discharges should be
disinfected in this way before  being emptied  into
water-closets or otherwise disposed of. This is espe-
cially important in typhoid fever.
  In  diphtheria,  scarlet  fever,   membranous croup,
measles, or whooping cough—all  discharges from the
mouth and nose should be received upon pieces of old
soft cotton or  linen, worn  handkerchiefs,  etc.,  and
burned  at once.  Do not allow a cuspidor or other spit-
vessel  to be used  in the sick-room, and especially do
not  allow the patient to spit on the floor.  If  this
should  accidentally happen, wash the place immedi-
ately with a strong disinfectant.

                   After Recovery.
  When the case is ended, soak all  sheets, pillow-slips, 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.         127
towels and  other washable  articles  in the room, in
strong disinfectant and remove them while wet to the
laundry, to be boiled at least thirty minutes.  Sprinkle
thoroughly all surfaces of pillows and of the mattress
with strong disinfectant and. then carry into the open
air, to be exposed to sunshine for at least six hours—
frequently turning the articles.  Mattresses and pil-
lows should be burned or sterilized by heat if soiled
by discharges from the patient.
  Wash the floor and  all wood-work, first,  with a
strong disinfectant and immediately after with hot wa-
ter and German  green soap—to  be had at the drug
store.  Treat the  furniture  in the same way.   Brush
the ceiling and walls thoroughly with the disinfectant
and  then re-paper or calcimine, after two or three
days'exposure by open doors and  windows.  Do not
neglect closets, shelves, ledges, cornices, or other sur-
faces on which dust may settle.
  If  the above advice is carefully followed there will
be no necessity for fumigating the rooms with  sul-
phur.
  The objects  of  this advice are two-fold:  First, to
facilitate the  recovery of the  patient.   Second, to
prevent other members of the  family from contract-
ing the disease.
  It is confidently believed that both these ends will
be attained wherever these instructions are faithfully
carried out.
                 DISINFECTION.

          Articles Useful for the Purpose.
  The  destruction of the poisonous products of de-
composition and disease is termed disinfection.  Vari-
ous methods and agents are employed for the accom-
plishment of this  purpose,  and each year new  sub-
stances are devised and placed upon the market as
disinfectants; so there are an almost endless variety to
choose from.  Many of these are highly poisonous and
too dangerous to be employed for household purposes;
many others are so expensive that they are on that ac-
count excluded  from general use.  It is not necessary 
128
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
tnat a disinfectant should be offensive in order to be
effective, though most  disinfectants do possess dis-
agreeable qualities.  As a rule it is the best plan to use
the disinfectant which is least dangerous, provided its
powers are sufficiently strong to  answer the purpose.
The following may be mentioned as within the reach
of all:

  Chlorine Gas.—This is one of the most powerful
of disinfectants and may be obtained very cheaply.
It is a  greenish and highly irritating gas given off
from chloride of  lime and most abundantly so when
that article is mixed with an acid.  But on account of
its irritating properties chlorine cannot be used in
rooms where persons  are confined. It is best em-
ployed to disinfect a room where  there has been an in-
fectious  disease.  For  this  purpose place at least a
pound and a half of chloride of lime in a large vessel
and pour upon it three pints of  vinegar, taking care
not to inhale the gas which  is  rapidly given off.  All
doors and windows must be tightly closed and the gas
allowed  to remain in  the  room four or five  hours.
Colored  articles of clothing will  usually  be faded
by chlorine, which is an objection.  A  pound  of sul-
phuric acid in a quart of water (slowly mixed) will be
better than vinegar to  pour  on the chloride of lime,
though more dangerous to handle.

  Chloride of Lime.—This familiar article can be ob-
tained in pound and half-pound packages.   Its virtue
depends upon the chlorine liberated from it.  This is
given off slowly when  the chloride of lime is spread
over a plate or surface so as  to be  acted upon by the
carbonic acid gas of the atmosphere.  It is a most ex-
cellent disinfectant for  cellars, vaults and  damp and
unhealthy places.  Care must be taken in using it in
the cellar lest too great a quantity of the gas perme-
ate the house and prove irritating to the inmates.

  Chloride of Zinc (Burnett's  Solution) is a powerful
agent, although dangerous.

  Chloride of Iron is valuable, although too expen-
sive for common use. 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.        129
  Chloride of Arsenic and Chloride of Antimony are
powerful disinfectants, but they are highly dangerous
and should not be used about the house.

  Chloride of Sodium is the technical name for com-
mon salt.  It  is excellent to prevent putrefaction of
animal substances, but  is not strong enough for pur-
poses of disinfection.

  Carbolic Acid.—This is an offensive smelling chem-
ical extensively used for disinfection, nearly altogether
in the form of solution.  It is a very mild disinfectant,
and is not to be compared with the powers of sulphur
gas and  chlorine.  Its  powerful  odor will  overcome
other disagreeable odors  and be serviceable  in that
way.  It is a dangerous article and  many deaths have
accidentally occurred  from  its being employed.  It
will corrode the skin with which it may come in con-
tact.

  Creosote very much resembles carbolic acid and is
of more value in arresting putrefaction than in disin-
fection.   Very weak solutions are used.

  Copperas.—This is  also known  as green vitriol or
sulphate of iron.   Its solution, two pounds to a gallon
of water, is a most valuable and powerful  disinfectant
to pour  into offensive  drains,  vaults, etc.  A jug of
this solution kept in the sick room is excellent to use
on offensive discharges of all kinds.  It is very cheap
and should be freely  used in drains and vaults.  It
easily stains clothing and vessels and for that reason
is often  objectionable  about the house.   It  has no
odor.

  Charcoal.—This article has the power of  absorb-
ing gases, and may be used  to great advantage.  A
sieve  filled with broken charcoal and placed  over an
open sewer trap will render it inoffensive.   Finely di-
vided charcoal scattered  around a  cellar will  remove
offensive gases.  Its useful properties  in water filters
are well known.

  Corrosive Sublimate (Bi-chloride of Mercury) is a
most powerful disinfectant, but it is so highly poison-
      9 
130         A physician in the house.

ous that it should not be kept about the household.
Its solution (1 part in 2,000 of water) is  extensively
used as an antiseptic in surgery.

  Platt's Chlorides and Bromo-Chloralum are dis-
infectant  preparations extensively advertised.  They
are most  excellent, especially about the sick room;
and although comparatively expensive are preferable
to cheaper articles on account of their being almost
non-poisonous  and very convenient,  being  colorless
solutions  which  do not  stain  and which possess no
odor.

   Listerine sprayed  about  a sick room makes an
agreeable odor in the atmosphere and is mildly disin-
fectant.

   Sulphurous Gas.—There is probably no better dis-
infectant  than the gas caused  by burning sulphur.  It
is suffocating and therefore cannot be used where the
atmosphere must be breathed.   But as  a disinfectant
for rooms just occupied by persons suffering from con-
tagious or infectious  diseases it cannot be  excelled.
It is best used in the form of "Sulphur Candles,"
which are readily obtained at drug stores.  Two one-
pound candles burned in a closed room and the  gas
kept in for three or four hours will disinfect a room
containing the worst form of small pox or diphtheria
poison.  "When the sulphur candles cannot be procured,
ordinary powdered sulphur may be thrown upon burn-
ing coals  or placed in a vessel over a stove or alcohol
lamp.  Sulphur and chlorine cannot be used together,
as they form a compound.

   Sulphate of Zinc.—This is also unown as white
vitriol. It is the most valuable of all disinfectants
for disinfection of clothing.  Clothes worn by persons
suffering  from contagious or  infectious diseases, as
well  as their  bed clothing should be soaked for at
least forty-eight hours in water containing sulphate of
zinc.

   Sulphite of Soda.—This is too mild to  use as a
general disinfectant, but it serves a useful purpose in 
life and its preservation.
131
preventing putrefaction in  discharges and other sub-
stances.

  Sulpho-Naphthol.—This preparation is cheap and
very efficient and possesses a not disagreeable odor.  It
is  excellent  when placed in water used for washing
walls and floors.  It is comparatively  harmless and
may be used with safety. There is no reason why this
should not become a most  popular article, for it pos-
sesses strength and agreeableness and is inexpensive.

  Thymol is a most pleasant though rather expensive
disinfectant  for  the  sick room.   Put one drachm in
four ounces of alcohol  and  when dissolved add a gal-
lon of  w7ater.  Sprinkled freely over  the floor and
about the bed it will be found agreeable and effectual.

  Coffee.—Ordinary coffee, browned and ground, is a
most excellent disinfectant  and one which is obtain-
able quickly in nearly every house.  Of course its
powers are not  great  when compared with many of
the pronounced  disinfectants, but for ordinary pur-
poses it is excellent.  It is  used  by simply sprinkling
some of the ground coffee upon a hot stove or upon a
red-hot shovel.  The odor is not disagreeable and for
that reason it can be used in the  sick room, especially
to overcome the odor of offensive discharges.

  Sugar.—With many  the  burning of sugar answers
the purpose of disinfection  in mild cases.   It is cheap
and convenient,  but  cannot be  relied upon  in con-
tagious diseases, although it may be used advantage-
ously to overcome disagreeable odors.
         RULES  FOR PROPER LIVING.
                    Breathing.
I.  Breathe pure air.
  There is nothing more abundant than air; it is the
requisite environment of  mankind.  It enters  the
lungs, carrying with it the principle of life;  it enters
the pores of the skin, and is indispensable to existence.
When it is laden with  impurities these are carried into 
132         A physician in the house.
the system and deposited to produce disease or to pre-
vent the natural performance of functions.

II.  Eat pure food.
  Tissues are builded and life sustained by the food
taken  into the body.  Impure foods produce disease
and choke up the system.  Avoid adulterated foods as
you would poison.  These adulterated  foods  are
everywhere upon the market.  Take nothing on faith,
but first be satisfied  it is pure.  He  who  sells you
adulterated food is destroying your body for his per-
sonal gain.  You must not permit it.

III.  Eat properly.
  It is  not enough to choose pure food; it  must be
eaten as Nature intended it should.  Use the teeth to
grind it well; mix the saliva with it thoroughly and do
not destroy its value by mixing it with improper sub-
stances.  Choose a properly diversified diet.

IV.  Drink pure water.
  Remember that  water laden with lime or various
other mineral substances  cannot act as the solvent of
bodily  impurities which  drinking  water should  be.
Cold distilled  wTater is best.   If  it cannot be obtained,
use boiled and filtered water.   Use  plenty  of water;
it will permeate every part of the body, and by its
solvent  properties,  dissolve  and carry  away  the
earthy impurities which are the cause of much disease
and of premature  old age  and early death.  Avoid
wines and alcoholic liquors.  Drink no tea or coffee—
they are  abominations  that few can use without in-
jury.   Their use is a habit and never a necessity.

V.  Keep the body clean.
  It is indispensable that the whole body should be
kept clean, so  that the functions of the  skin  may be
properly performed and  effete material carried off
through this medium.

VI.  Exercise properly.
  Activity within reasonable  limits  is necessary  for
proper  development, perfect  living  and  old age.
Never  strain the muscles, but  let every one of them
be used sufficiently  to insure their healthy condition. 
LIFE AND ITS PRESERVATION.
133
VII.  Be cheerful.
  Worry wears worse than work, and a morose dispo-
sition is fatal to  health.  Laugh and grow fat, and
look upon the bright side of everything at all times.

VIII. Let no poison enter the body.
  Every poison, whether taken from habit  or  as  a
medicine is stamped as a destroyer of health  and life.
Division of  the  dose will not alter its  inherent de-
structive properties.  Nature has supplied an abun-
dance of harmless means for overcoming disease.

IX.  Have no evil habits.
  The use of wines and alcoholic  liquors and of to-
bacco and other narcotics are habits which tend to de-
stroy health. Then there are many  other habits
which tend to degrade the mind and body. All  must
be abandoned, for perfect self control is a most im-
portant factor for health.

X.   Take appropriate rest.
  The body must have seasons of perfect  rest for re-
pair and recuperation.   Such seasons of rest should be
regularly allowed.  Sleep is tired nature's sweet re-
storer and cannot  be dispensed with. Do not carry
your cares and anxieties to bed.  Acquire the power
of going to sleep almost as soon as  the head touches
the pillow.

XL  Avoid strife and passion.
  Anger is an all-consuming fire which weakens the
seat of mental activity and saps the strength  from the
body.  Swear not at all, and live peaceably  with all
mankind.
          DISEASE  AND MEDICATION.
     General Characteristics and  Classification.
  Proper living, hygienic surroundings, good habits,
pure food and water, cleanliness, temperance in all
things exercise, fresh air, a good conscience and con-
tented' mind,  sociability and the enjoyment within
bounds of natural pleasures, together with the avoid-
ance of anger, grief and strains of all kinds will in- 
134         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sure long life, health and  happiness without the use
of drugs.  And even, when through the impossibility
of  avoiding  disease on account  of forced  circum-
stances, it actually endangers life, will-power and hy-
gienic  methods, directed by a proper knowledge of
the character of the disorder, will often  be all suffi-
cient to aid Nature in her efforts to restore the normal
condition of affairs within  the organism.  But, unfor-
tunately,  very few have attained that knowledge and
degree of control  over the will  to enable them to ex-
ercise  it  for  the  eradication of  disease; and other
methods must be  resorted to in order to bring about
the desired effect.
  The  employment of any agency which will aid Na-
ture in her restorative efforts during disease is termed
Medication.  By  many  it is believed that  in every
habitable locality may  be found remedies sufficient to
overcome the diseases peculiar to that locality.  It is
a pity  that this belief is not  universal;  for the multi-
plicity of so-called remedies increases every year; and
not content with using  roots and herbs and barks and
minerals of all kinds from every locality of the globe,
druggists and chemists  and physicians are constantly
concocting new agents  in the laboratory to  swell the
list and add to the confusion of  the  practice of medi-
cine.  And  so poisonous and dangerous  are many of
the agents employed in modern practice that their use
by the laity becomes an impossibility, and  their use
by the profession should be prohibited by general pub-
lic opinion.
  But  wTere it not for  the mystery surrounding the
use  of death-producing  substances in disease, the
medical  profession would soon cease to hold over the
people the  power  they now  assume.   And it  is a
question  whether we should consider the  continued
use of  violent poisons  by  the  medical profession as
due to their ignorance or to their  adherence through
reverence to the so-called mysteries of the dark ages.
In  all  instances  where  disease disappears  and nor-
mal conditions return Nature accomplishes the work
by well established  laws—laws which as yet are not
fully understood,  but of  which enough is  known to
enable us to render aid. 
DISEASES AND  TREATMENT.
             ABDOMEN IN DISEASE.

    Tenderness. Local and General Enlargement.
  The abdomen is the  portion of the body between
 the chest and pelvis, and encloses the large  cavity
 containing the digestive and urinary organs  and a
 portion of the generative organs.  It is evident that
 many conditions of the organs mentioned will  pro-
 duce noticeable abdominal symptoms, and the  obser-
 vation of these and of their particular localities and
 characteristics will often  lead to the recognition of
 the seat and nature of diseased conditions.
  Tenderness usually  denotes  inflammation.  If the
 tenderness is superficial the muscular structures only
 are involved; but if it is deep seated and increased by
 continued pressure the internal organs are affected.
  Local  enlargement of the abdomen is very frequent.
 If it is in the upper and center portion, the stomach
 is usually affected.  If it is upon the right  side, the
 liver is involved.  If  it is  upon the left side spleenic
 trouble  should be suspected.  If it is  toward the
 groins,  ovarian troubles or appendicitis or obstruc-
 tions  of the  bowels  may be the cause.  If it is low
 down, the bladder  or the womb may be the source of
 trouble.
  General enlargement of the abdomen may be  due to
 inflammations of the  bowels or womb or peritoneum
 (peritonitis).  Dropsy may also give general enlarge-
ment;  but in that case a doughy feeling and fluctua-
tion may be readily  recognized.  Pregnancy will, of 
136
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
course, enlarge the abdomen, and in  the cases of wo-
men, must always be borne in mind when  no  other
cause of the enlargement is manifest.
  Many acute  diseases are at times  accompanied by
abdominal enlargements, and  such enlargements are
usually of   serious  import.  They not infrequently
occur in typhus and typhoid fever.  But  it must be
remembered that  abdominal  enlargement does not
always signify serious  difficulties;  for instance,  it
usually accompanies ordinary colic, from the  intes-
tines being distended with gas.
  Treatment.—It is evident that no general treatment
can be given for the removal of abdominal symptoms,
as they may be the result of a variety of causes which
must be removed according to the treatment given for
the diseases of the special organs affected.  But, as a
rule, tenderness  and pain in the abdomen, accompa-
nied by enlargement may be relieved by the outward
application of stimulating liniments or washes, or the
laying on of flannel cloths wrung out of hot water, or
the application of  mustard  or  capsicum plasters.
Such relief would, of course, be but  temporary when
deep  seated organs  are involved. To resort to the
use of  hypodermic  injections  or other  methods of
using opiates, would be more detrimental than bene-
ficial.
  Abdominal Dropsy.—This condition is technically
known as Ascites.   It  is usually dependent upon dis-
eases of the liver or portal  vein, or of the kidney or
the peritoneal  membranes of the  abdomen.  In all
cases the accumulation of fluid is the direct  result of
pressure  upon the veins.  For descriptions of symp-
toms and treatment, see article on Dropsy.
             ABDOMINAL  INJURIES.
     Bruises, Contusions, Incisions, Lacerations.
  The abdomen is liable to be injured in various ways;
and if extensive injuries are neglected or improperly
treated  fatal results may follow.   Falls and blows 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
137
upon the abdomen  may cause but slight external in-
dications while they may severely injure  internal or-
gans.   Deep seated pain, especially of a dull charac-
ter, increased  by pressure, and following an injury to
the abdomen,  would point  to internal difficulty.
When pain becomes intense and of a throbbing nature,
preceded by chills and some fever, several days after
the injury, internal  abscess should be suspected.
  Incised  wounds and larcerations are extremely lia-
ble to produce peritonitis, which is fully described
under the  article on Peritonitis.   In all such cases the
greatest precautions  for quietude and  cleanliness
should be taken, and  the case placed in the hands of
a skilful surgeon at once.
  Bruises  and  contusions require immediate applica-
tions of cold compresses; but if these have been neg-
lected in the start hot compresses are best along with
applications of stimulating liniment.
  Abortion.—This accident not infrequently happens
during the course of  acute  or  chronic diseases.  It is
especially liable to occur during small-pox, relapsing
fever, bilious-remittent fever, syphilis, St. Vitus dance
and  infectuous  diseases.  Its proper  treatment  is
given in the article on Abortion in the section on Dis-
eases of Women.
                    ABSCESS.
  Acute and Chronic, Superficial and Deep-Seated.
  An abscess is an accumulation of pus at some  par ■
ticular spot, the pus being formed by the degeneration
of tissue the result of  congestion.  Abscess may be
caused by obstructions to the  circulation, injury, irri-
tation from foreign bodies or the absorption of poison,
as in dissection work.
                  Acute Abscess.
  Symptoms.— The formation of an abscess is preceded
by pain, inflammation, redness, heat and swelling and
in deep-seated abscess there may  be general fever—
the temperature perhaps reaching 104°.  The swelling, 
138         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
hard  at first,  gradually softens before destruction
commences.  The  brighter  the redness the  smaller
will be the abscess, and the softer the feeling and the
darker the appearance the more extensive will be the
destruction of tissue.  When pus begins to form there
is usually a pronounced  chill  and a local throbbing,
with' increasing and constant pain.   The pus always
endeavors to get to the surface, causing elevation and
a point  to  be raised which eventually ulcerates and
bursts, allowing the pus to be naturally discharged.
The deeper seated the abscess the longer will it be  in
"coming to a head," and the more liable is the pus  to
become  poisonous.  Thick yellow   pus is  termed
'' healthy,'' and after it is discharged healing is usually
rapid.   Thin, greenish or watery pus  is always bad,
indicating prostration and difficulty  in after healing.
  Treatment.—If there is much  fever, sweating should
be  induced, by  the  use  of  diffusive  drinks, such  as
ginger and sage or pleurisy root tea.  In  large ab-
scess where the surface is dark, composition (see form-
ulas) should be used freely.  Poultices of ground flax
seed, sprinkled over with lobelia and golden seal will
hasten pus toward the surface.  After an abscess  is
opened  dressing of poultices  are usually  sufficient.
Keep the wound open by gentle pressure occasionally,
and if there is a tendency to degeneration, shown by a
dark look  of the  part, compound tincture  of myrrh
should be  used freely around  the opening,  and when
the pus is poisonous, the tincture diluted can be in-
jected  into the wround  by a  small  syringe.  Deep
seated or extensive abscesses should be opened with a
thin and sharp pointed surgical knife as soon as pus
forms, taking great care to avoid injuring blood ves-
sels and important structures.

                 Chronic Abscess.
  When the system is in an unhealthy condition dur-
ing an ordinary abscess, a chronic abscess may result.
Scrofulous persons are liable to be such sufferers. Decay
of a bone, or of  a small particle of bone broken off by
fracture may likewise cause chronic abscess.   The du-
ration of such a trouble  is  very  protracted, possibly
continuing for years.  When  caused by  bone decay 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
139
there is usually considerable  pain, and when there is
an involvement of the nerve, spasms are liable to occur.
Chronic abscesses may burrow into important struct-
ures and  cause death,  or decomposition of pus may
cause fatal trouble, preceded by hectic fever, septi-
caemia, etc.
  Treatment.—Ascertain the  cause  and remove it if
possible.   Pieces of decayed bone should be extracted.
If  there  is  a tendency  to septicaemia, composition
should be used freely, and the compound tincture of
myrrh externally and internally.  Do  not  open  such
abscesses prematurely.  Let the diet be  plain but
nourishing, and keep the bowels open and  the habits
regular and temperate.

          Abscesses in Special Localities.
  An abscess may form in any organ as a result of in-
jury or disease or obstructions  to  free circulation.
The brain, stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, bowels and
lungs are especially liable to abscesses, and descrip-
tions of these difficulties and their treatment are given
in the articles upon diseases  of those organs.  Faecal
abscess is mentioned under Appendicitis,  and strum-
ous abscess in the article on Scrofula.
  Acid Poisoning.—See article on Poisons.

  Acholia.—This signifies a deficiency of bile, result-
ing from disease of the liver and causing constipation
and other symptoms  mentioned in  the article on  Dis-
eases of the Liver.
                      ACNE.
  Blackheads, Pimples, Flesh Worms, Whiskey Nose.
  There are several forms of  skin disease included
under the general  name  of  Acne.  They are never
fatal, but  are  very annoying, and  cause the afflicted
person to  present an unsightly appearance.  The dif-
ficulty is also very persistent, often baffling every en-
deavor to  overcome it. 
140
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Acne Punctata is caused by a retention in the skin
of the secretion of the sebaceous glands.   This secre-
tion chokes up the little ducts and becomes hardened.
These ducts are situated alongside of the  hair folli-
cles.  The tips of the little masses of hardened secre-
tion become black when exposed to the air, giving
rise to the ordinary name of black heads or flesh worms.
Some suppose these are actual worms in the skin, and
they do look very much like them, for by pressure the
ducts may be emptied of their contents, which  look
like yellowish worms with black heads.   This form of
acne  is most common between  the ages of fourteen
and twenty-five,  and usually makes its appearance
over the face, and  sometimes on the chest and  back.
Sometimes the retained secretion  is deeper  seated
wiiere air and dirt cannot reach it, and it remains
white.
   Treatment.—Permanent relief  can not be obtained
until the system  is regulated.  Over eating and im-
proper  diet are often causes.  Eating fats or cheese
or rich foods usually aggravate the trouble.  Com-
pound  Syrup of  Stillingia  is an excellent internal
remedy.  Locally much may often be accomplished.
Unskillful squeezing out  of the '' worms,''  is  more
detrimental than beneficial on account  of  increasing
the inflammation present.  First apply  over the  af-
fected part a cloth wrung out of very hot water, let it
remain a few minutes to  relax the structures, then
gently squeeze out the accumulations, taking care not
to abrade the skin by pins  or finger nails, then  apply
cloths wet with cold water and extract of witch hazel
in which borax has been dissolved.

   Acne Rosacea,  often  spoken  of  as  "whiskey
nose," is a condition  of enlargement and redness  al-
most invariably at the tip of  the nose, often causing
the skin  to  look mottled by the dark  blood  in the
minute  venous capillaries of the parts.   Indulgence in
alcoholic liquors is the usual cause,  though derange-
ments through the system of special organs, such as
the kidneys, liver and womb, may be indicated by its
appearance.  From whatever cause, this unsightly ap-
pearance of the nose is very  annoying. 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          141
   Treatment.—If from alcoholic drinking, it is an indi-
 cation that should at  once force the drinker to aban-
 don his habit; for acne rosacea always indicates that
 damage is being  done some organ or organs of the
 body.  When caused by diseases of the kidneys,  liver
 cr other organic difficulty, the seat of the derange-
 ment must be found and attended to as mentioned un-
 der  general  diseases.   Often this condition lasts for
 life  despite all treatment, and occasionally it is seem-
 ingly inherited.   Locally, but little  can be accom-
 plished.  An ointment of sulphur and  a very little
 boracic acid rubbed up in vaseline could be applied.

   Acne Vulgaris very much resembles punctata and
 appears at the same places, but is a more aggravating
 difficulty.  The retained secretions cause inflammation
 of a high degree, and as a result there is hardening of
 the parts or nodules formed in the skin, or else suppu-
 ration or pustules.  Bad habits may  cause acne vul-
 garis, but not always.   Persons of  scrofulous tenden-
 cies are most prone  to  be  affected.  The  disease
 rarely exists or continues after the  twenty-fifth year.
  Treatment.— Constitutional  treatment, as the use of
 Compound Syrup of Stillingia, is good.  Locally use
 the  treatment for  acne punctata, but  if the  pustules
 are profuse or the tissues hardened  and swollen, as is
 usually the case, a thin lancet should be plunged into
 the seat of each induration and then a rubber " cup "
 applied to draw out the pus  and  congested  blood.
 This is  a most effectual method and  should be  per-
 sisted in until relief is  obtained.

  Acne  Sycosis is  a form  of  acne attacking the
 hairy portions of the skin.   Little  tubercles or  pus-
 tules are formed by suppuration of  the hair  follicles,
 and the exudated pus,  drying in masses, forms scabs
 in which the hair becomes matted.   Acne sycosis  usu-
 ally occurs on the chin in the follicles of  the beard,
 from which it gets its  name  of "Barbers' Itch." It
 often follows eczema.   After the scabs come off scars
are left, upon which hair does not again grow, causing
 an unsightly appearance.  By some this is regarded
as a  parasitic disease.   It  is contagious, and razors, 
142         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

combs, tov/els, etc., used by sufferers from it should
be carefully kept from others.  This  disease of  itself
is never fatal, though erysipelas may follow.
  Treatment.—It  must be treated  about the same as
acne punctata, though more energetically.   The hairs
about the roots of which pustules are formed should
be  drawn  out early,  and the pustules themselves
pricked as soon as they "come to a head."  Persons
afflicted  with barber's itch should keep well shaven
and very cleanly.  Borax and ammonia dissolved in
water can be used freely to advantage.  The follow-
ing ointment is of great benefit:   Take sublimed sul-
phur, 40 grains; starch, 1 drachm,   and  mix  thor-
oughly, then add to it glycerine, 1 fluid ounce; borax,
20 grains, previously heated together; rub all these to
the consistence of ointment with vaseline.   Occasion-
ally persons afflicted with acne sycosis  bear the ap-
pearance at first glance  of those afflicted with small-
pox or with syphilis.  But it may be  always readily
known because it attacks only hairy  parts.  Persons
who never  shave may have the  disease, and women
may have the difficulty make  its appearance among
the hairs of the temples.
  Aconite Poisoning.—See Poisons.

  Acrodynia.—Painful Joints.—Acrodynia is a name
given to a  peculiarly painful  disease  affecting the
joints, causing  swelling of the wrists and ankles, ac-
companied by an eruption and fever.  It is mentioned
by several authors as identical  with  breakbone fever
or dengue, which is described elsewhere.
                 ACROMEGALY.
               Enlargement of  Bones.
  This is an unusual disease, in which the prominences
upon the bony structures of the body become enlarged
to an enormous extent.  The growth may  be rapid or
extend over several years.   The lower jaw and the
feet and  hands are chiefly affected,  though any bony
prominence may be involved.  The nose and ears may 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
143
at the same time greatly increase  in size.  The skin
and muscles of the body remain unchanged,  which
causes the morbid growths to  appear fiideous.  The
sufferer grows distressed and his mind weakens.  He
usually leans his  enlarged head forward, presenting
an ungainly sight as it is carried between his enorm-
ous  shoulders.   Nothing is known regarding the cause
of the trouble, and no method of alleviation has yet
been devised.  The patient may live for years, though
he is an easy prey to fatal disease; if not, exhaustion
eventually causes death.
               ACTINOMYCOSIS.

          Disease  from Vegetable Fungus.
  This disease belongs  properly to animals,  and  is
caused by a fungus growth being established in the
tissues and causing irritation and suppuration.  Man
cannot easily catch the disease directly from animals,
the fungus requiring nourishment from vegetable fibre
before it is dangerous to human  beings; for that rea-
son persons much about horses or cattle may become
afflicted by  the habit of eating bits of straws or hay
taken from  the manger.  The fungus is made up of
masses of  very small particles, and  altogether looks
like a minute yellow  chrysanthemum.  The spores
may  get into the stomach or intestines or  the lungs
and cause fatal  abscesses.  Usually  they are confined
to the tissues beneath  the jaw. Abscesses  formed
have  a tendency to  open outwTard.   If they can be
evacuated and the sacs thoroughly cleansed, recovery
will  follow; but if  they are too deeply internal to be
accessible the case is  hopeless.   Treatment consists
of outward applications  of  compound  tincture  of
myrrh, and the free  internal use of composition  in-
fusion.
             ADDISON'S DISEASE.
   Bronzed Skin.  Degeneration of  Renal Caosule.
  By many this is known as bronzed skin.   It is a dis-
ease of the capsules over the kidneys—they undergo 
144
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
cheesy degeneration and themselves become dark, en-
larged and hardened.  The cause of the disease is not
definitely known, but it is often present during cancer
or tuberculosis.
  Symptoms.—Great prostration and a  bronzed  olive-
green hue to the skin are the prominent characteristics.
The whites of the eyes assume a  pearly look.  The
hands and feet become spotted, and dark spots may be
seen about the mouth and on the lips.   The heart beat
is usually very feeble, especially in protracted cases.
There is dyspepsia and pain over the stomach and in
the back. Obstinate diarrhoea and vomiting may be
present.   Epilepsy  or dementia  may  occur before
death.
   Treatment.—As far as known this disease is always
fatal.  Symptoms point to methods that might be re-
sorted to for relief of  diarrhoea,  dyspepsia, etc.  Hy-
gienic surroundings, nourishing food, frequent  baths
and the use of tonics may prolong life, but recovery
cannot be hoped for.
  Adenitis.—See article on Gland Fever.

  Adenoma. — Small  Tumors. — These  are  morbid
growths developed from tissues of glands; they are
usually common around the throat  and are  about the
size of a  bean or pea.  They are  of  no  importance.
The  same character of growth  may  be  found  else-
wiiere involving glands that are important.  See poly-
pus,  bronchocele,  cysts, tumors.
                 AGOROPHOBIA.

            Abnormal Fear of Strangers.
  This is a species of nerve exhaustion, or rather a se-
ries of symptoms designating an ill-defined weakness
of the brain or spinal cord, or of nerve-ganglia.  The
person afflicted  fears to walk  the streets  or fields
alone or to  mingle in  a  crowd of strangers,  or to
travel where unacquainted.  Such feelings are uncon-
trollable and  agonizing; they may  accompany other
diseases, or  they may be  experienced by persons in 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          145

apparently good health and  for that reason call forth
ridicule.  But it should be remembered that the feel-
ings are  the result of nervous  disturbance at some
point.
  Treatment.—Persons cannot  be forced  to overcome
these feelings,  and  children especially  should be
treated  with great kindness.  The mind must be
turned upon other thoughts and tact used in accustom-
ing the person to situations dreaded.  Diet should be
nourishing; milk and eggs are  good.  Exercise should
be regular in the open  air, and an interest awakened
that will turn the thoughts to  subjects other than self.
  Agraphia.—Inability to Write.—A condition  follow-
ing certain injuries of the brain by which the  person
afflicted loses the power of conveying his thoughts in
writing.  He may even be unable to form a single let-
ter of the alphabet and still realize his inability.
                      AGUE.
       Intermittent Fever.  Chills and Fever.
  Malaria (bad air) is responsible for the great num-
ber of cases of ague.   The precise nature of the spe-
cific poison which causes ague is not fully known; but
it  is generally believed  to  be a vegetable spore, the
breathing of which into the lungs causes the poison
to enter the circulation and produce disease—the nerv-
ous system, the  liver and the spleen suffering most.
Under the title of Malaria more will be found concern-
ing this specific poison.
  Ague  proper,  or intermittent  fever, is a  disease
which, during its  course, manifests itself in parox-
ysms which occur at regular  intervals.  The disease is
most common in  the fall, though when once the poison
saturates  the  system ague  may manifest itself  at
other times.
  Si/mpfoms.— Before  a paroxysm of ague commences
there are usually signs to warn  of its approach.
These are:  A general feeling of lassitude, constipa-
tion, loss of appetite and perhaps nausea or sensitive-
ness of the stomach,  a dull headache and dull aching
     10 
146         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

pains in the lower part of the  back and possibly in
the joints, and a yellow colored fur on the tongue.
These  symptoms may last several hours or perhaps
several days, and be  followed by the paroxysm char-
acteristic of the disease, which may be described as
follows:
  (1.)  Cold Stage.—A creeping feeling along the back,
increasing to  decided chilliness, which no amount of
heat or clothing overcomes,  finally ending in a shak-
ing chill, the teeth chattering, the hands and feet like
ice, and the lips and finger tips blue, the face pinched
and the whole skin seeming  to  be shrivelled.  Great
thirst and headache are present and sometimes nausea
and vomiting. Breathing becomes  difficult, and the
pulse  small  and  rapid  and   sometimes  irregular.
Altogether the condition seems to the patient a most
deathly  one.  Its duration  varies greatly from ten
minutes to four or five  hours, when gradually (some-
times suddenly) reaction commences.
  (2.)  Hot or  Fever Stage—Usually this starts in with
alternate flushing and coldness over various parts of
the body, soon developing into intense general fever.
The face becomes red  and  hot  and the lips dry and
parched; thirst is intense and headache is violent, of-
ten causing delirium or convulsions  in children; the
urine is scanty and the pulse full  and strong, the ar-
teries of the neck seeming about to burst.   This con-
dition of high fever  may  last  from two to eighteen
hours, usually four or six hours.
  (3.)  Sweating  Stage.—Gradually the  skin becomes
moist,  and, commencing on the forehead, a warm per-
spiration breaks out and extends over the whole body,
becoming very profuse and occasionally possessing  a
peculiar odor; the urine is passed freely and often has
a reddish sediment; all the symptoms of fever subside
and the patient usually falls  asleep to awaken feeling
comparatively well and with a good  appetite.  With
the exception  of a general feeling of weakness an in-
termission (varying in duration  in different  forms of
ague) is enjoyed without any indications of disease.
  The length of  the intermission designates the class
of the  paroxysm.  (1.)  Quotidian ague gives a parox-
ysm every twenty-four hours.  (2.)  Tertian,   every 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          147
forty-eight hours, or every other day (the most  com-
mon form).   (3.)  Quartan, every seventy-two hours,
or every third day.   (4.)  Irregular ague, in which the
paroxysms seem to  have no definite time of attack.
  Treatment.—Ague and quinine or other  salts of Pe-
ruvian bark are usually associated in  the minds of
most people.  In households where ague prevails the
bottle of quinine will usually be found on  the pantry
shelf, and sole reliance is placed in from five to thirty
grains daily, in small doses, during a "spell of ague."
There is no question but that quinine or its equivalent
form of Peruvian bark will aid in treatment  of ague;
but many can not take it, and there are better methods
to be adopted.   During a first  paroxysm  little can be
done.  Always during the cold stage rest and warmth
should be provided, and, if the surface is very  blue,
composition should be  given.  During the hot stage,
hot lemonade with ginger essence or  infusion of  pleu-
risy root will  hasten the sweating stage of relief.
Commencing as soon as the fever is gone tonics should
be given in anticipation of another attack.  The fol-
lowing will be found a prescription far superior to any
salt of Peruvian bark.

    Take Fluid  Ext.  Gentian.........four drachms.
          "     "   Gohlenseal.......four drachms.
          "     "   Cascara.........two drachms.
         Salicin  ....................twenty grains.
         Camp.  Tinct. Myrrh.........one drachm.
         Simple Syrup...............eight ounces.
  Mix.   Take one teaspoonful every three hours during the
intermission, and every  hour in the day of the paroxysms
before the chill commences.

  This is bitter, but can be relied upon.  Complications
may occur  during  ague, but  they must be appropri-
ately treated.  Nourishing diet, fresh air and frequent
baths should be provided.  Removal from a  malarial
region is of course desirable.  Under all circumstances
keep the bowels from constipation.

  Dumb Ague.—Occasionally a form of ague is met
with where  the chill  or cold stage is not especially 
148          A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
marked and the other stages perhaps but feebly mani-
fested.  Great depression and dull aching being pro-
nounced  in regular  paroxysms.  Such  forms of the
trouble require  the  same  treatment as the regular
forms.

  Ague Cake.—Very often the spleen becomes enor-
mously enlarged in those persons subject  to  ague,
due to the crowding of blood upon the organs, driven
inward by the repeated chills and consequent contrac-
tions of  the  surface.  In nearly every  sufferer from
ague the spleen will  be found hardened and the liver
enlarged.

  Anemia following  Ague.—Improper condition of
the blood and excessive proportion of white corpuscles
may follow ague; giving a pronounced and continued
paleness to the  countenance.  Persons  afflicted with
ague and coming from a warm to a cold climate, per-
haps to escape malaria, are very liable upon exposure
to be attacked with pneumonia of a serious nature
and often rapidly fatal.  Such persons cannot be too
cautious  in guarding against such a difficulty.
                     ALBINO.

              Albinoism. Albinismus.
  This is a condition where the coloring material is ab-
sent from the various  tissues of the body, such as the
skin, iris, middle coat of the eye and the hair.
  Symptoms.—Partial Albinoism presents a mottled ap-
pearance  of the  skin  and is most  frequently met
among negroes.  Persons suffering from general  albi-
noism are termed  albinos, and may be  of any race.
Their skin wTill  be  found very delicate  and sensitive
and  of a  peculiar  lead white; the iris  is pink, and
there being no black coating within the eyes the pupil
will  appear red.  The  hair is very fine and a pure
white or delicate straw color.  All these appearances
manifest  themselves at birth.
  Treatment.—So far it  has been found impossible to
devise  any  beneficial treatment  for  albinoism.  Its 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
140
sufferers  are  regarded as freaks of nature, but that
does not imply that they are mentally different  from
others; only their extreme physical  sensibility is apt
to prove very annoying to them.  They are very sen-
sitive to heat and cold, and are far more  liable  than
others to suffer from disease.  For these reasons par-
ents should take exceptional precautions in guarding
albinos and in regulating their diet and clothing.
  Albuminuria.—Albumen in the Urine.—See Bright's
Disease.
                  ALCOHOLISM.

   Acute.  Chronic. Inebriety.  Delirium Tremens.
  The introduction of alcohol into the system always
produces unnatural  conditions; moderate  quantities
may cause no immediate appreciable symptoms  be-
cause vitality may be able  to  overcome the  effects,
but in every instance vitality is weakened  by the  use
of alcohol, and sooner or later must  succumb in  the
effort to overcome the effects of the poison.  When al-
cohol enters the circulation it is conveyed to every
tissue, doing damage everywhere.  It first irritates
the nerves, wmich become depressed; it interferes with
the proper  oxydation of the blood, prevents  normal
tissue changes and interferes with nutrition.

  Acute Alcoholism.—Persons  unused to drinking
alcoholic liquors, or  those who consider themselves
"moderate drinkers, " are subject to acute alcoholism,
which is commonly known  as intoxication.  It often
presents characteristics of disease wThich are  intense
and often dangerous.
  Symptoms.—After a period of excitement, drowsiness
occurs, more or less profound, and with persons accus-
tomed to drinking  recovery  soon follows.  But with
others drowsiness may run into stupor, the extremities
become icy cold, breathing is slow and stertorous, and
the heart action weak and irregular, the face livid and
the lips blue. 
150
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment.—An emetic of  mustard in  warm salt
water  should  be given,  or  the stomach pump used;
then follow by strong coffee,  arouse the  patient by
walking him about, slapping nim, or by the applica-
tion of electricity.  Dashing cold water on the head is
useful.   Follow by small doses of third preparation
of lobelia (see formulas), three drops in water; allow
quiet after recovery.

  Chronic Alcoholism.—Persons who  have  long
been accustomed to the use  of alcoholic liquors suffer
from this disease in one form or another.  All the or-
gans of the body,  chiefly the stomach and liver, be-
ing affected.  Symptoms may be summed up as follows:
  The stomach is inflamed (gastritis), there is indiges-
tion, disgust for food, nausea and thirst; retching and
vomiting in the morning of stringy mucus,  often con-
taining blood or shreds of membrane.  Ulceration of
the stomach is common.  Inflammation in the mouth,
throat and pharynx is always present.
  The  boivels are inflamed and irregular.   Stools are
very offensive and often contain blood.
  The  liver becomes altered  in character; the bile may
enter the circulation or the organ may become en-
larged and undergo fatty degeneration.
  The  substance of the  kidneys becomes inflamed or
profoundly congested.
  The heart becomes weakened and the blood  vessels
degenerate; hemorrhages in the  brain  may occur,
causing paralysis.   The nerves are shattered and will
power  is lost.   Trembling of  the  limbs and  mental
disturbances  follow.  Cowardice,  treachery and un-
truthfulness take  possesssion of  the  mind  and  the
victim  is a physical and mental wreck.
  The outward appearances  are familiar to all—bloat-
ing, redness of the face and  congested veins over the
nose and cheeks.
  Treatment.—Various combinations of poisonous drugs
have been employed to overcome the desire for drink;
such as strychnine, atropine,  daturine, chloride of gold.
etc.  These destroy the nervous system and only add
to the deplorable condition.   The only hope seems to
be to confine the victim in some retreat, and there to 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
151
 endeavor gradually to overcome the various disordered
 conditions of the liver, stomach, bowels, kidneys, etc.,
 and sustain the strength  by tonics and most nourish-
 ing food.

   Delirium Tremens.—This  usually occurs after a
 prolonged spell of drinking  in persons  already suf-
 fering from chronic alcoholism; sometimes it occurs
 with persons  not  in the  habit  of  drinking, but who
 have taken perhaps their first large drink; and again,
 persons long accustomed  to drink and wTho have been
 deprived of it may have an attack.
   Symptoms.—Premonitory symptoms are usually man-
 ifested—sleeplessness, weakness, trembling, fear, bad
 taste in  the  mouth, constipation, and bad  breath.
 The attack itself  is accompanied by  horrible delu-
 sions—usually  most violent fear of reptiles, devils or
 other objects about to destroy the victim, who en-
 deavors to escape them.  The eyes stare, the  body is
 covered with cold  perspiration, the pulse is small and
 frequent, and  violent trembling occurs.  These symp-
 toms may last several hours, and be followed by great
 physical and mental exhaustion.
   Treatment.—Perfect quiet must be secured in a room
 well  guarded, for  the patient  is liable to jump from
 the window or otherwise endeavor to  escape  imagi-
 nary enemies.   For that reason a strong nurse should
 be present.   Arguments are useless, strength  alone
 can  conquer.   Often  it is well to coincide with his
 ideas and bar  the doors  and  windows and thus en-
 courage the belief that the enemies are without, and
 he is safe within.  Administer a  strong infusion  of
 scull-cap and cramp bark in tablespoonful doses every
 hour, or by injection every two hours,   For the injec-
 tion  half an ounce of each in a pint of starch wTater is
 not too  much.   Give  most nourishing  food—broths,
 raw  eggs, milk, etc.,  highly seasoned.   Give no nar-
 cotic, and above all do not administer liquor to " grad-
 ually wean  him."  Sleep is to be desired, but  never
 by narcotics.  The following will  be found most ex-
cellent to administer  in a capsule every three  hours
for the general exhaustion and. heart weakness follow-
ing delirium tremens:  Sulphate of hyclrastia,  cap- 
152         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sicum and salicin, each one grain.   Weeks may possi-
bly be required for complete recovery from an attack
of delirium tremens.
  Alexia.—Inability to Read.—The loss of all power to
read—written words conveying no idea to the patient.
The result of lesion in the brain.   See Myelitis.

  AllOCheiria.—Imperfect Sense of Touch.—This  is a
rare and peculiar nervous  phenomenon in  which  im-
pressions, such as handling or applications  of heat,
made upon one  side  of the  body are recognized as
though they were made upon the other side.  It is
caused by sclerosis of the  spinal  cord or cerebellum,
and the treatment for myelitis (chronic  inflammation
of the spinal cord) is proper to be pursued.
  Alopecia.—See Hair Diseases.

  Alveolar Cancer.—This disease is  fully described
in the article on Cancer.

  Amaurosis.—See section of Eye Diseases.

  Amenorrhoea.—See section of Diseases of Women.
  Amimia.—This is the loss of all ability to convey
thoughts by the employment of gestures and may fol-
low certain injuries or lesions in the brain, the  relief
of which can  alone overcome  this peculiar loss  of
power.
  Amyloid  Disease.—Frequently  after prolonged
suppuration, internal organs  undergo a  form of de-
generation known as amyloid or lardaceous or waxy,
which is liable to occur in  phthisis, syphilis  and dis-
eases of the kidneys,  liver and spleen.  It is more
fully mentioned in the  articles treating of those dis-
eases. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
153
                   ANAEMIA.

      Thin Blood.  Chlorosis.  Green Sickness.
  From a great many causes the blood may become im-
poverished or be altered in character to  such an ex-
tent as to prevent the proper sustenance of tissues
and thus  permit degenerate  changes to take place.
Sometimes the general amount of blood is less than it
should be, and again there is a deficiency  of albumen
in the liquor sanguinis.  As a rule the term anaemia is
used to designate a deficiency of the red blood cor-
puscles.
  The causes of anaemia are numerous;  improper diet;
too great an amount  of starchy  foods  and too little
meats being eaten; deficiency of food;  poor surround-
ings; too little sunlight; impure air; over study or too
great mental exertion with insufficient bodily exercise;
too rapid growth; excessive discharges, as in profuse
menstruation or chronic abscesses, etc.; all these may
bring about anaemia.   But  there is often anaemia with
certain chronic diseases, such as cancer, scrofula, con-
sumption, syphilis,  Bright's  disease, bleeding piles,
etc.; also it may arise from impoverishment of the
blood by  the use of mercury, arsenic, antimony and
other poisons.   Men are not as liable to it as women.
Girls just after puberty are peculiarly apt to manifest
anaemia.
  Symptoms.—Paleness of  the face is always  present,
and general muscular weakness and  a  loss of energy
are complained of, with  exhaustion after  slight  exer-
tion.   Cold extremities, fainting, dizziness and palpi-
tation  are frequent,  the pulse growing  weaker and
more easily varying as the condition advances.  Con-
stipation and headache  are almost invariable symp-
toms.   Girls are apt to have a waxy and greenish ap-
pearance of the face with the skin extremely soft and
loose and the whites of the eyes looking  pearly.  In
long continued cases dropsy may follow and functional
derangements of various organs may become manifest;
exhaustive diarrhoea may set in, and the  peculiarities
of appetite may become so great, or the  stomach so
sensitive that it may be impossible to  take sufficient
nourishment.  Bleeding from the nose is common; and 
154         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOl'SE.

menstruation is interfered with, irregular and deficient
in quantity and  painful.  It is possible for death f<<
occur during a prolonged faint which may happen in
severe cases of anaemia.
  Treatment.—Rest  from  compulsory labors, such as
business and study, must be obtained.  An abundance
of fresh air and moderate outdoor exercise should be
provided.  Going to the sea shore or up in the moun-
tains is beneficial.  Sunshine must  be admitted freely
to the house and must be courted outside.  Salt water
baths  with friction are of advantage.  Nourishing
food must be supplied—broths, lean meats, game, egg-
nog  (without alcoholic  liquor) and  other simple foods
should be taken frequently.  Care and hygienic meas-
ures can be almost entirely depended upon.  Medi-
cines may aid.  The bowels should be kept  open  by
mild but laxative liver  pills.  Iron is often praised as
a maker of red blood corpuscles, but its reputation  is
not well founded.  Tartrate of iron and potassa two
grains and  sulphate of hydrastia  one grain, put to-
gether in a capsule and taken one hour after each meal,
will aid intestinal digestion and thus nourishment will
enter into the blood.  The Compound Syrup of Mitch-
ella (see formulas)  often serves as a good tonic.   Of
course, if anaemia is the result of cancer, consumption,
etc., no medication will avail,  Often it is a result, as
mentioned, of  other troubles which may be overcome,
and then the blood with proper care will return to its
normal condition.
Anaemia Of the  Brain.—See Brain Diseases.
                 ANAESTHESIA.
           Analgesia.  Loss of Sensation.
  This is a loss of sensation caused  by disease of the
nerves of sensation, and may therefore  occur in any
part of the body.  Most commonly anaesthesia of the
skin is met with—one half the surface, laterally, may
be involved, or the upper  or  lower  part of the  body
may be affected, or the whole  surface.   Anaesthesia 
DISEASES  AMD TREATMENT.
155
may be confined to the sense of touch or the sense of
pain.   In testing for anaesthesia the patient should be
blindfolded  and  various  portions  of  the  surface
touched with the fingers, pencils, or heated  keys or
particles of ice.  It will often be noticed that only
some  regions have  lost feeling, and thus the exact
nerves affected may be traced.

  Analgesia is  the term used to denote  absence of
power to realize  pain.   It may exist even wiien there
is sensitiveness to touch, though usually loss of powder
to experience touch  accompanies it.  Blindfolding  the
patient and then running  points  of pins  in  him, or
pinching him unawares, will give proof of analgesia.
The cause of the difficulty must be  ascertained and re-
moved.  When due to "lethargy" of the skin or local
causes, baths and friction and stimulating liniments
are  advisable.  Electric baths are especially benefi-
cial, and the electric brush attached to a battery and
used freely over the skin will often accomplish perma-
nent cure.  For  artificial anaesthesia see  section on
Remedies and Applications.
  Anasarca.—This term  is used to designate exten-
sive dropsy of the subcutaneous cellular tissue.  See
article on Dropsy.


          ANKYLOSIS.  ANCHYLOSIS.

              Stiffness of the Joints.
  This is a stiffening of the joints or of some special
joint, caused by diseases of the joints,  rheumatism,
and  by keeping a limb fixed in one  position.  It the
stiffness involves the bony union in the joint, nothing
can be done to relieve it.  If from deposits steaming
the part and rubbing  over it  tincture of lobelia and
then making motion  vigorously may break  up adhe-
sions.  When there is  injury near a joint and  anchylo-
sis is feared, it is advisable to make proper passive
motion frequently.   Stiffness of  fingers and  limbs
might thus often be prevented.  Serious cases of an-
chylosis are often overcome by surgical operations. 
156         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

               ANGINA PECTORIS.

            Chest Spasm.  Breast Pang.
  It is supposed' that this dangerous and most fright-
ful difficulty is due to spasm of the nerves of circula-
tion and motion due  to over stimulation of the vaso-
motor center.   It is not regarded as a disease of itself,
but as a consequence of diseased conditions, especially
but not necessarily of the heart.   There is always
contraction of the   blood  vessels   and  consequent
crowding of blood in the left side of the  heart, caus-
ing th?  cavities  to  become distended and unable to
perfectly empty themselves.
  Symptoms.—Angina pectoris,  or  " Chest Spasm," is
spasmodic  and neuralgic in character.  A first attack
comes on without  warning, usually after exertion, es-
pecially after eating, or walking up hill or against the
wind, or bicycle riding by elderly persons soon after
eating;  or  an attack may be caused by sudden and in-
tense emotion.  There is intense pain near the heart
and under  the breast-bone.   The agony experienced is
excruciating and  indescribable.  A sensation of pres-
sure and constricture about the chest is felt; a feeling
of suffocation,  although  breathing is not really inter-
fered with.  Pain may shoot from  the region of the
heart in various directions, and possibly tingling and
numbness of the fingers may follow.  There are indi-
cations of  general disturbance.  The pulse, at first
strong",  soon becomes feeble, or irregular.  The coun-
tenance assumes an anxious and distressed expression,
and the patient realizes the liability of death.  The
face is pale and covered  with perspiration—cold and
bead-like—while  the  rest of the body is cold and dry.
Very nervous  persons may have  chattering  of the
teeth, and fainting  or convulsions  may  followT.  An
attack may itself be made up of several spasms.  The
difficulty ceases as suddenly  as it commences; but it
is always liable to recur under very  little excitement
or  over-exertion.  Death rarely follows  the first at-
tack.  A short attack may last only five  minutes and
a very long one two or more hours.
   Treatment.—Nitrate of Amyl, or nitro-glycerine are
often administered in very small doses,  one or two 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          157
drops of the former, or a single pellet of the latter.
These give relief, but are not sanative agents.  Five
drop doses of equal parts of compound spirits of lav-
ender and of third preparation of lobelia  may be
safely administered in frequent doses and will be found
a  valuable  and efficient  antispasmodic.   In  severe
cases the same  preparation in warm  water may be
used as  an injection to the bowTels.  If  the stomach is
filled with  indigestible food a quick  emetic  of salt
water and  mustard should be  given. The  patient
should  be  placed  upright in an  open place and his
clothing about the neck,  chest and waist loosened.
Hot water to the feet and  hot  applications or stimu-
lating liniment over the chest will be found advisable.
  Between attacks persons subject to them should live
most carefully  and avoid all  excesses in diet, habits
and emotions.   They should carry with them the anti-
spasmodic  mentioned in  order to  ward  off the  first
symptoms of an attack.   Rheumatism, gout or heart
disease, often the cause of angina pectoris, should be
treated  appropriately.

  False, or Pseudo Angina  Pectoris.—This  is a
disease  with symptoms similar to the above, only mod-
ified.  Tt occurs  chiefly in women, after a meal, in hys-
teria, or at the change of life.  The  absence of in-
tense pain distinguishes it from true angina pectoris.
Treatment should be similar in character, only milder.
The false is never fatal, although the  symptoms  are
very distressing.  Angina pectoris  seldom occurs in
persons  under forty-five years of age.
  Anidrosis is the  technical term  for diminution of
perspiration.  It  may be caused by disease of the
sweat glands, or  it  may be a symptom of other dis-
eases.  See Perspiration.

  Ankle Injuries are treated of elsewhere  in the ar-
ticles on Fractures,  Sprains, Dislocations.

  Anosmia.—Loss,  of Sense of Smell.—This  may be
caused by blowTs or  falls, inhalations of  pungent va- 
158         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

pors or irritating  substances, or it may be the result
of chronic catarrh or of certain forms of paralysis.
Treatment has been very unsatisfactory.
                    ANTHRAX.

Malignant Pustule. Charbon.  Wool-Sorters' Disease.
  This disease is primarily  caused by a micro-organ-
ism which in certain localities develops upon grass or
stalks of grain or hay; thus it finds its way into ani-
mals by way of the lungs or stomach and goes through
every portion of the body, soon causing death.  Their
dead bodies and everything  the diseased animal came
in contact with reeks with contagion.  Men who han-
dle them are extremely liable to  be  poisoned, and
even flies from such animals may convey the poison to
human beings.
  Symptoms.—Wherever the  poison  of anthrax  enters
the system, usually at some  abraded point on the skin,
a malignant pustule is formed on  the fourth day after
inoculation, and quickly enlarges  and ulcerates and
looks malignant, and the nearest glands become en-
larged.   There is general fever and great prostration,
which may be followed by collapse  and death in four
or five days.  Cases not  fatal do  not  show general
constitutional symptoms  greatly, the difficulty being
confined  to  the  ulcer, which  without  aid sometimes
heals and the disease disappears, leaving a scar.
  Treatment.—As soon as recognized the ulcer mnst be
cauterized—burned out with caustic or red-hot iron.
Composition (see formulas) and myrrh must be given
internally; the bowels kept open,  frequent bathing in-
dulged in and plenty of fresh  air provided.  Locally
compound tincture of myrrh should be applied about
the ulcer and,  with an equal quantity of  hydrastis
fluid extract, placed directly in the sore.  Ulcers may
form in the intestines; they have  so far as known al-
ways  proved fatal.  The extreme  contagiousness of
anthrax  should  always  be  borne  in  mind  and the
greatest  precautions taken  in handling cases. The
patients  themselves should guard against the poison
entering the mouth. 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
159
                   ANEURISM.

       Bloody Tumor. Tumor of the Artery.
  This serious affection is in reality  a bursting of the
inner coats of an artery causing the force of the blood
to bulge outward the remaining coat, thus forming a
tumor or enlargement of the artery itself at some par-
ticular spot.  The most usual place for an aneurism is
somewhere in the  course  of the large blood vessel
leading from  the heart, termed the aorta.  Some per-
sons are so constituted by temperament, predisposi-
tion or disease that the walls of their arteries are un-
usually thin or brittle and aneurism with them may
very easily occur.   The most  general sources of the
difficulty,  however,  are the  accidents incident to  se-
vere manual or physical labor.  Consequently men in
middle life  and  those engaged  in trades requiring
heavy lifting or great exertion are mostly affected.
Tight clothing,  especially  about  the chest or  neck,
may induce aneurism by interfering with free circula-
tion.
  Si/)iiptoms.— Occasionally there are no evidences of
aneurism  until the trouble is far advanced; this is es-
pecially so when the tumor is deep seated.  As  a rule
there will be local heat, a sense of fulness and weight,
throbbing, and tenderness on  pressure.  Often suffer-
ers wear  a peculiar  look  of illness and  distress and
appear anxious without knowing  the  cause of their
trouble.   They may become sallow and be easily irri-
tated, and yet lose no amount of flesh.   They prefer
to keep off their back and to have their  head pretty
high  while in bed.   Leaning forward and then sud-
denly throwing the  head  backward  has been men-
tioned as indicating aneurism when other signs are
also present. Also feeling the pulse  at  both wrists
will usually show  that it differs in force on the two
sides and that the beats are not in harmony.   Often
the tumor is  so large and  so located that its enlarge-
ment is manifested by external swelling in the region
Usually this swelling is at the lower part of the chest
or on one side of the spine.  Such a swelling, tender
on  pressure and throbbing and persistent in character,
will point to aneurism. 
160         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Treatment.—Quietude and freedom from over exer-
tion and excesses of all kinds are imperative.  Avoid
stimulation  by drinks or  foods.  Do  nothing  that
would  increase the blood supply, though  anaemia is
not to be induced.  Do not  drink too freely,  even of
water.  Rest must be secured by very mild nervines.
All care must be taken against such circumstances as
would increase distension of the  vessels and thus lead
to rupture of the remaining coats of the  affected
part.  Sometimes the blood in the tumor may be coagu-
lated, especially in small aneurisms, and this should
be an object in treatment.   Tannic acid has been used
to advantage, but by far the best agent, promising the
most marked results,  is tincture of gum kino.  This
may be given in ten drop doses in water three times a
day.   Keep the bowels open and the skin warm and
pliant  so as  to  avoid crowding the blood  inward.
Anxiety,  emotional excitement  and anger must  be
avoided.   Operations  of various kinds are often re-
sorted  to and sometimes effectual.  They are danger-
ous and difficult of performance.
                      ANUS.

          Fissures.  Prolapsus.  Ulceration.
  Fissure Of the Anus.—Very pronounced fissures
of the anus are frequent in women, the result of acci-
dent during labor; such belong  to the domain of sur-
gery.  But often a fissure or crack in the ring of mus-
cle about the anus  may be  the result of disease or
habit.  A small abscess may form and  break and be
the commencement of a  fissure.  Constipation  and
hardened faeces in the rectum may cause  great strain-
ing in attemps at evacuation and thus lead to fissure.
Eczema may also produce the trouble.
  Symptoms.—Usually the first knowledge of a fissure
is after a movement of the bowels—a smarting, sting-
ing sensation being experienced, and a small particle
of blood  being noticed.  In an  hour or so after stool
a dull pain, and burning and throbbing will  be felt.
This may continue for hours.   Such sensations return
as the result of every evacuation of the bowels, caus- 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
161
ing the sufferer to become negligent through dread,
thus producing constipation and aggravating the dif-
ficulty.  Persons  suffering from fissure of  the  anus
soon acquire an  anxious, care-worn look and grow
despondent, and serious ill health may follow neglect
to remedy the trouble.
  Treatment.—Cleanliness and  regularity in going to
stool are  of the  first  importance.  Hardened  faeces
should not be allowed  to  accumulate in the rectum,
and  may be  prevented by a liberal diet of fruit and
succulent vegetables and doses of physic.   Small in-
jections of warm  water just before going to stool and
retained half an hour will soften faeces  already hard-
ened.  Some fissures will heal  of  themselves, though
the rule is otherwise.   Witch hazel ointment is most
excellent, and in  severe cases a drachm of tannic acid
rubbed into an ounce of vaseline will be found service-
able. Some cases will not heal without an operation.
The simplest method  of restoration is to touch the
fissure with  lunar caustic,  though this  may leave a
scar which feels unpleasant.  The usual operation for
fissure of the anus is cutting into the fissure and super-
ficial fibres to the depth of one-eighth  of an inch and
thus denuding the surfaces, when rest in  bed for a
week or nine days will  permit  perfect healing  and a
permanent cure.  Oiling the anus or supporting it by
pressure  of the finger  during  evacuation  will often
prevent fissure.

  Prolapsus.—This usually occurs during  childhood
or old age, and is due to a weakened and relaxed  con-
dition of the rectum and its mucous membrane.   Con-
stipation and irritation of the rectum  or urinary or-
gans may lead to  it.
  Symptoms.— Falling  of  the   bowels  (prolapsus)  is
readily recognized.  During straining at evacuation
the rectum seems  to turn inside out, and form outside
a round or pear-shaped tumor,  with an opening in the
center, the  surface being usually dark red from dis-
tended venous capillaries.  From one to possibly six
inches of the rectum may protrude.
  Treatment.— First of   all  return the bowel  to its
proper position.  This  can easily be  done by placing
     n 
162
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
the child on its back with the knees apart and  after
oiling the parts protruding, gently manipulating them
back to their proper place.  Cover the membrane with
the ointment of tannin named for fissure.  Keep the
liver free and the bowels open.  Goldenseal is a good
tonic.  Maintain proper habits, give  nourishing food
and  plenty of fresh  air.  The  use of a bed-pan  is
beneficial, preventing prolapsus being aided by gravi-
tation.

  Ulceration.—It not infrequently happens  that  ul-
ceration occurs about  the anus, and  this may prove
very annoying if left unattended  to.  The first symp-
toms will closely resemble those of piles, followed by
a sense of relief when  the ulceration becomes marked,
although there will be pain during defecation, and the
discharges will be found  to contain traces of  pus.
  Treatment consists of keeping the parts thoroughly
cleansed by frequent washing with warm water and
castile soap and then annointing with equal  parts  of
tincture of myrrh and  fluid extract of goldenseal and
applying witch hazel ointment.

  Piles.—Hemorrhoids.—These are fully considered in
the article on Piles.
                    APHASIA.

             Loss of Power of  Speech.
  This is a loss of the power of speaking, and is usu-
ally caused by  a lesion  in  the brain—in  the  right
side of the cerebrum; or by injuries to certain nerve
fibres.   In most cases the patient is entirely conscious
of his inability and strives to otherwise  communicate
his thoughts.   Tumors, injuries and diseased condi-
tions may be  the provoking causes of lesions  pro-
ducing aphasia.   The difficulty can be treated only by
ascertaining the character and seat of the lesion.
Temporary aphasia is sometimes met with in apoplexy,
epilepsy,  meningitis, hysteria  and  St.  Vitus dance
(chorea).  Occasionally the intestinal irritation caused
by worms or constipation may be transmitted  and re-
sult in temporary aphasia. 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
163
  Aphonia.—This is a loss of voice caused by local
disturbances.  It  is likely to  occur in bronchitis,
quinsy, laryngitis and various  other affections of the
throat, and it must be regarded as a symptom of those
difficulties.  It will  disappear under  the  treatment
proper for the various diseases with which it is associ-
ated.

  Aphtha.—See the article on Thrush.

  Aphthous Ulcers.—See article  on Mouth Ulcer-
ation.

  Aphthous Fever.—See Foot and Mouth Disease.

  Apnoea.—This term literally means without breath,
and is used to designate the condition  which hinders
air from entering  the  cells of  the  lungs in sufficient
quantities to support life.   It may occur in the course
of many diseases—especially lung troubles.  It is also
frequent  in heart affections,  and  may  likewise  be
caused by  spasmodic closures of the  glottis  by for-
eign substances or throat difficulties, or by  the atmos-
phere inhaled being deficient in its proportion of oxy-
gen or containing  deleterious gases.  All cases  of
apncea must be treated in  accordance with the cause
of the difficulty as directed in the articles  devoted to
the  various  difficulties and diseases in which apncea
is likely to occur.
                   APOPLEXY.
             Hemorrhage in the Brain.
  So suddenly does an attack of apoplexy come upon
a person that the ancients not inappropriately called
it  attonitus (thunder-struck).  The  difficulty  always
is the result of pressure upon the brain caused by an
excessive amount of blood in the vessels or the rup-
turing of a blood vessel in the brain.  Persons of any
age may be affected, but  those over fifty are the most
frequent victims, and certain individuals are more lia-
ble than others to be stricken. 
164
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Persons with  a  florid  complexion, short  neck and
large abdomen and a tendency  to rapidly accumulate
flesh have cause to fear apoplexy, especially if they
live high and take little exercise.  Indulgence in alco-
holic liquors  by such persons is highly dangerous.
Excessive mental labor, sudden great excitement and
continued exhaustive physical labor may bring on a
stroke of apoplexy in anyone.  Again, there are pe-
culiar organizations whose blood vessels seem liable
to become brittle,  and prone to burst readily.  Even
very thin persons and those who live most carefully
may thus suffer from apoplexy.

  Warning  Symptoms.—While a stroke  of  apoplexy
comes  on with  great suddenness, still  there are cer-
tain premonitory symptoms usually manifested which
should be recognized and heeded as warnings by those
who are especially inclined  to the disease, and should
cause them to be careful in their habits.   These warn-
ing  symptoms are:  Headache, dizziness,  especially
when stooping,  blurred  vision, throbbing sensations
in the neck or head, ringing in the ears, flushing of
the face, especially after eating or slight exertion,
bleeding of the nose.   No one of the symptoms alone
would  indicate apoplexy, but many of them together,
occurring in persons predisposed to the disease, should
give occasion for great concern.

  Peculiar Symptoms.—A stroke of apoplexy may come
on in one of three ways.  First, the victim experiences
a sudden pain, darting through the  head; he then be-
comes  extremely pale,  sick and faint,  and perhaps
vomits freely; his  memory rapidly leaves him and his
countenance appears deathly and his eyes have a va-
cant stare.  He sinks into a most profound stupor and
dies.  These  cases are almost  hopeless, for there  is
little vitality to be aroused.
  Second.—There may be a sudden paralysis upon one
side of the body, loss of  speech and  apparent agony
of mind.  Such cases are  slow in developing stupors
and full recovery from the paralysis is highly improb-
able.
  Third.—Usually the victim falls suddenly as though 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          165
struck and lies in a stupid sleep, having no power of
speech or thought,  the  face  is  flushed,  the  teeth
clenched, the veins of the neck large and distended,
the breathing slow  and  heavy and snoring, and the
pulse slow and full and its stroke hard or  violent be-
neath the fingers; the cheeks are distended and often
the breath passes through them with a puffing sound.
The pupils of the  eyes remain unchanged as light is
brought near.
  Occasionally there are  involuntary discharges from
the bowels and  bladder,  though as a  rule obstinate
constipation follows an  attack.  In mild  cases the
patient endeavors to speak but seems to forget certain
words necessary to convey his meaning.  Swallowing
in severe cases is extremely difficult.
  Apoplexy from the bursting  of a blood vessel gives
sudden and complete unconsciousness,  and is usually
fatal, some patients dying in four or six hours,  most
living from three to nine  days and a very small  num-
ber recovering with the  exception of more or less
paralysis.  But no person after a stroke of apoplexy
can be considered out of danger until ten days  after
the attack.  A third attack usually proves fatal; un-
less manifestly brought on by excessive eating.  The
older the patient the less chance for recovery.

  Treatment.—This depends upon the immediate cause
of the attack.   If from over-eating,  the distended
stomach is pressing- upon the  large  blood vessels and
causing  an excessive amount  of blood to go to the
brain.  Manifestly in such cases the patient  must sit
upright, and not be allowed to lie down—that wrould
increase the pressure.  Next, the stomach must be un-
loaded at once—warm water with salt and mustard is
most useful.   The hands and feet will usually be found
cold;  bathe them in  hot water containing  mustard or
ginger.  Always  loosen the clothing about the neck
and body and allow abundance of fresh air.
  When it is known that  the attack is not caused  by
over-eating, the  patient may lie down with the  head
raised.  Enforce quietude and bathe the extremities
in hot water  containing stimulation.  The  bowels
must  be moved—injections of  warm water containing 
166  '       A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

salt and ginger being excellent.  Days may elapse be-
fore improvement is noticed.   But the means of relief
must be persisted in, and the patient sustained by fre-
quent administration of broths or other soft or liquid
nourishing foods.  If swallowing is too difficult suste-
nance by injections must be resorted to.  Feeble heart
action may be sustained by small doses of an infusion
of goldenseal and scullcap or cactus.
  The rules to be observed by persons predisposed to
apoplexy may be stated as follows:  Avoid excessive
labor,  mental  strain,  anxiety and excitement.   Eat
plain food, and that'very moderately; subsist mainly
on fruits and vegetables.  Leave all alcoholic liquors
alone.   Keep the  bowels open, exercise  moderately
and  keep  a  cheerful disposition—do not quarrel.
Never lie down soon after eating-, and don't retire at
night with  a full stomach.  Avoid  exercise before
breakfast and immediately after meals.  Avoid  hard
water, which often makes  brittle the blood vessels in
some persons; and do  not indulge in foods or habits
liable to produce fat.
                 APPENDICITIS.
             Faecal  Abscess. Typhlitis.
  At the end of the small  intestines above the right
groin, just before the large intestines commence, there
is an enlargement of the  intestine called the caecum,
and running out from this pouch-like enlargement is a
small appendage, called the vermiform  appendix on
account of its worm-like appearance.   This appendix
has a small canal in a portion of it, with an orifice in
the caecum.   The exact use of the vermiform appendix
has not yet  been definitely agreed upon.  By the ac-
cumulation  of faecal  material  and rarely  of  small
seeds, etc., in the caecum, or in the canal of the appen-
dix, or by inflammation extended from other parts, the
caecum  and  vermiform  appendix  may  become in-
flamed,  causing a condition  termed typhlitis.   Inflam-
mation of the peritoneum  about  the caecum  is called
perityphlitis,  that of the caecum's  connective  tissue is
known as paratyphlitis,  and inflammation of the vermi 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
167
form appendix is termed appendicitis.  The  last term
being most generally used  and representing the most
frequent form of  the trouble.
  Symptoms.—First of all will be  very sharp pain  in
the region just above the right groin and intense suf-
fering- upon pressure or movement.   At that point ex-
amination will reveal tenseness and soon considerable
swelling, beneath which may be found an oval tumor,
and the whole abdomen will become enlarged.   The
patient will be found on the right side with  the limbs
drawn up to relieve all tension of the muscles of  the
affected region.  Constipation  is  marked, and  the
urine  is partially suppressed; often  there is vomiting
of offensive material having a faecal odor, the pulse is
wiry and frequent, the countenance distressed and the
voice  feeble.
  If the appendix alone is  inflamed,  there will be no
faecal odor  to vomited material and the swelling and
tumor will be less pronounced, although the pain will
be intense.   The  danger in these cases lies  in the lia-
bility of suppuration and perforation into the abdom-
inal cavity.   Sometimes there may be suppuration
and evacuation outward, or through the bowels, or the
suppurative materials may be absorbed.
  Treatment.—If  the  inflammation is caused by accu-
mulations of  faeces in  the  caecum, large injections of
warm water  or  infusion of spearmint (three or  four
quarts in amount) should  be given, and repeated if
necessary until free evacuations are obtained.  When
inflammation of  the appendix exists place over  the
affected region a large and  hot mullein-leaf poultice,
containing  considerable lobelia  herb and  sprinkled
lightly with ginger; and administer by the mouth tea-
spoonful doses of an infusion of lady slipper, one tea-
spoonful, and lobelia, half a teaspoonful, to a cup of
boiling  water, every half hour.  Sustain the strength
by broths or  malted  milk or other liquid foods.  En-
join perfect quietude in  bed, and  move the  bowels by
injections, never using cathartics.
  The surgical operation for appendicitis is frequently
resorted to, but in nearly all cases needlessly; the re-
moval of the  vermiform appendix  being a fad, very
remunerative to the surgeon who can persuade others 
168
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
to submit to his  desires.  Persons who eat heartily
after  long  abstinence  or while the  intestines are
empty after catharsis or otherwise, are especially lia-
ble to be attacked by appendicitis.
  Arsenic Poisoning.—See Poisons  and their Anti-
dotes.

  Arthritis.—See Rheumatism of the Joints.

  Articular Rheumatism.—See Rheumatism.

  Ascaris Lumbricoides.—This  is  the technical
name for the  plain round worm of the intestines so
common in children.  For full  description and  treat-
ment see the article on Worms.

  Ascarus Scabies.—This name  is that of the in-
sect which causes the disease known as Itch, by bur-
rowing under the skin.  Its description and treatment
will be found in the article on Itch.

  Ascites. — Hydro-peritoneum. — The  accumula-
tion of fluid in the cavity  of the  peritoneum, a form
of dropsy distinguished from anasarca, wiiich is an ac-
cumulation in the cellular tissues.   See Dropsy.

  Asiatic Cholera.—See  Cholera.

  Asphyxia.—Death from lack  of  air.   See articles
on Drowning, Poisoning by Gas,  Suffocation.

  Asthenia.—A condition which may arise during al-
most any disease, dependent upon a  lack of tone in
the nervous system.  It is characterized by  listless-
ness and inability.   A low grade of  fever is said to be
asthenic when there is but feeble resistance made to the
encroachments of disease.

  Asthenopia.—This is weakness of vision and is of-
ten spoken of as wTeak sight.  It is described in the
section on Eye Diseases. 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.   *
169
                    ASTHMA.

           Phthisic Spasmodic Breathing.
  This is a disease characterized by paroxysms of diffi-
cult breathing,  and  is  due to  contraction  of  the
smaller bronchial tubes, brought about by  spasms of
the bronchial muscular fibres.  It  is a difficulty reflex
in character, that is transmitted from a disturbance of
a nerve center elsewhere.  Often it is associated with
valvular disease of the heart, and it should always be
regarded as a constitutional malady and  not one con-
fined  to the respiratory organs.   Attacks  may be
caused  by  over eating or over exertion, irritation at
some point as in the  stomach or bladder or upon the
skin, or in  the rectum by constipation, indulgence in
highly  seasoned  food, liquors  or  indigestible foods.
Sweets of all kinds are also provocative  of attacks in
those disposed to asthma.
  Symptoms.—An attack always comes on suddenly, al-
though often preceded by an oppressed sensation in
the chest and a wheezing which  is annoying.  As a
rule the patient awakens in  the night feeling  as
though being smothered.   He can't get his breath and
sits up or gets out of bed, throws his head back  and
opens his mouth gasping for air, the shoulders drawn
up.  The muscles of the neck and head and over the
ribs are rigid, while the  muscles  of  the abdomen
which  assist breathing  are acting  violently.  The
chest is enlarged, as  well as the abdomen.  There
seems to be a stagnation of air in the lungs. In severe
cases the extremities are cold  and the face pale, the
eyes having a terrorized  expression, and the  surface
covered with perspiration.  A fit of asthma may last
a few minutes, two or three hours, a whole  night, sev-
eral days or for weeks.  It is very rarely immediately
fatal.  As an attack passes away a slight cough com-
mences and there is  expectoration of mucus—some-
times frothy, sometimes viscid or in the form of little
dark balls; and in severe cases streaked with blood.
Recovery from the attack may be gradual, or it may
terminate as suddenly as it commenced, especially if
appropriate treatment is pursued.
  It is important to distinguish true asthma from the 
170         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

disturbance of breathing caused  by heart troubles.
The difficult  breathing connected with organic heart
disease may likewise come on in paroxysms, but it is
of a gasping and panting character and very shallow
and there is no wheezing sound.  The  heart  is like-
wise greatly disturbed and the pulse usually weak and
irregular.
  Treatment.—During a paroxysm of asthma an abund-
ance of fresh air must be supplied and all tight cloth-
ing loosened.   Dropping a little rosin on a  hot  stove
will often cause relief by its vapor being inhaled.  The
most effectual remedy to be used is the following:

    Take Tincture of Lobelia.............5 drachms.
         Fluid extract Cramp Bark.......2   "
         Essence of Ginger..............1   "
  Mix.   Take Jive drops in ivater every ten minutes until
relief is obtained.

  Nausea may follow the use of these drops, but such
will only hasten the  relief.
  Asthmatic persons must avoid excesses ot all kinds
and use plain but nourishing- diet.  Usually it will not
be found difficult to locate the disordered organ which
is the actual seat of  the disturbance, and its appropri-
ate treatment may lessen the severity of attack and
perhaps  entirely obliterate  them.   As a rule the kid-
neys must be carefully watched  and the bowels never
allowed  to  become  constipated.  Very  little encour-
agement can be given those who  have seemingly in-
herited the condition, beyond the fact that it is not in-
compatible with a long life.

  Asthma Of Hay  Fever.—This is an entirely dif-
ferent malady from ordinary asthma, described above.
Its causes,  symptoms and treatment will be found in
the article on Hay Fever.
  Astigmatism.—An irregularity of vision caused by
lack of uniformity of the convexity  of  the lens or
cornea.   Described in the section of Eye Diseases.

  Asymbolia.—Inability to Comrmniicate.—A rare con-
dition in which the person afflicted is unable to com- 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
171
municate in any  way with others.  It is a condition
dependent upon brain lesions; and is usually a symp-
tom of some pronounced difficulty, wiiich must be ap-
propriately treated.
                     ATAXY.

         Locomotor Ataxy. Tabes Dorsalis.
  A very peculiar condition of the nervous system is
knowm under this name, characterized by loss of sen-
sitiveness of the  skin  and inability to control move-
ments  of the limbs.  It was  formerly classed as a
form of paralysis.   It comes on insiduously.   Pains of
a neuralgic  or rheumatic character, headache,  im-
paired vision, frequent desire  to urinate  and "prick-
ing " sensations of the limbs or extremities, are early
symptoms.  Soon inability to control the movements
of the limbs becomes manifest,  and trying to walk
with the eyes shut  will cause staggering.  Applica-
tions of heat, pricking with pins, etc., on portions of
the back  fail to  cause any sensations.  Many other
symptoms may be manifested.   It is a disease of mid-
dle life, and its causes are various.  Long exposure to
cold and moisture, sexual  excesses, syphilis,  poison-
ing by lead, arsenic or ergot, and injuries to the spine
have been known causes.
  Treatment.—If possible the patient should  visit the
southern mountains or seek an equable and dry cli-
mate.  Electricity to the spine is of  great advantage.
The cause must be ascertained and remedial treatment
based  accordingly.   Narcotics must be  prohibited.
Vapor  baths and massage are of great value.  The
disease  lasts from a few months to twenty-five years
or even longer.
  Atelectasis.—Pulmonary  Collapse.—From compres-
sion or from obstructions in the lungs, air may be pro-
hibited from entering the air cells, and the result will
be collapse of the vesicles.  It very frequently occurs
in children during the  course of  whooping  cough,
bronchitis,  measles and croup.  It is exceedingly fatal 
172         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

in very young  persons  and in the aged.  It is fully
treated of as capillary bronchitis  in  the article on
Bronchitis.

  Atheroma.—A degenerate condition of the arteries
occurring in  various  diseases,  such  as  apoplexy,
phthisis, syphilis, etc.

  Athetosis.—Involuntary  Muscular  Contractions. —In
this  condition, which occasionally accompanies cer-
tain  forms  of paralysis, the  extremities,  especially
fingers  and  toes,  undergo uncontrollable  spasms.
These spasms may consist in the members being firmly
separated or flexed.  They may occur during  sleep
and  may be increased  by  fright or other emotions.
Treatment is in accordance with that for paralysis.

  Atrophy.—Under various circumstances and  as the
result of many different causes the condition known as
atrophy may take place.   It is the shrinkage or wast-
ing away of tissues, and may take place in any part of
the  body.   The  brain, heart, liver,  nerves,  spinal
cord and various organs, and  the bones and skin and
muscles are  all subject to atropy.  The condition and
the means  taken  to  prevent  it  or  overcome  it are
fully considered  in the articles treating of  the dis-
eases of  the various organs and tissues which may be
thus affected.
                  BACK-ACHE.

      Stiff Back.  Crick in the Back.  Sprains.
  In nearly every instance back-ache is a symptom of
some disease, and  can be relieved only by treatment
appropriate to the real difficulty.  Sometimes severe
back-ache is directly and positively traceable to a cold,
caused by sitting in a draft, etc., and local treatment
will afford permanent relief.   A good liniment to rub
over the back is:  Tincture of capsicum and essence 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          173,
 of origanum, each one  dram; tincture of lobelia, one
 ounce; alcohol, three ounces.  Placing dry, hot  flan-
 nel over the back often gives quick relief.  It is also
 a  good plan to accompany such methods by a good
 drink of hot ginger tea.  Many resort to a cold pack
 for relief.  This is had by placing on the bed a double
 blanket and upon this a sheet folded up to the size of
 the  back and saturated with cold wTater;  place the
 patient on his back upon this and  draw the blanket
 around him; and let  him remain till  the  back feels
 very warm.

                   Back Sprains.
  These  are usually the result of violent exercise  of
 unusual  character, or of falls  or  other  accidents.
 They oftenest occur in the loins or  neck, and may be
 known from dislocations or fractures by the fact that
 in sprains the  spine itself is straight, there is no bulg-
 ing at any one point and tenderness  is diffused and the
 patient is able,  although  usually  with  pain,  to
 straighten himself out.  Occasionally from  strains
 there may be ecchymosis (black and blue appearance)
 and considerable swelling.
  Treatment.—Quietude  in  the most comfortable po-
 sition,  usually lying bent upon the  side.  A capsicum
 plaster is very beneficial.  The treatment given under
back-ache should be employed.   Sprains  rarely con-
fine a person to the bed more than two or three days,
though occasionally they are obstinate in yielding to
treatment when the ligaments are involved.
                 BAKERS'  ITCH.
         Bakers' Salt-Rheum.  Flour Scabs.
  This difficulty occurs as a result  of the  irritation
caused by handling flour,  and rarely appears except
upon persons in ill health or of feeble constitution.
Bricklayers are often sufferers from this difficulty as a
result of irritation from handling bricks.   It is then
termed  Bricklayers' Itch.  The  disease  resembles
eczema or salt rheum, causing itching and  sometimes
bleeding sores and scabs  to  appear over the  hands 
174         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

and  between  the  fingers.  When  the  irritation  is
caused by lime the disease is called  Bricklayers' Itch.
  Treatment.—The cause of  ill  health must  be learned
and removed.  Usually the system will be found over-
loaded.   The  bowels  must be moved freely and the
liver evacuated by  use  of  liver pills.  The  Gentian
tonic (see formulas) must be given freely and nourish-
ing food,  fresh air  and out-door exercise provided.
Locally  use  the  following  method of  treatment:
Wash only  with  borax water.  Apply four or more
times a day a lotion composed of tincture of calendula,
distilled extract of  witch-hazel,  white hydrastis and
glycerine, equal parts, boracic acid, five grains  to the
ounce.  Wash the hands thoroughly before each ap-
plication.
  Baldness.-—Alopecia.—This is fully treated of in the
article upon Diseases of the Hair.

  Barbadoes' Leg.—Elephantiasis.—An  enlargement
of the integuments, usually of the leg, known as hy-
pertrophy.  In this disease the limb (usually one only)
may become twice the size of its fellow, or ever larger.
Its causes and treatment are fully  considered  in the
article on Elephantiasis.

  Barber's Itch.—See  Eczema of the Beard.

  Barrenness.—Sterility.—This  condition may  be
brought  about by many causes and is a symptom of
disease or malposition of itself.  It is fully considered
in the section on Diseases of  Women.
                   BED SORES.

             Gangrene. Mortification.

  These most distressing sores frequently come  upon
persons compelled to lie in bed any length of time and
are most frequent with the aged and with paralytics.
They may be hastened by lack of cleanliness, allow- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          175
ing discharges  to remain on the clothing, wrinkled
sheets and too wTarm clothing.

  Sy)nptoms.—The first signs are complaints of creases
in the  sheets or of crumbs or particles on the bed
clothing.  An irritated spot appears and soon becomes
livid and a  flat ulcer  follows, this may deepen and
eat into the bone, spreading rapidly.  It is one form
of gangrene.

  Treatmod.—Preventive measures are of the highest
importance; have the sheets perfectly smooth, cleanse
frequently—borax water is excellent for bathing the
parts, and if the sores have started, tincture of myrrh
should be added.  Dust the sheets and parts with ox-
ide of zinc powder, and if the sores develop, use com-
pound tincture of myrrh in and about them freely.  If
the skin breaks and an ulcer  follows, cleanse it fre-
quently,  washing with a  syringe and  borax  water.
Soaked picked okum in compound tincture of myrrh
diluted and put into the opening and  cover all with
adhesive plaster.  Change dressings often and keep
adjoining parts as clean as possible.  Use no poultices,
unless  to hurry away  an ulcer, when one of flaxseed
and charcoal may be applied for a few hours.
                 BED-WETTING.

                    Eneuresis.

  This annoying difficulty is almost  exclusively con-
fined to children.   It is caused by  a  general  nervous
condition and is to be treated accordingly.  Children
should be trained to evacuate the bladder at stated in-
tervals during the day, and  at night the  parents
should take them from bed at least twice after retiring
—once about an hour and a half after going to  bed
and again about three o'clock in the morning.   This is
bothersome, but  not  so  annoying as having the child
wet the bed.  Never scold children for this trouble, it
only aggravates  matters; they cannot control them-
selves or they most gladly would do so.  It is  not 
176         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
necessary to awaken them at night; simply lift  them
onto the "vessel and kindly urge them to urinate.
  As the  child's nervous  system  strengthens,  the
habit will be overcome.   Give wholesome food and do
not allow  much eating or drinking at night time.  But
do not injure and weaken the system by starvation or
unsatisfied thirst.  A most excellent remedy is as fol-
lows:  Agrimony,  corn-silk,  lady slipper and shep-
herd's purse, each one ounce, steep in one quart of
boiling water,  strain and  add two pounds of white
sugar and two fluid ounces of glycerine.  Give a tea-
spoonful before each  meal and at  bed time.  Avoid
pastry and highly seasoned foods and allow no tea or
coffee.
                    BERIBERI.

            Impoverishment of the Blood.

  This is a disease which is  but little known in this
country, though it is frequent in India.  It seems to be
caused by an impoverished condition of the blood and
a  general  failure of  nutrition of the nerves.   The
symptoms are:  Great weakness,  coldness  of the  ex-
tremities and deathly paleness.  The tongue appears
bloodless, the pulse is very frequent and weak, there
are spells  of palpitation and of difficult  breathing.
The bowels become  obstinately constipated and  the
kidneys inactive.  Swelling in different parts of  the
body  take  place and  at last all organs and tissues
seem  filled with fluid,  stiffness, numbness and paraly-
sis follow,  and  death is usually preceded  by fluid
filling the cavity of the lungs or the heart.
  Treatment.—A nourishing diet is of the greatest  im-
portance, and the assimilation of  food must be aided.
Tartrate of  iron and potassa  in doses of three grains
four times  daily will be of  use.  Composition  (see
formulas) should be used freely.  Citrate of lithia, two
grain doses, will be found of advantage, taken with
ordinary drinking water.  Salt water baths and fric-
tion, fresh air,  out-door exercise  and plenty of sleep
should be allowed.  The disease comes on slowly and 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
177
may last many months  before death  takes  place  or
convalescence is established.
  Bile Deficiency.—Acholia.—This condition  may
be brought about by many causes, and may result in
very serious, complications.  It is fully considered in
the article on Liver Diseases.

  Biliary Calculi.—These are caused by the harden-
ing of gall in the gall-bladder  or ducts.  See the arti-
cle on Gail-Stones.

  Bites.—See Poison Wounds.
           BLADDER DIFFICULTIES.

  Atony.  Catarrh.  Inflammation. Spasm. Rupture.
  Atony.—This is a general lack of tone in the mus-
cles of the bladder.  It is most usual in old age as a
result of general weakness.  Sometimes it occurs dur-
ing a protracted fever, or as a consequence of strict-
ure or of paralysis.
  Symptoms.—A feeling of weight is experienced, due
to the large accumulation of urine, which is retained
until the  bladder  becomes  full and  is then  passed
without effort, little by little, as an overflow.
  Treatment.—The use of  the catheter to draw off the
urine becomes imperative; this should  be done morn-
ing, noon  and evening so as to  prevent too large an
accumulation, which would  aggravate the difficulty.
Following each evacuation the bladder can be washed
out with cold water with good  effect.   Tonics should
be  administered internally.   Fluid  extract  of corn-
silk and tincture of  gum kino, five drops each, in a
little water, are excellent given four times a day.  If
the difficulty is caused by manifest spinal  depression,
five drops of fluid extract  of  dioscorea  (wild  yam)
should be  added.  Use the nerve liniment (see form-
ulas), and friction over the lower part of the back and
over the  region of the bladder.  Supply nourishing
food and out-door exercise.   Avoid using  much fluids
and refrain from excesses of  all kinds.
     12 
178         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Cancer.—The  technical name of this affliction is
Carcinoma Vesicae Urinariae.   The inner coats of the
bladder are usually involved.   The disease is rare and
is always caused  by the spread of  cancer from some
other part.
  Symptoms.—Bloody urine and lancinating pain in the
region and through the perineum.   Pain is as acute
and sharp when quiet as when stirring about, by which
fact it may be distinguished from stone in the bladder.
Little can be done in the way of treatment, as cancer
of the bladder is fatal.  Soothing nervines  may be
used to allay suffering (see cancer), and hemorrhages
may be checked by injections into  the bladder of in-
fusion of  gum kino.

  Catarrh Of the Bladder.—Chronic Cystitis.   Vesicu-
lar Catarrh.—This is also known as chronic inflamma-
tion of the bladder.  It is usually the result of neg-
lected acute  inflammation,  but  may be caused by
stone in the bladder, cancer,  tumors, stricture, or dis-
eases of adjacent parts.
  Symptoms.—There is a dull aching pain through the
perineum and region of the bladder, a straining feel-
ing and desire to urinate, sometimes the urine dribbles
away.  The urine itself has a strong odor of ammonia,
and is usually cloudy and may contain  shreds.
  Treatment.—The diet is the most  important thing to
be  regulated.  Coffee  and alcoholic liquors must be
abandoned.   Sweets, starchy foods and meats must be
avoided.  Vegetables,  such   as asparagus,  turnips,
onions and others  that are  succulent are  excellent;
fish and milk may be taken freely; bathing frequently
should be indulged in.
  Medication.—Uvi ursa and peach  leaves in infusion
are most excellent.   If there is great straining to urin-
ate and  irritation,  marsh-mallow root will be found
soothing.   In protracted cases buchu should be used.
If there is a tendency to suppuration, as will be shown
by the presence of pus in the urine, baptisia and com-
pound tincture of myrrh should be  added to  the in-
fusions.  Salicin, in five grain doses four times a day,
will be a suitable tonic. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          179
  Acute Inflammation.—This is the ordinary acute
cystitis.  It is simply an inflammation of the inner
membranes of the bladder.  It may occur at any time,
though  most common  in  male adults.  Exposure to
cold, intemperance, prolonged retention of urine, for-
eign bodies and injuries and diseases of the adjacent
organs are all causes of cystitis.
  Symptoms.—These are:   Frequent desire to urinate
and pain in the thighs  and groins.   The urine is
passed spasmodically as soon as it enters the bladder;
it is laden with mucus and in severe cases may con-
tain pus  and blood.  The chief distress seems to be
about the neck of the bladder.  It is seldom fatal, ex-
cept in the aged and  infirm, when  severe cases may be
followed by gangrene of the bladder.
  Treatjneat.—Keep the bowels well open  and drink
freely demulcent infusions—flaxseed and  lemon are
good.   The  following will  be   found  most  useful:
Marsh-mallow  root,  couch grass, shepherd's purse,
each one-half ounce,  steeped in  boiling  water,  one
quart,  strained and  half  a  cupful taken every three
or four hours.  Persons afflicted with inflammation of
the bladder will find  it an excellent plan to carry in
the pocket  chopped-up pieces of marsh-mallow root
to be eaten off and on during the day.  Hot wet cloths
over the region of the bladder will relieve pain.

  Paralysis.—Cystoplegia.—This  may  occur  in  the
course of a nervous disease, due to lesions of the brain
or spinal cord.   S\nnptoms are: Retention of urine and
a tumor over the bladder  from its distension.  Invol-
untary discharges of urine may occur in  protracted
cases.
  Treatment beyond the general treatment of paralysis
is of little use.   Washing out the bladder with cold
water or external application of cold water, or using
electricity,  may prove of tonic   effect.  The  urine
should be drawn off  with a catheter and not allowed
to accumulate.   If incontinence of urine  occurs, the
patient should wear a rubber urinal.

  Spasm.—Hyperesthesia.—This is sometimes spoken
of as stammering  of the bladder.   The person afflicted 
180
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
seems to have  no control  over the act of urinating.
Sometimes the  desire to urinate will be  painfully in-
tense and uncontrollable several times an hour.  Often
when voiding urine  sudden pain will  shoot  through
the parts, and  the neck of the bladder  may quickly
close before  the  organ is  emptied.  In some cases it
resembles stammering of the voice, insomuch as the
effort to perform the act  of urination  or the  mere
thought of it brings  on the symptoms mentioned.
  Treatment should be directed toward  quieting the
nervous  system in general.  Fluid extract of cramp
bark in  ten drop  doses  is excellent to relieve the
local spasms.  Third preparation  of lobelia,  two
drops in  water  every hour,  will be  found serviceable.
Strengthen the patient by nourishing  diet and fresh
air;  and  turn the thoughts to other subjects.

  Rupture.—The bladder  may be ruptured  by a fall
upon the abdomen, or a wheel running  over it when it
is full.  There  will  be sudden  and intense pain, and
great desire to urinate; passing a catheter will draw
off little or no urine, or else some blood.  A condition
of collapse follows, and afterward peritonitis.  No
treatment will be of avail.  Under some circumstances
a skilled surgeon might operate.

  Stone in the Bladder.—See Calculi.
Black Death.—See article on Plague.
             BLEEDERS' DISEASE.

       Haemophilia.  Haemorrhagic Diathesis.
  This is more a peculiarity of the organization than
a disease.  It is characterized by a great tendency to
bleed upon the slightest provocation.   A mere scratch
of a pin may cause disagreeable results,  and an ordi-
nary deep cut of the finger may cause  death from loss
of blood  if not  properly attended to.  The disposition
is usually a family  characteristic, far more frequent
with males than females.  It is often  called the haem-
orrhagic  diathesis. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          181

  Treatment.— Caution against accident is of first im-
portance.  Persons afflicted should avoid mountainous
regions, as the rare atmosphere permits the thin blood-
vessels to be more readily distended and  more easily
broken.   Hard water should not be used, but fatty
foods and most  nourishing  diet should  be the  rule.
Medication is  of little  if any  direct  value, beyond
prompt remedial agents in time of trouble.  Gum kino
infusion taken daily will strengthen the blood vessels,
but care must be taken to keep the bowels open.
           BLEEDING OF THE NOSE.

                    Epistaxis.
  This is usually a trifling matter and is often a relief
after severe mental labor or to  persons of apoplectic
tendencies.  But occasionally the bleeding is so pro-
fuse as to cause alarm or weakness.  The application
of cold water or ice  just  above the nose and  behind
the ears, pressure of the nose, plugging the nostril,
etc., are usually sufficient.  In severe cases roll a mass
of cob-webs into a wad and run  up the nostril, press
on the large artery  of  the temple, throw the head
back,  or grate salted  dried beef and put in the nostril,
or spray into it an infusion of kino.
  Some  persons  are  especially prone  to bleeding of
the nose.   They  are either  sickly,  and  should  be
treated according to their ailment, or are of the '' haem-
orrhagic diathesis,"  known  by transparent skin, thin
nostrils and sandy hair.  Such persons should not re-
side or travel in mountainous regions where the light
atmosphere allows distension of the blood vessels and
easy rupture of the capillaries.
              BLOOD  POISONING.

              Pyaemia.  Septicaemia.
  Under certain circumstances during the existence of
ulceration in various parts  of the  skin  or mucous
membrane,  the poisonous pus is liable  to  be carried
around in the circulation, causing a most serious con-
» 
182         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

dition, known  as the septic condition,  septicaemia,
pyaemia or blood poisoning.
  Among the circumstances rendering blood poisoning
liable may be mentioned carelessness, uncleanliness,
improper  dressing of sores, feeble  constitution and
bad habits.  The poison  of  wounds may be conveyed
to others through knives, instruments, dressings, etc.,
coming in contact with abrasions.  Blood poisoning is
a serious matter and often trifling difficulties are thus
designated which bear  no resemblance  to pyaemia.
All ulcerations must be carefully watched lest  blood
poisoning should follow.

  Symptenns.-—At  the onset  there will be a decided
chill or perceptible shiverings and a feeling of depres-
sion.   These shivering sensations  may be frequently
repeated and their intervals be characterized  by pro-
fuse perspiration.  The  pulse becomes very frequent,
possibly 140 or more per minute.  The glands become
swollen, and the regions about the wounds look red
and angry.  The breathing grows rapid, and there is
an anxious expression to the countenance.  The sur-
face is pale, and prostration is marked.   Death may
result within a week.  Prolonged cases may give pro-
gressive emaciation, frequent chills  and  hectic  fever,
swellings of the joints, loss of appetite, sleeplessness,
yellowish or spotted skin, furred tongue,  great thirst,
cough with distress in  the chest, great  prostration,
both mental and  physical, and death.

   Treatment.—This must  be based upon an effort to sus-
tain the patient's strength.   The best preparation that
can be devised is infusion of composition (an ounce to
the pint) given in doses of a quarter of a  cupful every
hour.  In severe cases add a small amount of com-
pound tincture of myrrh.  With this give every three
hours  a  teaspoonful  of  fluid extract   of  gentian
sprinkled with cayenne  pepper.  Wash the wounds
thoroughly with borax solution, and if the discharge
is thin and unhealthy looking apply pulverized  myrrh
directly to the  sore.  Keep the  bowrels open by  means
of mild laxatives; frequently bathe  the body and en-
join quietude.  The diet must be light and of easy di- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
183
gestion.  Keep the temperature as even as possible
and allow an abundance  of  fresh  air.   Septicaemia
may prove fatal in a few days, or by  care  it may be
quickly overcome in the robust.
  Blenorrhea.—Fully described in the section  on
Diseases of the Generative Organs.

  Blepharitis.—This is an inflammation of the eye-
lids and is  considered in the section  on Diseases of
the Eye.

  BlOOd  in the  Urine.—Hematuria. —A  condition
brought about by various causes, considered in the ar-
ticle on Urinary diseases.

  Bloody Tumor.—See article on Aneurism.

  Bloody  Vomiting.—Hematemesis.—See  article  on
Diseases of the Stomach.

  Blue Disease. — Cyanosis. — This   condition   is
brought about through interference with free  respira-
tion.  It is fully considered in the article on Cyanosis.
                     BOILS.
                 Job's Comforters.
  Anyone may suffer from boils, and they are not al-
ways indications of bad blood.  They occur on almost
any part of the body and are usually excited  by por-
tions of the clothing rubbing against  the  skin.  The
neck seems to be a favorite spot, perhaps, on  account
of the  chafing  caused by the collar.  Boils seldom
come singly; one is usually the forerunner of several
others.  The symptoms  are well known.  A redness
commences at some one spot, followed by swelling and
tenderness and then suppuration and great pain.  In
four or six days the boil  " comes to a head " and dis-
charges its "core " and then slowly heals, leaving  a
red, depressed scar.  Boils may have no "core," but
subside without ulceration. 
184
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment.—In the midst of the elevated red spot of
an initial boil will be  found a hair.   Extracting this
hair at the beginning may stop development, as it is
at the root of this hair follicle  that  ulceration com-
mences.  When  the boil is formed cover it  with a
plaster  of black salve (see formulas).   Poultices of
flaxseed sprinkled over  with pulverized lobelia will
hasten development.   Tardy  boils,  if  deep  seated,
should be  lanced.  If  a person is subject to successive
"crops of boils," he should take a compound syrup of
sarsaparilla and avoid fat meats and stimulants. Fre-
quent applications of cloths wrung  out of very hot
water to the parts usually afflicted will be  found ef-
ficient in stopping their return.
                BONE DISEASES.

Abscess.  Inflammation.  Hypertrophy.  Caries.  Ne-
                      crosis.
  The bones of the body are dense tissues,  having a
circulation and also nervous structures like other tis-
sues, and are subject to various diseases.  The struct-
ures of the bones themselves may become altered in
character or the coverings of the bones may be  dis-
eased.

  Abscess Of  Bone.—This is of rare occurrence, and
usually forms at the head of  the large bone of the leg
just below the knee joint.  The  cause of the abscess
is not always to be recognized, though  injury  is the
most common cause.   Scrofulous persons may have
abscess of the bones  without any directly  exciting
cause.
  Symptoms.—There is a constant and  continued deep-
seated pain in the region of the abscess.  There is a
great tenderness upon pressure, and the use of the af-
fected bone causes great suffering. Often the whole
system feels weak and there may be nausea and fever,
and all symptoms manifestly having their origin in the
condition of the bone.
  Treatment.—When the presence of an abscess of the
bone is definitely ascertained, there should not be lost 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
185
any time in procuring proper instruments and proceed-
ing to trephine, that  is, cut into the bone itself and
thus reach the abscess and allow evacuation of  the
pus.   Usually the abscess may be  readily  reached.
After the cavity has been entered  and pus is ascer-
tained to be present, it should be drawn off by the as-
pirator, and  a solution of boracic  acid  containing
tincture of myrrh should  be  injected.  A plaster of
black-salve (see formulas) should  be applied over the
opening.  Alterative syrup should be used freely and
especially so  with scrofulous persons.   If abscess of
the bone near a joint  occurs, it  is apt  to involve the
joint itself unless properly attended to  early.  It will
be many weeks before recovery commences, and dur-
ing that period fresh air, cleanliness, rest and whole-
some diet must be provided.

  Inflammation.—Ostitis is the  name  given to in-
flammation of the bone proper.   It is usually caused
by a blow or  other injury to persons who are afflicted
with syphilis or other  constitutional disease or dis-
ability.
  Symptoms.—There is usually swelling and redness
over the bone, and deep-seated or dull pain, becoming
severe at night, causing wakefulness and consequent
exhaustion of the system.   The bone itself will be-
come enlarged, and if unattended  to will result in de-
struction.
  Treatjnent.—Ostitis being almost universally trace-
able to constitutional difficulty, the especial disease
must be ascertained and treated.   In addition it will
be found advantageous to give  the afflicted  limb  fre-
quent hot vapor  baths,  and directly after each bath
apply a liniment  composed of equal  parts of com-
pound tincture of myrrh  and essence  of origanum.
Keep  the  limb  elevated.  The  compound  syrup of
stillingia (see formulas) is a most  excellent alterative
to be used internally.

  Periostitis.—This is inflammation of the  covering
of a bone, and it occurs usually in boys of scrofulous
tendencies or in ill health about the age of fourteen 
}
186         A PHYSICIAN IN THK HOUSE

years.   The large bone of the leg or  the  femur (bone
of the  thigh) is usually the one affected.   It is an ex-
tremely dangerous disease.  Death may occur from ex-
haustion or as the result of blood poisoning.
  Symplons.—There is general feverishness and local
swelling and great pain, which is very deep-seated, in
character like that of a bone felon.  Some may mis-
take the difficulty for rheumatism, though periostitis
does not affect the  joints.  When  suppuration com-
mences the limb swells and becomes red and glassy,
and the skin may seem about to burst. There are fre-
quent  chills followed  by fever of  a low grade, and
great  weakness and nervousness.  If death does not
occur  early,  there will be great emaciation and ex-
haustion as the result of intense suffering.
  Treatment.—Locally there should be applied  hot fo-
mentations  composed  of  mullein leaves and smart
weed,  equal parts, and sprinkled over with powdered
lobelia.  These should be changed frequently.   Inter-
nally  should be administered, hourly during severe
symptoms, an infusion of lady slipper and ginger.  If
chills  occur,  indicating  suppuration,  composition
should be used abundantly, with occasional addition
of compound tincture  of myrrh. If possible, an in-
cision  in to  the  bone  should be made and an outlet
thus made for the pus when suppuration  takes place;
the incision being frequently dressed with Number Six
and fluid extract of goldenseal.  Recovery will al-
ways be very slow, when convalescence is established.
During that  period  compound syrup of  yellow-dock
and gentian compound should be used alternately (see
formulas).

  Hypertrophy.—Often following inflammation or in-
juries hypertrophy or enlargement of the bones may
occur.   Beyond the  mere fact of enlargement made
apparent to  the senses,  there are  no   appreciable
symptoms beyond inconvenience.
  Treatment must be in  accordance  with  the  primary
cause.   Usually  the  administration  of  compound
syrup of stillingia will be found serviceable  and the
outward application of nervine liniment (see formulas). 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          187
  Tumors  Or Nodes.—Sometimes  as  the result  of
blows or injuries, or unaccountably, there  may  be
formed  bony tumors or  prominences upon  a  bone.
They may be distinctly felt by pressure.   They  cause
no pain and need no attention unless  their  position
renders them a decided inconvenience or interferes with
the movement of muscles or ligaments.   In such cases
the tumors  or exostoses may  be successfully removed
by a surgical operation.

  Atrophy of bones may follow injuries or be the re-
sult of scrofulous diseases,  to be treated according to
the cause.

  Osteomalacia.—This is a  disease of  old age  or
adult life and is a degeneration of the bony struct
ures—the  earthy or calcareous portions  becoming
greatly  deficient and the fatty portions becomings ex-
cessive.   Thus is caused a softening and weakening
of the bones.  This difficulty not  infrequently occurs
during pregnancy or as a result of too frequent child
bearing—the earthy elements by some  process  being
directed toward building up the skeleton of the foetus.
Improper diet during  the nursing period  or too long
nursing  may cause women to suffer osteomalacia.
  Symptoms.—Pains through the back, about the shoul-
ders and the hips, of a rheumatic or neulalgic charac-
ter, are  experienced, and aggravated by remaining in
one position.  The pain is dull  and constant and is
soon realized to be other than rheumatic.   In women
the share bone is pushed  forw7ard and the hips flat-
tened.   In  old  persons  the  softening  of the  bones
cause the spine  to become bent.  The shoulders  be-
come elevated and crooked and  the chest projected.
The head is thrown forward and downward.  By un-
natural  crowding the  free action of the heart and of
the lungs is interfered with, and the bones of  the
body are easily broken and unite with great difficulty,
if at all.
  Frequently death is the  result of disorders  made
more liable on account of  general disturbance—such
as consumption,  pneumonia, kidney disease, exhaust-
ion, etc.   Recovery very seldom follows osteomalacia, 
188         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
though the  disease may be  insidious and  very pro-
longed, making life miserable for a number of years.
Occasionally death may occur in a fewT months.
  Treatmetit.—Strict attention must be paid to the diet,
making it  most nourishing and of a suitable charac-
ter.  The pure white flour of the present day should
be avoided, and only that used which is made from the
whole wheat; oat  meal  is excellent, egg-nog  without
alcohol, bone soup, etc., should be given in abundance.
Hard drinking water should be  used.  Fresh air in
abundance,  salt water baths and massage  cannot be
too  highly  recommended.   The  hypophosphites of
lime and soda (the sirup is manufactured) may be used,
and the gentian tonic will aid in sustaining strength.
But the main reliance must be placed upon dietery and
hygiene.  Women should positively avoid pregnancy.

  Caries.—This  is  a breaking   down of  the bony
structures and an increase  in proportion of  the  soft
parts of the bones.  There  is little tendency toward
repair.   It  is usually a result of scrofulous or syphi-
litic affections, though it may follow injury.
  The sijmptoms are about the same as those described
under  ostitis.  An abscess  soon  forms,  through the
opening of  which the diseased  bone  may  usually be
reached.  The bones of the fingers or toes or of the
spinal column are the ones  usually affected by scrof-
ula; while caries from syphilis  usually affects the
bones of the nose or palate, or leg or cranium.
  Treatment  must  be constitutional  as directed for the
maladies causing the trouble.  Locally, the treatment
for ostitis must  be employed, and the abscesses thor-
oughly and frequently dressed and cleansed with anti-
septics.  When  possible the diseased portions of the
bones must be removed.  Recovery depends upon age
and strength and the extent and  importance of the
tissues involved.  Rest,  nourishing  diet and  hygienic
surroundings are essential.

  Necrosis.—This is absolute  death of  a  part or
whole of a bone.  It is caused by injury or  as a result
of scrofulous or syphilitic affections.  Death may oc-
cur to a superficial portion or a central portion of the 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
189
bone.   The dead structure  is bloodless and white,
though when exposed to air or surrounded by pus it is
black.  The living  bone usually forms a wall about
the necrosed part, completely cutting it off, and it
may lie thus for years.   Often pus is formed about it,
so that the dead particles lie in an abscess.  Occasion-
ally a particle of necrosed  bone, a result of injury,
disappears by absorption.
  Symptoms.—These are the symptoms of periostitus
and the existence of necrosis can be absolutely deter-
mined only by using the probe, though it may be sus-
pected when the pus from an opening during perios-
titis is thick and yellow, or when an attack of perios-
titus is very severe  or  prolonged, or wThen extensive
thickening has taken place in one of the long bones.
Occasionally necrosis may occur without any previous
history of ostitis or periostitis.
  Treatment.—Every means  possible  should  be  used
calculated to restore the portion of  bone threatened
with  necrosis.   Stimulating  emetics  (see  emetics)
should be given to cleanse the system and relieve it of
the double burden of removing impurities while  striv-
ing to repair damages.   Internally composition should
be used  freely, and the bowels  and kidneys should
maintain their functions regularly.   Stimulating lini-
ment  should be  applied.  Kerosene bandages  have
been highly recommended as a preventive of  necrosis.
When an abscess has formed it must be opened.
  When there is every evidence of necrosis, the ne-
crosed portion of  bone must be removed,  but only
after it has been completely separated from the rest
of the  bone by  its own destruction. It may require
very many wTeeks for this to happen.  The operation
of removing a necrosed bone of any  importance should
be performed only  by  a skillful  surgeon.  If there is
considerable prostration while awaiting the time for
operation scullcap  should be added to  the  composi-
tion.  Number Six  should be used freely in dressing
the open wound.  Necrosis  from scrofula or syphilis
will require appropriate constitutional treatment.

  Cancer.—Sarcoma of the bone is usually designated
as cancer, and is fully  described  under cancer in gen- 
190
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
eral, with appropriate  treatment.  Removing the af-
fected bone or the portion involved is the only certain
means of checking the  disease, and it is possible that
after successful removal of the bone sarcoma will not
reappear, and it may not enter into the system at all.

  Syphilitic Disease of  the bones may occur in vari-
ous  forms, caries, necrosis,  ostitis, periostitis, etc.
Frequently  during the course of the malady little
nodes will appear on the  bones, usually  deep-seated,
or in the cranium; they do but little damage.   Ulcera-
tion and  destruction of bones or portions of bones
during syphilis  are  not uncommon.  They of them-
selves seldom prove fatal, but they leave deformities
as a rule, such as a  flattened  nose, a depressed jaw,
etc.  The treatment must be according to the charac-
ter of the difficulty in addition to the treatment for
syphilis given elsewhere.

  Scrofulous Diseases  of the bones are frequent in
children, and are of  varieties  mentioned.   The treat-
ment for scrofula is given elsewhere.   See also the
article on White Swelling.
             BOWEL DIFFICULTIES.

                Acute Inflammation.
  This difficulty is also known as enteritis and acute
catarrhal inflammation of the bowels.  The whole in-
testinal tract may be involved or the difficulty maybe
confined to a limited portion.  If it  is confined to the
rectum it is termed dysentery,  and if confined to the
colon it is known as colonitis.   These varieties of  in-
flammation  of the bow7els are spoken of in their  re-
spective places.
  Impure water, improper diet,  sudden chilling of the
body when hot, and drinking too much iced water are
common causes.   Using violent cathartics, injuries or
worms may sometimes produce serious inflammation.

  Symptoms.—There is a sense of distress through the
abdomen, increased by pressure.  The passages from 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
191
the bowels are usually very frequent though small
and contain considerable mucus, and are yellow or
greenish in color, and in protracted and severe cases
become almost clear water.  The  skin is usually hot
and dry and thirst is urgent.  But if the upper bowels
alone are involved there is usually decided  constipa-
tion and occasionally nausea  and vomiting, and  in-
stead of fever,  the hands, feet and face may be cold
and the abdomen hot.  The pulse is small  and fre-
quent and there is great  prostration, and  in  children
the signs  of collapse.  In some the abdomen is dis-
tended with gas, while in others the abdomen may be-
come  hollow and the movements of the intestines
plainly visible.

  Treatment.—Never  give physic in  inflammation of
the bowels, no matter how obstinate the constipation;
rather administer injections of spearmint and boneset
infusion.  Milk of magnesia may  be used if  there are
irritating substances in the bowels.  Administer every
hour a tablespoonful of the following infusion: Marsh-
mallow  root  or hollyhock flowers and lady slipper
each one-half ounce  to a  pint of boiling water, to
which a teaspoonful  of cooking  soda may be added.
Do not allow cold drinks, but if there is thirst give
frequently a  swallow or so of cool  water  in which
gum arabic has been dissolved.
  If there is diarrhoea neutralizing cordial (see formu-
las) should be given in small doses every hour.  Keep
the extremities warm and the head  cool and allow
plenty of  fresh  air and  absolute quiet.  Feed very
lightly  on thin  foods, allow  no meats;  sea-moss  is
most excellent.   Rubbing cocoanut oil over the abdo-
men  is  nourishing and  grateful.  A  return to solid
food should be made with great caution.

              Chronic Inflammation.
  Known also by the term catarrhal enteritis, this dis-
ease is  usually a sequence of the acute  form; or it
may occur gradually from derangements of intestinal
circulation, or be  present during  malarial scrofulous
or tubercular diseases.
  Symjifoms.—These may vary considerably during the 
192
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
 months or years  involved in chronic inflammation.
 There is  considerable  wind  on the bowels  and oc
'casional  colic  pains.  Emaciation  increases  along
 with general weakness.  There is headache, indiges-
 tion  and cold extremities with  feeble  pulse.  The
 bowels are usually very irregular, often there will be
 two or three discharges daily of thin material mingled
 with mucus and possibly streaked with blood and con-
 taining shreds, these discharges occurring close to-
 gether in the morning.  Sometimes there is constipa-
 tion.
   Treatment.—For constipation use compound  syrup of
 rhubarb  (see  formulas).  A  general soothing tonic
 should be given three times a day, such as fluid ex-
 tract of peach leaves and of Colombo each  one-half
 ounce, syrup of wild cherry bark seven ounces. Keep
 the surface at  an equable temperature, avoid harsh
 foods,  supply  plenty of fresh  air and hygienic sur-
 roundings with frequent salt water baths.

       Invagination or Stoppage of the Bowels.
   This difficulty, also known  as  intussusception, is  a
 condition in which  one portion of the intestines is
 pushed into another portion, causing what is  termed
 "knot of the bowels;" usually the upper portion is
 pushed into the lower, causing the lower to serve as a
 sheath.   Inflammation sets in  quickly, causing  the
 neck to  become more  and more constricted until it
 entirely closes.  The weight  of faeces above presses
 the upper portion of  the  intestine still farther down-
 ward, sometimes forcing it down into the rectum and
 even through the anus.  The complete constriction in-
 terrupts the circulation of blood and may lead to de-
 struction of the parts, causing the invaginated por-
 tion of the intestine to become separated and passed
 from the body—from two inches  to ten feet have been
 known to be thus discharged.
   Invagination is most likely to occur at the point
 where the small intestine enters into the large bowels,
 situated in the  right groin, but it may happen at al-
 most any place.  It may be caused by a severe blow,
 or fall or wrench of the body, by foreign bodies, by
 constipation or as a result of the weak and  relaxed 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
193
condition of the bowels caused by protracted diarrhoea
or intestinal paralysis.  Children are the usual suf-
ferers, though persons of any age are liable, and in-
testinal tumors may by pressure produce it.

  Symptoms.—As a rule intussusception is  mistaken at
first for colic and  constipation, and physics are re-
sorted to, which give  no  relief and produce stools
small in quantity and containing mucus often streaked
with blood.  The pain becomes intense and there may
be convulsions in children.  There  is great straining
and frequent  vomiting, sometimes of  faeces.  The
bowels below the invagination  being emptied, efforts
at  stool  result in the  passage of  only mucus and
blood, which as the case progresses become very of-
fensive.
  The abdomen becomes extremely tender to pressure
and is swollen and distended, the navel being drawn
in.  Often the invagination may be felt by pressure as
a deep elongated tumor, usually running toward  the
navel, sometimes across the whole  abdomen.  Occa-
sionally the anus will be found greatly  relaxed and
through it the invaginated bowel may possibly be felt.
Great exhaustion follows such a condition.  The suf-
ferer's countenance  is pale and  pinched and  anxious
looking; food cannot be retained.   The  symptoms of
peritonitis may be manifested and collapse precede death
a few days after the first pronounced symptoms.
  Sometimes without treatment  the  bowel returns to
its  normal condition suddenly, giving instant relief,
followed by abundant  discharges.  Occasionally the
invaginated portion becomes severed by  suppuration
and is passed away and recovery follows during the
second or third week.   The great  majority of cases
terminate fatally through improper treatment; though
probably many  more would recover should the real
nature of the difficulty be early known; the trouble at
first often being mistaken for colic or dysentery or
some form of hernia.

  Treatment.—Large doses of opium have been usually
employed; but such treatment only quiets pain and is
vastly more harmful than beneficial and cannot be too
     13 
194
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
highly condemned.  Operation is often resorted  to,
but with  most  unsatisfactory  results.  The  object
must be to soothe  the  inflamed bowel,  relax the con-
striction muscles and force the invaginated portion to
its proper position.  This is best accomplished by in-
jections.  The  following method of treatment  will
usually be found efficient:
  Make an  infusion of spearmint or catnip, boneset,
lobelia and  pleurisy root, each one-half ounce to four
quarts of boiling  wrater; steep for half an hour and
strain; thicken a very little with starch and cool to
the temperature of the  body. Place the patient on
the back,  the shoulders lower than the  buttocks; com-
plete inversion  of the body is best though it cannot
be endured for a sufficient time.   Bend  the  knees and
bring the heels to  the  buttocks.  Use a large sized
fountain syringe;  keep the infusion at the proper tem-
perature and slowly inject it into the bowels.  When
there is any desire to expel it  turn off  the flow and
tightly compress the arms, for the fluid must be with-
held  at all hazards.  If by  accident  it is  expelled,
wait  an hour or  so and then commence over again.
Five  or six  hours  should be consumed in giving an in-
jection of  three  or four quarts.   When  the  large
bowels are entirely full the fluid  will slowly enter the
small bowels.   The abdomen should be carefully ma-
nipulated during the injection.
  If injections  are  successful the  relaxation of the
structures and the  pressure  of the food will reduce
the  invagination,   and sudden relief will be experi-
enced.  When the tumor felt in the  abdomen has  dis-
appeared, good results  have been accomplished, and
the injection may be  allowred to  pass away slowiy.
Abundant discharges of  offensive material will follow.
The tenderness  of the bowels will necessitate quiet in
a recumbent position  for several days, and the gen-
eral treatment and diet for inflammation of the bowels.
  Some practitioners use air injections, but they are
not so  serviceable.  Occasionally, when the  invagi-
nated bowel can  be felt by the finger in the rectum
bougies can be employed to replace it,  the patient be-
ing inverted during the operation.   But the injections 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          195
are always  preferable.   If  suppuration  has  taken
place a very little boracic acid (half a drachm) can be
added to the injection.
               BRAIN  DISEASES.

Anaemia.  Atrophy.  Conjestion.   Hypertrophy,  in-
              flammation. Softening.
  Anaemia.—This  means a  deficiency  of normal
blood in the brain, either in quantity or quality.  It
may be caused  by  anything which  decreases  the
amount of blood in the system—hemorrhages, etc., or
by interruption of  the blood current passing to the
brain—tumors, heart troubles,  etc., or by conditions
which impoverish or alter the character of the blood.
Exhaustive diarrhoea may also be a cause.
  Sy),ij)tom.s.—Fainting and dizziness, accompanied by
great paleness and cold  extremities and small pulse,
are indications of brain anaemia.  Those who have per-
manent anaemia of  the brain are subject to spasms of
the brain's blood vessels, recognized by coldness over
the body, ringing in the  ears, a swimming- feeling in
the head, palpitation, perhaps nausea, and then un-
consciousness which may last several minutes or more,
or may prove fatal.
  Treatment.—Ascertain   the  cause  and  remove  it,
whenever possible.  During spells  of unconsciousness
the patient  should be placed on  the  back with the
head low, cold water sprinkled on the face and  am-
monia or smelling salts placed to the nose.   If severe,
and death is feared, an  injection  of ginger in warm
water  may be given. As soon as consciousness re-
turns administer a stimulant  internally.  These pa-
tients should have an abundance of fresh air and lead
a quiet life.  The gentian  tonic (see  formulas) will
prove excellent in building up the system.

  Atrophy.—This  is a   shrinking  of  the brain sub-
stance or a deficiency in development.  It may  result
from wasting diseases or injuries, or as a result of old
age; often it is congenital—a child being born with one-
half or the whole brain deficient in size—in which case 
196
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
idiocy is present and  epilepsy liable.  In old age loss
of memory and childishness are present with atrophy
of the brain.  Children  who  have the limbs remain
undeveloped,  as  is occasionally seen, usually have
atrophy of the brain.  The disease itself is not  fatal,
though it renders the afflicted person more liable to
diseases.  Remedies are of no avail, though  in chil-
dren hygienic measures and careful training may ren-
der life more bearable.

  Congestion.—This is a sluggishness of circulation
through the brain,  caused by over eating, anxiety,
continued mental strain,  etc.
  Symptoms.—Sleeplessness, delusions, fear of death,
dizziness, feeling of fullness in the head, disturbances
of sight and hearing, irregular bowels and attacks of
melancholy, or apparent apoplectic symptoms.
  Treatment.—The object should be to divert the blood
from the head.  Have the head high during sleep, fre-
quently bathe the feet in very hot water,  relieve the
bowels, administer stimulants and nervines, such  as
ginger and blue cohosh and allow perfect rest.  Sal-
icin in five grain doses will sustain the strength.  An
attack lasts about twelve days.

  Hypertrophy.—This is an abnormal enlargement of
the brain substance and is usually met with in chil-
dren  born diseased.   The  head slowly  enlarges  in
length and the eyes become sunken.  Convulsions and
spells  of stupor usually  precede  death.   In  adults
alcoholism is the most frequent cause,  though injuries
and diseases may possibly cause it.   The bones of the
skull being firm  the head does not enlarge, and conse-
quently pressure results, producing apoplectic-like at-
tacks, or symptoms of paralysis.  Often epileptic seiz-
ures occur and cause death. There is no known cause
for  the difficulty.  In elderly persons discontinuance
of bad habits may stop further abnormal development.

  Inflammation.—Encephalitis  or  inflammation  of
the  brain, also known as brain fever,  is  not  of fre-
quent occurrence and  is rarely met unless as  the re-
sult of injury, though prolonged  mental strain, vene- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
197
rial excesses or over-indulgence  in alcoholic liquors
may produce it, and it may also be a sequence of scar-
let fever or other disease, or of inflammation  of the
internal ear.

  Sipnptoms.—Sometimes the symptoms  are obscure,
inflammation  progressing  until  exhaustion  causes
death, or until epileptiform  convulsions declare the
seriousness of  the  condition.  Usually,  though, the
symptoms are well marked and are as follows:  First,
there  is headache and  dizziness and vomiting; fol-
lowed by great weakness, sleeplessness and a  highly
exalted condition of the nerves of special sense—the
eyes are very sensitive,  hearing is acute  and great ir-
ritability upon the least disturbance is manifested.
The pulse at first is rapid and  strong, the arteries of
the neck beating violently.   The head is  very hot and
delirium is often present,  and toward death  stupor
follows.  Convulsions are not infrequent.  It is a seri-
ous malady, usually fatal in from six to twelve days;
and those cases which are  not  lost often are afflicted
with paralysis.

  Treatment.—Throughout the trouble constipation is
persistent, and injections of boneset infusion  should
be used to evacuate the bowels  or senna and  ginger
may be given internally.  An  infusion of one ounce
each of pleurisy root and lady slipper, and one-fourth
ounce lobelia, steeped  in one quart of boiling water
and strained,  may  be  given in  tablespoonful doses
every  two hours; or by injection to the  bowels, one-
half pint at a time every three hours.   Bathe the feet
and limbs in warm water, place a towel wet with vin-
egar and cold water to the  head, rub nervine liniment
(see formulas)  over  the  spine, and feed frequently of
nourishing, light food, very little at a  time.  Abso-
lute quietude is imperative.  When the disease occurs
from fracture of the skull, surgical aid will be found
to be necessary.

  Softening.—This usually occurs in old persons and
may follow injuries, exposure, continued  mental exer-
tion or anxiety. 
198
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  Sympto)iis.—General or special diminution of power
of organs is noticed.  Memory becomes  deficient,
childishness may follow, and partial paralysis is com-
mon.  Often these symptoms are preceded by reckless
ventures in  business or the building of high  hopes of
success  upon apparently no basis, efforts in various
lines may be made and abandoned as though forgot-
ten.   A dwelling upon one line of thought and a lack
of consecutive thought.   Dizziness, listlessness and a
sense of constriction in the head precedes the serious
conditions of paralysis and coma.
  Treatment.—Slowly  developing cases present  hope
of recovery.  Freedom from anxiety and mental exer-
tion are imperative.   Perfect rest away  from home,
amusement  and quiet companionship are advisable.
Stimulating tonics should be used and plenty of  sleep
taken.  Warmth of  the body  should be maintained.
Tropical  life is most beneficial.  The hypophosphites
are excellent.  Alcoholic liquors  should be avoided
and  nourishing  food taken  in concentrated  form.
Softening from injury or pressure can offer but little
hope.

  Tumors.—Cerebral tumors may be caused by blows,
falls  or other accidental injuries.   They  may result
from  disease—such as cancer, tuberculosis or syphilis,
or they may be caused by parasites.
  Symptoms.—In nearly all cases there is  intense and
usually constant headache and tenderness at some one
point on pressure.  Vomiting is frequent, convulsions
and paralysis, especially of special organs, may oc-
cur.  Hearing, seeing and power of speech are usually
interfered with, and various, other  irregularities may
occur according to the location  of the tumor.
  Treatment.—Medication is of no  service beyond pos-
sibly quieting the system through  nervines and regu-
lating the functions of the  body as they  become de-
ranged.   Occasionally operations are performed when
the tumor is located  at  the  surface.  Quietude and
care  may prolong life  two or more years.  Unless
caused  by disease tumors of the brain do not cause
the general health to be apparently interfered with. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          199
  Bread Poisoning.—Ergotism.—This is a serious dif-
ficulty  brought about by the eating of bread made
from poisoned rye.   It is fully considered in the arti-
cle on Poisons and their Antidotes.
             BREAK-BONE FEVER.
         Dengue.  Acrodynia. Dandy Fever.
  This is an epidemic disease common to tropical  or
semi-tropical countries.  It  is common  in  the  West
Indies and South America and occasionally occurs  in
the southern portion of the United States.   The dis-
ease is very seldom fatal, though the severity of its
character may so weaken the constitution as to cause
poor health ever after.

  Sympt<mts.—There is a period of twelve to twenty-
four hours after exposure before the symptoms of the
disease manifest themselves, and these commence very
suddenly, often  during sleep.  The skin becomes very
hot, the temperature  may reach  103°; the pulse 110;
the face is red and  swrollen, the head and joints  ache,
and it seems as though  every bone in the body would
break.   The suffering is  so intense  that the counte-
nance bears a look  of agony, and prostration is  over-
whelming.  The tongue is white with red edges.  Con-
stipation or diarrhoea  may be pronounced, and the
urine in some cases is scanty and in others abundant
and limped.  A  scarlet  rash makes its appearance dif-
fused or in spots over the body and continues from
five to twenty hours.  After from twelve to seventy-
two  hours  of such fever and pain  these symptoms
subside and a period of remission  follows for one  or
three days—partial or complete in character.   Then
comes a relapse of  the former symptoms greatly mod-
ified in character, often consisting simply of a return
or the  eruption, which now more closely resembles
measles.  It continues  from  one  to  three days, com-
mencing on the  hands and extending over the  body
and causing intense itching.  It is followed by desqua-
mation or peeling off  of the skin in  scales.  Pain  in
the joints, small abscesses of the skin and  swellings 
200
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
may occur during the period of convalescence which
is protracted.

  Treatment.—At the first stage a stimulating  emetic
(see emetics) should be given; nothing will equal it in
efficiency.  Follow  this by an  infusion  of  ginger,
pleurisy root and lady slipper every two hours.  Bathe
the body with water of a temperature  most comfort-
able to the patient, and rub nervine liniment (see
formulas) over the joints.  A very mild laxative may
be given if the  bowels  are  constipated.  After the
fever has subsided give, as a  strengthening  tonic,
composition and gentian, either  as infusion or made
into syrup.  A light and nourishing diet, absolute rest
and abundance of fresh air and freedom from care and
excitement must be provided for many weeks after the
attack.  Change to a mountainous or northern region
is advisable for those  whose  debility  continues any
length of time.
  Breast  Pang.—Chest Spasm.—See Angina Pectoris.

  Bricklayers'  Itch.— The  same as  Bakers' Itch,
only the irritation is caused by lime
              BRIGHT'S  DISEASE

               Chronic Albuminuria.
  This is a serious trouble and  may  approach insidi-
ously and not be recognized until far advanced.  The
early symptoms—headache, indigestion, impaired vis-
ion, etc.—are common to many maladies, so that many
symptoms must  be taken  together  to ascertain the
certainty  of  Bright \s  disease.  Some of  the  most
prominent disturbances are as follows:

  Symptoms.—Loss of appetite,  sometimes amounting
to loathing  of food, or fondness for an article and
then disgust at  sight of it.  Accumulations of gas in
the stomach, causing  belching of gas,  often violent
enough to bring up part of the stomach's  contents;
there may be also retching  and vomiting. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
201
  Diarrhoea is frequent,  alternating with  pronounced
constipation.  The skin is inclined to become very dry,
and perspiration seldom occurs;  in serious cases there
is  feverishness  and  great  debility and  occasional
"creepy" feelings of chilliness over the surface.
  Shortness of breath after slight exertion is an early
symptom, palpitation is apt to accompany it, and par-
oxysms may occur at night time, though most frequent
during the day.  There may be pain in the  region  of
the kidneys, though not  always, and as a  rule such
pain is not experienced until the more severe symp-
toms, especially dropsy, are developed.
  Dropsy of more or less extent is a characteristic
symptom, commencing as a rule  with puffiness of the
eyelids or face and becoming general throughout the
body,  starting  about the ankles and extending up-
ward.
  The pulse is quick and hard and denotes a nervous
and circulator disturbance.  Great paleness is  a most
prominent symptom, and persons of middle age who
are habitually pale should at once have their urine ex-
amined.
  The  urine is  lessened  in  quantity  at  first,  but in-
creases as the affection  progresses.  Albumen  is al-
ways present, as may  be  ascertained  by heating a
small  quantity of urine  containing a few drops  of
nitric acid in a test tube over an alcohol flame, when
cloudiness will  appear.   Microscopical  examinations
of the  urine reveal casts, denoting breaking down  of
the structures of the kidneys.  There is an increasing
desire  to  urinate, especially at night  time,  accom-
panied by burning sensations along the urethra.  In
advanced  cases the urine may be hazy or smoky.
  Hypertrophy of the heart, with its annoying symptoms,
is likely to accompany Bright's disease.

  Treatment.— While most cases terminate fatally after
months or years of suffering, still life may be pro-
longed and recovery possibly follow appropriate man.
agement.  Fresh air, quietude of mind  and out-door
exercise are beneficial.  An equable  climate is to be
preferred; chilling of the  surface must be avoided;
tea, coffee, alcoholic  drinks,  cheese  and fats must be 
202         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

prohibited.  Frequent warm baths are useful, and the
skin's action may be promoted by pleurisy  root infu-
sion.  Marsh-mallow root and peach leaves are sooth-
ing and promote the flow of urine.   The bowels are
best kept open by effervescing aperients, and should
diarrhoea occur neutralizing cordial will be efficient.
Stimulating liniment may be rubbed over the region of
the kidneys.  All irritating  or  highly stimulating
agents should be avoided.

  Acute Bright's Disease.—Acute Inflean)indton of the
Kidneys. — This form of  Bright's disease may result
from injuries, over-exertion, scarlet fever, or diphthe-
ria, or it may follow the the use of  certain drugs used
to act upon the  kidneys, such as oil of turpentine,
resin,  saltpetre,  salicylic  acid,  etc.  The  excessive
use of  alcohol is a common cause of renal  inflamma-
tion and many diseases  also favor it.
  Symptoms of acute inflammation are pain  in the re-
gion of the kidneys, vomiting, headache, constipation,
paleness and a disposition  to dropsical  swellings.
Uraemia is apt to follow, denoted by dizziness, head-
ache and probably convulsions.  The urine contains
albumen, which gives a cloudiness when a few drops
of nitric acid are added and heat applied.
  Treatment  consists of soothing  diuretics, such as
marsh-mallow root and  peach leaves in infusion.  The
bowels must be kept open and a light diet directed—
tea, coffee and alcohol  must be forbidden.  The skin
must be kept warm and perspiration favored by hot
baths and the drinking of pleurisy root infusion.   A
vapor  bath or Turkish bath is most excellent.   Quie-
tude in  bed is imperative.  Broth,  lean meats and
milk may  be allowed.   Cheese,  fats and  salt foods
must be forbidden.
               BRONCHIECTASIS.               i
              Dilation of the Bronchi.
  This is an enlargement of the bronchi.   They  may
become almost funnel shaped or bulge out  at  various
places.  Internally they become uneven and there are 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          203
in them  accumulations of mucus which may  become
purulent and ulceration follow.  This difficulty is al-
ways preceded by some other  bronchial trouble, such
as bronchial catarrh, capillary bronchitis, etc.
  Symptoms.—Apparently, outside of the cough, there
is little the matter with the patient.   But the cough
comes on in severe paroxysms  and expectoration is
profuse; sometimes a quart of thick mucus  will be
coughed up in a  single day.  There  may be thick
chunks of  mucus which sink in wrater, and also cheesy
material may be  expectorated possessing a foul odor,
and the breath given off from the lungs during cough-
ing is very offensive.   The sleep may not be disturbed,
but upon rising in the  morning a paroxysm of cough-
ing occurs, often so severe as  to cause vomiting, and
always accompanied by profuse expectoration.
  Treatmeat.—The disease does not present a hopeful
condition of affairs.   The aim  must be to keep  the
bronchi free from accumulations; to prevent putrefac-
tion and to lessen the amount of the secretion of mu-
cus  in  the tubes.  A  most excellent  preparation is:
Fluid extract  of aralia  racemosa (spikenard)  one
ounce,  in  syrup of wild cherry seven ounces; take a
teaspoonful every four hours.   Have the patient carry
with him eucalyptol and menthol each one-half ounce;
place a little on the hand every few hours and placing
in front of the nose and mouth inhale  deeply.  Inhal-
ation of sprays  of listerine  and tincture of myrrh,
greatly diluted with water,  will be found serviceable.
  The diet should be carefully regulated, and most
scrupulous attention  paid  to sanitary matters.  The
bowrels must be  kept  open; and an even temperature
maintained.  When there is evidence that great accu-
mulations of mucus cannot be thrown off, a stimulating
emetic (see emetics) should be administered
                  BRONCHITIS.
             Acute Bronchial Catarrh.
  This is a catarrhal inflammation of the air passages.
One or more of the large tubes may be involved, or it
may affect the medium sized tubes of the lungs, or the 
204         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE-

very minute tubes may  suffer (capillary bronchitis).
One  portion only,  or one  side  or both sides of the
lungs may be the seat of the difficulty,  and the char-
acter of the disease varies greatly from the symptoms
of an ordinary cold to those of a dangerous malady.
The causes may be mentioned as cold, damp weather,
changeable  temperature, chilling  of the  surface by
exposure, especially  insufficient  protection to  the
limbs of  children and irritating gases  or particles in
the atmosphere. Bronchitis may  also be  a  conse-
quence of diminished secretions and therefore is likely
to occur during the course of several diseases.  Irrita-
ting medicines may  cause it, and  some  persons are
more subject to it than others.

  Symptoms.—The most  frequent  cases involve  the
large tubes, causing a  feeling of  tenderness  in the
middle of the chest accompanied by a tight feeling in
the upper part of the lungs.  There is always cough,
especially upon lying down or early in the  morning.
Violent coughing spells cause soreness through the
muscles of the chest and the sides.   At first there is
little expectoration,  but after  a while mucus  of a
frothy nature is thrown  out; this changes to stringy
and  tenacious mucus,  and  sometimes  pus  or blood
may be present.  Chunks of mucus, like round balls,
may be  coug-hed up,  which shows the  difficulty is
abating  and  relief will soon come.  There may be
general feverishness, red and watery eyes and hoarse-
ness.  Children may  have  delirium or convulsions.
Constipation, headache and a furred tongue are usu-
ally present.  The pulse is full and rather frequent in
ordinary cases.

  Treatment.—The first object must be to increase the
action of the skin and divert the circulation outward.
Ginger and a little pleurisy root in an infusion are ex-
cellent during feverishness.   When there is irritation
and  tenderness  and the tubes seem full of mucus a
syrup may  be made of flax seed, ginger, licorice  and
spikenard infusion—only a small proportion  of spike-
nard  being  needed.   After  free expectoration is se-
cured syrup of  wild  cherry bark is most excellent. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
205
Hollyhock leaves or marsh-mallow root or slippery
elm bark may be used instead of the flax seed which
is disagreeable to some.  The patient should be kept
in an even temperature of  about 70° or a little over,
and the air not too dry; but avoid too great moisture.
Camphorated oil or goose  grease may be rubbed over
the  chest.  The bowels must be kept open, and quie-
tude and a light  diet provided.  Care must be taken
against  exposure after recovery to avoid return in a
serious or chronic form.

  Capillary Bronchitis.—This is  a serious form of
the  disease, rarely affecting any but those of  feeble
constitution or small children or old  persons; though
occasionally the most robust may succumb.  It starts
as ordinary  bronchitis, but the minute  tubes of the
lungs  become involved, and suffer engorgement from
the  mass of tenacious mucus which they are unable to
throw off.  As a consequence the blood  does not re-
ceive sufficient  air, and  symptoms characteristic of
such a condition soon manifest themselves; they may
come on slowly or  all at  once  by a sudden engorge-
ment.
  Fever  is at first high, but soon diminishes; and the
nose and extremities become cold and there is a very
pale followed by a livid appearance of  the skin and
lips.  The pulse grows very rapid  and small, and
great  listlessness or stupor follows.   There  is  a
wheezing or rattling sound in the chest and  great dif-
ficuly of breathing.   The lower  part of the chest ap-
pears  sunken, the shoulders are drawn upward and
the  head thrown back; the mouth is opened and the
sides of  the nose are dilated.  Breathing is very shal-
low or gasping, and  the mucus may accumulate rap-
idly; in  small  children it  may  fill the mouth after a
coughing spell  and  by its tenaciousness  threaten
strangulation.

  Treatment.—There is no time to be  lost in capillary
bronchitis—it is always a  dangerous condition.  Re-
laxants and  demulcents must not be used.  Quickly
apply stimulation over the lungs;—essence of ginger,
cloths rung  out of red pepper water or stimulating 
206         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

liniment  must  be used freely.  Administer,  in  tea-
spoonful  doses to a child, an infusion of ginger, pleu-
risy root  and spikenard, equal parts.
  In desperate cases where there is stupor and cold-
ness an injection  of ginger and skull cap should be
given, and capsicum may be used instead of ginger in
the infusion.  The head  should be elevated and hot
water or  hot irons placed to the feet.   Children should
be carried upright in the arms and should  not be al-
lowed  to sleep until  danger  is past, which may be
knowm by the skin  assuming  a natural color and
warmth returning and the breathing  becoming  natu-
ral, otherwise strangulation or suffocation may occur.
  An excellent tonic to use for some time after a spell
of bronchitis is:  Fluid extracts of  blue  cohosh and
golden seal each  two  drachms in eight ounces of syrup
of wild cherry.   Dose for a child may be half a tea-
spoonful every three hours.   An adult may use double
the quantity.
             BRONCHITIS CHRONIC.
     Winter Cough.  Chronic Bronchial Catarrh.
  This difficulty is usually the result of a protracted
attack of acute bronchitis or of  frequent attacks of
that difficulty.  It is chiefly confined  to elderly per-
sons and is very persistent—recurring with regularity
every winter or upon the least exposure to cold.  The
larger bronchi are chiefly affected, and the disease of
itself is rarely fatal, though  it may result in emphy-
sema or consumption (which see).

  Sympttnns.—There is seldom any fever or other gen-
eral disturbance.  A sense of constriction in the chest
and a feeling of  soreness  behind  the breast-bone are
complained of.   Cough is  always  present; it is parox-
ysmal in character, mostly occurring soon after retir-
ing and rising.  Expectoration is usually abundant,
consisting of stringy mucus, sometimes streaked with
blood and  sometimes containing  pus, and as a rule it
is difficult to expel.   Sometimes there  may be almost
no expectoration except little lumps like boiled sago, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
207
and there may  be great wheezing  and  difficulty ot
breathing.  This form is known as dry catarrh and is
usually  suffered by gouty persons or those inhaling
irritating  particles, such as file-makers, sand-paper-
ers, etc.
  Persons having heart trouble, or feeble old  people
may have a form of bronchitis known as bronchorrhcea,
in which the  expectoration is  profuse, possibly two
quarts a day.
  Putrid bronchitis may occur, when the expectoration
becomes gray or brown and  horribly offensive, caus-
ing by its odor nausea or vomiting and loss of appetite.
As a rule sufferers from chronic bronchitis  grow thin
and weak from exhaustive coughing.  While the dis-
ease is  seldom  fatal, yet the  putrid form may cause
suppurative fever or a fatal diarrhoea, or destroy por-
tions of  the bronchi sufficiently to produce  fatal hem-
orrhage.

  Treatment.—The maintenance of the patient's health
and the  increase of his resistive  powers  must  be the
first aim  of  treatment.  An  even  temperature  of
about 70° F. is  most  desirable and  every precaution
against drafts and sudden changes must be taken.  A
sustaining diet,  a free mind and rest must be provided.
Every precaution should  be taken against inhaling
dust or vapors that are obnoxious.  There must be an
abundance of pure air and the  best of hygienic sur-
roundings.  The mountains of  North and South Caro-
lina and of   Georgia cannot  be  excelled for such
sufferers.
  Medication  must be made appropriate to the various
classes  of cases.  Persons suffering from  dyspepsia,
liver troubles or heart difficulties must have such con-
ditions appropriately treated.  All cases should wear
a flannel over the chest which  should be  frequently
saturated with a liniment composed of fluid extract of
black cohosh,  one ounce; tincture of lobelia, two ounces;
tincture of capsicum, two drachms; alcohol, five ounces.
  When the  cough  is  loose and the expectoration
abundant a syrup may be used, made of equal parts of
spikenard and cramp bark and hops in syrup of tolu.
  Where there is irritation and insufficient  expectora- 
1
208         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

tion mullein leaves,  comfrey and spikenard  equal
parts and a little  lobelia may be made into a syrup
with licorice.
  A most pleasant preparation for old cases may be
made as follows:   Fluid extract of Mexican sage, four
drachms; fluid extract osha root, one ounce;  fluid ex-
tract hops, two drachms; syrup of licorice, six ounces;
dose, a teaspoonful every six hours, or during of jmr-
oxysm of coughing.

  Purulent  Bronchitis.—In this form of chronic
bronchitis expectoration is purulent and laden with
pus and fatty particles.  The treatment must be the
same as for chronic bronchitis, only  the tendency to
absorption  of  purulent material must be  guarded
against by  the employment of  antiseptics, such as
compound tincture of myrrh, along  with the  other
medication.

  Dry Bronchitis.—In this  form of  chronic bronchi-
tis, there is little  if any expectoration.  Old persons
are usually the ones affected, and their coughing spells
seem to afford no relief, and if not treated properly the
serious condition known as emphysema will follow.
  Treatment.—-In addition to general hygienic, dietary
and other precautions mentioned under Chronic Bron-
chitis there should be administered every tw7o hours,
or during a coughing spell:   Fluid extract osha root,
one ounce; tincture of lobelia, one drachm; syrup of
licorice, seven ounces.
  Bronchocele.—See article on Goitre.

  Broncho-Pneumonia.—Catarrhal or Lobular Pneu-
monia.—See article on Pneumonia.
              BRONCHO-STENOSIS.
            Constriction of the Bronchi.
  This condition may be caused by the pressure of tu-
mors, by foreign bodies entering  the  lungs, or as the 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          209

result  of  abscess  or  of  inflammation  from constitu-
tional disease.
  Symptoms.—The most prominent symptom is a feel-
ing of  inability to  get sufficient breath.   Inspiration
is very long  and  expiration short.  There  may be
great pain on inspiration, and the countenance always
looks distressed and  anxious.  Sometimes there  is
cough  accompanied by expectoration.   Inflammation
of the  lungs may follow, causing a swelling and clos-
ing of  the bronchial  tubes.  The closure may be so
great as to cut off nourishment through blood vessels,
and  abscesses or gangrene may follow.   Some cases
may cause early death by suffocation.  The difficulty,
no matter what is  its origin,  is always serious: espe-
cially so  when caused  by the  presence of foreign
bodies.
  Treatment.—When constriction  of the bronchi is due
to the presence of foreign bodies, every effort should
be made  for their expulsion.   Exciting the act of
sneezing  by the use  of  snuff or tickling inside the
nose by a feather may expel an object.   Emetics may
be serviceable.  Turning the patient upside down and
pounding on his back  may produce good, results.   Diffi-
cult  and  painful breathing may  often be relieved by
tincture of lobelia, two drops on sugar every  hour or
oftener.  The aim must be to ascertain the cause and
remove  it  as  quickly.  When  the  trouble follows
syphilis it can be relieved  only  by employing proper
treatment for that disease.
  Brow Ague.—Tic Douloureux.—This is a form of neu-
ralgia associated with pain about  the temples and
above the orbit.  It is described in the  article  on Tic
Douloureux.
                    BRUISES.
      Black-and-Blue Condition.  Ecchymosis.
  These may follow injuries,  abscesses, etc.   Often
where there is paralysis bruises become dangerous by
breaking down of tissues into  decay.   Ecchymosis is
the term used to signify the purple or black-and-blue 
210         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOCSE.

appearance  of the skin  so  common  after  injuries.
This may be made to  disappear, or rather not to ap-
pear at all by applications of cold water or  cloths
saturated with ice water to the parts immediately af-
ter injury, such application being constant for hours.
  Where there are lacerations or tendency to general
congestion warmth  should be  applied.  Compound
tincture of myrrh is best when decomposition of tissue
is feared.   In all cases exclusion from the air by cot-
ton and bandages is advisable.  When ecchymosis re-
mains persistently, and it  is evident that an accumula-
tion of  dark blood is present that will not be absorbed,
the spot should be punctured in several places with a
thin lance and a dry cup  applied to  draw away  the
stagnated blood and witch hazel extract then applied.
                    BULLAE.
                Cheiro-Pompholyx.
  This difficulty is frequently met with in mild form.
It is a skin trouble characterized by the formation of
little round  blisters  or vesicles,  usually upon the
hands or  feet.  Persons in ill health,  or those of a
nervous temperament usually are the sufferers.  The
disease seems to be dependent upon insufficient action
of the nervous peripheries of the skin.
  Symptoms.—These commence with a burning or itch-
ing between the fingers or toes or on their sides, fol-
lowed in  twelve or  tw7enty-four hours by minute
rounded vesicles filled with a clear fluid and having no
redness about  them.   They dry  up  in a few  days,
leaving a  little flat  scale.   Occasionally, in severe
cases, several bullae run together and they may cover
the soles or palms.
  Treatment.—Oxide of zinc rubbed up with  vaseline
and applied every six hours will  relieve the  itching.
The vesicles should  not  be  opened.  Nervine tonics
(see formulas) should be given,  and plenty of  fresh air
and healthful food supplied.   Keep the mind cheerful
and provide rest.
Bunions.—See Feet Diseases. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          211

             BURNS AND SCALDS.
 Blisters. Deep and Destructive Burns.  Sloughing.
  These are of frequent occurrence and their proper
treatment should be familiar to all.   The extent of
damage done and the tissues involved in the destruc-
tion  must  be  considered.  There may be  only a
slight burn or  scald, causing simple  redness of  the
skin,  resembling erysipelas; nevertheless the pain
may be intense.  The handiest one of several methods
of  relief should be adopted.  Bathe  the parts with
lukewarm water containing cooking-soda in abun-
dance, or with witch-hazel extract, or cover the burn
with butter, or smear over it a mixture of flour and
molasses or  honey, or apply dry flour.  Vaseline or
cod liver oil or sweet oil may be used.

  Blisters.—There may  be  blistering of the skin
without the  deep  skin being involved.  Use on  the
spur of  the moment any one of the methods of relief.
Afterward prick the blister in several places with a
fine needle and  let out the water.  Soak cotton in a
mixture of lime water and linseed oil  shaken into an
emulsion and  apply to the wound and keep  in place
by bandage or adhesive plaster.

  Deep Burns.—There may be injury to the deeper
structures of the skin, making a permanent scar prob-
able.  After  relief by one of  the first mentioned
methods the wound  should  be  dressed by applying
abundantly vaseline containing a little borax and gold-
enseal, and then covering with cotton.

  Destructive  Burns.—There  may be the complete
destruction of the deep layers of the skin and possi-
bly the muscles, followed by a pronounced  scar and
great  deformity.   This is a serious condition.  Such
an accident happening to a child or  elderly person
may produce sufficient shock to produce death.  When
there is no loss  of sensibility from shock the pain will
oe of the most agonizing  character and  liable to pro-
duce exhaustion.  Take the victim to a quiet, com-
fortable  spot as soon  as possible; administer such 
212         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOCSE.

stimulents as ginger tea, compound spirits of lavender,
or composition in small doses.  Loosen and remove
all clothing about the injured part as quickly and eas-
ily as  possible—cut off  garments.  Make ready the
dressings without delay.  A  good  plan is to soak
bandages in linseed  oil and  then smear them with
cooking soda and powdered borax.   Apply them with
the greatest care, for the parts are inconceivably sen-
sitive.
  So arrange the dressings that they may remain un-
disturbed for three or four days.  Within two days
suppuration  commences, accompanied by fever.  In-
fusion  of equal parts of lady slipper and ginger given
internally will be beneficial.   When the bandages be
come unpleasant from irritation or odor they  should
be removed with the greatest  care and the discharg-
ing parts washed very carefully with warm water con-
taining borax.  Such  dressings should then be  per-
formed daily.  If the discharge is too abundant and is
offensive, add pulverized myrrh.

   Sloughing.—A whole limb  may be  involved, and
sloughing  of  the parts may soon commence and con-
tinue two or more wTeeks even under the best manage-
ment.   Proceed as in  the last mentioned form.  But
in these cases  myrrh must be used abundantly, and
very small doses of  the  compound tincture of  myrrh
should be  given internally to  guard  against "blood
poisoning."   In dressing such wTounds a spray of di-
luted listerine should be employed.
   All extensive burns cause a disturbance of the whole
system and require the best of nursing- for some time.
The diet should be lig"ht and  nourishing and the ut-
most quietude and cleanliness maintained.  If  the ex-
tremities should have a tendency to grow cold, hot
irons or other articles retaining- heat should be placed
at the  feet.   If  there is great weakness from exhaust-
ive discharges, give every  three hours a capsule con-
taining sulphate of hydrastia and  salicin, each one
grain,  and capsicum one-half grain.
   It is possible  that complications may arise  during
the fever stage, and symptoms may point to bronchitis,
pneumonia, pleurisy,  inflammation  or congestion  of 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          213
the brain, erysipelas, etc.  Should such results occur,
they must be treated according to rules prescribed for
such difficulties.
                   CACHEXIA.
        Degenerate Condition of  the Blood.
  Very. frequently during the course of lingering or
malignant diseases, the  blood becomes laden with
poisonous  impurities,  and itself undergoes  degener-
ation.  The signs of this  degeneration  soon manifest
themselves.  There will be an ashy  or death-like hue
to the  countenance and the  skin everywhere.  Usu-
ally the breath will be offensive.  Weakness and gen-
eral  indications  of departing  life  will be noticed.
This condition of cachexia may occur in cancer, con-
sumption, paralysis, gout, scurvy, etc.  As it is a symp-
tom only, treatment must  be  directed toward the dis-
ease with which it is associated.
       CACOTROPHIA FOLLICULORUM.

             Congenital Skin Disease.
  This is a very persistent, though not severe, form of
skin disease; usually making  its appearance on the
arms  above  the elbows; though other  parts of  the
body  may be affected.   Small pink pimples and mi-
nute and closely adherent scales at the  hair  follicles,
death of the hair at such places and perfectly healthy
skin between the  diseased  follicles,  characterize the
disease.  There is little if any itching, and the trouble
extends slowiy and yields to treatment with difficulty.
It is a congenital disease and is not contagious.
  'Treatment.—Hot baths in  water containing borax
and cooking soda should be employed frequently, and
after  each  bath there  should be thoroughly rubbed
over the affected parts an embrocation made of  oil of
lobelia, one  drachm, mixed thoroughly with one pint 
214         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

of cocoanut oil.  Internally should be administered
twice a day the  compound syrup  of  Stillingia (see
formulas)  to which can be added a  little fluid extract
of gentian.  In diet the stimulating foods should be
avoided, and those of a  nourishing order should be
supplied.
  Caisson  Disease.—Divers'  Paralysis.—This  diffi-
culty is liable to occur to divers  immediately or soon
after reaching  the ordinary atmosphere  after being
confined in compressed air.   There will be dizziness
and headache, accompanied by pain and tenderness of
the limbs, and frequently partial or complete paraly-
sis of motion and sensation.  Persons who thus suffer
should at once change  their  occupation, as treatment
is very  unsatisfactory and serious  consequences may
result although most sufferers  have frequent  attacks
and recovery after change of occupation.
                 CALCIFICATION.

              Calcareous Degeneration.
  Not infrequently elderly persons or those suffering
from disease, especially rheumatism, have certain tis-
sues of  the body undergo a degenerate change termed
calcification.  It consists in very minute particles  of
lime-like material being deposited in the interstices of
bones or muscles, or valves of the heart, or arteries or
other tissues, hardening  them and causing them to be-
come brittle and liable to rupture or incapable of be-
ing used.
  The drinking of lime-water or mineral waters may
hasten such changes, as also  will the eating of vege-
tables or  foods containing  earthy material, and all
such should be avoided by persons suffering calcifica-
tion.  In nearly all cases a previous disease will de-
mand attention medically. As  a means of stopping
deposits and of  removing further  degeneration the
drinking abundantly of  pure  distilled  water and  of
lemonade will prove beneficial.
  In a few instances j^ersons suffering from tuberculo- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT,
215
sis have had destruction of the lungs stopped by de-
posits of earthy material causing  calcification of the
lung tissues and thus saving life for many years.
             CALCULI (URINARY).

         Stone in the Bladder and Kidneys.
  Deposits of a mineral character may occur from the
urine and  form a nucleus for the formation of  a stone
in the bladder or kidneys.  Usually the stone forms in
the kidney  and passes through the ureter into the
bladder, and there increases  in  size.  Occasionally
the stone may become fastened in the ureter or in the
uretha near  the prostate  gland.   There  are  several
forms of calculi, namely:

  Uric Acid.—The most common; smooth and hard,
yellowr and brown, showing their formation to be in
layers by a series of dark and light rings.  Sometimes
covered with warts.
  Mulberry.—Oxalate oy Lime.—Very dark and warty
looking; usually stained with blood.
  Phosphates.—Lime, Ammonium, Magnesium.Soft,
chalky, scale-like and easily broken.
  Cystin.—Dull white, changing by age to gray, yel-
lowish, green or blue;  have  a wavy  look;  are ex-
tremely rare.
  Carbonate Of  Lime.—Gray or brown;  look  like
balls of earth; very rare, though frequent in cattle.
  IndigO.—Seldom seen; of dark blue  color and ex-
tremely friable.

  Xanthin. — YellowT or brown, and  bright when
broken; are extremely rare.

  Symptoms.—These may be at  first so slight as to at-
tract  no  attention.  A gritty deposit  or an  earthy
coating in the vessel, may be noticed  long before act-
ive symptoms commence.  Sometimes gravel is passed
without any  pain or  difficulty, or a very small stone
may be voided with the urine. 
216         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  If situated in the kidney, there  may be pain in the
back,  retching and  vomiting,  blood and  sometimes
pus in the urine.  The intense agony of renal colic is
often  experienced (see Colic of  the Kidneys).
  The calculus or gravel may choke  up the ureters
and cause a retention of urine, which if continued any
length of  time is exceedingly dangerous, causing ab-
sorption of urine and blood poisoning.  After reten-
tion the urine will often burst  forth abundantly, car-
rying with it a stone  or an  amount of  gravel, and re-
lief will follow.  If  a stone or  gravel becomes lodged
in the ureter, it is liable, by the irritation produced, to
cause  suppuration and consequent  perforation, and
peritonitis (which  see) will follow.

  Stone  in the Bladder may develop very slowly
and may exist for  a long time,  perhaps  years, before
any inconvenience is felt.   Several symptoms may be
prominent, together or singly,  such  as:  Frequent de-
sire to urinate, and  occasionally sudden interruption
of the  flow  by the stone  getting over the urethral
opening of the bladder; children may be troubled with
incontinence; there may be  considerable mucus, often
streaked with blood, and all the  signs  of catarrh  of
the bladder (which see).
   There is usually dull aching  pain through the back,
and during urination pain of a  rather sharp character
runs from the bladder through the perineum, and there
is an intense burning sensation  at the neck of the
bladder and along the  urethra, and a  smarting at the
external opening of  the urethra.   Riding may jolt the
stone about and cause great unpleasantness. There
may  be dyspepsia and other  sympathetic troubles,
and prolapsus of the bowel may occur.  Occasionally
without warning  severe and most distressing spasm
of the bladder may occur and last for many hours.
  The composition of the  stone may  often be recog-
nized by the character of the  sediment  of  the urine;
and a stone in the  bladder  can  usually be recognized
by introducing a sound (a metallic instrument resem-
bling a small catheter).   It is well to bear in mind
that irritation caused by disease of the bladder is rec-
ognized as being in the bladder; in  irritation caused 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          217

by disease of the prostate gland, the perineum or rec-
tum seems to be the point of trouble; while irritation
caused by stone in the bladder gives the most acute
symptoms as though due to trouble at the external
mouth of the urethra or glans of the penis.

  Treatment.—in all cases an abundance of  pure soft
water should be used in the hope of literally washing
out the gravel.  It  is a good thing to drink or sip
slowly a pint  of hot wTater (not luke  warm)  before
breakfast and at bed time.  Excess of food, especially
meats, must be avoided.   Rhubarb, tomatoes, spinach,
grapes and wines and beer  are liable to aggravate
most cases.  Hard water must  not be used.   Bathing
should be frequent and a free action  of the skin main-
tained and  the surface  kept warm.  Marsh-mallow
root, cut into small pieces, or dried  hollyhock leaves
should be kept  in the pocket and particles frequently
chewed slowly and swallowed; this will soothe the pas-
sages and allay irritation.  Strong infusion or fluid ex-
tract of couch  grass (triticum repens)  is of especial
value.  The following will be found unexcelled:

    Take Fluid, Ext. hydrangea............2 ounces,
          "    "  couch grass  (triticum),
          i(    "  hollyhock (Althea Rosea)
                    each................1 ounce,
        Mucilage of gum Arabic...........S ounces,
        Glycerine........................1 ounce.
  Mix.  Take one teaspoonful in water every four hours for
three consecutive days.

  By this means gravel and small calculi which have
been retained  for a great length of  time, will be  ex-
pelled.  Large stones in the  bladder will, of course,
not be expelled in this way; they can be removed only
by surgical operations, such as crushing them, or cut-
ting into the bladder and extracting  them.  Citrate of
lithia,  about three  grains  in  every glass of  water
taken, will often dissolve some forms of calculi;  but
it should not be used persistently as the stomach tires
of it.
  Vichy and  lithia spring  waters may  be used freely 
218         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

for a month at a time.  When spasm of the bladder
occurs from the stone getting into the neck of the
bladder, the patient should lie dowm, and drink freely
of an infusion of hollyhock  leaves  and spearmint,
containing a very little fluid  extract of cramp bark.
An injection of lobelia herb and boneset will  afford
great relief.  Should  these attacks become frequent,
the treatment mentioned for inflammation of the blad-
der should be pursued.
  For the spells of  colic and extreme suffering which
may occur when the stone or gravel is in the kidneys,
the treatment should  be as mentioned under the head-
ing of Kidney  Diseases-—Renal Colic.  Should hem-
orrhage from the kidneys or  bladder occur, kino  in-
fusion or witch hazel extract should be taken inter-
nally, or  may  be injected into the bladder in  severe
hemorrhage from that organ.  Pain is  often relieved
by external hot  applications.  Small calculi of the
bladder may be expelled by urinating with the body
upside down, easily done with children.
Calculi (Biliary).—See article on Gail-Stones.
                     CANCER.
           Carcinoma.  Malignant Tumors.
  Cancer,  carcinoma  and  other   allied  malignant
tumors consist of deposits of morbific  materials, usu-
ally at some gland, forming a mass which becomes de-
generate, enlarg-es with varying degrees of rapidity,
usually suppurates, and undermines the constitution
and results in  death.  Women are more especially lia-
ble to the disease, and with them the breasts and
womb usually  are involved.  No portion of the body
is exempt  from cancer,  and  although  those  under
twenty-five rarely suffer,  occasionally even children
are afflicted.   The change of life in women is the age
at which they  are most liable.
  Predisposition, from hereditary influence, has an in-
fluence as a cause  of cancer, though  the  immediate
cause of  the malignant growth is nearly always local 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
219
—such as an injury, a blow or irritation.  Decayed or
roughened teeth, smoking, irritation of  corset blades,
or other clothing have been known to start cancerous
growths.  Often without any apparent local irritation
the disease may develop, especially in those whose
constitutions  have been undermined by improper liv-
ing—too high or too low—mental worry and nervous
strain.  Likewise overcrowding the system with gross
foods, such as excessive eating of pork, has been an
acknowledged source of cancer.
  There are several kinds of malignant  tumors classi-
fied under the general name of Cancer or  Carcinoma.

  Hard  Or Scirrhus cancer is the most  common form.
These commence as small, hard kernels, which -en-
large very slowly, perhaps occupying months or years
in what  is known as the  indolent or inactive period.
Then follows  the malignant period.
  The growth softens rapidly and ulcerates, the skin
covering it  breaks  down and an open sore results.
The edges are inverted or everted and firm and angry
looking; one portion of the sore may be healing while
the other is undergoing decomposition.  The odor be-
comes most disgusting in character.   There  appear to
be prolongations or roots running out from the cancer,
giving a crab-like appearance, from  which it derived
its name—cancer being the  Latin for crab.  The open
surface  of the sore  is usually ashy color and some-
times bleeding-,
  Strength fails rapidly; the  countenance assumes  a
peculiar hue and cast,  and pain is intense and of  a
gnawing character.  Death may  ensue quickly or it
may be  prolonged  for  many months.   This is  the
form of  cancer which usually appears upon the breast.

  Soft  Or  Eucephaloid cancer is  not common.  It
develops rapidly and may cause death in a few months.
It is  soft  from the beginning,  the surface usually
creamy  in color and covered by distended veins.   It is
liable to hemorrhage,  ulcerates in a fewr  weeks after
its  commencement, and as  a rule  is  very  painful.
This is the form of cancer to which young- people are
most liable.  It may  develop upon any part of the 
220
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
body and involve any class of tissues.  Cancer of in-
ternal organs is usually of this character.

  Colloid Or  Alveolar cancers have  an apparent
jelly-like consistence.   They are frequent in the ova-
ries, salivary glands and breasts, and have by some
been considered not of  a carcinomatous nature.

  Epithelial or  Squamous cancer, known also as
epithelioma, is the least malignant form of cancer. It
commenees  as a dry wart on the surface, usually on
the cheek or lower lip.   This soon forms a pustule and
develops very slowly, rarely enlarging to over an inch
in diameter, occasionally growing large and sometimes
covering a period of eight  or ten years  in its devel-
opment.  It usually occurs where the skin and mu-
cous membrane meet; and  the  lips and lower eyelids
are favorite localities.   Secondary cancers may follow
elsewhere in the body, or death may be the result of
exhaustion.

  Melanotic cancer, or melanosis, is extremely  rare.
Its characteristic  is its dark brown  or black appear-
ance.  Sometimes the whole surface of  the body or
large  spots upon it become entirely black.  It may
likewise be confined to a single warty growth resem-
bling a blackberry.

  Osteoid  cancer usually commences  in the  bone,
though the developed tumor may contain bony sub-
stance.

  Villous cancer is the term used to designate cancer
in  the mucous membrane  covered with  a velvet-like
growth.  It not infrequently occurs  in the bladder or
inside the cheek.

           General Treatment of Cancer.
  Treatment has usually been found  very ineffectual,
beyond general relief and  retarding of death, which
seems inevitable.  Early (very early)  removal by the
knife  has  been  the   usual  method.  Constitutional
treatment must be employed.  The compound syrup of
yellow dock (see formulas) is most excel lent.  Locally, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          221
when the sore is opened, a salve compound of solid ex-
tract of red clover and a very little each of sulphate
of hydrastia and boracic acid rubbed  into vaseline
will be  found  serviceable.   Thorough cleanliness,
nourishing diet, regular habits  and plenty of fresh
air should  be  provided for every cancer sufferer.
Hemorrhage of the surface can  usually be controlled
by applications of very hot water, or by perchloride
of iron.

  Cancer oF the Stomach.—This  affliction is most
frequent in men, caused by blows over  the stomach,
excesses in eating or drinking, use of alcohol,  heredi-
tary predisposition or long continued nervous strain or
mental anxiety.

  Symptoms.—The first symptoms are those of simple
indigestion.  These continue  persistently for perhaps
several months and then there are experienced sharp,
cutting pains, extending to the back and loins.  Two
or three hours after eating there arise great pain and
nausea in  the stomach, followed by vomiting.  This
may occur sooner after eating  if the  cancer  is near
the opening of the gullet into the stomach. Or if it
is situated elsewhere in the stomach the vomiting may
be delayed.   There is great tenderness upon pressure,
and usually  the tumor may  be  distinctly  felt, often
lower than one would suppose the stomach to  be situ-
ated, that organ being usually enlarged  when affected
with cancer.  As a rule small quantities of brownish
blood, looking like coffee grounds, are vomited.
  Constipation,  great  thirst and  sleeplessness are
usual symptoms.  Frequently the symptoms  subside
for brief periods.  The distress after eating increases,
and to such an extent that  the patient  is liable to
starve to death from inability to retain nourishment.

  Treatment.—A  perfect cure cannot be  hoped for.
Foods of the mildest and most  nourishing character
consistent with their mildness must be  relied  upon—
such as beef tea, malted milk, ordinary milk or whey
are excellent; mutton broth,  veal broth, soft  gelatin
and farinaceous foods in general are usually  accept- 
1
~2Z         A PHYSICIAN IN THE UOl'SE.

able.  When the stomach refuses food, strength may
be sustained by injections of barley water, etc.  Medic-
inal treatment must be as laid down for ulceration of
the stomach (which  see),  in addition  to  compound
syrup of yellow dock as an alterative.  Operation for
removal of the cancer is sometimes resorted to, but it
is an unwarranted torture to inflict upon  a dying per-
son.

  Cancer Of the Womb.—This disease seldoms ap-
pears until after the change of life in women, between
the ages of  forty and fifty years.  It usually attacks
the mouth  of the womb; but it may be the result of
an internal tumor or polypus.  As a rule this form of
cancer  proves rapidly fatal, especially in the  young;
although in some persons it may exist for years before
death.
   It has been the author's experience to examine and
treat and permanently cure many cases pronounced as
cancer of the womb by prominent physicians, wiiich
proved to be maladies of an entirely different nature,
entirely amenable  to thorough treatment.  Women
should  not submit themselves to operations and treat-
ment for cancer of the womb unless that disease  has
been positively proven to exist.

   Symptoms.—Usually profuse flooding,  followed by
the "whites," which discharge in time becomes offen-
sive and of a greenish color.  There are dragging and
bearing down sensations, and pain through the back,
loins and lower part of the abdomen, becoming excru-
ciating as the disease progresses.  Exhaustion soon
follows, aggravated  by frequent  hemorrhages and
persistent  vomiting.   The  odor  from the  cancer be-
comes intolerable, and the growth may extend into
the bladder or rectum.

   The general treatment laid dowm for cancer must be
followed.  Injections of  thymol solution  should  be
used for cleansing the womb and vagina.   Cutting out
of the womb in the early stages of cancer affords the
only  hope  of recovery.  A diet of nourishing food,
easily digested, and  an abundance of fresh milk and 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
223
pure air and pleasant surroundings must be provided.
See section on Diseases of Women.
           CANKER OF THE  MOUTH.

       Ulcerated Sore Mouth.  Cancrum Oris.
  This is a dangerous ulceration of the insides of the
cheeks and the lips.  It is confined almost exclusively
to children under eight years of age and to those of
scrofulous tendencies or feeble constitutions.   Bad air,
damp sleeping rooms, poor  or  insufficient food, etc.,
may be named as causes.
  Symptoms.—The  gums become red  and the cheeks
somewhat swollen. Inside the mouth  small gray,
sloughy ulcers make  their  appearance.  In severe
cases these slowly extend and become ashy and then
brown, ana the breath becomes offensive.  The appetite
fails and the strength sinks rapidly.   Sometimes the
whole cheek  is involved;  outside  being  hard  and
swollen and white with a red spot, and inside being a
foul ulcer, discharging profusely—at first painful and
tender  and afterwards sloughing away.  As a rule,
children experience little suffering, the poison blunt-
ing sensibility and  causing a stupor, which precedes
death.   Mild cases offer hope for recovery.
  Treatment.—Constitutional treatment is  a  necessity.
A stimulating emetic (see  emetics)  should be given
early and repeated every three days.  Every three
hours a teaspoonful of an infusion of composition and
golden  seal should be given.   The  mouth  should be
washed out every hour with peroxide  of  hydrogen,
one ounce; tincture of  myrrh, one drachm; water,
three ounces.  A  spray may be found  useful.  This
wash should be alternated every hour with a strong in-
fusion of composition containing a few drops of com-
pound tincture of  myrrh.
  Give a lukewarm sponge bath every day, putting
salt in  the watei (sea salt is best) and using friction.
Alterative  syrup  Csee  formulas) should be given  to
those of scrofulous tendency.  Give most nourishing
food.  Broths are excellent.  Provide cleanliness and
abundance of fresh air. 
224
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  Capillary Bronchitis.—Fully described in the arti-
cle on Acute Bronchitis.
                  CARBUNCLE.

              Carbunculus.  Anthrax.
  This is a destruction of the skin and the tissues di-
rectly  beneath.  It resembles a boil,  only  it is more
extensive, and has a number of "cores," and produces
severe constitutional symptoms.   Carbuncles are most
common to elderly or feeble  persons.  Their favorite
localities are the nape of the neck, the buttocks  and
the outsides of the limbs; though occasionally they
occur on the face.   When they appear upon aged per-
sons suffering from kidney trouble they are of grave
significance.
  Symptoms.—At first there is experienced a soreness
over the part where the carbuncle is forming; slight
swelling is noticed and the skin becomes red or pur-
ple; a burning sensation, turning to severe pain, is ex-
perienced,  and general feverishness  usually sets in.
Soon there is local throbbing and several points begin
to suppurate, first giving a gum-like discharge, soon
turning to  pus.  These several points of suppuration
run together, making one large and open ulcerated
surface.  Meanwhile  pus is liable to be absorbed  and
symptoms of blood poisoning manifest themselves.
  After five or eight days or more, the carbuncle  pre-
sents  an  ashy appearance,  surrounded by angry or
purple edges.  The whole suppurated mass is gradually
discharged, leaving a cavity which  heals over slowly
and leaves an ugly scar.   Occasionally more than one
carbuncle may appear on the body at one  time.  The
constitutional symptoms are then apt to be more
grave.  Sometimes wiien one carbuncle disappears an-
other may commence at some other place.

  Treatment.—At the start poultice the spot with flax-
seed  sprinkled  over  with  goldenseal.   When  the
points of suppuration first manifest themselves, make
two cross-like incisions across the  carbuncle with a
lance, cut deeply, and then apply a poultice as before, 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          225
only mix with it a little powdered  myrrh and glycer-
ine.  Apply around the  edges compound tincture of
myrrh.  Change these poultices every four  hours, al-
ways washing out the ulcerated surface with extract
of witch hazel, one ounce; borax,  one drachm; warm
water,  one pint.  A small syringe  should be used; the
stream will wash aw^ay accumulations.  While suppu-
ration lasts these poultices should be constantly ap-
plied.  When  the cavity is  emptied  the  following
method should be adopted:  Saturate absorbent cot-
ton with a mixture  of extract of witch hazel, one
ounce;  fluid  extract of  golden seal  and tincture of
myrrh, each one-half ounce; borax,  twenty grains; rose
water,  one-half pint, and fill  the cavity with it and
apply around the edges compound  tincture of myrrh.
Place a  large  piece of  cotton over  all and keep in
place by strips of adhesive plaster.  Change  at  least
every six hours, except at night.  Sustain the patient
by light and nourishing  diet  and  a tonic of gentian
compound (see formulas)  every three hours.   During
restlessness, present  with the pain,  an infusion  of
equal parts of lady slipper  and  camomile  will be
found useful, given every hour.  During convalescence
the alterative syrup (see  formulas)  should be adminis-
tered.
  Carcinoma.—Malignant Tumors.—See Cancer.

  Cardiac Affections.—See Diseases of the Heart.

  Cardialgia.—Heartburn.— This affection is caused
entirely by indigestion;  and the palpitations of the
heart and burning sensations in that region often lead
many to suspect heart troubles, hence its  common
name.  It is fully described  in the article on Heart-
burn.

  Carnification.—Pulmonary Collapse.—This is a con-
dition of the lungs caused by obstructions hindering
pure air from reaching the air cells  in sufficient quan-
tities.  It is more fully spoken of under  Atelectasis
and Capillary Bronchitis. 
226
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                  CASTRATION.

             Emasculation.  Alteration.
  This is the operation for removal of the testicles,
and should never be resorted to unless there exists an
incurable  disease of the  parts.  The skin, from the
abdominal ring to the end of the scrotum, is cut open
by a scalpel.  The cord is pulled down and tied, like-
wise the blood vessels:  the testicle  is  exposed and
easily removed by severing the cord and vessels about
half an inch below where they are tied.  The wound
should be cleansed with boracic acid solution and the
incision stitched; and  all properly dressed.   The re-
moval of both testicles,  though unwarranted, is  oc-
casionally resorted to as a means of  overcoming  ab-
normal sexual passion.
  Eunichs, so frequent  in oriental countries, are cas-
trated males, frequently  employed as guards to wto-
men.   The  removal of the  testicles, of course,  de-
stroys capacity  for  procreation.  Those  who have
been castrated slowly change in their physical char-
acteristics.   Their voice becomes more effeminate and
their bodies, as a rule, fatten easily; and  their dis-
positions become  more docile, and energy is dimin-
ished.   Otherwise they suffer in no  special manner,
and their lives are not shortened  by the operation.
                  CATALEPSY.

          Death-like Rigidity of the Body.
  This is a peculiar condition during which tne mus-
cles of the body  become rigid and  the whole body
corpse-like; sensation is generally lost,  respiration  is
very feeble and the pulse extremely soft, at times al-
most  imperceptible.  An  attack of  catalepsy  may
come on without  wTarning and  ma)'  last from  a few
minutes to twTo weeks.   Sometimes there is complete
loss of consciousness, though in other  jases the pa-
tient is entirely conscious of wThat is going on, but un-
able to give expression of sensibility.  The limbs usu-
ally  remain fixed in the position  last assumed, or in
any position they may be  placed, no matter how em- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
227
barrassing.  The  joints are  as  readily  movable as
though they were artificial.
  Catalepsy is usually a symptom of functional brain
trouble,  and  may  occur  with hysteria,  St.  Vitus'
dance or insanity, or may  occur during the course of
typhoid or other prostrating fevers when the brain be-
comes involved.   Likewise the influence of anaesthet-
ics upon the brain may cause catalepsy.   It can be
treated  only by ascertaining  the  particular difficulty
of which it is symptomatic.  When catalepsy is pro-
longed,  food should be administered by injections to
the rectum, such as broths, barley-water, etc.; and co-
coanut oil should be rubbed over the abdomen.
Cataract.—See section upon Diseases of the Eye.
               CATARRH—ACUTE.

            Coryza.  Cold in the Head.
  This is a trifling and well known difficulty, and may
usually be traced to some imprudency or exposure to
cold which closes the  pores of the skin, not allowing
free outward circulation, and consequently crowding
blood on the mucous membrane, which becomes irri-
tated.  The  symptoms are sneezing and watery dis-
charge from the nose.  Sometimes the nose becomes
choked, necessitating breathing through  the  mouth
and causing-  dryness.  In infants this seriously inter-
feres with nursing and they should at such times be
nourished by the spoon.
  The  discharge from the nose may be watery for
awhile, and  then become offensive; scabs of dried mu-
cus may form inside the nostril and  they may become
degenerate  (see Ozcena).  The discharge may be so
abundant as to fall back  into the stomach, causing
nausea.  Infants may  even strangle  by mucus falling
into the wind-pipe when  asleep;  they should at such
times be placed upon the side.   The bronchial tubes
may become inflamed after a neglected case of simple
nasal catarrh.
  Treatment.—The difficulty rarely lasts  over a week
at the most,  even if unattended  to.   Usually staying 
228
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
in-doors  in  an  equable  temperature,  keeping  the
bowels open and eating lightly will  be  all sufficient
favoring outward circulation is beneficial; this is ac-
complished by drinking hot lemonade  with a little
ginger essence in it.  Sage or spearmint teas are favor-
ites with many.  Cocoanut oil or goose grease rubbed
over and above the bridge of the nose  will loosen
out the mucus.
  If the discharge becomes offensive and abundant, a
snuff may be used  composed of golden seal and wild
cherry bark, equal parts, to which  is added  a little
powdered borax.  When  the   throat and bronchial
tubes become irritated during acute catarrh, equal
parts of syrup of wild cherry and  syrup of  licorice
will be found most excellent taken internally three or
four times a day.
              CATARRH-CHRONIC.
          Ozoena.  Purulent Nasal Catarrh.
  There are many causes for the condition known as
chronic catarrh; constitutional diseases or predisposi-
tion, unfavorable climate, frequent exposures, occupa-
tions necessitating the inhalations  of dust or irrita-
ting gases, neglected or protracted acute catarrh, etc.
There are varying degrees of the difficulty, some have
a continuous and abundant discharge of glary mucus,
which is prone  to degenerate  and  become offensive,
known as moist catarrh; others have little if any dis-
charge beyond stringy and offensive  shreds.  The mu-
cous membrane becomes red and swollen, the sense of
smell and sometimes that of taste, becomes impaired.
Ulceration may follow and the  small bones  of the
nose  may decay,  causing the  disgusting  form  of
catarrh known as ozoena.  Occasionally calcareous de-
posits,  with  the dried mucus, form hard, stone-like
scales  in the nostrils, known as rhinofiths.  Catarrh is
technically spoken of  as rhinitis catarrhalis, and the
abundant discharge of  purulent mucus is termed rhin-
orrhoea.
  Treatment.—Ascertain the cause and direct  treat-
ment  accordingly.  Harmful  pursuits should  be dis- 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         229

continued; constitutional difficulties should be over-
come if possible, and in all cases proper environments
should be provided.  Nourishing food, fresh air and
healthful exercise are necessities.   Compound Syrup
of Stillingia (see formulas) should  be given whenever
the disease is protracted  and ulceration or ozoena is
present.   Salt water baths  are  most  advisable.
Douches should not be used;  they may cause diseases
of the eustachian tube or middle ear.   By the atom-
izer or spray  is an excellent way of  administering
agents.
  For purulent catarrh use twice daily a spray of the
following:  Ten  grains of borax and one drachm of
tincture of calendula  in  two ounces of water.   For
ozcene, use  one ounce of  peroxide of hydrogen to
three  of water with a  drachm of listerine.   A snuff of
golden seal and bayberry,  equal parts, and borax one-
half part, should be used  frequently in moist catarrh.
Should the stomach be involved by purulent mucus
dropping into it from the back of the nose, emetics
may be needed, and occasionally a few drops of tinct-
ure of myrrh.
  Catarrh Epidemic.—See article on Grippe.

  Catarrhal Fever.—See article on Influenza.

  Catarrh of  Special  Organs.—Very  frequently
there will be met catarrhal conditions associated with
diseases of special organs. These are all inflamma-
tions of the mucus membranes either acute or chronic
in form.  There may be catarrh of the stomach,  or
bowels or intestines or bladder, each with its peculiar
characteristic.  These are fully mentioned and treated
of in the articles devoted to diseases of those organs.
  Cellulitis.—An inflammation of the cellular struct-
ures.  Treated of in the article on Erysipelas.

  Cephalalgia.—See article on Headache.

  Cerebral Abscess.—See Brain Diseases. 
230
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
          CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE.

        Extravasation of Blood in the Brain.
  This is an extravasation of blood between the mem-
branes of the  brain and the  brain  itself,  or  the
cranium.  The  causes are  extreme heat,   excessive
muscular or mental exertion, excessive indulgence in
venery or alcoholic liquors,  and weakness  of infancy
or old age.  The symptoms  are  profound stupor com-
ing on suddenly, after a short spell of dizziness, head-
ache and convulsions.  Before death there may be com-
plete insensibility, involuntary discharges from the
bowels and bladder and sometimes general convulsions.
  Treatment is usually of no avail and death follows in
a few hours or days.
  Cerebral Hernia.—See Head, Injuries to.

  Cerebritis.—See Brain Inflammation.

  CerebrO-Spinal Fever.—Meningitis.—See Spotted
Fever.

  Chancre, Chancroid.—See Diseases of the Gener-
ative Organs.
  Charcot's Disease.—This is a disease of the joints
in which the articular extremities wear away.  There
are at first cutting pains of short duration; followed
by swelling of the limbs near the joints, and sponta-
neous dislocations and great liability to fracture.
There may also be loss of muscular control,  as in lo-
comotor ataxia.
                    CHELOID.
               Scleroderma.  Keloid.
  This is a growth of fibrous tissues of the skin at
some one spot, usually, though not always, occurring
where there has been a  scar from a burn or injury. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
231
Though keloid resembles in many respects a simple
scar, it is an entirely different difficulty.

  Symptoms.—A keloid is a smooth and rounded tumor
of very small size, growing  very slowly on the chest,
breasts,  sides,  back  and other  parts  of  the body;
rarely at first being larger than a grain of wheat, and
in the  course of months or years spreading  slowly,
usually sending out branches, giving a crab-like or
star appearance.   It is very tender to the  touch and
often itches and tingles, though  not  otherwise  pain-
ful.  They are white, flesh-colored or pink and con-
tain minute blood vessels plainly visible in old cases.
They rise above the surface  of the skin not over one-
eighth of an inch,  and are never scaly and never sup-
purate, and do not impair the health.  Usually more
than one keloid develops upon the body.

  Treatment.—Never cut or  burn them out, they will
only return larger than ever.  It  is best to endeavor
to harden  them  by  applying a  salve made of one
drachm of tannic acid rubbed  into one ounce  of  vase-
line.  When they are extremely sensitive tincture of
calendula will  allay  the itching and tingling sensa-
tion.
                CHEST INJURIES.

        Penetration of the  Lungs and Heart.
  External injuries  of  the  chest, such  as cuts and
bruises of the skin and muscles, have no particular
characteristics to distinguish them from  similar in-
juries elsewhere.   But deeper injuries are not  infre-
quent and should be recognized.
  Penetration of the lung by instruments, etc., may be
thus distinguished:  There  will  be cough and frothy
and bloody expectoration, along with pleurisy pains,
and an escape of air through the wround, often min-
gled with frothy blood.  This is soon followed by wa-
ter in  the  lungs or pneumonia  and an  inability to
force  out the air readily.   Such wounds  are always
serious, but if the patient survives ten days after the
injury there is ground for hope. 
232         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Treatment must include perfect quiet and binding of
the chest in a fixed  position.   Antiseptics must  be
used abundantly and all stimulation avoided.   There
is less danger  from collapse than there is from hem-
orrhage arising after stimulation.  Food must be of
the lightest  class.
  When the heart or its covering (pericardium) is in-
jured, it will be readily known  by the location of the
wound and the great difficulty of breathing and agony
of the  patient and his own knowledge of his  heart's
disturbance.   These  cases  are  not  always  fatal.
Treat as penetration  of the lungs.  Persons wTho die
instantly from heart wound either jump in the air or
fall suddenly with a shriek when the heart is pierced.
                 CHICKEN-POX.

                     Varicella.
  This is a disease confined almost exclusively to chil-
dren, and although it causes considerable  annoyance,
and may become epidemic,  it is  a simple malady and
of itself is never fatal.  It is strange that this disease
which is so easily distinguishable should be mistaken
for anything  else; but often have blundering phy-
sicians declared it to be small-pox, and thus spread
consternation  through communities till the mistake
was discovered.  Also the same class of incompetents
have time and again declared a genuine case of small-
pox to be " nothing but chicken-pox," and the result
of their blunders can be  imagined.  There is no ex-
cuse whatever for such gross carelessness or ignor-
ance being manifested in diagnosis.  It does not need
a medical man to discern small-pox from chicken-pox
—they are so widely different.

  Symptoms.—The disease is the result of exposure, it
being contagious, and it commences to manifest itself
on the fourth or fifth day after  exposure.  There  is
seldom any chill at the outset,  and although a slight
fever may arise, with a corresponding increased fre-
quency of the pulse, yet this is seldom the case unless
the stomach is deranged at the same time, when there 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
233
will also be a white furred tongue  and an irritated
feeling of nausea.
  Usually the first indication  of  chicken-pox is the
eruption. This  appears  as  minute  round  pimples,
coming first on the forehead and then on the face, and
occasionally over the arms and body.  The day after
their appearance these  pimples fill with a transpar-
ent or milky fluid which  makes them look like little
"water-blisters." They  are round and full  and are
never indented or yellow like small-pox pustules. Be-
sides,  they  are  manifestly superficial and not  deep-
seated at all.
  There  may be two or three  sets of pimples on the
body at  the  same time—some just starting as others
disappear.  Thus the eruption  may last a week,
though four days is the usual time for  any set  of
" pimples " to fill and dry up and drop off.  Occasion-
ally several of the vesicles may run together, and the
surrounding tissues may look angry.

  Treatment.—If no complications arise, such as may
be occasioned by cold, improper diet or carelessness,
no special treatment is necessary in chicken-pox be-
yond a light diet and the maintenance of even warmth
till the eruption  and the  yellow spotted appearance
following it have disappeared.   The bowels should  be
kept open—milk of magnesia  being excellent for this
purpose.  If the stomach is deranged use neutralizing
cordial (see formulas).  An infusion of scullcap, one
ounce, and boiling water,  one pint, may be used in ta-
blespoonful  doses if there is much nervousness; and
pleurisy  root, one-half ounce, may  be added if the
skin is too  hot.   For itching, bathe the surface with
hot water containing borax or some cooking soda  or
tincture of lobelia, one ounce, in witch hazel extract,
seven ounces.  The pimples do not eat  into the skin
like small-pox; nevertheless by scratching them they
may become irritated and pus may form and a scar re-
sult.  It  is well, with small children, to put little per-
forated pieces of court plaster over the  larger and
more angry pimples of the face to hinder their being
picked at for relief.  If they appear on the body, the
clothing  should  be loose to avoid too much irritation. 
234         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                  CHILBLAINS.
           Congestion from Frost Bites.
  From being frost bitten or exposed to great cold and
then suddenly warmed, or by being  suddenly exposed
to cold when hot, the skin suffers  what  is knowm as
chilblains—usually mentioned as a trouble of the feet.
There is great itching and burning  and extreme ten-
derness.  The parts become swollen and red, or pur-
ple, and in severe cases suppuration or gangrene may
follow.
  Treatment.—As a precaution against chilblains never
suddenly warm cold feet, and if frost bite is suspected,
rub them briskly with snow or cloths  soaked in cold
water.  After the feet have become  accustomed to or-
dinary temperature, a stimulating liniment may be ap-
plied.  Chilblains are usually persistent  and may an-
noy a person for years.  Many apply petroleum band-
ages for a cure, but the most efficient remedy  is the
compound  tincture  of myrrh  (No.  6).  This  may  be
rubbed on night and morning.  The  tincture of calen-
dula will be found very serviceable  in  giving tempo-
rary relief at times of severe painfulness.
              CHILD-BED FEVER.
      Puerperal Fever. Puerperal Peritonitis.
  This difficulty  is frequently  met with, and wiien it
occurs it is of the gravest importance.  As the name
infers it is a disease  peculiar to child-bed.  Its most
common cause is the use of instruments in delivery,
though  sudden fright  or  great' nervous excitement,
over-exertion or  injudiciousness in various ways soon
after or during delivery may cause the trouble.  It is
an inflammation of the peritoneum, or membranous fold
over the bowels and  other organs; and this inflamma-
tion may extend to those organs, especially the womb.
It is often spoken of  as puerperal septicaemia, as it is
contagious; that is, it can be conveyed to other women
during delivery by the  hands of a nurse or physician,
or by  the presence of other women suffering from it—
as in  a hospital.  Some authors  give  the  name  of 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
235
puerperal fever to a slow  form of fever seldom met
with.  But the puerperal or child-bed fever here re-
ferred to is that usually known by the name.  It may
occur any time within  two  wTeeks  after  delivery,
though usually between  the third  and  seventh day,
and unless promptly attended to it is  liable  to prove
fatal.

  Syniptoms.—These usually commence suddenly in the
form of a distinct  chill of  varying  intensity,  from a
mere shivering to a violent shake.   This is quickly
followed by a rise  in temperature.   The pulse becomes
frequent, 100 to 110 per minute (occasionally  of nor-
mal frequency) and is full and hard, though it becomes
small and thready in very severe  cases.  The  counte-
nance becomes pinched and there is a look  of agony
and great restlessness.  The tongue at first is covered
with moist fur, which becomes white  and brown and
dry with  red edges.   There may be  sallowness and
sometimes perspiration.  The flow  of milk ceases, as
does  also the  discharge (lochia) as a rule,  though it
may continue and  be very  offensive.  The bowels are
at first constipated, and in  severe cases may develop
diarrhoea and involuntary  discharges. There  may be
purple spots on the face, chest and thighs.  There is
usually vomiting and the abdomen swells rapidly and
becomes enormous and tender, the least movement or
noise of others causing severe pain.   The patient lies
on her back  with the knees drawn up.   There is head-
ache  and  often delirium.   Very sudden  cessation of
pain is unfavorable.  Sleeplessness and loss of appe-
tite are invariable.

  Treatment.—This difficulty should be  strictly guarded
against.  Great cleanliness, quiet  and  hygienic sur-
roundings should always be provided for lying-in wo-
men.  The treatment of child-bed fever  should  com-
mence as soon as the  first  symptoms manifest them-
selves; delay is almost necessarily fatal.  When the
chill comes,  place hot irons to the feet and administer
three drops of No. 6 in hot water every fifteen min-
utes.  When the fever  commences and continues give
frequently  a strong infusion of pleurisy  root and 
236
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
ginger, containing a little tincture of myrrh and tinct-
ure of lobelia.  If there is constipation give an in-
jection of boneset containing a little ginger.  If the
abdomen  is greatly distended place over  it a  hot
fomentation of smartweed  and mullein  leaves,  or
cloths rung out of  hot vinegar and red pepper, or
some  stimulating liniment.   If diarrhoea is present
and involuntary discharges occur,  give  injections of
composition infusion containing tincture of myrrh. If
the discharge from the womb is offensive use a vagi-
nal injection of borax water and tincture of myrrh.
Enjoin perfect quiet; and when the  severe symptoms
and dangers are past,  use composition and scull  cap
infusion  until  recovery is perfect.   Allow plenty of
water, though not too cold.  Feed light and  nourish-
ing diet.
            CHLOASMA  UTERINUM.
                   Moth Spots.
  This is a trifling difficulty in which the pigment or
coloring matter of the skin in some portions, usually
on the forehead, increases abnormally, giving light
brown or yellow spots just below the hair on the fore-
head.  They are usually crescent shaped.  They  are
indicative of uterine (womb) difficulty and are not in-
frequently met with in pregnant  women, and disap-
pear after delivery.  They  are not annoying beyond
being unsightly.  The  only sure  wTay  to  cause their
disappearance when caused by womb trouble is to re-
move the  cause.  They  may often be lightened in
color by applying a lotion made of five grains of sali-
cylic  acid  in  an ounce each of ammonia and witch
hazel extract.
                  CHLOROSIS.

       Green Sickness. Anaemia of Puberty.
  This is a peculiar condition of the system, involving
an unnatural condition of the blood, to which females
are liable, especially  immediately after puberty and 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
237
before twenty-five years of age.   A scrofulous predis-
position or a tendency toward consumption may be a
cause, though it often occurs when no such conditions
are present.  Most frequently in young girls too much
study or an enervating life, or poor surroundings and
unsuitable  food may be the cause.  Mental  anxiety,
exhausting occupation or  disappointments, especially
in love affairs, may induce it in many.

  Symptoms.—These manifest themselves slowly and
are numerous, and those mentioned may not all be ob-
served.   They are:  General languor, lack of interest
in ordinary affairs, desire  to sleep, capricious appetite
for unusual things—slate  pencils, vinegar, etc.;  dys-
pepsia, palpitation and shortness of breath, offensive
breath,  tongue white, inside of  mouth  pale, heart
weak, voice feeble.  Hands and feet  usually cold.
Perhaps puffiness of the eyelids  and  swelling  of the
feet.  The body is usually plump except  in very pro-
tracted cases.  The  face is pale and  gradually be-
comes sallow and assumes a greenish hue.   There may
be  neuralgic pains in various  localities, sometimes
headache and occasionally  extreme nervousness and
hysterics.  The bowels are constipated, the urine pale
and abundant and the menses checked as a rule.

  Treatment. —Change  of   habits  and  surroundings,
abundance of fresh air, moderate exercise at pleasant
duties, rest from study  or mental labor,  congenial
companionship, a most nourishing diet  of easily di-
gested foods.  Salt water baths with plenty of rubbing,
and very  comfortable clothing should be  provided.
Get the bowels moving by  liver pills and then  give
each night a gentle laxative such as fig syrup  (see
formulas).   A tonic may be prepared as  follows and
taken to advantage:

    Take Scullcap herb.............one ounce.
         Blue Cohosh..............one ounce.
         Golden Seal..............one-half ounce.
         Coriander Seed...........  "   "
         Orange peel..............one-fourth ounce.
  Mix and steep in one quart of water, strain and add two 
238         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
pounds of sugar and tivo ounces of glycerine.  Dose, two
teaspoonfuls after each meal.

  Chlorosis is never of itself fatal, but unless attended
to properly, may continue for years and lay the  foun-
dation for the ravages of fatal constitutional disease.
                    CHOKING.

            Obstruction in the Windpipe.
  This is an accident that not infrequently happens,
and calls for immediate action.  It usually  is caused
by the swallowing of objects too large for the throat,
which lodge in the gullet and  obstruct the windpipe
by pressure.  The swallowing of bones or other sharp
substances may  also cause  choking;  and, again, sub-
stances may directly enter  the windpipe—such cases
are the most serious.
  Treatment.—Of course the first endeavor should be
to remove the offending substance.   Meat or  large and
soft substances may be shoved into the stomach or ex-
tracted from the throat  by means of a probang.  If
the case is that of a child, turn it upside  down and
slap  on  the  shoulders.  Adults   may be  similarly
treated if the  assistants are strong enough.  Fish
bones, which are fine, if they cannot  be extracted by
a pair of forceps, may be  forced downward  by admin-
istering  the white of an egg,  not beaten.  When a
substance is lodged in the windpipe itself, turning up-
side down is always the best procedure.
                    CHOLERA.
        Asiatic Cholera.  Malignant Cholera.
  There are certain  portions of Asia where cholera is
epidemic the year round,  and from such regions it
often disseminates by air or water or by individuals to
various other localities  over the world.  The  chief
source of contagion seems to lie in the material evac-
uated from the bowels of cholera sufferers.  This ma-
terial drying in the  air may fill the  atmosphere with 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
239
the poisonous germs.  It may permeate the soil and
find its way into drinking water, such as that of wells
or streams.   These facts demonstrate that the great-
est precautions must be taken during cholera epidem-
ics by the general public.
  No  danger exists in nursing  cholera patients pro-
vided  it is rendered impossible for the  poisonous
germs of the evacuated material to enter the mouth.
All evacuations should be made into a vessel contain-
ing lime and should be quickly  covered and conveyed
to some pit  a  distance from possible contamination
with drinking water and then buried with chloride of
lime thrown in.  An almost infinitesimal portion of
the germ poison will contaminate an enormous amount
of water.

  Symptoms.—These  develop  in from twelve hours to
two weeks,  usually within a  week after exposure.
They may be divided into three stages:
  1.  Stage  of  Diarrhoea.—A  profuse diarrhoea  of
watery material starts suddenly, with some pain in the
bowels and a feeling of peculiar weakness in the pit
of the stomach. There is no fever and the tongue is
broad and coated white.  This diarrhoea may continue
three or four days in this way or may at once develop
more alarming symptoms.  There is vomiting of food
and mucus, often  very painful, great  thirst sets in,
there  are rumblings  through the bowels, discharges
become thin, like rice-water and involuntary, cramps
commence  in the  calves  of the  legs and extend to
other muscles.  Prostration becomes great and the pa-
tient sinks rapidly, the pulse growing feeble and fre-
quent and the extremities cold, and  the  countenance
anxious and pinched.  Thus is  ushered in the second
stage.
  2.   Collapse.—Sometimes this  may commence almost
as soon as  the diarrhoea  and prove rapidly  fatal.
Vomiting and purging diminish, the urine is not evac-
uated; there are continued cramps and painful efforts
at vomiting, buzzing sounds in the ears, headache and
almost loss of  voice; it becoming weak and husky.
The face becomes  terribly pinched, the extremities
cold and blue, and dark rings  appear under the eyes 
240         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

which, themselves, are sunken and the conjunctiva be-
comes dry.  The muscles seem to lose all power and
may  be felt as flacid dough, and  the  skin like wet
chamois  skin and wrinkled. Breathing is shallow
and the pulse gradually disappears.  The patient may
be restless and conscious or lie  in a seeming stupor,
indifferent to his  surroundings and develop profound
stupor.  Such symptoms may extend over two or three
days, but  in most cases  they  last but a few hours.
  3.   Reaction.—The symptoms of collapse may grad-
ually subside and normal action be restored.  Breath-
ing and heart actions become more  natural, the tem-
perature rises and strength returns.   Often this period
may seem fairly established when retention of urine,
intestinal  irritation or  typhoid  condition may  cause
death.  Convalescence is always slow and liable to be
interrupted.  Probably  not more than thirty per cent
recover from the period of collapse.

  Treatment.—Very few  of  those who  are attacked
with cholera need enter into the period of collapse,
and there  is no necessity for strong, healthy persons
of temperate  habits and will  power  to  succumb.
Worry and fear cause liability of an attack during an
epidemic.   Cleanliness,  fresh air, freedom from worry,
refreshing sleep, and wholesome diet of pure food and
pure drink are foes of cholera.
  It is unwise during an epidemic to change the habits
of natural living to those of  a restricted diet.  Fresh
and ripe, not over-ripe,  fruits and vegetables, may be
eaten freely with safety.  Alcoholic liquors cannot be
taken, even moderately, without  danger, and the
same may be said of  unripe or stale fruits and vegeta-
bles.  Sleeping rooms should be  well ventilated, and
cleanliness  in  everything must  be  preserved, and
especial care taken to secure the  purest drinking wa-
ter.   Such precautions during a cholera epidemic may
reasonably assure  avoidance of the disease.
  At the commencement of the diarrhceal period, give
every fifteen minutes  a teaspoonful of an infusion of
raspberry leaves, prickly ash and wild yam, each one-
half  ounce to a pint of boiling water, and rub  stimu-
lating liniment over  the abdomen.  Every two hours 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
241
give a teaspoonful of a mixture of neutralizing cordial,
four ounces;  tine, kino, two drachms; com. tine,  of
myrrh, one-half drachm; keep the  feet warm and en-
join quiet and abstinence from food, and only table-
spoonful quantities of water at a time to quench thirst.
  Should the symptoms develop adversely and cramps
set in, no time must be lost in resorting to heroic meas-
ures.  Prepare hot infusion  of red pepper  with salt
in it and dip flannels in this and rub the cramped mus-
cles vigorously.   Make  the  following:  Composition
powder, one ounce; scullcap  and goldenseal, one-half
ounce each to a pint of boiling water and add an ounce
each of cider vinegar and tincture of kino, and admin-
ister every half hour in teaspoonful doses.   If it can-
not be retained leave out the vinegar, and give as an
injection to the bowels every half hour and have it re-
tained, by a compress  if necessary.  If  the crude
smart weed can be obtained it may  be  made into a
fomentation with hot water and laid upon  the abdo-
men.  The period of  collapse is one of profound con-
gestion  and all treatment must be  directed toward
sustaining the heart's action and equalizing the circu-
lation.  Hot salt  bags or jugs  of hot water may  be
placed along the  sides  and  the patient may  be
wrapped in hot blankets.
  During convalescence  the strictest  attention  is nec-
essary.  Food should not be given for a day after the
attack, and medicines should likewise be withheld un-
less there  is urgent need of  them.  The kidneys may
frequently be urged  to action by placing over the
small of  the back  cloths wrung  out of  hot  water.
Quietude is imperative.  All sheets and bed clothing
that could possibly have been soiled with evacuations
or discharged injections should be burned, and every
precaution taken against spreading the  disease,  even
though it be epidemic.
             CHOLERA  INFANTUM.

          Summer Complaint of Children.

  This is a disease of childhood, and is always the re-
sult of preventable causes.  It is almost entirely con-
      16 
242         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

fined to the  cities, and filth,  crowding, overheating
and unwholesome food are the principal causes.  The
greed for gain sacrifices many  thousands of lives of
little children by providing them improper  food and
surroundings for existence; the poor are thus forced
to suffer.

  Symptoms of cholera infantum may come on slowly;
though in nearly all cases  they develop rapidly, usu-
ally becoming  dangerous  in  six  to twelve hours.
There are frequent  discharges  from the bowels, of a
thin and frothy character,  soon followed by rejection
of food and vomiting.  Great  prostration ensues and
may result in unconscious stupor, the eyes rolled back
and the extremities  cold  and  blue.  As a  rule the
countenance is pale and the nose pinched and  cold,
while the abdomen and head are hot and there is every
indication of internal fever.  The pulse is weak and
small and very frequent.

   Treatment.—Neutralizing cordial and  syrup of wild
cherry, equal parts, should be given as soon as diarrhoea
commences.  Rub stimulating liniment over the abdo-
men, and if the surface is  hot, give a sponge bath of
warm water.  Keep the child absolutely quiet and give
plenty of fresh air.  Do not let it be annoyed by flies
or by being carried about.   An injection of  weak in-
fusion of raspberry leaves and lady slipper may be
given every  three hours.  If  the feet are  cold, wrap
them in  hot flannels. Quench the thirst by  small
drinks of cool wTater.
   For food, the malted milk will be found a superior
article.  Ordinary  milk should have  a little  lime-
water added.  During convalescence  the  syrup  of
wild cherry bark will  be found most useful.  The pre-
vention of cholera infantum consists in fresh air and
wholesome and  proper  food  and avoidance of over-
heating along with cleanliness.  Little children should
not be fed on the diet  of adults.  All during the sum-
mer months the greatest care must  be  taken of their
welfare.  Flannel  should  be  worn  next to the abdo-
men, and every precaution taken against chilling the
surface.  Strictly prohibit ice water and harsh foods. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          243
              CHOLERA  MORBUS.

       Choleraic Diarrhoea. Cholera Nostras.

  This is essentially a summer disease caused by over-
indulgence, improper food or sudden changes.  It is in
reality an acute catarrhal inflammation of the stomach
extending into the intestines and causing extreme
nervous prostration.   There is  nausea,  retching and
vomiting of greenish material,  followed by watery
discharges.  There may be cramps and pain.  The at-
tacks come on suddenly and are often repeated, while
the whole system  becomes prostrated.   The surface
may grow cold and collapse and  death may possibly
follow neglected cases.

  Treatment.—Place a mustard plaster or flannels sat-
urated with stimulating liniment  over the abdomen.
Administer  neutralizing cordial  containing  a  little
tincture of  kino every  fifteen minutes.  As a drink,
allow no cold water, but give an infusion of marsh-
mallow root and catnip.  In extreme cases, injection
of raspberry leaf infusion is serviceable.   During con-
valescence give syrup of wild cherry bark and allow a
return to usual diet to be made very slowly.
                    CHOREA.

                 St. Vitus' Dance.

  This is a most annoying difficulty, characterized by
inability to control the use of the voluntary muscles.
It usually occurs with girls  between the ages of six
and sixteen,  but men and adults  may be sufferers.
Children of  consumptive  parentage  or those  of  a
highly nervous  organization are  oftenest  afflicted.
The difficulty may come  on slowly, or it may develop
suddenly from some shock or great mental excitement
or injury.  Worms and pregnancy are not infrequent
causes, though such cases are cured when the exciting
cause  is removed.   Simple habits often acquired by
children, such as winking, shrugging the shoulders,
etc., should not be mistaken for St. Vitus' dance. 
244         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Symptoms.—The first signs are usually fidgetings and
awkwardness,  often  mistaken  for  clumsiness, and
scoldings under such circumstances  aggravate  the
difficulty.  Inability to hold articles  in the  hand, es-
pecially  breakable  articles, is usual.   Then come pe-
culiar  twitchings  or contractions of the  muscles.
Odd faces may be "made," and the arms or  legs may
jerk involuntarily.
  The  head may be thrown to one side suddenly, the
tongue stuck out, etc.  Occasionally there is a nerv-
ous cough and irregular breathing.  The involuntary
movements may be general, though  usually confined
to one  side of the body or one particular set of  mus-
cles.  They are not painful and very seldom continue
during sleep.  Attacks of St. Vitus' dance rarely last
over a  month at a time; though occasionally the diffi-
culty is stubbornly chronic.

  Treatment.—Search  for exciting causes and remove
them.  Expel  worms, clean out the alimentary canal,
evacuate the  liver and correct disorders of the stom-
ach should such exist.  Never scold children for their
awkwardness under such circumstance, and do not re-
fer to their unusual actions—it makes  matters worse.
Keep  them from school and let them have perfect
freedom,  and allow  them to sleep late in the morning.
Give warm baths morning  and evening, and never al-
low fatigue at play or work.   Prepare a syrup as fol-
lows:   Cramp bark  and black  cohosh  and hops, each
one-fourth  ounce to a pint  of hot water; steep and
strain  and add one and a half  pounds of sugar and
flavor with essence of anise.   Give a teaspoonful be-
tween meals and at bed-time.  This may be given as
a simple infusion, made fresh each day.
               CHOROMIDROSIS.
               Colored Perspiration.
  This is  a peculiar condition in wiiich perspiration
seems to be colored red, purple, and in a few recorded
instances, brown.   The real nature of the difficulty is
not knowm.  It has been successfully treated by fre- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
245
quent bathing in borax water, abundance of fresh air
and wholesome food, and perfect rest of mind and the
use of nervine tonics.
                CHYLOTHORAX.

           Chyle in the Pleural Cavity.
  This is an accumulation of chyle in the pleural cav-
ity, and is caused by an injury  or the rupture  of the
thoracic duct.  It is of extremely rare occurrence and
is recognized  by thrusting  an  aspirating needle into
the cavity, drawing off some of the milky fluid and ex
amining it under the microscope. Remedies are of no
avail and nearly all cases are fatal.   Drawing off the
fluid by the aspirator may give relief for a short pe-
riod.
Cirrhosis.—See Diseases of the Liver.
                 COCCYDYNIA.

             Neuralgia of the Coccyx.
  This is a very painful affection involving  the small
bone,  or coccyx, at the lower end of the spine.  Usu-
ally caused by an injury, such  as falling astraddle or
coming down heavily and. unexpectedly upon the seat.
Women frequently suffer from  it as a result of partu-
rition.

  Symptoms.—There is great neuralgic pain,  readily
known to have its origin at the tip end of  the spine.
This pain may be constant,  sharp twinges upon  the
least movement;  or it may occur as severe  neuralgic
spells at intervals.

  Treatment.—The bowels must be kept  open  so as to
avoid  accumulations in the rectum.  If the  faeces be-
come hardened there  will be great pain caused during
movements of the bowels.  At such times  injections
should be administered.  Locally apply tincture of lo-
belia freely, and during neuralgic spells use injections 
246
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
of boneset and lobelia infusion.  Quietude  must be
maintained as  far as possible.  Severe cases usually
require the coccyx  (the lowest  point of the  spine) to
be removed by a surgical operation.
                      COLIC.

                 Colica  Enteralgia.
  This is an acute trouble of the bowels, causing spas-
modic pain radiating from  the navel.  The suffering
comes on at intervals of  more or less frequency, and
at times is very  intense,  causing- the patient to bend
double, and often to grow cold and  break out in per-
spiration.  Pressure on the abdomen gives relief, by
which colic may be distinguished from other difficul-
ties.  There is a great amount of wind on the bowels,
from wThich fact  it is often  termed flatulance or wind
colic.  When this has passed off relief is experienced,
and an evacuation of the  bowrels (which at the time
are usually constipated),  will almost end the attack.

  Treatmoit.—When it is  knowm  that the suffering is
caused by the pressure in the stomach of undigested
food, an emetic should be given at once—a tablespoon-
ful of salt in a cup of luke warm water with a pinch
of mustard will  usually suffice.   If the food is appar-
ently already in  the intestines, as is usually the case.
give a dose of  milk  of magnesia,  or of senna and
ginger in infusion.  For the suffering, rub stimulating
liniment  or essence of ginger over  the abdomen and
internally  give  neutralizing cordial in  teaspoonful
doses every half hour.  If there is great cramping,
use an infusion  of peppermint,  spearmint, catnip  or
wild ya-m every ten minutes till  relief is obtained.  A
mustard plaster  over the abdomen may even be found
necessary.
                  COLIC—LEAD.
          Painters' Colic.  Saturnine Colic.
  This is peculiar to those working in trades employ-
ing lead, or any of its preparations, or to those who 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
247
 drink wines or liquors adultered with lead compounds,
 or those who have been poisoned by drinking water or
 foods contaminated by the metal.

  Symptoms.—These usually come on slowly, requiring
 two or three days for their development.  There is un-
 easiness throughout the bowels, occasional purging.
 loss of appetite  and  a general feeling of numbness
 through the hands and feet.  These are followed by
 constipation and griping, nausea and disgust for food
 and sharp pains in the limbs.  There is great paleness
 and a feeling of dejection and a desire to refrain from
 all  exertion.  The crampings in the bowels increase
 and center about the navel, and the abdomen becomes
 depressed and often feels knotted.   A narrow  streak
 of blue may often  be  seen  along  the gums and the
 muscles may become tender and paralysis sometimes
 follows.

  Treatment.—A vapor bath given slowly is of great
 value,  after which  the whole  body should be  rubbed
 thoroughly with stimulating liniment.   Then give in-
 jections of a weak infusion of lady-slipper and bone-
 set  in starch water;  these may be repeated every two
 hours during an attack. Internally administer an in-
 fusion  of  composition  and lady slipper every hour,
 and night  and morning give the liver  pills.   During
 convalescence give  the compound  syrup  of gentian
 (see formulas) and allow most nourishing though light
diet.  Milk is an excellent drink.  Change of occupa-
tion and out-door exercise  should  be provided in all
cases.
             COLIC IN CHILDREN.
                    Flatulence.
  Very small children, two  or  three weeks old, may
be afflicted with colic.   The causes are varied.   Usu-
ally  it is  the result of the  noxious  articles—goose-
grease, orange juice, sugar-water, etc., poured  down
a new born infant's throat by meddlesome nurses to
"clean out  the  mucus."  It may  be caused by too 
248
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
early feeding, or by retention in the bowels of the me-
conium or dark fluid found in the intestines at birth,
or other causes.

  Sy)nptoms.—Spells of crying come on at stated inter-
vals, usually at night, and continue perhaps for two
or three hours; the legs are  drawn  up to the  belly,
which is usually distended, and there may be belching
of wind.

  Treatment.—Do not dose an infant, and always con-
sider that what may be mild and simple to an adult
may be severe to a baby.  Give a small injection (two
ounces)  of a weak infusion of catnip and wild yam.
This will usually be  found  sufficient.   If  not, give
about half a teaspoonful  of catnip and  pleurisy root
infusion.  Turn  the  child on its belly and gently rub
the back.  A warm bath before the hour of an ex-
pected attack will often forestall it  or decrease its
severity.  These spells may last a month or more.
            COLIC OF THE KIDNEYS.

            Nephralgia. Colica Renalis.
  When a person is subject to gravel or calculi, an at-
tack of renal colic is  liable to  occur at any time and
cause excruciating agony while it lasts.  The  ureters
are the tubes which convey the  urine from the kidneys
to the bladder; they are funnel-shaped at the kidneys,
and gravel is extremely liable  to get into them, and
should a small stone  as big as a grain of wheat hap-
pen to find its wray into one of the ureters, it would
have  great difficulty  in passing through it  to the
bladder, and would cause irritation, inflammation and
swelling, which would still more retard its movement.

  Symptoms.—These usually commence very suddenly
as intense pain in the back and loins, extending to the
testicles, a prominent sign being the fact that  the tes-
ticle on the side affected is drawm upward.  In women
there is pain in the region of  the ovary, but women
seldom suffer from renal colic.  The urine  is  scanty, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
24U
almost suppressed, sometimes coming away in drops
and containing blood.  Prostration is usually quite
severe, and the agony may be such as to cause the suf-
ferer to throwT himself upon the floor and almost "go
into spasms.''  It may continue a few hours or even
two or three days before  the  small  stone  drops into
the bladder, when there  will be  instant relief.   Oc-
casionally the stone becomes fixed in the ureter, wiien
the most grave consequences may followT.

  Treatment.— The aim must be to relax the  structures
and thus favor the passage of the stone through the
ureter.  Apply to the small of the back and the  loins
a warm poultice of flax seed and  lobelia seed and re-
new frequently, keeping  it warm.  Give large injec
tions of lobelia and lady slipper  every hour, having
them retained.   Internally  administer an infusion of
spearmint and  wild yam every half hour in teaspoon-
ful doses, adding lobelia if relief is not soon obtained.
Treatment cannot  be too urgently pressed during an
attack.  Afterwrards use marsh-mallow root or holly-
hock leaves and shepherd's purse in infusion for sev-
eral days, and  raspberry  leaves  if there continues to
be a little blood in the urine.
  Congestion.—This is a condition that may occur in
any organ or any  part of the body.  It is a partial or
complete stasis of blood, and is usually preceded by
an inflammatory stage.  The inflammatory stage be-
ing an indication that vital  force is endeavoring to
overcome  obstructions, and the congestive stage be-
ing an indication that the obstructions are greater
than vitality can overcome unaided.
  Treatment must be based upon endeavors to equalize
the circulation  and sustain  vitality.  The  various
forms of congestions are considered in the articles on
diseases of the  various organs, such  as the Bladder,
Brain, Kidneys, Liver, Lungs,  Spleen, Stomach, etc.
Congestive Feyer,—See Intermittent Fever. 
250         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

  Conjunctivitis.—See Section  on Diseases of the
Eye.
                 CONSTIPATION.

       Inactivity of  the  Bowels.  Costiveness.
  This well-known condition, in which the  bowels are
uot regularly evacuated,  may be the result of  various
causes.
  Predisposition—many persons by nature seeming to
be thus troubled.
  Inattention to Nature's calls—occasioned by neglect,
laziness or occupation.
  Improper diet—eating too much meat or dry foods,
or drinking excessively of milk.
  Inactivity of the liver—there being a deficiency of
bile thrown into the intestines.
  Deficient  peristaltic (muscular  movement) of the
bowels; usually due to lack  of nerve tone.
  Mechanical obstructions in the bowels—the pressure
of the womb, tumors, etc.

  Treatment.—Diet is of the  first importance.  Succu-
lent vegetables and  fruits are  most essential.  Figs,
dates and prunes are valuable when other fruits are
out of season.  Bread made of  fine white flour should
be avoided.  The wiiole wiieat flour  is by all means
the most nutritious.   Oatmeal and cereals in  general
are beneficial.  Bathing, especially cold sponge baths,
should be indulged in daily.
  The remedies  employed  for  constipation  are too
numerous to mention.  Physics should be avoided, un-
less there is most urgent necessity.   An  infusion of
twro drachms of senna leaves and a few grains of gin-
ger to a cup of boiling water will be found effectual,
but should not be relied upon.  Where  there are no
symptoms of muscular relaxation, daily injections of
wrarm water, one or Iavo quarts, retained as long as
possible, are a favorite with many.
  Where there is a tendency to sluggishness and evi-
dent relaxation of the bowels, make a syrup as follows:
Butternut  bark,  one-half pound;  wahoo and golden 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
251
seal, each two ounces; peppermint herb,  one ounce;
steep in one quart  of boiling water  for  one hour;
strain and add two pounds of sugar and two ounces of
glycerine;  take  a  teaspoonful  night and morning.
Milk of  magnesia may be used to advantage wiien in-
digestion is the prime cause of the trouble.
  Fluid  extract of cascara sagrada, ten drops in water
night and morning, will be found valuable where there
is deficient peristaltic action  and apparent sluggish-
ness of the liver.   Pure wiiite soap rolled into suppos-
itories the size of a pistol cartridge may  be inserted
into the rectum to produce evacuation.   Regularity of
attempts to evacuate the bowels should be persisted in.
                 CONSUMPTION.

                Phthisis Pulmonalis.
  This disease attacks persons of enfeebled constitu-
tions, who possess little resistive powers against dis-
ease.   Their condition of lowT vitality may have been
inflicted upon them by parents diseased with scrofula,
consumption,  cancer, syphilis,  alcoholism, etc., or
their condition may  be the result of some  neglected
acute or chronic trouble; or their constitutions may
predispose  them to  consumption.   Frequently chil-
dren are consumptives whose  parents were  perfectly
healthy, though physically unsuited to  one another.
The marriage of blood relatives not infrequently re-
sults in consumptive  children.
  Again, perfectly healthy persons  may acquire con-
sumption through unfavorable habits or surroundings.
Poor food,  hard labor, dark  houses, frequent expos-
ures, insufficient clothing, intemperance, excesses, in-
halation  of  poisonous vapors or irritating  particles,
close confinement, dampness  and unhealthful  homes,
malarial  localities, and many other influences may be
the means of the acquirement of consumption.  One-
seventh of mortality is ascribed  to this disease and in
large cities the ratio  is more than doubled.
  Persons wiio are especially liable to contract con-
sumption are  usually  slender and  flat-chested,   the
shoulder-blades  prominent  and  the  shoulders thrown 
252         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
forward.  The  bones of the body  are  light,  the neck
long.   The skin is thin and pale and easily reddened
by nervousness or fever.   A bright spot often appears
on  the cheek.   The  hair is usually fine  and light.
The whites of  the  eyeballs of  a  pearly lustre, and
dark rings under the eyes upon the least indisposition.
Such  persons should take extra precautions against
exposure; and  while very susceptible to the disease
they may never contract it, but live to long life owing
to their great vigilance.
  It is not essential to enter into a discussion of the
theories of consumption, nor to explain the bacillus
said to be its prime cause.  The real condition con-
sists of very minute particles of tuberculous matter in
the membranes of the lungs;  these particles increase
and collectively harden and then  soften  like an ab-
scess, destroy adjacent tissue  and seek to discharge
themselves  into the  air passages.   The  discharge
causes  inflammation,  which  excites coughing, the
tuberculous matter  may  be expelled, affording  re-
lief, followed by another  development of tuberculous
material and a  second respite, to be succeeded by new
formations to  be discharged.  Each respite from in-
flammatory symptoms is  shorter  than the preceding,
and the general strength of the  patient continually
fails, though when the prominent  symptoms abate  he
and his family  are greatly encouraged.  By the form-
ation  of these  tuberculous abscesses and  their dis-
charge cavities are left in the lungs.  These repeated
periods of formation of deposits are termed  the first,
second and third stages of consumption.
  The changes that take place  in  the tissues usually
commence in the upper  portions of  the  lungs; most
frequently the  left lung, though  any part  may  be
first attacked and the deposits may simultaneously oc-
cur in the intestines, or joints or other localities.  The
various' stages  of  consumption may each occupy a
year  or more,  and the disease may possibly extend
over eight or ten years, though three years is an aver-
age period (hasty consumption excepted).   Some pa-
tients are able  to be about till death occurs,  while
others are invalids or confined  in bed during a long
period of time. 
             DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          253

   Symptoms.—These are usually developed slowly, and
 the  patient  seldom realizes  the seriousness  of  his
 condition until  the  disease is far advanced.   Failure
 of nutrition  and   enfeebled  circulation are  often
 noticed early.  Loss of appetite, easy fatigue, short-
 ness of breath, feverishness in the  evenings, a  hack-
 ing cough, hoarseness, night  swTeats, bleeding from
 the lungs of small quantities at intervals, expectora-
 tion of mucus, becoming frothy and  then purulent.
 In women derangement or suppression of the men-
 strual function.
   There  is usually dull  pain in the chest and tender-
 ness.  Pleurisy is common.   The stomach becomes  de-
 ranged easily.  The  boivels are decidedly irregular, al-
 ternating between diarrhoea and constipation.  The
 face becomes very thin and the hair  falls out easily;
 the finger-nails grow curved and  turn inward and the
 tips of the fingers become somewhat bulbous.  The
 tongue is red and  sensitive  and is often covered with
 little sores.   All these signs are not invariably pres-
 ent,  but most of them will make their appearance.

   Cough  is one of the most persistent symptoms  of
 consumption, and its severity does not always corre-
 spond with the severity of  the disease.   It at first is
 usually short and quick, as though coming from the
 throat.   In time  there may be  severe  paroxysms of
 coughing, causing vomiting and profuse expectoration
 which may  almost choke  the patient.  In the later
 stages of  the disease night sweats  become very pro-
 fuse  and diarrhoea constant and extremely weakening.
 Swelling of the feet  likewise occur and  hemorrhages
 are likely to become  frequent,  although in some cases
 hemorrhages occur very early.
  All the way through the  course of  the malady it is
 characterized by  progressive emaciation, and the re-
 tention of the mental faculties even till the moment of
 death.  Hopefulness  of  recovery is  universal  with
 such patients and probably prolongs life.  Complica-
 tions are liable to occur during the course of the dis-
 ease, such as  pneumonia, pleurisy, laryngitis, glandu-
 lar enlargements and suppuration, fistula, fatty or  de-
generation of  the liver,  Bright's disease,  diabetes, 
254         A PHYSICIAN  IX  THE HOUSE.

tuberculous meningitis of  the brain, ulceration of  the
intestines, diseases of the veins of  the leg, etc.

  Treatment.—Nearly all cases of consumption prove
fatal.  Some are  curable, and a  very few  recover
without special treatment, as has been demonstrated
by mortem examinations of persons who  in early  life
apparently suffered from  the disease and then lived
long, lives and died of other maladies.
  If the disease is recognized very early it may possi-
bly be arrested.  Persons especially liable to the dis-
ease  from  inherited  tendencies  or   predisposition
should exercise the greatest care to avoid risks from
catching cold.  An even and moderate temperature of
living rooms should be  maintained, taking  care to
avoid excessive warmth and  foolish extremes.  Cloth-
ing should be regulated by the weather, and increased
or  diminished  according  to  changes of temperature.
Drafts of air should be avoided,  likewise wetting  the
feet or becoming chilled.   A healthful climate should
be sought, living rooms must be light, dry and airy.
The most nutritious diet is imperative—milk and eggs
being especially valuable, also grapes and  other suc-
culent fruits.  The mind  should be kept from worry
and fatigue,  and healthful, though moderate exercise
provided—out-door exercise being most advantageous.
  Such measures may thwart threatened development
of consumption; and those parents whose children are
apparently consumptive,  should rear them to a rugged
out-door life.  Dropping education of all kinds if need
be to build up the constitution and arrest retrograde
changes, will be found the only course to pursue.
  The subject of climate for consumptives has always
been an important one.  Clay soil, marshy plains, val-
leys, hot districts and places where there are sudden
changes of temperature  or  damp winds,  should be
avoided.  The country is always preferable to the city
provided a dry soil can be secured.  Mountainous re-
gions, not too high, are usually beneficial, though high
latitudes should not be sought by those suffering from
hemorrhages.  The pine  mountains of Georgia  and
North Carolina are excellent localities.   Colorado and
New Mexico and Southern California have many ad- 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
255
vantages.  Perhaps  the most beneficial climate for
consumptives can be found in the Hawaiian Islands.
The temperature there is equable the year round.
  Care must be taken to avoid too much medication as
the stomach turns against it.  The following is an ex-
cellent combination to use as a cough syrup and tonic:

  Take fluid extract Comfrey............one ounce.
         "     "   Mexican  Sage, Peru-
                    vian Bark, each .. .one-half ounce.
       Syrup of Wild Cherry  Bark......six ounces.
  Mix.   Dose, a teaspoonful night and morning, or oftener
if necessary.

  Constipation or diarrhoea  must be treated according
to directions laid down elsewhere.
  Hemorrhages may usually be controlled by a  tea-
spoonful of common  salt or saltpetre in a cup of water.
If profuse, tannic acid may  be dissolved in hot watei
and sprayed so as the patient may inhale it.
  Night sweats should be controlled  if possible.  An
infusion  of golden seal and bayberry  can  be  taken
each night.  Cold sage tea is  commonly  employed.
Often sponging the body with a solution  of common
salt and  tannic acid  will accomplish good results.
  Cod liver oil has obtained a fabulous reputation for
consumption.  As a  nutritive it is doubtless excellent,
and patients using  it  may for a time increase in
weight.  But its value as a  medicinal agent must be
questioned.  Other oils more  palatable, if taken as
persistently, would probably accomplish equally bene-
ficial results.
  As a tonic the following is excellent:

    Take fluid extract  of Gentian......one-half ounce.
                     Blue Cohosh. ..one ounce.
                     Hops.........one-half ounce.
         Syrup of Ginger............six ounces.
  Mix.  Dose, a teaspoonful between meals.

  Opium preparations, hypodermic injections of mor-
phia salts and narcotics in all forms must be avoided. 
256         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

The use of wine  is vastly inferior to taking unfer-
mented grape juice or eating the grapes themselves in
abundance.
  Nervine liniment (see formulas) will relieve pain in
the chest  if applied vigorously.  No specific for the
disease has ever been discovered, though many  such
have been claimed through mercenary motives.
  Nevertheless consumption must not be considered as
an absolutely incurable disease, even to those who are
unable to aid themselves by a change of climate.  In-
dulging in hopefulness should not cause neglect in
even the most trifling matters, but on the contrary, it
should urge the patient and friends onwTard to endeavor
to take advantage of every reasonable opportunity to
aid recovery.
  It  is the author's belief that  many cases of con-
sumption pronounced beyond the possibility  of recov-
ery are frequently  within the bounds of successful
medical treatment.  An experience of many years in
the practice of medicine has demonstrated this belief
to be well founded.  In evidence of  which a large
number of cases  could be  cited  of persons who are
now hale and hearty,  and  who, wiien they presented
themselves for treatment,  were in their  own estima-
tion and that of  their family physicians, doomed to
die at an early day.   In general it may be stated that
in most cases  when not  more than one-third of the
lung structures have been destroyed there is reason-
able  hope of  recovery, provided proper medication is
employed and instructions are rigidly obeyed.
                 CONVULSIONS.
                 General Spasms.
  Persons of  all ages may be  subject  to  spasms,
though children are the most frequent sufferers.  The
causes are varied, but are always some form of irrita-
tion to the nervous system; such as (1) diseases of the
brain or spinal  cord or  their membranes;  (2) injuries
to the head; (3) circulation of abnormal blood through
the brain, as in uraemic poisoning  and various fevers; 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
257
(4) reflex irritation, as from teething, worms, indiges-
tion, etc.

  Symptoms.— Usually  there are  premonitory signs,
such as fretfulness, gritting of the teeth during sleep,
slight twitchings and general peevishness in children.
The convulsion comes on suddenly, and often without
any warning, and is characterized by involuntary con-
tractions of  the various muscles of the body.  These
contractions may be intermittent or trembling or jerk-
ing;  though usually  they  are  intense in character,
amounting to rigidity.  Sometimes the head is thrown
back and the  eyes rolled upward and there is great
contortion of  the  face, which may become  livid.
Death seems imminent  and parents become greatly
alarmed, though the danger of  the attack at the time
is not so great as seems apparent.  The breathing is
greatly  interfered  with; the  pulse is small and  fre-
quent and the surface cold and often covered with per-
spiration. Consciousness  is usually lost.  A child
may have but a few spasms at long  intervals, or on
account of predisposition or disease they may be fre-
quent.   The spasm may continue from a few minutes
to half an hour or possibly more.

  Treatment.—Give abundance of fresh air, loosen the
clothing and place the child on the back with the head
up during an attack, and at once prepare a tub of hot
water (hot as can be borne continually and  easily by
the hand), and if  the spasm has not ceased put the
child in this  for five or ten minutes and  then wrap in
blankets and  keep quiet.   If the bowels are consti-
pated give  an injection of boneset infusion; if  the
stomach is  disordered give neutralizing cordial.  If
the teeth are  struggling to come through  lance the
gums.
  Frequently some special articles of food, such as
meats and   gravies, may be a provoking  cause of
spasms.  Delicate  children, subject to convulsions,
should be afforded quiet and fresh air,  and light nour-
ishing diet;  and given a nervine of lady  slipper and
wild yam in infusion in small doses two or three times
a day.
     n 
258
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
              CORN  ON THE FOOT.

                      Clavus.

  Corns are horny-looking growths which come upon
the feet, usually the  toes, from irritation caused by
too loose  or  too tight  shoes.  First of all provide
proper foot wear, and sew  a piece of felt on the out-
side of  the sock and cut a small hole so as it will
come directly over the corn.  By this means the press-
ure from the corn will be relieved.  Rings of felt may
be firmly  glued directly to the toe around the corn.
This alone in time will cause the corn to disappear, or
become of such condition that it may be removed.

  Another method  is to soak the corn each night in
hot water and then  apply an ointment  of one drachm
of salicylic acid rubbed into  an ounce of  vaseline.
Five or six applications will soften  the corn  suffi-
ciently to allow it to be easily removed.  Care must be
taken to  keep the  ointment off of adjoining tissues.
A corn on the  sole of  the foot needs a felt insole  with
a hole  cut through it directly under the corn.  Soft
corns are  best treated by dusting them  with powdered
oxide of  zinc and  frequently cleansing them  with
warm water and castile  soap,  and applying tincture
of calendula  before applying the zinc oxide.  They
usually appear between the toes and require  a  wide
shoe.
                    COW-POX.

          Vaccinia.  Fever of Vaccination.

  Under a misplaced confidence in the fads of medi
cine persons are often induced to inoculate themselves
or their children  with the filthy virus obtained from
diseased cows, with the hope that in some mysterious
manner they may  be protected  against small-pox.
Thus voluntarily contracting one disease in the false
hope that they may  possibly escape another, which
they would never contract should they closely observe
the laws of health. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
259
   Symptoms.—Within two  days after  inoculation, mi-
 nute red pimples appear at the points of inoculation,
 and by the fourth day a vesicle forms, greatly resem-
 bling small-pox, and from the seventh to the eleventh
 day a filthy pustule surrounded by red  and swollen
 tissue is apparent.  It may be extremely painful and
 the whole arm may swell enormously. In three week's
 time the pustule has dried and formed a scab which is
 shed and has left  an ugly purple scar which  turns
 white in course of time.  Were this all of cowT-pox
 it would be sufficient to  be  avoided.  But unfortu-
 nately graver symptoms are  almost universally pres-
 ent in a greater or less degree.  There is general fe-
 verishness  amounting to exhaustion and causing  delir-
 ium and intense suffering in children.

   The adjacent lymphatic glands become swollen and
 sometimes  suppurate.  The pustule itself may become
 almost malignant; and according to a noted authority
 " the original lesion may become inoculated with pyo-
 genic or erysipelatous bacteria, which may cause tedi-
 ous ulceration  or diffuse inflammation.''  Numerous
 cases of death have been reported from cow-pox  or its
 sequences.   It is a filthy and  harmful disease and its
 results may continue for years, causing liability  to
 glandular diseases and diphtheria; and never protect-
 ing from small-pox.

   Treatment.—This is a disease wiiich never need be
 contracted.  The sufferers are voluntary victims or
 helpless children who have the disease forced  upon
 them by  parents who refuse to think for themselves;
 or the law which guarantees personal  liberty  is re-
 sponsible for its forcible infliction upon healthy per-
 sons.  Of this more will be said under the heading of
 Vaccination  During the  fever the  patient  should
 drink freely of pleurisy root and ginger infusion; and
 if the sore  becomes purple or angry compound tinct-
ure of myrrh should be added and also rubbed about
the sore.  Diet should be light, and every precaution
taken against contracting  cold and irritating the ul-
ceration.  The bowels  should be  kept  freely open.
See, also, article on Vaccination. 
260
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                    CRAMPS.

              Spasms of  the Muscles.
  These are usually  the result of indigestion, or ex-
posure to continued cold (as in swimming), or from ex-
cessive exertion, as long continued walking.  The
treatment consists in briskly rubbing the contracted
muscles and applying stimulating liniment, if relief is
not soon obtained.  Cramps in the legs may often be
relieved by extending the  limb  and pressing  the toes
upward toward the top of the foot as far as they can
be bent.  Frequent cramps from indigestion necessi-
tate the proper treatment  of that trouble. The cramps
occurring  during pregnancy may not  be completely
overcome till after delivery.
                 CROUP—FALSE.

     Spasmodic Croup. Laryngismus Stridulous.
  This is a disease of infancy, usually occurring before
the tenth month and very rarely after the second year.
It is technically termed laryngismus stridulous, and is
entirely different from true croup, called pseudo-mem-
branous or inflammatory.

  Symptoms.-—An attack of spasmodic or false croup
usually comes on at night time, the  child awTakening
suddenly with a hoarse, barking cough and difficulty
of breathing-; taking in breath often causing a whist-
ling sound, and the face growing purple and suffoca-
tion seeming imminent.
  These  symptoms may continue  (if not relieved by
antispasmodics) for several minutes or possibly hours,
and  then suddenly cease and the  child  fall asleep.
The next day there may  be no apparent disturbance
and at night  again an attack; and these attacks may
continue  for  several  nights.  The  symptoms appear
alarming, but the disease is very rarely fatal.  It is
often preceded by restlessness, and is usually the re-
sult of over-eating, or of worms or some intestinal dis-
turbance.   Fever is  almost  always absent; but there
may be spasmodic twitchings of the hands and  feet 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          261

duriug an attack and the face may be red and the eyes
watery.

  Treatment.—If  the attack  is so violent that  the
spasm of the glottis has actually  shut off breathing
instant efforts must be made.  Lift the arms and slap
sharply the chest and buttocks; dash a little cold wa-
ter on the face and chest and, if possible, without de-
lay, put the feet and hands in hot w7ater.   Such pro-
cedures need seldom be resorted to, as the breath usu-
ally comes before they are commenced.
  Syrup of lobelia is an infallible remedy for false
croup, a half teaspoonful put far back on the tongue
and forced down the throat will give relief at once.
The dose  may  be repeated  every ten minutes  till
vomiting follows, which  will usually  follow the third
dose.  Lobelia infusion  can  be used instead of  the
syrup.  Never give medicine when the breath is lost;
it  might cause strangulation. An ideal preparation
to keep on  hand  is made as follows:   Steep in a pint
of hot water half an ounce of lobelia herb and one-
fourth ounce of black cohosh.  Strain and  add one
pound of sugar and two ounces  of glycerine.   After
an attack of false croup  indigestion or intestinal irri-
tation must be  corrected  by  appropriate treatment
and the child's diet carefully regulated.
                 CROUP—TRUE.
        Pseudo-Membranous or Inflammatory.
  This is a dangerous difficulty,  mostly confined to
children, and characterized by an inflammation of the
mucous membrane of the trachea and the exudation
over the inflamed parts of a plastic, fibrous membrane.
The  disease  in many respects resembles diphtheria,
though very different in its course and results.

  Symptoms.— Usually for two or three days before an
attack there  will  be all  the signs of a  bad  cold,
though these may be absent.  The attack itself comes
on suddenly in the night.   The child awakens greatly
frightened, the face flushed and the eyes blood-shot 
262         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
He clutches at the throat and  is in evident distress;
inspirations sound  like air rushing through a brass
tube.   Relief may come, but it  will be transient. Par-
oxysms occur with increasing frequency, fever arises,
the croupy sound resembles the  noise made by a rooster
held in the hand,  breathing  becomes very difficult,
and suffocation is constantly threatened and may oc-
cur and cause death from the third to sixth day, pre-
ceded by livid face, cold extremities, drowsiness, and
gasping and struggling for breath, the  pulse growing
gradually smaller and weaker.

  Treatment.—There can be no trifling with so desper-
ate a malady.   Rub over the throat and upper part of
the chest the third  preparation of lobelia (see formu-
las).  If this is not at hand, make a strong infusion of
lobelia and a little  red pepper and soak flannel in it
to be put around the throat,  and change the flannel or
rub on the third preparation every  three hours.  Ad-
minister an infusion of pleurisy root with a little gin-
ger and lobelia added,  in teaspoonful doses every fif-
teen minutes, till vomiting occurs; or give three drops
of the third preparation of lobelia in water instead of
the infusion.  After vomiting give every half hour or
every hour in order to maintain relaxation,  and if suf-
focation seems  imminent, increase the dose and fre-
quency immediately.  Have the  bowels move  freely
and keep the patient very quiet.
  Syrup of wild cherry bark with a little cramp bark
added will loosen the cough when paroxysms are not
on.  When drowsiness  occurs and the  extremities
grow cold, give composition with lobelia freely and
also an injection of  scullcap  containing ginger, and
keep hot applications to the   feet.  After convales-
cence is established nurse carefully and keep in-doors
at least a week.  Some children, especially those who
are fleshy, are peculiarly prone to  attacks  of croup.
The disease is not contagious.
  Croupous Pneumonia.—A   form  of  pneumonia
characterized by croupous and fibrous exudations.  It
is fully considered in the article on Pneumonia. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
26^
  Cyanosis.—A condition in which air cannot enter
the air cells in sufficient quantities to aerate the blood;
it occurs in  many diseases, especially in capillary
bronchitis and  congestion of the  lungs.  See, also,
Blue Disease.

  Cystitis.—See Bladder Difficulties—Acute Inflam-
mation.
               DANCERS'  CRAMP.

      Dancers'  Palsy.  Spasms of the Muscles.
  This is a condition wiiich causes the muscles of the
limbs to suffer spasmodic cramp as the  result of ex-
cessive use in performing particular classes of actions
It is especially liable to occur in professional dancers,
and particularly so in those of a nervous temperament.
It is a.nervous disease with  muscular  symptoms at
first; though finally the nerves show their deplorable
condition.

  Sinnptoms.—At first there will be a sense of fatigue
and exhaustion, followed by  dull pain  in the limbs,
with trembling.  These signs are followed by spasms
of the muscles,  such as twitchings or knotted condi-
tions.  Then there will be prickly and burning sensa-
tions and tinglings  followed by numbness and a feel-
ing  of constriction.  Dancing becomes  impossible,
either  from  weakness or the muscles becoming rigid
when the attempt is made.   Before  long the general
nervous character of the disease is apparent.  The
whole  body may tingle and be covered with perspira-
tion, the voice.may be lost and paralysis may follow;
although it  is seldom these  extreme cases are devel-
oped.

  Treatment.—The nervous system must be sustained
by such nerve tonics as wild yam (diascorea) and scull-
cap.   The muscles  and peripheral  nerves should  be 
264
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
kept in healthy condition by embrocations of cocoanut
oil containing a  half ounce  of oil of lobelia to the
pint.  This  preparation  should be worked into mus-
cles along with massage.  Absolute rest from dancing
will never cure dancers' cramp.  It is usually best to
keep up the usual exercise, only very moderately, and
carry out the treatment given.  Electricity will often
prove  beneficial.   Hygienic  living  and nourishing
food and freedom from anxiety are imperative.
  Dandy Fever.—Dengue.—See Break Bone Fever.

  Dandruff.—Pityriasis.—This is an affection more or
less troublesome to almost  everyone.  It consists of
an excessive shedding  of  the outer cells of the scarf-
skin of the scalp.   For treatment see Hair Diseases.

  Deafness.—See section on Diseases of the Eye and
Ear.
                  DEATH SIGNS.

          Evidences of Life Being Extinct.

  Occasionally there may exist reasonable doubt as to
the occurrence of death,  and the horrors of burying
alive should prompt friends  or  physicians to secure
absolute proofs of  death before burial.  A life-like
appearance and  apparent warmth in the body after
supposed death, should be sufficient reason for defer-
ring burial  as long as possible.  The possibility of
trance under certain circumstances should be  remem-
bered (see Trance).  The following may be considered
absolute proofs of death:

  Reduced Temperature.—A clinical thermometer
inserted far  into  the  rectum and allowed to remain
there for five minutes,  will give the internal tempera-
ture of  the body; this  should  be  below 78° in death
within thirty hours.  If it is 90° or more after twenty-
four hours, life is almost certainly present. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
265
  The Surface.—Form a blister on the skin by  heat
and open it widely; if the part beneath is red and the
edges of the blister turn dark red, life should be sus-
pected; otherwise no line  will appear and the under
surface will be dry and  glassy if  death has taken
place.

  The Heart.—A trance may give a feeble heart beat
of eight or ten per minute, and in rare cases life may
exist and recovery follow an apparent complete ces-
sation of the heart's action for five hours.  It is some-
times difficult to absolutely decide  that the heart has
ceased to beat; the pulse does not always convey the
information.  Make an incision in the thigh  and ap-
ply a dry cup; blood will flow if the person is dead.
Tie a twine  tightly about a finger—a white ring will
appear about it and the part beyond will grow red and
then bluish if life exists.   Needles  thrust deeply into
a living person will tarnish greatly within an hour.

  Breathing.—Respirations in living persons may at
times grow almost imperceptible.   Three modes of as-
certaining  if  breathing  is  carried  on may be  em-
ployed:
  (1.) Stand a shallow dish of water on the chest and
carefully watch if its surface is disturbed.
  (2.) Tie a feather to a  thread and hold before the
mouth or nostrils and notice if it moves even slightly.
  (3.) Hold a cold mirror before the nose and mouth
and look closely for evidence of moisture.
  Such experiments tried several times during twenty-
four hours  without  results  would  clearly  indicate
death.   More than one case  is recorded where such
methods prevented a hasty decision of death.

  Muscles.—Soon after death all the muscles become
relaxed, the limbs are easily flexed and the lower jaw
drops down.  This complete relaxation usually  lasts
four or five hours, possibly less, and very rarely is pro-
longed  beyond twelve  hours.  Rigidity, known  as
rigor mortis, follows, causing  the  muscles to become
fixed firmly in any position they were made to assume
when relaxed.  This fact  demonstrates the necessity 
266         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

of at once, as soon as death is suspected, placing the
body and limbs in desirable positions.  Rigor mortis
may commence  within  three  hours after death;  it
continues from twelve to forty-eight hours, and is fol-
lowed by a relaxed and flabby condition.

  Putrefaction.—The cause of death and character of
the weather influence the time of  the commencement
of decay.   As a rule three days  will  give  signs of
putrefaction, characterized by disagreeable odor and
distension of the  abdomen by gas.  In all doubtful
cases wait till this commences, even if for months. A
trance may last a  long time,  and without perfect evi-
dence of death embalming or ice packing, post mor-
tems or burial should not take  place.  Burial alive,
though very rare, is too horrible to  run the risk of
mistake.
                    DELIRIUM.

              Wandering of the Mind.
  Extremely nervous persons and young children very
frequently manifest delirium even during slight fever.
In all acute  cases when delirium comes  and goes with
the rise and fall of the temperature  it need not be re-
garded  seriously, though when it is persistent  and
continues even  when  the temperature falls  toward
normal, it is a bad sign.
  Furious delirium may occur during very high fever
and still not be of  grave import; but delirium which
follows hemorrhage or profuse sweating, accompanied
by  prostration  and  paleness,  is  a   serious  matter.
Low,  muttering delirium frequently occurs  in  low
grades  of fever and is always bad.  Delirium with
a sinking pulse is bad, and also delirium with contin-
ued unnatural pulse and irregular breathing.  Quiet
and natural  sleep after delirium is good.
  Treatment for delirium must always  be  in  accord-
ance with the malady which  it accompanies.  Rest
and quietude are imperative in all cases.  Arguments
and coaxing are folly,  though  a  patient  may be
soothed by acquiescing with his idea. 
          DISEASES AND TREATMENT.

Delirium Tremens—See article on Alcoholism.
  Dengue— Dandy Fever.See Break Bone Fever.

  Dentition.—See the article on Teething.

  Dermatitis.—This is an inflammation of the skin,
and may occur in  various forms as described in the
articles on Herpes,  Erythema, Eczema, Urticaria,
Ecthyma, etc.
               DERMATOLYSIS.

              Looseness of the Skin.
  Under circumstances which  cannot  be  fully  ex-
plained the skin covering various  parts of  the body
may become very loose and hang in folds,  and become
partially insensible at times.  The face, abdomen and
labia are the parts most frequently affected.  But lit-
tle can be done besides building up the  general health
and bathing frequently in salt  water and employing
brisk rubbing.
  Desquamation.—This  is a shedding of the outer
cells of the scarf skin of the body, and frequently oc-
curs after the eruption  has disappeared during erup-
tive  diseases.  See Scarlet Fever,  Measles and Ery-
sipelas.
            DIABETES INSIPIDUS.

                    Polyuria.
  This  disease is  characterized by an enormous in-
crease in the amount of urine  passed every twenty-
four hours, the constituents of the urine not being ma-
terially changed.  Children are the usual sufferers.

  Symptoms.—These usually develop  slowly, though
occasionally with suddenness.  Increase in the amount 
268
A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
of urine  is accompanied  by great thirst and dimin-
ished perspiration  and dryness  of  the  mouth  ana
throat.   Occasionally the general health does not seem
impaired, but as a  rule there is headache,  dizziness,
stomach and bowTel troubles due to indigestion.   Ap-
petite fails (though at first it may be voracious), ema-
ciation and  general debility follow; the skin becomes
shrunken and  dry,  and the temperature inclined to
fall  below normal.   Imperfections of vision,  partial
paralysis of  certain nerves, dropsy,  exhaustive diar-
rhoea and vomiting are likely to precede death.   The
color of  the urine is usually light yellow or colorless
and  clear, but becoming muddy after standing.  Its
specific  gravity is about  1010°, but  varies, and it has
not the characteristic whey-like odor peculiar to  dia-
betes mellitus, which is an  entirely different malady,
probably allied to it.
  This  disease probably has  its origin in  the nerve
centers,  as it has been produced artificially by irrita-
tion of portions of the brain.   Direct causes may be
mentioned to  be, drinking cold  wTater  or  becoming
chilled directly after  being over-heated, drinking al-
coholic liquors to excess, violent exertion or nervous
shock.

   Treatment.—Hygienic measures are most important—
freedom, out of door  life, cessation  from study, well
ventilated sleeping rooms and nourishing diet are im-
perative.  Excessive drinking should not be too much
restricted;  acidulated drinks  are  best. Salt-water
baths with friction are beneficial.  The following is a
valuable promoter of intestinal digestion: Citric  acid
and tartrate of iron and  potassa, each twenty grains,
dissolved in seven  ounces  of water, and one ounce of
glycerine added  to  preserve it.  Dose, one teaspoon-
ful in water  after each meal.
   As a tonic to the kidneys and nerves, use fluid ex-
tracts of  corn-silk (stigmata  maidis)  and scullcap,
each one-half ounce, in syrup of wild cherry bark,
seven ounces.  Dose, a teaspoonful  night and morn-
ing.  The disease often becomes chronic, and  if not
checked, results in death,  preceded  by great debility
and wasting or dropsy. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          269
             DIABETES MELLITUS.

            Saccharine or Sugary Urine.
   This is a serious condition, the real pathological na-
 ture of which is obscure.  It involves the presence of
 sugar in the urine in  varying quantities and an in-
 crease in the amount  of urine  daily voided.  The
 causes may be similar to those of diabetes insipidus;
 also may be injuries to the head or spine, eating ex-
 cessively  of sugar or  starchy foods,  great  grief or
 worry or mental or physical exhaustion.  Some per-
 sons seem to have a hereditary tendency to the disease.

   Symplons.—These are ahvays insidious.  In fact an
 unusual appetite and relish of  food and drink seem to
 be the rule.  Perhaps the first symptoms will be an
 inordinate desire  for food, and pain and distress in
 the stomach unless  satisfied.   Eructations of gas are
 common with distension over the stomach.
   The bowels are  constipated and the evacuations are
 light colored and  spongy, though in far advanced
 cases there may be diarrhoea.
   The tongue may be  moist and furred  part of the
 time, though generally when the disease is established
 it is red and irritable and fissured.   The throat be-
 comes dry and  sticky  and in  time  the  gums grow
 spongy and the teeth loosened and the  saliva often
 acid.
  The skin is usually dry and harsh; though at times
 there may be profuse perspiration of an  acid charac-
 ter and of a sweetish taste.
  The  breath often possesses  the odor  of decaying
 fruit. Lobar pneumonia is not  infrequent, and very
 often consumption sets in.
  The special senses and  organs  become deranged.
 Vision may  become dim or disordered.  Cataract is
 not uncommon  and the  cornea sometimes  becomes
 clouded and opaque.   Taste and smell may become
 perverted or absent, and hearing is diminished or lost.
  Cramps, backache and muscular weakness are usual.
 Neuralgia, especially of the sciatic nerve, is common,
and sometimes partial paralysis occurs, of  a local
character,  and there may be spells of an apoplectic 
270         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

nature.   The skin may be  covered with pimples and
boils and ulcers often occur.  The heart shows signs
of organic disease.

                     The Urine.

  The urine of  diabetic patients is characteristic.  It
is pale, clear and opalescent,  and usually of a high
specific gravity,  from 1015° to  1060 ,  and  ferments
rapidly if kept in a warm  place.  When left exposed
it attracts flies and has a fruity odor.   When voided,
it usually irritates the  urinaryr  passages, causing a
burning sensation and annoying itching.
  The quantity of urine  passed in twenty-four hours
varies;  but the amount is usually greatly in  excess of
the normal; and whenever a person persistently voids
an unusual amount, diabetes  should  be  suspected.
During the course of  the disease  ten, twenty or thirty
or more pints of urine may be passed daily.
   Sugar, even in the  smallest quantity, is  not consid-
ered a normal  constituent of urine,  though after eat-
ing abundantly of sweets,  it may temporarily appear.
But its presence  under other circumstances  points to
diabetes.
   The  test for it is simple:  To a drachm of urine in a
test tube add ten drops of  solution of sulphate of cop-
per (blue stone), and half a drachm of solution of caus-
tic potash,  and then boil.  If  sugar is present the
whole  will  turn  red  or  dark browm, according to the
amount.
  Another simple test is  to add ordinary yeast to a
pint of  urine and place in a quart jar in a warm place
for twenty-four hours; if fermentation, manifested by
bubbles of gas, takes place, sugar is present.  Diabe-
tic urine when shaken becomes  very frothy and the
froth  remains  for some  time.   The actual amount of
sugar passed daily with the urine may vary from half
an ounce to two pounds,  and occasionally more.
  The  general  condition of diabetic persons is one of
progressive disability.  The countenance  looks  care-
worn and there is an irritability and peevishness of
disposition; vigor seems lost, sexual desires and power 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
271
are diminished, and  mental exertion is  distasteful.
There is usually  chilliness  of  the  surface  and fre-
quently  swelling  of  the ankles  and limbs.  Small
children suffering from diabetes present most pitiable
conditions.   They  become excessively pale and as-
sume a waxy appearance.  The  flow of urine becomes
almost constant, and the little  ones grow weak and
puny, and toward  the end of the trouble moan con-
stantly,  and show signs of distress.

  Diabetes is fatal in a large majority of cases, and
more dangerous to the young than to the old.   From
one to three years is the average duration of the dis-
ease, though it may prove  acute  in form and termi-
nate fatally in a few months;  and diabetic  persons
may have life prolonged for many years by judicious
treatment  and appropriate habits of living, or  by
such means a permanent cure may be affected even in
severe cases.
  Sometimes death comes on suddenly from blood poi-
soning or nervous prostration, or other complications.
Occasionally the sugar in the system seems to undergo
alcoholic fermentation and thus cause death.   Toward
the close of the disease, just before death, the sugar
may disappear from the  urine, albumen may be  pres-
ent in large quantities and diarrhoea  and exhaustion
set in.

  Treatment.—In all  cases  the  patient should be im-
pressed with the fact that his own actions will largely
decide the  outcome  of  the case.  He must exercise
self control and great watchfulness in his habits and
diet.  Indiscretions or forgetfulness may cause  fatal
results.   An equable temperature  is desirable; and the
surface  must not  be chilled.  The wearing of flannel
is imperative.   Regular  and systematic  exercise out
of doors is a necessity.   The mind must be kept quiet.
Anger must be controlled and all emotions suppressed.
Turkish baths are of great service.   It would be wis-
dom to secure a household vapor  bath and use it once
a week, and also take salt-water baths  every other
day, with brisk rubbings.  Sea  bathing is most bene-
ficial. 
272
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
             Diet for Diabetic Persons.
  Diet is  of the greatest  importance; but  changes
should not be made too abruptly.  All foods contain-
ing quantities of  starch or sugar should be discarded.

Prohibited  Articles:—Preparations of flour and starch,
      rice, potatoes,  beans, peas, lentils, buckwheat,
      oatmeal, Indian corn,  barley,  rye,  chestnuts,
      grapes, pears,  peaches, apricots,  plums,  figs,
      bananas, apples, prunes, cherries, berries, beets,
      tomatoes, asparagus, onions,  radishes, melons.
      alcoholic liquors of all kinds.

Allowable  Articles:—Meats of  all kinds except liver,
      poultry  and  game,  fish and  oysters and  shell
      fish of  all kinds, eggs, cheese, butter,  broths,
      cabbage, cauliflower, water-cress, kale, spinach,
      lettuce,  broccoli,  celerjr,  kohl-rabbi,  sprouts,
      plain chocolate, mineral waters,  buttermilk, tea
      and coffee, unsweetened. .

  Some persons  may use skimmed  milk, but in most
cases it is  unadvisable, and  should be allowed only
when there is especial desire  for it  and repeated ex-
aminations  of the urine show that it does not increase
the amount of  sugar.  Almond  biscuits, gluten bread
or ordinary bran rusks may be substituted for bread.
Sea moss is a most excellent delicacy.  Occasionally
turnips, carrots and parsnips may  be used in limited
quantities.   Care must  alwTays  be  taken to  give as
much variety as is consistent with the classes of  foods
permissible.  Fats are  most useful, and  fresh raw
meat chopped  up with cabbage, salt, pepper and cel-
ery salt will be greatly relished.
  An exclusive  diet  of  fats,  meats  and eggs will
greatly aid the disappearance  of sugar in the urine,
but  such a  diet cannot be continued any length", of
time without causing other derangements dangerous
to life.  Water must be allowed in large quantities; as
its prohibition may cause death.
  Medication must be directed toward keeping the skin
moist and  warm,  correcting unnatural  conditions of
the stomach and keeping the bowels regular.  Infu- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
273
sions are best, and always without sweetening; pleurisy
root and ginger will serve to regulate the skin; it may
be taken freely.  Senna is  excellent for securing free
action of the bowels,  though the liver pills will  be
found useful.
  As a tonic and digestive use tartrate of iron and po-
tassa and citric acid, each  one dram, in water, seven
ounces, and  glycerine, one ounce; dose, a teaspoonful
in water before each meal.
  Saccharine is used by many as a sweetening, but its
use for any length of time is not endured by the stom-
ach, and some cannot tolerate it all.
  Occasionally patients will be unable to subsist upon
the proper foods,  when a mixed diet will be found im-
perative.  It is far better to allow  an encroachment
upon forbidden articles of food  than to cause distress
and debility by rigid adherence to a diet theoretically
most suitable.  The facts  must be known, and then
judgment, common sense and self control must be ex-
ercised.
                  DIARRHOEA.
             Looseness of the Bowels.
  This is a summer difficulty and  is usually caused by
indigestion, over-eating, drinking too much ice-water,
eating unripe or unsound fruit,  or vegetables which
disagree with the stomach,  or sudden chilling  of the
surface, driving the secretions and circulation inw7ard.

  Symptoms.—These are frequent and  thin discharges
from the bowels unaccompanied by straining or pain,
except such as is of a colicky character.  If the diar-
rhoea is caused by derangement of the liver,  as is fre-
quently the case,  the tongue will be coated, and the
discharges clay-colored when  bile  is  deficient,  or
greenish-yellow when the liver is relaxed.  Occasion-
ally there will be great weakness with diarrhoea, but
fever and general disturbances of the system are not
marked.  It usually lasts three or four days, but if ne-
glected, it may run into dysentery or some other seri-
ous form of bowel  difficulty. 
274         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE,
  Treatment.—If the bowels contain undigested or acrid
materials, they should be  evacuated by giving a dose
of castor oil or milk of magnesia.   After this use neu-
tralizing cordial  in teaspoonful  doses  every  three
hours and rub a mildly stimulating liniment  over the
abdomen.   If  there is much weakness and the stools
are very frequent, give a strong infusion of scullcap,
bayberry  and ginger.  If  the  character of  the dis-
charges show  a deficiency of bile, give the liver pills,
and if the discharges are  offensive add a  very little
tincture of myrrh to the neutralizing cordial or infu-
sion.  Allow only moderately  cool drinks  and  an ex-
tremely light diet.  The  thickened  milk or malted
milk are excellent.   Keep  the  patient off the feet, in
the bed is best; and always provide plenty of fresh air.

  Chronic Diarrhoea is  an obstinate difficulty, and
the liver is usually at fault and the tone of the bowrels
diminished.   Use after each meal a teaspoonful of
fluid extract scullcap, one ounce; cascara,  one-half
ounce, in  four ounces of syrup of wild  cherry bark.
Frequently drink an infusion of composition powder
and use the stimulating  liniment  over the abdomen.
Avoid unwholesome and harsh foods and drink only
pure water, leaving alcoholic liquors alone and avoid-
ing excesses of all kinds.
            DIAPHRAGM DISEASES.

         Diaphragmitis.  Singultus. Rupture.
  The diaphram is a muscular and tendinous structure
dividing the thorax from the abdominal cavity.  It is
lined above and below with  serous membrane which
may become inflamed along with  the pleura or perito-
neum or pericardium, constituting diaphragmitis, or in-
flammation of  the  diaphragm.  The symptoms are
hiccough, yawning, difficulty of taking a deep breath,
pain in the shoulders, difficulty of breathing, etc.  In
nearly all cases diaphragmitis  is  associated with
either inflammation of the pleura, pericardium or peri-
toneum, and must  be treated accordingly.  See arti-
cles on Pleurisy, Heart Diseases and Peritonitis. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          -<0

  Singultus is the technical name for hiccough, which
is a spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm.  See the
article on Hiccough.
  Ruptures and perforations of the diaphragm may oc-
cur.  The former as a result of violent and heavy lift-
ing or from  concussions; the latter as a result of
suppuration in the lungs or liver or other structures.
These are serious conditions and are considered else-
where.
  Dilatations.—The arteries, veins, bronchi and heart
and other organs may become dilated  from various
causes.  These are mentioned in the articles consider-
ing diseases of the various organs.  See also Bronchi-
ectasis.
                  DIPHTHERIA.

         Putrid or Malignant Sore Throat.
  This is probably the most treacherous and danger-
ous of all infectious diseases.   Its chief characteristic
is the formation of a highly poisonous false membrane
in the throat, accompanied by constitutional disturb-
ances and evidences of blood-poisoning  from absorp-
tion.  It may occur at any season of the year, though
most prevalent during the fall and winter months.  In
some sections, especially in northern cities with severe
climate, the  disease  is  likely to occur  extensively
every winter; and in almost any locality it may break
out in epidemic  form.  High latitudes,  where the air
is dry and the temperature comparatively even, are
least liable to outbreaks.
  Certain influences are favorable to the development
of diphtheria, such as unhygienic surroundings, damp-
ness, poor ventilation, sewer gas, improper diet or in-
sufficient or unwholesome food.  The disease  has fre-
quently been conveyed by contaminated milk.   Chil-
dren under ten years of  age  are most liable, though
adults may  be attacked.   Those  whose constitutions
are enfeebled or who are debilitated from measles,
scarlet fever, croup and  other diseases are prone to 
276         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
succumb to diphtheria.   One attack does not give im-
munity against the disease.
  Diphtheria is highly contagious,  though  its actual
contagion lies in the decomposing membrane.  Inhal-
ation of  the  breath of  diphtheritic persons or other
methods of allowing the germs of the disease to en-
ter the mouth or circulation will prove  disastrous.
Merely entering the room of diphtheria  patients will
not contaminate the clothing, but being  close to them
causes liability of germs  from the membrane being
coughed upon one.  In  like manner bed clothing and
other articles may become contaminated.
  When  diphtheria is  suspected, in  fact  whenever
there is  sore throat with fever, the patient should be
isolated until the malady is certainly determined.  In
cases of diphtheria every precaution must be taken
against infection of others.  It must be determined at
once who shall be the attendants, and no others should
be admitted.  The patient should be placed in a room
capable of being evenly heated and wTell  ventilated,
and as remote as possible from  the family living
rooms, and where there is no dampness and where dis-
turbing influences will not be annoying.
  Bed clothing should be changed often and never
mingled  with that of others  or carried through living
rooms.   Dishes,  spoons,  etc.,  used  by the  patient
should be washed  separately and no one else allowed
to  use  them.  Disinfectants  should be  freely em-
ployed—Piatt's chlorides  diluted with  water can be
relied upon.   Saturate  cloths  with this solution and
hang them about the  room; also  use it  in vessels for
all discharges.  Let there be thorough cleanliness and
perfect ventilation; but never  allow the room to be-
come chilly—a temperature of 70° should be main-
tained.   An open grate fire affords an excellent means
of ventilation.  Rags and papers used  about the  pa-
tient should  be  burned, and also as many of the arti-
cles of clothing or bedding as possible.

  Symptoms.—These in  man}" respects  are variable,
and according to the grade of the  disease.  In mild
cases there is at first a distinct chill followed by fever-
ishness and frequent pulse, and  general prostration, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         277
 out of all proportion  to  the  apparent disturbance.
 There will be headache, occasionally  nausea or vom-
 iting and difficulty in swallowing, especially liquids.
 There  is usually  stiffness and soreness of the neck,
 sometimes complained  of before  any other symptom.
 The tongue becomes furred and white and  the tonsils
 swollen and dark  red.  In twTo or three days there will
 be seen upon  the  tonsils  or fauces small white spots
 or patches, which are firmly adherent, and appear as
 pieces  of parchment attached to the mucous mem-
 brane.   They constitute the false membrane of diph-
 theria, turn yellow or gray and gradually loosen and
 are expelled in from  five to ten days, leaving the sur-
 face tender and the patient extremely weak.
  The severe  or infective  form of diphtheria usually
 commences in the same way as the mild form; but the
 false membrane extends rapidly, looks ashy and  may
 cover the tonsils  and soft  palate and  extend  down-
 ward into the larynx,  trochea and bronchi, and  up-
 ward into the nasal passages, and occasionally about
 the genitals  or upon previous wounds of  the  skin.
 The lymphatic glands  of  the  neck, especially those
 under the angle of the jaw, become hard and enlarged
 and may possibly  suppurate.
  Fever  is not always present at the  commencement
 of the attack, and as a  rule as the case progresses the
 temperature is normal or even slightly below.  Some-
 times the pulse is frequent and small;  occasionally it
 may be less than sixty a minute.   The strength fails
 rapidly, the countenance looks  pale or dusky and anx-
 ious, and the lips bluish.  There is a lack of appetite,
 usually noticed from the beginning of the attack.
  Bleeding from the nose may occur  in severe cases
 and the breath becomes offensive and the voice husky.
 If the  membrane extends down  into  the  wind-pipe
 there will be  coughing and difficulty  of  breathing.
 Such cases often prove fatal about the tenth day;
sometimes sooner  and sometimes  later, and  possibly
they may linger for:three or four weeks.   Vigorous
treatment, commenced early and  persistently carried
out may aid recovery.
  Occasionally a  rash or eruption may make its ap- 
278
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
pearance over the body during the first week, and con-
tinue for a day or two.
  Sometimes the disease develops so insidiously that,
beyond  great prostration and extreme drowsiness, it
is not realized till beyond aid.  Drowsiness is a com-
mon symptom in nearly all cases, although the mind
is clear  during wakefulness.
  Sometimes death occurs very suddenly from blood
clot in the heart.   Or paratysis of the heart may oc-
cur and  death be instantaneous during some extra ex-
ertion.   This may  happen during the course of the
disease  or after convalescence is established.
  Maligtuott diphtheria is a form of the malady usually
fatal  within three or  four  days  and  occasionally
within twenty-four hours after its development.
  There may be scarcely any local symptoms, but the
prostration  is great.   Usually malignant cases  are
characterized by a very dark throat and  rapid devel-
opment  of the membrane, which appears gangrenous
and becomes frightfully offensive.
  Various degrees of  paralysis will frequently be the
result of severe cases of diphtheria.  The lower limbs
are mostly  affected;  though any set of muscles may
be  involved.  The  difficulty most  commonly com-
mences  one or two weeks after the membrane has dis-
appeared, though it may occur earlier or  later.
  Unless paralysis involves both the upper and lower
portions of the body  it is rarely fatal. Though when
the heart is involved and there is frequent fainting,
difficult breathing and weak and irregular pulse, death
usually  follows.
  A few special  symptoms  may manifest themselves
during the course of the disease.  Vision and hearing
may be  interfered  with  and  the sense of  smell com-
pletely  lost. The  muscles of the  face  may be par-
alyzed early and  give a frightful  countenance.  The
bowels and  bladder may be affected,  and all natural
evacuations cease for awiiile.  Again, diarrhoea may
occur.   The organs of speech may be  also affected.
  It is not always an  easy thing to diagnose diphthe-
ria—tonsillitis  being  often mistaken  for it.  Prostra-
tion and drowsiness from the start, a dark red throat
and unevenly swollen tonsils and the  appearance of a 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
279
membranous patch (single or multiple), tenacious in
character, and swollen glands of the neck constitute
sufficient evidence of  diphtheria.

  Treatment—la. mild cases nourishing diet, perfect
quiet, a stimulating application about the throat and a
gargle of borax and  tincture of myrrh in water and
small doses of infusion of composition will usually
suffice.  For infective diphtheria, the treatment can-
not be too vigorous or persistent.  Internally  admin-
ister composition, goldenseal and scullcap, each one-
half ounce in a pint of boiling water, steep and strain
and  add one-half teaspoonful of tincture of  myrrh;
dose, two teaspoonfuls every hour.
  As a spray use a mixture  of  peroxide of hydrogen
and water, each one ounce; fluid extract of goldenseal
and tincture of myrrh, each  one drachm.  Spray the
throat thoroughly every hour  with this,  having the
patient spit out loosened  material.  It is  imperative
that this treatment be administered every hour,  night
and  day, awakening the patient if necessary.  It is
laborious, but is necessary.  Sleep may appear more
beneficial than  medicine  in some  diseases,  but  in
diphtheria as long as the membrane  exists its pres-
ence  is dangerous to life, and  unless  antiseptics are
constantly applied and the system sustained, the poi-
son will be absorbed and death follow.  It may require
two persons to administer the treatment in small chil-
dren—one to hold the child firmly, for struggling is ex-
hausting.  Let the treatment  be  given  quickly and
the patient, even though awakened from sleep, will
soon get to sleep again.
  Should prostration increase or  the breath  grow
offensive, and the membrane look ashy and the tissues
around it grow dark, add a small amount of capsicum
to the infusion and in the spray use compound tincture
of myrrh instead of simple tincture.   Equal parts of
powdered  borax and sulphur may be blown into the
throat every third or fourth hour instead of the  spray
solution, or in  severe cases it  may be blown into the
throat every hour  immediately after using the spray.
  Should the membrane extend into the larynx and
threaten suffocation, an emetic must be given at once. 
280         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
A teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of mus-
tard and ten  drops of third preparation of lobelia
(see formulas) in a cup of luke-warm  water will  usu-
ally produce emesis.  In this connection it  may be
stated that all cases of diphtheria  will  be  greatly
benefited by the  administration  in  the  outset of a
stimulating emetic as directed under Emetics.   (See
Formulas.)
  Should the extremities grow cold, use the infusion
every half  hour or every fifteen minutes, till chilliness
passes away and place hot irons to the feet.
  After the membrane has disappeared the spray need
not be used more than every  four to six hours, and af-
ter a few  days not at all, and the  infusion may be
given every two hours,  gradually lengthening the in-
tervals and allowing the patient to sleep without dis-
turbance only  after the throat is absolutely clear.
The membrane is likely to reappear  two or three or
more times before convalescence is established. Each
time it must be vigorously treated.
  In all cases the diet must  be extremely light  and
nourishing.   While the membrane  exists there will be
little appetite.   Malted milk or pure  fresh milk  will
be found  palatable,  oat meal  crackers,  gruels  and
broths are  beneficial.  Oranges and pineapples, the
harsh parts extracted, are good; lemonade is  also an
acceptable drink; egg-nog (without alcohol)  may be
given after the worst symptoms have abated.  Pepsin
or pancreatin will be found useful in aiding digestion.
  Nourishment is an important factor  in the treatment
of diphtheria,  and when it  cannot be swallowed it
must be administered by  injections  to the rectum.
Cold drinks must be absolutely prohibited; they have
a tendency to produce local  congestion in the throat.
  Paralysis, when it appears, should be treated by ex-
ternal  applications  of the stimulating liniment  and
using frequently the tonic  infusion mentioned.  Rub-
bing the liniment  over the spine  during  the  disease
may ward off attacks of  paralysis.
  The bowels are usually constipated, and should be
moved by injections.  Cathartics  are not advisable.
Should diarrhoea occur, the syrup  of wild cherry will
be found useful. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
281
  Lime water should be kept on  hand to use in the
milk if there is any tendency to sourness of the stom-
ach.
  The room occupied by a diphtheria patient should
be thoroughly fumigated before others are admitted.
Burning of two pounds of sulphur in the form of sul-
phur candles is best.  The patient should be  thor-
oughly bathed with borax water and clothed with
clean and disinfected clothing before  mingling with
others.

  Antitoxine.—During the last few  years the treat-
ment of diphtheria by antitoxine has gained consider
able notoriety.  Its character and effects when fully
known by the people will place it where it properly
belongs as one of  the most dangerous  and worthless
medical humbugs  of the age.
  Antitoxine is a highly poisonous substance prepared
by taking a portion of the virulent  membrane from a
diphtheria patient's throat  and placing in boullion at
the temperature of the human body for cultivation
until it has reached its  greatest virulence.  It is then
injected into a horse, little  by little, until the animal
(if he does not die) becomes thoroughly saturated with
the poison—agonizing to himself, horrible to look upon
and dangerous to  handle.  He is  then  in  a condition
to furnish to the medical profession the precious fluid
which shall aid them in procuring money and fame at
the expense of the lives of  human beings.
  The horse, after reaching that condition which hov-
ers between life and death, is bled for the benefit of
humanity, that is  for the  financial  benefit of a small
portion of humanity included in  the medical profes-
sion.  The highly poisonous serum,  or  watery portion
of the  blood, is preserved in carbolic acid  solution
ready for injection into the  bodies of little children at
the nominal price of ten or twenty dollars per injec-
tion.  The method of operation and its purposes was
well described by  a Chicago physician,  as follows:
  "Well, I had an opportunity to try antitoxine lately.
The patient was a little girl, eight years old.   I  sent
for  Dr. Blank to help me;  for you know  if I did the
work myself, I couldn't charge them $20, and besides,  I 
282
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
wanted the cash.   He and  I  divided  the fee.  Then
there is another advantage in having a stranger sent
for—it gives more  importance to the operation, and
the parents think there  is something wonderful  and
dangerous  about  it to require such precautions.   To
make a long story short, we covered  the  dining-room
table with a  double  blanket and then "covered that
with a clean sheet, and  with an atomizer sprayed it
thoroughly with corrosive  sublimate solution.  We
then had the child  stripped of all clothing and  laid
face dowm  upon  the  table.   Yes, she struggled  val-
iantly, sick and small as she was, to stop us, but I held
her down while Dr. Blank  performed the operation.
He rubbed  a spot on the thigh and  one  between the
shoulder blades till the skin almost wore off, and then
wTet them with the corrosive sublimate  solution and
injected the antitoxine serum with a hypodermic syr-
inge.  Say; do you know, I really felt sorry for the lit-
tle  child.   It  used her  strength up terribly.  But  I
could hardly  keep from laughing at  the blind faith
those parents had in  it all.  And the way in which the
father handed out the £20 made me make up my mind
that hereafter I'm  going  to recommend antitoxine
every time."
   Such are the words of a practicing physician in Chi-
cago,  spoken  to the author  of this book.  The child
died, but the parents had the satisfaction of "doing
all in their power."
   Let a grown man in perfect health submit to the in-
jection into his circulation  of  the  serum  of a  sick
 horse diseased by diphtheria poison and we would ex-
 pect serious  results.  What can be  expected  when
 helpless and almost  dying  children are compelled to
 submit to  the operation?
   Its most earnest advocates admit that it is valueless
 if  administered  after the  third  day of the attack.
 How many cases of diphtheria ever come into the phy-
 sician's hands before the third day?  Very few.   Re-
 ports are sent to the medical journals from every sec-
 tion of deaths directly ascribable to antitoxine.
   Dr.  Winter, of the Willard Parker Hospital, New
 York City, when antitoxine  was extensively experi-
 mented with upon  suffering children, condemns it  as 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
283
useless and  dangerous.   The Medical Brief,  of  *t.
Louis, the most widely circulated medical journal in
the world, denounces antitoxine as a dangerous med-
ical humbug, and is doing all in its power to stop
such horrible practices by the medical profession tor
mercenary motives.   See volumes of the Medical Brief
for 1895-1896.                                  , .
  It may be thought that there must be some  good in
it  or so many  physicians would  not recommend it.
Mercenary motives actuate most of its advocates, and
the rest are blind followers of fads.   Not long since
Dr. Brown-Sequard proposed  to rejuvmate old men by
injecting into their circulation the vital fluid of guinea
pigs.  It seems incredible, but it  is a fact, that many
thousands submitted to the foolish  operation,  and
many leading members of the  medical profession arose
to prominence  by advocating its  use  and performing
the operation for a good fat fee.
   We may now laugh at the  credulity of persons led
to believe in such an absurdity, which swept over the
country.  But it is far from a laughable matter when
distracted parents  are urged  and almost forced to
submit their dying  children to mercenary physicians,
willing to inject into them the filthy and virulent poi-
son from a diseased horse's blood, that they may earn
their fee and have the satisfaction of "doing all that
could be done."  Better far  that children should lie
unattended  and be  left to the mercy of Nature, than
to be tortured and  poisoned  when life  is hanging  m
the balance.   Woe to them who attain riches and no-
toriety through the tortures and lives of  the  inno-
cents!
Diplopia.—Double Vision.See Eye Diseases.
                 DIPSOMANIA.
        Insane Desire for Alcoholic Liquors.
  Some  persons addicted  to the use of alcoholic  liq-
uors seem to acquire morbid conditions closely allied
to insanity.   Their  spells of  drunkenness  come  on 
284
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
spasmodically, and they seem to be absolutely unable
to resist them.  Often being  abstemious for months
and  then deliberately intoxicating themselves in a
most  reckless and insane manner.  A paroxysm of
drunkenness  having passed they  deport themselves
naturally till the next  spell.  They  should  be re-
garded as insane.  General treatment should be pur-
sued as for Alcoholism.
  Dislocations.—These  are  fully considered in the
special section on Fractures and Dislocations.

  Displacements.—The  various organs of the body
are liable to become displaced through accident or
disease.  These are considered  in the articles on dis-
eases of the Bladder, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Womb, etc.

  Distoma Hepaticum.—Liver Fluke.—This is a small
worm often found in livers of sheep, and occasionally
in the bile ducts or gall bladder of human beings.
             DISSECTION WOUNDS.

         Blood Poisoning from  Dead Bodies.
  The poison from dead bodies of persons or animals
who died of disease may be  absorbed by healthy per-
sons and cause most serious cossequences.  Such acci-
dents mostly occur to persons dissecting carelessly or
otherwise cutting themselves  during  the operation.
But the poison may  enter through the hair  follicles
when there is no abrasion of the skin.  Bodies of per-
sons who have died from peritonitis, typhoid fever or
erysipelas should be  handled with the greatest care.

  Symptoms.-—(1.)   There may be slight fever and heat.
redness and swelling of the limb affected, while the
general system is unaffected.
  (2.)   There may be great  swelling of the  limb  af-
fected and abscess there or elsewhere.
  (3.)   There may be  sudden development of symptoms
of blood poisoning, rapidly terminating fatally. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          285

  The spot where the poison has been absorbed looks
angry and a pustule or scab is formed.  Running up
the limb is seen a red streak, the line of the lymphat-
ics extending to the glands.  The glands themselves
become enlarged and suppurate and abscesses firm
around them.  Within twenty-four hours there will be
chills followed by fever, and the patient soon becomes
very anxious and prostrated, possibly delirious, and
collapse before death.

  Treatment.—If  noticed  in time, tightly grasp  the
limb above the wound so as to prevent, if possible, the
poisoned blood flowing through the  veins,  suck the
wound or cauterize it.   Allow blood to flow for a time
and then direct a flow  of cold water over the spot.
Externally apply compound tincture of  myrrh with
fluid extract of hydrastis  added and  bandage.  In-
ternally drink abundantly an infusion of  composition
and  scullcap  containing a little myrrh. Keep  the
bowels open, give an abundance of fresh  air, provide
most nourishing food, give  rest to the limb, open ab-
scesses as they appear,  allow  frequent salt water
baths.  Avoid all excitement and mental worry; keep
the mind cheerful and  pleasantly occupied.   Do  not
allow alcoholic liquors of any kind, and under no cir-
cumstances  should, opiates or narcotics  be  adminis-
tered.
Divers' Paralysis.—See article on Caisson Disease.
                    DROPSY.
      Anasarca.  Ascites.  Hydrocephalus, Etc.
  All tissues of the body are  kept moist by the pres-
ence of fluid in their  interstices.  Under various cir-
cumstances, caused by local  or general diseases, the
amount of fluid in the interstices or in the cavities of
the body may become greatly in excess of the normal;
the excess being furnished by the transudation of the
serum of the blood through the walls of the blood-ves-
sels.  This condition may be brought about by: 
286         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
 _ Over distention of the blood-vessels, caused by altera-
tions  of  the vessels themselves,  or diseases of the
heart, or obstructions to the flow of blood.
 _ Diseases of the liver, kidneys or lungs interfering with
circulation.
  Alterations of the  blood caused by diseases, such as
urea in the blood; or poisons in the blood from mala-
ria, etc., or impoverishment from consumption, scurvy,
cancer and other low forms of disease.
  Exposures  to wet or cold, driving the blood inward
and over-burdening the kidneys, and causing conges-
tion.  The seat of  dropsy varies according to the
cause.

  Anasarca is the term given to general dropsy.
  Ascites is  dropsy of the peritoneal  cavity,  com-
monly known as abdominal dropsy.
  Oedema  is local dropsy, such  as  ordinary swell-
ings.
  Hydrocephalus is dropsy of the brain, also known
as Water on the Brain.
  There  are  other  forms of dropsy, each named ac-
cording to locality.

  Symptoms.—The swelling or  puffiness, pale skin and
doughy feeling are readily recognized;  but as the
cause of the difficulty and the real seat of disease
must be known it becomes necessary to recognize pe-
culiarities  of  the symptoms.   Dropsy from lung or
heart disease begins about the ankles and extends up-
ward, and develops  very  slowlyr, and  there are  signs
of congestion, the veins and venous capillaries  look-
ing blue and the skin usually giazed and tense.
  Dropsy from disease of the   kidneys usually  com
mences as puffiness about the eyes and of the hands,
and may extend rapidly, often  in  acute cases causing
enormous swelling  of the face in a few  hours.  In
chronic cases, it extends  over the body, the skin ap-
pearing pasty and dull wiiite, tinged with lemon.
  Dropsy from  disease of the  liver commences in the
stomach and may from there extend to the limbs.  It
progresses very slowly. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          287
  Dropsy of one  limb or in some special locality
points to local obstruction.
  Dropsy from anaemia or impoverished blood is never
extensive, usually confined to puffiness about the eyes
and ankles.  It comes and goes.   Usually disappear-
ing from the feet during the night and being  promi-
nent about the eyelids in the morning.
  In all cases  of  dropsy the secretions  of  the body
are deficient.  The bowels  are  constipated and the
urine diminished in quantity.  There  is a feeling of
uneasiness and a  sense of fullness  in the parts af-
fected.  Pressing  the swollen part with the  finger
leaves a depression which fills  out very slowly.
Thirst is of ten very urgent and the skin dry; perspi-
ration entirely absent.

  Treatment.—The  organ  affected  which is the real
cause  of the difficulty, must be appropriately treated.
But in all cases outward circulation must be promoted
and the strength  maintained and  the bowels  kept
open.   Turkish or vapor baths should  be employed at
least once a week.   An infusion of equal parts of com-
position, goldenseal and peach leaves should be used
freely every three hours.  Compound butternut syrup
(see formulas) is the best laxitive for the bowels.  On-
ions are most valuable additions to diet, which  must
be of  a stimulating and highly nourishing character.
  Drop-Wrist.—This  is a species of paralysis caused
chiefly by metallic poisoning of those who handle lead
paints or  other  metallic  preparations.  The hands
drop at the wrist joints and are almost useless.  Hy-
gienic surroundings, change of occupations and elec-
trical treatments offer the only hope of relief.
  Drug Rashes.—These are rarely more than inflam-
matory conditions of the skin;  although they  some-
times assume very severe conditions and may possibly
endanger life.  It is always important to distinguish
them from various eruptive diseases.  The drugs most
liable to cause rashes are belladonna, ergot, mercury,
quinine and copaiba. 
288
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Drunkenness.—It is  important at times to distin-
guish drunkenness from  apoplexy.  Serious mistakes
have been frequently made in this regard.   It is very
rarely that a drunken  person cannot be  partially
aroused and  forced to mutter a few words.  In apo-
plexy partial paralysis  or  relaxation of  one side is
usually apparent.  See the article on Alcoholism.

  Dumb Ague.—Described in the article on Ague.

  Duodenitis.—This is  an  inflammation  of the por-
tion of the intestines  known as the duodenum.  It is
also known as intestinal catarrh.  Described in the
article on Inflammation of the Bowels.
                  DYSENTERY.

           Bloody Flux.  Camp Diarrhoea.
  This malady is essentially an inflammation of the
large intestines and rectum, much more severe in char-
acter than diarrhoea and more exhaustive in its effects.
It is most common in the  latter  part of summer or
fall; and it may be epidemic in character,  especially
in newly settled  countries  or in swampy  localities.
When it becomes  epidemic in crowded localities, such
as camps and mining districts or densely populated
neighborhoods, it may  be attended with great mor-
tality.

  Mild  Cases.—Frequent,  small and  painful  pas-
sages from the bowels, accompanied by great straining
(tenesmus) and offensive  fasces mingled with  slimy
mucus, usually streaked with blood, are characteristic
of dysentery.  In most cases there  will be more or
less  fever, the cheeks looking flushed and feeling hot,
the  tongue  will  be coated and there  will be  great
prostration, loss  of appetite and sleeplessness  and
restlessness at night.
  As a  rule the  abdomen  is swollen,  and  there is a
continuous desire to evacuate the bowels and a feeling
as if some solid  substance  were in the rectum that
should be expelled.  The number of small evacuations 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          289
from the bowels may be ten or fifteen  or more every
hour.  Such a condition  is very exhausting and the
patient loses flesh rapidly.  In otherwise healthy per-
sons, under favorable circumstances, a  simple case of
dysentery, as described above, may subside within a
week, especially if proper  treatment and good  care
are given.

  Severe  Cases.—Under unfavorable  circumstances
the disease assumes a more  serious form.  Fever con-
tinues, accompanied by great thirst, and a typhoid
condition becomes apparent.  The  tongue is red and
pointed and glassy looking, the abdomen falls inward,
straining at stool ceases and  the muscles of the anus
may be so greatly relaxed as to make the inner walls
of the rectum  visible.  The  evacuations from the
bowels are like water mixed with blood, and the urine
is hot or almost suppressed.   The pulse become small
and frequent and the breathing very hurried; there is
great emaciation and a  "ghost-like" countenance, and
death may quickly follow.  In nearly all severe cases
of dysentery perfect consciousness remains until the
last  moment.  Under proper treatment these severe
cases may recover, though convalescence will be slow,
on account of the destruction of intestinal glands.

  Chronic Dysentery.—Feeble or aged or intemper-
ate persons, or those with constitutional  diseases, when
attacked by dysentery, are liable to develop the chronic
form, which may linger  for a  long  time, and  then
cause death by  exhaustion.  In these  cases there is
little pain or fever, but there is great  weakness and
emaciation.   The acrid  discharges cause  irritation
and ulceration in the rectum and about the anus, and
the least  movement or exposure  to cold may cause
great distress.  The tongue becomes red and raw, and
blood may be present in the mouth and the breath be-
comes offensive.  Often, just  before death, the limbs
become swollen, the  eyes sunken  and  the mouth and
throat and conjunctiva ulcerated.

  Chances  of recovery from dysentery vary according
to the different forms.  Mild cases almost invariably
recover, but are liable to recur on account of damage
     19 
290         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

done to the large intestines.  Severe cases, as a rule,
yield to treatment, while seventy-five per cent is the
proportion of deaths in chronic cases.  Dysentery is
a disease which is greatly aggravated by neglect, and
the longer proper treatment is delayed the more diffi-
cult will recovery become.

  Treatment.— Absolute  quietude  and rest in a recum-
bent position are indispensable for recovery from even
mildest cases.  Flannels wrung out of hot water may
be  placed over the abdomen and frequently renewed,
or stimulating liniment may be applied.
  When the  diarrhoea  first  starts with the straining
sensations, milk of magnesia should be  freely given;
or  injections of  elm-water  containing some  soothing
nervine.  If there is feverishness give a weak infusion
of lady-slipper and pleurisy root.
  Always advise and insist upon as few passages from
the bowels as possible.   It may seem, from the strain-
ing sensations, that going to stool is imperative; but
determination and a recumbent position  may delay
evacuation a long time.  When there is great distress
at stool, sitting on a bed-vessel containing  steaming
hot water will afford relief.
  In severe cases the extremities or the whole surface
may become  cold and require hot irons to the feet and
frequent  bathing of the  limbs and  body with simu-
lating  liniment, or the application  of  hot  flannels.
Stimulants and astringents should never be used dur-
ing the earlier stages of dysentery.
  After the worst symptoms have subsided, a gentle
tonic will be necessary.  An infusion of witch hazel
leaves, one  ounce,  and raspberry  leaves  one-half
ounce,  to a pint of  hot water  will  be  found  very
strengthening, and if the kidneys have been involved,
peach leaves, one-half  ounce, may be added.   Such an
infusion may be used four and five times a day.
   Nourishment during  dysentery must be very light,
such as malted milk, chicken  or mutton broth, thick-
ened milk, oyster liquor, etc.   Iced drinks and  alco-
holic liquors are dangerous.  Water containing a lit-
tle gum arabic will  keep the mouth moist, even when
taken in  teaspoonful doses. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
291
  Chronic dysentery is well treated by using  the  fol-
lowing prescription in addition to stimulating liniment.
frequently applied over the abdomen:

  Take fluid extract Hollyhock (Althea) . .two ounces.
      fluid extract  Wild Cherry bark. .one ounce.
      fluid extract  Wahoo.............one-half ounce.
       Mucilage of Gum Arabic........two ounces.
       Simple Syrup..................for eight  ounces.
  Mix.   Take a teaspoonful every three hours.

  During an epidemic of dysentery or in swampy or
unhealthy places during hot weather,  persons should
keep scrupulously clean, eat  a light  and nourishing
diet and avoid all excesses and resort  to quietude and
treatment as soon as symptoms of dysentery commence.
  Dysmenorrhoea.—Painful  Menstruation.—See the
section on Diseases of Women.
                  DYSPEPSIA.

           Indigestion. Gastric Catarrh.

  There are but few adults who have not experienced
dyspepsia in some form.   It is a  rapidly  increasing
difficulty in America, and one which may be spoken of
as fashionable among all classes.
  The causes of  dyspepsia are not always improper
diet.  In fact, those who are the most cautious in
their dietary often suffer  the most.  The  disorder is
essentially one dependent upon unnatural conditions
of the nervous system,  such  as nervous prostration or
nervous irritability brought about by over-tension or
worry.   Spermatorrhoea  and  nervous  debility  and
hysteria and hypochondria are also frequent causes of
dyspepsia.  In nearly all cases of dyspepsia the nerv-
ous system and not the stomach should  be  most care-
fully considered.  Over-study, book-keeping and  sed-
entary  pursuits  of all  kinds  will  usually, sooner or
later, bring on some form of  dyspepsia. 
292         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Symptoms.—As a rule attacks of  indigestion in dys-
peptics follow over-eating.  Usually there will be un-
easiness in the stomach, as though it wTere heavy and
full, and one or more of the following symptoms:  Bad
taste in the mouth and furred tongue, belchings, head-
ache, heartburn, dizziness, palpitation of the heart,
difficult or asthmatic breathing, accumulations of mu-
cus in the stomach, loss of appetite, bad dreams, etc.
Such symptoms belong  to  cases which are not con-
stant.

  Chronic Dyspepsia is of itself a disease depend-
ent upon alterations in the lining membranes of the
stomach, which are affected by continued nervous dis-
orders.   This difficulty develops slowly.   A few signs
of its approach may be mentioned:  Disturbed sleep,
desire to lie abed in the mornings, awyakening with a
dry throat and bad taste in the mouth, poor appetite
and general indisposition.
  The more pronounced  symptoms of advanced cases
are: Headache and mental dullness, heartburn,  heav-
iness of the stomach; flabby and furred tongue, pale-
ness of  the face, irregularity of the bowels, sediment
in the urine, cold feet, weak pulse and general  pros-
tration.
  In cases of long standing  there may  be hacking
cough,  intermittent fever,  palpitation, often severe,
great mental depression, hypochondria, etc.

  Treatment.—In cases  caused by  over-eating, a mild
emetic to empty the stomach is the best means of re-
lief.  The taking  of soda or magnesia, practiced by
some, is injurious.   After an emetic take a large dose
of neutralizing cordial, and for several days eat very
lightly.  Those who cannot take  an  emetic may find
relief using pepsin in some form, but this should not be
continuously relied upon.
  Chronic and obstinate cases being primarily the re-
sult of nervous troubles, the true conditions must be
sought for and treated as mentioned  for  the various
affections, such as spermatorrhoea, hypochondria, hys-
teria, etc.  Fluid extracts of hops  and scullcap, each
one ounce, in six ounces  of syrup  of ginger, taken in
teaspoonful doses every two hours,  will be found  ex- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
293
cellent.   Another excellent tonic is composed of sali-
cin, two grains, and phosphate of hydrastia one grain,
taken in capsule before each meal; though this prep-
aration should not be taken when the tongue is dry or
the stomach irritable.  The compound gentian tonic
(see formulas) is excellent when there is a decided lack
of tone  to  the  system.  The bowels should be  kept
regular  by the  use  of mild laxatives,  but  harsh
cathartics should never be employed.
  Hygienic living is the most important part of the
treatment of dyspepsia.  If there is a lack of proper
exercise, let that be supplied at once, preferably in
the open air and sunshine.  If there is fatigue of mind
and body, rest must be secured.  In all cases an abun-
dance of time  must be given to  sleep in healthful
rooms.  It  is usually most beneficial to arrange for
traveling—a change of surroundings  being  of  great
value to the nervous system.
  Cheerfulness  is the foe  of dyspepsia.   Laugh  and
grow fat is an old adage of much truthfulness.  Good
companionship and contentment  are unequalled nerve
tonics.  Dyspeptics must learn to look upon the bright
side of life.  It is a difficult thing for them to do, but
their friends should aid them in this respect.
  The old idea of starving out the dyspepsia is a most
erroneous one.   As a rule dyspeptics should  eat more
than the usual amount of  food.   The  nerves  need ex-
tra nourishment in their impoverished condition. Such
articles of diet must be  eaten as agree best with the
individual.  In nearly all cases tea  and coffee, starchy
foods in excess and pastry  are  not beneficial;  while
rare meats, fruits and vegetables, cereal coffee and en-
tire wheat bread will be found most acceptable.  Milk
is also good, although fluids  should not be taken ex-
cessively where the digestive powers are feeble.  Al-
coholic liquors of all kinds should be avoided.
                  DYSPHAGIA.
               Difficult Swallowing.
  This is also called CEsophagismus,  and is a spas-
modic contraction of the oesophagus or  gullet which 
294         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
renders swallowing of food or liquids difficult, if not
impossible, at times.   It is a spasm of  the glottis,  or
a convulsion of the circular muscles of  the gullet and
is due to nervous conditions, of which it is a symptom.
Adult females are the usual sufferers.  Sexual derange-
ments  and stomach troubles  are often causes, and it
may also occur as a distressing complication of hydro-
phobia and lockjaw.   An attack usually  lasts but a few
minutes, though  occasionally it may continue almost
constantly for days,  seldom interfering  with  capacity
for receiving sufficient nourishment  during intervals.

  Treatment.—The real cause of  the nervous  disorder
must be sought out and treated appropriately. During
an attack, if  severe, put the feet in hot water, rub
stimulating liniment  over  the stomach  and spine and
endeavor to use small doses of infusion  of lobelia and
turn the thoughts to  other subjects.  If such attacks
are frequent, constant use of cramp bark and scullcup
will  be found beneficial.  Dysphagia may be caused by
pressure or obstructions of  aneurisms, tumors, can-
cers, etc.,  or  by lesions resulting  from scalds or the
swallowing of acids, or irritating or corroding lesions.
Their treatment will be found elsewhere.
  Dyspnoea.—Difficult Breathing.—This is more often
a symptom of disease than a malady of itself.  It may
occur under  various  circumstances, such as choking,
oedema  or swelling  of  the  glottis,  heart troubles,
asthma,  pneumonia,  bronchitis, aneurism, laryngitis,
paralysis, etc.  It is  spoken of in the articles upon
these subjects.
                    DYSURIA.

                 Difficult Urination.
  This is frequent in all  inflammations of the urinary
tract.  When the urine is passed most easily while in
the recumbent position, stone in the bladder should be
suspected, or else forward displacement of the womb,
or obstructions in the rectum.   When it becomes nee- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
295
essary to press upon the bladder to evacuate it, par-
alysis of the organ is apparent.  When it becomes
necessary to separate the limbs and lean forward, en-
largement of the prostate  gland is probable.  Great
straining at urination may mean inflammation of the
bladder (cystitis) or poisoning  from various drugs.
Dysuria is  more fully  considered  in connection with
the various diseases  with which it is associated, and
also in the section on  Diseases of the Generative Or-
gans.
               EAR SYMPTOMS.

        Observations in Relation  to Disease.
  Redness.—Ped and swollen ears may be due to erup-
tions and erysipelas.  Constant redness is usually  due
to abdominal disturbances, piles or menstrual irregu-
larities.  Transient  redness  may  precede  apoplexy,
bleeding of  the nose or delirium, or may be due to
mental emotions.  Intense redness is usually associated
with inflammation or congestion of the  head or ears.
In new born children it is a sign of premature birth.

  Heat.—The ears  become hot in all inflammations
about the head and  in laryngeal difficulties and some-
times during indigestion.

  Coldness.—During  nervous prostration  or when
there is loss of blood, or during chills or convulsions,
the  ears will be  cold.  Before hysterial attacks the
ears grow cold.   Anaemic persons and those  of feeble
constitutions habitually have cold ears.

  Swellings.—Scrofulous persons are subject to swell-
ing  of the ears.   The condition is  also  frequent dur-
ing  Bright's disease, and in low forms of blood poison-
ing.

  Discharges.—Pus may come from the ears as a re-
sult of inflammation of the membranes or of obscesses 
296
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
in the  ear.  In some cases abscess of the brain may
discharge through the ears; but other symptoms will
be  prominent.   Sometimes, from  chronic  inflamma-
tions, especially in scrofulous persons, the ear-wax
may become very thin and constitute an offensive dis-
charge.  Bloody  discharges,  following injuries, is usu-
ally an indication of fracture of the scull.   When not
following pronounced injury it may be caused by se-
vere coughing or straining or retching.  Concussions
of the atmosphere by  loud music or explosions or
shrieking in  the ear may likewise be  followed by a
slight flow of blood.  It is not uncommon for persons
of the hemorrhagic diathesis to have bloody discharges
from the  ears when they climb high mountains, where
the air is extremely rare.
  Earache.—This may be relieved by dropping in the
ear some warm tincture of lobelia or oil of lobelia.

  Ear Diseases and Injuries.—These are fully con-
sidered in the section on Diseases of the Eye and Ear.

  Ecchymois.—See article on Bruises.
                ECHINOCOCCUS.

                Dog's Tape Worm.
  This tape worm of the dog very much resembles the
ordinary tape worm (taenia solium) of human beings.
It has the same kind of a head, but only four segments,
and is rarely over half an inch in length, and usually
less.  The embryo  of this worm is  discharged from
the bowels and may  cling about  the  anus,  causing
itching, which the animal relieves  by licking,  thus
getting the embryo on the tongue.  It is easy to real-
ize how the embryo may be conveyed to children or
others who fondle  dogs and possibly allow them to
lick their  lips or eat out of their dishes.  The terrible
conditions brought about by this embryo becoming
fastened in  the human body and developing  there
should make all who are aware of the facts most care- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
297
ful in regard to their associations  with dogs.   The
Esquimaux are frequent  sufferers  from taenia echino-

" After the embryo reaches the human stomach it will
enter the intestines and  possibly be discharged with
the faeces; but it may be  conveyed into various tissues
of the body and  becoming  lodged, form  a cystic
tumor.   The liver is a favorite locality for this tumor,
which may become as large as a nutmeg-melon.
  The construction of the cyst is peculiar.  On the in-
ner surface of the cyst develop numerous other cysts
and upon their inner surfaces develop still other cysts.
These are respectively spoken of.as parent, daughter
and  grand-daughter cysts.   The  inability  to  com-
pletely evacuate them becomes apparent.
  If the cysts are on the liver they cause great ob-
struction and may press  against the stomach and dia-
phragm, and crowd the  lungs  and cause death.  Or
they may  suppurate, and should  then be treated as
abscess  of the liver.  Echinococcus may develop in
the muscles  or upon the  spleen or even the brain.  In
all cases they should be  regarded  as tumors.   The ad-
ministration of  remedies can be useful only to relieve
symptoms.  Surgical interference may be valuable in
some cases.
                   ECTHYMA.

           Large and Isolated Pustules.
  This is a skin difficulty arising directly from local
irritation,  such as  particles  of  lime  or caustic  or
sparks of hot  iron  falling  upon the skin,  and indi-
rectly from impure blood or impoverished conditions
of the system.

  Symptoms.—The skin becomes  red and swollen and
widely scattered pustules appear, about the size of a
pea.   Most frequently these are  on the neck, chest,
limbs or buttocks.  They contain yellow, purulent ma-
terial, often darkened by blood, and in a few days dry
up and leave a rough scab, which  usually falls  off
without leaving a scar.  During the  pustular  stage 
298
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
there may be fever and intolerable itching and sting-
ing pain.

  Treatment.—For the  blood  use the compound syrup
of yellow-dock (see formulas), and locally apply witch
hazel ointment.  If the pustules  degenerate and the
surrounding tissues become  dark or  purple,  paint
them with compound  tincture  of myrrh.  Keep the
bowels open with mild cathartics.
                    ECZEMA.

               Tetter.  Salt Rheum.
  These names have been applied to various forms of
an inflammatory condition  of the skin which may be
acute or chronic in its character, and may occur at any
age of  life.

  Symptoms.—Moist eczema, of the acute form, com-
mences with redness of the skin  and itching, and
within two  days  very small pimples form which be-
come filled with a clear  and yellow fluid.  In a week
or ten days these vesicles form into pustules which dry
up,  leaving brown crusts, often sticky about the edges,
and these may come away and  leave an itching red
spot covered with scales.   In some cases instead of
pustules being formed, the  pimples may dry up and
leave scales, or they may burst and leave little red
points  from  which fluid oozes.  In any of these  forms
acute eczema may last two or three weeks only, but
usually successive attacks follow one another, and the
acute form may become chronic,  having the same char-
acteristics.  Eczema presents very little evidence of
constitutional disturbance  beyond  slight chills and
usually constipation.

  Treatment.—The  bowels  must  be  regulated and
proper nourishment  and hygienic surroundings pro-
vided.   No stimulants or  alcoholic liquors should be
allowed.  Soap must  not  be used, but in its stead a
teaspoonful of borax in a bowi of water is best for
washing.  During the first stages use an ointment of 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
299
goldenseal  and borax rubbed in vaseline.   When the
crusts form, poultice the  parts with thin poultices of
flax-seed,  sprinkled over with  lobelia,  ginger and
goldenseal.  When the poultices are removed and the
crusts are gone, wTash the parts with distilled  extract
of witch hazel, alternated each  day with  a wash of
the colorless  fluid  hydrastis and  glycerine,  equal
parts.  Often when the surface itches and is hot an
ounce of powdered  oxide of zinc, mixed  with four
ounces of lycopodium, makes an excellent  powder to
dust over it.  Compound syrup of gentian (see formu-
las) is a most serviceable internal tonic.
           ELEPHANTIASIS ARABUM.

             Hypertrophy of the Skin.
  This is an enlargement of the skin, usually of one or
both lower  limbs, or of the external genitals; occa-
sionally  elephantiasis of the ear, nose  or  arms may
occur.  It may last  through life, though a few cases
have been  benefited by  treatment.  It usually  com-
mences as an erysipelatous inflammation of the skin
occurring in a  series of attacks,  with considerable
constitutional disturbance—fever, pain, etc.  Finally
the inflammation  subsides,  leaving  permanent swell-
ing.  The skin gradually becomes  enorn:ously thick-
ened,  sometimes  dark, smooth  and  glassy, occasion-
ally roughened.  The lymphatic glands  may enlarge,
suppurate and discharge.  Pain may be present, and
external sensibility may be almost entirely  lost.
  Treeitment.—Rest and  massage and frequent baths
are beneficial.  Bandages to compress  the limb are
often resorted to.   Internal administration  of sulphur
—in teaspoonful doses,  in glycerine—twice a day, is
the best medication.  Electricity may be employed to
advantage.

  Elephantiasis  Telangiectodes.—This condition
is almost identical with elephantiasis Arabum, only it
arises without inflammation and is usually.cong-enital.
  Also the muscles of the affected  limb may become
shrunken, and the skin  may enlarge and form flaps 
300         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

Its treatment is the same as given for elephantiasis
Arabum.
  Emaciation.—Loss of Flesh.—This is a symptom of
various diseases, and always denotes interference with
proper  nutrition.  It may  occur  from insufficient
blood, impure or poisoned blood or from nervous con-
ditions.  It is spoken of fully in the articles on the
various diseases in which it is a prominent symptom
                   EMBOLISM.

         Obstruction in the Blood Vesseis.

  This is an obstruction of a blood vessel, vein, artery
or capillary, by a solid  particle.  Clots of fibrin from
the heart valves  or inflamed  veins, or cancerous or
tuberculous materials,  are frequent causes of embo-
lism.   When formed by  septic  material, abscesses will
be formed.  Embolism may occur during the course of
disease, sometimes with fatal  results.  General treat-
ment consists in quiet and stimulation.   Special treat-
ment  must be in accordance with the locality and
probable diseased conditions present
                  EMPHYSEMA,

     Dilatation of the Air Vesicles  of the Lungs

  This is a strained  and dilated  condition of the air
vesicles of the lungs.   It is usually a disease of old
age, more frequent in men than women, and more lia-
ble to occur to those who are continuously' exposed to
circumstances favoring coughs and lung troubles. It
may be  concurrent  with enlargement of the heart,
aneurisms and tumors   Occasionally emphysema com-
mences in childhood and continues until old age

  Symptoms.—Difficulty of breathing and smothering
sensations.  Air  is  readily inhaled,  but it goes out 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT          301
 from the lungs very slowly, causing  an extraordinary
 fullness of the chest.   Patients  are short-winded and
 often think they have asthma; though in asthma there
 is difficulty of inhaling air, and in emphysema, of  ex-
 haling it.  Attacks may come on spasmodically. Pro-
 longed  cases  are  apt to cause hypertrophy of  the
 heart,  congestion  of  the head, causing livid  counte-
 nance, swelling of the hands and feet and  general
 dropsy.  An  absolute  cure can scarcely be expected
 except in mild cases, though fatal results are not  an-
 ticipated unless  other  forms of severe lung  troubles
 exist.

   Treatment.—Avoidance of all surroundings  and cir-
 cumstances having a tendency to produce bronchial
 irritation is of first importance.  There must be only
 moderate physical exertion, and  the  diet must  be
 light.  Associated lung troubles must be treated ap-
 propriately.  Probably the most efficient means of  re-
 lief for spasmodic  attacks will be the internal admin-
 istration of twro drops each of third  preparation of
 lobelia (see formulas) and fluid extract of broom weed
 (amphiachyrus).  An apparatus has  been constructed
 for emphysema patients whereby they are enabled to
 inhale  from a  vessel containing compressed  air, and
 exhale into a receptacle  partly  exhausted  of  air,
 which literally sucks out the air otherwise retained in
 the dilated vesicles.  This operation  may be repeated
 three or four  times a day,  using the  apparatus from
ten to thirty minutes each  time.  If  the  heart shows
symptoms of weakness it should be sustained by giv-
ing a grain each of capsicum and sulphate of hydras-
tia in capsule twice a day.
  Empyema.—Suppurative Pleurisy.—This is a form of
pleurisy also known as pyothorax, in which  there is
an exudation of pus and serum.  It is fully considered
in the article on Pleurisy.

  Encephalitis.—Inflammation of the Brain.—See arti-
cle on Brain Diseases. 
302
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
               ENCEPHALOCELE.

               Hernia of the Brain.

  Infants may be born with a protrusion through one
of the sutures of the skull of a portion of the mem-
branes of the brain containing brain substance.   This
is readily recognized; it is bluish in appearance and
pulsates with the brain.  It is extremely sensitive and
rough handling may  cause convulsion.  It is usually
accompanied by dropsy of the brain (hydrocephalus)
and rarely  recovers.  The tumor should be carefully
protected by placing about it a  broad ring of several
thicknesses of soft flannel  and then  covering the
tumor itself with absorbent  cotton saturated  with
witch hazel extract,  and securing all with a  proper
bandage.
  Enchondroma.—These  are  cartilaginous tumors,
usually non-malignant in character, although  some-
times becoming malignant.  See article on Tumors.

  Endometritis.—This is an inflammation  of the in-
ner structures of the womb, fully described in the sec-
tion of Diseases of Women.

  Enteralgia.—Neuralgia of the Intestines.—This  is
considered in the article on Colic
                ENDOCARDITIS.

   Inflammation of the Heart's Lining Membrane.

  During a severe attack of articular rheumatism, or
in the course of Bright's disease  or  acute  infectuous
troubles, such as scarlet fever, measles and child-bed
fever, the  poisonous  irritant, wiiatever may be  its
character, may set  up an inflammation of  the lining
membrane  of  the  heart.   The symptoms  will be a
sense of discomfort accompanied by palpitation, the
heartbeat being hard at first and then becoming weak.
If due to septic poisoning, there will be chills, irreg- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
303
ularly  occurring  perspiration, prostration,  pinched
countenance and diarrhoea.
  Treat mod should aim at soothing and sustaining the
heart's action and eliminating the irritating  poison.
During an attack a weak infusion of Virginia snake-
root in small doses, by the stomach, and injections of
boneset and lady-slipper infusion are most beneficial.
If severe distress is felt about the heart hot applica-
tions or stimulating liniment may be made over the
chest.  If of rheumatic origin, citrate of lithia, three
grains, in a glass of  water, should be taken three
times a day.  The bowTels must be kept regular, and
tea  and coffee and alcoholic drinks prohibited
  Enteritis.-—Inflammation of the Intestines.—See article
on Bowel Troubles.

  Enterocele.—This is a falling of a portion of the
small intestines into the pelvis,  causing a tumor-like
bulging into the vagina.  It occurs sometimes as a re-
sult of straining during labor.  To restore the portion
of intestine to  its proper  place the patient should
kneel and rest on the shoulder  and have the tumor
pressed back.   This  must be followed by  perfect rest
and vaginal injections of infusions of raspberry leaves
or other astringents.
  Enuresis Nocturna.—See article on Bed-Wetting.

  Ephelides.—See article on Freckles.

  Epididymitis.—See section on Diseases of the Gen-
erative Organs,
                   EPILEPSY.
              Fits.  Falling Sickness.
  This disease is caused by unknown changes in the
brain, brought about by diseases of the brain itself or
by diseases that  affect the brain.   It  may be heredi- 
304
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
tary in character.  The  severe  form of epilepsy is
also known as grand ma! or convulsive epilepsy.  It con-
sists of paroxysms of muscular  convulsions  of a se-
vere nature, usually preceded  by premonitory symp-
toms and usually followed by great nervous prostra-
tion.

  Symptoms.—Epileptics usually notice peculiar sensa-
tions just  preceding  an attack which serve as warn-
ings.   One  or  more of  the following premonitory
symptoms may be noticed:  Sudden diarrhoea or con-
stipation, unaccountable disturbances of the stomach,
twitchings of the muscles, headache, dizziness, hallu-
cinations, creeping sensations over the body, a feeling
as though air were blowing over the body (calledaura),
great thirst or ravenous hunger, sense of constriction
about the heart, involuntary discharges,  sudden per-
spiration, bright flashes before the eyes, experience of
unnatural taste, or smell or hearing, bleeding at the
nose, cramps, chills, etc.
  Knowing these premonitory symptoms, persons may
situate themselves so as to  avoid injury or inconven-
ience during an attack,  or the attack itself may possi-
bly be averted.  For instance,  if sudden constipation
is a  premonitory sign,  physic may ward off the at-
tack.  If there are creeping sensations or aura of the
the limbs, tying a band tightly about the thigh may
be advantageous.   If there  is stomach disturbance an
emetic may be of service, etc.
  Sometimes an epileptic seizure  is preceded or  fol-
lowed by violent  delirium, during  which the patient
becomes actually  insane  and irresponsible, and may
commit serious injury to others.  Such acts are not af-
terward remembered by the  patient.
  The  convulsive paroxysm itself comes on suddenly,
usually with an involuntary outcry.  Consciousness is
lost instantly, and the victim falls, usually forward,
not even stretching out his  hands  to break the fall.
Often serious injuries are  inflicted by striking objects.
At first the face grows  deadly pale and the eyes are
rolled upward, the  mouth may be  opened  or tightly
closed,  the fists  clinched and the body  rigid.   This 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          305
 condition may last from a few seconds to half a min-
 ute, when the actual convulsions commence.
   During the convulsion period the eyes roll about and
 every muscle in the body seems to alternately relax
 and contract,  the  face flushes, and then, as respira-
 tion is interfered with, it grows livid and  the  whole
 body has a bluish  look and the veins  become greatly
 distended, the saliva rolls  out of the mouth, usually
 mingled with blood from the tongue cut by the teeth,
 and there  may  be involuntary discharges  from the
 bowels and bladder.   The pupils  are dilated and do
 not respond to light; the pulse at the  wrist  is ex-
 tremely feeble, though the  heart's action  is usually
 violent and spasmodic.
   These  terrible convulsive symptoms last from three
 to six minutes, rarely over ten minutes, and then cease
 suddenly.  Consciousness returns slowly, perspiration
 is abundant and there may be vomiting and a profuse
 discharge of urine.  Lividness of the countenance may
 continue for some time.   The victim looks bewildered
 and attempts  to rise but has no knowiedge of what
 has transpired.  He  is extremely weak and may go
 into a sleep  of  an hour or more.  Usually there is
 mental dullness for days after.
   The frequency of paroxysms varies.  There may be
 several in one  day; they may occur periodically or at
 any time.  Persons may go for weeks, months or years
 without an attack  and then have several in rapid suc-
 cession.
   Epilepsy is  not  always inconsistent with long life
 and comparative freedom from disease.  Caesar, Peter
 the Great, Mahomet, Napoleons I and III, Charles V,
 Byron, Isaac Newton and many other noted men wTere
 epileptics.  As a rule victims of the disease gradually
 lose mental and physical vigor to a greater or less de-
 gree.  If it is  caused by any special known trouble
 which may  be  removed, there may be a chance  of re-
 covery; but persons  who inherit epilepsy or have it
 manifested late in life have little ground for hope.
  A mild attack of epilepsy, called petit mal, is char-
acterized by sudden loss of consciousness, lasting  but
a moment or so.  If the person is talking he stops per-
haps in  the midst  of a sentence  as  though to take 
306         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
breath;  his face becomes pale and  then dusky, and
this  is followed by confusion of mind and  forgetful -
ness of what is said or done; there  may  be dizziness
and sensations of suffocation.
  Sometimes a peculiar form of epilepsy manifests it-
self  by the patient suddenly committing some unusual
or indecent or violent act in the presence of  others,
and afterward retain no recollection of it.   Such acts
are usually of short duration, though in rare  cases
the  person affected  may thus conduct  himself for
days.

  Treatment.—During  an attack, nothing  can be done
beyond loosening the clothing, turning the patient on
the side so as to allow7 the saliva to escape, and  put-
ting a piece of hard wood between the teeth to hinder
injury to the tongue.   Should the fit continue beyond
all reason, cold water may be dashed in the face, or a
warm bath given, followed by dashing cold water over
the  body, mustard  plasters over  the  back, and per-
haps electricity.
  Immediately after the seizure the patient should be
placed in bed and allowed to sleep quietly; though
many prefer to go at once about their usual callings.
  Between the paroxysms the greatest  care must be
exercised concerning diet and hygiene.  Frequent and
regular exercise in the open air, freedom from mental
exertion and study, comfortable clothing,  avoidance
of all excesses, abstinence  from tea, coffee and alco-
holic drinks and vicious habits, daily baths with  fric-
tion and a light and nutritious diet.
  Precautions must be taken against seizures occur-
ring in  dangerous  places.  Sometimes attacks  come
only at  night and are known only by  the resulting
prostration.  The bromides are  frequently used to
lessen the violence of the attacks,  but they only do so
by injuring the nervous system.  Medication must be
directed to the apparent troubles incident  to individ-
ual cases.
  As a general tonic  and equalizer of the  circulation
of value in all cases the following  will be found ex-
cellent:  Sulphate of hydrastia, lobelia seed and cyp-
ripedin, each one grain, taken in a capsule morning 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
307
and evening, and every two hours for a day preceding
the attack if  premonitory symptoms can  be relied
upon.
  Epistaxis.—See article on Bleeding of the Nose.

  Epithelioma.—Epithelial  Cancer.See  article  on
Cancer.
                    EPULIS.
               Tumor of the Gums.
  As a rule the term epulis is given to a cancerous or
sarcomatous tumor of the gums, though occasionally
non-malignant epulis is met with,  pushing out the
teeth by its enlargement.  The only successful treat-
ment is  a surgical operation for  the removal of the
portion of the jaw-bone from which the tumor starts.
                EQUINIA MITES.

                      Grease.
  This is a painful  malady contracted from horses
suffering from grease, which is a peculiar affection of
the glands of the skin about the  heels of the animals,
characterized by offensive discharges from ulcerating
sores.  This discharge is poisonous and coming in con-
tact with the human skin may produce eruptions in
the form of pustules  surrounded  by  purple  and
swollen areola.   These pustules form in  about a week
and last four or five days, and then form a scab which
leave  deep  scars.   The  whole  system is  affected.
There is fever,  high pulse,  prostration and heavily
coated tongue with chilliness and flushes of  heat.
  Treatment.—The eruption is relieved by soothing ap-
plications  of  pulverized  myrrh  and lobelia  seeds
rubbed up with vaseline.  The  bowels must be moved
freely by the liver pills, and  composition infusion
must be  drank  abundantly.  Convalescence  is slow
and must be encouraged by nourishing foods. 
308         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                   ERGOTISM.

                 Bread  Poisoning.

  Occasionally wheat and rye  become mixed with the
poisonous smut known as ergot, and serious  results
follow the eating  of  bread made from such flour.
Whole communities have suffered outbreaks of the
disease.
  Symptoms.—There may  be  slight fever  at first.  Pe-
culiar  burning and itching-  sensations,  with redness,
commence on the feet, extending often to the legs and
also appearing on  the fingers, hands and arms.  In
about a week's time the burning sensations suddenly
cease and the parts become  cold.   The  affected por-
tions grow dark  and look like  burnt charcoal, an act-
ual gangrene setting in.   Sometimes there will be al-
ternate spells of convulsions and drowsiness, pain in
the heart and feelings as though the joints were being
pulled apart.  Stupor may precede death, or recovery
may occur in a few weeks.
  Treatment.—These cases must be treated similarly to
gangrene (which see), though the bowels will proba-
bly need frequent  doses of  neutralizing cordial; and
gum Arabic or marsh-mallow  root  infusion should be
used with drinking water to soothe mucous surfaces.
The application of stimulating liniment  to unaffected
portions  near the gangrenous spots may  aid in arrest-
ing their spreading tendency.  ''Foot  and mouth"
disease  of cattle   is  undoubtedly  very similar to
ergotism.
                   ERUPTIONS.

            General  Eruptive Diseases.
  As a rule acute diseases accompanied by eruptions
(not skin diseases) are marked by more or less fever
and run a definite course, and seldom occur to an indi-
vidual more than once in a lifetime.  Measles, scarlet
fever, rotheln, small-pox, chicken-pox, etc., are types
of eruptive  diseases,  and are  fully considered under
their respective titles elsewhere.  In all eruptive dis- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
309
eases the darker the rash appear the more serious is
the difficulty.
                  ERYSIPELAS.

        St. Anthony's Fire.  Rose. Cellulitis.

  This is  an inflammatory condition of the skin  and
the areolar tissue beneath it, accompanied by consti-
tutional symptoms.  It is usually preceded by disor-
dered conditions of the system and  may follow inju-
ries or surgical operations, causing serious results.

  Symptoms.—Severe cases are ushered in with a most
decided chill, quickly followed by a high fever, the
temperature probably  reaching  104°  in the course of
half an hour.  There is pain  in the  back and limbs,
headache, nausea  and  vomiting, furred tongue,  fre-
quent and strong  pulse  and before  long a burning,
itching and heavy  feeling at the seat of the difficulty,
which in a day or twTo becomes swollen and red.   The
color of the eruption is usually rose, turning to dark
red.  The inflammation travels like a fire on the skin,
leaving behind it  signs  of  destruction.  Mild cases
may stop  at this point and recovery follow in a few
days.  Generally,  though,  blisters will form at the
place of inflammation,  and swelling become great. If
about the  eyes, which is  common, they will be closed
and extremely painful.  Fever continues unabated as
a rule, and there may be  delirium and  great prostra-
tion.
  Phlegmonous erysipelas is a low grade of the dis-
ease, giving a dark red  eruption and the formation of
abscesses, and the  infiltration of pus through adjoin-
ing muscular  structures.   The  prostration in such
cases is very marked and may amount to stupor;  the
pulse weakens and lung complications or a typhoid
condition may set in.
  Convalescence is  preceded by a rapid fall of temper-
ature to the normal, a clean tongue and natural secre-
tions.  The eruption fades and may turn yellowish or
bluish, and the dead skin eventually peels off.  Some- 
310         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
times the hair falls out and is soon succeeded by a new
growth.
  Mild cases are very seldom fatal, and  all cases ex-
cept those occurring in persons diseased or weakened
by excesses, give favorable hopes of recovery.

  Treedment.—Fresh air, without draughts, cleanliness,
equable temperature and quietude are essential.   Sat-
urate cloths in an  infusion of lobelia and  goldenseal
containing an ounce of glycerine and an  ounce  of  hy-
posulphite of soda to  the pint, and apply to the in-
flamed portions.   If the color  is  dark, add compound
tincture of myrrh.  Move the  bowels  by a dose of
liver pills.  Keep  the skin moist by giving every hour
a free drink of pleurisy root and ginger infusion; in
severe cases add composition to this.  When there is
much nervousness  administer injections of boneset and
lady-slipper  in infusion.  A stimulating emetic  (see
emetics) will be valuable if administered early.  Diet
should be  nourishing and  very  light; liquid foods are
preferable.  Allow the patient to suck  lumps of ice;
give no lemonade or sour fruits, but supply milk if de-
sired.  Keep inflamed portions from the air.
                   ERYTHEMA.

                Erythematous Rash.
  Disturbances of circulation, irregularities and other
causes of obstruction  often  produce a rash over the
body of dull-red patches, irregular and slightly raised,
chiefly occurring on the backs of the hands and feet,
and seldom extending over the limbs  or body.  This
rash is not accompanied by  fever or  other constitu-
tional symptoms, lasts but a fewT days and  usually
leaves slight roughness or  disquamation of the skin.
One attack may be soon followed by another.
  When indigestion is the cause of erythema, the rash
frequently comes on the  face and  itches and burns.
Occasionally small vesicles  or  papules are  formed.
Infants are especially  liable  to erythema.  The diffi-
culty needs no treatment of itself, but the particular
disturbance should be sought and  corrected. As a 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         311
rule there is acidity of  the stomach and constipation
which may be overcome by milk of  magnesia.
             ERYTHEMA NODOSUM.

                  Oval Swellings.
  This disease  consists of successive  crops  of  oval
swellings over the body, chiefly on the fronts of the
legs; usually at least a dozen of the swellings appear-
ing at once.   They may be from one-fourth of an inch
to five inches in length; at first  are  hard and  pink,
but become soft and dark red, like bruised spots; and
as they disappear they leave a  yellow7 stain, which
slowly fades.   There is local  tenderness  and  pain
while the swellings  last,  and the stomach becomes
very sensitive.   Prostration  of  the system is  pro-
nounced, accompanied  by the symptoms of anaemia.
An attack of erythema nodosum rarely lasts over five
weeks; sometimes much less, as there may possibly be
but one crop of  swellings.
  Treatment.—This malady will  disappear of  itself
without medication;  but relief can be obtained, the
strength supported and  the duration shortened by ap-
propriate means.  Keep the bowels open by the liver
pills, aid digestion by teaspoonful doses of elixir of
peptenzyme  or  pepsin  after meals,  and administer
compound gentian syrup as a tonic.  Over  the swell-
ings apply witch hazel extract at first, and diluted
compound tincture of  myrrh  with fluid extract of
goldenseal as the parts become darker.
              ERYTHROMELALGIA.
      Superficial Neuralgia of the Extremities.
  This is a peculiar condition of  the extremities de-
pending  upon  irritation  or  exhaustion  of  certain
nerves (vasomotor).   The usual form is that of irrita^
tion, frequently observed in washerwomen who keep
their  hands in cold  water a great deal of the time.
There are burning pains in the fingers  and toes and
limbs, and sometimes stiffness, swelling- and partial 
312
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
loss of sensitiveness.   The pulse becomes  small  and
the face pale and  clammy.  Such spells are brought
about by exposures to cold.  Occasionally the para-
lytic form is met with in men,  especially rheumatics
and metal workers.  Pains are usually confined to the
feet, and the surface is hot and the suffering increased
during warm weather.

  Treatment depends largely upon ascertaining  the
cause and avoiding it; using nourishing diet and hygi-
enic measures and the  application of electricity, to-
gether with internal use of strong tonics such as com-
pound syrup of gentian (see formulas).
  Eustachian Diseases.—The eustachian tube, lead-
ing from the  throat to the ear,  is  liable to various
difficulties—inflammations,  congestions, etc.   These
are all fully considered in the section on Diseases of
the Eye and Ear.

  Eyelid Diseases.—See  Diseases of the  Eye  and
Ear.
  Excision.—This is a surgical operation comprising
the removal of  a bone or a portion of a bone, without
amputating the limb.  It is frequently resorted to in
cases of diseased or decayed bone.   It  is often pre-
ferred to amputation, especially at the elbow or wrist.
It is safer than amputation at the  shoulder and hip,
though more dangerous at the knee joint.
                   EXOSTOSIS.
                   Bony Tumor.
  This is a bony growth of  spongy or dense character
usually upon the bones  of the arms or legs  at their
prominences if spongy in character, or if dense  they
are more frequent on the bones of the face  or skull,
the shoulder blades and the great toes and thumbs.
They vary in size,  often being  as  big as a hen's egg, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
313
or larger.  Sometimes they  are  painful, especially
upon pressure, though as a rule they  cause no trouble
beyond inconvenience.  They can be removed only by
surgical operation, and this  should not be performed
unless the tumors are unsightly or .of great inconven-
ience.

  Exophthalmic Goitre.—See article on Goitre.
                  FACE SIGNS.
      Aspects of the Countenance in  Disease.
  Much may be  learned concerning the nature and
gravity of diseases by the appearance  of the  counte-
nance.  The following points of interest may be ob-
served:
  IVrinkles in the old are natural, but premature wrink-
les  always  denote  improper or deficient nutrition.
Youths  with wrinkled faces are usually masturbators.
Infants  with wrinkled  faces  are  suffering from dis-
eases which prevent proper assimilation of foods.
  Sunken countenance always  denotes exhaustion.   It
is a bad sign in the early stages of a disease.  In pain-
ful  diseases it may  simply  be the result of loss  of
sleep or intensity of suffering.  Ordinary diarrhoea
may be sufficiently  exhausting to produce a sunken
countenance, as also may dyspepsia.
  Blotches are usual accompaniments of bad habits  or
intemperance.
  Doughy faces indicate kidney troubles or, wiien sal-
low7, point to liver diseases.
  Puffiness may be the result  of various  febrile dis-
eases, as measles, erysipelas,  etc., and  also of  poison-
ing.   If puffiness is under the eyelids with great pale-
ness, Bright's disease, or albuminuria  should  be sus-
pected.
  Paleness, if constant,  accompanied by a transparent
look to the skin, shows a deficiency in  the amount  of 
314
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
red blood corpuscles, or a great increase in the amount
of  white blood corpuscles.   Anaemia,  chlorosis and
kidney diseases give paleness of the face.

  Hippoeratic Coiodenance.-—This is a peculiar appear-
ance of the face indicating- overwhelming prostration.
It is peculiar to cholera,  and  is often  apparent just
before death, especially from exhausting diseases.  It
may be described as follows:
  There is  extreme and  death-like paleness.  The
cheeks and temples  are sunken and the bony  promi-
nences protrude; the eyes are deep sunken and rolled
upward  and appear dim; the  nose is pointed  and
pinched; the ears are cold and waxy,  and seem to be
hollowed out;  the  lips are  livid, the  mouth  partly
open and the lower jaw fallen.  Such a  countenance is
frightful  to look upon and  may be considered an in-
fallible omen of approaching death.
  In women, paleness  is usually a symptom of men-
strual  irregularities.  If  paleness  occurs  suddenly
during pregnancy, abortion or still-birth should be ap-
prehended.
  In children, sudden paleness about the  mouth indi-
cates  abdominal  difficulties, which may be  simple
colic, though continued paleness with bright spots on
the face may indicate worms.
  Sudden paleness  of  the nose in scarlet fever is an
unpromising sign.
  Redness of the face, if constant, may be due to over-
eating, or apoplectic or gouty tendencies, especially if
the redness is dark.  Redness on one side of the  face
may be  associated with  lung, heart and abdominal
difficulties.  If  one side is red and hot and the other
pale and cold, encephalitis is apparent and pus  is
probably forming on the side of the brain correspond-
ing to the redness.  Brain troubles of children  fre-
quently give transient  red spots.  A flush of  small ex-
tent on the cheeks is common in phthisis.  Sudden and
general flushing of the face repeated and transient in
character may indicate lung  troubles, or in females it
may be associated with recent conception or approach-
ing menstruation, and  it is  common to teething chil-
dren. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         315

  Persons suffering from nervous difficulties, hysteria,
etc.,  and those subject to hemorrhages usually have
bright red faces.

  Red cheeks with white looking nose  should be re-
garded as indicative of  serious illness.

  Blueness of the face is usually due to heart troubles.

  Yellow or salloio faces denote liver troubles, although
a peculiar light lemon color and  waxy look often ac-
companies Bright's disease.

  Ashy or gray faces indicate malignant  diseases,  can-
cer, gangrene, leprosy, etc.
              FACIAL  PARALYSIS.

           Muscular Inability of the Face.

  The nerves controlling the muscles of the face may
 become paralyzed from various causes,  among which
 may be mentioned injuries, operations,  abscesses, in-
 flammations of the ear, hemorrhages or aneurisms of
 the arteries of the brain,  exposure to cold and previ-
 ous endurance of infectious diseases or of rheumatism
 or syphilis.
  Paralysis is  usually  confined to  one side.  The
 senses of hearing, taste and smell are interfered with,
 the eyes cannot be closed and  the  tears trickle  over
 the face and leave the  nostril dry.  Motion of the one
 side of the face is lost, and the nose and mouth are
 drawn toward the healthy side.   Occasionally paraly-
 sis of both sides of the face may occur.

  Treatment.—Mild currents of electricity, the anode
 being on the protuberance behind the ear of  the af
 fected  side and  the  cathode  opposite. Rheumatic
 forms must also  be treated with alteratives and  cit-
 rate of lithia internally.  Constitutional difficulties
 must always be appropriately treated.  There is little
 hope of recovery when the paralysis is of specific ori-
gin.  Simple cases may recover, but are liable to re-
occurrence. 
31G         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                FACIAL SPASMS.

       Rigidity and Twitchings of the Muscles.

  Very frequently, on account of nervous difficulties,
St. Vitus' dance, shocks, etc.,  the muscles of the face
may be subject to spasms, or  become uncontrollable.
  Chattering of the teeth is due to loss of muscular
control and may be caused by fright, cold, weakness
or the nervous  prostration of congestive conditions,
chills, etc.
  Gritting or grinding the teeth is usually the result of
intestinal worms or other abdominal irritations; but
it may be caused by direct brain irritations and is not
infrequently associated with habits of self-abuse.
  Lockjaw is due to intense nervous disorder caused by
blood poisoning and may follow serious injuries or be
present during the existence of cancer or other malig-
nant troubles.
  Twitchings on  one side of the face are due to diffi-
culties of  the  facial nerve.
Faecal Abscess.—See Appendicitis.
                    FAINTING.

          Syncope.  Loss of Consciousness.

  This is an insufficiency of blood in the brain caused
by failure of the heart to perform its function prop-
erly.  It is brought about by mental  or physical dis-
turbances conveyed  through  the  nervous system.
Among the causes may  be  mentioned fright, sudden
emotion of joy or sadness, the sight of blood, looking
upon  unsightly objects, iniuries,  etc., falls,  blows
(especially blows upon the pit of the stomach),  run-
ning, exertion on an empty stomach, too rapid eating,
a close atmosphere, over-study, a hot and debilitating
bath, exhaustion, especially exhaustion from loss of
blood or debilitating diseases, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
317
  Women are more.liable than men to fainting, and
period of a highly nervous temperament, especially
children,  are prone to faint  very easily.  As a rule
Srng is not at all serious, though prolonged faints
are exhausting, and fainting during exhaustive dis-
eases may be exceedingly dangerous  and is an unfa-
vorable symptom in organic disease of the heart.

  Symptoms.— Although occasionally a person faints
without warning, as a rule there are pronounced pre-
monitory symptoms, such as blurred vision, ringing in
the ears,  dizziness and nausea, cold sweat on the tore-
head and paleness and weak pulse.  Persons accus-
tomed  to  fainting  recognize these symptoms at once
and are usually enabled to ward off actual syncope by
lying down on the  back, or getting fresh air or wet-
ting the forehead with cold water or smelling  ammo-
nia or salts.
  During  complete  faint  the patient loses all con-
sciousness and falls,  becomes deathly pale, with di-
lated pupils,  and  the heart is  weak, frequent  and
irregular.  Occasionally  there  are involuntary  dis-
charges.   In from half a minute to three  minutes con-
sciousness returns gradually, the  patient seems con-
fused for a short time and is very much exhausted.
  In severe cases the  heart beats may be almost im-
perceptible and there may be slight muscular twitch-
ings.  Persons exhausted by disease  may pass from
one fainting spell into another and death soon follow.
Too great precautions cannot be taken to prevent
such occurrences during typhoid  fever,  malignant
diphtheria, hemorrhages, etc.

   Treatment— Immediately lay the patient on the back
without a pillow, dash a little cold water in the face,
apply  ammonia or smelling salts to  the nostrils,
loosen all tight  clothing, especially about the neck.
Place in  a draft or supply an abundance of fresh air,
or fan  gently, and rub the limbs upward.   If the  per-
son  can  swallow, give  a few  drops of  compound
spirits of  lavender  or other diffusive  stimulant  in
water.  In severe cases  third preparation of lobelia
or compound tincture of  myrrh (see formulas) should 
318
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
be given, and stimulating liniment applied over the
heart and rubbed on the limbs.   Mustard plaster over
the heart is serviceable.
  When medicine cannot be administered by the mouth,
injections of ginger infusion should be  given.  Per-
sons accustomed to fainting should take every precau-
tion to avoid it, and should build up the  nervous sys-
tem by proper tonics  and nourishing food and hygi-
enic measures.  Often turning the thoughts suddenly
upon some  object will arrest a fainting spell when the
premonitory symptoms are first experienced.
             FALLOPIAN DISEASES.

         Affections of the Fallopian Tubes.
  The fallopian tubes lead from the womb toward the
ovaries, their diameter is about that of a broom-straw,
and they are embedded in the broad ligament; thus
they are readily obstructed and their inflammation is
apt to result in peritonitis.  Injections  of cold water
into  the cavity of the womb, gonorrhea and inflam-
mation  of the  womb by abortion or otherwise may
cause inflammation of the tubes, resulting  in great
tenderness and intense pain in the region.   It is a
dangerous condition and must be treated as peritonitis
(which see).
  Dropsy of the tubes may be caused  by retention of
menstrual fluid, pus  or  mucus.  The  enlarged tube
may usually be felt.  Vapor  baths and the  external
application  of stimulating  liniment  should  be  em-
ployed.   The surgical operation of aspiration is often
resorted to with beneficial results.
  Stricture of the tubes may be a result of peritonitis.
One or  both tubes may thus be entirely closed.  If
both are closed the person becomes sterile.
  There is no effective treatment for the condition of
stricture.  These troubles are  more fully considered
in the section on Diseases of  Women.


  Famine Fever.—See article  on Relapsing  Fever.

  Farcy.—See article on Glanders. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
319
  Fatty Degeneration—In some persons of peculiar
tendencies and also  in many suffering from disturbed
nutrition, especially elderly persons, the food taken
into the system produces an excessive amount of fat,
which collects about organs, and also causes degener-
ations of the organs  themselves.  The heart, kidneys.
liver,  spleen, etc., are  all subject to fatty degenera-
tion, the symptoms  of which  are duly considered  in
the articles on the diseases of those organs.

  peI0n#_This is an inflammation which usually oc-
curs at the extremity of a thumb or finger and results
in suppuration of all the  structures.   A lighter form,
known as run-around or  Whitlow, involves only the
more superficial structures.   Both varieties of the dis-
ease are fully considered in  the article on Whitlow.
                      FEAR.

          Various Forms of Morbid Dread.
  It is natural for human beings to entertain fear in
times of danger;  but often through weakness of the
nervous system, dependent upon some disturbance of
functions, the mind becomes morbidly afraid.  Irregu-
larities of the stomach and of the womb are most fre-
quent causes of morbid fear.   Also sexual excesses
may bring about a similar condition.
  As a  rule sufferers  realize the  groundlessness of
their fears, but are unable to  overcome them.  The
condition is not associated with organic disease and is
far from being a symptom  of insanity.  A severe
fright or shock may make  a lasting impression upon a
human being, just as it is almost impossible to break a
horse of becoming frightened every time he sees an
object which once suddenly shocked him.   The vari-
ous forms of morbid  fear are  interesting  and  in-
structive.

  Astraphobia is excessive  fear of lightning, some
persons  acting like frightened babes during a storm.
This fear may be inherited and all efforts of reasoning
fail to overcome it in  even the  most intellectual per- 
320
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sons.   It is very common.   Sometimes it is accompa-
nied by headache, nausea,  pain, numbness and occa-
sionally convulsions.

  Agorophobia  designates  the morbid fear  many
have, of  visiting open  places  or strange localities.
Many  persons have been forced to return from even
short trips from home on account of this fear.   Often
children become possessed of morbid fear and cannot
go even a few rods from home unaccompanied.
  Some persons are terrorized  beyond endurance by
tunnels or caves, and although knowing there is no
danger they are in agony if forced to enter them.

  Monophobia  is fear  of being alone.  Persons are
tortured when compelled to walk the streets or to re-
main at home by themselves.

  Gynephobia is fear of women.  Some men are ab-
solutely unable  to  associate with women through a
sense of fear, although not in any way bashful.

  Anthropophobia is fear of man.  Many apparently
strong and healthy men are afraid to come in contact
with other men in business or otherwise.

  Mysophobia is fear of contamination.  Persons are
afraid to  touch articles handled by others or to sit
near strangers from fear of contamination.

  Pantaphobia literally  means fear of everything,
and is usually applied to the dread of undertaking
any responsibilities least failure or trouble follow.

  Pathophobia or fear  of disease is commonly knowm
as hypochondriasis.  This is  always accompanied by
disease of the stomach  or liver, or  some functional
disorder  which  may be  recognized  and corrected.
Sufferers from pathaphobia cannot be scolded or ar-
gued out of their belief that they are about to become
invalids from some fatal disease.

  Treatment of morbid fear must not be  by  argument
or striving to mentally  overcome foolish ideas.  The 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          321
patient usually knows the groundlessness of his fears.
But nervine tonics, such as scull  cap and compound
syrup of genaan (see formulas) should be employed.
Frequent baths and massage, hygienic exercise, con-
genial associations and pursuits, and freedom from
worry, with general diet must be provided.  Stomach
and liver troubles,  and other functional disturbances
must be corrected.   In nearly all  cases investigation
will disclose disturbances of the procreative  organs.
  Febricula.—This is a condition of  fever  without
apparent  cause  and  of  no  specific origin.  Fever
arises suddenly and lasts but a short time, falls sud-
denly to normal in twenty-four or thirty-six hours, fol-
lowed by free perspiration and abundant discharge of
urine.  Treatment is given under general fever.
                      FEVER.

         Its Nature and General Treatment.

  Fever is a sign or  evidence of an obstruction in the
 system which hinders natural performance  of  func-
 tions.   For  many centuries, and  by even the  most
 learned, fever has been regarded as a disease  of it-
 self—a something to  be  overcome or cast out of the
 body.  But modern knowledge no longer permits such
 an erroneous view, although many still cling to it—
 blindly accepting the doctrines taught them  by  "au-
 thority."  But inherited knowledge and transmitted
 learning are never progressive.
  The various grades and  classes of  fevers are due to
 the great variety of obstructions that may occur and
 the numerous functions w7hich may be interfered  with.
 Let a particle of foreign material  get into a piece of
 delicate machinery and the working of that machinery
 will be more or less deranged according to the  char-
acter of the foreign  material  and  its position in the
machine.  An excess  of oil  within the  cylinder or a
piece of cotton somewhere would  interfere with tli2
working in a manner  different from  the interference 
322
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
occasioned by a grain of sand, and the damage caused
to the machine would be different.
  Upon the same principle foreign matter, or an excess
of normal  secretions,  or an altered relationship of
tissues occasioned by unnatural conditions, affect the
organism and give rise to manifestations known as
fevers.   An extra degree  of force is consumed in run-
ning an obstructed piece of machinery, and unless the
obstruction is removed the machine  itself is damaged
and perhaps ruined.   An extra degree of vital power
is required to maintain life in an obstructed organism,
and unless the obstruction is removed tissues will be
destroyed and perhaps the whole organism so affected
that the vital power will be unable to use it and death
will follow.
  Fever is always an indication of an increased  vital
effort to overcome obstructions or derangements of re-
lationships of tissues.   And the character and degree
of the fever manifested always denote the extent of
the derangement and the degree of increased vital re-
sistance.  Thus it is evident that during  disease fever
becomes a most important symptom to aid in diagnos-
ing the difficulty and in estimating the chances of re-
covery.   Three general grades of fever may be recog-
nized—(1) High, (2) Low, (3) Malignant.

  High  Grade Of  Fever.—The  natural  internal
temperature of  the body is slightly over 98  F.  In
fever it  may  rise to  106°, though  rarely over 105°.
When the pulse, although frequent, is strong and full
and regular, and the face, although dry and hot, is
bright red or rosy, the fever is of  a high or ardent
grade, and denotes a powerful resistance made by the
vital power to overcome the trouble.

  LOW Grade Of Fever.—This is always an unprom-
ising condition, and denotes inability of vital power
to conquer the  difficulty.  The  pulse is  frequent, 12")
or more, and weak and often irregular.  The face, in-
stead of being rosy, is dusky and often sallow, or pale
with a red spot on the cheek.   By such signs we may
be informed that the accumulations  wThich interfere 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
323
 with natural  performance of functions are of such a
 character that the vital  power cannot overcome them
 before they prove destructive to tissues.   Often the
 great vital effort manifested by a high grade of fever,
 if not sustained,  becomes exhausted, and the  heart
 and nerves grow weary and the high grade gradually
 changes to a low grade of fever.

   Malignant Grade  of Fever—This  is  a form of
 fever accompanied  by a manifest destruction of tis-
 sues.   The obstructions are so great and of such a
 poisonous character that the vital power is compelled
 to  yield many of the structures to chemical force,
 which decomposes them.   Purplish  spots  often occur
 over the body, or the discharges may become very of-
 fensive.  Although  usually ardent at first, malignant
 fever becomes of the low grade as it progresses.

   Warnings Of Fever.—When obstructions to normal
 actions are accumulating and before they have reached
 such a state as to arouse great vital effort to overcome
 them, they cause discomfort throughout the organism,
 perhaps for several days before the fever, though in a
 few kinds of  fever the  premonitions  are  very slight
 and may be overlooked.   But in the  majority of cases
 there will be a  feeling of general weakness through-
 out the body, a disinclination for exertion, a "good-
 for-nothing "  or lazy feeling.  The  appetite becomes
 poor,  sleep is unrefreshing and  the  bowels irregular;
 there may also  be headache, and  sometimes twitches
 of pain or aching in the  muscles and joints.

  Such symptoms, if observed, should be the occasion
 for concern.   At such  a  time  sickness might often be
 averted by taking a mild cathartic, or  a  warm  bath
 with friction and regulating the diet.  The accumula-
 ting obstructions  being  readily removed under  such
 aids by the vital resistive power without any manifes-
tations of fever. But it is a mistake to suppose that all
diseases can  be warded off during the premonitory
stage.  They  can  not.  Nevertheless  it  is always
wisest to heed the warnings and endeavor to aright
tne least disturbance. 
324
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Chill preceding  Fever.—Nearly  every case of
fever is preceded by a chill of more  or less severity,
and  usually the greater the  chill the higher will be
the fever which follows,  and  the longer the duration
of the  chill the greater the  severity  of the malady.
Chilliness may be slight, a "creepy"feelingoccurring
off and on for  several days, an inability to get w7arm
under favorable conditions for warmth.  Such a con-
dition shows a general accumulation of effete material
throughout the system of a poisonous character, and
a tedious spell of sickness may be expected to follow.
A chill  always denotes a depression of the nervous
system.
  Again, the chill may come on  suddenly and be very
severe, the whole  body  shivering and shaking, the
surface pale or spotted with purple blotches, the nails
blue, the lips ashy and the skin cold, the pulse is weak
and slow, denoting nerve and  heart depression.   The
mind may be cloudy and  often pain and  aching
through the lower part of the  back and the limbs may
be intense.  Such a severe and sudden chill usually in-
dicates that the sickness to follow will be  severe and
critical, and reach a dangerous point in a short time,
or that the fever to follow will  be high and the ob-
struction  quickly  overcome,  unless a specific poison
has entered the system.

  The Stage  oF Fever.—Following the chill comes
the reaction or the manifestation of the vital effort to
overcome the obstruction that caused the chill.  Dur-
ing the chill the minute  blood vessels  of the surface
were contracted, therefore the  external  circulation
was  interfered with and  diminished, consequently an
excess of  blood was forced inward.   Most of the or-
gans were found crowded by  accumulations of effete
material, and so the  greater part of  the blood which
should have been at the surface, found room by crowd-
ing into the heart; this crowding distended the elastic
walls of the heart and  excited  that organ.  By elas-
ticity it reacted and  suddenly forced outward, with
violence, the excess of blood.   This constitutes the re-
action,  and is an important matter.
  In congestive chills the recession of blood from the 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
325
surface is so great and the disturbance of the nervous
system is so profound, that the heart is unable to re-
act at once, if at all,  and death may follow.  There-
fore the readiness with which  reaction is  established
and the degree of its  power are matters of great con-
cern in all instances.
  After  reaction is  established, the  disturbance of
equilibrium is not at  once  rectified, for the obstruc-
tions are not removed at once, but serve as a source of
irritation to the  nervous system, which in turn excites
the heart to continued increased action, which if prop-
erly maintained  removes the  obstruction.   But if the
nerves are weakened and prostrated by the poisonous
materials or by the profound  shock of an overwhelm-
ing chill, reaction may be feeble, and increased heart
action may not be sustained sufficiently to remove the
obstructions and death would follow.
  Here may be appropriately mentioned the folly and
danger of administering poisonous febrifuges and anti-
pyretics  to overcome the  fever.  Aconite, veratrum
and various coal-tar  preparations are commonly em-
ployed.  They do reduce the fever;  but  how do they
do it? They partially paralyze the heart (in large
doses they would completely paralyze it).   As a mat-
ter of course the heart in such a condition is unable to
perform extra work and there is  no  manifestation of
fever.  "It has been reduced. "  Thus does the ostrich
hide its head in  the sand during danger.   When  ob-
structions are to be removed, the increased wTork of
the heart is Nature's effort  at accomplishing their re-
moval, and to render the  heart incapable of extra
work only increases the danger and never removes the
obstructions.

  Treatment during Fever.—While fever is a mani-
festation of  increased vital effort, and is  always  an
indication of reserve force,  yet it is  never  desirable,
because it always declares  the interference with the
natural performance  of functions.  The abatement of
fever by disabling the heart for producing  it is a
dangerous thing, and should never  be resorted  to.
But the abatement of  fever by the removal of the ob-
structions necessitating the increased heart action is 
326         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
always  desirable and should be  the aim of all treat-
ment as soon  as fever  manifests itself.   For should
fever  be allowed to continue,  the strain  upon the
nerves and the heart itself will weaken them and
make  resistive  power  and eliminative  action  more
and more feeble.  Remove the cause of fever and the
symptoms will naturally disappear.  Treatment should
have in view three  objects:  To  remove the obstruc-
tions, to equalize the circulation and to recuperate ex-
hausted tissues and organs.
  In nearly every instance of fever  the stomach  is
overcrowded with material which becomes putrefied if
allowed  to remain  in  the system undigested.  The
foul stomach  may  be known by the heavily coated
tongue, and if that indication is seen, evacuation by
an emetic should be resorted to at once.   The various
classes of  emetics  and the methods of administering
them  are  mentioned elsew7here  under  the  title  of
Emetics.
  Water.—Use Nature's solvent in abundance, both ex-
ternally and internally.   Water permeates every por-
tion of the body and  carries away with it, when elim-
inated, impurities  and  effete  materials.  When the
surface is dry  and hot  nothing will so soothe the
nerves  as  frequent  sponging with water—warm, hot
or cold according to the agreeableness to the patient.
If the head is disproportionately hot, bathe  the feet
in hot water and lay a  cloth wrung out of cold water
on the forehead.  Allow the patient to drink copiously
of water  in all cases of fever; though in diphtheria
the drink should be warm and no cold water applied
in any way—the reasons for this will be found in the
chapter on diphtheria.
  Medication.—There  are so many various causes  of
fever, depending upon  the character of obstructions,
that specific medication for the general term fever can-
not be given.   But under the titles of the various dis-
eases characterized by fever will be given treatment
appropriate to each case.  Simply the general princi-
ples of treatment can be laid down here.
  In cases with high fever, relaxing medicines should
be  administered.  A simple remedy, as follows, may 
             DISEASES AND TREATMENT.           327

 be regarded as a typical preparation to relax the sys-
 tem during fever.

    Take of Pleurisy Root (pulverized) . .one-half ounce.
           Catnip or Spearmiid......one-half ounce.
          Lobelia herb..............one fourth ounce.
  Mix, ami pour upon it one pint of boiling water.  Let it
 steep half an  hour, then strain and administer tivo table-
 spoonfuls every hour until the fever abates or the patient be-
 couws quieted.

  A single teaspoonful  each hour would be sufficient
 for a  small child.   If the fever is not  high and there
 is great depression a little cayenne pepper (one-fourth
 teaspoonful) could  be  added to the above;  or, with
 sensitive persons or children, a little ginger.
  If the  bowTels are constipated administer an injec-
 tion of boneset, made by pouring one  pint of boiling
 water upon one ounce of boneset herb—straining after
 steeping.  Free and natural movements of the bowels
 are important  during fevers of all  kinds.  Also, free
 action of the  kidneys  is  desirable; and peppermint
 will favor this.  If  diarrhoea is present during fever
 (which often happens), a weak injection  made from
 raspberry leaves  may  be  given.   If  there  is  great
 weakness, one-fourth of an ounce of pulverized gold-
 enseal could be added to the preparation above, as a
 tonic.

  Nourishment.—Food administered to fever patients
 should be  very light but nourishing.  Most people
 will enjoy the  juice and pulp of oranges, or a baked
 apple.  Toast is good, but too much of it constipates.
 Malted milk is most nourishing, and Hoff's  Extract of
 Malt is excellent.  The  patient must be sustained, but
 great caution  must  be  exercised, lest food is not di-
 gested properly.

  Fresh and pure air, cleanliness and perfect quietude
and freedom from worry are necessary.  Sleep should
be encouraged, and  when natural should  not be dis-
turbed for the administration of medicines (cases of
diphtheria excepted). 
328         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  The Break ing-up of Fever.— This may be known by the
skin becoming moist and soft, and the secretions be-
coming free.  The saliva begins to moisten the mouth
and  the tongue  clears; the  bowTels  move naturally,
warm perspiration starts  out  over  the surface, and
the kidneys act freely.  Often after a fever the urine
is  very  cloudy or muddy—laden with the impurities
w7hich  have accumulated in the system.  Their re-
moval is a good  sign, and convalescence usually soon
follows.
           FEVER—CEREBROSPINAL.

             Meningitis. Spotted Fever.
  This is an exceedingly dangerous malady, and is lia-
ole to prove rapidly fatal under even the most favor-
able circumstances.  It is  an epidemic disease, al-
though not contagious.  Communities may be affected
by it at any season of the year, but as yet it cannot
be ascribed to any particular class of circumstances
or to any special conditions of soil, climate or atmos-
phere.
  There may be cases of meningitis w7hen no epidemic
exists, and the disease may also follow or be a compli-
cation  of other diseases, such as measles, scarlet fever
and pneumonia.  Single cases are apt to be the result
of great mental exertion or continued  worry main-
tained  under circumstances unfavorable to the preser-
vation  of health.  In army barracks, where  crowding
is great and proper sanitary measures are neglected,
epidemics of meningitis may arise.   Though, again,
the disease may be widespread  in most cleanly and
aristocratic neighborhoods.
  Meningitis is an  inflammation of the  coverings of
the brain, and often those of the spinal cord.  In acute
cases the membranes enveloping the cerebrum or front
portions of the brain are usually extensively engaged,
and the symptoms in individual cases vary according
to the locality and extent of the inflammation. Some-
times the brain itself or the  spinal cord  or both may
be inflamed as well as their coverings.  Such cases
are almost invariably fatal, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          329
  Symptoms.— There are four general periods in cases
of meningitis, one  passing into another.  These are:
The onset, the excitement  period, the transition period,
and the period of prostration.  The symptoms of each
vary in character and intensity according to the pe-
culiarity of the disease.
  The onset of meningitis is,  as a rule,  very sudden.
The victim may feel in the best of health at noon and
be seriously sick by nightfall.  Probably while sitting
or while at work he will be suddenly attacked with a
lancinating pain through the head, often in some one
part, and darting down the back of the neck, causing
him to cry out in agony.  There is a  consciousness
that the pain is of  serious import, and a feeling of im-
pending calamity is experienced.  Immediately  after
the first shock of pain there is chilliness, followed by
vomiting, or at least severe sickness at the stomach.
The patient is so terrorized by his  symptoms that he
loses no time in placing himself for a spell of sickness,
fully realizing that no trifling difficulty affects him.
In little children there is apt to be a spasm at the be-
ginning of the disease.  Should a spasm then occur in
an adult it would be a most unpromising sign.  In ex-
ceptional cases delirium,   stupor,   prostration  and
death may follow within six  or  twenty-four hours
after the first acute symptoms manifest themselves.
  A period of' excitement follows the onset.   All the
senses become  suddenly exalted.   Whispered words
sound loud, ordinary light is unbearable, perfumes or
odors are irritating,  and a touch  to  the body is ex-
tremely annoying.   There is great  restlessness, de-
spite the fact that  ease from pain is obtained only by
perfect quiet, the head being thrown far back, afford-
ing greatest relief. Sleeplessness naturally follows.
  Within a  few hours a light fever is manifested, the
temperature varying  from 100° to  103°, according to
circumstances.  The eyes are  watery and  become
bloodshot by looking at light.   The tongue is pointed
and has a light coat (in  extreme cases it is dark) and
it trembles perceptibly  when  an attempt  is made to
protrude it.  The head is very hot to the touch, while
at the same time the feet feel like ice.  The urine may
at first be abundant, but is soon very scanty and it is 
330         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
always light colored during the period of excitement.
The bowels are constipated as  a rule, though very
exceptional cases have a troublesome diarrhoea. These
symptoms may continue for three or four days, gradu-
ally growing more intense till the merest touch to the
body becomes  unendurable, and walking over the floor
by others seems to distract the  patient.  Jerking of
the muscles are common and  are warnings  of convul-
sions in young people, and in growm persons they are
to be dreaded.  Sometimes the sensitiveness may be
so great as to  cause the body to become rigid upon the
slightest disturbance and to be so tense as to rest upon
the back of the head and the heels only.
  From the second to the  fifth  day an eruption may
make its appearance in the form of spots one-sixteenth
to one-half inch in diameter.  It is  from  these spots
that meningitis derives its name of "spotted fever."
Still the spots are the exception and not the rule, and
they may not to manifest  until death or after.  They
may be all the way from rose color to dark red or al-
most black.  They are usually the result of great  ir-
ritation or even destruction of the minute terminals of
nerves,  and the darker their color the more severe is
the disease, though their  absence does not indicate a
light form of meningitis, as death may ensue without
their appearance  at  all.   By some  these  spots  are
spoken  of  as  "dry   nerve  gangrene of the  skin."
They usually appear upon the chest or over the limbs,
and sometimes have a gray appearance when first seen.
From the second to the fifth day in most cases may be
termed the transition period, and unless death occurs
at that time the disease passes into the next period.
  Prostration occurs in all protracted  cases  and  the
symptoms are  very marked and are of themselves suf-
ficient to convince the most casual observer that death
is  approaching.   Breathing becomes  irregular and
often the patient moans; in children this is pitiful to
listen to; the pulse frequently varies and the stroke is
feeble and the  volume small.  The temperature varies,
the hands and  feet are constantly cold, and the nails
usually appear blue.   During sleep the eyelids remain
open and a frightful look is given by the eyeballs be-
ing rolled  upward.  The  pupils of the eyes are  not 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
331
 equal in size and light makes no impression upon them;
 bringing a briglit light  close to them does not cause
 them to contract.  The tongue  is dark  brown or
 almost black, being coated  with a heavy dark fur, the
 dark coating covering the lips and teeth as well.  Par-
 alysis, complete or partial, sets in, usually confined to
 some special part of the body.  One side may be af-
 fected, or the body  from the waist down (causing in-
 voluntary discharges), or the bowels may be paralyzed
 so that they cannot act at all.  As a rule, swrallowing
 will be affected, even though paralysis  is not mani-
 fested  elsewhere.   Stupor  usually  sets in and death
 soon follows.
  Convalescence after an attack of meningitis is exceed-
 ingly slow and tedious.   For a period of perhaps sev-
 eral months the least  excitement  or over-exertion, or
 concentration of thought or worry bring on  exhaust-
 ion  or intense  headache.  The strength of  children
 after an attack is often over-estimated, and  they are
 allowed to overdo themselves and bring about serious
 results.  The}7 are subject  to sudden convulsions and
 may cry out with pains which shoot through the head,
 and the prostration following may be so profound as
 to  result  in stupor and death long  after  recovery
 seemed assured.

  Treatment.'—After studying the  symptoms, the exer-
 cise of common sense  and  good judgment will  direct
 the management of  a case of meningitis.  It must be
 borne in mind that the disease is of a most serious na-
 ture, and that the greatest  precautions must  be taken
 to prevent any aggravation of symptoms.
  Quietude, profound and constant, must be secured
 under every circumstance.  Noise of any nature must
 be prohibited about the premises, barking dogs and
 disturbing cats must  be removed, and a check put
 upon every  source  of disquiet.   Keep the  patient's
 room darkened, and allow  but one  person  to enter it
 at a time, and under no circumstances should visitors
 be permitted to enter.  The patient may be  inclined
to talk or to beg others to talk to him;  such should be
prohibited; say nothing whatever to him except w7hat
is absolutely necessary.  Let this rule be  enforced 
332         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

rigidly.  Remember that his sensibilities are greatly
exalted, and whispering  in  the room, or about the
house even, will prove very annoying to him.   Let the
door-bell be muffled and a card of warning be placed
on the front door.   No effort to secure quiet should be
neglected.
  The temperature  of the room should be kept exceed-
ingly even; but plenty of fresh air must be admitted.
If winter time, let there be a fire in  an open stove or
grate in order to secure  good ventilation.  For food,
use only most digestible  substances.  Gruels and sea-
moss are excellent; malted  milk and  lactated  food
may be enjoyed.   Do not allow much at a time, but
feed often in small quantities.  Sponge baths of warm
water, especially over the  spine, are beneficial; but
great care must be exercised in giving them on account
of the patient's extreme sensibility, and  they should
be discontinued if  the patient becomes exhausted.
Cold feet should be warmed  by frequent hot salt-water
baths,  and a hot-water bottle or heated bricks.   Pro-
cure a bed-pan, and do not allow the patient to get
out of  bed to attend to the calls of nature, always be-
ing sure to use a disinfectant on such occasions.   Dur-
ing convalescence there must be absolute rest from all
worry  of mind and  from bodily exertion.
  Medicines must be simple whenever used, but do not
regard meningitis or any other disease as a something
to be poisoned out of the system by strong drugs.  At
the onset  the bowels are constipated and they must
be relieved.  Do not use violent physic;  it is not
needed at any time  during meningitis.  Milk of  mag-
nesia is probably the best laxative to administer.   Hy-
posulphite of soda, in teaspoonful doses, dissolved in
water, will relieve the vomiting commonly present at
the start.  This may be given every three hours.  An
infusion made by putting half an ounce each of  pleu-
risy root, lady slipper and ginger in a pint of boiling
water, is excellent to soothe the nerves and soften the
skin.   A single teaspoonful every hour is usually suf-
ficient.  Medication by the stomach is often tiresome,
and  in its place injections  into the rectum may be
given to great advantage.  In fact, they can be relied
upon.  The above  infusion without the ginger may be 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          333
used mixed with strained barky broth, every three
hours.  The barley will sustain the strength.  If there
is a tendency to convulsions use lobelia herb in place
of  pleurisy root in  the injections, and always have
them retained as long as possible.   Camomile, queen
of  the meadow and blue cohosh, equal parts,  made
into a syrup, afford  an excellent tonic for convales-
cence.  Myrrh must be used freely in the injections
named above if  the tongue becomes dark and the dis-
charges  become offensive.
       FEVERS  (ERUPTIVE).—MEASLES.

                 Rubeola.  Morbili.

  This is a disease which few escape during childhood,
though it may be contracted by adults.  By many it is
believed to be a necessity that children should pass
through a spell of measles  in order to secure future
good health, and they therefore take opportunity to
expose them to the infection—for the disease is decid-
edly infectious.   Such a procedure  is not wise, for no
child should be thrust into danger.  Still children who
safely pass through a spell  of measles are more fortu-
nate than those who do not, for the disease is very sel-
dom fatal during childhood, while if contracted during
adult life it is far more apt  to be severe.
  The disease itself is simple, and under very favor-
able circumstances  recovery  w7ould follow naturally
after measles had run the usual course.  But circum-
stances are not  always favorable.  The condition of
the stomach and bowels may be such at the  onset that
complications arise  during the  disease, and unless
promptly attended  to  most  serious and   sometimes
fatal  diarrhceal  conditions arise  as  the  result  of
neglect.
  During measles there is always a tendency to irrita-
tion of the mucous membranes of the lungs,  so that
the least exposure to cold, or  to uneven te?nperature
or drafts may bring about bronchitis, or result in
pneumonia, either of which  is  exceedingly  dangerous
under the circumstances. 
334         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Again, neglect to keep  up a  proper surrounding
temperature during  the  period of the  eruption may
drive inward the excess of superficial blood along with
the  poisonous  material constituting the  eruption.
This being forced inward brings about unhealthy con-
ditions throughout the system which may continue for
many years, the person never being in good  health.
Though many  regain  health  as  long  as twenty  or
thirty or more years after the original  attack by cir-
cumstances which cause the eruption to re-appear after
so long a lapse of time.
  Care,  then, is the great desideratum in  a  case of
measles.   Being cautious to allow no exposure or risk
from cold, and to provide cleanliness and proper diet,
will almost insure speedy recovery from an uncompli-
cated case of measles.

  Symptoms.—The onset of measles may  be unnoticed,
though as a rule there is a  feeling of weariness; chil-
dren do not play as usual, and there is a chilly feeling
complained of,  and little desire for food.  Such condi-
tions last one  or two days, when the more  prominent
symptoms  commence.  These  are:   Blood-shot and
watery eyes, running at the nose, sneezing and  usually
a slight cough, a swollen look about the face and the
general indications of a cold.  These symptoms last
twro days or more, during which time  fever  starts up;
the temperature sometimes reaching 103°; but becom-
ing lower at times.  In severe cases the throat  may be
very sore and the  glands of the neck swollen.  As a
rule  the  tongue is  covered with a moist white fur,
through which  red  spots may be seen.  The pulse is
full,  strong and frequent; 100 to 140 beats per  minute,
according to age.

  The eruption occurs on the fourth day  of the  attack,
counting from the time of the chill.   It makes its ap-
pearance first on the forehead, looking very  much like
flea-bites, and feeling somewhat elevated.  These dots
become of a raspberry color, and as  they spread run
into  each  other,   forming  little   crescent-shaped
blotches.  From the forehead they extend over the
face  next, then over the chest and back, and occasion- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
335
 ally over the arms and legs, showing up at the wrists
 and on the feet.
  Fever increases with the eruption.   In twenty-four
 hours the raised feeling is gone, and in two days after
 the  eruption appears on the forehead it begins to
 fade—leaving in the order in which it came.  On the
 third day of the eruption it begins to  grow somewhat
 rough, and very small scales come off. On the fifth
 day of the eruption and  the ninth of the  attack, the
 eruption proper has disappeared, and in its place are
 slight yellowish spots which remain a few days, and
 in some cases for a week or more.  The fever abates
 as the scales come off (desquamation).   Earache, sore
 eyes, and bronchial troubles are to be expected during
 measles and guarded against.

  Treatment.—All signs point to the fact that Nature
 is making an effort to rid the system of some poison-
 ous material by forcing it out through the skin.  This
 manifest effort  on  the part  of  Nature must be our
 guide to  treatment, w7hich should have for its aim the
 aiding of this natural effort and the removal of  obsta-
 cles which might prevent it.
  (1.)  Keep the patient  warm,  though not  depress-
 ingly so.  An even temperature in the  room of about
 72  is good, but the air must be fresh.  Keep the room
 darkened to prevent irritating  the  sensitive  eyes.
 Avoid drafts.  Chilling v/ould close the pores  of the
 skin and, popularly speaking, "drive the measles in-
 ward," as mentioned,—a dangerous condition.
  (2.) Poisonous material endeavoring to  get out
 through the surface, the skin  should  be rendered as
 pliant  and open as  possible.  This  can  be accom-
 plished  simply by using  the  following:  Pulverized
 white root  (pleurisy root), one ounce;  pulverized  gin-
 ger, one-eighth ounce; pour upon this one pint of boil-
 ing water and sweeten.  Give one or two tablespoon-
 fuls every hour, according to age (not disturbing the
 patient in sleep) until a slight perspiration is  estab-
 lished; then give less frequently, or only when the sur-
face does not seem soft and  moist.  Some cases  will
need but  very little.  If there  is much nervousness
one-half ounce  of  pulverized  lady  slipper  can  be 
336         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
added.  In mild cases, in place of any  of the  above,
simple pennyroyal or sage tea may be  given.  If  the
bowels should be constipated give milk of magnesia or
syrup of rhubarb.  Don't use pills  for  there is natu-
rally a tendency to irritation of the bowels, which is
easily  aggravated.  Give  plenty of water (not  too
cold) to drink, and bathe the feet in hot water.  If  the
eruption is slow in coming, or if convulsion  should oc-
cur,  give a hot bath, rubbing the surface vigorously.
This treatment  will suffice in  nearly every case  of
measles, giving, for after treatment,  to soothe  the
mucous surface of the lungs as well as the bowels, a
little syrup of wild cherry.
  But complications may arise.  The eruption may  be-
come very dark,  almost black, and the bowels become
very loose.  In such cases  use composition  (see chap-
ter  on  formulas) one ounce,  and  boneset one-half
ounce; mix; steep a short time  in one pint  of  water;
give two  tablespoonfuls  every hour until relief  of
symptoms is manifested.   If there is any sign  of col-
lapse, such as coldness, during the dark eruption, give
a large injection of the composition in  starch  water.
Such a condition is extremely unlikely to occur.
  For diarrhoea, use neutralizing cordial or syrup of
wild cherry (see  formulas).
  For sore eyes make a weak tea of goldenseal, strain
very carefully and use as a wTash.
  If  there is great prostration  scullcap  (one ounce to
the pint of boiling water) is most excellent taken at
intervals.   Croup, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., arising
must be treated as mentioned for those difficulties else-
where.
  FEVERS (ERUPTIVE).—GERMAN  MEASLES.

            Rotheln.  Rubella.  Roseola.
  This is a very insignificant disease; but neverthe-
less  one that  should  be  recognized and  not trifled
with; for slight as it is, exposure to cold or neglect
might  induce  more serious trouble.  It is not an es-
pecially  contagious  disease, though it appears to be
epidemic  at times.   Indeed, it so closely  resembles 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          337

scarlet fever in  the  appearance of the rash when it
first is noticed, that many physicians make the mis-
take of pronouncing it scarlet  fever, causing conster-
nation and great trouble in the household.  And even
when the development of the  case  shows its nature
they will not retract their first statement and admit
their mistake.  Thus scarlet fever epidemics are often
largely composed of simple cases of German measles.
  Symplons.—There are usually no premonitory signs,
but the patient suddenly breaks out  in a scarlet rash
over the  entire body (least on the face and extremi-
ties).  The eruption  is rounded  and slightly raised.
It is often accompanied by a slight sore throat,  back-
ache and dizziness,  and  often a  little  nausea,  the
throat looking raw, and the eyelids usually somewhat
puffed.  The rash disappears, usually, inside of  three
days; frequently with very fine scales.   At such a
time catarrhal symptoms may occur, and trifling as
the malady is,  to catch cold then might lead to serious
lung troubles.
  Treatment.—Warmth, light diet and mild teas, such
as spearmint or  sage  or  pennyroyal, taken occasion-
ally, is all the  treatment necessary; and even the teas
may be dispensed with if the weather is warm and
there are  no complications.
  Having the  German measles does not exempt one
from afterward  contracting  the  genuine  measles.
Both usually occur in winter.
  Very often there is no fever at all worth noticing in
German measles; and  the rash may come and go for a
week, giving no  inconvenience whatever  beyond an
itching which becomes intolerable.  Such cases should
be sponged with hot water in which a little  borax or
cooking soda has  been dissolved.  Great  care  being
taken to dry thoroughly and to avoid cold.
     FEVERS (ERUPTIVE).—SCARLATINA.
                  Scarlet Fever.
  There is no disease more contagious than scarlet
fever, and its treacherous and fatal character makes it
imperative upon parents to take every precaution to 
338         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

guard against  its being contracted by  children; and
also  it becomes  the urgent duty of physicians and
nurses attending  cases to guard against its  spread  to
others.   It is a disease which may be carried great dis-
tances.   The bran-like scales or dust which peels off
the body as the eruption disappears is highly poison-
ous.  This dust may be carried on the clothing of vis-
itors, and it may  be  carried by dogs or cats or other-
wise, and loses none of its virulence by time.  But the
infection of scarlet  fever may extend from the first
elevation of temperature before  the  rash till five or
six weeks afterward.
  The patient should be isolated  at once, and the iso-
lation strictly maintained.  Bed clothing and  gar-
ments should either be destroyed or placed in water
containing  corrosive sublimate.   After the disease,
the apartment and all the furniture, bedding,  etc.,
should be thoroughly fumigated  by closing the room
tightly and burning in it two pounds of sulphur.  The
ordinary sulphur  candles  are the best means for such
fumigation.
  There  are three  general  forms of scarlet fever—
simple, anginose  and malignant—and these are sub-
ject to variations  of symptoms.  Epidemics  of the
disease are usually from four to  six years apart, and
one type or the other is most prevalent during any one
epidemic.  Unhygienic surroundings and bad living
will intensify  any case;  it is usually  mildest  during
summer;  and some persons seem to be  more  liable  to
contract  it than  others.   Children are  the  usual suf-
ferers, and those  having- once passed through the dis-
ease are  considered exempt from  a second attack.

  Simple  Scarlet Fever.—Symptoms.—The period of
invasion, that  is the time  intervening  between the
date  of exposure and the first manifestation  of the
eruption, varies from one  to ten days.   During this
period some  very  unpleasant conditions  arise.  A
sore throat with  painful swallowing  will usually  be
noticed first.  In  very young children convulsions may
occur. Great  paleness  is  noticed  and  vomiting  is
often a symptom.  Pain  in  the joints and muscles of
the limbs, frontal headache, sleepiness during the day 
             DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         339

 and sleeplessness at night or bad dreams are most fre-
 quent.
   Following such symptoms  there may be  a slight
 chilliness or severe chill, and a high fever may sud-
 denly startup—the temperature reaching 103° or 104°,
 and the pulse  rising to 120 or  135  inside of twelve
 hours.  (Children of about ten years are here consid-
 ered.)  The face becomes  greatly flushed, the throat
 becomes more  tender  on swallowing, the  neck stiff,
 and the pain in the limbs intensified.  A burning  sen-
 sation is experienced  over the  body,  there  is great
 thirst and restlessness.  The eyes are usually watery.
 Looking into the mouth, the tonsils will be found in-
 flamed  and swollen, and the tongue dry and furred
 (white or muddy).   At the tip of the tongue and some-
 times along the edges will be seen a peculiar condition
 resembling  the appearance of a strawberry.   This  is
 known  as •'strawberry7 tongue, " and is alwrays pres-
 ent in scarlet fever.
   The eruption occurs on the second day of the fever,
 though occasionally on the first.  It may first be seen
 on the upper part of the chest or on the neck, spread-
 ing  on  the  face and then  over  the body.  Often the
 face is puffy and  the  skin drawn, and wherever there
 is pressure, by lying  down or otherwise,  there is a
 bright scarlet appearance over that part of the body.
  In appearance scarlet fever eruption differs  from
 that of  other diseases.  Masses of little red  dots,
 about one-tenth of an inch in diameter, and of a bright
 scarlet  color appear  somewhat profusely close to-
 gether,  and usually soon run together in groups, form-
 ing irregular blotches, not  raised  above the surface,
 although often a minute point  is  observed in the spots
 at first.  The color of  the eruption is brighter in the
 evening than in the morning, and is at its height on
 the fourth day  after its appearance.  Pressing upon
 the scarlet blotches and then suddenly withdrawing
 the fingers will leave a wiiite or cream-colored mark;
 likewise drawing  the  finger-nail  through a  scarlet
 patch on the body will leave a white line.
  The temperature during the period of eruption may
reach 104c,  or  even 106° (110° has been known), the
skin will  be hot and dry,  and a burning and itching 
340
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sensation will be experienced; while the eyelids, face,
hands and feet are liable to be very puffy.
  The pulse frequency may reach 140 or 150 beats per
minute.  Its  character  depending upon the vital re-
sistance of the patient.
  The stomach during the eruptive period is very sensi-
tive, and a disagreeable sensation is complained of, as
a rule.  If there has been no vomiting  at the com-
mencement of the attack, there is liable at this stage
to be a peculiar  "thumping in the stomach" experi-
enced which is very annoying.
  Fading of the eruption usually commences on the even-
ing of the fourth day, and by the evening  of the sixth
day a complete disappearance of the eruption may be
expected.   The  temperature now falls, often  rather
abruptly,  to about 99° or 100°;  sometimes to the  nor-
mal and occasionally not belowT  101°,  especially if
there are complications to retard the natural recovery.
  The frequency of the pulse in typical cases decreases
with the temperature, though the volume may not be
full-—the fever having produced some prostration.
  Peeling of the cuticle (desquamation)  commences on the
seventh, eighth or ninth day after the first appearance
of the eruption.   Thin bran-like particles are plainly
manifest coming off of  the skin; sometimes  they are
very abundant,  and masses  of them cling together,
forming apparent scales.  They are very light  and
fluffy and for that reason the greatest  precautions
must be taken to prevent their being scattered over
garments  or being blown by drafts into  other apart-
ments while  opening the doors.  This desquamation
process goes  on for one or two weeks, frequently suc-
cessive layers of  cuticle being peeled off.
  The  kidneys are liable  to  be troubled  during the
period of  desquamation.  They become engorged with
blood and are inflamed,  almost as though the scales
were present in the tubes.  It is at this  period  that
kidney difficulties may have their origin; likewise con-
ditions may  now arise  which  will later  on, after re-
covery seems established, terminate in a  sudden and
frequently fatal  dropsy.   The relief from violent fever
and the rapid fading of the eruption should not deceive
the patient or nurse into thinking the  danger past. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
341
Indeed, the greatest  period  of danger has just com-
menced, and too great vigilance  cannot be  exercised
against cold,  over-eating and over-exertion.  Muddy
urine, abundant  in quantity,  should now  be noticed,
and should be regarded as a good sign.
  The bowels,  which have been usually constipated dur-
ing the period of eruption, become free during desqua-
mation; probably amounting to diarrhoea.
  Such are the general symptoms of a simple case of
scarlet fever.  Occasionally  the  disease  appears in
even a milder form, but  all the symptoms mentioned
may be noticed, although they  may not be marked.
Indeed, cases may occur wiiere the patient does not
feel it necessary to be in bed more than a jjday  or  so.
Nevertheless, the greatest precautions must be taken
in even the lightest forms.  The treatment here given
is for a typical case of a child aged about ten years.
In younger children quantities  may be lessened, or
they may be increased for adults.  Alw7ays  judgment
should be exercised in dosing, temperament and sever-
ity being considered.

  Treatment.—The first thing to do, if the  bowels have
not moved freely when the eruption appears, is to
give an injection of boneset,  one-half ounce, in one
pint of boiling  water; steep, strain and cool till luke
warm,  and add  two teaspoonfuls of sugar.   During
the eruption pills should not  be given, for the liver is
seldom at fault.  But daily evacuations of the bowels
should be secured by using  either milk or citrate of
magnesia, castor oil, Rochelle salts, syrup of rhubarb
or enemas,  as above.
  The temperature of the room should be maintained
at about 72;, and it should be well ventilated. Always
isolate the patient, even if no other children be in the
house, for, as stated before, the infection may perme-
ate  clothing,  furniture, etc., and  be dangerous to vis-
itors for months to come.
  Bathing,  if the skin is  hot, should be pursued once
or twice a day, making- sure the water is warm to the
touch, though not hot.   Don't expose the whole body
at once, and dry  gently without rubbing.  It is good to
annoint the body with  fresh cocoanut  oil  or goose 
342         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.

grease, but never use lard or salves.  Where there is
much itching and an intense burning sensation, witch
hazel extract will be found  very  soothing and  most
beneficial in place of oil.  A single  garment, prefer-
ably a gown of cotton,  should be  worn, and  the bed
coverings should be warm but not heavy.
  Diet should be very simple.  Thin gruels are usually
relished.  Sea-moss farina,  or the sea-moss prepared
as a thin, warm blanc-mange is wonderfully nourish-
ing and  soothing.  The  liquor from  raw oysters or
oyster soup is good;  and,  if  agreeable, onion broth
with milk is excellent.  These are merely suggestive
of the character of foods to be given.  Dry toast, oat
meal, meats and all  concentrated  foods or  soggy
dishes should be avoided.  As a drink lemonade is ex-
cellent,  and it may be given cold,  though not  much at
a time.   Even a lump of ice may be held in the mouth
for a short time during  the  high  fever.   Malted milk
is relished and  nourishing, either  hot or cold.  Never
overload the stomach—it is far better to feed  lightly
every three hours, if there is a demand  for nourish-
ment.
  Medication.—During the fever and  eruption  use  an
infusion of the following:

  Take Pulv. Pleurisy  Root..........one ounce.
        "   Ladyslipper...........one-half ounce.
        "   Queen of the Meadow.. .one-quarter ounce.
        "   Ginger ...............one-quarter ounce.
  Mix and steep in one pint of water: strain and sweeten
and give one or  two tablespoonfuls every two hours during
ivaking hours.

  For the throat use a spray of golden-seal (two table-
spoonfuls to the pint of boiling water),  with borax (a
teaspoonful)  added.   This  may be given every two
hours, or  it may be  taken  as  a  gargle.  About the
neck should be worn a thin  band of flannel, moistened
with stimulating liniment, if the  soreness or stiffness
is great.   After the eruption, and  during the period of
desquamation,  the following  infusion  can be  used
every two or four hours in tablespoonful doses: 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
343
    Take Pulv. Goldenseal.........one-quarter ounce.
        Queen of the Meadow.....one-quarter ounce.
        Blue Cohosh.............one-quarter ounce.
        Ginger.................one-quarter ounce.
  Mix.  Steep in one pint of boiling watc

  It is a good plan during desquamation to anoint the
body with refined vaseline every day, being sure to
wash it off before making another application—using
castile soap.  This use of vaseline aids in preventing
the fluffy scales from being scattered about.

  Anginose Scarlet  Fever is a most serious form of
the disease;  the throat symptoms predominating, and
all the symptoms of simple scarlet fever being inten-
sified.  The  mouth and  tonsils appear dark red, and
swallowing  is very difficult.   The mucus in the mouth
and throat is viscid, and  there is a tendency to ulcer-
ation; small ulcerous spots often being visible on the
fourth day.  These spots spread and the  pus which
fills them becomes acrid, and mingling with the thick
phlegm renders it putrescent, and it turns dark browm,
covering  the tongue and teeth, and filling the nostrils,
as it dries, with filthy scales.  The pus in the nostrils
often backs up into the eustachian tube  (the canal
from the  throat to the middle  ear) and  thus  getting
into the  middle  ear, causes deafness, and  if it  burst
the ear drum, results  in permanent deafness.   Some-
times  the purulent  pus  reaches  the  stomach and
causes  ulceration,  and  abscesses under  the jaw, or
elsewhere, are common.
  It is manifest that such a  condition of affairs is ex-
ceedingly dangerous,  and that most strenuous meas-
ures should be resorted  to from the start.  There  is
no better addition to the treatment given  for simple
cases than myrrh.  To the infusion used for the erup-
tive stage add one teaspoonful  of compound tincture
of myrrh. About the throat place flannel saturated
with strong stimulating liniment.   As  a  spray use
borax, one-half teaspoonful to a cup of strong golden-
seal infusion, with one-half a teaspoonful of compound
tincture of myrrh added.  Also spray up the nostrils
hydrogen peroxide diluted one-half with  water.  This 
344
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
should be done every three or four hours, and after it
is used an  ointment  made of vaseline with  a  little
powdered borax may be put in the nostrils  by the
finger.
  If there is great pain and swelling under the ears,
poultices may be applied, made  with ground flaxseed
moistened with water containing compound tincture of
myrrh and sprinkled over with pulverized goldenseal
and kept soft by glycerine.  The patient should be
given a tablespoonful of strong infusion  of composi-
tion (see formulas) every three hours, and a teaspoon-
ful of powdered composition should be added to the in-
fusion mentioned to be used during the period of des-
quamation in simple cases.
  Sometimes about the fourth or fifth day the  putres-
cent phlegm and crusts crowd the throat and fill the
stomach.  This will cause death unless attended to at
once.  The quickest and most effectual  way to  over-
come this dangerous condition is to administer a stim-
ulating emetic (see chapter on Emetics), and repeat it
every7 twelve hours, till there is a  marked change for
the better.  Two or three such emetics will work won-
ders towards recovery.
  The diet in the anginose variety must be very  nour-
ishing.   Broths are advisable and they may be highly
seasoned. The bowels require strict attention.  Senna
and ginger in infusion may be given.

  Malignant Scarlet Fever seldom occurs.  In this
form the nervous system seems overwhelmed from the
start;  restlessness and delirium  of  a low grade may
occur early and run into stupor and  muttering delir-
ium.   The eruption is slow,  of short  duration and
scattered, soon turning to purple spots.  The finger
nails are blue, the temperature  varies and  may fall
below normal suddenly; the pulse is small and ranges
about 140 or 150.   There may  be bloody diarrhoea or
bloody  vomiting.  Throat trouble is usually slight.
Such a condition is rapidly fatal, and death may occur
in from two  to four days.
  Treatment must be rapid, and vigorously carried out.
Give injections to the bowels of powdered blue cohosh,
composition and scullcap, each one teaspoonful, steeped 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          345

in a pint of boiling water and strained,  and one tea-
spoonful of tincture of myrrh added.   Give one such
injection at tepid heat every hour until improvement
is manifested.  Apply to the spine,  especially the
upper portion, a liniment made as follows:

    Take Tincture of Black Cohosh.......two ounces.
        Tincture of Lobelia.............two ounces.
        Essence of Ginger..............one ounce.
        Essence of Origanum...........one ounce.
  Mix, and apply every three hours.

  If the kidneys do  not act  freely, make an infusion
of one ounce of burdock seed in a pint of boiling w7a-
ter  and add a tablespoonful of the  above liniment.
Saturate cloths with this and  apply  hot in the region
of the kidneys.  Hot sponge  baths, of a temperature
of 95°, should be given every ten hours, and perfect
quiet enjoined.
  If convalescence is established, a tonic of the fluid
extracts of  goldenseal, peruvian bark and scullcap,
each two drachms, in four ounces of syrup of ginger,
may be given every three hours; and extraordinary
precautions  taken against relapse.

  Complications.—There may  be serious difficulties
following  an  attack of   scarlet  fever,  which  need
prompt  attention to avoid serious results.
  Dropsy.—This may occur early or  as  late  as six
weeks after the eruption.  Use freely an infusion  of
pleurisy root  and  composition, each one-half  ounce,
and scullcap,  one-quarter ounce, in  a pint infusion.
Every  three hours  a  strong tea of peach  leaves,
goldenseal and queen of the meadow will increase the
action of the kidneys and sustain the system.  Over
the entire body may be rubbed every six hours the lin-
iment named under anginose scarlet fever.
  Deafness.— During painful inflammation of the  mid-
dle ear,  relief  may be obtained by saturating a piece
of cotton with tincture of lobelia and inserting it in
the  ear.  If glandular swellings  are present use  a
syrup made by adding sugar to a strong infusion of 
346         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

yellowdock  roots and burdock  seeds.  This may be
given every three hours.
  Rheumatism, bronchial difficulties and other difficul-
ties must be treated according to their nature; treat-
ment being given elsewhere in their respective places.
  Always bear in mind that scarlet fever in any form,
no matter how light, cannot be trifled with.   Danger-
ous symptoms are liable to manifest themselves at any
moment.  And fatal sequences  may  arise as late as
six weeks after the disappearance of the eruption in
the simplest cases.
      FEVERS  (ERUPTIVE).—SMALL-POX.
                     Variola.
  There is no other disease,  except cholera, that is so
much dreaded by Americans as small-pox.  Its filth,
suffering and virulence render it an especially fright-
ful malady, and  one which requires every precaution
to be taken against its contraction.
  It  is an undeniable fact that small-pox is not near so
prevalent or fatal as it was a hundred and more years
ago,  but it does not follow that this fact is due to the
discovery and practice  of vaccination.   Small-pox is
regarded by all  as essentially  a filth disease, propa-
gated and intensified  by unsanitary conditions, and it
is always most fatal  among the lower classes and in
neighborhoods where the least  regard is paid to hygi-
enic  considerations.
  It  is only during the last century that especial atten
tion  has been given to the question of sanitary science
and  that individuals and municipalities have endeav-
ored to evade disease by adopting proper methods of
living and sanitary regulations. Such efforts have re-
sulted in keeping  our country  free from cholera epi-
demics for many years,  although formerly it was sup-
posed that cholera was an inevitable scourge to be vis-
ited  upon us periodically about every seventeen years.
There has been no  vaccination to  secure immunity
from cholera, and physicians  as  well as the general
public rejoice in the fact that by  proper precautions
and  sanitary regulations the scourge has been so long 
             DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         347

 evaded, and all realize that negligence  in these mat-
 ters in time of danger  may ag^ain allow its develop-
 ment.  Probably it is a matter of great regret to many
 physicians and others  that some one did not long ago
 introduce some method of vaccination against cholera,
 to  which could  have  been ascribed  the  "stamping
 out" of the disease, and  wiiich might even now and in
 the future be a source  of revenue to the medical pro-
 fession.
  It is the author's candid opinion,  based  upon large
 experience and observation, that vaccination does not
 give the least protection against small-pox, but on the
 contrary it increases the liability.   See  the articles on
 Cow-pox and Vaccination.
  Cleanliness, proper habits of life, and, in short, the
 observance of hygienic rules, will prove the most ef-
 fective  means of escaping small-pox during  an epi-
 demic.  Those who  are  compelled to  expose them-
 selves to the disease will do well to take pains never
 to enter the small-pox room when  fatigued or when
 the stomach is empty.  The most contagious stage of
 small-pox is when the pustules  are  bursting.  Before
 the eruption appears there is no danger.  The scabs
 and the  scales are capable of  conveying small-pox
 even a  year or  two after they were shed.   Persons
 who have once had small-pox are not likely to have it
 a second time, although many such cases are recorded.

  Symptoms.—From the time the  poison enters the sys-
 tem and commences to  affect the org-anism until the
 termination of the malady, the  symptoms manifested
 may be divided into five periods:

  1.   Incubation.—Literally, this is the "hatching"
 period, and lasts from the time  of exposure until act-
 ive signs of small-pox become apparent.  Its duration
 is variable.  In rare instances it  has been as short as
 eight days, and  occasionally it  has extended over a
 period of sixteen or more days, when there were pecul-
 iar  circumstances  which influenced  delay.   Nearly
 all cases of small-pox  develop  in ten or twelve days
after exposure, and if the disease does not develop in-
side of three weeks after direct  exposure, the danger 
348
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
from that exposure will be past.  During the period of
incubation there may be  no marked disturbance, but
usually there is a feeling of  lassitude and loss  of ap-
petite, but nothing that wrould indicate the nature of
the difficulty.
  2.  Invasion.-—Without warning there will be chilli-
ness or a pronounced and  severe chill, followed by
fever of  a high grade  and  severe headache and in-
tense pain in the small  of the back,  and usually
aching of the joints and a feeling of  great prostration
and realization that severe illness is at hand.   There
will be vomiting, or at least  nausea  and great  thirst.
The tongue will be found covered with white fur and
red at the tip and edges.  The  pulse will be very full
and very frequent, and every  indication of Nature's
effort to eliminate poisonous  material and to  over-
come obstructions of a serious  nature  may be  recog-
nized.  The temperature  during the  first day may
reach 104° or 105°, and by the second day 106° or even
107° may be reached.  Children and  sometimes  adults
become delirious or may have convulsions.   The bow-
els are constipated,  except  in unusual  cases,  when
diarrhoea may occur.  Sometimes a slight scarlet rash
may come over the surface of the body for a few hours
or days.   This period of invasion usually lasts three
days,  though in mild cases  it  may last four days.
When typhoid conditions are present there may be no
eruption for a week or more.

  3.  Eruption.—After three days, or occasionally four
days, of  almost unabated high fever,  the eruption of
small-pox makes  its  appearance. At once the  fever
abates and the temperature may fall to normal within
a few hours; headache and pain will  cease and a sense
of complete relief will  be experienced.  A moist skin
and a quiet, peaceful  sleep and even a desire for food
will add to the general indications of relief.
  The eruption first appears upon the face in the form
of little  red points which feel hard beneath the sur-
face.  As a rule they are first noticed on the forehead,
about the roots of  the hair;  then about the mouth and
over the  neck; and within  twenty-four hours they
have pretty well covered the entire body.  By the end 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          349
 of the third day after its appearance the eruption con-
 sists of masses of elevated pimples, surrounded by in-
 flamed tissue.  Ordinarily these pimples are dull red
 and separated; but in severe cases they may be dark
 or  purplish or they may run together into masses.
 Frequently the eruption  appears  in the  mouth and
 nose and throat, affecting the mucous membrane, and
 often interfering with swallowing and causing trouble-
 some cough.

  4.  Suppuration.—Usually upon the fourth day of the
 eruption, the pimples fill  with a whitish  fluid which
 gradually turns yellow as they contain pus, and their
 upper surfaces become depressed.  When suppuration
 commences, fever again sets in  and suffering recom-
 mences.  The face becomes swrollen and the eyes very
 sensitive to light.  In severe cases the eyes will be al-
 most closed and the hands and feet  greatly swollen.
 Tough phlegm will get  into the throat and air pas-
 sages and almost cause  suffocation.  By the seventh
 day of the eruption, the pustules  begin to burst and
 cause a peculiarly  offensive odor.   There will be great
 weakness and frequently lung  troubles  during this
 period, and death may follow neglect.

  5.   Dessication.—About  the  eleventh day  of the
 eruption, scabs begin to form on the pustules, and in
 three or four days  these drop off and are followed by
 thin scales which in turn also  drop off, only to be fol-
 lowed by thinner ones, and these in turn by others for
 possibly three or four  weeks.  Finally there is left a
 depressed scar, at  first purple  in color, but gradually
 fading until simple scars or pox-marks are left.  These
 are usually confined chiefly to the face.


  Confluent small-pox is recognized early by the run-
 ning together of the pimples, and the formation of
 large  pustules  amounting, perhaps, to abscesses, and
 becoming very offensive.  All through the  course of
the malady, the symptoms of the confluent  variety are
much  more  severe than  the simple  or discrete form.
Confluent small-pox is dangerous and is apt to be fol-
lowed by glandular or scrofulous difficulties. 
350
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
   Malignant  or Hemorrhagic—This is a very fatal
 form of the disease, although by prompt and vigorous
 treatment  recovery may follow.  The stage of incu-
 bation of  hemorrhagic small-pox is usually  shorter
 than that of the simple form; but all the symptoms of
 the other periods are much  more severe.  About the
 fourth day dark spots appear over  the abdomen and
 limbs  and soon cover the body, giving  a black-and-
 blue appearance.   There  may be bleeding  from the
 nose and mouth, and bloody urine and blood  in the
 faeces.  The pulse  becomes very  frequent and weak
 and the temperature falls.  The  pustules may  become
 filled with  blood and hemorrhages  take place from
 them.  In these cases death usually occurs in less than
 ten days from the  first day of the eruption.  Malig-
 nant small-pox is also knowrn as Black Small-pox.

  Varioloid.—This is essentially a mild form of small-
 pox, w7hich may affect persons exposed to the  disease
 who have their systems in a comparatively good con-
 dition or who  have  formerly suffered from small-pox.
 The symptoms are not as severe as those of the ordi-
 nary variety; there is no fever during suppuration, and
 the whole difficulty is  over within two weeks.  It is
 very rarely fatal, but it usually  gives  immunity from
 small-pox,  although  persons  may contract genuine
 small-pox from exposure to varioloid cases.

  Small-pox  Fever.—During an  epidemic of  small-
 pox many persons may have all the symptoms  pecul-
 iar to the stage of invasion, only milder in character,
 and escape the ordinary sequences of  pustular erup-
 tion.  Such cases usually indicate a good previous con-
 dition of the S}7stem, and others very rarely contract
 the disease from them.  Whatever eruption occurs is
 more like that of measles or scarlet  fever, and the
 difficulty seldom lasts beyond a few days.

  Treatment.—After exposure to small-pox a  person
 should do everything possible to  keep the system in
good order. Bathing  should be performed daily in
water of an agreeable  temperature;  diet should be
wholesome but not too heavy—fruits and vegetables 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
351
are best; the bowels must be kept open, and excesses
of all kinds should be avoided.
  When it is reasonably certain that small-pox has de-
veloped, allow it to take its course and maKe all prep-
arations accordingly.   (See article on Contagious Dis-
ease, page 124.)  The great  majority of cases ot  sim-
ple small-pox  would recover were Nature allowed to
use  her own  best efforts  under favorable  circum-

  The favorable circumstances for small-pox patients
are, cleanliness, good nursing, a  darkened room, full
and  free  ventilation,  and  an even  temperature ot
about  62°,—never over   68°  if  it  can  be  avoided.
Clothing  and  bedding should be frequently changed.
The  diet  should be  very light, such as broths,  milk,
gruel, sea-moss farina, malted milk and similar  arti-
cles  given frequently in small amounts.
  During  the fever stage allow plenty of cold lemon-
ade or cold w7ater, and frequently sponge the face and
hands or the whole body with warm water containing
a little bi-carbonate of soda.  If there is constipation
give milk of magnesia or some  other preparation to
gently move the bowels.  If the surface is very hot
and dry, promote perspiration by giving freely an in-
fusion of pleurisy root,  one ounce,  and ginger, one-
eighth ounce,  to a pint of boiling water.
  If the throat is sore, use a spray or gargle of borax
in goldenseal  infusion.  If there is delirium and great
restlessness,  administer  injections to the bowels  of
catnip and lady-slipper infusion every four  hours.  If
there is great prostration  use  as a  tonic sulphate of
hydrastia and salicin, each one grain, in a  capsule,
every three hours.  If there is a malignant tendency
use  composition infusion very freely.   During the
stage of suppuration, in all cases, a tonic  is usually
needed, such  as the frequent use of infusion of blue
cohosh and ginger.
  The eruption then may be intolerable itching which
may be allayed by covering the whole face with a mix-
ture of potters' clay and  sweet oil; or witch hazel ex-
tract may be used.
  To avoid pitting, the pustules may be pricked with
a fine needle as soon  as  they become ripe—about the 
352         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

fourth day—and squeezing out the contents.  Protect
the eyes from light and allow perfect quietude.  Dur-
ing convalescence use the compound gentian syrup
(see formulas).
  If the  directions  for  contagious diseases  are  fol-
lowed there  will be  little  danger  of  the   disease
spreading.
  Varioloid  seldom needs more than the close observ-
ance of the  hygienic regulations mentioned, and pos-
sibly the use of the  pleurisy root and ginger infusion.
The same may be said of small-pox fever.
  Articular  rheumatism, nervous  troubles, blindness
or deafness may follow ill-managed cases of small-pox.
Fevers (Eruptive).—Varicella.—See Chicken-pox.
        FEVER (ERUPTIVE)  DIAGNOSIS.

   How to Correctly Distinguish  Eruptive Fevers.
  It often becomes most important to recognize at an
early date the precise nature  of eruptive  fevers.
Much anxiety and serious consequences to others may
be averted by  a  knowledge of the  disease present.
The  following  table of early prominent symptoms,
placed together for comparison, will be found conven-
ient for ready reference.

  Measles.—Watery and blood-shot eyes, sneezing
and  catarrhal  symptoms  with cough.  Temperature
seldom over 102°, falling in the mornings.   Symptoms
commence in eight  or  fourteen days  after exposure;
usually on the twelfth  day.
  Eruption usually on the fourth day of fever, first on
the forehead and face  and then downward, like cres-
cent-shaped flea bites,  running together.   Rash con-
tinues four or five days; disappears first from the fore-
head and face; countenance  swollen during the rash.
Fever always increases during  the eruption.

  Small-pOX.—Symptoms usually commence ten  or
twelve days after exposure.   Sudden chill followed by 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
353
high fever, temperature 105° to  107°  within twenty-
four hours, with almost no abatement.   Great pain in
the small of the back and joints;  nausea or vomiting
and severe headache.
  Eruption usually appears on the third day, as minute
red points at the roots of the hair, feeling hard be-
neath the surface.   In three days more the  pimples
fill with fluid and are depressed on the top, and about
the seventh day of the eruption  the  pustules  burst.
Fever and pain suddenly  cease when the rash appears.

  Scarlet  Fever.—Symptoms  commence  in  from
three to seven days after exposure, without any pre-
monitory signs.  There will  be vomiting, rapid  pulse
and high fever.   Temperature rises quickly to 105° or
106°.  Throat sore  and swallowing usually difficult.
  Eruption  appears in from twelve  to twenty-four
hours, first on the neck and chest, in the form of small
red spots, running together and not raised.  It  fades
in five or six days.  The fever continues during the
rash.  The tongue has a  strawberry  appearance at the tip.

  Chicken-pOX.—Symptoms of very light fever com-
mence in four or five days after exposure.
  Eruption appears  with the fever as small round pim-
ples scattered over the  body; they are not flattened
like small-pox pimples, and  soon  fill with clear fluid.
Very frequently there will be no fever.

  German Measles.—This is a rash resembling both
measles and scarlet fever.  There is no fever, but pos-
sibly nausea and dizziness.   Rash lasts about  three
days and  may be  followed  by catarrhal  symptoms.
Sometimes there is slight fever during the  rash.
                FEVER—GLAND.
              Acute Cervical Adenitis.
  This disease is characterized by acute inflammatory
swellings of the glands of the neck,  accompanied by
fever.  Males are more frequently attacked than fe-
males,  and the difficulty seems to be infectious, as 
354         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE
when one child in  a family suffers the others usually
suffer also.  It is chiefly a disease of early childhood.

  Symptoms.—For about a week before the marked and
characteristic symptoms of the disease there will be a
general indisposition, with  loss of appetite and con-
stipation.  Then suddenly  there will  be  chilliness
with possible vomiting, followed by very high fever,
the temperature usually  reaching 103°.   The pulse
will become frequent and the face flushed.  The glands
of the neck  will become enlarged, and may be dis-
tinctly seen and felt just beneath the ears, usually on
both sides, resembling mumps in appearance.  The
neck is painful, though  there are no throat symptoms
beyond  some internal  redness.  A feeling of great
weakness sets in.  The fever will  persist intermit-
tently for one or two weeks and the glandular swell-
ings will continue from two  to six or  more weeks;
fever being high during the afternoons, while in the
mornings the child will feel  greatly  relieved.  The
tongue will be coated  and there will be marked con-
stipation.  When the fever  subsides the appetite will
increase  and strength gradually return.  Sufferers
from gland fever lose flesh rapidly and look very pale
except during the  hours of fever.  Recovery will fol-
low unless serious complications should arise.

  Treatment.—At the start open the bowels with anti-
bilious physic (see formulas), or some other active ca-
thartic.  Give an infusion of pleurisy root and ginger
during the hours of fever; and at other times admin-
ister  scullcap  and gentian.  Sustain  the system by
malted milk  or other  light and nourishing diet and
keep  the bowels open  by using a mild  laxative or
aperient  (see  Cathartics).   Equal parts of tinctures of
calendula and ginger may be  applied to the swollen
glands.
          FEVER FROM  INDIGESTION.

                  Stomach Fever.
  Children,  and grown folks as well, are very liable
to over-eat,  or to eat some  forms of food wThich do not 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
355
asrree with them; and as a natural consequence there
follows a disturbance in the stomach.  Sometimes the
excess of food irritates the  stomach so quickly that
vomiting is very soon evoked, and the disturbing con-
tents ejected.  But most frequently the food remains
in the stomach  and creates  mischief, which in itselt
may be slight, but may nevertheless lead to anxiety
unless its true nature is recognized.

  Symptoms.— Preceding stomach fever there is  very
seldom any perceptible chill, a sudden  and general
paleness being the only sign of depression.  This pale-
ness may come on at any time, though frequently just
before commencing to eat, when the nervous depres-
sion takes away the appetite and may cause food to be
revolting.  The paleness does not last long, and is
quickly followed  by a flush; the  cheeks of children
may become very bright.   The tongue  has  a  thin
white coating and is usually moist, often having pin-
head dots of red.   The surface is not dry, although it
may feel very hot at times, but the hotness is not con-
stant,  it varies frequently in a short time, and there
may be several periods of paleness and flushing dur-
ing the course of a day, and at night, especially with
nervous children, there may be delirium.
  These symptoms may appear alarming  in some re-
spects, but the skin will be found soft and pliant and
perspiration easily induced, while the pulse, although
increased  in frequency from  ten to twenty beats, is
full and soft and regular, and denotes no serious diffi-
culty.

  Treatment.—If there  is a tendency to  vomiting,  a
drink of lukewarm salt water will aid in hastening it,
and relief will be quickly obtained.  Where it is man-
ifest the stomach  is overloaded and  sour,  a simple
emetic (see chapter on emetics) should be given, other-
wise a neutralizing cordial (see formulas) should be ad-
ministered every two hours during wakefulness.  It
should also be given  after the emetic, if that is given.
An attack of  stomach fever may last from one to four
or five days and  is always inconstant.  Plain and
light food should be  given,  and  the child allowed to 
356
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
sleep, w7hich it is prone to  do.  A little syrup of wild
cherry is good if there is  much  weakness following
the attack.
Filaria.—See article on Guinea Worm.

Fish-Skin  Disease.—See article on Ichthyosis.

Fissures.—See Anus Diseases.

Fistula.—See Anus, Diseases of.
                    FISTULA.

                  Recto--Urethral.
  This is caused by abscess between  the  rectum and
urethra, thus forming an opening between them.  The
symptoms  are  passages of faeces with the urine and
occasionally urine passing fiom the  bowels.  The
bladder should be evacuated by lying upon the belly,
and  then frequent injections  to  the  bowels of some
mild astringent, such as raspberry leaves and witch
hazel and myrrh.  Persistence will usually cause heal-
ing of the fistula, along with healing of the abscess,
which as a rule  has an external  opening.  When not
thus healed a surgical operation  must be resorted to.

                      Urinary.
  Occasionally canals or fistulas are found running
from the urethra to various parts of the surface. Their
openings may be  in  the perineum,  on the thighs or
buttocks, or even above the share bone.  During urin-
ation the urine flows through these openings.   Strict-
ure of the urethra is the usual cause of urinary fistula.
The urine being unable to  flow through  the  natural
channel, nature makes another,  sometimes several.
These fistulas may be short and straight canals, or they
may be very tortuous.

  Treatment.—It is of greatest importance to sustain
the strength by  nourishing diet  and rigid  hygienic 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          357

measures.   If stricture is present, its  removal by in-
troduction of the urethral sound  will give a  natural
canal for the urine and the fistulas will heal  of them-
selves.   Sometimes  the  fistulas  become  degenerate,
when they will require expert surgical treatment and
the continued use  of the catheter to avoid urine flow-
iug through them.  Weak solutions of caustic potash
injected daily may produce sufficient action to heal de-
generate fistulas.
  Flatulency.—See article on Colic.

  Flux.—See article on Dysentery.

  Follicular Pharyngitis.  See  article on  Throat
Diseases.

  Follicular Tonsilitis.—See article on Tonsillitis.
               GALACTORRHOEA.
              Excessive Flow of Milk.
  Occasionally the breasts of women continue to flow
after they have ceased to suckle or between intervals
of nursing,  causing  great annoyance  and  probable
weakness.  Such a condition may be caused  by irrita-
tion of the breasts or nipples  by pressure  or other-
wise, when removing the source of irritation will stop
the difficulty.
  When the extraordinary flow is caused by an unus-
ually  large  quantity of  milk  during  nursing,  the
breast pump may be applied to advantage.  When the
fault lies in  very soft and relaxed nipples they may
be anointed with an ointment of  one drachm of tannic
rubbed into an ounce of  vaseline.
  When the  flow  continues  long  after  a  child is
weaned  astringent drinks should be used, such as
strong infusion of raspberry leaves.  Occasionally the 
358
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
difficulty is caused by  general  weakness, when the
flow becomes  exhaustive.   Such  cases  should  be
treated by using the compound syrup of mitchella (see
formulas).  This difficulty is often very obstinate.
                 GALL-STONES.

                  Biliary Calculi.
  These are accumulations of hardened bile within the
gall-bladder or in the  bile ducts.   Persons in middle
life and old age are most liable, especially those who
are of a bilious temperament, who  have lived in ma-
larial sections,  or who  have been troubled by consti-
pation or liver troubles, or who have eaten largely of
animal foods.   Their origin may be  due to simply dry-
ing out (inspissation) of the bile, altered  characteris-
tics of the fluid or accumulation about a nucleus of
mucus or other material.  The size  of the stones vary
from  that  of a grain  of wheat to that of a hickory
nut.  If large,  there are rarely more than two or three
present, and if  very small, there may be two hundred.
They usually develop very slowly and give but little
trouble until they  commence to be evacuated, when
they  irritate the passages  or become  lodged in the
gall-duct.

   Symptoms.—The  paroxysms of pain  which occur
when the gall-stones are striving to leave the bladder
are excruciating in character and very exhausting.
They may  come on regularly every few days or weeks
or months.  Sometimes they result in  evacuations,
and at other  times  the calculi are unable to pass
through the duct.  An attack commences with dull
pain under the right ribs, usually after  eating or ex-
ertion.   The pain soon grows sharp and  intense, of  a
griping and boring character, extending to the abdo-
men and shoulder.  There  may be vomiting  of  food
and mucus, and occasionally chills and  convulsions,
but no fever.   The face is pale, and  when the calculi
become  fastened  in the  passages there will be jaun-
dice; often the whole  surface of the body is cold and
covered with perspiration. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          359
  Such symptoms may last for hours or for days be-
 fore the stones are evacuated, and then when they en-
 ter the small intestine (duodenum) the pain suddenly
 ceases and the jaundice disappears  and intense relief
 is experienced, although there is great prostration and
 weakness.   Occasionally a gall-stone may be of such
 large size  or  of such roughened character as  to be-
 come firmly lodged in the duct and  thus cause suppu-
 ration and death,   unless  surgical interference  is
 prompt.
  Gall-stones are usually  green or brown, but may be
 varied in color.  They may be soapy and greasy to the
 touch, or hard or friable; they may be round or flat or
 oval, and  smooth  or roughened  or wrarty.  A very
 small angular calculus may cause graat pain, and one
 large one may be followed by numerous small ones.
 The discharges  from  the  bowels  after  a paroxysm
 should be carefully searched for the gall-stones.

  Treatment.—During an attack relaxation must be the
 aim, so that the stones may be readily passed.  Over
 the region of  the liver place a large fomentation of
 lobelia seed and flax-seed and keep it warm.  Every
 hour give an injection of half an ounce each of lobelia
 herb and lady-slipper  in a quart of starch water and
 have  it retained as  long as possible.  By the mouth
 administer  small doses of  an infusion of pleurisy root
 and spearmint every half hour.  The stones will  be
 discharged  and  relief  follow.  After an  attack the
 bowels must be  kept freely open by liver pills, and
general treatment for congestion of  the liver pursued.
The stones  are liable  to  be formed frequently unless
such methods are adopted.
                   GANGLION.
                  Weeping Sinew.
  These are movable tumors frequently noticed on the
back of the wrist or upper part of the foot, varying
in size from a pea to a hen's  egg.   They are fibrous
sacs containing  a watery or jelly-like fluid.  Being
situated directly over a  tendon they are often de- 
360         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

scribed as tumors of the tendon's sheath.   They are at
times unsightly and may cause pain and  even  weak-
ness.  The simplest way to get rid of these tumors is
breaking them by a sharp blow, the patient's wrist be-
ing flexed over the operator's  knee.  Sometimes they
are punctured or squeezed sharply against the bone.
They are liable to recur and may necessitate wearing
a rubber bandage.  After one  has been broken, witch
hazel extract may be applied and a pad and  bandage
worn for a few days.
                   GANGRENE.

                   Mortification.
  This is decay or death  of soft tissues of the body,
brought  about as  the  result  of  injury  or  disease.
Crushing or pressure, burns, corrosions by acids and
frost bites are often followed by gangrene.  The dis-
eased conditions liable to precede it  are  carbuncles,
anaemia, interruptions to arterial flow, poisoning, and
all  circumstances leading to  a  diminished flow  of
biood to a  part.  Two forms of gangrene are recog-
nized—moist and dry.
  Moist gangrene is always preceded by inflammation.
Then the parts become bluish or black and soggy, and
are  insensible to stimulating applications.   There
may be constitutional symptoms such as pain, sleep-
lessness, prostration and feeble and  frequent  pulse.
The decayed portion becomes separated from the rest
as a "slough," beneath  which is ulceration,  which
gradually  heals, or gangrene  may be extensive and
prove  rapidly fatal, usually by blood pcisoning and
occasionally by  destruction of a prominent  blood
vessel.
  Dry gangrene commences as a spot at some point
w7here circulation is feeble, usually a toe, and spreads
slowly, the skin wrinkling and turning gray, brown or
black without sensibility.

  Treatment.—Nourishment, invigoration and  stimula-
tion are imperative.  Highly seasoned broths, egg-nog
(without alcohol) and pure milk are excellent.  Fresh 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
361
air  must be supplied and quiet enjoined.  Locally,
over the seat of the difficulty, apply poultices of flax-
seed,  pulverized myrrh and goldenseal,  and  renew
every six hours. Before each application cleanse the
parts thoroughly with a fifty per cent solution of hy-
drogen peroxide containing a little tincture of myrrh;
or listerine, one ounce to eight of w7ater, may be used.
  Where  there  is absolute  loss of sensibility, com-
pound tincture of myrrh may be used freely externally,
or red pepper may  be abundantly added to the poul-
tice.  Internally administer large drinks of composi-
tion infusion, containing scullcap and a small amount
of compound tincture of myrrh.   The bowels must be
kept open; and  if the stomach is deranged stimulat-
ing emetics must be given.  Old persons are occasion-
ally affected with  senile  gangrene, which is  either
moist or dry.  Enfeebled constitutions offer little hope
in  old  age  or disease.  Persons of  ordinary good
health may expect complete recovery.
  Gastralgia.—Gastrodynia.— This is  a most agoniz-
ing stomach  trouble which is fully described  in the
article on Neuralgia of the Stomach.

  Gastric Catarrh.—See articles on Dyspepsia  and
on Diseases of the Stomach.

  Gastric  Fever.—A  name  sometimes  given  to
typhoid or enteric fever.   Fully described in the arti-
cle on Fever—Typhoid.

  Gastric Ulcer.—See Stomach Ulceration.
                   GASTRITIS.

           Inflammation of the Stomach.
  This condition is usually caused by swallowing irri-
tating substances or by  injuries.  The  symptoms are
violent pain in the stomach, tenderness on pressure
and frequent vomiting, inability to retain medicine or
nourishment.  Feverishness may be  present at first, 
362         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

but there is soon prostration and coldness of the ex-
tremities.   As a rule death follow7s severe cases in a
few days, preceded by hiccough, clammy sweat and
sudden  relief from  pain.  Sometimes  severe  cases
caused by corrosives prove fatal in a few hours; other
cases of gastritis from excessive use of spices, mus-
tard,  etc.,  present  milder  symptoms and recover in
from one to four weeks.

  Treatment.-—Perfect rest  is  essential.  Unload the
bowels by  injections. Give nothing to the stomach
unless antidotes,  as directed  under poisoning.  Put
stimulating liniment or  capsicum over  the  stomach.
If there is  great nervousness give an injection of lady
slipper infusion.  On the second day nourishment may
be given by frequent injection of barley water.  Al-
low no water to the stomach  for at least two days,
but moisten  the lips and  tongue.  When bad symp-
toms  have  abated, give very small doses  of witch
hazel extract in gum Arabic water.  Food must be of
the lightest liquid forms for some time.
  Gastrotomy.—This term is applied to the operation
of cutting into the stomach for the removal of foreign
bodies, cancers, tumors, structures of the oesophagus,
etc.

  Giddiness.—Dizziness.—See Vertigo.

  Giraffe.—A name frequently given to Break-Bone
Fever or Dengue.  See  article on Break Bone Fever.

  Glaucoma.—See section on Diseases of the Eye and
Ear.
                   GLANDERS.
                      Farcy.
  This is usually an incurable disease, contracted from
horses or mules or asses suffering from it.   Contagion
may occur by inhaling  the virus or by absorption 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          363
 through  an abrasion  of the  skin.  If by absorption,
 after an interval of from three days to three weeks
 after contraction, symptoms will  commence as loss of
 appetite,  sense  of  prostration  and achings  of  the
 limbs.  Where the  virus entered, the surface will be-
 come red and swollen and  angry and an ugly ulcer
 will form,  having a  degenerate  appearance.  When
 glanders is contracted by inhalation the first symptom
 is the  eruption,  which appears as minute red spots
 over the  face and other  portions of the body.  These
 enlarge to the size of jieas and, suppurating, form foul
 ulcers.  The mucous membrane of the nose and throat
 may be similarly affected and the  lymphatic glands
 involved.
  Death usually occurs within ten or twenty days after
 the onset of an acute  attack; but the disease may be-
 come chronic, and extend over several months with a
 large per cent of recoveries.

  Treatment.—Powdered sulphur, in teaspoonful doses,
 in glycerine, is said to be a reliable agent, in addition
 to hygienic  measures and nourishing diet.  The most
 likely success will follow7  the administration of large
 doses of  an infusion of composition, to which may be
 added tincture of myrrh in case of offensive diarrhoea,
 which  may  occur.   The mouth and throat should  be
 frequently  sprayed with  peroxide of hydrogen and
 myrrh, and the ulcers elsewhere should be thoroughly
 cleansed  with the same.  The greatest  precautions
 must be taken that  others may not become  infected.
All  animals affected with glanders or farcy should  be
killed at once, without hesitation, as they endanger
human life.
                    GLIOMA.

                   Brain Tumor.
  This is the most frequent form of tumor in the brain
substance.  It may be caused by disease  or  injury.
Symptoms are usually obscure, though the presence of
a tumor  may  be suspected when there is constant
headache, with paroxysms of great intensity, tender- 
364
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ness at some spot on the head and vomiting spells.
Paralysis may follow.  Little can be done beside ad-
ministering soothing nervines  during paroxysms and
adopting  hygienic  measures  and  nourishing  diet.
Death usually follows within a  couple of years.  Sur-
gical operations may be resorted to in some cases.
  Gleet.—Chronic Inflammation of the Urethra.—See sec-
tion on Diseases of the Generative Organs.

  Glossitis.—Inflammation of the Tongue.—See article
on Tongue Diseases.

  Glottis Spasm.—See article on Croup—False.

  Glycosuria.—Sugar in the  Urine.—See article on
Diabetes Mellitus.
                     GOITRE.

         Bronchocele.  Exophthalmic Goitre.
  This is enlargement of the thyroid gland, the gland
that obscures the "Adam's  apple"  in women.   The
direct cause of the  enlargement is not always mani-
fest, though some families seem to be especially lia-
ble.  Bad habits of living,  scrofulous diathesis,  and
certain localities seem to favor its occurrence.  Ordi-
nary cases may develop very slowly over a long term
of years and cause  but  slight  inconvenience, though
usually their growth continues till breathing is inter-
fered with, or  the tumor becomes very unsightly.
  Exophthalmic goitre  is  usually  associated  with
nervous diseases, hysteria, epilepsy, etc.   The symp-
toms besides enlargement of the gland are increased
heart beat, prominence of the eyeballs (pop-eyes) and
pulsations in the enlarged gland.

  Treatment.-—Most important is regulation of the gen-
eral health—the menstrual function usually being de-
ranged.  Electricity,  with the negative pole on the
gland and the  positive  between the shoulder blades 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
365
for five minutes a day is the best local treatment. As
a tonic two grains  of iron and  potassa tartrate  and
one grain of sulphate of hydrastia in  capsule  every
six hours is most excellent.  When death is possible
through suffocation, surgical operation becomes neces-
sary.
  Gonorrhea.—This is specific inflammation of the
urethral canal and is fully considered in the section on
Diseases of the Generative Organs.
                 GOUT—ACUTE.

                     Podagra.

  This difficulty is usually inherited,  and may  be
caused by excesses in  eating and drinking, or by vio-
lent grief, rage or physical exertion.

  Symptoms are loss of appetite,  constipation, heart-
burn and colic.   The intestines  are distended with
gas and accumulations.  The urine is usually scanty
and red and passed with great pain,  and contains a
rose-colored sediment.  An attack usually comes on
at night with feverishness which lasts  several days,
the joint of the great toe becomes very painful, red
and swollen; in repeated attacks, both great toes and
the ankles and knees  may be  involved.  Each night
suffering is greatest and relief comes by early morn-
ing and the ]>atient is irritable during the day.  At-
tacks continue five or  six days.

  Treatment.— Unload the bowels by injections of bone-
set.  Internally administer pleurisy root and ginger
infusion  to produce perspiration.  Keep the affected
limb perfectly quiet and saturate the joint with a lini-
ment of equal parts of lobelia and black cohosh tinct-
ures.  Every drink of water should contain from one
to five grains of citrate of lithia.  Lithia water should
be used  abundantly  between  attacks,  and the diet
scrupulously regulated. 
366         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                GOUT—CHRONIC.

                 Arthritis Uratica.

  In its general nature the chronic form of gout re-
sembles the acute; though its symptoms may differ
somewhat.   Attacks may last for weeks or months, or
be almost continuous, with slight intermissions during
the summer months.  The signs of inflammation are
not so intense as in the acute form,  and several joints
may be affected at  once, and these remain enlarged
after the attacks.  Indigestion is persistent and very
slight excesses of diet may arouse an attack.   Chronic
gout may be inherited and may continue fifty years or
more.

  Treatment cannot be expected  to entirely overcome
the conditions, though it may alleviate the difficulty.
During an attack the same course must  be pursued as
for acute gout.   Tea, coffee and alcoholic liquors must
be strictly forbidden. An abundance of distilled wa-
ter, containing a little carbonate or citrate of  lithia,
must be used, together with such an alterative as the
compound syrup of yellow dock  (see formulas).
  Green  Sickness.—Chlorosis.—This  difficulty de-
rives its common name from the peculiar color of the
countenance  of  those who  suffer  from  it.  Young
women or  girls of feeble constitution, or those who
have improper surroundings at the time of  puberty are
the most frequent sufferers.   The disease is fully con-
sidered in the article on Chlorosis.

  Greese.—See Equinia Mitis.
                     GRIPPE.

           Influenza.  Russian Epidemic.

  This particular form of  catarrhal fever has during
the last few years become often epidemic during the se-
vere winter months.  It differs from ordinary catarrhal 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
367
fever  by the great prostration present,  the liabil-
ity to complications and the prolonged convalescence.
Grippe has been  also called Russian Fever, it being
epidemic in  Russia and  spreading through  Europe
from that country during cold and damp winters.

  Symptoms.—The disease usually commences with an
uneasy feeling,  soon succeeded by a distinct  chill,
which  may  or  may not  be followed by fever.  The
nervous system  is greatly prostrated, and there is
headache in the forehead, pain in the back,  indispo-
sition to eat  and sometimes vomiting.  After  a day or
two of these symptoms (which may possibly be absent)
the characteristic condition of grippe becomes mani-
fest.   There is  great irritation of the mucous  mem-
brane of the head,  causing severe catarrh of the nose,
extending downward into the larynx and through the
lungs, and even into the stomach and intestines.
  The mucous membrane of the eyes becomes inflamed.
Taste and smell  are interfered with and there is ring-
ing in the ears.  Dizziness, a sense of fullness in the
head,  often puffiness of the face, especially about the
eyes and nose, are common.  Breathing  may be hur-
ried and possibly rattling  in the bronchi may accom-
pany it.  Irritable cough is sometimes present and the
effort of coughing proves weakening and causes  a
"splitting headache. "
  There  is  usually feverishness,  increased  toward
evening; but the rise and fall of temperature is un-
even.   It rarely reaches 104w.  Sleep is perturbed and
may  be accompanied  with delirium.  The tongue is
coated w7ith a sticky, yellow fur.  There may be  ten-
derness over the  stomach  and possibly  diarrhoea,
though  constipation is the  rule.  Neuralgia through
the face and joints is common,  and in some cases the
neuralgia and other head symptoms become intense,
causing violent delirium and indications  of  temporary
insanity, causing  precautions against suicide  to be
necessary.   Small  children may  sink  into  general
prostration and stupor.

  One of the dangers of grippe  is its possible compli-
cation with pneumonia, which is liable to occur in very 
368
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
young or old or feeble persons.  It  commences when
the catarrhal  symptoms are most  prominent, with a
chill and increased cough and difficult breathing, not
always painful, although there may be  considerable
effort during  expectoration.  The  tongue is yellow,
dry and thick.  Death is likely to follow this condition.
  Grippe, when  not  complicated,  usually yields to
prompt measures within two weeks,  and light cases
within three or four days.  Complications make re-
covery  slow and convalescence may involve many
months of prostration and liability to relapses, even
among the heartiest.
  The disease is  liable to occur during the  winter
months for several seasons,  and removal during the
period of liability to an equable or dry climate is ad-
visable.  Epidemics are most likely in northern cities,
and attacks rich and  poor alike.  It aggravates any
tendency to lung  troubles, and leaves the system es-
pecially prone to  the contraction of tuberculosis.

  Treatment.—Mild cases require soaking of the feet in
hot water containing red  pepper, and frequent drinks
of an infusion of pleurisy root and ginger with scull-
cap herb.  When neuralgia is severe asafootida pills,
three grains, one  every four hours, will give relief.
  If catarrhal symptoms are severe  along with nerv-
ous prostration use freely of an  infusion of  composi-
tion and scullcap, each one-half ounce to the pint.  If
the stomach is foul,  as shown by  a coated tongue,
stimulating emetics should be  given.   In protracted
cases a concentrated  tonic is necessary, such  as one
grain each of capsicum, sulphate of hydrastia and
salicin in capsule every six hours.
  Complications  must be treated according to  their
nature as  laid down  elsew7here.   Even the mildest
cases require careful housing until all danger is past;
and  in severe cases  exposures must not be allowed
until full strength has  returned.  During  convales-
cence, if cough  continues, syrup of wild cherry will
be found useful.   Nourishing diet is a necessity and a
change of climate is always beneficial. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          369
                GUINEA-WORM.

                     Filaria.
  This is a painful sore and abscess, usually upon the
foot, brought about by the entrance, unnoticed,  of a
minute specimen of the filaria medinensis.  It remains
without special manifestations for five or six months,
during which time it attains from fifteen to twenty-five
inches in length and  the  thickness of a shoe string.
Redness and swelling then commence,  and a blister
forms which bursts and reveals an opening from which
the worm emerges.   At  this time asafcetida  pills,
three grains each, should be given every four hours,
for a week.
  The worm will protrude an  inch or two  each day,
and the protruded portion should be wrapped around
a tooth-pick and held until the next day.  When the
whole wyorm has been removed, antiseptics like myrrh
and borax must be freely used.   This sore is common
in hot sections, and renders the sufferer a cripple while
it lasts.  Speedy recovery soon follows, though neglect
and  irritation  may cause serious consequences for a
time.
                GUM DISEASES.

              Gum Boils.  Ulcerations.
  Sometimes, from the presence of decayed teeth, in-
flammation of the gums occur, and terminates in an
abscess or gum-boil.  It is extremely painful for a few
days until the pus is discharged.  Lancing is often re-
sorted to.   The quickest relief is obtained by allowing
a dentist to remove the cause.  Tinctures  of  lobelia
and broom-weed,  held in  the mouth,  will frequently
give relief.
  Infants sometimes suffer excruciatingly by hardness
of the gums  not  permitting  the teeth to be  "cut."
Pain, exhaustion and convulsions often follow.  When-
ever the gums are hard  and swollen and the child is
fretful, cross incisions should be  made, the blood all
wiped away and witch hazel extract applied.
  During the course of the disease called scurvy, the 
370         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

gums about  the  teeth  become  swollen, spongy  and
bleeding, and  a similar condition is occasionally  met
with under ill-defined  circumstances.  A  wash pre-
pared by infusing in vinegar blood-root and bayberry
bark will be found an efficient  remedy.  The constitu-
tional  conditions being also  appropriately  treated.
See Scurvy.
                   THE HAIR.

      Its Proper Care, Diseases and Treatment.
  Human hair growls upon the body like plants upon
the earth.  Upon the head it should be luxuriant  and
beautiful—an adornment.  Care must be taken of the
hair to preserve its health  and proper growth.   But
just what constitutes the correct care of the hair may
need explanation.
  Let  it be remembered that all over the body the
scarf  or outer  skin is constantly peeling off in the
form of very fine scales, and the  scalp  is not unlike
the rest of  the  surface.   On account  of the  mass of
hair with its oiliness, the scales shed from the scalp
are not so easily carried off,  and are liable to become
matted, and these scales  and particles of dust, cling-
ing to the oily hair, are liable  to make a mass not
at all cleanly.  To get rid of the accumulations, the
hair must be frequently  brushed, and  vigorously so.
Using a comb  is permissible to loosen out  tangles,
but the brush should be depended upon  to remove the
accumulations of dust and scales, with  the aid of an
occasional wash. Brushing the  hair and scalp gently
stimulates the glands and causes oil to be thrown out
to keep the hair smooth and glossy.  A comb is apt to
irritate the scalp and cause  an unnatural and extraor-
dinary amount of " scarf " to be shed.
  Washing of the head and hair is an important mat-
ter.   With men, whose hair  is short, this may be done
frequently.   Daily head  washings  with plain  water
being beneficial.  But with women, w7hose hair is long, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          371
washing  cannot be  done so frequently.   Long hair
dries slowly and women, after washing* their hair, are
extremely liable to catch cold or suffer  neuralgic at-
tacks.  Catarrh is also a frequent result of wet hair.
School girls often lay the foundation for much  future
annoyance by wetting their  hair to keep  it in place,
and then going out in the cold.
  Castile soap and water, or" borax and water contain-
ing a little distilled extract of witch  hazel, make ex-
cellent  washes  for the  head.   Always,  of  course,
thoroughly  rinsing the  hair with  clear water after
washing.  A fountain  syringe filled with  water and
suspended far above the head will be found a suitable
source  of supply for  the  rinsing  water—the small
stream thoroughly w7ashing out the remaining dust and
dandruff.
  Some persons use a fine tooth  comb to remove dan-
druff.   This is w7rong, as it irritates the scalp.  Chil-
dren frequently become  infested with  head lice (see
pediculosis)  and the fine-tooth comb is then necessary,
but its use at other times is truly harmful.   Brushing
the hair daily will usually suffice to remove dandruff,
unless the scalp is diseased or irritated.
  The hair, like a plant, has  a period of growth and
existence.  It springs from its follicle, and after real-
izing its full length, will die in from two to four years,
and be replaced by another hair  from the  follicle,
just as plants may spring up  each year.   If the folli-
cles and their surroundings are healthy, the hair will
be correspondingly healthy,  and  manifest  its  health
by long growth and oiliness.  Dry and short hair may
always be considered as unhealthy hair.
  To use too much soap or other alkali on the hair
will render it unnaturally dry, and for  that reason it
should be cautiously employed, although it is  better
for the hair to be dry than to be filthy.
  Cutting the hair is an important  matter. It is  al-
ways best that children should have short hair.  It is
more convenient for them, and  at  the  same  time  it
causes  the scalp to be  more readily  cleansed, and
therefore kept in a more healthy condition.  A meadow
of grass that has once obtained  its full growth and
has been cut down, will not again grow to its former 
372         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

height.   Similarly,  when  hair has  been allowed to
grow its full length and is then cut off, it very rarely
again grow7s as at first.  It is a good  plan to prune the
hair by cutting off the very tips once a month.
  The following constitutes a very pleasant and effect-
ual preparation to use as a  shampoo  when  washing
the hair and scalp:

                   Hair Shampoo.
    Tincture of Cinchona.............one drachm.
    Bay Runt........................four drachms.
    Glycerine........................four drachms.
    Carbonate of Ammonia............four drachms.
    Florida  Water...................o)te ounce.
  Mix thoroughly, and put just enough of  it  in a  small
quantity of water to cause a slight smarting of the  scalp,
and use as a  shampoo.

  Pomades and cosmetics for the hair are usually pre-
pared from cheap fats and oils, strongly scented, and
as a rule are miserable and nasty preparations. Should
the hair be too dry to be kept in place oil it with a
vei y little fresh cocoanut oil perfumed with your favor-
ite perfume.  Buy only  a small quantity of cocoanut
oil at a time as it becomes rancid.
  A very pleasant and most  effective oil preparation
for the hair is made as follows:

                      Hair Oil.
    Oil of Lobelia..................one-half drachm.
     Oil of Capsicum................twenty drops.
     Oil of Cocoanut................four ounces.
  Heat these gently together, mixing thoroughly.

  This oil should be applied  not oftener than twice a
week, and will keep the scalp healthy and  the hair
oily and beautiful, and cause the hair to growT rapidly.
Cocoanut oil is rapidly absorbed,  and for that reason
is superior to all other  oils for use upon the hair and
scalp.   Vaseline is  also  preferable  to ordinary po-
mades and greases, but vaseline is not absorbed, and
can be used simply to keep the hair in position and to
avoid its looking dry and fluffy. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          373
   Some persons admire hair worn in special arrange-
 ments, requiring preparations to keep it in position.
 This is a matter of taste;  and when it must be thus
 worn it is best to use some innocent preparation.  The
 following is harmless and may be cheaply prepared;
 and it  will answ7er the purpose of  the most costly
 preparations of "Bandoline."
   Take gum tragacanth, four ounces, and soak it over
 night in one pint of distilled or pure water; next morn-
 ing strain it  like jelly through muslin and add four
 ounces  of alcohol and  one ounce of rose water and
 any perfume desired.
   Bleaching the hair by peroxide of  hydrogen is fre-
 quently  resorted  to.   It can be effectually accom-
 plished by this means; but there are too many reports
 of dangers  following this method  to permit it to be
 recommended.   The following is an excellent recipe
 to be used as an

              Invigorator for the Hair.
     Take Bi-sulphate of Quinine.........one drachm.
         Alcohol......................four ounces.
     Shake, and add Oil of Lavender.....ten drops.
         Oil of Rosemary..............ten drops.
         (bfogne Water................two ounces.
         Bay Runt.....................one ounce.
   Mix all thoroughly and apply every morning: rubbing it
 in thoroughly.

   Crimping the hair or curling it upon hot irons usu-
 ally cracks and destroys it, and  hastens its death and
 consequent  falling out. If  the  hair  must be artifi-
 cially curled it is best to curl it over night by wrapping
 it about the ordinary " kid curlers. " consisting of soft
 kid  containing wire for stiffening.   Tins and harsh
 pieces of paper will always cause damage to the hair.

  Superfluous Hair.—Many persons are annoyed  by
 hair growing upon unnatural  places.  Women are es-
pecially anxious to  prevent the growth of hair upon
the lip or chin, and very often their anxiety in this re-
gard prompts  them to  do  things that are calculated
only to increase the growth.   Pulling out hairs with a 
374         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

pair of tweezers will excite the roots of adjacent hairs
to further growth.  Shaving off hair will render their
later development coarser and  more unsightly.  Many
hair removers are on the market, but most  of  them
are absolutely harmful,  often  destroying  the skin as
w7ell as the roots of the hair; others are perfectly use-
less.  Much has  been written  in journals concerning
the removal  of hairs by  electrolysis.  This  method
consists in inserting  electric  needles at  the bulb of
each hair, and turning on a strong current of  electric-
ity.  There will be a froth appear at the root of the
hair, which will  become loose and can be readily re-
moved by a pair of tweezers.   The operation is very
tedious and expensive;  and, unless  dangerous anaes-
thetics are employed,  it is extremely painful.
  Probably the safest way to remove hair is  to apply
an  ointment  of one drachm of salicylic  acid, rubbed
into an ounce of vaseline.   Apply as  a plaster for
four or five  hours for several  days.  Use more  vas-
eline in the preparation if the proportions given prove
irritating.  After each application hairs  may be re-
moved.  Anoint the parts with soothing oil after each
removal of the plaster.

  Abnormal Growth.—Hirsuites.—Some persons have
an  abundant growth  of hair,  amounting  almost  to a
deformity.  In some instances the hair of the head has
reached twelve feet, and the beard over ten feet. As
it is an easy matter to cut the  hair, no treatment for
this peculiarity is necessary.   When there is an over
growth of hair upon  the  face or arms of women, it
becomes  very unsightly,  and  requires  treatment as
above.

  Baldness.—Alopecia.—Ordinary baldness is chiefly
confined to men;  and  although usually an accompani-
ment of old age, young  persons may be thus afflicted.
It is, undoubtedly, an hereditary tendency of the scalp
to draw  tightly  over the skull and choke  the hair
roots by pressure against  the skull.  Thus the sides of
the head, where there are muscles, are seldom affected.
When this form of baldness appears through heredity
nothing can be accomplished.   Hair tonics may for a 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          375
time cause a slight growth of soft hair, but from the
nature of  the difficulty, full growth of hair cannot be
expected.   Persons whose ancestors  have been bald
may themselves delay baldness by using freely cocoa-
nut oil, containing oil of lobelia, to relax the tissues
of the scalp.

  Baldness  from Disease.—This form of  alopecia
is due to a lack of nourishment and  is alw7ays a sign
of debility of the general system.  It is a frequent se-
quence of  typhoid fever, scarlet fever, meningitis and
other exhausting maladies.  Women  frequently lose
their hair while  nursing  children, or when their sys-
tems are enfeebled by womb troubles or nervous dis-
orders.
  Treatment.—Restoration of vigor to the body is the
first consideration.   During convalescence  from ex-
hausting diseases the habits of life, medical treatment
and  hygienic regulations must  be in accordance with
the directions given  in the article on the various dis-
eases.  As an application to the scalp, the hair invig-
orator,  mentioned in the first  part  of  this article,
should be  used  freely.  Although the constant falling
of hair may  be very annoying it is best not to wTear
caps or otherwise bandage the  head.   Cutting off the
hair under these circumstances is a very good plan.

  Bald Spots.—Alopecia  Areata.—This peculiar dis-
ease is confined to the hairy parts of the body,  espe-
cially the  scalp, beard and eyebrow's; and it is proba-
bly due to some peculiar condition of  the nerves regu-
lating the supply of nutriment to the hair  follicles.
The  first  sign  of the trouble  is  the  readiness with
which  the hair falls out, in bunches almost,  leaving
bald  patches,  perfectly white  and  glistening, sur-
rounded by natural hair.   These patches spread some-
what and  there may be quite a number of them.  This
condition may continue for some time, perhaps months,
occasionally for years, and then a new growth of hair
will  start  like  down all over the  spots,  preceded by
minute elevations of  the surface corresponding to the
points where  the hair follicles are located. 
376         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

  Treatment.—Nervines,  taken  internally,  such  as
scullcap and salicin, seem  to arrest the disease  by
toning the nervous system.  To the parts may be ap-
plied  tincture of cinchona and tincture of capsicum,
equal  parts, twice  a  week.  Ordinary  baldness  is
termed simple alopecia.

  Hair-Worm.—Filaria.—This is  the long  and thin
worm—sometimes fifteen  inches  long—occasionally
found under the  skin of the legs and feet and some
other parts of the human body.  It is fully described
in the article on Guinea-Worm.
  Hammer Palsy.—This affection is the result of too
long continued use of a particular set of  muscles, and
is similar to writer's cramp,  and its  symptoms and
treatment are considered in the article on that subject.
  Hand Chaps.—Exposures to cold and wet, and the
use of harsh soaps may cause the well-known " chap-
ing" of hands, cheeks or lips.  When this  annoying
difficulty exists, its treatment is very simple.  Avoid
the use  of strong soaps—washing in borax water is
best.  Three  or four  times a  day apply a mixture of
glycerine  and  tincture of benzoin and witch hazel,
equal parts.  At night time it is well to rub the hands
well with mutton tallow and wear gloves.   Cocoanut
oil containing a little oil of lobelia is also an excellent
application.
  Hare-Lip.—The upper jaw bone or the palate may
be cleft,  causing a most unsightly deformity.  The
separation may be single  or  double.  It is  most fre-
quent among boys and is always congenital.  Surgical
operation is the only means of cure.  This should be
performed between the third and sixth months of age,
and never while teething is being accomplished.  Many
prefer to wait until  the age of seven or over, but it
only makes the operation more agonizing to the child
and the deformity and inconvenience greater. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          377

                  HAY  FEVER.

         Autumnal Catarrh.  Hay Asthma.
  This difficulty occurs from early June to  September
during the period when hay is cut and when the great
mass of flowTers give off their pollen.  It is doubtless
an irritation caused by the pollen of various plants—
some believing the rag-weed most responsible.

  Symptoms.—The difficulty commences suddenly, re-
curring each year, with many the exact day of recur-
rence  being known; some  cases not  developing  till
late in August.   There are  tickling sensations in the
nose,  frequent sneezing,  irritation  and redness and
swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth,
throat and bronchial tubes and  of  the eyes, causing
distressing and wheezing breathing, husky voice, some
cough, and smothering sensations resembling ordinary
asthma.  The eyes burn and are full of tears, and the
skin about them  greatly puffed.  Altogether persons
suffering from hay  fever are objects of distress until
frost puts an end to the free distribution of pollen.

  Treatment.—Journeys to high sections or sea voyages
usually put an end to the trouble.  No positive treat-
ment has been found reliable.  Some being  relieved by
articles which aggravate others.  Smoking camomile,
cubebs or witch hazel  leaves often give relief.  Light
diet and mild nervines are appropriate.
                   HEADACHE.
      Its Varieties, Symptoms and  Treatment.
  Sick  Headache.—Megrim.—Various circumstances
or imprudencies may cause this distressing difficulty,
such as  worry, anxiety, mental or physical overwork,
improper food, excess of any kind, liver troubles and
disorders of menstruation.  Persons of nervous  tem-
perament  and those who are thin-blooded are  most
liable.
  Symptoms.—As a  rule  sick headache  commences
early in the morning with disturbed  vision and possi- 
378         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

ble cold extremities.   Headache commences upon one
side, usually in the eye or temple of the left side, and
increases for several hours  to a point  of distraction,
and then gradually diminishes and disappears by night
time.   There may be great sickness of the stomach
and vomiting.  Prostration is  marked, and a sense of
exhaustion is experienced during the day following an
attack.

  Treatment.—Never attempt to wear out a sick head-
ache,  it can*t be done.  At  the first symptoms lie
down and abandon all thought  of work for the  day.
Perfect quietude with fresh air must be secured.  If
the feet are cold put hot irons to them, or else put
them into a hot  foot bath. A good preparation to
keep on hand for such attacks is fluid extract of wild
yam,  one-half ounce,  in  four ounces of compound
spirits of lavender; dose, half a teaspoonful in a  little
water  every half hour for a  couple of hours at the
start; if it does not relieve, keep it up in hourly doses.
  If nausea is a feature of the attacks add half an
ounce  of  hyposulphite of soda to the  preparation.
The diseased condition back of  the headache must be
sought out and remedied.   Diet must be carefully reg-
ulated and the  bowels kept freely open.  Abundant
time for sleep must be allowed, and the nervous sys-
tem can be strengthened by the free use  of scullcap
and camomile.

  Bilious  Headache.—A sluggish  and  congested
liver, together with indigestion, may be the cause of
this  peculiar form of distress.   Persons of a  bilious
temperament, who ape in the habit of over-eating, or
who have insufficient exercise, are the most frequent
sufferers.

  Symptoms.—Pain of a dull and  persistent  character
is experienced about the forehead and temples  and be-
hind the eyes.  Throbbing of  the temples may be vio-
lent, and noises and motion usually increase the agony.
The head is hot  and sore, the tongue coated and appe-
tite lost—although previous to the attack over-eating
is the rule.  With many persons this form of headache 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          379

becomes chronic  and spells  continue  unabated  for
weeks at a time.

  Treatment— In  acute cases soak the feet in very hot
water.   If  the  stomach  is still over-loaded  take  a
quick emetic (see emetics), open the bowels freely, tak-
ing a dose of Rochelle salts,  and follow at night by
the liver pills.   Allow but little food and absolutely
forbid the use of coffee.
  Chronic cases must be treated as advised in the arti-
cle on Congestion of the Liver.   All persons suffering
from bilious headache should  take  plenty of out-door
exercise, be temperate and avoid excesses of all kinds
and strictly observe the rules of hygiene.

  Plethoric  Headache.—Full-blooded  and  hearty
persons are often sufferers from this form of headache.
Stooping down causes a sense of fullness in the head,
and noises and motion  increases the pain.  Pressure
on the neck and  shaking of the head causes dizziness.
  Persons suffering from  plethoric headache  should
avoid stimulating foods and take regular, but not vio-
lent, exercise.  At the time  of the attack place the
feet in hot water and use a quick cathartic.   Injec-
tions of an infusion of  pleurisy root, one ounce, lady-
slipper and black cohosh, each one-half ounce, in two
quarts of water, used every three hours  and retained
as long as possible will usually give prompt relief.

  Sympathetic  or  Rheumatic Headache.—Many
diseases, especially rheumatism  and kidney troubles,
are accompanied by headache of an aggravating char-
acter.  When there is  rheumatism  of  the joints the
pain seems to shoot back and forth between the head
and the  affected  parts.  In all cases  of sympathetic
headache, while  the original difficulty is being treated,
relief can be obtained by cold applications to the head
and hot applications to the feet,  the use of aperients
and general observance of hygienic regulations.

  Hungry Headache.—Many persons  cannot  miss  a
meal or be delayed long from their meals without suf-
fering  a  peculiar  dizzy  headache,  with  probable 
380
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
throbbing sensations in the forehead.  Such 2>ersons
are usually those of vital temperament.  The  only
treatment is to provide an acceptable  but  not too
hearty meal.

  Nervous Headache.—Hemierania.—This  form  of
headache is often suffered by nervous persons or those
using the  brain excessively.   Violent aching on one
side of the head, and the temple and  eye-ball, and
sensitiveness to noise and light are prominent symp-
toms.  With some the pain commences at daylight and
continues until nightfall.
  Relief is best obtained by injections of lady-slipper,
one ounce,  and blue cohosh, one-half ounce, in a quart
of water, repeated every three hours and retained as
long as possible.  Perfect quietude must be enforced,
and  sleep enjoined.   Gurania,  in five  grain doses,
every hour, will prove most serviceable.  Persons who
suffer from nervous headaches should endeavor to reg-
ulate their habits of  life in such a manner as to avoid
mental strain and worry and excesses  of all kinds.
Sexual over-indulgence is a not  uncommon cause of
this difficulty.
               HEART  ATROPHY.

      Shrinkage of the Heart. Atrophia Cordis.
  This is a shrinking of the  heart muscles, and may
be the result of old age or of wasting diseases or de-
bility, or of pressure exerted upon the organ by fluids,
tumors, etc.   It is usually soon followed by death, and
the symptoms are too obscure to be recognized beyond
the possibility  of  the difficulty from the conditions
present, which must  be appropriately treated.
                  HEART-BURN.
              Cardialgia.  Waterbrash.
  This common difficulty is a form of dyspepsia caused
by improper eating, as a rule.  Some persons, though,
cannot eat  certain foods, especially  certain fruits, 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          3H1

without suffering from heartburn.  Exposure to cold
or mental excitement, especially just after eating, may
cause it.

  Symplons.—There is a burning sensation, sometimes
amounting to pain, at that end of  the stomach nearest
the heart (called the cardia).   The stomach becomes
distended with gas and there may be  belchings, and
often burning sensations and constriction  are  felt  in
the throat.  These symptoms usually come on soon
after eating and may continue an  hour  or more.

  Treatment.—Three or  four teaspoonfuls of  lime water
in milk will give prompt relief.   If it is of frequent
occurrence use tincture of camomile, one ounce, hypo-
sulphite of  soda, one-half ounce, in syrup of ginger
sufficient for  eight ounces; dose, a teaspoonful after
each meal.

  Waterbrash is allied to heart-burn.   After eating,
a small  quantity of acid fluid  is belched  into the
mouth.  A little witch  hazel extract mixed with lime
water in milk is a corrective.  These  difficulties are
usually associated with dyspepsia, which should be
appropriately treated.
              HEART  DILATATION.
         Enlargement of the Heart Cavities.
  One or both sides of the heart may oe  dilated from
various causes.  Temporarily this condition may oc-
cur during fever, infective diseases or by any circum-
stances which impair nutrition—such as chlorosis, in-
digestion and  hemorrhages.  As a rule  dilatation is
caused by increased pressure of  blood upon the heart,
due to interference of circulation in the arteries, as in
chronic lung diseases and aneurisms, or  due to valvu-
lar diseases of the heart allowing the blood to enter
the cavities too forcibly; this is  usually  compensated
by  thickening (hypertrophy)  of  the heart's wall, ex-
cept in aged and debilitated persons. Excessive ex-
ercise may cause dilatation in the extremely feeble.
Continued over-eating is occasionally a cause. 
382         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Symptoms.—The most prominent sign of dilatation is
fullness of the veins while the arteries  are  small.
This causes frequent tendencies to fainting.  Palpita-
tion of a peculiarly weak character, especially upon
slight exertion, and a feeble pulse are usual.  Difficult
or asthmatic breathing,  paleness  and chilliness, and
slight  cough  are frequent.  Dropsy usually  follows
protracted cases, and death may occur during a faint-
ing spell.

  Treatment.—Avoidance of undue exertion and emo-
tions and  excesses  of all kinds is imperative.  Tea,
coffee and alcoholic liquors must be excluded from the
diet, which should  be highly nutritious,  though not
over-stimulating.   Milk,  with  a little lime-water,  is
the most  acceptable  drink.  The compound  gentian
syrup  (see formulas)  is  excellent,  taken  night  and
morning, and half  an hour after the mid-day meal
should be taken a capsule containing one  grain each
of capsicum, sulphate of  hydrastia and iron and po-
tassa tartrate.
  When dilatation is caused by temporary disease, it
may be completely  overcome; and even when it is due
to organic disease,  life may be  prolonged to old age
and rendered comfortable by proper habits, care and
suitable medication.
              HEART EXHAUSTION.
                   Heart Strain.
  Occasionally the heart  is  strained, as any  other
muscle of the body may be, by  excessive  exercise.
Too long and rapid  walking, especially up hill, fast
running,  forced marches  in army  life, excessive gym-
nastic exercise, jumping  the  rope, and  similar exer-
cises may cause heart strain.

  Symptoms.—These are paroxysms of  palpitation and
rapid pulsations upon the slightest exertions; merely
g-oing up stairs or walking across  the room will cause
a most perceptible increase of heart action, the pulse
being regular but quite weak.  Young persons, from 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
383
fourteen to eighteen years of age, are mostly  affected
with heart strain, and the weakened  condition may
continue for years and recovery be gradual—the heart
not being able, like other muscles, to keep at perfect
rest.

  Treatment— All that is necessary in the treatment of
heart strain is  quietude, nourishing diet, plenty  of
fresh air, abundance of sleep, freedom from study and
anxiety, and regularity of habits.  The use of tea and
coffee and alcoholic liquors, and all bad habits should
be prohibited.
       HEART—FATTY  DEGENERATION.

                    Fatty  Heart.

  Two classes of persons may suffer from fatty heart:
those of  plethoric constitution and intemperate habits
disposed to obesity, and those who  are anaemic from
diseases  which interfere  with the power of the blood
to carry  oxygen, such as consumption, chlorosis, can-
cer, etc.   The great majority of cases occur after the
fiftieth years, and very few before the age of forty.

  Symptoms.—There are no  signs by which fatty heart
may be  absolutely recognized during  life, but many
symptoms wiiich belong to  other conditions also may
by their presence under circumstances spoken of, lead
to the suspicion of the disease.  They are weakness of
the heart after slight exertion, the veins full and the
arterial pulsations often irregular  and very feeble;
palpitation,  copious  persjiration and  asthmatic
breathing,  and attacks  resembling apoplexy,  which
pass away in a few minutes.  The pulse may at times
get as slow as eight beats per minute.  The breathing
at times  presents peculiarities, first  there  being  a
couple of dozen very  shallow respirations  and these
gradually becoming deeper  and  then slower, and then
for a minute or less, ceasing altogether, and then re-
suming of a shallow character.   This form  of breath-
ing is termed Cheyne-Stokes' respiration. 
384         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

  Fatty degeneration of the heart may mean the grad-
ual substitution of fat molecules for muscular mole-
cules of the organ, or it may be the  accumulation of
fat about the heart, upon its surface, and at the valves
and where the arteries are connected.  A person with
fatty degeneration  of  the heart may by care live to
old age.  Death  may  be  sudden from great mental
or physical excitement.  Usually death comes  with
dropsy or disease of  the liver, kidneys or lungs.

  Treatment.—Intemperate persons or those inclined to
obesity must regulate their habits and  guard against
all excesses.  Massage should be relied upon for exer-
cise of the muscles.   Iron w7aters are excellent. When
the heart's  action is weak capsicum, goldenseal  and
scullcap will sustain  it.  The mind must be kept quiet.
Anaemic  persons must have very nourishing  diet.
Sponge  baths  are  excellent.  The bowels must be
kept open  so as to  avoid straining.  The  following
will  be  found  advantageous  for plethoric persons:
Take fluid extracts bladder-wrack, scullcap and gen-
tian, each one-half ounce; glycerine, one ounce; muci-
lage,  gum  Arabic, six ounces.  Dose, a teaspoonful
after meals.  Starchy foods  and  sugar  must  be
avoided.
            HEART HYPERTROPHY.
        Muscular Enlargement of the Heart.
  Anything that throws  an extra burden  upon the
heart may cause the muscular walls of the organ to
become enlarged.  Aneurisms, kidney and  liver dis-
eases, goitre, valvular troubles and any disease caus-
ing obstruction to circulation.

  Symptoms.—When the enlargement  is considerable,
especially in women and children, there will be bulg-
ing of  the chest walls.   The  heart  impulse is  in-
creased and may be sufficient to be noticed through
the bed clothing.  In  some cases the jugular vein is
greatly enlarged and  seems to  throb.  The  patient
may complain of difficulty in lying on the  left side, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
385
and  breathing  may be  interfered  with;  dizziness,
flashes of light, humming in the ears, cough, enlarge-
ment of the liver, irregular and rapid pulse, bleeding
of the nose and dropsy may occur in bad cases.

  Treatment.—Drugs are of little avail, but a long life
of comparative comfort may be had by observing great
precautions.  Avoid  tea  and  coffee and  alcoholic
drinks  and tobacco,  violent exercise, and  emotions,
and excesses, and constipation, over-eating and the
use of  starch and sugar.  Provide  an  abundance  of
fresh air, use easily digested vegetables,  lean meats,
eggs,  milk, broths  and fruits.  Take lime-water for
acidity of the  stomach.   Frequent sponge  baths are
beneficial.  For  weakness of  the  heart pursue the
treatment mentioned under Heart Dilatation.
       HEART  INFLAMMATION—ACUTE.

                Acute Myocarditis.
  When there is present in the system toxic particles
from infective diseases they may find their way to the
heart and lead to the formation of abscesses in the
muscular body, which may discharge  and be carried
about  with  the  circulation; or  they may  burrow
through the walls of the cavities and cause great dis-
turbances of circulation.  The number of the abscesses
may vary greatly.  Their size is never large; but most
serious results  may  follow.  Diagnosis  is difficult.
The treatment accorded the infective disease present is
all that can be relied upon for relief.
      HEART  INFLAMMATION—CHRONIC.
               Chronic Myocarditis.
  Chronic inflammation may follow rheumatism, gout,
syphilis, injuries to the chest, long exposure to cold
and excesses of all kinds, especially  in the use of to-
bacco, tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks.

  The symptoms may not be apparent until the disease
is far advanced.  Indigestion is commonly present, 
386         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
also pain over the stomach and abdomen and  heart;
palpitation, and often intermittent, feeble  and slow
pulse, though there may be paroxysms of greatly ac-
celerated  heart action.  Shortness of breath,  bluish
cast to the skin, catarrh and swelling of the glands of
the neck are frequent.   Death may occur suddenly at
any time.
  Treatment.—The origin of the disease must be ascer-
tained and appropriately treated.   When  syphilis is
the cause the probability of cure of the heart trouble
is  more favorable.   The symptoms of heart failure
which may arise must be  met with  promptness and
vigor as mentioned  for Endocarditis. The abandon-
ment of harmful habits and excesses is imperative.
Perfect  quietude and  light but nourishing  diet are
needed.
   HEART INFLAMMATION—ENDOCARDITIS.

       Inflammation of the Lining Membrane.
  A serous membrane covers the cavities and valves of
the heart.  This often becomes inflamed during an at-
tack  of   articular  rheumatism,   sometimes  during
Bright's  disease, and  occasionally  during infective
maladies, such as measles or child-bed fever, or with
gout,  gonorrhea, jmeumonia or  syphilis.  Whenever
there  is a severe attack of articular rheumatism, en-
docarditis should be feared and guarded against.  In
the course of the  attack of  rheumatism, when the
heart  is involved, there will first be a sense of discom-
fort and palpitation, the  heart beat at first being un-
usually strong; there may be chilliness, followed by
heat and irregular  perspiration,  often very profuse,
yellowish skin and pinched countenance,  and great
prostration, sometimes diarrhoea and delirium.   Pain
may be great about the heart  and  extend down the
left arm and  over the abdomen, often  of a cutting
character.
  Treatment  must be vigorous.  Besides pushing the
regular  methods  being   employed  for  rheumatism,
place   over  the chest hot fomentations of mullein
leaves and capsicum, first rubbing the chest well with 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          387
stimulating liniment.   Internally administer freely in-
fusion of golden seal and scullcap containing com-
pound tincture of  myrrh.   Mustard  plasters to the
feet are often required.
    HEART INFLAMMATION—PERICARDITIS.

            Inflammation of Heart Sac.
  The membranous sac containing the heart is liable
to inflammation.  This is especially apt to occur dur-
ing the course of other diseases, such as Bright's dis-
ease, rheumatism, scrofula, pleurisy, pneumonia, scar-
let fever, aneurism, heart disease, etc.
  Symptoms may be obscured by those of  the existing
disease.  As a rule there will be distress in the region
of the heart, with pain extending to the  breast bone
and left arm; inability to take a full breath, and  pale
and distressed  countenance.  The  chest feels  con-
stricted and there is difficulty and distress in coughing
and possibly in  swallowing.  The pulse at first is full
and strong, possibly  irregular  or intermittent.  Such
a condition may last four or five days, when the heart's
action grows weak and irregular  and the skin cold
and pallid.  Death may be sudden within a few days,
the sac becoming filled with serous fluid.
  Treatment is similar to that  given for Endocarditis
(which see).  Sometimes relief is  obtained  and life
prolonged by drawing off a portion of the serous accu-
mulation by  means of  an extremely fine exploring
needle.  This operation requires  great skill.   In rare
cases there are no violent symptoms to designate peri-
carditis, the accumulation  progressing slowly and the
heart  growing  weaker  and weaker,  and breathing
more difficult and the  surface pallid and cold,  followed
by sudden death.
    HEART INFLAMMATION—ULCERATIVE.
              Ulceration of  the Heart.
  This is an almost certainly fatal condition, caused
by infective poison finding its way to the heart and 
388         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE,
causing ulceration of the  valves  or  walls.  It  some-
times occurs during typhoid fever or other infective
diseases, and the symptoms are so closely allied to
those of severe forms of the infective malady present
that only the most skillful can recognize the differ-
ences.
            HEART—INTERMITTENT.

              Missing of  Heart-Beats.
  Some persons become alarmed  upon  ascertaining
that their heart pulsations drop one or more beats per
minute; just as  though they counted one, two, three
(blank), five, six,  seven (blank),  etc.  When the vol-
ume of the pulse is good, such an intermittent action
is of no consequence, and is of common  occurrence,
especially in elderly persons or those undergoing men-
tal strain.  Disease of the brain or heart may likewise
cause intermittence, but  other  symptoms  are  also
present.
  Many persons have the  power to voluntarily alter
their heart's action.  When being examined for life
insurance it becomes imperative to be able to control
the impulses, for excitability or  fear may cause great
variations of the heart's actions.  Thinking quietly of
other matters will allow the pulse to act naturally.
Controlling the mind is always an important factor in
disease, and in heart troubles worry about the condi-
tion present and the possible future  only adds to the
difficulty.
           HEART MISPLACEMENTS.
                  Floating Heart.
  Occasionally persons are met with the  heart in un-
natural position.  In nearly all these  cases the mis-
placement is congenital; that is, the heart assumed the
wrong position  before  birth.   Sometimes the heart
will be found far up toward the neck; again it may be
far down, even  in  the  abdominal cavity.  The most
frequent misplacement is a position in  the right side, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
389
and in such cases all the organs are reversed in posi-
tion.
  In rare instances malformation of the chest bones,
or perhaps their undeveloped condition, will allow the
heart to be felt as though directly beneath the skin.
  Persons who have been suddenly reduced from great
flesh tc leanness, may have the structures so  greatly
weakened as to allow  the heart to become  movable
from its usual  position—causing the condition com-
monly known as floating heart.
             HEART PALPITATION.
                   Tachycardia.
   Persons of all ages and conditions, and those whose
 hearts are absolutely healthy, may suffer paroxysms
 of abnormal heart  action.   Nervous forms may be
 caused by fright, worry, grief, anger,  joy,  etc.,  and
 through the sympathetic nerve, by indigestion, sexual
 excesses, constipation, worms,  colic, uterine disturb-
 ances, hysteria, etc.  Too intense application to study,
 rapid growth and undue nervous strain may cause it in
 children.  Poisonous drugs may cause palpitation and
 the immoderate use of alcohol, tea, coffee and tobacco
 are common causes.
   Palpitation may  be in the form  of excessive fre-
 quency of the heart's action, possibly reaching 160 or
 more per minute; it may be in the nature of very slow
 heart's action, or it may be intermittent in character—
 every third, fourth, fifth, tenth or other beat being ab-
 sent, or there may be great  irregularity or  a  rolling
 motion to the heart.   Sometimes palpitation is due to
 disturbances in the brain or spinal cord, and may pos-
 sibly be a symptom of heart disease, when other con-
 ditions are present, but as a  rule palpitation is a sym-
 pathetic trouble and should give no  cause for alarm,
 nearly every one  being  attacked at some time, to a
 greater or less degree.

  Symptoms.— Palpitation usually occurs in paroxysms;
with dyspeptics soon  after meals, with others at any
time—frequently  at night.  Symptoms  vary.   There 
390         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

may oe great uneasiness about the heart, sense of con-
striction in the throat, difficulty of breathing, sense of
anxiety,  headache, flushes of heat or chilliness, per-
spiration, often faintness.  All of  these symptoms
are rarely present in one case.  Paroxysms may last
from a few minutes to several hours,  and may be fre-
quent, perhaps several a day, or possibly one or two
a year.   Prolonged palpitation may  give great weak-
ness of the heart and  prostration.   An attack rarely
proves fatal, but usually ceases suddenly and  is fol-
lowed by a free passage of urine and a sense of nerv-
ous relief.

  Treatment.—Loosen  the  clothing  and  supply an
abundance  of fresh air.  If  the feet are cold  give a
hot foot bath.  Administer a  few drops of compound
spirits of lavender in water, or ginger and lady slip-
per tea, or any diffusive.  If the heart's action is weak
give composition; if  irregular, add goldenseal.  If
there is  great  nervous  excitement  give  tincture of
valarian, and if nervous prostration, give asafcctida
pills.   When attacks  are frequent the cause must be
ascertained  and  removed.  Frequent  sponge  baths
and  plenty  of  fresh air are always  advantageous.
Overloaded  stomachs  may cause  palpitation, when
emetics will give quick relief.
  Heart Parasites.—Parasites which affect other or-
gans may invade the heart and form structures  from
the size of a grain of wheat  to an orange.  Detach-
ments from them may enter the arteries and cause em-
bolism and death.
               HEART RUPTURE.
             Cardiorrhexis Spontanea.
  This may happen,  especially to old persons, after
the heart structures have become degenerate. Violent
exercise or emotions may produce it, though it may oc-
cur during sleep.  Sudden death  is the  rule, though
there may be several hours of intense suffering.   The 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          391
pulse becomes rapid and almost lost, the face pale and
the whole surface cold and clammy; occasionally there
is vomiting and purging.

  Treatment— There is seldom opportunity to do any-
thing for relief.  Compound tincture of myrrh, three
drops  in water,  may  be  frequently administered for
temporary relief.   Persons suffering  from heart dis-
ease should take every precaution against this fatal
accident.
  Heart  Tumors.—Occasionally tumors  form upon
the heart and interfere with nutrition  or produce ob-
struction to free valvular action and become causes of
organic disease of the heart.
              HEART WEAKNESS.

                 Cardiac Asthenia.
  The heart is a muscular organ and  is liable to be-
come  weakened  on account of various conditions of
the system, especially from strains  on  the  nervous
system, such as great anxiety, severe  pain, sexual ex-
cesses, etc. Often heart weakness is taken for organic
trouble, causing much unnecessary worriment.

  Symptoms.—These are  variable,  and may include
feeble pulsations manifested by a weak pulse, palpita-
tion upon the  least excitement or over-exertion, short-
ness of breath, faintness on trifling occasions and feel-
ings  of weakness upon awakening  suddenly  from
sleep.

  Treatment.—Proper habits of life and care  in regu-
lating the diet will do much toward strengthening the
heart.  Tea and  coffee should be avoided, as well as
all alcoholic liquors.  Moderate out-door exercise and
the cultivation of a  cheerful  disposition are great
helps  toward  recovery.  Cactina pillets, two before
each meal, or ten drops of a mixture of equal parts of
fluid  extracts of goldenseal  and  mother-w7ort, will
prove excellent for tonic purposes 
392
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
              HEART  WEAKNESS.

            Tobacco or Smoker's Heart.
  Persons addicted to the habit of using  tobacco are
sometimes  affected  by  serious disturbances of the
heart's action.  The pulse may become small, frequent
and irregular, and altogether too feeble to correspond
with the temperament of the  individual.  The least
exertion causes a  feeling of heart weakness at times,
which is depressing in character.

  Treatment.—This consists  in abandonment of the
habit of using tobacco.  Probably  the  best  aid in
overcoming the tobacco  habit is to grind together one
ounce of gentian  root and half a pound  of slippery-
elm bark, steam until soft and then  press into cakes
and dry.  A piece may  be carried in the pocket and
nibbles taken from it frequently.  The saliva may be
swallowed, and the  gentian will prove tonic and the
slippery-elm  soothing.  Many persons can  chew or
smoke tobacco almost constantly for many years with-
out apparent evil  effects.  Persons of a sanguine tem-
perament, florid in appearance, inclined  to be fleshy
and who are nervous in their ways, are most  liable to
have tobacco heart.
         HEART VALVULAR DISEASE.
                 Organic Disease.
  The principal organic diseases of the heart are those
affecting the valves.   They  may  be thickened,  or
lacerated, or degenerated, or malformed, or the orifices
of the valves may be dilated, or vegetations or growths
may be upon them.  The exact nature of the difficulty
can rarely be ascertained during life, but it is impor-
tant to know whether or not the condition present ob-
structs the flow of blood or causes it to  regurgitate.
Aneurisms, fatty degenerations and various diseases
may cause  valvular  troubles;  they  may also  be
brought about by excessive labor,  and are very fre-
quently hereditary.   Persons in middle life or old age
are frequently affected. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
393
  Symptoms.— The various  symptoms of  valvular dis-
eases of the heart may be classified technically  to
differentiate the especial valves involved and the pe-
culiar conditions present in each case, but such a class-
ification is unnecessary for present  purposes.   All
forms of valvular disease have many  symptoms in
common, which may be mentioned as follows:
  Difficulty of breathing, a sense of  suffocation or op-
pression in the  chest,  and a choking feeling  in  the
throat; beating violently of the arteries of the neck,
coughing, headache, paleness or lividness of the coun-
tenance, with an anxious look, are common; these are
all increased upon slight exertion.  There may be pal-
pitation and pain  about  the heart, restlessness  at
night  and  bad  dreams.  As  the  disease advances
breathing becomes extremely difficult, the kidneys be-
come affected and dropsy follows, commencing with
puffiness about the  eyelids and ankles,  and progress-
ing rapidly.
  Treatment—"Light, nutritious diet, fresh air, regular
habits  and quietude  are necessities.   Excitement,
highly seasoned foods, tea, coffee,  alcoholic liquors
and tobacco and excesses of all kinds must be avoided.
Narcotics must never be administered.  Intercurrent
diseases must be promptly and appropriately treated.
As a  heart tonic the following is most  excellent:
Fluid extracts  of goldenseal,  scullcap and mother-
wort, each one-half ounce, in syrup of ginger sufficient
to make eight ounces.  Dose, one teaspoonful night
and  morning.  Frequent  baths  are  beneficial  and
clothing should be changed regularly according to the
weather.  Persons suffering from valvular  heart  dis-
ease  may  live to extreme old age, but are liable to
drop dead from indiscretions in diet or exercise.
Heatstroke.—See article on Sunstroke.
                HECTIC  FEVER.
               Fever of Exhaustion.
  Many exhausting  diseases such  as  consumption,
bone diseases,  etc.,  cause  disintegration of tissues, 
394
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
and the products of such disintegration becoming ab-
sorbed cause a slow blood poisoning throughout the
system marked by peculiar characteristics.

  Symptoms.—These are not always of the same type,
but embrace rise of bodily7 temperature during the aft-
ernoons or evenings, bright spots upon the cheeks,
lustrous eyes, nervousness and  restlessness, dryness
of the tongue and  mouth and dry surface.  Such con-
ditions may arise  daily or every other  day, and are
followed by profuse night  sweats and disappearance
of fever.  Such conditions are extremely exhaustive,
and the patient's strength  gradually fails.  Swelling
of the feet and lower limbs is soon noticed and severe
sores present a low grade of ulceration in the mouth.

  Treatment.—Pure air and pleasant  surroundings are
imperative, and the removal of the cause of the diffi-
culty, if possible, should be the  first aim.  Abscesses
should be evacuated, decayed portions  of bones re-
moved,  etc.  Frequent  rubbings of the  body by dry
towels are beneficial for the night sweats.  A drink of
infusion of raspberry leaves  and sage tea at bedtime
will be found most excellent.
  During the period of fever,  substances cannot be
employed to soften the  skin, as they aggravate the
night sweats.  The compound gentian tonic (see form-
ulas)  may be given three  times a day.   For ulcera-
tions of the mouth, there is nothing better than tinct-
ure of myrrh  and fluid extract  of hydrastis,  a  few
drops each, in borax water.  Should  diarrhoea  be an
aggravating  symptom,  use the  neutralizing cordial
containing a few drops of  tincture of kino.
                 HEMATEMESIS.

                Vomiting of Blood.

  By  various  causes  blood may enter the  stomach,
usually as the result of injuries or of swallowing cor-
rosives.  It may be the result of violent vomiting or
be present from other diseases, such as irregularities 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          395

of menstruation, cancers, ulcerations, throat troubles,
etc.

  Symptoms.—There are rarely any special indications
beside  the symptoms of the  disease present and the
vomiting of  blood  of a dark  color resembling coffee
grounds.  The quantity is usually small, though  it
may be large and bright red if expelled  soon after  it
has entered the stomach  from a  severe hemorrhage.
Symptoms of loss of blood may be present.

  Treatment should consist of rest, and severe cases
should  receive nourishment   by  rectal  injections.
Small bits of ice may be sw7allowed, and cold astrin-
gent infusions administered, such as of tannin or kino.
Stimulants aud other medicines, when required to sus-
tain the strength and quiet the nervous system, should
be given as enemas.
  Hematocele.—A collection of blood  about the tes-
ticle or ovary.  It is usually caused by an injury  or
the bursting  of a  vericose vein.   Haematocele, when
not large, may possibly be absorbed,  although sur-
gical operation is almost always an absolute necessity.

  Hematuria.—Blood in the urine.  See article on
Urine,  abnormal conditions.

  Hemeralopia.—This is a peculiar and as yet unex-
plained condition of the eyes.   The person afflicted is
unable to see at all by artificial light, although able
to see perfectly well during the day time.   It seems to
be an individual peculiarity, considered incurable.

  Hemicrania.—Headache upon one side.   See article
on Headache—Nervous.

  Hemiplegia.—Paralysis upon one side of the body.
See article on Paralysis.

  Hemoptysis.—Hemorrhage of the Lungs.—See article
on Lung Diseases. 
396         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
                 HEMORRHAGE.
             Bleeding. Loss of Blood.
  Whenever a blood  vessel, artery or vein,  large or
small, is severed, hemorrhage or bleeding will  occur.
If an artery is severed the blood will be bright red and
spurt or flow quickly, while blood from a vein will be
dark and flow slowly.  As a rule, in small vessels, the
blood will coagulate and form clots in the vessels and
thus stop the hemorrhage.
  Treatment for hemorrhage is given in the various ar-
ticles on Epistaxis  (bleeding  from  the  nose), Lung
Troubles—hemorrhage of the  lungs,  etc.   Also see
section on Accidents  and Emergencies, and Diseases of
Women.
  Hemorrhoids.—See article on Piles.

  Hepatitis.—Inflammation of the Liver.—See article
on Diseases of the Liver.
                     HERNIA.

         Protrusion of the Bowel.  Rupture.
  At the lower part of the abdomen in the groin are
spaces between the muscles throug-h which pass blood
vessels, nerves, etc., and  occasionally through these
openings portions of the intestines may protrude, by
violent exercise, straining, horseback riding, etc.

  Symptoms.—A rupture may be recognized by a swell-
ing at the part, increased  by standing and coughing,
and causing pain on walking.

  Treatment.—The first thing to be done is to return
the protruded portion of intestine.  Place the patient
on the back in such a position as to relax the muscles
of the belly.  Saturate cloths with strong lobelia in-
fusion and  lay them over the parts, and in an hour or
so,  after relaxation  is secured,  gently manipulate
the intestine back  to its  proper place.  Place a wad 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
397
of cotton over the spot (after return of the hernia)
and saturate it with tannic acid solution or some other
strong astringent.  A truss must be secured and prop-
erly fitted by a reliable surgical instrument dealer or
physician.  If rupture is left too long unattended to
strangulation may occur and cause  mortification and
death.
                    HERPES.

               Fever and Cold Sores.

  From possible disturbances of  the nervous system,
perhaps  aggravated by  stomach  irregularities  and
sometimes by improper living, small groups of blisters
may appear on various parts of the body.  Sometimes
these blisters will be on the lips, or on the extremities,
and sometimes on the genitals.  Pregnant women are
occasionally troubled with herpes,  usually upon the
extremities.  The vesicles seldom last beyond a w7eek,
and either burst and leave scabs or gradually disap-
pear by absorption.

  Treatment is seldom required beyond allaying the
itching, which is often intolerable.  Dusting  the af-
fected parts with starch and pulverized borax or using
distilled  extract  of  witch hazel is beneficial.  The
stomach may be disordered and the bowrels irregular,
in which case neutralizing cordial should be used.
Persons troubled with herpes  should ascertain the ir-
regularities present  in their  systems and proceed to
correct them.
Herpes Zoster.—See article on Shingles.
                   HICCOUGH.

        Spasm of the Diaphragm.  Singultus.

  This is a very annoying difficulty and is extremely
common and trifling in children, in consequence of an 
398         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

excess of food or liquid in the stomach.  Such  cases
are usually relieved  by small doses of peppermint,
neutralizing  cordial,  compound  spirits of lavender,
ginger, etc.   Occasionally severe and protracted cases
of  hiccough occur  in adults, becoming most dis-
tressing.
  Placing the elbows  out from the body and gradually
bringing the finger tips as near as possible, without
touching,  often  gives  relief  by steadying the dia-
phragm and getting  the attention from the cougli.
Oil of  cloves, a few drops on sugar, has been success-
fully employed.   One case that continued for ten days,
till the patient was exhausted  and abandoned by his
physician, was cured by  teaspoonful  doses of  onion
juice.
  Hiccough is frequently a  symptom of approaching
death in severe diseases, though it may occur as a sign
of weakness in  debilitating maladies,  such as  diph-
theria, typhoid fever, etc.
                  HIP-DISEASE.

            Destruction of the Hip Joint.

  This affliction is most  frequent among scrofulous
persons and especially in early life.   It may be the
result  of diseased conditions or of injury; and it  is
surprising how7 slight a fall or other injury may pro-
duce serious results.

  Sipnptoms.—Probably trouble will be first recognized
as stiffness of the  joint, the  knee being bent upward
when the patient lies on the back.  The large bone  of
the thigh being fastened to the hip bone, there will be
a hollow in  the small of the  back whenever the limb
is forcibly straightened.   Occasionally there may be
fullness in the region of the joint; though as a rule the
affected limb and  the corresponding buttock will  di-
minish in size.  Limping will be noticeable, and there
is usually considerable pain, which  is  sometimes felt
as though  on  the inside  of the knee.  An abscess
forms in the hip joint and the pus burrows.  The head 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          399
of the thigh bone decays and decided  shortening fol-
lows.  Death  is apt to follow from exhaustion, or else
permanent stiffness and recovery may  be the result.

  Treatment—Stimulating liniment as  an outward ap-
pliance is serviceable.  The general strength must be
sustained by tonic and nourishing foods.  Gelatine is
most excellent along with  broths.  Abscesses and
suppuration must  be  treated as laid  dow7n for those
difficulties.  If  the limb is stiffened  and  crooked it
may be  thoroughly relaxed  by lobelia fomentations
and then straightened, when splints  and apparatus
manufactured especially for this purpose may be used.
Such a difficulty requires the most skillful surgical
treatment;  and  nursing  and hygienic surroundings
must be of the very best.
                     HIVES.

              Nettle Rash.  Urticaria.

  This difficulty, frequently known as wheals, is very
annoying and frequent among children, and occasion-
ally with adults.  It is usually caused by digestive de-
rangements, such as are provoked by eating classes of
foods which may be especially unacceptable  to some
stomachs.  Honey and strawberries and cucumbers are
often regarded as causes for hives.

  Symptoms.-—An attack lasts but a few days, consist-
ing of hard, irregular and elevated patches upon the
skin,  usually  wiiite,  surrounded by  redness.  They
itch and burn and last but a few  hours, possibly  com-
ing two or three times a day for a  week.  Fever is
very seldom manifested.

  Treatment consists in keeping the  bowels open  and
using a tonic  to  the  stomach, such as goldenseal in-
fusion.  Should there be  sourness  of the  stomach
nothing will be  better than  neutralizing  cordial.
Witch hazel extract  applied externally  allays  the
itching. 
400         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

              HODGKIN'S DISEASE.

                Pseudo-Leukaemia.
  Persons in early old  age  are the most frequent suf-
ferers from this disease.  It is characterized by white
deposits  in  the spleen, liver  or lungs, involving the
lymphatic glands.   Great paleness and weakness are
prominent  symptoms.   The   stomach  becomes de-
ranged and  nutrition fails.  Sometimes there will be
chilliness followed  by hectic  form  of  fever.  The
slightest exertion  is exhausting, stair-climbing being
especially difficult.   The gland  beneath the jaw usu-
ally first commences to swell, and the  cervical  glands
may one  by one become involved, forming a chain of
enlargements, often  as large as hens' eggs, down to
the collar bone.  The glands soften and slowly sepa-
rate, and if emptied they heal very slowly.   It is a
dangerous and annoying difficulty.

  Treatment.—Poultice the swollen glands,  but do not
lance them.   When they discharge syringe them thor-
oughly with boracic acid solution and then  keep them
covered with a salve of prepared earth and glycerine
containing a little  powdered myrrh.  Dress them fre-
quently.  Internally give tartrate of iron and potassa
and citric acid, half an ounce each, in  eight ounces of
water.   Dose, a teaspoonful before meals.   Compound
gentian syrup is a suitable tonic.  Keep the  bowrels
open by liver pills.  Hygienic measures and a light,
nourishing diet are absolutely  necessary.
  Horns.—These are excrescences of the epidermis.
They appear often without  any apparent cause and
may attain enormous  size,  resembling  small horns of
animals in rare cases.  They may be shaved off and
caustic applied at the place.of detachment.

  Horn-pox.—In some cases of small-pox the eruption
does not  become suppurative, but reaches the papular
stage and is then arrested,  causing the  elevations to
resemble a mass  of warts.   Treatment  is,  of course,
the same as for ordinary small-pox. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
401
                    HYDROA.

         Pimples on the Hands and Knees.
  Occasionally, without apparent cause, pimples vary-
ing in  size from a pinhead  to  a small button, make
their appearance  upon the knees, back of the hands
and  wrists.  Light  redness  surround the pimples,
which are filled with  transparent yellow liquid. They
last a few days and  disappear  by  absorption.  Suc-
cessive  crops break  out for three  or four  weeks.
Sometimes they appear in the mouth or in the mucous
membrane of the  eyes.  The chilly atmosphere  and
changeable weather  of  spring  and fall  seem to be
chiefly responsible for the trouble, along with possible
disturbed conditions of the stomach and blood.

  Treatment.—Outward applications are not needed un-
less pimples appear on the mucous membrane, when a
wash of borax in goldenseal infusion will be found
serviceable.  The bowels must be kept freely open by
the liver pills, and acidity of the stomach relieved by
neutralizing cordial.  Persistent attacks  require the
use of compound syrup of yellow dock (see formulas).
Frequent bathing  with  vigorous rubbings are excel-
lent.
               HYDROADENITIS.

          Inflammation of Sweat Glands.
  The sweat glands may become inflamed causing small
lumps over the surface which  do  not suppurate, al-
though they become red and tender.  Such a condi-
tion  is frequently caused by  excessive  exertion in
warm weather, or running  to  the  point of fatigue.
Applications of cloths wrung out of hot water  will
give  relief.  If the spots  grow dark stimulating  lini-
ment should be applied.  Nourishing diet must be  pro-
vided, and  if there are glandular swellings, the com-
pound syrup of yellow dock (see formulas)  must be
used  internally.   Hygienic regulations are important
factors in the  treatment of hydroadenitis and should
be carefully observed. 
402        A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                HYDROMYELIA.

            Cavities in the Spinal Cord.
  Under  ill-defined conditions,  usually  congenital,
cavities of varied extent may be present in the spinal
cord,  which contain a serous fluid.  The symptoms
are obscure, often manifesting themselves in the form
of atrophy or of eruptions, especially upon the hands,
and contractions of the fingers and swelling and gan-
grene of their  tips, resembling leprosy,  have been
noticed.  There is no effective means of treatment be-
yond nourishing food and hygienic measures.
  Hydropericardium.—This  is  dropsy  about the
heart, and is described under Diseases of the Heart.
                 HYDROPHOBIA.
                      Rabies.
  This is probably one of the most  frightful diseases
from which human beings can suffer.  Fortunately it
is  comparatively rare, and would be more so should
the thousands of worthless dogs which infest cities be
annihilated.  It is a disease communicated by the poi-
son in the saliva of rabid dogs, wolves and rats, and
possibly some other animals.  Rat terriers and spitz
dogs are  most  liable to "go mad," and sometimes
dogs that have been given  the  greatest care are at-
tacked.  Dogs developing the disease become restless,
look suspicious and sick, are irritable and snappish
and have no  appetite.  Soon furious  symptoms com-
mence, such as barking, biting and evidences of delir-
ium and frothing of the mouth, followed by weakness,
tottering  and paralysis, drooping  of the jaw  and
death.  Rabid dogs do not have the reported aversion
to wrater; they may even lap it, but are unable to
swallow it.   Bites through clothing may possibly be
harmless by the virus being  prevented from entering
the wound.

  Symptoms.—These  rarely develop under six weeks
from the  time of being bitten, and may be delayed for 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
403
several months.  Less than ten per cent of persons
bitten by  rabid animals  develop hydrophobia.  The
early signs are restlessness and great sensitiveness to
light and sounds,  melancholy, bad sleep and  sense of
constriction about the throat.  Before long difficulty
of swallowing follows  and catching  of  the breath.
Soon there is dread of water, and spasms throughout
the  body  upon the slightest provocation.  There is
sleeplessness, sense of fear and anxiety,  great thirst,
tenacious and abundant saliva.
  Frightful symptoms now manifest themselves.  Vio-
lent convulsions come on frequently, the victim throw-
ing himself about madly,  struggling for breath and
strangling  on  his  saliva, which also  comes from the
mouth.  During intervals of spasms he warns attend-
ants of  their danger and  realizes  his dreadful con-
dition.   These symptoms  may continue several clays,
the  patient usually dying from exhaustion in  from
three to eight days.

  'Treatment.—Pasteur, of Paris, instituted a method
of treatment for  which much has  been  claimed, but
when we consider that but ten per cent of those bitten
contract the disease, and  that Pasteur's treatment
professes  to be only a possible preventive and has
never covered a developed  case, wTe can  put little if
any trust in it.  Most authorities declare the disease
necessarily fatal.   But it has been cured.
  As soon as possible, after being bitten, tie a  tight
bandage or ligature above the wound and  cauterize
the wound freely with a red hot iron  or nitric  acid;
any injury  is preferable to possible development of
hydrophobia.  Nervousness and fear ma}7  develop
symptoms easily  mistaken for approaching  spasms,
and always aggravate the difficulty.
  When actual symptoms of hydrophobia commence,
relax the patient at once.   To do this, lobelia must be
used unsparingly.   A teaspoonful of the herb in two
cups of warm water should be given by injection every
three hours  or oftener  and retained by  compress if
necessary.  A wreak infusion should also be given in
teaspoonful doses  by the mouth every ten minutes, or
as often as it can be  swallowed.  Pulverized  lady 
404         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
slipper or scullcap herb may be  added to the injec-
tions, and if the wound is angry, compound  tincture
of myrrh must be freely used upon it.
  HydrOthionuria.—Sulphur in the Urine.—This may
occur when there is suppuration  in the intestines or
elsewhere.   The urine will  have the odor of rotten
eggs (sulphuretted hydrogen gas.)  When this occurs,
it is evidence that destruction is progressing  some-
where, which should be attended to by appropriate
treatment.

  Hydrothorax.—This is sub-acute pleurisy, charac-
terized by  a quantity of fluid in  the sac  about the
lungs.  Described under*Pleurisy.
                  HYPEREMIA.

               Redness of  the Skin.
  Rubbing, scratching, pressure, exposure  to heat or
cold, or anger or shame, may produce blushing or red-
ness of the skin.   The condition is also common in
the course of  various acute  maladies.  The extreme
sensitiveness  of  some  persons  to blushing may  be
overcome by turning the thoughts to other subjects.
"Hardening the skin," by  cold  applications  is suc-
cessful.
  Hypergeusia.—Nervous  persons  are not  infre-
quently afflicted with this malady.  It is an increased
sensitiveness of the sense of taste.  Often salt or pep-
per or condiments cannot be endured, and occasionally
some simple articles seem to assume irritating charac-
teristics.  Relief is obtained  only  by  treating the
actual disorder.
                 HYPERIDROSIS.
               Profuse Perspiration.
  This condition  may be general, in which case the
whole  body will  be drenched with  perspiration.  It 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
405
commonly occurs in the course of constitutional  dis-
eases  and is extremely weakening.  Local sweating
is often annoying, the hands or feet or some portion ot
the body being affected.  Profuse sweating of the feet
makes them extremely  tender  and often offensive.
Occasionally eczematious eruptions are started by hy-
peridrosis.

  Treatment— For general  conditions the  person af-
flicted should drintf freely of sage and kino infusion.
The body may be  sponged with  vinegar and water,
and rubbed with a dry towel.  For local sweating a
powder of starch,  one ounce, and tannic acid,  two
drachms,  may  be dusted upon the toes.  The stock-
ings may be saturated with this pow7der and thus worn
constantly.   As a rule there is some nervous difficulty
or functional disturbance to  be  sought for and rem-
edied  by appropriate treatment.


  Hypermetropia.—A  condition of  the crystaline
lens of the eyes, usually occurring in  old persons, by
which objects are focused unnaturally upon the retina,
causing the necessity of  wearing glasses.  See section
on Diseases of the Eye.

  Hyperosmia.—This is exaltation  of the  sense of
smell.  Some persons become so sensitive to odors as
to be  sickened by  the least disagreeable whiffs, and
are able to distinguish persons and substances by their
individual odors.   Blunting  the  nerve terminals by
cold water douches and frequent pinches of powdered
bayberry bark often relieves the extreme sensitiveness.
                HYPOCHONDRIA.

                      Hypo.
  Persons suffering from hypochondria are often ridi-
culed, but wrongly  so.  It is an actual disease, most
distressing  in  character to the sufferer, and one  of
which he would be only too willing to be cured.   It is
a nervous condition, the exact seat of which cannot be 
406
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
 ascertained.   Men are more liable than women to suf-
 fer from hypochondria, and they usually between the
 ages of thirty-five and  fifty7.  Causes of the difficulty
 cannot always be ascertained; often a taint of insan-
 ity in the family may be discovered.

  Symptoms.-—These are very diverse in many respects.
 The main symptom of hypochondria is the patient's im-
 agining that some serious organic disease has fastened
 itself upon him.  He will relate his feelings to every-
 one willing to listen and  ask if they "ever  had any-
 thing like it."   He will visit various physicians and
 clinics and exaggerate his symptoms, telling different
 tales to  different physicians, and  become  convinced
 that they do not understand his case.   He will pre-
 scribe for himself and swill himself  with  nauseous
 drugs, for he is anxious to get well.   He often de-
 clares he wishes he could die, but takes great pains to
 prolong his life.  He cannot  get his thoughts off of
 himself night or day.  But his troubles are not all im-
 aginary7.   Usually symptoms of dyspepsia are pres-
 ent, excessive appetite and distress after eating, possi-
 bly  heartburn and  disturbances of  breathing from
 pressure  of gas in the stomach.   These signs lead him
 to believe he has heart  trouble, especially as palpita-
 tion often occurs.  He will usually read medical works
 and come to the conclusion that he has a hopeless or-
 ganic disease.   He may  grow despondent  at  times,
 thougfi during intervals may attend to business and be
 cheerful  and apparently  without concern with stran-
 gers. Persistence and indulgence in such thoughts and
 experiences gradually  have their physical effect and
 his  strength begins to  fail and he  may  fall away  in
 flesh and become pale or sallow.

  Treatment.—Secure the confidence of the patient by
 considering his real sufferings and never ridiculing his
 expressions.  Direct his mind off of himself, establish
 an  aim in his  life and interest him in it.   Keep him
from reading medical works and talk as little as pos-
sible with him concerning his case except about his
actual symptoms and the assurance of  their gradual
relief.  Excesses in all  things must be  forbidden,  ex- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
407
ercise can be allowed only in moderation, never to the
point of fatigue.   A  diet of fruit and vegetables  is
advisable.  Nutrition is all important, egg-nog (plain)
is excellent, but alcoholic liquors, tea and coffee must
be prohibited.  Change  of climate and of habits are
most beneficial and often bringing about a speedy and
permanent cure.
  Medication should not be  directed to  the relief  of
symptoms, but to the general toning up of the system.
The compound syrup of  gentian  (see formulas)  is ex-
cellent.   The  bowels must be kept  free, better by an
abundance of  fruits and  laxative  foods than by drugs.
If  there  is a rheumatic taint  back of the difficulty
lithia water will be found most excellent.
                  HYSTERICS.

               Nervous Convulsions.
  This is a most annoying nervous disorder, the exact
seat of which cannot in all  cases be located.   Young
women, and unmarried women approaching the change
of life, are the ones chiefly affected; though persons of
any age may be affected.  Anxiety, overwork, indi-
gestion, menstruation, indolence, excesses of all kinds,
grief, indulgence in morbid or lascivious thoughts and
in some instances  downright  perverseness  are  all
causes of hysterics and the cause should be properly
ascertained in each  case in order to deal successfully
with hysterical  persons.

  Symptoms.—A person  never takes a lit of hysterics
while asleep, but always manages that others shall be
present, an uncontrollable desire for sympathy or for
frightening- or disturbing others being a  prominent
symptom.  An attack is gradual and the patient pre-
pares herself for it.   Usually the commencement is a
sob, a laugh, a sigh  and random or excessive  talking
in rapid succession.   There may be twitching of  the
limbs and even violent convulsions,  the patient throw7-
ing herself about, apparently unconscious, but taking
care to prevent  injury or too much dishevelment of the
dress   The teeth may  grit and gurgling  sounds and 
408
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
possibly saliva come from  the mouth.  The pulse is
normal  and the face not livid.  Belchings may occur
and free discharge of urine follow an attack, preceded
by crying, laughing, yawning, etc., and then exhaus-
tion.

  Treatment.—Firmness, but not  cruelty, must be ex-
ercised.  Excitement or sympathy about the  patient
must not be  allowed.  Ascertain the cause of the fit
and  act accordingly.  If from  perverseness  dash a
small cup of water in the face and follow it by several
more at intervals.   But  do not be too hasty in con-
cluding it  is  only "ugliness."  Girls  are sensitive
about mentioning menstrual disorders, and such often
cause uncontrollable hysterical fits,  calling  for the
greatest kindness.  Smelling  salts and the adminis-
tration of valerian and compound spirits of lavender
are beneficial.  Never scold  or make fun of hysterical
persons after their  attacks; and do  not dwell upon
them or speak of their difficulty as '' simply hysterics."
Take as little notice of them as possible.
                     ICHOR.
                  Unhealthy Pus.
  This is the name given to the  thin and acrid  pus
which flows from unhealthy wounds that  are not in-
clined to heal.  In extensive wounds the  appearance
of ichor  is always a  bad indication  and  calls for
prompt action in sustaining the system by such stimu-
lation as large and frequent drinks of composition in-
fusion (see formulas).  In such  cases the w7ound must
also be thoroughly cleansed two  or three times a day
with diluted compound tincture of myrrh, or by injec-
tions of fifty per cent solution of peroxyde of hydrogen.
Icterus.—See article on Jaundice. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          409
                     IDIOCY.

              Imbecility. Cretinism.
  This is an imperfect development of the whole body
in general and the head in particular.  Idiocy, inabil-
ity to hear or talk  and impaired sensibility  are  pe-
culiarities of complete cretinism.  Some are only par-
tially affected, and nearly all suffer goitre.  The val-
leys of some mountainous countries abound  with Cre-
tans.  It is said  that  marriages  of  cousins or blood
relatives, or of persons afflicted  with  goitre, whose
parents were similarly affected, are apt to result in
offspring of Cretans.   Idiotic asylums are the  proper
places for persons thus affected.  Should the difficulty
be recognized  soon after birth,  hygienic measures
might be employed to  advantage.
  Ileus.—This is constriction of the bowels or intes-
tines, causing obstruction and most serious conse-
quences.  It is fully considered in the article on Bowel
Trouble.

  Impetigo.—This is a skin affection very closely al-
lied to eczema, pustules being formed about the hair
follicles upon the head, hands and face.  Thick crusts
and scabs make the disease most disgusting.  The
general  treatment laid down for eczema  will prove
efficient.  Great cleanliness and the internal and ex-
ternal use of sulphur are indicated.  Scabs may be
removed by poultices.

  Impetigo Contagioso.—A contagious form of the
above,  accompanied by fever  and  the  formation of
scabs very much resembling vaccination   scabs and
often appearing like isolated small-pox pustules.
                  IMPOTENCY.
          Sexual Incapacity and Debility.
  Through excesses, bad habits, various diseases and
many other causes men may lose their sexual pow7ers 
410         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
and suffer from impotency.  Much  has been written
upon this subject that is calculated to frighten individ-
uals into the cessation of bad habits.  But impotency,
like all other diseases, is an unnatural condition, and
its careful consideration and judicial treatment will
produce far better results than fright.
  The author has, during the past  twenty-five years,
given especial attention to the treatment of impotency,
and although all classes of  cases have come under his
care, he has yet to meet the first incurable  case.  Im-
potency is one of the  curable diseases,  although one
of the  most humiliating and discouraging.  It is more
fully considered in the section on Diseases of the Gen-
erative Organs.
  Inanition.—This is simply lack of nourishment and
may be caused from an insufficient supply of food, or
from diseased conditions preventing the assimilation
of food.  See the  articles  on  Marasmus and Starva-
tion.

  Incontinence Of Urine.—Enuresis.—This annoying
difficulty, frequent to children  and old and feeble per-
sons, is fully considered in the  article on Bed-Wetting.
                  INDIGESTION.
           Stomach Distress after Eating.
  Under this title many disturbances of the stomach
have been classed and other names given them accord-
ing to their individual characteristics, such as heart-
burn, gastralgia, etc.  But indigestion  proper is sim-
ply an arrest of digestion and a consequent crowding
of blood upon the stomach and liver.

  Symptoms.—An attack comes on some time after eat-
ing, causing paroxysms of pain in the stomach and
back.  The patient may retch  and become cold and
.clammy  and very  pale  and experience great misery.
After several hours of suffering the  paroxysms  grad-
ually cease; leaving weakness, loss of  appetite and 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
411
constipation for several days, and liability to renewed
attacks.

  Treatment—Rub stimulating liniment over the stom-
ach, give an emetic of warm  salt water.  Bathe the
feet in hot water and internally administer five-drop
doses  of compound spirits  of lavender in water  con-
taining  soda,  and followed  by infusion  of ginger.
After  an attack diet must be rigidly guarded and hygi-
enic measures—bathing and exercise—provided.  See
articles on Dyspepsia, and Catarrh of the Stomach.
  Indolent Ulcers.—These are ulcers which refuse to
heal on account of unfavorable conditions of the sys-
tem, or from neglect or improper treatment.   They
may continue for many years and finally be  healed by
proper treatment.  They are  fully considered in the
article on Ulcers.

  Inebriety.—See the article on Alcoholism.
                INFLAMMATION.

      Increased Activity of Local Circulation.
  In general, inflammation, marked by redness, swell-
ing and sensitiveness, may be considered the reaction
of the tissues to injuries or obstructions which are not
sufficient to cause destruction of the  parts.  In some
cases the inflammation  (increased "activity) may  be
sufficient to overcome the obstruction and restore free-
dom of action.  In other instances the excess of blood
will be sufficient to repair damages done by injuries,
as in the  cases of  cuts, broken bones, etc.
  Very frequently the excessive action, manifested by
inflammation, fails to accomplish its purpose,  and the
increase of blood becomes stagnated and  serious con-
sequences follow.   Thus, while  inflammation is not of
itself a disease, it must be appropriately treated that
Nature's  effort may be aided  and not thwarted.  Al-
ways regard inflammation as  a  vital effort to remove
obstructions and  act accordingly.  This  is not  the 
412         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
usual view7 taken of inflammation, but it is the reason-
able view7, and indicates the proper  course  of treat-
ment.  When the injuries or obstructions are profound,
increased vital efforts to  overcome them  may prove
unavailing.  The first  indication of this will  be a
tendency  to  congestion,  and if this progresses the
parts will  become  dark with  stagnated blood,  and
gradually vitality will lose control of the tissues and
they will fall  under chemical forces and degenerate
and suppuration will take place.

  Treatment.—In all forms of inflammation the minute
blood vessels  are liable to become over-crowded and
dilated and their walls must be strengthened; applica-
tions of cold wrater or of distilled witch hazel extract
will in mild cases sufficiently tone the parts to prevent
over dilation of the capillaries.   When  the inflamma-
tion is in mucous surfaces, such  as the throat and eye
membranes, wiiere  the  tissues are very  soft and the
small  blood-vessels easy  dilated, mild  astringents
must always be employed.  In deep-seated and dense
structures, joints, etc., where the walls of the  blood-
vessels are naturally firm, the tissues must be relaxed
that the force  of increased vital  reaction may the more
readily be enabled to  overcome  the obstructions pres-
ent.   In such cases the infusion or tincture of lobelia
or other relaxants should  be employed.  Inflamma-
tions of various organs and  structures  are considered
in the articles treating  of diseases of those organs
and  structures.
  Inflammation of  the Bladder.—Cystitis.—See ar-
ticle on Bladder Difficulties.

  Inflammation of the  Bowels.—See Bowel Diffi-
culties.

  Inflammation of the Brain.—Cerebritis.—See  the
article on Brain Diseases.

  Inflammation of  the Bronchi.—See Bronchitis. 
           DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          413

  Inflammation of the Eye and Ear.-See the sec-
tion on Diseases of the Eye and Ear.

  Inflammation of  the  Kidneys.-Kephritis.See
article on Kidney Diseases.

  Inflammation  of  the  Larynx.-See article  on
Laryngitis.

  Inflammation of the Liver—Hepatitis.— See Liver
Diseases.

  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs —Pneumonitis.—See
article on Pneumonia.

  Inflammation of the Peritoneum—See article on
Peritonitis.

  Inflammation  of  the  Pleurae.— Pleurals. — See
Pleurisy.

  Inflammation  of  the  Stomach.—Gastritis.—See
Stomach Troubles.

  Inflammation  Of  the Throat—See Throat  Dis-
eases.

  Inflammation of the Tonsils— Tonsiiitis.—See ar-
ticle on Throat Diseases.

  Inflammation of the Vagina.—Vaginitis.—See sec-
tion on Diseases of Women.

  Inflammation  of  the Womb.—Metritis.—See sec
tion on Diseases of AVomen.
           INFLAMMATORY  FEVER.
        Sthenic or Ardent Fever.  Synocha.
  This form of fever is  mostly  confined to those of
plethoric habits, and may be caused by over-eating,
sudden cold, exposures, etc. 
414         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

  Symptoms.—At  first  a feeling  of  depression  with
chilliness, quickly followed by high fever.  The body
becomes intensely hot,  the  temperature  probably
reaching 106°.  The pulse is high and full, and every
blood vessel over the body seems to throb almost to
bursting.  The face is bright red and burning sensa-
tions are experienced.   Occasionally there will be de-
lirium.  The urine is scanty  and the bowels consti-
pated, and the tongue coated white, yellow or brown.
  The obstructions in the  system, which cause such in-
tense vital manifestations, are great, and if not  over-
come quicklj7, serious consequences follow.   In a few
days the pulse becomes feebler and more frequent, the
skin  assumes a darker  color, the  tongue  becomes
brown and dry, the urine  is scanty and high colored,
and the  mind becomes drowsy.  Such a state of affairs
is known as the typhoid condition and will prove fatal
if not relieved.

  Treatment.—The first  thing to accomplish  is to un-
load the bowels.  Give a large enema of boneset in-
fusion in slippery-elm  water.  Allow the  patient to
drink freely of spearmint tea  or other mild relaxant.
During  the height of  the fever give an infusion of
pleurisy root, two ounces;  lady slipper, one ounce;
ginger,  one-fourth ounce,  in a quart of boiling water.
Dose, half a teacupful every half hour.
  Bathe the body with  luke-warm wrater and provide
fresh  air  and absolute quietude.  If the stomach is
foul, shown by  a heavily coated tongue, a  relaxing
emetic should be given (see article on Emetics).
  Should  the pulse grow weak and  frequent and the
face darker and the strength fail,  use  composition,
one ounce; goldenseal,  one-half  ounce;  queen of the
meadow, one-half  ounce,  in a pint of boiling water.
Dose, a  tablespoonful every hour.  Diet must be ex-
tremely light and nourishing, and care must  be taken
not to alloAv too early exertion.
  Influenza.—This is a mild form of grippe, and the^
term is also used to designate a severe form of catarrh"
accompanied by  fever.  See the articles on Grippe
and Catarrh. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT
415
                   INSANITY.

               Mental Aberrations.
  A great many nervous disturbances are classified un-
der the general term of insanity, all of which have as
a prominent symptom greater or less inability of the
patient to exercise will power over thoughts or actions.
The  number of insane persons is  very large, and is
constantly increasing, due to the modern life of worry
and excesses, coupled with the use of narcotics, head-
ache powders, hypodermic injections, etc.  Many per-
sons afflicted with  insanity recover and become most
active brain workers.  Some of the most  noted char-
acters of history passed through periods of insanity.
It is a disease, curable or  incurable, according to the
individual nature of the case and  the circumstances
surrounding it.
  The  causes  of insanity are varied, such as  grief,
fright, worry,  self-abuse, unsatisfied longings, im-
proper living, functional disturbance, especially of the
sexual organs.  A family taint of insanity may exist,
when slight causes may produce the disease.   It is
common to excuse  rash acts or disagreeable or crimi-
nal performances  by regarding as insane the person
committing them.   Many insanity  experts  take the
gronnd that the normal mind will live at  peace with
all mankind and harbor no feelings of revenge, malice,
etc., and  that all others are abnormal  and conse-
quently more or less insane.   Accepting such ideas we
would all be partially irresponsible for evil acts on ac-
count of abnormal conditions.
  The ideal human mind cannot be taken as the stand-
ard of  sanity.   Eccentricities, bad natures, self indul-
gences and individual peculiarities are not incompati-
ble with sanity, and downright viciousness or ugliness
should not be excused, upon the ground of  insanity.

   Dementia is a  low grade  of insanity, often a se-
quence of milder forms, the  unfortunate  victim  being
absolutely incapable of controlling  speech or actions,
stupidity being a pronounced characteristic.  Persons
suffering from dementia may become dangerously vio-
lent at times.  Such cases are occasionally curable. 
416         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Kleptomania is a mild form of insanity.  The suf-
ferer loses all control of the  power to resist tempta-
tion to steal.  Many  women in  high life are thus
afflicted, and the disease  is  growing.   Unrestrained
covetous  thoughts may be mentioned as the  great
cause of  kleptomania, and there is  little sympathy
for persons who allow themselves to  run into this de-
grading condition.  Still this form of insanity may be
manifested in little children who  deserve  great S3rm-
pathy.

  Dypsomania is the uncontrollable  impulse to delib-
erately enter into a debauch.  The condition is a pro-
nounced disease of the brain, and persons thus afflicted
should be sent to retreats or asylums and not cruelly
forced into reformatories or prisons.

  Melancholia is an inability to keep the mind from
brooding over  gloomy thoughts or forebodings. Dis-
appointments in love, grief over the  death of friends
or relatives, especially  at the change of life, are fre-
quent causes of melancholia.   It is the most frequently
curable form of insanity.

  Pyromania is manifested by an uncontrollable  de-
sire to start a conflagration.   This form of  insanity is
frequently manifested in children.
  Other forms of insanity are named, according to their
most prominent symptoms, and it very frequently  be-
comes difficult to exactly determine w7hen a person is
or is not insane, for an exact  and impregnable defini-
tion cannot  be given of the disease.   Insanity  ex-
perts, by long association with the insane, are apt to
become convinced that all unusual  acts are due to in-
sanity, and  they themselves would frequently  be
classed as insane under their own definitions.

  Treatment.—Violently insane persons, who manifest
a tendency to do  mischief,  should be confined in asy-
lums or retreats.   They cannot be  trusted, and in  ad-
dition to the  burden their condition enforces upon the
family, they are liable to inflict great sorrow and suf-
fering by their abuse  and perhaps homicide of some
member of the family. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          417
  Melancholia is distressing, but gives hope for recov-
ery.  As long as patients do not evince suicidal tend-
encies they  should  be kept with relatives.  Travel-
ling, change of habits and surroundings, patience and
careful nursing may accomplish much.  Such  persons
cannot be argued out of their melancholy thoughts.
It is best not to scold or  laugh at their expressions,
but to endeavor,  without their knowing  it,  to turn
their thoughts upon other subjects.  Years  may  be
necessary to overcome melancholy.
  Every case of insanity must  be  treated upon its in-
dividual characteristics.  The functional disturbances
must be ascertained and properly attended to.  Opi-
ates and narcotics of all kinds must be positively for-
bidden, and soothing nervines employed. Exercise
must be provided if  possible,  and nothing  but  the
greatest kindness shown upon all occasions.  Frequent
bathing, most nourishing and  easily  digested foods,
fresh air, daily evacuations of the  bowels and kind-
ness may work wonders in cases of insanity.
                   INSOMNIA.

           Wakefulness. Sleeplessness.

  Lying aw7ake at night for hours may or may not be
a serious matter.  Worry, excitement and over-eating
may cause sleeplessness without serious consequences
for a time, though constant loss of sleep  is alwaj'S in-
jurious.  Just what constitutes  a normal  amount of
sleep depends upon temperament and habit.  Some of
the greatest workers require but six hours while others
need ten.  Usually elderly women arise with the lark
and are in no hurry to retire at night.
  When sleeplessness  is not  temporary, but occurs
night after night, there is probably a  disturbance of
the nervous system which needs correcting.  Habits
often cause sleeplessness, such as sleeping in the chair
immediately after supper, planning for the next day
after retiring, or thinking of the past  day's work.
Often persons w7ho claim to have  " not slept at  all, "
do sleep without being conscious of  it. 
418
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment—Never use opium preparations, bromides,
chloral or narcotics  in any form to overcome  sleep-
lessness; they will do far more injury than good.  See
to it that the causes mentioned are  discontinued and
if sleep is not obtained readily observe the following
and select the most appropriate means.
  Take a walk after supper or  engage in active con-
versation  or employment till bedtime.   Indulge in a
ten or fifteen minute  bath in luke-warm water before
retiring.   Drink an infusion of lady-slipper and camo-
mile at  bedtime.  Sleep  with the head very high to
prevent rush of blood to the head, or place  a cold wet
cloth on the forehead.  Dismiss  all thoughts from the
mind; do not even think of the sleeplessness; let the
mind be a blank, it can be done, and it is the very best
method of procuring sleep; it is a self-hypnotism.  A
three-grain asafcetida pill taken an hour or  later after
supper will allay nervous  irritability,  likewise five-
drop doses of fluid extract of valerian in anise water
every half hour will be beneficial.
  Intermittent Fever.—See article on Ague.

  Intussusception.—See obstruction of  the  bowels
in the article on Bowel Troubles.

  Invagination.—A condition of the bowels where
one portion telescopes into another and thereby cause
obstruction and fatal results if not promptly relieved.

  Inverted Toenails.—See article on Onychia.
                      ITCH.
                     Scabies.
  This is an infection of the skin which for years went
by the name of " seven years' itch," on account of its
apparent resistance to treatment.   But since  its na-
ture became known  it has become a simple thing to
overcome.  Its cause is a minute insect known as the
itch mite (acarus scabies).  This burrow7s beneath the 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
419
skin where there is warmth and moisture or where the
skin is thin.  It is not found  upon the face, but usu-
ally appears between the fingers, on the front of the
forearm and wrists, in front of the elbows and occa-
sionally on the genital organs.  In children the but-
tocks  and feet are favorite localities.  Itching is  in-
tolerable, especially at night,  when the body is warm.
Irritation and scratching cause the formation of pim-
ples, wheals, pustules and  crusts.

  Treatment.—Mix one  drachm of  sulphur with  one
ounce of vaseline and apply thoroughly over the skin,
wear tight drawers, stockings and  gloves night and
day.  Repeat the application every forty-eight hours
three  times.  Too  free  use  of sulphur causes rash.
Before each application,  thoroughly wash  the body
with tar soap.   A few days will thus completely cure
itch.  Wash all clothing  with  boiling   water,  but
clothing which cannot be washed must be  ironed with
a hot  iron to destroy insects which may cling to them.
                   JAUNDICE.
                     Icterus.
  Any disease which causes obstruction to the flow of
bile through the rlucts or suppresses the secretion of
bile so that its ingredients enter into the circulation,
may be a cause  of jaundice.   Atrophy, or congestion
of the liver, malaria, tumors, cancers, some forms of
intestinal diseases and various  maladies may all give
rise to the difficulty.

  Symplons.—Yellowness of the skin is first noticed
about the ears, and in the conjunctiva of the eyes and
whites of the e37es.  The tongue is yellow,  and diges-
tion disturbed, there is a bitter taste in the mouth, the
bowels are constipated and the passages usually clay-
colored.   Diarrhoea may occur for a short time.  Pulse 
420         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

rate is diminished, also  the  volume of blood through
the arteries.  The  mind becomes melancholy.  . The
perspiration and the urine may be tinged yellow and a
slight  and irritating eruption often makes its appear-
ance.
  Severe  cases of long duration, tending to a fatal
termination,  give hemorrhages  from the nose, stom-
ach or bowels,  perhaps dark  and bloody urine, de-
lirium, convulsions or stupor.

  Treatment.—Diet is important.   Coffee and alcoholic
liquors must be forbidden, exposures  to cold must be
avoided and precautions taken against excesses of all
kinds.  Lemonade and  acid drinks and pure water in
abundance may be  allowTed.  Liquid  diet is best, but
all fatty substances must be excluded.  Frequent bath-
ing in warm water containing soda  should be prac-
ticed.  The bowels may be moved by injection and by
taking drinks of  senna  tea or salts, or large doses of
aromatic syrup of rhubarb.   Each night take  a  tea-
spoonful of the following:  Fluid extracts bitter root
and cascara, each one-half  ounce, in  syrup of ginger,
seven ounces.  Before each meal an infusion of golden-
seal and peach leaves is advisable.
  In chronic cases a small amount of fluid extract of
juniper may be added to the compound gentian syrup,
to  be  taken three  times  a  day.   When  there is
diarrhoea the neutralizing cordial is indicated.   A few
grains of hyposulphite  of soda held in the mouth may
lessen the bitter  taste of the bile and prove otherwise
beneficial.
                JOINT DISEASES.
      Inflammation. Abscess.  White Swelling.
  From injuries, exposures to cold and  other causes,
various joints of the body may become diseased, most
commonly in the form of inflammation or suppuration.

  Synovitis.—Inflammation of  a joint is called syno-
vitis, and  the symptoms are pain, swelling, heat and
tenderness.  There is usually feverishness and a puffy 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
421
appearance in the region of the joint.  Unless consti-
tutional disease is present, such as scrofula or syph-
ilis, recovery may be confidently expected.

  Treatment requires perfect rest, the joint being fixed
in one position  by splints or otherwise.   Cotton satu-
rated with distilled extract of hamamelis should be
applied and held in position by bandages.  When the
pain is intense and the swelling great, with tenseness
of the parts, hot fomentations of lobelia herb may be
applied.  The  bowels must be kept open and a light
diet  allowed.  Restlessness may require small doses
of lady slipper infusion.

  Abscess of the joint is  a severe difficulty, charac-
terized by  pain, heat, swelling and redness.  Chills,
followed by high fever, are common, and there is fluct-
uation in the neighborhood  of the joint.   The limb be-
comes fixed in one position  and there is great danger
of the use of the joint being lost, causing anchylosis.
Blood-poisoning may  set in and endanger the life of
the old or feeble.

  Treatment necessitates the  service of a surgeon to
open the abscess and apply the proper  bandages and
splints.

  White Swelling or scrofulous knee-joint is a severe
difficulty which may last for  years, causing pain and
swelling and stiffness of the joint.  Persons of scrof-
ulous diathesis may provoke this condition by injudi-
cious use of the joint  or by injury to it.   Blows and
heavy falls upon the knee,  and constant kneeling, as
in scrubbing, are frequent causes of white swelling,
especially in unhealthy persons.

  Treatment.—Surgical  operations  are sometimes nec-
essary.  Compound syrup of yellow dock (see formu-
las) should be used internally, and stimulating lini-
ment externally.  The  most nutritious diet should be
provided, and every effort made to maintain nutrition
and a healthy circulation. 
422         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
              KIDNEY CONGESTION.

        Venous Hyperaemia of the Kidneys.

  Exposure to cold or dampness and interference with
venous circulation, as in liver  troubles, injuries and
the use of irritating- agents such as turpentine, Span-
ish flies, saltpetre, etc., may cause congestion of the
kidneys.

  Sympto)ns.—The  flow of urine  diminishes, and upon
standing a sediment is seen.  There may be a sense of
fullness and dull pain and tenderness in the region of
the kidneys.  Usually the symptoms of disturbances
of the  liver are well marked, such  as sallowness, con-
stipation and loss of appetite and dizziness.

  Treatment.—This difficulty of the kidneys is second-
ary to  other troubles which must be first relieved.  As
a  rule the following will be found valuable:  Take
fluid extracts cascara, goldenseal andalthea, each one-
half ounce,  in  syrup of  ginger  for  eight ounces.
Dose, a teaspoonful after each meal.   Let the patient
drink  freely of  an infusion  of  mint and  shepherd's
purse.   Rest in bed is  usually imperative.   Fomenta-
tions of smart weed and mullein over the small of the
back will give prompt relief.  Diet must  be nourish-
ing but moderate in quantity.
       KIDNEY INFLAMMATION—ACUTE*

                     Nephritis.

  The kidneys may become inflamed by exposures to
cold, or the use of  irritating- fluids internally, such as
turpentine, Spanish flies, etc.  In the course of scarlet
fever desquamation may prove  very irritating to the
kidneys and be followed by nephritis.

  Symptoms.—These are  pain and  tenderness in the
small of the back,  sometimes extending to the groins
and bladder, headache and feverishness, high-colored
and scanty urine,  often  mingled with blood or pus. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          423

Following back injuries such symptoms are bad, and
in scarlet fever, dropsy is liable to follow7.  Cong-es-
tion is liable to follow inflammation.

  Trecdment.—If there is fever, give a strong infusion
of pleurisy root and marsh-mallows.  In all cases pro-
vide quietude and light food, allowing no tea, or coffee
or meats.  Over the small of the back rub equal parts
of tinctures  of lobelia and mullein.   Internally  use,
every7 three hours, one-fourth of  an infusion of shep-
herd's purse, peach leaves and hollyhock flowers, each
one ounce, in one quart of boiling  water.  If there is
blood in the urine, add witch hazel leaves, and if there
is pus, put in a small amount of myrrh.
    KIDNEY—INFLAMMATION OF  CAPSULE,

                Addison's Disease.

  The  supra-renal capsule, situated, as a sort of pro-
tection, above the kidney, may undergo cheesy degen-
eration, from causes  not  fully known; though it may
follow  injuries, or accompany cancer, tuberculosis and
other diseases.  It is a serious disease and is usually
fatal within  three months'  time, though cases may
live two or three years.

  Symptoms.—The premonitory signs are not  marked.
The general symptoms may include  headache, pain in
the back and about the stomach, persistent diarrhoea,
dyspepsia and vomiting.  Pulse is small and frequent.
Great debility progresses, sometimes almost  amount-
ing to paralysis of the lowrer limbs.   Pains of a rheu-
matic  character may be experienced, also  delirium
and convulsions towrard the end.  The most character-
istic symptom of Addison's disease is discoloration of
the skin.   Spots  appear over  the  body, of a dirty
bronze  color, often giving the  appearance of a mu-
latto, with  the palms and soles white, and the nails
and whites of the eyes  pearly.  The  appearance is
that of a "spotted man," though the  spots  may run
together all over the  body. 
424         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Treatment  must be for the alleviation of the symp-
toms, and good nourishment, fresh air and other hygi-
enic measures provided.
  Kidney  Inflammation  (Diffuse).—This is fully
considered in the article on Bright's Disease.
              KIDNEY ISCHAEMIA.

                  Arterial Spasm.
  During pregnancy,  cholera,  tuberculosis,  cancer,
chlorosis and several other diseases, the arterial sup-
ply to the kidneys is  liable to be greatly interfered
with at times.   The symptoms may be trifling- and con-
fined to scantiness of urine and the presence of albu-
men.  But  graver manifestations may occur, such as
dropsical effusions beneath the skin, headache, diar-
rhoea, and  vomiting and convulsions,  known  during
pregnancy  as  eclampsia.   Ordinary  cases  require
great attention to nutrition, and  convulsions  are
treated by injections to the rectum of  infusions of
scullcap, lady-slipper and cramp bark.
      KIDNEY—MOVABLE OR FLOATING.
                    Ren Mobilis.
  From various causes,  such  as injury, congestion,
general weakness,  difficult labor, hernia, tight lacing,
decrease in flesh, etc., a  kidney, especially the right
one, may  become  loosened  from its  natural  attach-
ments and literally  float about in the abdominal cav-
ity.

  Symptoms.—Various symptoms may  present them-
selves.  Vomiting, clammy perspiration, scantiness of
urine and  occasionally presence of  blood in the urine
and distress in passing it may be noticed.  Sometimes
the kidney may be distinctly felt out of position, and
pressure upon it will cause a sickening feeling.  Hys-
terical symptoms are apt to be manifested. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         425
  Treatment consists of improving the general health
according  to the nature of  the  disturbances and re-
moving  the  provoking  cause  of  the displacement.
Surgical operations are often absolutely necessary.
          KIDNEY—RARE DISEASES.

          Cancer.  Dropsy.  Amyloid, Etc.

  Among the rare diseases  of  the  kidneys may be
mentioned tubercles, cancerous growths, cysts, dropsy,
partial adherence of the twro kidneys, known as horse-
shoe kidney; absence of one of  the kidneys, fatty
kidney, obstruction of an artery, and waxy or amyloid
kidney.  These conditions require a perfect knowledge
of diseases for their recognition.
            KIDNEY SUPPURATION.

                  Renal Abscess.

  Injuries, gravel, blood poisoning and  various other
causes may result  in suppuration of the kidneys or
their lining membranes.
  The symptoms embrace severe pain in the small of
the back, shooting  to the thighs, bladder, urethra and
testicles, accompanied  by great tenderness.  Chills
are the first indication,  followed by fever and prostra-
tion.  The urine is  scanty and may contain blood, and
wThen abscess in the kidney forms and bursts, pus may
be present in the  urine.   The testicles are  usually
drawn up, and symptoms of uraemic poisoning may be
present.  Sometimes a large abscess forms in the kid-
neys and bursts outwardly.

  Treatment must be energetic.  Composition infusion
containing goldenseal must be given freely, and when
there  are evidences of pus in the urine,  tincture of
myrrh should be added.  The action of the skin must
be maintained by vigorous  rubbing  and warm  baths.
Very nourishing foods must be provided. 
426         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Kidney Tumors.—These are easily  recognized by
their  size and shape in the region of the kidneys.
They are immovable and cause varying degrees of dis-
turbances.   Their removal by surgical operation is the
only treatment available.

  Kink-Cough.—A term  occasionally  applied  to
whooping cough.
                  KNOCK-KNEE.

                  Genu Valgum.
  This is a deformity consisting of the bending of the
knees inward.  It is usually the result of rickets in
children, or of too long standing, or carrying excess-
ive burdens by people of weakened constitutions, es-
pecially  about  the age of puberty (fourteen years).
Many cases of knock-knee are cured  in childhood by
the application of splints or suitable  apparatus man-
ufactured by surgical instrument-makers.  Operations
of a difficult nature are occasionally resorted to.
  Kyphosis.—A disease of the spine where the spinal
column in the lumbar region is bent backward.
                  LARYNGITIS.
             Inflammation of Larynx.
  Exposures to cold or dampness, inhalations of irri-
tating vapors and over-use of the vocal  organs may
be causes of laryngitis; though various diseases or en-
feebled conditions of the system may bring about the
difficulty.

  Symptoms.—Usually laryngitis is ushered in by the
ordinary symptoms of  acute  catarrh, with feelings 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          427

of irritation in the throat.  The voice grows weak and
may amount to nothing more than a whisper: there will
be a tickling  and dry cough and, in a short time, ex-
pectoration of thin mucus, which, in prolonged cases,
may contain blood or purulent material.
  In small  children there may be nightly attacks of
false croup.  In  most cases there is considerable dif-
ficulty in swallowing, and sometimes difficult breath-
ing, which, in severe cases, bring about symptoms of
threatened suffocation; and there may be  great pale-
ness, irregular pulse, stupor and death.   The tissues
about the  vocal cords may become greatly swollen,
causing oedema glottidis.  In such a case  the patient
becomes livid and can scarcely  breathe,  grows  cold
and weak and, unless relieved, will die within a few
hours.

  Treatment—Nearly all cases are easily managed.
The bowels must be kept open with  salts or senna. A
gargle of  raspberry leaves in infusion, containing a
little  borax, will be most useful.   A flannel may be
tied about the neck, saturated with  some kind of mild
liniment.  Flax-seed tea, containing- lemon  and  lico-
rice, is soothing  and pleasant.
  Severe cases need  more vigorous treatment.   Use a
spray of eucalyptol and menthol in glycerine, or of
tincture of myrrh and a little borax in  infusion of
goldenseal.  Stimulating liniment should be applied
to the outside of the throat  and the feet should be
frequently  bathed in hot wrater containing vinegar.
Broths, soups and milk should constitute the diet.

  Oedema Glottidis.—This is swelling about the vo-
cal organs, and when it occurs life is in danger.  Ad-
minister at once a teaspoonful of tincture of kino, or
of tannic acid infusion,  and repeat  in small doses
every half  hour.   It  may be  necessary to administer
by using the spray.   Convalescence may be slow, and
probably many  days will elapse before the voice can
be used as well and safely as formerly.  (Edema glot-
tidis may  be caused by  sudden compression  of the
throat resulting from accidental injuries.   In all cases
action must be prompt or death will occur  suddenly. 
428         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

       LARYNX—CHRONIC  CONGESTION.
            Chronic Laryngeal Catarrh.
  Some persons who have neglected acute cases of
laryngitis, or who are intemperate in eating or use to-
bacco or alcoholic liquors, may be troubled with this
chronic form of throat trouble, which is very  annoy-
ing and difficult to overcome.

  Symptoms.—These usually include extreme hoarse-
ness of the voice or  suppression  of the voice to  a
muffled whisper, and a cracked sound to it when sing-
ing; hacking and tickling cough and expectoration of
small,  jelly-like lumps of mucus.  The condition may
develop ulceration and possibly become malignant.

  Treatment.—This must be persistent and necessitates
as much rest from using the voice as possible, prefer-
rable removal to an equable and dry climate, nourish-
ing food and  some  mild  digestive tonic.   Coltsfoot
candy  is excellent in place of lozenges.  Goldenseal
infusion mixed with witch hazel extract is an excellent
spra}7.   Fluid extract of collinsonia, one drachm, in two
ounces of wild cherry syrup makes an excellent prep-
aration.  If the palate has  fallen down touch it with
dry tannic acid.
Lead Colic.—See article on Painter's Colic.
                    LEPROSY.

             Elephantiasis Graecorum.
  This is one  of the most  ancient  diseases, and is
widely prevalent in Asia, Africa,  the Sandwich Is-
lands and many tropical countries.   It is met in Lou-
isiana, California and a few  other States.  The fright
ful  character  of the disease makes it especially to
be dreaded.  Leprosy  is not contagious unless  virus
enters into  an abrasion.  Its cause is not absolutely
known, but it may possibly be accounted for by the
fact that it is most prevalent where  the poor subsist 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         429
largely upon fish, which may be consumed as "left
over" stock after failure to sell.

  Symptoms.— These  vary in different cases.   There
may be small tumors over the skin,  or reddish brown
spots changing to white.  Tubercles may appear upon
the nose, ears^ forehead and other places and undergo
ulceration.   Loss of sensation is common and decay
of bones not infrequent—the ends of the  toes and fin-
gers sometimes dropping off from destruction.

  Treatment.— An  ounce of  prevention  is  worth  a
pound of cure.   Isolation of cases  as they occur  is
most desirable.   Many agents have  been  lauded  as
leprosy  specifics, but  none have proven to be such.
Death of lepers usually comes in the form of  maras-
mus or exhaustion.   Nourishing  diet, most nutritious
food, an abundance of fresh air in a bracing atmos-
phere  and tonics to aid intestinal  digestion seem es-
sential.
Leucorrhea.—See section on Diseases of Women.
                  LEUKAEMIA.
        Increase of White Blood-Corpuscles.
  This difficulty is most common among men in active
life who live in poor quarters and have insufficient or
improper food; though it may be caused by diseases of
the spleen or bones or other exhausting conditions.

  Symptoms.—Paleness and increasing  weakness are
early signs.  The  pulse  is small and frequent, night
sweats are common, the  breathing is interfered with
and dropsical  conditions of the skin  are  frequent.
The glands of  the  neck, groins and  arm-pits  become
enlarged, and the spleen increases in size and may be
extremely tender  upon pressure.  Hearing  and eye-
sight  may become impaired.   Sometimes the  mouth
and throat become  inflamed, accompanied  by thirst
and loss of appetite. 
430
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment.—The disease is usually fatal; but life may
be prolonged  by nutritious diet and hygienic meas-
ures.  A capsule containing one grain each of sulphate
of hydrastia, tartrate of iron  and potassa and capsi-
cum, given after each meal, will greatly aid intestinal
digestion; a most desired factor.

  Pseudo-Leukaemia.—See Hodgkin's Disease.
                       LICE.
                    Pediculosis.
  There are three kinds of these parasites which live
upon the human body; they are called (1) head lice, or
pediculosis  capitis;  (2)  body lice, or pediculosis cor-
poris; (3) crab lice, or pediculosis pubis.  Their names
describe  their haunts, the crab lice dwelling  in the
hairs  about the genital organs.  Filth favors lice, so
that cleanliness is of first importance.  The most effi-
cacious agent for destroying these parasites when they
come in the  hair is  frequent saturations  of  the hair
with kerosene oil.   Vinegar will soften out the nits,
all  may  then be removed by means  of  a fine-tooth
comb.  Body lice or "gray-backs" can  be  extermi-
nated by boiling the clothing or subjecting it to a very
high heat and having the umvelcome intruders  picked
off of the body.  Childrens' heads if neglected are apt
to become so infested with nits as to destroy the hair
and compel its being removed.  The diluted tincture
of staphisagria  is often employed  effectively.   Oint-
ments recommended for the removal of  lice usually
contain corrosive sublimate, and while they produce
the desired effect,  they are otherwise dangerous and
should not be used.
                     LICHEN.
                   Skin Papules.
  This is  a skin disease  characterized by irritating
eruptions.  Simple forms  consist of reddened papules
on the back of the  neck or other parts of the body, 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          431

lasting four or five days and disappearing by scaling
off, often accompanied by slight fever and general dis-
turbance.   Sometimes  the  papules  may become  en-
larged and coalesce, having a purple or livid  appear-
ance, and  extend over the body from the  extremities,
causing great itching, and appearing and disappearing
for several months, proving very annoying and often
weakening.
  Occasionally lichen manifests itself in a more severe
form; the  skin about the joints and the nails thickens
as they are surrounded  by the papules, which run to-
gether and become filled with thick fluid, mingled with
blood.  Whenever scrofula is apparent the difficulty is
aggravated.

  Treatment.—The  compound  syrup  of   rumex  (see
formulas) must be  given internally.   Frequent baths
in borax water must be taken, and  a light diet and
general  hygienic  measures  enforced.  Locally  there
should be applied a lotion of sulphur, one-half ounce,
thoroughly shaken with seven ounces of glycerine.
               LIVER—ABSCESS.

               Suppurative Hepatitis.

  In nearly all cases, abscess  of the liver is preceded
by inflammation or congestion of that organ.  There
may be one or several points  of ulceration, and they
may discharge  outwardly,  or through the stomach,
bowels or  lungs,  penetrating the  diaphragm.  The
last method of discharge is most favorable, though it
may last for many months, resembling consumption.
  Discharge into the abdominal cavity is usually fatal
in a few days.

  Symptom*.—These may not be marked,  but  usually
there will be frequent  chills followed  by fever, sharp
pain and disturbed sensations in the region of the
liver, bowels, stomach and right shoulder; there may
be diarrhoea or dysentery and  great  debility;  the pa-
tient may lie in bed for weeks  or months. 
432         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatmod.—No medication will thwart an abscess of
the liver.   The strength must be maintained by care-
ful diet; blood poisoning guarded  against by small
doses of myrrh along with treatment for mild cases
of congestion.  Operation may be necessary,  though
when there is a tendency to outward opening it should
be favored by poultices.  Convalescence  may  extend
over many months.
               LIVER—CIRRHOSIS.

                  Hob-Nail Liver.
  Excessive use of alcohol is the most frequent cause
of this condition, though it may be a sequence of syph-
ilis,  consumption, malaria,  etc.  It  is the  result  of
chronic inflammation  of the connective tissue of the
entire organ.  It is slow7 in developing and gives rise
to various functional disturbances.

  Symptoms.—Indigestion, heartburn, belchings. coated
tongue, constipation and  occasional vomiting are
prominent  signs.   The liver gradually diminishes  in
size and the skin becomes first pale and then decidedly
sallow, dry and harsh.   Strength and flesh are lost
rapidly, the abdomen becomes distended and dropsy is
apparent.   Difficulty of  breathing and palpitation and
hemorrhages from the bow7els occur in advanced cases,

  Treatment.—Tea, coffee,  alcohol and spices must  be
forbidden.   The bowels  should be kept open with liver
pills.  Hot fomentations as  advised for inflammation
of the liver should be  applied when there is pain.
Hyposulphite of soda will relieve the nausea and vom-
iting, and compound gentian syrup will be a suitable
tonic.   Diet must be very light  and bathing frequent,
and abundance of fresh  air allowed.
             LIVER—CONGESTIVE.

                   Torpid Liver.
  This form of liver trouble is extremely frequent and
may be provoked by a variety of causes, among which 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          433
may be mentioned, excessive eating, associated with
indolence; subjection to the unusual heat of a tropical
climate, malaria, exposure to dampness and cold, and
diseases of the heart and lungs.

  Symptoms.—Enlargement of the liver, which may be
distinctly felt, is a prominent symptom; sallowmess of
the complexion,  a furred tongue, loss of appetite, diz-
ziness, frontal headache, constipation with occasional
attacks of bilious diarrhoea, accompanied by bitter
taste in the mouth, nausea and possibly vomiting are
all characteristic of congestion of the liver.
  Severe and persistent cases may show jaundice, and
occasionally  dropsy.  Melancholy and  hypochondria
are common.   The skin may become dry and harsh and
the urine scanty. Occasionally there will be pain un-
der the shoulder blades, and not infrequently a "liver
cough " of  a  hacking character may prove very  an-
noying.  There is general lassitude and indisposition
to mental or physical exertion.

  Treatment.—The  use of tea and coffee and of alco-
holic liquors  must  be forbidden, and fatty meats and
rich  condiments  are not to be allowed.  Whole wheat
bread  is best and a  generous diet of vegetables and
fruits,  prunes, figs and  oranges are especially desira-
ble.  Exercise in the open air must be taken with reg-
ularity, and  also baths with rubbings.  Liver pills
will  relieve obstinate  constipation.
  The  following will  be found a most valuable prep-
aration for this difficulty:  Fluid extracts of wahoo,
cascara and  butternut, each  one-half ounce; tincture
of capsicum,  one drachm, in simple syrup for eight
ounces.  Dose, one teaspoonful after each meal.
  The compound gentian syrup (see formulas) is useful
when the difficulty is  of malarial origin  or accompa-
nied by intermittent  attacks.  Sulpho-saline waters
are  most valuable aids to treatment; and vapor or
Turkish baths are of  especial value.  An over-loaded
stomach  with a foul  tongue calls for a stimulating
emetic.
     28 
W>\         A PHYSICIAN  IN THK HOI SK

         LIVER—FATTY INFILTRATION.

                Fatty Defeneration.

  The most common cause of fatty liver is over indul-
gence in alcohol or fatty foods, or such as contain ex-
cessive quantities of starch or sugar by  persons of in-
dolent natures inclined to  obesity.   But the condition
may arise in connection with consumption or other
wasting diseases, or heart or lung troubles which pre-
vent proper  blood aeration.  There  are seldom any
marked symptoms,  though disturbances of digestion
are common,  and diarrhoea of clay-colored stools and
nausea and vomiting.  The liver may be distinctly felt
to be enlarged. Unless occurring as an accompani-
ment of serious disease, waxy liver is seldom fatal.

  'Treatment depends upon  the cause.  Those persons
who indulge freely in sugars, starchy foods, fats and
alcholic drinks must abandon such  things, as w7ell as
tea and coffee.   Saccharine, in very small quantities,
is used as a substitute for sugar by  many.  The  fol-
lowing has been found most excellent:  Fluid extracts
of poke berries and cascara, each one ounce;  saccha-
rine, twenty  grains.   Dose, ten drops in water night
and morning.  Frequent bathing and out-door exercise
are imperative.
               LIVER—HYDATID.

               Echinococcus Tumor.

  This is a frightfully distressing malady, fortunately
rare in this country,  though  not infrequent in the far
north.   It is developed by  embryos of the tape-worm
of the  dog (taenia echinococcus).  The eggs of  this
tape-worm may enter the stomach and bowels of hu-
man beings and the embryos bore through the walls,
establishing themselves  in the liver.  The cyst de-
velops variously, and more  than one may be present.
The form known as multilocular may reach an enor-
mous size, possibly eight inches in diameter. 
DISEASKS AND TREATMENT.          435
  Symptoms.—There may be  no marked signs of liver
disturbance  beyond enlargement,  and this  may  be
enormous, perhaps pressing upon the lungs and threat-
ening suffocation, in which case relief may be obtained
by the aspirating needle.  Occasionally cysts  burst
and are discharged through the lungs or otherwise.
The multilocular form usually  suppurates and termi-
nates fatally.

  Treatment.—Little can be done in the way of  treat-
ment beyond sustaining the general strength and  di-
recting medication to  alleviate symptoms.  Children
often run great risk of acquiring this frightful malady
by their companionship with dogs; possibly drinking
after a pet animal or eating  food  it has licked, or al-
lowing it to lick the lips, the egg of the echinococcus
being thus conveyed to the stomach.
            LIVER INFLAMMATION.
                     Hepatitis.
  Intemperate persons and excessive eaters, especially
those living in warm climates and leading  indolent
lives, are  most subject  to  inflammation of the liver,
though it may be the result of malaria, following con-
gestion of the liver, or of injuries in the region of the
organ.

  Symptoms.—These may include impairment  of appe-
tite, constipation  and attacks of  bilious diarrhoea;
tenderness and pain in  the region of the  liver, some-
times pleurisy pains in the  chest, nausea or vomiting,
and white fur on the tongue.  Attacks of this charac-
ter may be frequent and  ushered in  by  chilliness and
fever.  Chronic congestion  is likely to follow,  and
possibly abscess from improprieties.

  Treatment.—Unload the bowels by Seltzer Aperient
or senna and  salts.  If fever is present give infusion
of pleurisy root and boneset.  Over the region of the
liver apply a warm fomentation of  mullein leaves,
sprinkled over with pulverized wahoo and ginger.   If 
436 •       A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
the stomach  is foul administer a stimulating emetic
(see  Emetics).  Keep the feet  warm by  frequently
bathing them in hot water and vinegar and applying
hot bricks.  Acid drinks are usually  acceptable and
may be freely used.   After-treatment must  be as laid
down for congestion of the liver.
             LIVER—LARDACEOUS.

         Waxy Degeneration of the Liver.
  This condition is  always dependent upon  previous
disease, such as syphilis, ulceration, or  wasting dis-
eases.  The liver becomes increased in size and its
structure very  dense.  Some of  the symptoms are
great paleness, diarrhoea, vomiting  and indigestion
and progressive debility.   The liver may be distinctly
felt as enlarged, and the spleen  is usually also en-
larged, often causing disagreeable sensations of full-
ness.   Dropsy is most common, but jaundice is absent.
Treatment  must be  such  as will  be favorable to the
disease of which waxy liver is secondary.  The  treat-
ment laid down for Anaemia will usually be  found to
be required.
      LIVER—WANDERING OR FLOATING.

                   Falling Liver.
  The liver is held in its position by ligamentous at-
tachments, which, under  certain conditions,  become
elongated and allow the liver to fall low down in the
abdominal cavity.  Women  of lax tissues who have
passed through frequent pregnancies are the  persons
most liable to such a  condition.  Treatment consists
in proper bandages to keep the  organ approximately
in position, and the administration of astringent tonics.
          LIVER—YELLOW  ATROPHY.

                  Atrophia Flava.
  This is a rare difficulty,  and  is a rapid breaking
down of the liver cells by fatty degeneration and con- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
437
sequent diminution in size of the liver itself.  Preg-
nancy and emotional or alcoholic excesses are most
frequent causes.

  Snmptoms.-During the  first few  days,  or  possibly
weeks  there is considerable disturbance and irritation
of the'stomach and bowels, accompanied by jaundice.
Then nervous symptoms such as violent delirium, con-
vulsions and stupor.  The tongue  and teeth become
covered with dark "sordes," the bowels are  inactive
and the urine very scanty.  Dark material  may be
vomited and hemorrhages from the  nose and  other
parts of the body are common.   Temperature may tall
below normal.  Breathing is irregular, and the heart s
action  greatly enfeebled.   The pronounced symptoms
rarely  last over a week before death relieves the suf-
fering.

   Treatment is of little  avail beyond  relieving symp-
toms as they occur.  The bowels should be kept open
by the use of liver pills, and the nervous system sus-
tained by frequent enemas of scullcap  infusion,  to
which  tincture of myrrh may be added for its antisep-
tic action.
                   LOCKJAW.
                Tetanus.  Trismus.
  This is a frightful condition, characterized by pain-
ful and  rigid contractions of various muscles of the
body, including those of the jaws.   The cause is al-
most universally an injury.

  Symptoms.— These are stiffness of  the neck and at
the' back of the  head,  followed by  painful spasm of
the neck and  muscles  of the  jaw,  the  mouth  being
firmly closed and swallowing painful.  Breathing may
become  difficult, the muscles  of the chest and dia-
phragm becoming involved.   The abdominal  muscles
may likewise contract,  becoming hard and tense; the
limbs may be stiffened  and every muscle of the body
undergo contraction  upon the  slightest excitement. 
43H
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
The contractions come on spasmodically and are ex-
tremely painful, often  causing  hideous contortions of
the face and bod}7.  These  spasms  are excited  by
merely touching the patient, walking across the room,
slamming the  door, loud  talking  or other disturb
ances.
  The suffering of  lockjawr is intense, bringing about
great exhaustion from loss of sleep, agony, anxiety
and  lack of  nourishment.   Death  usually occurs
within twelve  days;  thoug-h  with  proper treatment
recovery may  slowly follow, and may  be  hoped for
should the patient survive tw7o weeks after the symp-
toms commence.

  Treatment.—Usually the wound will  be  found in a
bad condition and will need arousing by poultices of
flax-seed, covered  with powdered myrrh and golden
seal, and the adjacent  tissues bathed with compound
tincture of myrrh.  Medication must be given by the
bowels, and must be most vigorous.
  The following should be given every tw7o hours with
unfailing regularity:  Lobelia herb and  scullcap, each
one teaspoonful, in half a pint of boiling starch water;
steep,  strain and inject  into the rectum  luke-warm,
and have retained as long as possible.  Malted milk
or other nourishing liquid preparations may be placed
between the clenched teeth  and the cheeks, in tea-
spoonful doses, and will usually find its  way down the
throat.
  Liquid foods may be given by enema between the in-
jections of the  remedies mentioned.   Perfect quietude
must  be secured, and  an  abundance  of  fresh air.
Bathing would be beneficial were it not  for the provo-
cation of spasms, the avoidance of all exciting causes
of which must be studied.  Opium,  chloral, brandy
and  similar  agents are positively harmful.  When
lockjaw is confined to the  muscles of  the jaw it  is
termed trismus; when  it involves the muscles of the
whole body it is known as tetanus.
Locomotor Ataxy.—See article on Ataxy. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
439
  Long Sight.— Hypermetropia.— A flattened or short-
ened condition of the eye-ball, which makes it possible
to clearly see objects from a distance, while near ob-
jects appear blurred.  It is fully considered in the sec-
tion on Diseases of the Eye and Ear.

  Lumbago.—Crick in the Back.—See article on Rheu-
matism—Muscular.
               LUNG CIRRHOSIS.

         Chronic or Interstitial Pneumonia.

  This is a contracted or hardened condition  of the
lungs, the air vessels being  partially obliterated and
the bronchial tubes dilated.   It may f ollowT pneumonia,
bronchial dilatation, continued inhalations of mineral
dust or  other irritating substances, or it may arise
during tuberculosis and prove sufficient to stop further
advance of that disease and result in a cure.

  Symptoms.—At first no marked signs of cirrhosis will
be noticed, but after the disease has advanced,  promi-
nent symptoms may be recognized.  There will be ir-
ritable cough, usually of  a spasmodic character, caus-
ing great effort and accompanied by the expectoration
of stringy mucus.   Shortness of breath, and dragging
sensations and considerable  pain in the sides will be
experienced.  Strength and  flesh will gradually be
lost, and there  may be night swreats and pronounced
anaemia. Persons suffering with tuberculosis will ex-
perience relief and progressive  improvement when in-
duration or hardening of the lung becomes established.


  Trecdmetd.—Fresh air, sunshine,  cheerfulness, an
equable temperature and all the surroundings neces-
sary for consumptives, as well  as the diet advised for
them, will be beneficial.  Cough must be treated as di-
rected for bronchiectasis (bronchial dilatation).  Ex-
ertion must never be violent, as shortness of breath of
a very annoying character is likely to follow. 
440
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
                LUNG COLLAPSE.

           Uninflated Lung.  Atelectasis.

  This is  a condition of absence of air  in the lungs
and may occur during the course of certain diseases at
any age, although it is usually met with in new-born
infants or children under two years of age.   In the
latter cases congenital conditions or obstructions of
the air passages  prevent air getting into the lungs at
certain  parts.  When atelectasis occurs during wast-
ing disease, as typhoid fever, marasmus, chronic diar-
rhoea, etc., it is due to loss of muscular  power, or to
long-continued lying on the back, preventing lung ex-
pansion, or to diminished power of the nerves control-
ling expansion.

  Symptoms.—The signs of  lung collapse in new-born
infants  is given in the section on Maternity.   In the
course of  disease the existence of atelectasis may be
known by the apparent insufficiency of breathing and
the physical  signs  indicating absence of  air in the
lungs.

  Treatment.—In  wasting diseases  collapse may  be
guarded against by frequent changing of  position and
general observance of the  rules of good nursing.  A
few drops of Lippia Mexicana or of Greek Valerian
in w7ater may be taken as an expectorant.   The treat-
ment of new7-born children is  given in the section  on
Maternity.
              LUNG CONGESTION.

              Pulmonary Hyperaemia.

  This is a crowding of  blood upon the lungs.  It may
occur in the course of heart troubles, or it may be oc-
casioned by irritating substances breathed into  the
lungs, or it may be a  sequence of  other difficulties,
which crow7d the vessels and force blood into the lungs.
Usually  it is  the first  stage of  inflammatory lung
troubles. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          441

  Symptoms.—As a rule the direct symptoms are  diffi-
cult to distinguish, as they are usually those of inten-
sified  existing symptoms.  Difficult breathing and  a
sense of constriction across the chest are most relia-
ble signs.

  Treatment.—Hot applications across the chest, bath-
ing the feet in hot water and the use of infusion of
pleurisy root, and lady slipper infusion to promote out-
ward circulation will be found beneficial in acute cases.
  Lung Emphysema.—Dilatation of the Air Vesicles.—
See article on Emphysema.
                  LUNG  FEVER.

      Pneumonia. Inflammation  of the Lungs.

  This is a highly dangerous condition,  sometimes
known as pneumonitis, pleuro-pneumonia, inflamma-
tion of the lungs or congestion of the lungs.  It is the
result of exposure to  cold and consequent complete
chilling of  the surface, driving the blood inward upon
the lungs, causing an excess of blood  in the tissues of
those org-ans, some of the blood exuding through the
walls of the  air-cells,  thus filling them and causing
exclusion of air  from them.
  Equalizing the circulation may result in having this
excess of blood in the lungs carried around in the gen-
eral circulation.   If not thus  remedied, the blood con-
tained in the air cells may underg-o decomposition and
become gangrenous, and thus cause death, or interfer-
ence with proper aeration of  the  blood  or exhaustion
of the heart may prove fatal.
  The most frequent method of contracting pneumonia
is exposure to cold and dampness for a great length of
time and then suddenly coming into a hot and dry
room.  Children often suffer  pneumonia from  having
the lowTer limbs exposed, especially  during  change-
able wTeather.  While the young, old and feeble are its
most frequent victims, still the heartiest and most ro- 
442         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
bust men may succumb in a few days.   Men of large
chest expansion and of florid complexion, disposed to
fleshiness, are very susceptible.

  Symj)toms.—In nearly all cases there are premonitory
signs, which, if  heeded, give sufficient warning to al-
low7 the attack to be averted by proper and  prompt
treatment.   There will be chilliness and creepy sensa-
tions" along  with  slight  feverishness.  The  least
draft of  air "cuts  like a razor"  and there is inabil-
ity to get warm  in any wTay.  At niglit  there  will be
achings through the joints, and hacking cough, which
usually subsides by morning, leaving a slight indispo-
sition attributed to "cold."
  At this stage,  if steps are promptly taken, pneumo-
nia may be averted; if not, the more serious symptoms
will set in as  follow7s:  Sudden and prolonged chill,
followed by painful breathing, headache and vomiting
and possibly convulsions in children, and  fever soon
follow7s.  There  are sharp, lancinating pains in the re-
gion of the nipple, greatly aggravated by coughing.
Breathing is very short and shallow; in adults it soon
reaches to thirty per minute, and in children forty-five
or fifty.  The  temperature increases  and may reach
102° or even 106° in a  couple  of days.   The pulse is
usually full and  strong at first,  and may be about 100
in an adult and much higher in children. A dry cough
is persistent.   There is great restlessness  and sleep-
lessness, and possibly delirium or convulsions in chil-
dren.   The appetite is lost early, the tongue becomes
coated, wiiite and dry, and there is constipation.
  In three or four days the cough  apparently  loosens
and  there  is  expectoration of  tenacious  and  giary
mucus, often streaked with blood.   Breathing becomes
difficult.  The ribs are usually fixed while the muscles
labor to perform respiration.  The face becomes dusky
in appearance and the  whole surface of  the body very
hot.   The patient prefers to lie  on the  back  and be-
comes exceedingly restless.  The chest, when sounded
by striking with the fingers, gives a solid  sound, and
placing the ear against the chest  the obstructions to
breathing may be readily recognized.  The tongue be 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
443
comes exceedingly dry. and thirst is urgent and per-
sistent.                                   .
  On the seventh or eighth day a turning point in the
disease may be expected.   If recovery is likely to fol-
low the pain abates, breathing grows easier, cough-
in"- is looser,  a warm moisture is likely to occur, and
sleep followed by a  sense  of relief upon awakening-
precede rapid improvement.
  Unfavorable symptoms commencing about the eighth
day will be increase  of fever, restlessness and  pulse
rate and number of respirations per minute, delirium,
stupor dark  or dusky  countenance and profuse  per-
spiration.  Death usually occurs before  the  seventh
day in fatal cases, and may be looked  for when expec-
toration is thin and dark, and the  skin dusky or yel-
low and  the extremities cold and blue, while the body
is very hot, breathing and pulse very rapid, and delir-
ium or wandering of the mind.
   After the eighth day suppuration or abscesses may
occur in the lungs, causing expectoration of  pus and
slow recovery.  Possibly gangrene may set in, denoted
by very offensive breath,  pale and pinched  features,
great debility and  weak  and irregular pulse.   Such
cases very rarely recover.
   Old and feeble persons, or those suffering   from
chronic disease, may have a form of pneumonia known
as typhoid pneumonia, which progresses slowly and
is marked by great  prostration and  possibly tender-
ness of the abdomen and diarrhoea, and the formation
of brown crusts over the tongue and  teeth and lips.

   Treatment— This must in all  cases  be prompt and
 vigorous, and calculated to  promote an outward cir-
 culation of blood at the same time that it sustains the
 heart's  action.  Quietude,  good nursing  and an
 equable temperature are  of the greatest importance.
 A temperature of not over 70° should be maintained in
 the room during the day, and not lower than 66° at
 night.   Fresh air must  be provided, although  drafts
 are to be avoided.   The  air must likewise be  moist;
 keeping a pan  of water on  the  stove just warm
 enough  to evaporate slowly is a  good plan, and a few 
444
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
drops of spirits  of turpentine may be  occasionally
added to the water.
  At the commencement  of an attack severe  symp-
toms may possible be averted  by early administering,
freely and frequently, an infusion of ginger and pleu-
risy root, and bathing the feet in hot w7ater.  When the
fever is on, this must be continued and scullcap added
to the infusion.  Water may be allowed in abundance,
but it must not be cold.  Stimulating liniment should
be rubbed over the chest and flannel cloths wrung out
of hot wrater applied frequently.  The bowels should
be moved gently by milk of magnesia, or similar mild
preparations, and if there is great dryness of the skin
warm sponge baths may be given.  Milk may be given
as food  at this time.
  After the third  day there will be need of  sustaining
the heart and nervous system.  This may be  done by
adding scullcap to the infusion and also giving  every
three hours a  capsule containing one grain each of
capsicum and sulphate of hydrastia.   Should the ex-
tremities grow cold and the face blue, and the pulse
weak and frequent, and the breathing rapid,  the infu-
sion should consist of  ginger  and blue cohosh with a
little prickly ash bark, and  the capsules  continued.
Hot cloths wrung from capsicum infusion should be fre-
quently applied to the chest.   Rubbing the chest with
camphorated oil is of service,  and injections  of scull-
cap and goldenseal will be  useful in severe  cases.
  During convalescence the syrup of  wild cherry is
excellent,  and gentian compound for a tonic.  Food
must be nourishiug and light and given frequently in
small amounts.  Great  caution  must be exercised
against too early exposure.
                     LUPUS.
                  Gnawing Ulcer.
  This is a destructive growth starting upon the skin
and eating into the deeper tissues, resembling the bite
of a wolf in appearance, hence its name {lupus, mean-
ing wolf).  It usually commences upon the face, and in
many respects resembles cancer.  It first causes a lit- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
445
tie hardened lump, underneath which softening pro-
gresses, and eventually there is a  depression, often
amounting to a deep  hole,  the bottom of which  is
ashy gray and the edges thickened and angry looking.
A case of lupus may slowly  develop over a term  of
years and if neglected may  cause  great destruction
before death ensues.

  Treatment—The wisest thing that  can be done is to
perform early surgical operation and remove the de-
generate structures.  The system should be sustained
and the treatment advised for scrofula vigorously ad-
ministered.   Externally, oxide of zinc  ointment will
be found serviceable,  the parts being most carefully
washed for renewed applications.   No  specific  treat-
ment can be laid down.  It will be  necessary to en-
join exclusion of tea,  coffee,  alcohol and highly sea-
soned foods,  and  to provide healthful  surroundings
and exercise in the fresh air.
                LYMPHADENITIS.
        Inflammation of Lymphatic Glands.
  This condition usually  arises from absorption of
poisonous material  from wounds or abscesses.  It is
recognized by  a red streak following the chain of
lymphatics,  and hardening  of  the  lymphatic cords,
the limb being hot, swollen and tender.  Usually an
attack is  ushered in by a chill, followed by  rise of
bodily temperature to possibly  105°.  Unless pyaemia
or general blood poisoning should set in lymphadenitis
is seldom fatal.
  It must  be  treated by rest and light diet and the
outward application of tincture of lobelia.  The  bow-
els must be kept open; and when fever occurs it  must
be treated as laid down under the general remarks
upon fever.

  Lymphangioma are dilatations of lymphatic ducts
or glands, forming tumors.  They may be small and
very numerous and  exert no unfavorable  influence
upon health. 
446         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.

  Lymphoma is the term used to designate a form of
tumor involving the lymphatic glands, or the forma-
tion of material resembling lymphatic cells.   See Tu-
mors.
  Mad-dog Bite.—See article on Hydrophobia.

  Malarial  Fever.—Malaria.—A  species  of  fever
prevalent in countries  poorly drained; undoubtedly
caused by miasm of the atmosphere—malaria meaning
bad air.  It is fully considered in the article on Ague.

  Malignant  Diseases. — Some   diseases,  among
which  may be  named diphtheria,  small-pox, scarlet
fever, cancer, etc., assume a malignant form, in which
there is a tendency to the  breaking down  of tissues
and blood poisoning.   To all such the term malignant
is applied.

  Malignant Pustule.—See article on Charbon.
                  MARASMUS.
                 Wasting Disease.
  This is a general and gradual wasting  away  of
strength and flesh, which often occurs to children  as
the result of poor food, unhygienic surroundings and
intestinal derangements.

  Symptoms.—At first there will be no prominent symp-
toms, but the child will become listless and then pale
and weak and refuse to enter into  play, and yet not
complain of any disturbance.  In  time the  body  be-
comes thinner  and thinner,  and  resembles that of a
consumptive.  Weakening diarrhoea  is often present,
and sometimes a hacking cough and hectic fever.

  Treat)nent.—Fresh air in abundance, in the country,
if possible, must be provided.  The most nourishing 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          447

food must be given, and plenty of  it, such as broths or
meat jellies,  egg-nog,  without  alcohol,  rich milk,
malted food preparations, condensed milk, etc.  The
digestion maybe aided by small doses of peptenzyme
after meals.  A capsule containing tartrate  of iron
and sulphate of h}'drastia, each one-half grain, taken
between meals will be  a sufficient tonic.  Kindness
and.good nursing are imperative.
  Measles.—This is  essentially a disease of  child-
hood, characterized by the general symptoms of a bad
cold and catarrhal manifestations, with fever  of a
high grade  and an eruption commencing on the face
and extending over the  body.   It is simply managed
and  is  seldom  fatal, unless through imprudences.
"Catching cold " during  measles may cause very dan-
gerous symptoms  and sudden death, or may absorb
the disease and lay the foundation for serious difficul-
ties in after life.  It is fully considered in the article
on Measles, to be found under the title of Fever—
Eruptive.

  Medinensis.—This  is another name for Filaria:
fully described in the article on Guinea Worm Disease.

  Melancholia.—A mental difficulty,  caused by grief
and anxiety and aggravated  by liver troubles "or dis-
eases peculiar to  women.  A severe  form of melan-
cholia is classed as insanity, and is  fully considered
in the article on Insanity.

  Melanoderma is the term applied to darkened con-
ditions of the skin, or parts of it, during  pregnancy
or other special conditions of the body.   Intemperate
persons often present  such characteristics.
                  MELANOSIS.
            Deposits of Dark Pigment.
  This a condition which may arise in the course of
diseases  involving  degeneration  of tissues, such as 
448
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
certain  forms of cancer, Addison's disease, etc.  Its
characteristic is the discoloration of the  skin by de-
posits of pigment material.  This  discoloration may
be dark brown or black, and may be very extensive;
sometimes the whole body turns black and the person
is regarded as "changing  to  a negro."  Treatment
must be according to the  nature of the disease—usu-
ally cancer.
  Membranous  Croup.—This dangerous disease is
essentially confined to childhood.  It is fully consid-
ered in the article on Croup—True.

  Meningitis.—Spotted Fever.—See article on Fever—
Cerebro-Spinal.
           MENINGITIS—TUBERCULAR.

          Miliary Tuberculosis of the Brain.

   This is a deposit of minute tubercles (miliary) in the
 membranes of  the brain.  It  rarely occurs in  adult
 life, and is most common betw7een the ages of two and
 seven years, and the adults attacked are usually be-
 tween tw7enty and  thirty.  Predisposition from hered-
 itary  tendencies,  unhygienic  surroundings  and im-
 proper  food and  clothing, and cigarette smoking  in
 adults,  may be  named as causes of the difficulty.

   Symptoms.—While the tubercles are forming  there
 may be  no pronounced symptoms, though bad dreams,
 restlessness  and irritability with irregnilarity of the
 bow7els may be noticed.  Soon characteristic signs ap-
 pear,  such as  headache,  hectic  fever,  constipation,
 vomiting-,  stiff  neck,  head thrown back, abdomen
 drawm in,  possible convulsions and evidence of pain
 in the head.  This condition may last from two to four
 days, when symptoms of depression will be manifested,
 such as slow and irregular pulse, lowered temperature,
tossing of  the head, and drowsiness, rolling of the
eyeballs, a pitiful, moaning cry, frequent convulsions, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
449
 irregularity of  breathing,  alternate coldness  and
 slight feverishness, great weakness and emaciation.
  Paralysis may set in, also stupor,  and,  just before
 death, profuse cold perspiration and loss  of sensibil-
 ity.  The victim of tubercular meningitis is a pitiable
 object and a frightful sufferer.  Death usually occurs
 within three  weeks, during a convulsion or spell of
 smothering or choking.   Some cases  are prolonged a
 month, or even longer.   Recovery  is extremely  rare,
 and death must be  expected.

  Treatment.—This must be  in accordance with the
 symptoms, though opiates must not be employed.  In-
 jections of lobelia  and lady slipper to the bowels are
 most soothing.  The application to the head of cloths
 wrung out of  cold water are very grateful.   Diet must
 be extremely  nourishing.  Gelatin, egg-nog,  without
 alcohol, malted milk, or other similar food prepara-
 tions are usually relished.   Absolute quiet is  impera-
 tive, and fresh air and cleanliness  must be provided.
Everything conceivable should be done  to alleviate
the suffering and quiet the irritability of the patient.
                 MENINGOCELE.
              Protrusion of the Brain.
  Sometimes children are born with imperfect devel-
opment of the skull, allowing a protrusion or hernia
of the membranes of  the brain, termed meningocele.
When  a  portion  of the  brain itself protrudes it  is
called encephalocele.  Such tumors are readily recog-
nized and their treatment consists  in applying a pad
of soft cotton,  wet  with extract of witch hazel or
other mild astringents, and held in place by  secure
bandage.   Perfect recovery can hardly be expected
  Menorrhagia.—Flooding.— An excessive flow at the
menstrual period.  See section on Diseases of Women.

.  Menstrual Disorders.—These are fully considered
m the section on Diseases of Women. 
450         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

  Mentagra.—Barbers' Itch.See the  article on Bar-
bers' Itch.

  Metritis.—Inflammation of  the  substance  of  the
womb.

  Metrorrhagia.—This is hemorrhage from the womb.
It is  fully considered in the section  on Diseases of
Women.
                    MILIARIA.

                  Sweat Blisters.

  This is the formation upon the skin, principally over
the abdomen, of very minute blisters containing sweat,
and may occur during  the course of an acute disease
accompanied by profuse perspiration.   The bursting
of the blisters may cause irritating and smarting sen-
sations,  in which case,  bathing  the parts with soda
water will give relief.  Special  treatment  is unnec-
essary.
Migraine.—See article on Headache.

Milk Crust.—See article on Eczema.
                  MILK FEVER.

          Third Day Fever of Confinement.

  The flow of milk in the breasts of women in confine-
ment does not naturally commence until the third day
after delivery.   Its establishment  is frequently char-
acterized by ''milk fever. "  This is ushered in by dis-
tinct chilliness and nervous sensations, often causing
the belief that child-bed  fever is threatened; soon the
temperature begins to rise and there may be consider-
able flushing of the face.   The breasts become pale
and filled, and withdrawing the milk gives relief. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
451
  Treatment —Small doses of infusion of camomile and
ladv slipper will be found sufficient medication.  Fee-
ble persons, and those who take insufficient nourish-
ment after delivery are the most  frequent  sufferers
from milk fever.   The  difficulty is  transient,  and
should not be considered as important as was  formerly
supposed.  Many women are not troubled by it.
  Milk Le&.—PM?(/masia Dolens.—A condition liable
to occur to weak women during confinement.  See sec-
tion on Diseases of Women.
               MILK SICKNESS.

            Poison from Improper Milk.

  In some sections of the country,  the milk of cows
frequently becomes poisonous presumably on account
of poisonous plants being eaten.   Such milk renders
butter and  cheese also  harmful, though very rarely
produces fatal results.

  Symptoms.—As a rule, before the full attack  mani-
fests itself, there will be feelings of debility, loss of
appetite, etc.,  followed  by retching and vomiting,
headache, intense thirst,  constipation and very offen-
sive breath, and sometimes high fever.

  Treat)nent.—lf the  attack  comes on  suddenly, first
give an emetic,  and in all cases administer an infusion
of senna leaves containing a dose of Rochelle salts,
and repeat each evening.
  Monomania.—A  condition  of  the  brain  which
causes a person to dwell  constantly  and peculiarly
upon  one  class of thoughts.  See the article on In-
sanity.

  MorbiHi.—Pastes.—See article on Fevers (eruptive)
—Measles. 
452
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
         MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM.

       Inflammation of the Sebaceous Glands.
  This is an affection of the sebaceous glands of the
skin, contagious in character, thought to be caused by
a parasite,  and occurring most frequently among chil-
dren.

  Symptoms.—It commences as a hard, white swelling,
very small  and glistening; and increases to the size of
a pea, or possibly larger.  It may have a sort of neck
and the top of it be flattened, in the center of which
will be found a small opening of a sebaceous gland.
Squeezing the tumor will cause a milky fluid to exude.
After the tumor has been evacuated  it shrivels into a
wart or horny process.  Molluscum may occur upon
any part of the body, but most frequently on the face,
breasts, arms  and  limbs.  It may appear singly or in
groups.

  Treatment.—This is  simple, and consists in  lancing
the tumor across its face, evacuating the contents, and
applying some healing  lotion or salve, such as witch
hazel ointment.  They are readily recognized  and sel-
dom reappear.
Morbus Coxae.—See article on Hip Disease.
                   MORPHOEA.

                   Skin Stains.
  This is a rare disease of the skin, characterized by
the appearance of yellowish, lilac or violet spots, two
or more inches in diameter, on various parts  of the
body.  They burn and tingle and cause rigidity of the
skin, interfering with muscular  action, especially if
they are situated  near joints or  over muscles  fre-
quently used.  They may last for years and then grad-
ually  disappear.  Usually  they  leave  scars  and
shrunken  spots.  Local  treatment  is useless.  The
compound syrup of gentian (see formulas) is  indica-
tive of the best tonic treatment. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         453
  Motes.—Muscoe Volitantes.—These  are  dark specks
floating before the  eyes.  They usually  indicate dis-
turbances of the nervous system or irritations of the
brain, and are not to be regarded as  denoting serious
trouble.

  Mouth Diseases.—The mouth is  liable to suffer
various troubles, mostly diseases of the mucous mem-
brane.  These are mentioned in the articles on Canker
of the  Mouth,  Thrush or Sprue and Nursing  Sore
Mouth.
                    MUMPS.

     Inflammation of Parotid  Gland.  Parotitis.
  This  is essentially a disease  of childhood, although
adults are sometimes affected.  It is an inflammation
of the  parotid gland, at  the angle of the jaw, which
may extend to other glands, and may be upon one or
both sides.

  Symptoms.—These usually commence two  or three
weeks  after exposure, the disease  being infectious,
and are slight fever, coated tongue, disturbances of
digestion and  irregularity of  the bowels.   There is
stiffness of the jaw and some difficulty of swallowing.
Acids in the mouth cause considerable pain.
  Swelling soon commences "at the angle of  the jaw,
usually the left one first, and extends until the whole
side of  the face  protrudes.  The  swelling is elastic,
though somewhat hard toward the  center.   There is
tenderness upon pressure and occasionally redness.
The duration of the swelling is usually about a week.
Talking, yawning and swallowing are difficult, masti-
cation is painful, and occasionally there may be deaf-
ness and humming sounds in the ears.
  Sometimes, through neglect,  such  as taking cold or
exposure to inclement weather, abscess of the  gland
occurs.  More frequently the mumps are "translated,"
or as it is commonly expressed  " go down."  Females
thus may have  the breasts or ovaries enlarged,  and
males may have the testicles enlarge to great size.  In 
454
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
very rare cases the brain becomes involved, causing
great danger.  But almost universally mumps  result
in recovery.

  Treatment.—Provide light diet and move the bowels
gently.  Keep indoors unless the weather  is warm;
avoid draughts.  Tie a handkerchief loosely  over the
swollen parts after bathing theo with a  liniment of
equal parts of fluid extract of verbascum and lobelia.
Should they be translated,  warm baths morning and
night, with thorough rubbing, and frequent  drinking
of ginger  tea, or  other diffusive,  will  be sufficient.
Delicate children may be nervous for  some time after
an attack of mumps  and may require  frequent and
small doses of infusion of scullcap.
  Muscular Rheumatism.—Lumbago.—See the arti-
cle on Rheumatism.

  Myalgia.—See article on Rheumatism—Muscular.

  Mydriasis,—See section on Eye Diseases.

  Myocarditis.—See article on Heart Diseases.

  Myodynia.—Lumbago.—Another name for Muscular
Rheumatism (which see).

  Myoma.—Theoretically this is a form of tumor con-
sisting  of  muscular  cells,  associated  with  fibrous
tumors.

  Myopia.—Short Sightedness.—See  section  on Dis-
eases of the Eye.

  Myosis.—See section on Eye Diseases.


  Mysophobia.—A morbid fear of becoming contam-
inated by contact or association with diseased persons. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
455
                 MYXOEDEMA.

                  False Dropsy.
  Women who have reached middle life are occasion-
ally subject to peculiar deposits of mucus-like sub-
stances in the skin without apparent  cause.  There
will be puffiness of the eyelids, swellings of  the  fin-
ers and toes,  lips and nostrils,  and possibly of the
arms and limbs very  closely resembling dropsy, al-
though  not  leaving  indentations on  pressure,  and
lacking the doughy feeling of dropsy.
  Usually there is redness and  fullness of the  capilla-
ries over the cheek bones.   Along with these physical
signs will be progressive mental debility.  The  mem-
ory fails, and hearing and vision are disturbed, hallu-
cinations are common, insomnia becomes pronounced
and insanity may result, accompanied by great physi-
cal weakness.

  Treedment.—This has proven of little avail.   A nour-
ishing diet, hygienic  surroundings and a change of
habits and climate are most advantageous.  The com-
pound syrup of Mitchella (see formulas) will be found
useful as a general tonic.
                     NAEVI.
                 Vascular Tumors.
  These are tumors  which are made up  almost en-
tirely of minute blood vessels  or capillaries.  They
are usually congenital or develop  in early childhood.
They are soft and compressible and of small size, usu-
ally of wine color (hence the name " port-wine mark "
applied to some of them).   They mostly occur on the
scalp or tongue, and between  muscles.  They seldom
develop after  birth,  but  should they do so they may
attain sufficient size to interfere  with the performance
of functions.   Removal by surgical operation is the
only effectual means of treatment. 
156
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
                     NAILS.
                     Diseases.
  Ingrowing Toe-Nail.—By pressure from tight shoes
or by not cutting the toe nails squarely,  the  flesh at
the sides of  the toe-nails (especially the big toes) may
overgrow the nail and  become  extremely sensitive.
Rest is imperative  in  bad cases, though usually a
broad slipper will afford sufficient relief from pres-
sure.  Do not cut the nail, as often recommended, but
insert between  the  edge of the nail  and the over-
growing flesh, a  small piece of cotton saturated with
witch hazel  ointment.   Poultices of  flaxseed covered
with goldenseal and powdered  lobelia herb may be
necessary in severe cases.  Occasionally the nail must
be removed.

  Onychia.—Scrofulous persons or  those  in  bad
health may suffer from ulceration about the roots of
the nails, causing foul discharges and intense pain,
and blackening and peeling off of the  nail.  Injuries
may produce similar conditions.  Treatment necessi-
tates removal of the nail and carrying the hand in a
sling.  Internally, tonics will be required.  Locally,
the Black Salve (see formulas) is the most beneficial
application.

  Psoriasis is a thickening of  the central portion of
the nail and consequent peeling off in layers;  the skin
at the bottom of the nail is loose and ragged, and the
whole nail  is roughened.  Usually the blood will be
found disordered, requiring compound syrup of rumex
or similar alternative.   Locally, witch] hazel salve
should be applied.
  Nasal  Polypus.—Tumors,  soft or hard, may de-
velop in the nasal passage and develop to considerable
size, causing great annoyance and  interfering with
respiration.  They are fully considered in the article
on Polypus.

  Neck Injuries.—See the article on Sprains and the
section on Dislocations and Fractures. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         457
  Necrosis.—See article on Bone Diseases.

  Nephritis.—Inflammation  of the  Kidneys.—See the
article on Kidney Diseases.
               NERVE  INJURIES.

               Traumatic Neurosis.
  Injuries to the nerves, especially to the spinal cord,
brought about by falls, blows, railroad accidents and
various other means, often give severe nervous symp-
toms, besides the general  class of symptoms known as
shock,  described elsewhere.  There may  be headache,
sleeplessness, failing eyesight, rumbling  sounds in the
ears, progressive debility,  heart irregularities and
perhaps mental hallucinations or uncontrollable imag-
inations.  These symptoms may7 develop long after all
supposed effects  of  the  injury  have  disappeared.
Treatment  consists in perfect rest and light diet,
massage and  frequent cold  water  packs  along the
spine.  The nerve tonic (see formulas) should be used
twice daily.
  Nervous Debility.—See special article in the sec-
tion on Diseases of the Generative Organs.

  Nervous Prostration.—See article on Prostration
of the Nervous System.

  Nettle Rash.— Urtiearia.See article on Hives.
                  NEURALGIA.

      Paroxysmal Pain  from Nerve Irritations.
  This may be described as acute paroxysms of in-
tense  pain confined to some special  region of the
body,  and should be considered according to the part
affected.

  Tic douloureux  or  trigeminal  neuralgia,  also
known as facial neuralgia,  usually involves but one 
458         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

side of the face, and most commonly the pain  is felt
over the eyebrow or through  the  temple or cheek.
Paroxysms may last but a few seconds at a time, but
be very intense in character and  cause  twitchings of
the muscles of the region involved.   Attacks are fre-
quently preceded by tingling sensations and sometimes
by chills and perspirations (known as brow-ague). Ex-
citement,  or fatigue, or  drafts  of air, or exposure
to heat, cold or  dampness, or decayed  teeth may be
exciting causes  of neuralgia.  Usually  there w7ill be
found back of the trouble some derangement of the sys-
tem or functional trouble.  In this connection may be
mentioned stomach or liver troubles, menstrual diffi-
culties, malaria, improper food or clothing, and unhy-
gienic surroundings and bad habits.

  Trcatnieut—The removal of the predisposing  clause
is of first importance and medication must be directed
accordingly.  The exciting causes must be avoided—
an equable temperature being desirable, and drafts,
exposures and  dampness  must be  guarded  against.
The wearing  of  woolen  underclothes,  varying in
w7eight according to the season, is advisable.   Farin-
aceous foods, fruits and vegetables are the best foods.
Tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks are injurious.
  During an attack rub over the parts freely stimulat-
ing liniment, and then apply  to  the temple a hot fo-
mentation of mullein leaves and lobelia herb and keep
in place by a flannel  bandage.  Local applications of
laudanum or other opium  preparations will give tem-
porary relief, but they should not  be employed as they
do permanent harm.
  Internally administer an infusion of lady slipper,
scullcap and black cohosh in teaspoonful doses every
hour.   Bathe the feet in hot water containing vinegar
and capsicum.   If there is any  malarial tendency a
few drops of fluid extract  of gentian should be given
in  wrater every  three hours.  Keep the bowels open
with liver pills,  and  correct acidity of the stomach by
neutralizing cordial.

  Intercostal Neuralgia  is  characterized by parox-
ysms of pain in  the region of the chest,  and may  ex- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
459
tend from the collar bone to the hips, usually on the
left side, and often the slightest movement may cause
severe pain.   Its causes may be the same as those
designated under facial neuralgia,  though it is fre-
quently associated with lung  troubles.   Treatment is
similar to that for facial neuralgia.

  Neuralgia  of the Breasts— Mastodynia.— This is
common among young women, and often gives rise to
great anxiety least cancer is forming. Sometimes it is
associated with menstrual disorders or too long  nurs-
ing.  Besides the treatment given for facial neuralgia,
mustard plasters are especially favorable in this con-
nection.

  Occipital  Neuralgia involves the back of the neck
and may extend to the top of the head.

  Sciatic Neuralgia is a very common trouble.  It is
described and treated under Sciatica.

  Spermatic Neuralgia is characterized by agonizing
pain in the testicles and along the  spermatic nerve.
It is usually  caused by sexual excesses.

  In all forms  of neuralgia the application  of elec-
tricity affords relief,  and its persistent  use often re-
sults in permanent recovery.
               NIGHT TERRORS.

             Bad Dreams.  Night-Mare.

  All persons are  subject to night-mare after eating
improperly at the evening meal, the  distended  stom-
ach pressing  upon the plexus of nerves and causing
the sympathetic disturbance.  In such cases an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  Children are sometimes troubled by  night terrors
without apparent cause.   A little child may cry out in
terror during  the night and appear slightly delirious,
apparently imagining the presence of harmful objects 
460         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

or persons.  Parents  sometimes become  alarmed at
such demonstrations; but unless they are allowed to
continue constantly they are of  little consequence.
  Gently lift  the  child from bed,  and  in  soothing
words quiet its fears.  Passing  the  hand  gently over
the forehead or placing a damp  cloth on the head will
usually cause the  child to fully awaken.  As a rule
there can be  traced  disturbances of the bowels or
stomach as the origin of night terrors.
              NIPPLE TROUBLES.

            Cracked and Sore Nipples.

  Nursing women often have their nipples become ex-
tremely tender, or even cracked, bleeding or excori-
ated.  Too frequent nursing,  or possibly disease of
the mucous membrane of the child's mouth, may cause
the trouble.

  Treatment is often difficult unless the child can be re-
fused nurse, which is often inadvisable.   The simplest
application is an  infusion of  strong boiled tea con-
taining  borax.  Witch hazel  salve is excellent,  or an
ointment may be made by thoroughly incorporating a
drachm  of tannic acid in  an ounce of vaseline.   The
nipples  should be thoroughly cleansed  of  all such
preparations before nursing and  wiped  very dry after
the child has finished.
              NIPPLE TROUBLES.

             Depressed and Retracted.

  Frequently women have their nipples  depressed or
on a level with the breasts, which becomes a matter of
concern at confinement.   The breast pump should be
applied, and after suction is made, be allowed to re-
main  half an hour or more.  A  common and handy
method is to heat glass fruit jars and place  one over
each breast until cool.  When the nipple is flacid an
infusion of bayberry bark may be used to advantage. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          461
              NIPPLE TROUBLES.

                  Inflammation.

  Sometimes through too strong suction of the child,
or through exposure or accumulations of dirt, the nip-
ples may become inflamed and  swollen and perhaps
suppurate.
  For simple cases  the application of witch hazel ex-
tract will be sufficient.  Severe cases may need  poul-
tices of flaxseed, and evacuation of  pus which is lia-
ble to form at the tips of the nipples.
                     NOMA.

         Mucous Ulceration of the Genitals.

  Female children  occasionally suffer  from  a low
grade of ulceration of the mucous  membranes of the
genitals.  Bad surroundings, filth and improper food,
together with irritation, cause it.  There will be a low
grade of inflammation and the formation of numerous
spots of  grayish  ulceration.  Extensive  sloughing
may occur, and death may possibly result after the
system has become greatly debilitated.

  Treatment must be vigorous.   The providing of most
nourishing diet and fresh air and hygienic surround-
ings must be considered as imperative.   Locally, poul-
tices of  flaxseed sprinkled with pow7dered  myrrh and
golden seal must be frequently applied.
  Internally, there should be given frequent drinks  of
composition  infusion,  and also small doses of com-
pound syrup of rumex (see formulas).   The discharges
from the ulcers are poisonous and care  must be exer-
cised in  dressing and washing the parts. The disease
is closely allied to cancrum oris.
  Nose Diseases.—The nose is subject to many acci-
dents and diseases.  They are fully described in the
articles on  Acne  Rosacea,  Cancer,  Catarrh (Ozena),
Frost Bites, etc. 
462         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                  NYCTALOPIA.

                   Night Vision.
  To some this peculiar condition is known as "owl-
sight. "   It is a disease caused by nervous irritation,
characterized by inability to see during the day time
and ability to see during the night.  Both eyes are
affected, and the duration of  the peculiar condition is
uncertain.   Some are born thus and never recover.
  Treatntent must be  based upon soothing the nerves,
wearing smoked glasses and slowly accustoming the
eyes to  stronger light.  If there is general weakness,
as is common, the  system must  be  built up by tonics
and  nourishing  food  and  hygienic surroundings.
Counter-irritation  is  frequently made over the tem-
ples.
                 NYMPHOMANIA.

              Excessive Sexual Desire.
  In very rare instances  women become possessed of
an almost uncontrollable desire for sexual intercourse.
In some cases this becomes a mania and restraint is
necessary to prevent indecent attempts to secure grat-
ification.  With some this condition is periodical with
menstruation.  Lack of cleanliness during menstrua-
tion, masturbation, enlargement of the clitoris, or its
covering, or of the inner labia, and ovarian irritation
may be causes.

  Treatment.—The mind should be employed so as to
turn the thoughts upon other  subjects.   The  diet
should  be  light;  coffee,  tea  and  alcoholic  liquors
should be denied, and fresh air and out-door exercise
should be provided.  Cold  sitz baths are excellent,
and occasionally it becomes necessary to  remove the
prepuce or covering of the clitoris, or even the clitoris
itself.  Ten-drop doses of fluid extract of scullcap in
water three  times a day is probably the best agent to
physiologically subdue abnormal sexual desire.   The
trouble is one that can be overcome only by  careful
and persistent management. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          463

               OESOPHAGISMUS.

               Spasm of the Gullet.
  Sometimes persons of excitable or nervous temper-
aments, or those suffering from various forms of nerv-
ous diseases, experience great difficulty in swallownng
on account of spasm of the gullet (oesophagus).   With
some this is provoked by drinking too freely or by
swallowing too large mouthfuls  of  either solids or
liquids.  The sensation is that of choking, and usually
subsides in a few  minutes; but  is desperately annoy-
ing while it lasts.

  Treatment.—Turning the mind upon other thoughts
while eating or drinking will often suffice to overcome
the trouble when due wholly to excitability.  Persons
whose nerves are "unstrung'' should use the Nervine
Tonic (see formulas); and when cesophagismus is the
result of serious  nervous disorders it  can be cured
only as such conditions are remedied.  The eating of
starchy  foods, or of substances which  form a mass
when mixed with the saliva often causes these chok-
ing sensations in the gullet.
  Oesophagus Stricture.—As the result of injuries,
swallowing poisons, very hot substances,  ulceration,
cancer and various diseases,  the  gullet may become
contracted by stricture, and interfere with,  even if
not wholly prevent, swallowing.   Starvation may fol-
low such a condition.  The careful  introduction of a
bougie will reveal the true state of affairs.  If caused
by pressure of tumors or other removable  conditions,
recovery may be possible.   Most cases  are fatal, and
life may need to be sustained by enemas of food.

  Oionomania.—See article on Alcoholism.

  Onychia.—See article on Nail Diseases.

t  Ophthalmia.—This is  inflammation of the con-
junctiva, and is fully considered in the section on Dis-
eases of the Eye. 
464         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Orchitis.—See section on Diseases of the  Gener-
ative Organs.

  Osteo-Myelitis.—See article on Bone Diseases.

  Osteotomy.—This is the division of a bone and the
removal of a portion of it;  frequently resorted to for
overcoming deformities.

  Ostitis.—Inflammation of the  Bones.—See the  article
on Bone Diseases.

  Otorrhea.—Running of the Ear.—-This is usually the
result of inflammation from injuries or diseases; and
frequently occurs in scrofulous persons.

  Ovarian Diseases.—The ovaries are subject  to
many diseases, such  as  inflammation,  hypertrophy,
atrophy,  dropsy  (ovarian tumors), etc.   They are all
fully considered in the section on Diseases of Women.

  Ozena.—This is a  purulent  and offensive form of
catarrh.  See the article on Catarrh.
               PAINTERS' COLIC.
              Lead Colic.  Saturnism.
  In various ways lead  may  enter  the  system and
cause degeneration of tissues wherever it is deposited,
the nerves and muscles being chiefly affected through
impairment  of  nutrition.  Persons who handle the
metal or its salts, and painters and white lead workers
are chiefly affected, though the metal may be  inhaled
from newly painted walls, or it may be absorbed from
lead ointments on the skin, and it may enter the sys-
tem through the stomach by the  use  of contaminated
w7ater—rain water being easily contaminated by pass-
ing through lead pipes. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
465
  Symptoms.— There is constipation,  nausea or vomit-
in"-  hiccough and  belchings,  spells of  colic with
drawing in of the abdomen,  disturbances  of vision,
and perhaps trembling or partial paralysis, especially
of the arms or wrists.  There will be great paleness
and dryness of the skin, the breath  will be  offensive
and the gums blue and the teeth darkened.

  Treatment— Colic must be treated as ordinary forms
of the trouble.  Iodide of potash is useful—not  as a
remedy, but as a chemical agent—lead forming with it
a soluble compound which is eliminated from the sys-
tem with the urine.   Hygienic  observances  are  very
necessary.  Great care should be taken against inhal-
ing or  otherwise  introducing lead  into the system.
After handling lead or paint the hands and nails should
be thoroughly cleaned before  eating, and very soft
water  should  never  be  used for drinking  purposes
after it has stood in  lead pipes any length of time.
The free use of milk  and the employment of sulphur
baths will prove beneficial.
              PALATE—FALLING.

             Relaxation of  the Uvula.
  From cold and various other causes the uvula, usu-
ally  knowm as the palate,  becomes elongated and
hangs down, touching the  back of the tongue, giving
rise to a tickling sensation which provokes coughing.
The  use of astringent gargles, such as of  raspberry
leaves or bayberry bark  will usually be sufficient to
afford relief.
  Obstinate cases should be  treated  by touching the
pendant uvula with dry tannic acid or powdered wild
cherry bark, wdiich may be  placed upon the end of a
knife-blade and thus conveyed to the part.  Occasion-
ally this falling of the palate  is so  persistent that  it
can be permanently relieved  only by cutting off a por-
tion of the uvula with an instrument made especially
for the purpose.

  Palate—Cleft.- See article on Hare-Lip.
     30 
466
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  Palate  Ulceration.—This occasionally occurs dur-
ing certain diseases, chiefly  syphilis,  and must  be
treated accordingly.

  Palpitation.—Tachycardia.—This is fully considered
in the article on Heart Palpitation.
                     PALSY.

         Shaking Palsy. Paralysis Agitans.
  The chief  characteristic of palsy is trembling of the
limbs, chiefly the arms.   The sufferer is unable to con-
trol the  trembling  except  by holding the limb.  The
difficulty of  itself is not fatal, but its duration may
extend over many years and prove very annoying.
  The causes of  palsy may  be various, such as great
mental or nervous strain, anxiety, excessive labor or
physical  strain or fatigue,  the result of poisoning  by
alcohol, stramonium, opium, etc.

  Treatment.—There is no specific treatment for palsy.
Seek out the cause and remove it if possible, employ
frequent  baths with friction; avoid strains and excess
of mind  and body; use  a  most nourishing diet and
keep the  mind cheerful and the surroundings pleasant.
A cure is occasionally affected when the cause is ab-
solutely  knowm  and it is possible to act accordingly.
             PANCREAS—DISEASES.
    Inflammation.  Softening.  Defeneration, Etc.
  The Pancreas is the human "sweet bread " and  its
secretion (pancreatic juice) plays an important part in
the digestion of  food  within  the  intestines, and any
disease  or derangement of the pancreas necessarily
interferes with perfect digestion.
  Inflammation, softening, hardening, fatty  degener-
ation, calculi,  cysts  and  malignant diseases of the
pancreas may occur.  Usually the  symptoms are very
obscure and are concealed by the symptoms  of other
forms of diseases generally present at the same time. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
467
  Deficiency of pancreatic juice is a frequent cause of
intestinal  indigestion,  giving  a sense of uneasiness
and possibly pain just beneath the stomach a couple
of hours  after meals.  Pancreatin is a preparation
useful in  such cases.  Peptenzyme  is  likewise  most
beneficial taken in the form  of elixir.  Dose, a tea-
spoonful or more half an hour after meals.
  Parageusia or perversion of the sense of taste is
not uncommon among insane or even  hysterical per-
sons.  Inability to recognize sweet from sour is prob-
ably a most aggravated form.
                  PARALYSIS.

        Paraplegia.  Hemiplegia.  Palsy, Etc.
  Under  the  general term  of paralysis are classed
various conditions  which involve inability, partial or
complete, to control various muscles  of  the body.
It may be caused by nerve diseases, muscular strains,
excesses, poisoning, scarlet fever,  diphtheria, menin-
gitis, etc. Paralysis may also be the result of apo-
plexy,  or softening of the brain,  or of injuries.  It
may affect almost any  part  of the body and render
various actions impossible.

  Paraplegia is  paralysis  of the lower limbs  and
possibly also of the muscles of the bladder and rectum.
It is the result of disease or injury of the spinal cord,
sometimes involving  the brain.  It nearly always oc-
curs suddenly, heralded by pain in the back and ting-
ling and numbness, soon followed by  partial or com-
plete loss of power.
  In some cases,  especially  when  it is secondary to
previous  constitutional disease such as syphilis, para-
plegia may cause  sudden  and complete paralysis of
the whole lower half of the  body.   Usually muscular
inability  is progressive and accompanied with cramps,
pains and twitchings of the muscles.  The sufferer
loses all control of the bladder and rectum, and when
these are full their contents are slowly discharged in- 
468         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOCSE.

voluntarily and unknowingly.  Bed sores are liable to
form and become extremely bad, often eating into the
bones; treatment for  them  is given  elsewhere (see
Bedsores).

  Treaf)ueut—Extreme cleanliness is a necessity in all
cases.  Drawing off  urine  by a  catheter  regularly
should be practiced, or a rubber urinal wTorm.   Treat-
ment  is of little avail.   Electricity  is  employed  in
most cases, and  nervine liniment  over the spine is ad-
visable.  Diet must be nourishing and easily digested,
and the surroundings cheerful.

  Hemiplegia is partial or complete paralysis of one
lateral half of the body, usually  the arm and leg of
one side, and one side  of the tongue  and possibly  of
the face.   The  paralysis comes  on suddenly  as  "a
stroke " and the victim falls, or it may occur at night
time,  and then the first manifestations will  be  a sud-
den awakening with a groan, inability to  move, and
probably unconsciousness.  As a rule consciousness
is regained, and the sufferer all through the difficulty
is completely conscious of his affliction.
  The paralysis of the muscles of the face give  un-
sightly contortions,  the cheek and lips on the affected
side hang down  and the eyes and head  are  usually
turned toward the well side.   Speech is greatly inter-
fered with  and  often entirely lost.   In  most cases
there is control  over the bladder and rectum, although
pronounced constipation is the rule.

  Treatment.—It must be remembered that the seat of
the difficulty lies in the brain.  If the right  side of the
body is paralyzed, then the  left  side  of the brain is
affected, and vice versa.  Electricity in hemiplegia is
usually more harmful than  beneficial. Perfect rest,
freedom from excitement,  careful nursing,  light and
nourishing diet, abundance of  fresh air, avoidance of
effort,  and the  observance of the general  rules laid
down for apoplexy are essentials in the treatment of
hemiplegia.   The bowels must be  kept open, and
stimulation in the form of liniments or washes applied
to the affected limbs.  Temporary cases should com- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          469
mence to improve within ten days and gradually pro
gress toward recovery.   Hopeless cases remain sta
tionary for a long time.

  Facial Paralysis involves chiefly  the muscles of
expression on one side of  the  face, though both sides
may possibly be  affected.  The seat  of the disease
does not lie in the brain, but is  situated just outside
the cranium behind  the ear,  where the  nerve issues
that supplies the muscles of the face.   Pressure from
various causes upon this nerve may produce  the  par-
alysis.
  The first symptom is usually inability to keep the
food, while eating, between the  teeth,  due to loss of
action of the muscles of the cheek, for the muscles of
mastication  are  not affected.   The mouth  becomes
drawn down on one side, and there are hideous contor-
tions of  the face during attempts to laugh or talk, and
the eyelid of the affected side remains  open.

  Treatment.—Use stimulating liniment freely behind
the ear and place a bandage about the  head and thus
keep in place borated cotton at the  seat  of the diffi-
culty.  In from  one to four  weeks there should  be
complete recovery.  Often glandular  and other dis-
eases produce permanent facial paralysis.

  Ascending Paralysis.—From  conditions not  yet
fully ascertained arises this fatal form  of paralysis.
It commences in the feet and rapidly extends upw7ard
to the legs, thighs, chest, arms,  throat and face.  The
muscles  become  flaccid and the victim helpless and
confined to bed.   Difficulty of breathing and swallow-
ing progresses and the power of speech is lost.  Death
from asphyxia usually occurs within two weeks, possi-
bly earlier or later.
  Recovery seldom occurs.  The difficulty may or may
not be ushered in by  fever.  Treatment must be  con-
fined to relieving the symptoms, as the nature of  the
cause is not known.

  Glosso-Pharyngeal Paralysis.—The early symp-
toms of  this distressing condition is inability to use 
470         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
the muscles of the tongue, lips and  soft palate,  and
then of  the larynx and pharynx.   This causes pecul-
iar and inevitable  conditions.  The  victim  cannot
whistle,  or  spit  or  pucker the  mouth  at  all.   The
tongue becomes hollowed out and insensible, and there
is insensibility  of the palate.   Eating is difficult on
account of  improper handling  of food  in the mouth,
and the impossibility of swallowing, the food being al-
lowed to fall down the gullet  by  throwing-  the  head
back.  Ability  to talk is lost.  Breathing becomes
shallow.  The pulse  is frequent and the bodily tem-
perature below normal.  Great weakness rapidly fol-
lows and death from inability to get sufficient air into
the lungs is the almost inevitable result.  Treatment
is ineffectual beyond relieving  symptoms and aiding
deglutition and respiration.
  Parasites.—These are the various vegetable  and
animal growths which live and multiply upon diseased
human structures.   They are almost innumerable, and
vary  in  size and  characteristics.   Skin diseases
abound with them and they are found  to be present in
almost every  abnormal  condition  of  serious conse-
quence; so much so that they are believed by many to
be the sole causes of  disease.  Others hold that the
healthy organism does not  permit their existence and
they are  found only after  unnatural  conditions have
been manifested.   See  also  articles on Lice, Echino-
coccus and on Worms.

  Parosma signifies a  perversion of the sense of
smell.  Epileptic,  insane or hysterical  persons  are
often thus affected.  To some the odor of a  rose is
disgusting, while that of onions or other usually dis-
agreeable articles is enjoyed.

  Parotid Tumors.—These  are  enlargements of the
parotid glands (hypertrophy) at the angle of the jaw.
They may be of variable size and consistency.  Some
are small and  soft  and  cause  little annoyance; others
are large and  hard and may cause  great disturbance
by pressure.  Occasionally  parotid  tumors  become 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
471
malignant and  result fatally.  Removal is the only
method of cure.

  Parotitis.—Inflammation of Parotid  Gland.See the
article on Mumps.

  Pediculosis.—See article on Lice.

  Pellagra.—A disease  mostly  confined to Southern
Europe, characterized by pigment deposits of the skin,
eruptions and scales.   It is followed by depressed con-
ditions of the system, melancholia and  bram disturb-
ances.  It is supposed to be caused by long exposure
to the  sun's rays.  It runs a course of  from eight to
twelve years, and usually proves fatal.   Occasionally
recovery may follow the observance of strict hygienic
regulations,  seclusion from the sun's rays and a nour-
ishing diet.

  Pelvic Abscess and Cellulitis.—See section  on
Diseases of Women.

  Pemphigus.—See article on Bullae.

  Pericarditis.—This is an inflammation of the cov-
ering of the  heart.   See article on Heart Diseases.

  Periostitis.—Inflammation of the  covering of the
Bone.   See article on Bone Diseases.
                 PERITONITIS.

         Inflammation of the Peritoneum.
  The peritoneum is a membrane which hangs  over
the bowels in a fold, like an  apron, and is reflected
and adhered  upon the internal organs of  the body.
Any injury to the abdominal cavity or in the region of
the peritoneum or exposure to severe cold or infective
diseases or inflammation of organs may excite inflam-
mation of the peritoneum, known as peritonitis.
  Abortion and imprudencies during confinement often
cause  peritonitis, which is  described  as  Child-Bed 
472
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
Fever.  Ordinarily peritonitis  is an  uncommon diffi-
culty and is exceedingly dangerous.

  Symptoms.—A  sudden and  severe chill is the first
manifestation,  which   is  persistent  in  character.
Fever follows, and the temperature may soon reach
105°, but is not usually constant.  The pulse becomes
exceedingly frequent and weak, and  breathing rapid
and shallow7.  It is always a bad sign when respira-
tions  seem to involve only the upper part of the chest.
Nearly always vomiting commences early and  is per-
sistent, greenish material and even faecal matter being
occasionally vomited.  Constipation  is  the rule,  al-
though there may  be diarrhoea; the tongue is coated
or red and dry, and the urine is scanty.
  The most prominent symptom of peritonitis  is the
tenderness  and pain throughout the  abdomen, which
is  intensified by the least disturbance,  such as pres-
sure, jarring, deep breathing, walking of  others across
the room and even loud talking.  The abdomen soon
becomes  distended,  and appears " tight as a drum."
Hiccough, sleeplessness and  delirium are most unfa-
vorable symptoms.
  Death  may occur within a w7eek; and if convales-
cence sets in it is slow and fraught with danger.
  When  peritonitis is caused  by perforation of the
stomach  or intestines the symptoms are frightful pain,
cold sw7eat and great paleness, sudden icy coldness of
the extremities, and  a feeling that something  has
broken in the body.  Agonizing death follows in a few
hours.
  Treatment—Absolute quietude is imperative, and ac-
tion must be quick and decisive, for life hangs upon a
single thread.   If there  is  constipation unload the
bowels by an injection of catnip or boneset in  starch
water.  Place hot irons to the feet.   Rub stimulating
liniment  over the  abdomen, and also place over the
abdomen a hot fomentation of smart weed and lobelia
herb if procurable, or  thin and hot poultices of flax-
seed,  sprinkled over with lobelia and  capsicum.
  Internally, give  every half hour a tablespoonful of
infusion  of  pleurisy root, containing a  little ginger
and scullcap, until perspiration is  secured, and then 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          473
leave out the pleurisy root and  add  blue  cohosh.
Should convalescence  be  established it will require
throughout the most careful  nursing  and a light diet;
also frequent use of stimulating liniment over the ab-
domen and tonic infusions internally.
              PERNICIOUS FEVER.

            Degenerate Malarial Fever.
  This is a very dangerous condition which may arise
during the course of malarial fever.  It may occur in
various forms.  Apoplectic symptoms may arise, em-
bracing profound stupor, convulsions may be devel-
oped, but paralysis will be absent.   In other cases the
circulation is affected.  The  surface may be cold and
drenched with profuse perspiration, breathing feeble,
and the heart very  weak  and  prostration marked.
Again all the symptoms  of Asiatic cholera may arise.

  Treatment.—Malarial fever is pronounced  and read-
ily recognized before the symptoms of pernicious fever
set in. The following may be given every two hours
in water:  One-half teaspoonful  each of fluid extracts
of gentian and  scullcap and tincture  of  capsicum.
The dose is heroic, but the patient will readily take it
and in some  cases almost enjoy  its bitterness and in-
tensity.  If the surface  is cold  give  hot infusion of
composition  and  make hot applications externally.
  Pertussis.—Chin Cough.—See article on Whooping
Cough.

  Pestilence (Glandular).—See article on Plague.

  Petit Mai.—A mild form of epilepsy.  See the arti-
cle on Epilepsy.
                 PHARYNGITIS.
           Inflammation of the  Pharynx.
  This is an inflammation of the  pharynx, usually as-
sociated with laryngitis.  It is characterized by pain, 
474         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

redness and swelling and difficulty of swallowing,
often interfering with respiration.  Occasionally small
points of ulceration resembling pimples may form at
the back of the throat, constituting  a form  of the
trouble known as fallicular pharyngitis.  Usually the
uvula, commonly known as the little palate, becomes
swollen and falls upon the  tongue, giving rise to a
hacking cough.

  Treatment.—Give freely  stimulating drinks, such as
infusion  of  composition,  or raspberry  leaves  and
ginger.  Locally, use a spray of infusion of golden-
seal and gum  kino containing borax.  The  feet must
be kept warm and the whole body frequently bathed
in warm water and well dried.  Diet must be light.
  Phimosis.—A constriction of  the foreskin.  See
section on Diseases of the Generative Organs.

  Phlebitis.—Inflammation of the Veins.—See the arti-
cle on Vein Diseases.

  Phlegmasia  Dolens— Milk Leg.— This  a peculiar
condition of the leg occasionally met with in weak or
unhealthy  women  during  confinement.  The leg be-
comes  greatly swollen,  white  and glistening.  It is
fully considered in the section on Diseases of Women.

  Phrenitis.—Inflammation of the Brain.—See the arti-
cle on Brain Diseases.

  Phthiriasis.—This is  a skin affection,  character-
ized by raw and scaly  spots  on various parts of the
body, which become inflamed and tender and  itch in-
tolerably if not relieved; may cause superficial suppu-
ration.   The difficulty is caused by lice (pediculosis).
Remove the cause as directed in the  article on Lice,
and then anoint the parts with witch  hazel ointment.

  Phthisic—$ee article on Asthma.

  Phthisis Pulmonalis.—This  is fully described in
the article on Consumption. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         475

  Pigeon Breast.—This is a deformity due to disease
of the bones of children, characterized by flattening
of the sides of the chest walls and profusion  of the
breast bone, like that of  a bird.  It is treated  of un-
der the title-of Rickets.
                      PILES.
                   Hemorrhoids.
  These are small tumors in the rectum near the anus,
either of the small blood vessels or of folds of the mu-
cous membrane.  Their extreme painfulness is caused
by the cramped condition of the very minute and sen-
sitive nerve filaments.
  Persons of sedentary habits, and those whose struct-
ures are relaxed and  those whose occupations enforce
long  sitting or standing, are most liable to suffer.
But  the most prolific cause of piles is constipation—
the retention of fasces in the rectum causing pressure
and distention and consequent trouble.  Piles develop
slowly  and may be of  several  years'  growth before
they cause extreme annoyance.  They  are a source of
agony to millions throughout life.
  Besides the local suffering caused by piles, more se-
rious conditions are present in most cases.  The con-
stant irritation  upon the peripherial nerves induces a
sad condition of the  nervous system,  bringing about
dyspepsia, weakness and a general "running down"
of the system.
  Internal piles are situated within the rectum, and ex-
ternal piles about  the  anus.  Internal piles  may  be
fleshy or longitudinal, and are then called blind (not
bleeding); they may be globular in shape and contain
minute blood vessels and be of  red  or  blue  color and
frequently bleed, such are called  bleeding piles.  Ex-
ternal piles vary in appearance  from resembling- mere
folds  of skin to  large  size  "teats "  or  tumors.  A
small class of x>iles about the anus are often classified
as itching piles.
  Symptoms.—These vary and may include any of the
following:  Pain, itching and sense of  weight in the
rectum,  increased  by prolonged standing  or  sitting, 
476         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

agony at stool leading to  putting off attending to na-
ture's calls; there may be irritabilit}7 of the bladder,
disturbed sleep and loss of flesh, and often dyspepsia
and muscular debility.
  Occasionally there will  be many symptoms of  dys-
entery,  accompanied  by  bloody and mucus stools.
The  piles  may bleed  profusely and cover the faeces
with blood.  Sometimes a large internal tumor  will
pass through the anus and be  strangulated by the
muscle contracting upon it, causing intense agony and
a possibility, unless soon  relieved, of suppuration or
even gangrene setting in.

  Treatment.—A diet of fruits and succulent vegetables
and the avoidance  of stimulants is advisable.  Mild
physic may be used, but such a preparation as Butter-
nut Syrup (see formulas) with a  little cascara added,
will be best.  An attempt must be made daily to evac-
uate the bowels, as regularity is of  first importance.
  Mild cases will be relieved and permanently cured
by frequent applications of witch hazel ointment.  Ac-
cumulations of hardened faeces must  be softened by in-
jections.   Great pain and  tenderness caused by inflam-
mation may be relieved by applying witch hazel oint-
ment.
  Protruded piles which are strangulated, must  first
be relaxed  with lobelia  ointment  and then shoved
back into the rectum while the patient is on his knees
and chest;  then there must be applied an ointment of
one drachm of tannic  acid in an  ounce of vaseline.
This application is most excellent for bleeding piles.
Surgical operations are often necessary, and  may be
conducted  almost  painlessly and  with permanent
relief.
Pimples.—See article on Acne.
              PITYRIASIS RUBRA.
             Prostrating Skin  Disease.
  This is a very  rare  and usually fatal condition,
characterized  by  the  body becoming  progressively 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          477

covered w7ith scales, while  the  skin  becomes red and
tender, and blue on exposure to cold.  There are no
swelling pimples or moisture.  The appetite fails and
great debility precedes death.   The scales come off in
large quantities and the nails become irregular.

  Treatment.—Locally,  the  whole  body  should  be
anointed  thoroughly  with  cocoanut oil, containing
a little oil of lobelia and oil of capsicum.   Internally7,
the strength should be sustained by compound syrup
of gentian containing  half a drachm of fluid extract
of cinchona to the  ounce.
                     PLAGUE.
     Black Death.  Pestilentia.  Bubonic Plague.
  This is one of  the most ancient diseases, and before
attention was paid to private and public hygiene its
ravages  were  terrible.  During  a  period of eight
years in the middle of the  fourteenth  century over
twenty-four millions of lives were lost by black death
in Europe alone.  At the present time it is confined to
the unsanitary portions of Asia and Egypt.

  Symptoms.—It is an infectious disease, and symptoms
may commence  wnthin a  few hours  after exposure.
These are great prostration, dizziness, palor, dilated
pupils, staggering, burning  sensation in the  throat,
bloodshot  eyes,  heart depression, vomiting.   These
symptoms are followed by a severe chill, quickly suc-
ceeding which is a high fever,  great  thirst and fre-
quent pulse;  the  head aches, the tongue is white and
there is great irritation in the stomach and bowels.
  This condition does not last long, prostration soon
following.  The pulse becomes small, frequent  and
weak, the breathing is shallow and hurried, there are
fainting spells and soon unconsciousness and delirium
and stupor.   A dark coating  appears over the tongue
and teeth, there  is vomiting of dark material,  consid-
erable stringy mucous is coughed up from the  lungs,
hemorrhages may occur, the urine may be bloody, and
offensive  diarrhoea  may  take  place.   These fever
symptoms may last six or ten days. 
478         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE,

  Death may take place at this stage, or if life is pro-
longed, local symptoms  may  manifest themselves.
The glands of the groin and neck and  elsewhere en-
large and form painful buboes    Carbuncles form over
the body and the capillaries of the skin become en-
gorged, giving a black-and-blue appearance.  Death
may follow from blood poisoning,  or the buboes and
carbuncles may suppurate and  be  evacuated and re-
covery follow.

  Treatment.—Cleanliness and fresii air, pure  drinking
water and nourishing food are of the first importance.
In the fever  stage administer infusions  of ginger,
pleurisy root and lady slipper, with a little tincture of
myrrh; after the bowels have been emptied, a stimula-
ting emetic (see  emetics) should  be  administered.
Bathe the body, when hot, with  borax water.
  During the  period  of depression administer freely
the composition (see formulas) to which may  be added
a  little  tincture  of  myrrh.  When carbuncles and
buboes form they should be poulticed and evacuated
as quickly  as possible,  and  compound  tincture of
myrrh used  freely.  It may be found necessary to ad-
minister several stimulating emetics during the course
of  an attack.  Convalescence  is  slow7,  and tonics,
such as golden seal and  gentian  should be  adminis-
tered along with most nourishing food.
                    PLEURISY.
       Inflammation of the Pleura.  Pleuritis.
  This is an inflammation of the membrane which cov-
ers the lungs.   It is most frequently caused by sitting
in drafts of  air, or chilling the body, especially  after
being heated.  Occasionally it  is a very unpleasant
complication of bronchitis, pneumonia or  consump-
tion.

  Symptoms.—There is usually more or less  chilliness
followed by  fever and a lancinating pain in the chest,
as though the lungs had caught against the chest-wall.
Taking a full breath  increases  the pain, or may be 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          479
impossible,  and consequently breathing is shallow.
One side or both sides may be affected and the patient
wishes  to lie either  on the back  or  the  well  side.
Coughing increases pain.
  Mild cases present no other symptoms and recover
in one or two days. Severe  cases are protracted and
develop many  aggravating  symptoms, such as con-
stant and  painful  cough and expectoration of glairy
and glutinous mucus.

  Hydrothorax.—Fluid may  accumulate in the sac
about the lungs wThich may  be absorbed before mis-
chief  is done, or may produce dangerous conditions,
especially in the aged or feeble, known as hydrothorax,
or dropsy of the chest.  This may cause dropsy of the
limbs, heart irregularities, paleness or blueness of the
skin and viscid or  bloody urine.  Usually the fluid  is
absorbed, although death or chronic disease may fol-
low  When the fluid  is mingled  with  pus, the condi-
tion is known as empyema and resembles phthisis.
  Very  frequently persons  who have  often suffered
from pleurisy have adhesions  of the sac to the lungs
or  to the ribs,  which give permanent  difficulty  of
breathing, accompanied by  pain, increased upon the
least exposure.

  Treatment.—Quietude in a  recumbent position  is  of
first importance.   Avoid all  drafts and keep the  room
at a moderate and even temperature.  Rub the affected
side well with stimulating liniment and place over it
several thicknesses of heated  flannel,  or fill a cloth
sack with hot salt and wrap  it in flannel and apply  to
the side.
  Internally, give every half hour a tablespoonful  or
more of an infusion of pleurisy root containing a little
ginger and lady slipper, and if the urine is not  free,
add some peach leaves.  When dropsy of the chest is
present composition and scullcap must be given freely,
and every three hours a  capsule containing a grain
each of  capsicum and  sulphate of  hydrastia.
  Pneumonia.—Inflanrnattion of the Lungs.—See arti-
cle on Lung Fever. 
480         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                   POISONING.

         General Symptoms and Treatment.
  Accidental poisoning is liable to occur at any time,
and unless prompt action is  taken death may ensue
speedily.  It becomes absolutely necessary to have on
hand directions for counteracting the effects of poi-
sonous substances wmich may be taken  into the sys-
tem, as well as methods of distinguishing the effects
of various poisons.
  The number of substances capable of causing death
when taken into the stomach amounts into the thou-
sands, and to give detailed descriptions of all would
only  cause  confusion.   The  ordinary  poisons,  the
symptoms they produce and their antidotes  will be
given.
  It is a deplorable fact that the employment  of poi-
sons as remedies, instituted during the  dark ages to
enshroud medicine in mystery, is still practiced by
many.  Carelessness  in  handling so-called remedies
and the keeping of poisons about the house, as insect
exterminators or for mechanical use, cause many need-
less deaths.

   Symptoms.—Whenever, soon after eating or drinking,
there are symptoms of an unusual character, such as
pain in the  stomach,  retching or vomiting, diarrhoea,
burning or metallic taste in the mouth and a sense of
anxiety, poisoning should be suspected,  especially if
two or more persons are attacked about the same time,
 after partaking of the same substances.   Still in some
 instances,  symptoms of poisoning do not  present
 themselves for several hours after the poison has been
 taken, and  then, again, symptoms of poisoning may be
 very different from those mentioned.
        POISONING—ACIDS (MINERAL).

Muriatic 'Hydrochloric).   Nitric (Aqua  Fortis\  Sul-
               phuric (Oil of Vitriol1.
  These acids are so frequently used in the arts  that
poisoning by them often occurs.  They act by corrod- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          481
 ing or burning the parts with which they come in con-
 tact, destroying tissues and causing frightful scars, if
 not death.

   Symptoms.—Puckering  of  the  membranes of the
 mouth, burning pain in the mouth, throat and stom-
 ach, profuse  saliva  or  vomiting of material varying
 in  characteristics according to  the amount of  acid
 taken—being frothy, stringy, bloody or black or like
 coffee grounds, and causing effervescence when falling
 upon stones  or chalk.  The lips and  inside of the
 mouth are stained or raw or covered with spots caused
 by corrosion.  If relief  or death does not occur soon,
 there may be hiccough, difficult and painful breathing,
 altered voice, pain through the abdomen, constipation
 or bloody discharges, desire and inability to urinate,
 cold extremities aud clammy sweats.

  Treatment.—Neutralize the acid as quickly as possi-
 ble by  giving any  one of the  following substances
 that  can  be  most  quickly obtained:  Soapy water,
 chalk and water, calcined magnesia, white-wash, di-
 lute ammonia (cooking  or washing soda in water can
 be  given  immediately  after the acid is taken; but
 when there is vomiting of  dark material the gas given
 off  from the soda is liable  to burst the corroded stom-
 ach).  When  no lime or other alkali seems handy, lime
 may be  scraped from the wTall or ceiling.
  Follow  the antidote with white of egg, milk or oils,
 and during convalescence  give drinks  of flaxseed, or
 marsh-mallow, or hollyhock tea, or water containing
 gum Arabic.  Give  scullcap infusion in slippery elm
 bark as an injection to the bowels to sustain the nerv-
 ous system.   Food must be chiefly of milk and  raw
 eggs, if the  stomach is  able  to take  nourishment,
 otherwise food must be given by the rectum.
  Action cannot be too prompt  and thorough in such
 cases.   The acid is liable to cause perforation of the
 stomach and death, or ulceration of the stomach, or
 stricture of the oesophagus may follow, which should
be  treated accordingly.   The  stomach  pump should
not be used in acid poisoning, as it  is liable to  dam-
age corroded  tissues.
      31 
4s2         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  SuljPturic acid turns the  skin and membranes dark
and causes a soft sloughing.
  Xitric acid turns the skin yellow or orange.
  Muriatic acid bleaches the skin or gives it light yel-
low spots; it also gives off vapors which are very pen-
etrating.
       POISONING—ACIDS (VEGETABLE).

              Oxalic.  Acetic.  Prussic.
  Oxalic and Acetic  Acids are frequently taken by
mistake  and  produce  symptoms similar  to those of
poisoning by the mineral acids,  and the treatment
should be similar w7ith the exception that in oxalic
acid poisoning all forms of soda, jwtash and ammonia
should be avoided, as they form poisonous compounds
with the  acid.  Cases are on record of children having
eaten "sour grass" in excess and  then been given
soda to  correct the sour stomach, and thus causing
fatal poisoning-.

  Prussic Acid, also  knowm as  hydrocyanic acid, is
a fearful and rapidly  fatal poison:  forty drops may
cause death  in a few minutes.  Children  may eat ex-
cessively of peach kernals. and by their fermentation
in the stomach prussic  acid may be formed.

  Sy)uptoms are  dizziness, numbness, possible  convul-
sions  and collapse.  There may  be  irregular  breath-
ing, cold extremities and profuse perspiration, bulg-
ing of the eyeballs and stupor;  the odor of peaches is
readily recognized.
  Laurel  Water produces the same symptoms.

  Treatment—The stomach should  be emptied  as soon
as possible by an emetic or stomach  pump.  Stimula-
tion  must be given internally, preferably the com-
pound tincture of myrrh in compound spirits of laven-
der, although the stimulant easiest obtained must be
used without delay, and  when there is  inability to
swallow, stimulating injections must  be given to the
rectum.   Where breathing is labored  alternate appli-
cations  of hot and cold  water must be made over 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         483
the chest, and artificial respiration may be necessary.
A mild current of electricity over the heart is often
resorted to.
            POISONING—ALKALIES.

          Ammonia. Potash.  Soda.  Lye.
  Soda, potash, lye, ammonia, and quick lime are the
strong alkalies which  may  cause fatal  poisoning.
There will be some of the following symptoms:  Burn-
ing and pain in  the  mouth and  throat and stomach,
corrosion  of  the  lips  and  mouth,  vomiting, often
bloody or dark,  and possibly bloody diarrhoea.

  Treatment. —Give freely drinks of water containing
vinegar or lemon juice, or oranges.  Follow by the
use of white of egg, gum Arabic water or other demul-
cent, and feed milk and gruel.
         POISONING—CARBOLIC ACID.

                   Phenic Acid.
  This poison gives symptoms similar to other acids,
and is readily distinguished by its peculiar odor.

  Treatment consists  in using the stomach pump or
quickly giving an emetic of a tablespoonful of must-
ard in a pint of lukewarm water, and then administer-
ing soda or lime in water  and  thus washing out the
stomach until all odor of the acid  disappears.   White
of egg or milk must then be given. Hot applications
to the extremities  may be necessary, and in severe
cases friction or the use of electricity.  If there are
symptoms of collapse stimulants must be administered
internally.
         POISONING—ANAESTHETICS.
            Chloroform and Ether, Etc.
  The symptoms of dangerous poisoning from chloro-
form or ether are extreme coldness of  the skin, very 
484         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
feeble and irregular pulse, becoming almost impercep-
tible, and  lividness  of  the face,  retraction of the
tongue, and general symptoms of collapse.

  Treatmott.—Seize the tongue  and, drawing it for-
ward, keep it from falling back into the throat.  Re-
move artificial teeth and loosen the clothing.  Supply
an abundance of fresh air.  Alternately apply hot and
cold water to the chest, and practice artificial respira-
tion.   The battery may be used—one j)ole over the
stomach and the other on the  front  of the  neck.
Slapping the chest violently may arouse the action of
the heart.  A most efficient means consists  in insert-
ing into the rectum a bi-valve  speculum and stretch-
ing the muscles of the anus.  Two fingers, of different
hands, might serve the purpose instead of the specu-
lum.  No means should be left unemployed.
             POISONING—ARSENIC.

                  Arsenious Acid.

  Symptoms of  arsenic  poisoning usually commence
within an hour after the poison has been taken, and
embrace a metallic taste in the mouth and a sense of
constriction in  the throat, burning pain in the stomach
and tenderness, retching and vomiting and great dis-
tress.  The skin  becomes cold and clammy, and the
pulse weak and irregular.  There may be violent and
painful purging  and possibly  bloody urine.   Such
symptoms may continue from one to three days before
death ensues in the form  of collapse,  stupor or con-
vulsions.

  Treatment.—The antidote  for arsenic poisoning is
freshly prepared hydrated oxide of iron,  kept  in the
drug stores.  It should be given in tablespoonful doses
every five or  ten minutes.  Give an emetic of mustard
in salt water and excite vomiting by tickling the
throat till the iron preparation is secured.   Follow by
milk and white of egg, and treat  the  after effects as
for inflammation of the bowels. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
is,!
      POISONING—CARBONIC ACID  GAS.

           Coal Gas.  Gas of Wells, Etc.
  The victim will usually be found unconscious and
breathing heavily, or else in  a  stupor and breathing
almost imperceptibly; extremities cold and skin pale
or livid.
  Treatment.—Fresh  air is of first importance.  Take
the patient out of doors or open doors and windows
and place him  in a draft.   Apply hartshorn to the
nostrils.  Rub  the extremities  briskly with stimula-
ting liniment or other stimulants.  Artificial respira-
tion  may  be necessary.  When possible administer
stimulants by the stomach and follow by7 strong coffee
or inject into the rectum a pint of strong coffee con-
taining  ginger.  Dashing small quantities of cold
water on the  chest followed by brisk rubbing will be
useful.  Charcoal fumes produce the same symptoms,
to be treated similarly.
Caustic Soda Or Potash.—See Alkali Poisoning.
     POISONING—CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE.
              Bi-Chloride of Mercury.
  Corrosive sublimate is  frequently used in medicine
and is a domestic preparation for destroying vermin,
making great the  liability of  poisoning by it.   The
symptoms commence soon after swallowing the poison
and are metallic taste and burning in the mouth, throat
and stomach, pain  in the stomach and bowels, desire
and inability to urinate, colic, vomiting and purging,
pinched countenance and cold surface.

  Treatment.—Administer  as quickly as  possible the
whites of two or three or  a dozen eggs, beaten in wa-
ter, or give a thin flour batter and excite vomiting by
tickling the  throat.  Follow by abundance of  milk
containing lime water.  In some cases  the stomach
pump may be  used, or an emetic of mustard  in  salt
water. 
486         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Chronic poisoning may follow the long continued use
of small closes of corrosive sublimate.   Its symptoms
embrace salivation, the formation of ulcers, palsy or
paralysis agitans, and great debility and emaciation.
            POISONING—NARCOTICS.

               Opium. Morphine, Etc.
  The  indiscriminate use of narcotics causes many
cases of poisoning by accident,  over-dosing, suicide or
homicide.

  Symptoms.—These include  drowsiness and  blunted
sensibilities  progressing  to profound stupor.  The
skin at first is dry and warm and the face  flushed or
dark, breathing heavy and slow, the pupils of the eyes
contracted.   Shaking and talking loud to the  patient
may partially arouse him.  In  severe cases, likely to
end in death, the stupor is very profound, and no evi-
dence of sensibility can be aroused, the face  is blue,
and the skin grows cold, and profuse perspiration oc-
curs.  The pupils  of  the eyes  become contracted to
mere pin points, except just  before death, when they
may be dilated.
  If  taken upon an empty stomach opium or its prep-
arations may cause death in six hours or even less, but
if the stomach is full, even twenty  hours may super-
vene; but  death usually  occurs within twelve hours
after the narcotic is taken.

  Treatment.-—There is no specific antidote  for opium.
Vomiting  should be aimed at from the start, provoked
by mustard  in  salt water; or the stomach  pump may
be used.   The  most readily procurable and the most
efficient article to administer is  strong  coffee.  It
should be  poured into the stomach the first thing, and
should be hot; its astringent  properties seem to ren-
der the poison less soluble and more easily  evacuated.
Infusion of bayberry  bark or of tannic acid and a lit-
tle capsicum may answer.
  Ever}7 effort must be made  to arouse the  patient.
Alternately dash  very small quantities of  hot and of 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
487
cold  water in the face.  Slap  the chest and soles of
the feet with a wet towel.  Walk the patient back and
forth, letting two persons support him.  Shout loudly
into  his ear; apply a mild  current of electricity—one
pole  at the back of the neck and  the other at the
breast bone.   Keep up treatment even after apparent
recovery.
          POISONING—PHOSPHORUS.

              Matches and Rat-Paste.
  Symptoms.—These are peculiar and bad  taste in the
mouth, vomiting, possibly of  blood, faintness, colic,
diarrhoea, burning sensations in the mouth and stom-
ach.   The urine will appear luminous in the dark and
will be scanty.  Death may occur  quickly after large
doses, but usually several days of extreme weakness,
jaundice, headache and low fever are experienced.

  Treatment.—Quickly excite vomiting by tickling the
throat or by  an emetic of  mustard in  salt water,  first
giving large drinks of thin batter.  After vomiting
give freely flaxseed tea or other demulcents.  Give no
tea, or milk or oils.  All fatty substances are  injuri-
ous and  favor the absorption of the  poison.  Ten-
drop doses,  every hour,  of French turpentine have
been recommended.
  A one-fourth of one per cent solution of potassium
permanganate has been declared an antidote for phos-
phorus, but has not been used extensively enough to
confirm the declaration.
           POISONING—POISON  IVY.
               Rhus Toxicodendron.
  This is poisonous to some persons  and many cannot
even approach it, not less touch it, without being af-
fected.  The symptoms of poisoning are great swell-
ing and inflammation, itching and burning of the skin,
sometimes followed by blisters and perhaps superficial
ulceration. 
488
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment consists in  using  freely a wash of an in-
fusion  of lobelia  and goldenseal to which  has been
added  small  quantities  of hyposulphite of  soda and
glycerine.  This may be applied externally by cloths
saturated writh it.
           POISONING—SALTPETRE.

                 Nitrate of  Potash.

  Symptoms.—Burning pain in the stomach, vomiting,
purging,  very weak and  irregular pulse,  cold and
clammy skin, drowsiness, insensibility, and possibly
death in from five to twelve hours.

  Treatment.—Antidotes are  unknown.   The stomach
pump or an emetic of mustard in salt water should be
given.  Stimulating  drinks  or injections are needed
where the surface is cold, also hot applications ex-
ternally  and brisk rubbings.  Mucilaginous drinks,
such as flax-seed, white of egg and water and olive oil
are serviceable.
          POISONING—SNAKE VIRUS,

                    Snake Bite.

  Symptoms first  produced are those of shock, which
may be overcome before the fatal symptoms com-
mence; these are manifested within from half an hour
to five or six hours as vomiting, feeble pulse and weak
respirations, swelling and lividness about the wound,
and mottled surface.

  Treatment,—Have the wound sucked immediately;
tie a cord or handkerchief above the wound.  Cauter-
ize the wound by nitric acid or burning with a  hot
iron, or igniting gun powder placed upon it.  Give in-
ternally infusion of Virginia snake root or of capsi-
cum or ginger.   Black cohosh and  wild yam are  ex-
cellent and infusions may be given freely.   II there is
tendency  to gangrene, apply compound tincture  of 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          489

myrrh and also add some of it to the infusions.  Ap-
plications of smart w7eed may be made.
  Stimulation must be aimed at,  and the substances
mentioned are far superior to whisky or other alcoholic
liquors.   If death does not occur within an hour and a
half, recovery may be  expected if treatment is vigor-
ously pursued.   Kerosene given in teaspoonful doses
on sugar has been found effectual in many cases.
           POISONING—STRYCHNINE.

                   Nux Vomica.

  This is one of the most active poisons and is rapidly
fatal.  Within fifteen minutes after the poison is taken
symptoms commence, such as  sense  of excitement,
suffocating feelings,  choking sensations,  muscular
twitchings and trembling of the body.  Every few
minutes there may be severe  spasms, excited by jar-
ring the body or by noises or disturbances of any kind.
The body stiffens and bends like a bow, supported by
the head and heels, every muscle seems contracted
and  breathing almost ceases.  Such spasms last not
over a minute and are followed by profuse perspiration
and exhaustion.  Consciousness is maintained.  Death
usually occurs in less than an hour.

  Treatutent—Quickly administer an emetic of mustard
in salt water.   Kerosene in teaspoonful doses on sugar
is said to be an antidote.  Spasms may be relieved by
inhalations of chloroform and ten  drop doses  of the
same diluted.   Animal charcoal and strong coffee may
be used freely.  Recovery leaves  great nervous  irrita-
bility, which call for soothing nervines.
          POISONING—STRAMONIUM.

            Jimson-Weed. Stinkweed.

  This often causes poisoning, especially to children
who partake of the seeds. 
490         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Symptoms.—These are dizziness, trembling, coldness
of extremities, delirium or stupor and impaired vision
and neuralgic pains through the head.

  Treattnent.—An emetic must be given at once, con-
sisting  of  a  tablespoonful  of  mustard in a  pint of
warm water containing a teaspoonful of salt.  A pint
of strong coffee should be injected  into the rectum;
and  after  vomiting has  been  produced stimulants
should  be  given by the stomach, such as strong in-
fusion of composition.
  Hot applications should be made to the extremities,
and  mustard or stimulating liniment rubbed on the
limbs.  Splashing alternately hot and cold  water on
the chest or striking with a wet towTel  may be neces-
sary.  Quiet must be provided  during convalescence.
Stramonium  poisoning is liable to leave persons sus-
ceptible to neuralgia and mental confusion.
           POISONING—TOADSTOOLS.

                Poison Mushrooms.

  Symptoms of poisoning in from six to fifteen hours
after the toadstools have been eaten, such as pain and
heaviness in the stomach and bowels, nausea,  vomit-
ing,  diarrhoea,  cramps and convulsions.  There  is
great thirst and delirium, and death  is preceded by
stupor and cold and profuse perspiration.

  Treatment must be vigorous.  First give an emetic of
mustard in salt water to eject any poison possibly re-
maining in the  stomach, and then administer a large
dose of castor oil to clear out the bowels.  Apply hot
fomentations of smart weed or other stimulants over
the abdomen.   Internally administer infusion of com-
position containing vinegar.
  Apply warmth to the  extremities and give encour-
agement to the patient.   The greatest care should  be
taken in selecting mushrooms for eating purposes, and
children should not be entrusted  to gather them. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
491
            POISONING—TOBACCO.

                    Nicotine.
  Symptoms.— There will be nausea, faintness and col-
lapse, followed by great  prostration, and in severe
cases by profuse perspiration, coldness of the surface,
weak and irregular heart action and stupor.

  Treatment—An emetic of mustard (a tablespoonful)
in a pint of warm water containing a little salt should
be administered at  once,  or else  the stomach pump
should be used.  Strong tea or coffee or an infusion of
tannic acid should be given freely, either one contain-
ing red pepper.  The patient should be placed in bed
and hot bricks applied to the feet, and the arms and
legs briskly rubbed.
MISCELLANEOUS POISONS  AND ANTIDOTES.

              Vegetable and Mineral.

  Monkshood, Foxglove, Deadly Nightshade (Bel-
ladonna), Hemlock, Chloral, Conium— These give
symptoms of nervous excitability and possibly con-
vulsions,  vomiting, diarrhoea and colic; there may be
trembling of the limbs and great weakness; the pupils
of the eyes are dilated, though  in extreme cases they
may be contracted.  Treatment must be the same as
for opium poisoning.

  Digitalis and Aconite poisoning should be treated
the same  as for opium,  with the exception  that the
patient must keep the recumbent position, and greater
attention must be directed toward  sustaining the
heart's action by stimulation.

  Lead and Its Soluble Salts  require  the  adminis-
tration of Epsom salts or Glauber's salts, followed by
an emetic and the  free use of milk, white of eggs or
other demulcents.

  Nitrate Of  Silver, lunar  caustic and indelible ink
require the administration of common salt in water, 
492         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.

followed by an  emetic, and then white of eggs and
milk.

  Turpentine poisoning causes irritation of the stom-
ach and alimentary canal and of  the urinary organs.
After an emetic has been given, sulphate of magnesia
or Epsom salts  should be administered (an ounce in
water), followed  by flax-seed tea, white of egg, barley-
water, milk, or other soothing drinks.
            POLYPUS OF  THE NOSE.

                  Nasal Growths.
  Occasionally growths occur far up in the nostrils
causing great annoyance.   They may be  hard and
fibrous, though  usually soft  and  jelly-like.  When
they are  soft  and  have an apparent stem a ligature
may be applied and tightly  drawn and allowed to re-
main until the polypus sloughs away.  When they are
small and flattened strong astringent washes, such as
solution of  tannic acid or gum kino  or Monsell 's solu-
tion of iron, may be snuffed up.  Fibrous polypi must
be removed by surgical operation.   Unless removed
nasal polypus may seriously interfere with breathing.
                 PRICKLY HEAT.

          Summer  Heat.  Lichen Tropicus.
  This is an inflammation of the sweat  follicles,  ac-
companied by very minute and red pimples upon  the
skin, which itch intolerably, and  are aggravated by
heat, irritation, etc.

  Treatment consists in a light diet and the avoidance
of stimulants, frequent baths in cool water contain-
ing soda or borax.  Witch hazel extract is an excel-
lent external  application, and in severe cases the fol-
lowing mixtures will be found efficient:   Starch, one
ounce;  glycerine,  three  ounces; or oxide of zinc, one
drachm, rubbed into one ounce of  vaseline.  Lycopo-
dium and starch, powdered, are useful. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
493
        PROLAPSUS OF THE BOWELS.

                  Prolapsus Ani.
  Falling of the bowel oftenest occurs in childhood or
old age.  It is the result of straining at stool by those
whose muscular structures, especially of the rectum,
are weakened.  Piles, constipation, diarrhoea and dys-
entery may be followed by falling of the bowels.

  Symptoms.— While at stool there will  be a sensation
as though  "the insides were coming out,"  and pro-
truding from the anus will be  seen a tumor, rounded
or pear-shaped, with an opening in the center.  It is
smooth and may be purplish.   Five or six or more
inches of the bowels may protrude.

  Treatment consists in first anointing  the  protruded
part with an ointment of one drachm of tannic acid in
an ounce of vaseline.  Place the patient on the back
and gently replace the bowel, and if necessary apply
a compress and enjoin quiet.  Constipation or diar-
rhoea or other difficulties must be attended to at once.
  Prolapsus of the Womb.—See section on Diseases
of Women.

  Psammona.—This name is given to small tumors
connected with the dura  mater or covering of the
brain.  They consist of  tissue and small particles of
carbonate of lime-

  PseudO-tabes is the manifestation of many of the
symptoms of locomotor  ataxy (tabes dorsalis) in the
course of  diabetes. For the  description  of  these
symptoms see Locomotor  Ataxy.  They usually dis-
appear during diabetes when proper treatment is em-
ployed.
                   PSORIASIS.
                Scales on the Skin.
  This is an affection of the skin characterized by
patches of white, glistening  scales, usually occurring 
494         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

about the elbows and knees or scalp, or possibly over
the whole body.  The  difficulty may occur periodic-
ally once a year, usually in the winter,  and may dis-
appear without treatment, though the  severe  itching
and the constitutional nature of the difficulty should
demand attention.

  Treedment.—Locally,  the scales should first be re-
moved by warm w7ater  and borax, considerable soak-
ing being required; afterward there should be applied
a wash of witch hazel extract and white fluid hydras-
tis, equal parts, to which a little tincture of ginger
should be added.  Cold w7ater  applications give most
relief from itching.   Internally,  the compound syrup
of yellow dock (see formulas) should be administered.
  Ptosis.—A  characteristic symptom of paralysis,
consisting of a falling down of  the upper eyelid.
           PUERPERAL EPHEMERA.

              Fever of Confinement.

  This is a transient fever which often occurs during
confinement.   It causes anxiety lest child-bed fever
has commenced.  About the seventh day of confine-
ment a pronounced  chill of long duration occurs, ac-
companied by great depression and the arresting of
secretions.  The pulse  becomes frequent and there is
headache and pinched  countenance.  The  nails are
blue,  as in ague, and there  are many  symptoms re-
sembling  the onset of  malarial fever,  to  which the
difficulty seems to be allied.

  Treatment.—During the chill give internally hot com-
position infusion or other stimulant, and apply warmth
to the body.  After the  chill has passed give freely of
infusion of pleurisy root and lady-slipper  containing
a little  ginger.  Recovery will be  preceded by warm
and profuse perspiration and a  feeling of relief.  Give
a light diet. 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          495

                    PURITIS.

                Itching of  the Skin.

  Frequently persons suffer severely from itching of
the skin without any apparent cause,  giving  rise to
great distress and annoyance, and often baffling every
effort to overcome it.  As there  must be a cause for
every physical disturbance, the particular cause for
puritis must be  ascertained in each individual case.
Circumstances and  conditions giving  rise to puritis
may be named as follows:

  1.  Tight clothing, woolen or  rough  garments, the
use of harsh  soaps,  too  violent  rubbings, poisonous
dyes in garments, insects and parasites.
  '2.  Diseases of the skin,  eczema,  salt rheum, hives,
erythema and various eruptive diseases.
  3.  Intestinal and stomach disorders, such as may
be caused by eating excessively of fruits,  or of  foods
objectionable to certain individuals, honey or  cheese,
or strawberries, or peaches are peculiarly  apt to
cause itching of  the skin.
  4.  In Bright's disease and in  diabetes,  and some-
times in various forms of liver troubles, this difficulty
may be a prominent symptom.   Particular parts of
the body may be affected on account  of their forma-
tion, such as the scrotum, anus and vulva.

  Treatment-—This requires the  ascertaining  and re-
moval of the  cause, for which a diligent search should
be made at once.  No one is too  cleanly  to be possi-
bly troubled with lice  or fleas,  and these should be
looked for first.  If the stomach is deranged  there is
nothing more  appropriate  than neutralizing  cordial
between meals.  Other visceral or functional disorders
must be treated according to their nature.
  As a rule itching can be greatly relieved by washing
in warm water containing sulphurret of potash and bo-
rax in liberal quantities.  Likewise spirits of camphor
in a previously heated mixture of borax and glycerine
is excellent.  Equal parts of rosewater  and distilled
extract of witch hazel will  prove a fine  preparation. 
496
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
Bathing in warm water should be frequent, but harsh
rubbing should be avoided.
          PURPURA HEMORRHAGICA.

        Degenerate Accumulations of Blood.

  This difficulty is usually brought on  by exposure,
especially after improper living.  It  is occasionally
experienced after various forms of disease.  Delicate
persons between the ages of fifteen  and twenty  are
the most frequent sufferers.

  Symptoms.—All over the body, except the face, hem-
orrhages appear beneath the skin, being purple, yel-
low  or  greenish according  to duration.  The  spots
may be raised and accumulations of blood may  occur
and even become gangrenous.   These conditions may
exist in the mouth, stomach and bowels and following
perforations cause death.  Prostration,  loss of  appe-
tite and fever are usual premonitory symptoms.

  Treatment—Keep the  bowels freely open and  the
stomach free from acidity.   Tartrate of iron and  po-
tassa and citric acid, each one drachm, in eight ounces
of water, a teaspoonful  before meals, will  usually be
found sufficient.   Where there is grangrenous tenden-
cies  give internally the  compound syrup  of  gentian
(see  formulas) with a little  tincture of myrrh added;
and apply compound tincture of myrrh to the spots.
In gangrenous cases death may occur in a few days;
otherwise recovery follows in from twro to eight weeks.
              PURPURA—SIMPLE.

             Purple Spots on the Skin.

  This is a trifling  disorder,  although  often  causing
unnecessary wTorriment.  It is characterized by very
small hemorrhages directly beneath the  skin, causing
purplish spots over the  body, mostly  upon the legs. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          497

There is no elevation or  itching,  but there is a dis-
agreeable and  disturbed feeling  throughout the body
in nearly all cases, accompanied by digestive disor-
ders.  The color of the spots fade and become yellow
or greenish.  Very frequently purpura occurs during
menstruation or in the course  of infectious  diseases,
and sometimes during tuberculosis or anaemia.

  Treatment.—When other diseases  are present they
must be appropriately treated.   When purpura occurs
independently  it requires no treatment beyond a light
diet, fresh air and hygienic surroundings.  Two weeks
is the usual duration of the difficulty.
  Pyelo-nephritis.—Inflammation of  the pelvis  of
the kidney accompanied by acute inflammation of the
kidney.

  PyO-nephritis.—The sac of the  kidney filled  with
pus during pyelo-nephritis.

  Pyothorax.—This is the presence of pus in the cav-
ity about the lungs, and  may occur during Pleurisy,
which see.
  Quartan Fever.—A form of malarial fever in which
the paroxysms of  chills and  fever recur every fourth
day.   See the article on Ague.
                    QUINSY.

             Tonsillitis.  Sore Throat.

  This is inflammation of the tonsils, w7hich  is  fre-
quent in the winter, especially among young persons, 
498
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
the aged seldom experiencing  it.   Scrofulous persons
are frequent sufferers.

  Symptoms.-—In the commencement there is a slight
fever,  soon followed by  a  sense of fullness in the
throat, and pain and difficulty upon swallowing.   The
mouth and throat are at first  dry, but mucus soon ac-
cumulates.  The tonsils, usually on one side only, will
be found swTollen and light red.  The difficulty may go
no farther, but often these symptoms all become more
aggravated. Loss of appetite,  furred tongue, headache
and constipation may follow.  There is  hoarseness
and great swelling  and difficulty of swallowing and
breathing.
  Looking into the throat  the  tonsils will be found
very large and red and  glassy, being covered with
glary mucus.  Points of  ulceration  will  be seen, ele-
vated  above the surface, readily distinguished from
diphtheritic patches, which  are depressed and parch-
ment-like. Usually these ulcerated spots discharge
in three  or four days  and end the difficulty;  though
larger abscesses may form and continue ten or twelve
days and cause much suffering.

  Treatment.—In simple  cases tie about  the neck a
flannel saturated with stimulating liniment; gargle or
spray with a solution of borax in raspberry infusion;
keep the bowels open and protect from cold.

  In severe cases allow the patient to inhale vapors
from  a hot infusion of  bayberry bark and vinegar;
gargle with borax,  hydrastis and raspberry leaves in
infusion.   Use  liniment  outwardly.  Sustain the
strength  by  light  and nourishing diet and a tonic of
scullcap.  After the abscesses have discharged gargle
with gum kino infusion to consolidate the tissues.
  Quotidian Fever.—This name is frequently given
to the severe form of malarial fever in which the par-
oxysms of chills and fever recur every day.  See arti-
cle on Ague. 
          DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         499

Rabies.—M<ul-<log Bite.See article on Hydrophobia.
                    RANULA.

              Tumor of  the Tongue.

  From  irritations or  other  provocative causes  a
cystic tumor may form under  the  tongue,  either in
front or at the side.   It resembles a sack filled with
glairy mucus.  Sometimes the  tumor will be of suffi-
cient size to bulge out under the chin.

  Treatment is simple.  With a sharp knife cut into the
sac and allow the fluid to escape,  and repeat the oper-
ation as long as necessary.  After each  emptying of
the sac inject into it an infusion of kino.
            RAYNAUD'S DISEASE.

             Symmetrical Gangrene.

  This  is a peculiar  form of gangrene  occasionally
met with in feeble persons,  often  following  various
forms of disease;  called also symmetrical gangrene.
The tips of the ears and nose,  and the toes and fin-
gers are oftenest affected.  Blisters appear upon the
skin, followed by gangrene or sloughing of the parts,
which is progressive and may completely destroy the
parts.  Fever may be  present.  Treatment must be
the same as laid down for Gangrene (which see), and
surgical operations, such as removal of toes or fingers,
may be necessary.  Recovery is the  rule within six
weeks.
              RECTAL  DISEASES.

           Stricture.  Polypus.  Injuries.

  Stricture.—Occasionally after  ulceration of  the
mucous membrane of the  rectum stricture may occur,
characterized by constipation, straining, pain and the 
500
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
passage of  blood at stools, great relaxation of the
anus and discharges  the  size of  a rope.  Hip baths,
large injections of warm water,  light diet and rest
must precede the introduction of bougies to cause dila-
tation.  Liver pills and injections of oil will make the
discharges thin and prevent painful irritation.

  Polypus.—Sometimes there will be jelly-like tumors
form upon the walls of the rectum, especially in chil-
dren.   They may be cut off by scissors or by ligature,
if pendant, and Monsell's solution applied.

  Injuries  caused by accident or by  lodgement of
sharp  particles,  inserted or  swallowed, give great
pain.   Particles should be removed by forceps, or the
fingers, oil being previously injected.

  Piles or haemorrhoids, fistulas  and fissures are de-
scribed elsewhere.
  Red Gum.—This is sometimes spoken of as stroph-
ulus,  and  is  characterized by  the  appearance of
soft, red elevations on the gums, especially of infants.
It is usually caused by stomach disturbances, and neu-
tralizing cordial will prove an efficient remedy to cor-
rect the disorder.
               RELAPSING FEVER.

           Infective Fever from Poverty.

  The causes of this difficulty  seem to be similar to
those of typhus fever—poor food and unhygienic sur-
roundings.  It is occasionally epidemic in Europe.

  Symptoms.—These come on suddenly, a few days after
exposure  as a  rule,  though  possibly in a few hours.
The victim may be engaged in  ordinary pursuits and
be seized  wdth  dizziness and headache and  a severe
chill; this w7ill be followed by high fever, gradually in-
creasing until it possibly reaches 107°, having slight
morning rminsLion.  The pulse  may reach 140 or more 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT,          501

 per minute, and respirations iucrease to 40 or more per
 minute.  The tongue is thinly coated  white, but may
 become dry and brown.  Constipation is  marked  and
 the urine scanty.  There may be some jaundice, and
 possibly nausea and  vomiting.  There is no eruption
 and the skin may be a little moist  at  times each day.
  After about a week of high  fever the symptoms  sud-
 denly abate.  Abundant perspiration breaks out, the
 temperature,  pulse  and respirations  fall to normal;
 discomfort ceases and there are free evacuations.  Ex-
 cept a sense of great weakness the patient seems  per-
 fectly well, and  remains so for five or six days, when
 a second paroxysm  of fever,  precisely like the first,
 occurs.  This time it lasts about four days.
  Several such paroxysmal periods may  occur during
 the course of the  disease, each followed  by an inter-
 mission of the same duration  as the paroxysm preced-
 ing it.   Pain  in  the joints is common, and there may
 be serious complications, such as bronchitis, pneumo-
 nia,  dropsy, abscess of the  kidney or spleen, or pa-
 ralysis.  Erysipelas may follow during convalescence
 and eye troubles and falling out of  the hair are not in-
 frequent sequences.

  Treatment.—Commence by opening the  bowels by a
 large injection of warm water and  the  administration
 of liver pills.  During the fever give frequent sponge
 baths of warm water  containing borax.   Administer
 every two hours, during wakefulness, tablespoonful
 doses of an  infusion  of pleurisy root, scullcap  and
 ginger.  Allow the patient to drink all the cold water
 desired.  If the urine is scanty give every four hours
 ten drops of  fluid extract of queen of the meadow in
 water.   When  there is  a tendency  to collapse,  as
 sometimes happens,  just before remission occurs, give
 compound spirits of  lavender containing  a little com-
 pound tincture of myrrh.  Three times a day from the
 commencement of the attack on through convalescence
the compound syrup of gentian (see formulas)  should
be used.  The infusions should be discontinued during
the remission and perfect rest insisted  upon.   Diet
must be light and nourishing,  and fresh air  should be
furnished. 
502         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
Remittent Fever.—See the article on Ague.

Renal Colic.—Kidney Colic.See article on Colic.
             RHEUMATISM-ACUTE.

    Inflammatory Rheumatism.  Rheumatic Fever.
  Exposures to dampness and cold, and fatigue of mind
and body have been long regarded as causes of inflam-
matory rheumatism.   Strains of muscles or ligaments
also excite it.   The difficulty is most common between
fifteen and  twenty-five years of age, though any one
may suffer  from  it.   Certain temperaments seem lia-
ble, giving rise to the belief that the disease is hered-
itary.  One attack predisposes to other attacks; and
the disease may run into the chronic form.

  Symptoms.—Inflammatory rheumatism may develop
very suddenly, though there are usually several pre-
ceding days of aching through  the joints,  and chilli-
ness and possibly slight fever and sore throat. An
ardent fever sets in, the temperature reaching 103° or
104°, the pulse is frequent and full, though often some-
what unsteady; the tongue is coated, and loss of ap-
petite and constipation follow; the urine is diminished
in quantity, high colored and acid; the surface is cov-
ered with perspiration of a decidedly sour character,
often causing  an  unpleasant eruption like  "prickly-
heat. ''  The face  is flushed and puffy, and the whole
body is tender, causing the patient to lie as quiet as
possible.
  Swelling,  heat,  redness and pain soon commence in
the joints, and first one and then another  joint is at-
tacked, the distress shifting to the various portions of
the body and causing  intense suffering.
  A first attack may last several weeks, though sub-
sequent attacks usually subside within ten days.  The
great  pain and profuse  perspiration prove very ex-
hausting and often render convalescence very tedious.
Complications are liable to arise, such as  pneumonia.
pleurisy, meningitis and inflammation of the kidneys,
or of the heart, or its valves, the heart trouble  often 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
503
causing  death.  When the brain is  involved  it  is
termed cerebral rheumatism, and often proves  tatal.

  Treatment—In all cases bear in mind the  patient's
acute suffering and distress upon being handled, and
arrange  the bed and room accordingly, and provide a
strong and skillful nurse.  A flannel night-gown is the
proper garment to be  worn;  and blankets instead  of
sheets should be used.  Bathe the joints and affected
parts every three hours with  the following  liniment:
Tincture of black cohosh and lobelia, each two ounces;
essence  of ginger, one-half ounce, and bi-carbonate ot
potash, one drachm.   Cover the parts  with absorbent
cotton kept in place by loose bandages.
  Allow all the cold water desired, provided it is pure
Distilled water containing twenty grains of  citrate ot
lithia to the gallon is best.  If the patient can endure
the handling, warm sponge baths are beneficial.  Cold
water applications will allay the inflammation,  but
are liable to produce stiffening of the joints.  Keep
the bowels open  by  the  use of liver pills, and if the
kidneys do not act freely enough allow drinks of  in-
fusion of peach leaves.
  As a tonic there may be given every four  hours one
grain each of salicin, capsicum and sulphate  of hy-
drastia  in capsule.   Should the heart show signs ot
weakness or distress  the stimulating liniment should
be briskly rubbed over the chest and infusion of gold-
enseal and capsicum  administered internally.  Conva-
lescence requires light diet, abstinence  from  meats,
quietude and an equable temperature.
           RHEUMATISM—CHRONIC.

                     Arthritis.

  This form of rheumatism is  peculiarly liable to be
"transmitted," that is, to occur in families of  certain
organizations.   It is rarely manifest until after middle
life, and attacks are excited  by exposures to cold and
dampness and physical or mental fatigue.  Often it
follows acute rheumatism. 
504
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  Symptoms.—The chief characteristic of chronic rheu-
matism is pain in the joints, usually  the larger joints.
Swelling and redness seldom occur and fever is rarely
manifested.  The pain  in  the  joints is intensified by
pressure  or movement, the  affected joints enlarge and
stiffen, or seem to crack while moving, on account of
absence of  sufficient lubrication.
  Various degrees of suffering are experienced through
chronic rheumatism.  There  may be simply pain ex-
perienced  before and  during storms, and  subsiding
afterward,  or there may be frequent attacks of five or
six days' duration,  or  there  may be almost constant
pain, amounting to distress sufficient to undermine the
constitution.  The joints, large or small, may be per-
manently stiffened and enlarged,  the muscles may be
shrunken, and altogether permanent  invalidism ensue,
accompanied by deformity.  Other parts of  the body,
such  as  the heart, lungs  and brain, are  rarely in-
volved.

  Treatment.—Plain and nourishing diet, an abundance
of pure water and dry and  hygienic  surroundings are
most beneficial.  Vapor baths, once a week,  are excel-
lent.   Rubbing the affected parts with skunk oil or
cocoanut oil containing a little oils of lobelia and ori-
ganum will be found useful.  The bowels must be kept
open, and the kidneys may be aided by ten-drop doses
of dwarf elder given in water every  six hours.  Poke
berries. American sarsaparilla and prickly ash are ex-
cellent.  The stomach soon tires of medicines, and de-
pendence must be  placed  upon baths, diet  and hygi-
enic  surroundings.
  Rheumatism.— Gonorrheal.—See the section on Dis-
eases of the Generative Organs.
          RHEUMATISM-MUSCULAR.

                Lumbago. Myalgia.
  This form of rheumatism is usually caused by sud-
denly cooling the body while perspiring, standing in 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          505
drafts, etc.  Adults  are  the  most frequent sufferers,
although small children are sometimes attacked, and
some persons are peculiarly liable to it.

  Symptoms.—The chief characteristic is pain and ten-
derness of the muscles,  shifting in its  nature, and
affecting first one and then another muscle.  Fever is
usually absent.  Acute  attacks may last but a few
days, while the chronic form may  possibly continue
for months involving,  perhaps, the heart, lungs or
stomach.

  Treatment—Avoidance of over-heating, exposure to
drafts, and imprudencies  must be studied.  Flannel
should be worn by those subject to attacks. The lini-
ment mentioned for acute rheumatism should be used,
and the bowels must  be kept open.  Citrate of lithia,
one or two grains in a glass of water half an hour
after meals, is excellent.  Sufferers from muscular
rheumatism should  not use tea, coffee or alcoholic
liquors.
           RHEUMATISM—NODULAR.
         Rheumatic Swellings of the Joints.
  This is a form of chronic rheumatism characterized
by deformity of the joints, usually commencing with
the fingers or toes  and  later involving the  larger
joints.  All sorts of unnatural positions may be per-
manently assumed—the fingers crooked, the leg flexed
or twisted, and even the  spine  possibly affected.
Often in the aged the hip joint is the one involved.
Pain and tingling sensations are usually experienced,
and at first there may be some swelling and tender-
ness.

  Treatment.—In some  cases  great  relaxation may be
secured by fomentations of lobelia and then force used
to break up adhesions.  The liniment named for acute
rheumatism will lest give relief,  and the treatment of
chronic rheumatism should be pursued.  A warm and
dry climate is best for sufferers from nodular rheuma- 
506
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
tism;  and  the diet must be of the most nourishing
character.  Compound syrup of Stillingia (see formu-
las) is of great value; though the stomach must not be
over-crowded.
  Rhinitis.—This is inflammation of the lining mem-
brane of the nose.   See the article on Catarrh.

  Rhinoliths.—Calcareous or earthy crusts which oc-
casionally form in the passages of the nose, adherent
to the nasal wTalls.

  Rhinorrhea.—This is a profuse muco-purulent dis-
charge  from the nose  frequently  occurring  during
nasal catarrh.  See the article on Catarrh.
                    RICKETS.

                 Infantile Rachitis.
  Children during teething may be affected by insuffi-
cient development of the bony  structure,  character-
ized by softening of the bones and consequent deform-
ities, sometimes of a frightful nature.  Children whose
parents are feeble or extremely young are most liable
to rickets, and the trouble may be developed before
birth.

  Symptoins.—Disorders of the stomach, vomiting and
diarrhoea are  early signs.  Emaciation commences,
while at the same time the abdomen grows  prominent
and the teeth do not develop.  There is fretfulness.
great restlessness at night, sweating  about the  head
and tenderness over the body.
  Nervous troubles often arise  and  the child is ex-
tremely liable to severe colds.  The deformities usu-
ally commence during the second year and may  be
very diverse.  The jaws may be  contorted, the  fore-
head enlarged and the face small, and the whole  head
may appear as thrown  forward.   Dropsy of the brain
(hydrocephalis) may occur and the head become enor-
mous.  Pigeon-breast, spinal curvatures, knock-knees, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
507
bow-legs,  distortions  of  the  hips or shoulders,  en-
larged ankles and wrists, and many other deformities
may develop. The heart may become enlarged (hyper-
trophy) and perhaps displaced, and the lungs may be-
come impaired.

  Treatment.—It is imperative that the first symptoms
of the disease should be recognized, that action may
be taken early.   If cutting the first teeth is delayed
beyond the tenth month it is a bad sign, especially
when accompanied by perspiration of the head and rest-
lessness at  night and frequent  diarrhoea.  Children
showing such signs  should be given plenty of fresh
air out of  doors, and daily salt w7ater baths with brisk
rubbings;  and kept off the feet.
  The diet becomes important.  Strained, boiled oat-
meal, to which a little lime water may be added, is
excellent.   Starchy foods and sugars must be avoided.
Children of eighteen months or  over may  be  given
broths, soft boiled eggs, bean soup and fish; egg-nog
without alcohol  and  thickly-buttered whole-wheat
bread may be given.
  Medicine should be used sparingly, no matter how
harmless it may be in character.   The diarrhoea may
be checked  by  equal  parts of wild cherry syrup and
neutralizing  cordial.  Older  children  may  be given
tartrate of iron and potassa in solution of citric acid,
before meals.  Peptenzyme after  meals is also bene-
ficial, and greatly aids digestion.  Malted Milk cannot
be  too highly recommended  for use in this  difficulty,
and to the water given should be added a little lime
water.  Plenty of sunlight in the living and sleeping
rooms is  imperative,  and dampness must  be avoided.
                  RING WORM.

                      Favus.
  This is also called tinea tonsurans.   It is a growth
upon the skin caused by an organism called trichophy-
ton tonsurans.  It is  oftenest met with in children,
and commences  as a  small and slightly  raised  red
patch on the scalp, which causes great itching.  The 
508         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
patch enlarges and  forms  a ring, while the redness
subsides, except on the margins, which are often cov-
ered with small blisters.  The  hair at such  places
dies and breaks off and sometimes hairless patches are
developed.  Ring worm may appear  on the face or
upper part of the body.

  Treatment.—Fresh air and very nourishing  food and
hygienic surroundings are important.  The compound
gentian syrup will be an excellent tonic.  Shave or
pull out the hairs  upon the ring worm of the scalp
and axiply a solution of hyposulphite of soda.   Wash
the scalp with tar-soap and  borax.  Each  morning
moisten the spot with a strong solution of borax and
then  apply sulphurus acid solution.  Ring worm is
contagious.
  Rodent Ulcer.—This is frequently spoken of as a
form of epithelioma.  It begins as a pale tubercle on
the skin,  upon the upper part of  the face, and may
gradually develop  for  years,  the  edges  becoming
raised and hard and the inner surface red and raw or
glazed.   There is no special pain and the glands are
not involved and the health is not  impaired as in can-
cer.  Treatment should consist in  keeping the health
in good condition by hygienic regulations and remov-
ing the ulcer by operation as early as possible

  Rosacea.—See the article on Acne.

  Rose.—See the article on Erysipelas.

  Rose Cold.—See the article on Hay Fever.

  Roseola.— Rotheln.—Rubella.— See the article on Fe-
vers (Eruptive)—German Measles.
                  RUMINATION.
               Regurgitation of Food.
  This is a peculiar condition in which the sufferer re-
gurgitates his food  from the stomach to the mouth, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
509
and after  masticating it a second time swallows  it.
Children are the most frequent  sufferers.  The pecul-
iarity may be congenital or it may be the result of
stomach, or intestinal troubles,  or nervous disorders,
or may be  a perverse habit or be excited by improper
and insufficient food.

  Treatment includes mental influences to overcome the
habit by force of will, and  strict  adherence to hygi-
enic  rules of  health  and diet.  Ten drop doses  of
fluid extract of cramp bark, taken  in water, just be-
fore meals will be found beneficial.
                     RUPIA.

              Foul Scabs and  Ulcers.

  This disease is usually a consequence of syphilis or
scrofula.  It is characterized by the formation of hard,
dark scabs on the skin, caused by drying up of disa-
greeable pustules.  These scabs may be very numer-
ous and vary in size from that of a bean to that of an
oyster shell.  Beneath the  crusts will be found  foul
ulcers.

  Treatment.— Apply a poultice of  flaxseed sprinkled
with ginger.  When the crusts are removed,  wash out
the ulcers thoroughly with  borax water containing
tincture of myrrh and then apply a plaster  of black
salve (see formulas).   The cause of the ulcers must be
removed by appropriate treatment.
                  SALIVATION.

           Mercurialization.  Ptyalismus.

  This is a distressing difficulty of the mouth, caused
by the use of mercury or its various preparations.  It
was formerly quite common, when calomel was in gen- 
510
A PHYSICIAN TN  THE HOUSE.
eral  use.  But  an outraged people  rebelled against
the barbarous practices of the "medical profession."
Lately mercurial preparations,  to destroy  bacteria,
are again being used, chiefly in the form of  corrosive
sublimate,  and   salivation with its  horrors is again
met with.

  Symptoms.—The salivary glands at the angle of the
jaws and those situated further forwrard and under the
tongue become very tender, swollen and soft, and the
secretion of  saliva is abundant, and  the mouth be-
comes  full  of it to overflowing. The tongue swells
considerably and grows soft and extremely tender.  It
grow7s dark red and covered  with a sticky, white sub-
stance, which in severe cases dries  into a foul crust.
The tongue may be enormous and fill  the mouth and
have numerous  bloody fissures, and ulceration may
set in.   The face often becomes swollen and dark, eat-
ing and talking are impossible, and great distress is
apparent.

  Treatmoit—The  severe symptoms  seldom last over
five days.  Relief is obtained by sucking pieces of ice,
and the mouth  washed out with witch hazel  extract
and borax solution.  Sometimes the  tongue and gums
must be lanced to allow the blood  and serum to  es-
cape.  Ulcerated conditions require a wash of  golden-
seal  and tincture  of  myrrh.   Strength must  be sus-
tained  by the use of nourishing diet and hygienic sur-
roundings and the bowels regulated.  Syrup  of wild
cherry containing fluid extract of goldenseal is an ex-
cellent tonic.
  Sarcoma.—See the article on Tumors.

  Scabies.—See the article on Itch.

  Scald-Head.—An annoying form of  eczema pecul-
iar to young children.  See the article on Eczema.

  Scarlatina.—Scarlet Fever.—This disease is  fully
considered in the article on Fevers (Eruptive). 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          511
                   SCIATICA.

                Sciatic  Neuralgia.
  This is a neuralgia of the sciatic nerve,  which is the
largest nerve of the body and runs from the back of
the hip-joint down the back of the thigh.  The whole
nerve may be affected, giving most intense pain in the
buttock or the whole length of the leg and outer por-
tion of the foot.  In severe cases  there will be fever
and thirst, constipation, furred tongue and hard and
frequent pulse. Exhaustion follows the sleeplessness
caused by the almost incessant pain.
  Chronic cases  of sciatica give tingling sensations
and occasional numbness and cramps, and in course of
time the muscles of the  limb diminish  in size, and
lameness and inability to keep the limb warm are
common.  A  person who has once suffered from acute
sciatica is extremely liable to have frequent attacks.
Syphilis, scrofula, mercurial and alcoholic or malarial
poisoning render persons more susceptible to sciatica.
Among  the exciting causes of the difficulty may be
mentioned exposure to cold and dampness, hardened
accumulations in the rectum, a shock to the spine, a
sprain of the hip, knee or ankle joint, physical strain
of any kind, pregnancy  and various womb troubles.
An acute attack rarely lasts  longer than a week, and
the times of recurrence may be frequent or prolonged
for years.

  Treatnumt.—Empty the  rectum by injections, and use
liver pills to keep the bowels naturally free.  Locally,
apply  a liniment  consisting of tinctures of lobelia,
mullein and lady slipper, each two ounces, and tinct-
ure of capsicum, four drachms.  Wrap the  affected
limb in cotton and enjoin absolute quietude.  Let the
diet  be  extremely light.  The  predisposing  cause
must  be ascertained and as soon as the attack has
abated treatment must be commenced and persisted in
according to the nature of the constitutional difficulty.
The stomach will in nearly all cases be found over-
worked and  deranged in  some manner.   Persons sub-
ject to sciatica cannot  too carefully obey the rules of
hygiene. They must avoid excesses and bad habits. 
 5111         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                    SCROFULA.

                 Struma.  Tubercle.

   There is no specific condition which may be termed
 scrofula.   It is a peculiarity of the constitution which
 makes  the person especially liable  to  inflammatory
 swellings  of the lymphatic  glands and to inflamma-
 tions of the skin and mucous membranes of the head.
   The causes of scrofula, or rather of the peculiarity
 known  as the scrofulous diathesis, may be mentioned
 as improper food, unhygienic surroundings and hered-
 ity.   Of these, heredity is the most important.  Scrof-
 ulous parents, or those suffering from consumption, or
 syphilis, or very youthful or aged parents, or those re-
 lated by blood, are extremely liable  to  have scrofu-
 lous offspring.  Children develop scrofula  more fre-
 quently than adults, and it  may be the antecedent of
 serious  tuberculous or rheumatic troubles in later life.

   Syntjitoms.—Glandular  swellings, especially about
 the neck,  groins and arm-pits, which swellings may
 develop slowly, or may become inflamed  and ulcerate
 and discharge very disagreeably.  There may be foul
 discharges from the ears.  Occasionally the bones be-
 come involved,  especially those of the hip, causing
 great suffering and deformity.
   Persons of scrofulous tendencies usually have  acid
 perspiration and discharges from the bowels, and con-
 siderable sediment from urates in the urine.  Impaired
 digestion and loss of appetite, troubles of vision and
 "sore eyes"  (inflammations  of the conjunctiva), are
 common, flushes on the cheeks, pearly eye-balls,  de-
 bility and  slow  emaciation  are  accompaniments  of
 scrofula.  Consumption may be preceded by all the
 symptoms  of  scrofula.  And persons of  scrofulous
 tendencies  should exercise  the  greatest care against
 exposures to cold; and lung troubles, no matter  how
trifling, should be promptly treated.

  Treatment.—Fresh air  in abundance,  a dry atmos
phere in living and sleeping rooms, plenty of sunlight,
cleanliness, frequent bathing-, an equable  temperature, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
513
warm clothing,  avoidance of fats,  and  especially
pork, as food, and a most nutritious diet, are matters
to be considered  indispensable in the management of
scrofula.  The diet should be composed  largely  of
vegetables; the appetite must be encouraged, and di-
gestion aided.  Peptenzyme elixir, a teaspoonful after
each meal, is most excellent.  If  there is constipation
the  liver pills must be employed.
  To aid in carrying off the poisonous material in the
system an alterative will  be found useful and a tonic
should be  added.   Fluid extract of  gentian, one
ounce,  and compound syrup of  yellow dock,  seven
ounces (see formulas), w7ill be found unexcelled  taken
in teaspoonful doses between meals.   Many months
may be required to effect a restoration to health; and
there is always greater susceptibility to disease after
an attack of scrofula.
            SCROFULOUS ULCERS.

                 Ankle Ulceration.

  These are very troublesome and exhaustive sores
which occur about the ankles of persons of the scrof-
ulous diathesis under rare circumstances.  Their first
appearance is characterized by bluish swellings,  fol-
lowed by  several open sores which run together  and
discharge offensive and thin ulcerative matter. They
occasion great debility and lameness.

  Treatment,—The constitutional treatment advised for
scrofula must be  pushed  vigorously,  and  fresh  air,
hygienic surroundings and most nourishing food be-
come imperative.  Locally, there should be applied a
poultice of flax seed containing beth-root and pulver-
ized  myrrh, and kept moist by glycerine.   Such poul-
tices should be worn six or eight hours out of  the
twenty-four, and upon each removal, the sore should be
thoroughly cleansed with borax solution.  Compound
tincture of myrrh should be frequently applied about
the puffy edges of the sores.  Treatment should be
persistent.
     33 
514
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                    SCURVY.

              Scorbutus.  Sea Scurvy.
  Improper diet is the great cause of scurvy, and es-
pecially does the  absence  of vegetable  acids tend to
produce the disease.  It was formerly much more com-
mon than at present, on account of inability to make
provision for proper nourishment for armies and for
sailors,  and  for  farm  families  when  crops  failed.
Salted meats eaten in  excess are extremely liable to
produce scurvy in those who are exposed to cold and
wet and fatigue, or those who are weakened by dis-
ease, especially by malaria.

  Symptoms.—Premonitory signs will be general weak-
ness and progressive emaciation  and anaemia, which
conditions continue throughout the attack, which may
last  for several  months,  or  may  possibly  (though
rarely) result fatally within three or four weeks.  A
very pronounced  symptom is the  spongy and swollen
condition  of  the  gums.  The  teeth  become loosened
and may fall out,  and foul ulceration may follow.  The
gums become blue and bleed very easily.  Hemor-
rhages from the skin, chiefly upon the legs,  are fre-
quent, especially upon pressure.   "Blood blisters"
are not  infrequent  and may burst  and become  gan-
grenous spots. Hemorrhages from  the mucous sur-
faces are common.  The urine is scanty  and contains
albumen.  Dysentery and pneumonia may be compli-
cations.

  Treatment. —Supply an abundance of fresh,  dry air;
avoid fatigue and furnish a diet of fresh meat and an
abundance of vegetables.  Sour  apples, lemons and
limes are especially good.  No medicines are needed
beyond  possible astringent washes for the gums such
as a vinegar tincture of bayberry and myrrh.  Treat
gangrenous spots as ordinary gangrene.   Prophylaxis
will prove most  efficient.  Scurvy  is a preventable
disease,  and always  curable if  undertaken before
degeneration  commences;  but very old persons,  or
chronic cases of long standing, offer very little ground
for encouragement. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          515
  Seborrhea.—This is a skin affection frequent in in-
fancy, characterized by the excessive secretion of oil
on the skin and accumulation of scales of epithelium.
Treatment is simple and consists in washing the  skin
with warm borax water, thoroughly drying, and ap-
plying a mixture of equal parts of witch hazel extract
and rose water.

  Septicemia.— Pyemia.—This is a dangerous condi-
tion caused by pus from wounds, or abscesses or ulcers
entering the  circulation.   See the article  on Blood
Poisoning.
                   SHINGLES.

                   Herpes Zona.

  This is an annoying difficulty usually occurring in
the winter time and caused by various circumstances.
Unhygienic  surroundings, unwholesome  food, over-
eating and under-eating, exposures, nervous troubles
and other derangements often  bring about shingles, a
form of herpes.

  Sym]>toms.—The disease is characterized by  the ap-
pearance of  numerous water blisters half around the
middle of the body commencing at the spine.  These
blisters  tingle and burn  and  excite  considerable
scratching.  They may come in successive crops  and
gradually dry up and leave scaly scabs.   In nearly all
cases there will be constipation, indigestion, neuralgia
and slight feverishness.

  Treatment—Locally dust the parts with powdered
starch and  goldenseal, or apply witch hazel extract
and spirits of camphor.  Use the compound syrup of
gentian containing  a little fluid  extract of cascara.
Let the diet be  light, bathe the body frequently and
change the  underclothing  often.  Be sure that the
bowels move freely each day, and provide an abun-
dance of  fresh air in the sleeping room, and out-door
exercise during the  day.  An attack of shingles may 
516         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
last  two or three weeks.  The disease of  itself is
never fatal.
  Ship Fever.—See article on Typhus Fever.

  Short-Sightedness.—See section  on Diseases of
the Eye.

  Sick Headache.—See article on Headache.

  Singultus.—See article on Whooping Cough.
                      SINUS.

            Unnatural Opening. Fistula.
  This is a narrow canal, opening  on the surface and
leading to a seat of ulceration or of secretion of fluids.
Sometimes the natural secretions of various organs,
such as the stomach and gall  bladder, have their exit
through these unnatural canals or sinuses.  Usually,
though, they are the means of escape of degenerate
fluids caused by ulceration of decayed bones or of ab-
scesses.  In treating them it is first necessary to ascer-
tain the cause and, if possible, remove it.  The sinus
should  then  be  frequently  and thoroughly cleansed
with solution of borax and then injected with solution
of tannic acid.  A drainage  tube may be inserted and
withdrawn just a little each day as healing progresses.
A weak solution of caustic potash may be necessary
to start the healing process.
  Sleeplessness.—See article on Insomnia.

  Sloughing.—Mortification.—The  breaking down of
tissues; fully considered in the article on Gangrene.

  Small-Pox.—See the article on  Fevers (Eruptive).

  Snake-Bite.—See the article on Poisoning.

  Spasms.—See the article on Convulsions. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.         517

  Spermatorrhea.—This is a condition of exhaustion
and nervous debility caused by the unnatural loss of
semen.   See the section on Diseases of the Generative
Organs.
             SPINAL CURVATURE.

                  Potts' Disease.
  This sad affliction usually occurs in childhood, and
is the result of  caries or destruction of parts of the
spinal vertebras.  Its first symptom is a prominence of
the spinal processes.  Pain may be absent, and  the
deformity may be so marked as to constitute " hump-
back."  Paraplegia (which see)  frequently follows.
This form of spinal curvature does not  often prove
fatal, although incurable.

  Treatment.—A most  nourishing  diet  and hygienic
surroundings are imperative.  Freedom from all exer-
tion and worry must be secured.   The application of
a plaster jacket is often resorted to, and  in the  early
stages frequent  suspension of  a nature to stretch  the
spine by the weight of the body will be found useful.
Severe cases require rest in  bed. Medicines  are of
little avail, although scullcap has proven a valuable
tonic to the spinal nerves.
  Spinal  Meningitis.—See the article  on Fever—
Cerebro-Spinal.
              SPLEEN—AMYLOID.
            Waxy or Lardaceous Spleen.
  Like amyloid degeneration of  the  liver that of the
spleen may be the result of  suppuration, exhaustion
of wasting diseases, malarial poisoning, syphilis, etc.
It should be suspected when enlargement of the spleen
follows any of the conditions mentioned.  The treat-
ment embraces hygienic measures, the free use of nat-
ural iron water and the administration of a positive 
518         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

alterative, such as the compound syrup of  Stillingia
(see formulas).  Recovery cannot be hoped for in pro-
nounced cases.
  Spleenic Cancer.—This is usually a sequence of
cancer of the liver or stomach, and must be treated as
carcinoma of other organs.
       SPLEEN ENLARGEMENT—ACUTE.

               Splenic Hypertrophy.

  The spleen is a  ductless gland situated in the left
and upper  portion of the abdominal  cavity.  From
various  causes the organ may  become  greatly en-
larged.  Among the causes of acute enlargement may
be mentioned injuries, obstructions to circulation by
diseases of  the heart, or lungs or liver, and infective
diseases.

  Symptoms.—As a rule there will be pain in the  left
side, extending to the shoulder, increased by coughing
and lying upon the left  side.   The enlarged spleen
may usually be distinctly felt as a tumor.

  Treatment.—There is no call for special  medication.
If caused by acute  infective disease it  will disappear
with that disease.  Severe pain may require outward
stimulating applications, and possibly  the administra-
tion of nervines.
      SPLEEN ENLARGEMENT-CHRONIC.
                    Ague Cake.
  This may be tne result of acute enlargement; but is
usually developed during the course of some chronic
disease, most commonly malarial difficulties.  The or-
gan may become  fifteen or twrenty times larger than
normal; and may, after years of suffering, cause death
by unnatural pressure and the exhaustion of the suf-
ferer. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
519
  Symptoms.—Pain in the left  side, great paleness,
cachexia, shortness  of  breath  and palpitation.  The
enlarged organ may be distinctly felt by manipula-
tion.

  Treatment.—If  possible the  patient  should be re-
moved to a high and dry  locality.  Internally use the
following night and morning:  Fluid extracts of but-
ternut and Peruvian bark, each two drachms, in four
ounces of syrup of ginger.  Stimulating liniment may
be applied; and vapor baths should  be frequently em-
ployed.  Recovery may be  gradual, some cases  last-
ing for years.
           SPLEEN-INFLAMMATION.
                     Splenitis.
  This difficulty may be secondary to inflammation of
 ether organs, such as the stomach and lungs, or it
 may be caused directly  by injuries.  An abscess of
 the spleen almost invariably follow7s, giving  serious
 results.

  Symptoms.—As a rule the disease will be ushered in
 by shivering, followed by high fever and hot and dry
 skin, nausea, possibly vomiting and constipation. The
 urine is scanty  and high colored,  and there is great
 thirst.   The pulse is hard and frequent at first, though
 it may become  very feeble and exhausting  diarrhoea
 may set in.  There is great pain  in  the left side, ex-
 tending to the shoulder, and pressure upon the ribs of
 that side causes increased pain.  Coughing is usually
 persistent.
  A fluctuating tumor may be recognized.  Occasionally
 splenic abscess  is formed and results fatally before the
 true nature of the difficulty is determined.

  Treatment.—Hygienic surroundings and light nour-
ishing diet are of the utmost importance.  The bowels
must be kept open, but no harsh means should be em-
ployed.  Frequent vapor baths should be used to keep
the skin free and its secretory  glands active.  A tea- 
520        A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
spoonful of the compound gentian syrup (see formu-
las) given after each meal will be a sufficient tonic.
  Should  there be evidences of active suppuration,
such as frequent shiverings and hot flushes, and throb-
bing pain in the left side, a small amount of compound
tincture of myrrh may be added.  The butternut syrup
(see formulas), taken at bedtime, will keep the bowels
sufficiently open.   Stimulating liniment should be ap-
plied outwardly night and morning.  Frequently sur-
gical operations by a skillful surgeon will be required
to save life.
             SPLEEN—WANDERING.

                 Floating Spleen.
  Occasionally, on  account  of  relaxation of the at-
tachments  of the spleen,  that  organ may leave its
natural position and descend into the cavity of the
pelvis or fall upon the right  side, or any other locality
favored by the position  the  patient  may  assume.
There may be no serious symptoms beyond a sense of
discomfort and the recognition of the position of the
organ by manipulation.  The difficulty is sometimes
overcome by bandages and the use of tonics and hygi-
enic surrounding,  though removal of the organ by sur-
gical operation may be absolutely necessary.
  Splenic Rupture.—Sometimes during enlargement
of the spleen, the organ may develop so rapidly that
its  sac  or  capsule bursts, causing  internal hemor-
rhage or peritonitis and speedy death.  Recovery has
taken place in rare instances, but medical treatment is
unavailing.

  Spotted  Fever.—See Fever—Cerebro-Spinal.
                    SPRAINS.
                                            •  >
              Straining of Ligaments.         V_
  By falling, twisting the foot or limbs, and by other
accidental injuries, the ligaments about various joints 
            DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          521

may be suddenly stretched, constituting a sprain.  The
pain is usually severe  and sharp, and  swelling and
often redness of the parts follow7.  A severe pain of
the ankle joint may cause lameness for several days,
and if neglected, may result in permanent trouble.

  Treatment.—If commenced  immediately,  the  best
treatment consists in applications of cold water, run-
ning water  being preferable.  If  there is delay, and
inflammation has set it, with redness and severe pain,
apply cloths saturated with  hot  infusion of lobelia.
After relief has been secured, the parts may  be fre-
quently bathed  with tincture of  calendula  or witch
hazel extract.   Under no circumstances should the af-
fected joint be used before complete recovery is as-
sured.
  St. Anthony's Evil.—See the article on Erysipelas.

  Sterility.—Barrenness.—This is inability in women
to conceive.  It may be caused by various conditions,
and is fully considered in the section on Diseases of
Women.
  Men may likewise be sterile and unable to procreate.
Such cases are considered  in the section on Diseases
of the Generative Organs.
           STOMACH HEMORRHAGE.
                 Bloody Vomiting.
  Causes.—These may be mentioned as accidental in-
juries, or swallowing  of sharp substances, or strong
acids or alkalies,  perforation of the stomach by ab-
scesses of -neighboring organs, the  result of diseases
of the blood vessels, such as obstruction of the veins
from liver troubles; diseases with hemorrhagic tenden-
cies, such as scurvy and purpura; and  occasionally
hysterical convulsions, and maleria and other infective
diseases.

  Symptoms.—Usually bleeding from the stomach  will
occasion vomiting of clots of dark blood  and the pas-
sage of  very dark faeces from the bowels.  When the 
522         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

hemorrhage is extensive the blood evacuated will  be
bright red, and the patient  will experience a sense of
warmth in the stomach.   Nausea and vomiting soon
follow, and after  the  blood has been expelled there
will be great weakness and paleness.
  Hemorrhage from the stomach is rarely fatal unless
some large artery is involved,  as in  aneurism,  or if
perforation has taken place by abscesses existing else-
where.  Nursing  children  may vomit blood sucked
in from the mother's excoriated nipples, and adults
may  occasionally have blood  in  the stomach  from
catarrhal conditions, nose-bleed, or bleeding teeth.

  Treatment.—Place the patient in a comfortable  posi-
tion and enjoin absolute quiet.  Administer every five
or ten minutes cold infusion of kino, tannic acid or
bayberry bark  in teaspoonful doses.  Allow7 the pa-
tient to drink cold milk and to  eat little pieces of ice.
Place a cold w7et cloth over the stomach and apply hot
irons to the feet,  or bathe the hands and feet in hot in-
fusion of red pepper and mustard.
  Raspberry leaf  tea  may  be used for several  days
after an attack.  The diet must be light and exertion
avoided.  The mind should be kept cheerful. If con-
stipation exists, move the bowels by injections.   Dur-
ing convalescence, give Nerve Tonic (see formulas).
Stomach hemorrhages are  usually sour with gastric
juice, and may thus be distinguished from hemor-
rhages from the lungs.
  Stomatitis.—See the articles on Canker and Thrush.

  Stone in the Bladder.—See the article on Calculi.

  Strabismus.—Cross-Eyes.—See section on Diseases
of the Eyes.
                 STRANGUARY.
                Retention of Urine.
  This is inability to pass the urine which has accu-
mulated  in the bladder, and must not be confounded 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
523
with suppression of urine.  Stranguary may be  par-
tial or complete.  In the  former case a small amount
of urine may be voided with difficulty; wdiile in com-
plete stranguary there is no urine voided.  The dis-
tended bladder causes great suffering, and in occa-
sional instances it has been known to burst, especially
should the sufferer fall.  Retention is caused by weak-
ness of the bladder, induced by putting off urination
from delicacy or other reasons; and  often it is caused
by irritating substances, such as Spanish flies.

  Treatment.—Put  hot,  wet  cloths about  the genital
organs and the lower part of the abdomen, or take a
hot sitz bath.   If  these  measures fail the catheter
must be used three or four times a day.  Sometimes a
large dose of salts will accomplish the desired  result.
Excesses and  exposures  to  cold must  be  guarded
against.
  Stricture.—See section on Diseases of the Genera-
tive Organs.

  Strophulus.—This is an eruptive disease of child-
hood, characterized by bright-red spots upon the face
and arms, usually brought about by being overheated
by too much clothing, and exaggerated by indigestion.
Treatment  is simple and consists of regulating  the
clothing, giving frequent baths,  allowing light diet
and correcting acidity of  the stomach by neutralizing
cordial.
                   STUNNING.

                      Shock.
  By falls or blows upon  the head a person may be
stunned and become  unconscious, or perhaps grow
dizzy and faint and become cold and pale.

  Treatment— Place the patient on the back and apply
outward warmth and stimulation, such as stimulating
liniment over the ankles and wrists and neck, and hot 
524
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
bricks to the feet, thighs and arm-pits.  Rub the limbs
briskly.  Administer  compound tincture of myrrh (a
few drops in  warm water) or essence of  ginger or in-
fusion of composition if the  patient can swallow,
otherwise give an injection of ginger to the bowels,
and enjoin perfect quiet. .

  Shock.—Severe injuries or even great fright, espe-
cially to elderly or feeble persons, may produce shock.
When profound all the signs of  collapse will be pres-
ent—stupor,  unconsciousness,  almost imperceptible
pulse, slow breathing  and cold  and clammy surface.
There may be involuntary discharges from the bowels
and  bladder, and vomiting when reaction sets in, or
hiccough before death.

  Treatment for shock is similar to that for  stunning,
only more vigorous.  An abundance of fresh air must
be provided, though  never allow the patient  to be
chilled.  Injections of  ginger or even composition, or
capsicum infusion may need to be frequently repeated.
Reaction must  be procured as speedily  as possible.
The  first sign of reaction may be  vomiting, after
which the lips and face may show some color.
  When consciousness is  restored stimulation should
be given by the mouth.  If the urine is  not  freely
voided, it should be drawn off by the catheter.  Abso-
lute  quietude and comfortable w7armth must be sus-
tained for a few days after profound shock.
  When a person has had a very severe injury, such as
a fall from a great height, and shows no signs  what-
ever of shock, but is of pale countenance and anxious
to talk, he is extremely liable to die suddenly within
one or twTo days.
St. Vitus'  Dance.—See the article on Chorea.
                  SUNSTROKE.
            Heat Stroke.  Thermic Fever.
  Serious and often fatal results follow exposure to
heat or to the sun's rays.  A damp atmosphere, excess- 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
525
ive labor, mental excitement, diseased conditions and
indulgence in alcoholic liquors  favor sun stroke or
heat stroke.

  Symptoms.— Usually sunstroke is preceded by disor-
ders of the system, such as constipation, scanty urine
and diminished perspiration, indigestion, loss of appe-
tite, drowsiness, headache and general indisposition.
  The attack proper comes on suddenly.  Mild cases
include paleness, dizziness and faintness, and perhaps
the victim falls unconscious in a faint.  The heart ac-
tion is weak and the pulse may be lost.  There may be
pain about the heart and difficult breathing,  and  the
surface is usually cold and deathly pale.

  Treatment  of  Mild  Cases.—Loosen the clothing  and
place the patient upon the back and treat as for an
ordinary fainting spell.   Place hartshorn or smelling
salts to the nostrils, sprinkle a little cold water in the
face, and when consciousness is regained administer a
diffusive stimulant, such as compound spirits of laven-
der.  The patient should be removed to a quiet place
and  great care  must be exercised during convales-
cence, which may be tedious.

  Severe Cases.—The  victim  suddenly  loses  con-
sciousness and falls.   The face is dark red or purplish
and the  surface of the whole body is hot, the tempera-
ture possibly reaching 110°.  Usually the skin is  dry,
though there may be  perspiration.  The pulse is fre-
quent and full, but soon fails.   There may be vomit-
ing; and convulsions  are not uncommon, followed by
stupor, heavy breathing, dilated pupils and the escape
of frothy  mucus from the mouth.  Such conditions
may possibly last  an hour, and unless relieved by
proper measures will be followed by exhaustion,  cold
extremities,  feeble and irregular pulse and  death.

  Treatment.—Disturb the patient as little as possible,
place him in the shade and allow an abundance of air;
but do not remove him to his home  or elsewhere until
favorable  signs  are apparent.  Bathe the  head, neck
and chest with warm water, and  thus induce perspira- 
526         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

tion and relieve the heart  and lungs from blood press-
ure,  which  produces  fatal  results.  The  ordinary
method of applying  ice or cold water, favors conges-
tion and death.  Use stimulating liniment or hot in-
fusions of red pepper  or  ginger on  the spine and ex-
tremities and over the stomach.
  Such a method as mentioned above w7ill result in re-
covery to most victims of  sunstroke.  Nearly all  who
have once suffered are for years extremely sensitive to
heat and subject to severe headaches, and should take
the greatest precautions against excesses of all kinds.
Syncope.—See article on Fainting.
                   SYNOVITIS.

            Inflammation of the Joints.

  Blows, falls, deep cuts or  punctures admitting air,
and other causes, may result in an inflammation of the
lining membrane of the joint.   There will be most in-
tense pain upon the slightest use of the joint, and the
region about it will be  greatly swollen and extremely
tender.   If the knee-joint is affected, moving the knee-
cap will give a grating  sensation.   Sometimes syno-
vitis gives general disturbance throughout the system
such as fever, constipation, etc.

  Treatment.—The most  speedy relief is obtained by
applying a hot poultice of  mullein leaves  sprinkled
over with powdered lobelia seeds and a little ginger.
The patient must be placed in bed and  the  joint ren-
dered immovable by bandages.  As poultices cannot
be maintained without great inconvenience, the joint
may be covered with  cotton and bandaged, and  the
cotton  frequently  saturated without removal with
equal parts of tinctures of lobelia and mullein.
  Syphilis.—See section on Diseases of the Genera-
tive Organs. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
527
            TABES MESENTERICA.

        Tuberculosis of Mesenteric Glands.
  This occurs in children, and is rarely recognized un-
til well developed, and the enlargement of the glands
can be distinguished by manipulation.  There is pain
in the abdomen, emaciation of  the body and enlarge-
ment of  the abdomen, indigestion, irregular  condition
of the  bowels and  enlargement  of  veins.   There
may be dropsy, or symptoms of peritonitis and hectic
fever.  Death usually follows wnthin a few months,
preceded by great  debility, profuse perspiration and
general symptoms of exhaustion.

  Treatment—Keep the bowels regulated by neutraliz-
ing cordial  if disposed  to  diarrhoea, or by aromatic
cascara if inclined to constipation.   Aid intestinal di-
gestion  by  tartrate of  iron and potassa, two-grain
capsules after meals.  Give a most nourishing diet, al-
low abundance of raw eggs and milk.  Provide fresh
air and perfect hygienic surroundings.
  Tabes Dorsalis.—See the article on Ataxy (Loco-
motor).

  Tachycardia.—See the article on Heart  Palpita-
tion.

  Tape-Worm.—See the article on Worms.
                   TEETHING.
                    Dentition.
  Infants usually commence to cut their  teeth during
the seventh month,  some earlier  and  others later.
The two lower stomach teeth are the first to make
their appearance, soon followed by the upper stomach
teeth.  With various periods of intermission, the teeth
continue to make their appearance until the end of the
third year.  Too early cutting of  teeth points to  pos-
sible tuberculous disease in the future,  or immediate 
528
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
nervous disturbances, w7hile too great delay in cutting
teeth should lead to a suspicion of weakness of the
general system and possible rickets, and too great
care cannot be exercised in building up the health and
avoiding excesses of all kinds in such children.
  Throughout the period of dentition there is liability
to irregularities of the stomach and bowels, feverish-
ness and restlessness,  The neutralizing cordial con-
taining a little lady slipper is a most excelled: correct-
ive.  Avoid soothing syrups and all other opium prep-
arations.  Greatly swollen gums should  be lanced by
cross incisions.  See the article on Management of
Children.
Tetanus.—See the article on Lockjaw.
                    TETANY.

      Spasmodic Contractions of  the Muscles.
  This is a manifestation of an ill-defined difficulty of
the spinal cord, temporary in its  character and very
rarely fatal.  It consists in spasmodic contractions of
various sets of  muscles upon one or the other side of
the body.   The fingers or toes may become fixed in one
position for several minutes,  and in rare cases remain
so for hours or even  days.  The muscles  of the face,
eyes, tongue, throat, diaphragm or limbs may be  in-
volved.  Cold  and  nervous  excitement are often
causes.  Inmates of  young ladies' seminaries may be
affected in this manner in numbers, as  though  epi-
demic, probably from indigestion,  over-study, nervous
strain and insufficient out-door exercise.

  Treatment.—The cause must  in  all cases be ascer-
tained and removed by appropriate measures.  Worms
not infrequently  cause the difficulty  in children.
Rheumatism, dyspepsia and  suppressed  menstruation
are common causes in adults.   Light currents of elec-
tricity along the spine, with proper hygienic meas-
ures are excellent between attacks, accompanying ap-
propriate  treatment for removing the  underlying
cause. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
523
Tetter.—See the article on Eczema.
            THOMSEN'S DISEASE.

               Congenital Myotonia.
  This is characterized  by a persistent contraction of
voluntary  muscles, or rather  an inability to quickly
relax  muscles  when voluntarily contracted;  tor in-
stance,  should  a sufferer from Thomsen's  disease
grasp a  cane he would be unable to release his hold at
once if he  should so desire, or he would be unable to
open his mouth until a  few seconds after he made the
first effort to do so.  Disturbances throughout the sys-
tem and exposures to heat or cold or physical  or men-
tal exhaustion aggravate the difficulty.
  Medication is useless, but relief is obtained by keep-
ing the whole system  in good order, by careful diet,
out-door exercise, frequent baths and general hygiene.
The disease is persistent but never fatal.
  Throat Cutting.—This is usually a self-inflicted in-
jury.  If  large  vessels have been severed,  death is
speedy.  Otherwise recovery usually follows prompt
action.  Arrest bleeding with hot water,  bundles of
cob-webs or perchloride of iron, remove clots from the
air passages, put one bandage around the head and an-
other about the  chest and connect them so as to keep
the chin down and the edges of the wound together;
dress with antiseptics; feed soft and nourishing foods,
given by a tube  if the gullet is injured and swallowing
difficult.  Watch carefully; stitches will seldom be re-
quired.  Strips of adhesive plaster may be used to ad-
vantage.
                    THRUSH.

           Nursing Sore Mouth.  Sprue.
  The technical name  for this disease is Stomatomy-
cosis Oidica.  It is an affection common to very young
nursing children or rather those being reared '' on the
     34 
530
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
bottle."  Sour milk, stale foods, dirty bottles and im-
proper care favor its development.  A parasite called
oidium albicans is supposed, by its growth, to cause the
difficulty.

  Sijmptoms.—Small curd-like specks "appear over the
tongue and on the inside of  the  cheeks; they rapidly
increase in size and number, and the lips swell and the
mouth becomes hot.  The stomach becomes deranged,
and there may be greenish, acrid discharges from the
bowels. There is pain in the abdomen and restless-
ness, and death may follow neglect to afford relief.

  Treatment—Wash the mouth with witch hazel ex-
tract, or raspberry leaf infusion containing borax and
glycerine.   Add goldenseal  and  myrrh if there is a
tendency to congestion and ulceration.  Give syrup of
wild cherry bark as a tonic  and to regulate the bow-
els.  Measures must be prompt.  One drachm of  hy-
posulphite of soda to an ounce of rose water makes an
excellent mouth wash.
Tic-Douloureux.—See the article on Neuralgia.

Tinea.—See the article on Worms.
              TONGUE DISEASES.
       Inflammation, Tumors, Ulceration, Etc.
  Swollen atid  inflamed  conditions of the tongue  may
be the result of various causes, such  as injuries, irri-
tating substances and  the use of mercury.   The last
named condition is described under Salivation.  The
tong-ue may become so  greatly enlarged that death is
threatened by suffocation.  Infusions of kino or tan-
nic acid should be employed and longitudinal  scarifi-
cation may be necessary.  The primary cause must be
ascertained and removed or treated.  The strength
may fail from lack of nourishment, swallowing being
difficult.  Egg-nog (without alcohol)  and other liquid
foods may be given, a  teaspoonful at a time, placed
alongside the tongue while the head  is thro*., n back. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
531
  Tumors of the tongue are usually of the vascular
order and are described under tumors.  Cystic tumors
are mentioned as Ranula.

  Syphilitic ulcerations of  the tongue and abscesses
caused by syphilis are very  persistent and capable of
transmission  to others.   They  are described under
Syphilis, in the section on Diseases of the Generative
Organs.

  Ulceration  (Simple).—Broken teeth with  sharp
projections, injuries, such as glass in the mouth, and
also indigestion,  may be causes of ulceration.   The
tongue becomes red, inflamed and sore, and around the
edges or wherever irritated,  small ulcers form and give
great  pain and annoyance. Astringent  washes are
useful, such as raspberry leaves and myrrh in infu-
sion.  Holding a crystal of hyposulphite of soda in
the mouth will afford  great relief.  Chlorate of potash
is similarly used.  If  indigestion is the cause, it must
be corrected before a  permanent cure can be effected.

  Malignant Ulceration may  be brought about by
the same causes as simple ulceration, the general con-
dition of the system allowing degeneration.   The dis-
ease develops into cancer (epithelioma),  and must be
treated as laid down  for cancer elsewhere.  Excision
of all or a portion of  the tongue is the  only possible
means of permanent recovery.  Irritation from  a
smoker's pipe is a frequent  exciting cause of the diffi-
culty.
             TONSILS—ENLARGED.

                  Hypertrophy.

  Young people of scrofulous diathesis are sometimes
prone to chronic enlargement  of  the tonsils,  espe-
cially when  exposed to  dampness  and cold.   The
symptoms include enlargement of the tonsils, inter-
ference with swallowing, talking and breathing, and
hardness of hearing. 
532         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  Treatment.—The method usually resorted to is the
operation of  excision or cutting out of the tonsils or
cauterization.  But  remedial measures,  rigidly em-
ployed, will render operations unnecessary.  With an
atomizer spray  the  tonsils three or four times a day
with an infusion of  gum kino or  tannic acid.  Inter-
nally administer the compound  syrup of yellow dock
(see formulas), and treat as for scrofula.  Avoid night
air and cold and dampness.  Apply stimulating  lini-
ment to the  outside of the throat, but do not bundle
the throat too warmly.
Tonsillitis.—See the article on Quinsy.
                     TRANCE.

            Profound Hypnotic Condition.
  This is a condition of the organism which may oc-
cur under  various circumstances,  perhaps suddenly
during the  best of health or after prolonged and de-
bilitating disease, such as typhoid fever.  Its charac-
teristic is the semblance of death.  The surface be-
comes cold  and pale, and the respirations and heart
action may be so feeble as to be  ordinarily impercep-
tible.  The eyeballs are  rolled upward and their lids
closed.  The muscles are  almost invariably  relaxed
and the secretions suppressed, or almost so.  Such a
condition may last for hours, days,  weeks or months.
Restoration of normal conditions may occur gradually
or suddenly.
  During the trance period the patient  is, as a rule,
unconscious and remembers upon awakening nothing
that occurred during the period.  Some persons in the
trance state are perfectly conscious of all that  takes
place about them, but are unable to convey to others
the least sign of their vitality.  Awakening is usually
followed by a period of great nervous prostration.

  Treatment.—When  a patient is known to be in a
trance place him in a comfortable position on a clean
and dry bed, taking all precautions to avoid bed-sores. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
533
as laid down  in the article upon that subject.  Wrap
the  body in flannel and keep the room moderately
warm.  Applications of  a  mild magnetic current
should be made at the same  time each day, accompa-
nied by efforts to arouse the patient.
  Nourishment should be given by injections to the
bowels every eight hours.  Should there be brief peri-
ods  of semi-consciousness, as happens occasionally, a
little liquid food may be then given by the mouth and
extra efforts made to arouse the patient.
  Trance victims  are  usually  persons  of peculiarly
nervous organization or those who have been subject
to great nervous strain, and their habits of life should
be regulated accordingly.  Every precaution against
burying alive should be taken when there is the  least
suspicion of trance.  See the article on Death Signs.
                    TREMOR.
              Trembling Convulsions.
  This is a condition brought about by causes which in-
jure the nervous system, such as excessive  use of tea,
coffee, tobacco, alcohol, opium,  chloral  or bromides,
sunstroke, violent grief or anger,  sexual abuse,  or
possibly as the result  of wasting discharges, goitre
and some other diseases.  The  symptoms are shaking
or trembling of various groups of muscles, most com-
monly commencing with the hands,  and  ceasing  dur-
ing sleep.  Pain and dizziness may sometimes accom-
pany tremor.

  Treatment consists  in overcoming  any bad  habits
contracted and otherwise removing the causes of the
difficulty.  Often  will  power  determinedly  exerted
will greatly relieve  the paroxysms of  tremblings.
Ten-drop doses of fluid  extract of scullcap in water
three times a day and hygienic regulations  will effect
a permanent cure.
  Trephining.—This is a delicate surgical operation
frequently resorted to for the removal of brain tumors 
534         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

or the relief of epilepsy or other diseases supposed to
be due to pressure upon the brain.   It consists of  cut-
ting through the scalp with an instrument known  as a
trephine, and removing a small disk of bone, and then
removing  the substance  pressing upon the brain.  It
is a very delicate and dangerous operation, and is too
often indiscriminately resorted  to with fatal results.
                    TRICHINA.

            Trichinosis.  Pork Poisoning.
  Trichinae  are hog  parasites, capable of  producing
most horrible effects in human beings.  The males of
trichinae are about one-eighteenth of an inch in length
and  the females one-eighth of  an inch.  After the
eggs are laid in the intestines the parents die and the
embryos, passing through the walls of the  intestines,
penetrate the muscular structures and there develop.
Once in the muscles, each worm forms itself into a coil,
and forms about itself a sort of fibrous shell. Trichina?
may be found  in the muscles in two weeks after the
time the parents were swallowed.   See illustration in
the article on Worms.

  Symptoms.—A few trichinae may cause no difficulty;
but if there are sufficient to make trouble the  follow-
ing symptoms will  be  recognized in whole or in part:
A few hours after trichinae have been set  free in the
intestines there may be loss of appetite, headache and
nausea, inflammation of  the  mucous membrane, caus-
ing pain in the abdomen, diarrhoea and great prostra-
tion, followed by  fever and great restlessness.  In
slight cases no other symptoms  will develop, and  re-
covery  may soon follow; but in severe cases many of
the signs of typhoid fever  and  other symptoms may
develop, such as  abdominal swelling and tenderness,
and swelling of  the face and body, the muscles are
stiffened and painful, breathing  may be difficult on ac-
count of  a  sense of constriction  in  the  chest, and
great prostration follow accompanied by diarrhoea.
  Fever arises along with great  tenderness and irrita-
bility, and these continue until the trichinae  become 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
535
encysted in  the  muscles and surrounded by their en-
velops.  There may be great paleness of the whole
body, and usually dropsical swellings and paralysis.
This condition usually occurs within four weeks after
the trichinae entered the stomach.  Death may at this
time occur; but  robust  persons  may improve and re-
cover after  slow convalescence.  If new trichinae be
developed, the whole set of conditions must  be again
passed through, and then death will likely result after
an illness of possibly one,  two or three months.
  Convalescence finds the patient much exhausted and
emaciated, but the  appetite  increases and  the  food
taken rapidly forms flesh,  so that when once estab-
lished, recovery is complete.

  Treatment.—The disease can be acquired only by eat-
ing rare or raw pork, even smoked, though uncooked,
ham, may cause it.  When it  is believed, by disturb-
ing symptoms or a  knowledge  of having eaten rare
pork, that trichina? have been taken into the system,
measures must be adopted at  once to get rid of them.
If soon after eating, an emetic must be  taken; if sev-
eral hours after eating, use salts and senna,  or castor
oil, or any quick cathartic to completely empty the
alimentary canal.
  Medicines are of  no avail to destroy trichinae in the
muscles,  but from the start the strength  must  be
maintained so as to sustain the  strain upon  it.  This
can be done  by the use of  tonics and most nourishing
food.   There will be great  loss  of appetite, but the
food must be taken at all hazards.  The various symp-
toms that arise must be appropriately met, as there is
no specific for trichinae.  Baths and friction are valu-
able aids.  About twelve  per cent of trichinae cases
are fatal.
  Trismus.—See the article on Lockjaw.

  Tubercular Meningitis.—See the article on Men-
ingitis (Tubercular).

  Tuberculosis.—See the article on Consumption. 
536
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
                    TUMORS.

  Fibrous, Fatty, Vascular. Wens, Carcinoma, Etc.
  All enlargements of tissue, where such enlargements
do not naturally belong, may be designated as tumors
if they manifest a disposition to become permanent.
There are many kinds of tumors, named according to
the class of tissues involved,  such as fibrous, bony,
cartilaginous (enchondroma), glandular, muscular (my-
oma), epithelial, vascular, etc.  Any one of these may
be malignant, that is, enlarge rapidly and show a tend-
ency to  ulcerate and have particles of its poisonous
character conveyed through the circulaticn to other
parts of the body.  Or tumors may be  benign, being
confined locally, enlarging slowly and evincing  no
tendency  to ulcerate or to return after removal  by
surgical operation, and not being capable of having
their particles disseminated through the circulation.

  Fibrous Tumors are usually hard and elastic, and
develop slowly.  They rarely occur until middle life,
and are  oftenest situated along the bones or nerves or
near the  ears, or joints or in the uterus.  The only
method  of treatment is removal by surgical operation.

  Fatty Tumors develop slowly and are situated  on
the back or limbs.   They are often movable, seeming
to be a simple enlargement in the skin.   Very little if
any pain accompanies them, and they may grow to an
enormous size,  causing great  inconvenience.  If the
tumor is  distinct  and its outlines  very marked,  it
should be removed by the  knife,  it being easily dis-
sected from its surroundings.   But if such tumors are
continuous,  as for instance large folds on the back of
the neck, or very pronounced double chin, they should
be left undisturbed, and attention given to hygiene and
diet, disbarring fats, starchy foods and sugar.  Occa-
sionally fatty tumors ulcerate and  require the treat-
ment given for abscesses.

  Vascular Tumors are  usually dilatations  of the
capillaries or  other blood vessels held together in
masses  varying in size from  that of  a pin head to a 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.       •  537

hen's  egg.  They are chiefly found upon  the  tongue,
scalp or trunk of the body, but may appear anywhere.
Blackberry marks and  mauy other forms  of naevi
(birth marks)  are vascular  tumors.  It is sometimes
dangerous to tamper with them, especially those about
the head.  As a rule they do not increase much in size,
though occasionally they become large enough to actu-
ally endanger life.
  Treatment must be cautiously employed.  Monsell's
solution of iron frequently applied may be of service
in some cases.  This tincture  is frequently  injected
into the tumor, but such  a procedure is  attended with
risk.  Very small tumors may be  removed by caustic
or nitric acid.  Ligatures are sometimes employed, and
not infrequently the knife is  resorted to with good
results.

  Glandular Tumors (lymphoma) are usually accom-
paniments of the  scrofulous  diathesis  and  require
treatment prescribed for scrofula, besides possible ex-
tirpation or the attention usually given  abscesses.

  Cystic Tumors are sacs containing thin or viscid
fluid or jelly-like substances.  Serous cysts are filled
with serum and may occur almost anywhere;  they are
often termed hydrocele.  Treatment consists of punct-
uring  the sac and  forcing out the fluid; and occasion-
ally the whole sac requires extirpation.   Hydrocele in
the scrotum is described under diseases  of the genera-
tive organs.  Cystic tumors  containing  blood are
termed sanguineous and are treated as hydroceles.

  Sebaceous Cysts.—Wens.— These are  caused  by
unusual growth  of sebaceous  glands, and most fre-
quently occur upon the scalp. Wens  are sacs filled
with cheesy material, and  seldom attain a size larger
than that of  a  hen's egg; they occasion no pain, but
are unsightly and often  inconvenient.  It is a trifling
matter to remove  them by excision, and  small ones
may be opened  by incision and the contents squeezed
out.

  Ovarian Tumors are of  the cystic variety.  Their
removal by surgical operation has become very sue- 
538
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOISE.
cessful, and all attempts to cure them otherwise when
once fully  developed have proven useless.  See Dis-
eases of Women.

  Carcinoma.—These are described in the article on
Cancer, which see.

  Papillomata are hard growths upon the skin, usu-
ally of small size  and caused by handling irritating
substances.  They may be shaved off above the point
where the blood circulates and  then caustic applied.
See Warts and Corns.

  Sarcomatous   Tumors  are of  many varieties.
They are smooth and round, and usually are caused by
accidents  or by irritations.  Blows  on  the breasts,
pressure of corset  steels, etc., frequently cause sarco-
mata on women.  Such tumors may occur on any part
of the body, and men and women are equally liable.
They develop  variously and may recur.  Oftentimes
they degenerate and  become malignant, so that their
early total excision by  surgical operation is the most
successful  treatment.   The  general  health must be
supported by tonics and alteratives  such as the gen-
tian  and yellow dock compound (see  formulas).  The
diet  should be nourishing,  but should exclude tea,
coffee,  spices, pork and fats.  Frequent baths and out-
door exercise with the above precautions may  avert
malignancy.
  Tympanitis.—This is a symptom of disease charac-
terized by distension of the  abdomen  by gas.  Some-
times this distension becomes enormous and the skin
very tense, and striking it with the finger gives drum-
like resonance.  It occurs in child-bed fever, peritoni-
tis, typhoid  fever, and  various  forms of  colic and
other diseases.

  Tympanitis (Hysterical).—This is the enormous
distension of the abdomen which is occasionally met
with  during  hysterical  attacks.  It is easily distin-
guished from tympanitis of other diseases by absence 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          539
of fever and  the  relief afforded by pressure.  Injec-
tions of  lady slipper and  assafcetida will  usually
cause subsidence.   See the article on Hysteria.
                TYPHOID FEVER.

                   Enteric Fever.
  This is a malady to  be dreaded, and never occurs
 without cause for serious apprehension.  It usually is
 epidemic, and by some is regarded as contagious.  Im-
 pure drinking water is responsible for most cases  of
 typhoid fever, and in cities, impure milk is a  fruitful
 source of the disease.  In the country, sew7age from
 drains or vaults may find its way into wells and con-
 taminate the water, a very small amount of such filth
 being capable of rendering a well or cistern of water
 highly dangerous for drinking  purposes.  Sewer gas
 in houses, from defective plumbing, decaying  vegeta-
 bles in the cellar, and  similar  unhygienic conditions
 may cause typhoid fever when there is no epidemic of
 the disease.  Persons who are feeble or who are worn
 out in mind or body are more liable to  take  it than
 others.   Such persons  should not  visit or nurse
 typhoid fever cases.  Old persons are seldom attacked,
 and the fall of the year is the usual time for  the ap-
 pearance of an epidemic.
  To a great  extent typhoid fever is  preventable by
 taking great  precautions to avoid all surroundings and
 circumstances which are favorable to its development.
 In cities  this  is often difficult to  do.   But suspected
 water may be boiled before using  for drinking pur-
 poses, and condensed milk may be used when the milk
 supply is not above suspicion during  an epidemic.
 Keep the mind clear and the body clean, breathe pure
 air and eat and drink only pure articles; thus can ty-
 phoid fever be avoided.

  Symptoms.—It is a very common thing for a physician
 to inform his  patients that  they are suffering from ty-
phoid fever when there  is really  but very slight  re-
semblance to the disease present.   The credit of pull-
ing them safely through  such  a well known  serious 
540         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
malady adds greatly to his hold upon the family's con-
fidence as well as its bank account.
  When the  symptoms are knowm,  the absurdity of
speaking of trifling diseases or bilious attacks as ty-
phoid fever will be apparent,  and along with many
other professional tricks this  one of misrepresenta-
tion will fail in its object.
  Almost  universally an attack of  typhoid fever
comes on very slowly—the period of invasion extend-
ing over two, three  or four weeks before pronounced
manifestations of the  actual disease are recognized.
During this period of invasion  there are usually sym-
toms to mark the approach of trouble.
  The victim feels generally  "worn out and good for
nothing,"  with  no inclination to do anything or to
take interest in usual subjects.   The appetite fails,
and it is difficult to persuade him to take enough nour-
ishment to subsist upon;  there is little disturbance, if
any, in the stomach,  but  the condition of the bowels
will show that even the small amount of food taken is
not properly assimilated.   Two or more discharges, of
a thin and  very offensive character, occur from the
bow7els daily. The head aches  and feels  dull, and
there may be a small amount of bleeding from the
nose.   These  symptoms  gradually  increase.  There
may be general chilliness at times or a "creepy "' feel-
ing down the back, often pain in the joints and great
prostration, leading  one to think that the patient has
taken a bad cold while very bilious, a cough often set-
ting in and the throat becoming somewhat sore.
  The tongue at first is moist and slightly coated, and
soon becomes red along  the edges and tip, and also
sharply pointed, indicating great irritation in the in-
testinal canal, as indeed  there  is; other signs corrob-
orating the indication of the tongue.   The abdomen
becomes somew7hat distended, and pressure, especially
in the right groin, reveals considerable tenderness.
Often a gurgling sound may be  heard  by laying the
hand flat over the abdomen and slowly  increasing the
pressure.
  The  discharges from the bowels increase to ten or
twenty a day, being  yellow or  greenish in color, very
offensive,  and often flocculent in character.  The face 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          541
becomes flushed early, and gradually  forms a bright
red patch on each cheek.   From the start the urine is
scanty and increases in muddiness.
  The patient rarely goes to bed until such symptoms
have continued a week or more; seeming to wish to
put off as long as possible w7bat he apparently real-
izes is to be a long spell of sickness.  Finally, with a
feeling of exhaustion,  he  succumbs to the inevitable
and takes to his bed.
  During this period of invasion there is a low contin-
uous fever—the temperature ranges about 100° to 102°,
and the pulse about 100 to 110 beats per minute, rather
full at first.
  After  going  to  bed  the patient usually lies on the
back, and  sleeps mostly during  the  day, looking
stupid and being confused in  mind when awakened.
It appears difficult for him to grasp  the meaning of
questions at once, and he does not reply readily when
spoken to.  There is a careworn look in his face, and
his hands and lips tremble.  The tongue has a dry and
brown streak  down  the  middle, while the tip  and
edges becomes an angry red.  The diarrhoea increases
in frequency and  in offensiveness,  and becomes very
exhausting.  The abdomen increases in fullness and
tenderness, and gurgling may be plainly heard.
  Toward the end of the second week small pink spots,
oval or rounded, appear over the body; they are slightly
raised, and are usually confined to the  chest and  ab-
domen.  These spots come and go several times in suc-
cession during the course  of the disease.
  At the end of twenty-one days, the patient is  in a
serious condition.   He is much  emaciated, and lies on
the bed half unconscious  of what is going on about
him,  so weak  as  to be unable to hold a spoon in his
hand, often muttering  w7hile awake or asleep, in a low
voice.  The face is very thin and pale or  dusky,  and
the skin  feels and looks  somew7hat like parchment.
The flesh over  the body has fallen away frightfully,
and the hands  look like  those of a skeleton.  Sleep
seems like a stupor,  with the eyes half open.   The
tongue is shrunken, and is either a glassy red  or is
dark brown and it can be protuded with great difficulty,
trembling when the effort is made.  Dark crusts form 
542
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
over the teeth, lips and  insides of the checks.  The
abdomen often at this time become enormous in size
and  tense as a drum-head, and often sharp and con-
stant pain is experienced in the  right groin.  The
pulse becomes very frequent, often 135 beats per min-
ute, soft and feeble, and  breathing may be scarcely
perceptible.
  It is manifest that such a condition of affairs cannot
last long without a change for better or worse, and
during the fourth week changes are certain to occur.

  Bad signs at this time are:  Increasing stupor or list-
lessness, or increasing restlessness and wakefulness
at night; often when apparently asleep the patient is
discovered to be awake and staring blankly.  Hurried
and irregular breathing may occur, along with a catch-
ing or  gasping- of the breath.   The  abdomen  may
seem about to burst.  Bleeding of the bowels may oc-
cur,  causing  great  prostration and being extremely
dangerous, indicating that the ulcers  which form in
the bowels during every  case of  typhoid fever, have
eaten deeper into the  tissues and will probably per-
forate the bowels.  (Such a result may occur any time
from the tenth to the fortieth day.)  The tongue may
grow almost  black and may be fissured and bleeding.
The urine may be almost totally suppressed.

  Favorable  signs  are:  Slowly   returning  strength,
more natural sleep, decreasing fever, slower and fuller
pulse and more natural breathing;  diarrhoea ceasing,
and  the size of the  abdomen diminishing,  and the
urine becoming more free.

  Such are the usual  symptoms  in a typical case of
typhoid fever, and ninety-nine per cent of cases are
typical.  Occasionally variations  may occur.  The
disease may  come on suddenly  with  a pronounced
chill, severe  headache, constipation and great depres-
sion,  followed  by moderate fever  and exhaustive
sweating (especially during  sleep).  Some cases may
have frequent vomiting of greenish material, accom-
panied  by little  fever.   Others  may  have obstinate
constipation instead  of  diarrhoea.  Occasionally the
eruption is very pronounced, extending over the whole 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          543
 body.  These variations are seldom  met,  and are al-
 ways unfavorable.  It is apparent that ulcerations in
 the intestines permit  of only slow recovery, and for
 that reason recovery from typhoid fever is very slow.
 Relapses are very liable,  and are usually caused by
 eating  solids too soon,  or  by  over-estimating the
 strength.

   Treatmod.—It is a  great mistake to suppose that
 typhoid  fever, once  established, can  be cut  short
 by specifics  and violent medication.   It cannot be
 thwarted,  when  once  pronounced,  by  any known
 drugs.  But a great deal by the w7ay of nursing, man-
 agement and hygiene  may be accomplished; and with-
 out such aids medication will be found next to useless.
   Ventilation and pure air are absolute necessities in
 every case.  Sponge  baths of a temperature grateful
 to the patient should  be given every night and morn-
 ing, or oftenQr if there is great restlessness.   If such
 frequent bathings are tiresome,  then  often wTipe the
 hands  and face with a moderately cool wet cloth.
 Never expose the whole body at once w7hile  adminis-
 tering the bath.  Have the bed clothing as light as is
 consistent  with proper  warmth,  and do not allow the
 patient to lie upon a feather bed or to be covered with
 feathers, as is often the  habit with some.  Alw7ays use
 the bed-pan,  and do  not  allow  the patient  to exert
 himself in any wray.
   In the  way of food only the most nourishing sub-
 stances can be used.   Milk diet is very valuable, but
 be sure the milk is absolutely pure or else  use Malted
 Milk or Lactated Food;  strained oat-meal, or strained
 barley broth are excellent; toast-tea and pop-corn tea
 are also  relished.  Feed  any  of these  frequently,
 every three hours, and give no more than half a small
 teacupful at a time.   If flocculent materials  increase
 in the discharges from the bowels, add a  teaspoonful
 of lime water to each  portion of the milk or tea.
  During convalescence do not  venture  upon  solid
food hastily, it is highly dangerous.  Once a day for
many days is sufficient  for  solids at that time, and
then only such as a  soft  poached egg, or a mashed
baked potato can  be allowed.   Ice cream  is often 
544         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

craved, and a little of this may be allowed, during re-
covery, to  be eaten very slowly.  Beef tea,  mutton
broth,  oyster soup and similar articles are good when
danger is past.

  Medication  must be only of the simplest  character
and very small in quantity.  A small spoonful every
three hours  of weak tea of pleurisy root will soften
the skin if  it is inclined to be  hot and dry.  Neutral-
izing cordial in a tea of wild cherry bark, very weak,
is good for soothing the  bowels  and checking excess-
ive diarrhoea, and if prostration is pronounced, gold-
enseal  may be added as a tonic.   The distended abdo-
men may be bathed with a mild liniment, and if very
tender, flannels wrung out of hot water may be ap-
plied.  A small bag of chopped  ice laid in  the right
groin will often stop bleeding from the bowels, or cold
injections  of wTater containing  distilled extract of
witch hazel may be resorted to.
  Use disinfectants freely about the room.  A solution
of thymol is excellent to  put about  the bed clothing.
Carbolic acid is too disagreeable.  Some strong disin-
fectant, such as Piatt's Chlorides, should be put into
the bed-pan immediately after it is used.   Keep the
patient quiet and cheerful under  every  circumstance.
                TYPHUS FEVER.

        Ship Fever.  Typhus  Exanthematicus.
  This is a severe infectious disease,  seldom met in
the country, but frequent in  crowded and unhealthy
places, and in camps and on ships.  It is essentially a
filth disease, and never appears where there is clean-
liness and hygienic surroundings.

  Symptous.—In about  fourteen days after exposure
there will be chilliness and headache, followed by
vomiting and  fever.  The face becomes dusky,  the
tongue is dry and coated, and there is great thirst; the
bowels are constipated and the urine scanty; the pulse
is small and frequent.  From the fourth to the seventh
day the surface becomes covered w7ith a purple rash, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          545
chiefly on  the  chest  and abdomen.  This rash  con-
tinues about a week and during its continuance all the
symptoms are  aggravated.   All the senses  may be-
come impaired, the pulse is  very frequent and weak,
and the  tongue dry and very dark.  Usually there is
unconsciousness at this stage and death may occur.
  Convalescence is always  slow and accompanied by
great weakness.   Erysipelas, pneumonia and glandu-
lar swellings are liable to occur during typhus fever.

  Treatment,—An abundance of fresh air, great clean-
liness and quietude,  pure and nourishing, but light,
food and  hygienic surroundings are  all imperative.
Temperate sponge baths, daily at first, are a necessity.
  For the  constipation give  two liver pills (see formu-
las) every  night.   During the  high fever use the fol-
lowing:

  Take Pleurisy root, peach leaves,  each, .one-half ounce,
      Ginger........................one-half ounce.
  Mix and make an  infusion with one quart of boiling water.
Dose, one-fourth cupful every hour while awake.

  Every four hours a  tonic of scullcap and goldenseal
is advisable.  As  the case  progresses more stimula-
tion will be needed, and a drachm of compound tinct-
ure of myrrh  may be added  to the infusion.  The
mouth will need  to be washed out  frequently  with
gum Arabic water containing borax,  and stimulating
liniment should be rubbed over the abdomen twice  a
day.   Keep the feet warm, and frequently change the
position in bed to  avoid bed-sores.   During convales-
cence the tonic should be maintained.  Good nursing
is a most essential feature in the proper treatment of
typhus fever.
                    ULCERS.
      Healthy, Indolent, Inflamed, Phagedenic.
  An abrasion of the skin or mucous membrane which
does not readily  heal, but instead experiences a de- 
546         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

struction of tissue with the formation of pus, may be
termed  an ulcer,  and the  process  of destruction  is
termed ulceration.  Irritations of any kind, or bruises
may be exciting causes of ulceration,  and the devel-
opment or progress of the process may depend upon
various circumstances.   Several classes of ulcers may
be mentioned.

  Healthy ulcers are usually circular and are covered
with creamy-looking pus, and the  edges have a slight
bluish-white  film  of newly forming skin,  continuous
with the sound tissue and fading into the  sore.  Pus
of the character mentioned is termed healthy or bland
pus, and its presence indicates that the healing pro-
cess is going on.   The healthy ulcer has a pink color,
and its edges are soft, and the whole sore is extremely
sensitive.
  Treatment is  simple  and effective.  Twice  a day
wrash the surface with  a wTeak solution of  borax in
warm water, to which a  little  extract of witch hazel
may be  added.  Saturate  absorbent cotton or lint
with this and place over the sore, and over this lay a
cloth spread with  vaseline; place a large piece of cot-
ton over all and bandage to keep in position.  Quie-
tude and a light diet will be required.  Such  dressing
must be attended to twice a day.  If there is a tend-
ency to profuse discharge of pus, a very little tincture
of myrrh may be  added  to the wash.  Carelessness,
over-eating and other  imprudencies may  cause  a
healthy ulcer to degenerate, especially if  the consti-
tution be weak or  strumous.

  Unhealthy or weak ulcers usually rise above the
surrounding  tissue, being filled with  "proud flesh,"
which has but  little sensitiveness  and overlaps the
otherwise natural  edges.  The discharge,  instead of
being creamy, is very thin.
  Treatment must  be vigorous.  With a camel's-hair
brush touch the "proud  flesh" with burnt alum, pre-
pared by simply roasting ordinary alum.  This should
be done each time after washing.  Cover the ulcer with
an  ointment made by  mixing powdered  myrrh and
goldenseal in vaseline.   About the ulcer on the sound 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          547

 tissue it is well to rub compound  tincture of myrrh,
 and bandage as for healthy ulcer.   The bowels must
 be kept open, and a light diet, and fresh air and quie-
 tude provided.  Compound syrup of gentian should be
 used as a tonic.

  Indolent ulcers are often spoken of as old sores or
 callous ulcers.  They are  depressed, and  the surfaces
 have  a glazed and ashy appearance.  The edges  are
 hard  like gristle  and elevated,  irregular and of a
 bluish cast.  The discharge is thin and  w7atery and
 acrid, perhaps tinged with blood, of the character
 known as ichorous.  Surrounding tissues 4are  usually
 dark  and swollen.
  Treatment  must be persisted in  for perhaps many
 months. Wash the ulcer with borax solution contain-
 ing tincture of myrrh and fluid extract of  goldenseal.
 About the sores apply equal parts  of compound tinct-
 ure of myrrh and fluid extract of  goldenseal.  Press
 the edges together as far as possible and keep in posi-
 tion by bands of surgeon's adhesive plaster.  Fre-
 quent bathing should be practiced  and an occasional
 stimulating  emetic (see  emetics)  should  be adminis-
 tered, and rest of the affected limb is imperative.
  Tea, coffee and alcoholic liquors should be forbid-
 den.  A light diet must  be used, and digestion main-
 tained.  The bowels must be kept  free.   Compound
 syrup of Stillingia, containing an ounce  of fluid  ex-
 tract  of gentian to the pint, should be used  in tea-
 spoonful doses three times a day.   Indolent ulcers
 may require years of persistent treatment.

  Inflamed  ulcers  present  angry  and  out-turned
 edges, and are accompanied by throbbing pain and
 profuse and  offensive discharge.   Any form of ulcer
 may become inflamed by over-exertion or imprudence.
 When such  a case arises apply  flax-seed poultice
 sprinkled with powdered lobelia and goldenseal until
 the inflammation subsides, and then treat according
 to the nature of the ulcer.

  Phagedenic ulcers are  characterized  by thin and
bloody discharges,  offensive and  persistent,  with a 
548         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

tendency to become gangrenous.  Treatment must be
in accordance with the principles laid down under the
title of Gangrene.
                    URAEMIA.

Blood Poisoning from Absorption of Urinary Constit-
                      uents.
  This is a very grave condition, brought about by the
retention  in  the  system of  the  constituents of the
urine.  These being carried about with the circulation
constitute one of the most serious forms of blood poi-
soning.  Uraemic  poisoning  is a common accompani-
ment of Bright's disease, and other abnormal condi-
tions of the kidneys.  It  frequently follows scarlet
fever; and is not unusual  in  diphtheria and infective
diseases in general.
  Obstructions to the free  discharge of urine may
cause its  constituents to  be absorbed, as  in tumors,
pregnancy, paralysis,  etc.  From whatever cause  it
arises, uraemia is a most serious difficulty, and unless
relieved promptly will almost certainly prove fatal.

  Symptoms.—As a rule uraemia is developed without
warning, though occasionally there may be a previous
history of headache and dizziness of frequent occur-
rence, and a  peculiar sallowness and puffiness of the
skin, especially under the eyes; sometimes it is  char-
acterized by sudden blindness, which may last four or
five  days.  Deafness is  sometimes a symptom, but
more usual are perversions of hearings, such as  ring-
ing in the ears, tinklings, etc.  There may be bloody
discharges from the nose or mouth, and frequently
vomiting  and diarrhoea  with considerable straining.
Loss of voice or hoarseness may occur, and there may
be swelling in the throat, interfering with respiration;
and lung  troubles  are not infrequent.  Pleurisy of a
most painful  character sometimes occurs.
  In many cases,  especially during pregnancy, the pa-
tient will  be seized with convulsions resembling  those
of epilepsy, and there may be total loss of conscious-
ness and involuntary discharges from the bladder and 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.
549
bowels.   The pulse of a person suffering from uraemia
is usually feeble and slow.  Sometimes there will be
relief by profuse perspiration of an ammoniacal odor.

  Treatment— The best plan is to give the patient a hot
air bath, which is easily done by having him sit upon
a cane-seated chair, close to which is placed a large
sized, lighted lamp, and a blanket  thrown over all in
tent-like fashion,  the patient's head being left ex-
posed and kept cool by cold water.  Arouse perspira-
tion by this method and then place the patient in bed
between blankets, and administer  infusion of  peach
leaves, blue cohosh and ginger.  See that the bowels
are regulated and that the stomach is  kept free from
disorder.  Cheese  is an especially objectionable arti-
cle of diet.  Frequent baths are advisable.
                     URINE.
         Characteristics and Constituents.
  Healthy urine is usually of an amber color, though it
may be of a reddish cast or very pale.
  Redness of the urine may  follow excessive eating, or
may be due to the use of  rhubarb or saffron, or of pan-
tonine (frequently administered for worms).  Fevers
and acute disease usually give high colored urine.
  Paleness of the urine  may  be the  result of copious
drinking or of taking tannic acid  internally.  In dia-
betes, anaemia, hysteria and during the course of vari-
ous diseases the  urine may  be pale.
  A blue cast to the urine is sometimes observed  in ty-
phoid fever and cholera.
  Smoky appearance of the urine always denotes hem-
orrhage into the kidneys or bladder.
  A greenish  or yellowish cast usually means  the pres-
ence of bile.
  Muddy urine, especially after fever, is usually a good
sign, indicating the discharge of accumulations.
  Sometimes a brick-dust  appearance of sediment will
be noticed, especially after excitement or fever, and
denotes the discharge of solids, and  is therefore a fa-
vorable indication in most cases. 
550
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  The odor of urine is characteristic and well known.
Asparagus, onions, cabbage and some other foods alter
the odor, as  also do  turpentine, cubebs aud various
drugs.   When the  urine, upon  being voided, smells
like ammonia it is an  indication  of decomposition tak-
ing place—suppurative  inflammation of the bladder
usually gives urine of this odor.
  Healthy urine is  usually clear.  Sometimes it has a
turbid  appearance after cooling, usually indicating
that there is  irritation somewhere in the urinary tract,
the turbidity being  due to mucus.  When  the  first
urine passed  is at once noticed to be turbid, it is usu-
ally an indication of pus.  Turbid urine (muddy) after
an attack of  fever is a good indication.
  Milky urine denotes the presence of chyle.  It is sel-
dom met with, and is described under Chyluria.
  The amount of urine passed in twenty-four hours by
a healthy adult should be about three pints.   Copious
drinking, eating of onions or some other  foods, and
nervous  excitements may increase the amount dis-
charged without  any indication of disease.   The ad-
ministration  of various drugs may increase the flow of
urine, such as juniper, peach leaves and all the class
known as diuretics.   The amount of urine is increased
during diabetes.  Fever and many diseases of the liver
and heart and kidneys diminish  the amount  of urine
in most cases.
  A gritty deposit in the vessel may indicate the pres-
ence of gravel or the commencement of urinary cal-
culi.  A rusty appearance to the  sides of the vessel
usually  denotes  sluggishness of the liver.  A dull-
white  sediment indicates kidney congestion and de-
rangement of the stomach.

  Specific gravity of urine is determined by a small
instrument known as a  hydrometer or urinometer.  It
consists of a graduated tube proceeding from a small
bulb containing mercury (something like a thermome-
ter tube and  bulb).  A tall glass cylinder is nearly
filled with urine and the  tube  inserted;  the degree
touched by the surface of  the liquid denotes the spe-
cific gravity.  Healthy urine varies  as  to  its specific
gravity from 1015° to 1026°.  In ascertaining the spe- 
DISEASES  AND TREATMENT.          551
cific gravity, the mixed urine of all voided in twenty-
four hours should be  taken.   After copious drinking
the specific gravity will be lowered, and after eating
or after profuse perspiration it  will  be  increased.
Nervous excitement,  running, exposure to  cold  and
hysteria will lower the specific gravity, without indi-
cating disease.
  High colored urine of low specific gravity is an indi-
cation of disease, unless it can be  directly attributed
to peculiar diet or the administration of drugs.
  Pale urine of a high specific gravity denote disease,
and if abundant in  quantity, diabetes is indicated.

  Re-action.—When the urine is first voided it should
be slightly acid in  character, though  using alkalies,
such as magnesia or soda or lithia,  may render it al-
kaline.   A strongly acid urine denotes a tendency to
rheumatism.  If the urine should  be  alkaline when
voided, if not due to the administration of alkalies,
it denotes decomposition taking place in the urinary
tract, often pointing to chronic disease of the bladder,
though occasionally indicating spinal difficulty.
  The re-action of the  urine is  easily  ascertained.
Strips of red and of blue litmus paper can be obtained
at any drug store.  A blue strip  plunged  into urine
will turn red if the urine  is acid, or a red strip in alka-
line urine will  turn blue.  Very rarely will neutral
urine  be observed.

  Sugar in the  urine, when in small  quantities and
not persistent,  may be  of no special importance, al-
though  it is not a natural constituent.   Eating excess-
ively  of sweets may cause its appearance.  Old  per-
sons,  women who are  nursing infants, and persons suf-
fering  from  carbuncle,   internal  abscess,   malaria,
cholera and many nervous disorders may have sugar
in the urine.  When the presence of sugar  is persist-
ent in readily appreciable quantities, diabetes mellitus
is indicated (see Diabetes).
  To test for sugar:  Pour a drachm of urine in a test
tube and add half a drachm of solution of caustic pot-
ash and then add ten drops of solution  of sulphate of
copper (blue vitriol), shake and then heat;  the pres- 
552         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

ence of  sugar will be indicated by the urine turning
red or brown according to the amount present.  An-
other test consists of putting a small amount of yeast
in a bottle of urine and placing it in a warm place for
twenty-four hours; the presence of sugar will  be  de-
noted by pronounced fermentation.

  Albumen in the urine indicates a disturbance in the
system, usually  amounting to serious  disease.  The
presence of  albumen may be temporary,  as in acute
diseases, pregnancy,  injuries to  the brain.  Organic
kidney  disease and  heart diseases usually give per-
sistent presence  of albumen.   Pus in the urinary tract,
as in inflammation  of the  bladder, gleet,  gonorrhea,
etc., will also give albumen in the urine.  Its presence
in Bright's disease is persistent.
  There are many tests for albumen, the simplest of
which may be mentioned.  Partially fill  a test tube
with the  suspected urine, and inclining it, heat  the
upper portion to boiling; hold the tube before a white
paper, and the presence of albumen will be indicated
by a cloudy appearance to the boiled portion.  Slowly
drop in a few drops of nitric acid and  the cloudiness
will remain  if albumen is present, but will disappear
if due to other constituents.
               URINE  RETENTION.

                Inability to Urinate.
  From various causes the urine may be retained in
the bladder, Causing great discomfort, amounting to
agony in prolonged cases.  The bladder  becomes dis-
tended and may sometimes be distinctly felt by press-
ure.   Agony from retention may be so intense that a
cold sweat will  come over the body  and a distinct
odor of  urine may be recognized.

  Treatment—Apply hot wet cloths about the genitals
and over the region of  the bladder,  or  administer a
sitz bath.  Usually taking a dose of some quick-act-
ing cathartic will overcome retention.  If these meas-
ures should  fail,  the  catheter  must be employed. 
            DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          553

Suppression of urine is the failure  of the kidneys to
secrete the urine, and in that case the bladder will be
empty.  See Urine, Suppression.
             URINE  SUPPRESSION.

      Failure of the Kidneys to Secrete Urine.

  Most severe suffering is occasioned by the failure of
the kidneys to secrete urine, or the ina^bility of urine
to enter the bladder on account of gravel,  calculus,
tumors or other obstructions in the kidneys or ureters.
Frequently in  severe  diseases almost complete sup-
pression occurs, and may continue several  days before
alarming symptoms are manifested.

  Symptoms.—There may be  stupor  or convulsions,
restlessness and contracted pupils, or, if  due to ob-
struction, there may be pain in the back and bladder.
and great desire to urinate, possibly a drop ortwro be-
ing voided at frequent intervals.

  Treatment—Place over the bladder  and small of the
back hot fomentations of smart-weed or other stimu-
lant.  Do not use diuretics, but enforce quietude and
administer hot baths.  A  dose of Epsom salts may
prove serviceable.   The catheter will  be found useless,
as the bladder will be empty,  in  w7hich  suppression
differs from retention.
                   URTICARIA.

                     Wheals.

  This is an annoying-, though never fatal, affection of
the skin.  It is characterized by small and numerous
white elevations upon the skin of various parts of the
body, surrounded by slight redness.   These elevations
or wheals come and go for perhaps  a month,  though
usually last a few days only.  Very rarely there is
slight feverishness.  Often the itching becomes intol-
erable, and scratching aggravates the difficulty. 
554         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment—Usually urticaria is caused by eating ar-
ticles of  food  which disagree with the stomach, and
leaving  such  articles  alone will  cure  the trouble.
Nothing  gives such relief as bathing the parts with
solution of citric acid—one  ounce to the quart.  The
bowels must be regulated and frequent bathing of the
whole body indulged in.   Persons especially liable to
urticaria should tone the stomach by some tonic, such
as fluid extract of w7ahoo added to the Stomach Tonic
(see  formulas).
  Varicella.—See the article on Chicken-pox.

  Variola.—Small-pox.—See  the  article  on  Fever
(Eruptive)—Small-pox.

  Varioloid.—A light form of variola or small-pox.
See the article on Fever (Eruptive)—Small-pox.

  Venereal Diseases.—See the section on  Diseases
of the Generative Organs.

  Volvulus.—See the  article on Bowel  Diseases—
Obstructions.
  Warts.—These  are  over-developments of cells of
the skin, usually brought  about by irritations. A
number of  so-called  cures may be mentioned.   Run a
needle through the wart and then hold the free end of
the needle in the flame of  a lamp, candle or  gas jet
until it is red hot; the  w7art  will turn  white and be de-
stroyed without  pain.  Rub juice of milkweed  over
the wart.   Apply  dilute acetic acid.  Rub frequently
with a moistened  crystal  of citric acid.  Apply  sub-
sulphate of iron.   Never  cut off a wart; though  with 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
555
care they may be cauterized with  nitrate of silver or
nitric acid.

  Warty Small-Pox.—This  *s sometimes known as
hornpox. It is a peculiar form of  small-pox in which
the eruption does not form papules containing pus,
but simply  develop into  warty growths.  Its treat-
ment is the  same as that for ordinary small-pox.  See
the article on Fever (Eruptive)—Small-pox.

  White Swelling.—This is scrofulous swelling of the
knee-joint.  See the article on Scrofula.
                   WHITLOW.

                      Felon.
  This is a most painful abscess of the finger or thumb;
usually caused by bruising the member.  Development
may be slow and accompanied by great pain and nerv-
ous weakness.  The abscess  may  be outside of the
bone entirely or it may be beneath the covering (peri-
osteum) of the bone.
  Treatment.—Some felons have been checked by hold-
ing the thumb or finger in kerosene oil for ten or fif-
teen minutes at  a time, two or three times a day.  But
usually  felons cannot  be aborted.   The only way to
cure a developed felon  is to  cut clear into the bone
with a very sharp intstrument and  allow  the pus to
escape.  Poultice the finger as for ordinary abscess.
              WHOOPING COUGH.
              Chin Cough.  Pertussis.
  This is  a  protracted,  spasmodic cough,  most fre-
quent among children, and often occurring as an epi-
demic, being-  peculiarly  contagious.  It  very seldom
attacks a person who has once been afflicted by it, and
its infection  is conveyed  by the breath.   Cold and
dampness  are predisposing  causes of an epidemic of
whooping cough.  It is chiefly catarrhal in its nature,
though undoubtedly certain nerves are involved. 
556
A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
  The time required for the development of w7hooping
cough after exposure varies greatly, ranging from two
days to two weeks; and the difficulty may last eight
or nine w7eeks or longer, and is especially liable  to
have complications of a serious nature by neglect

  Symptoms.—After development the course of whoop-
ing cough  may be divided into three stages, as fol-
lows:
  First Stage.—This is characterized by prominent ca-
tarrhal symptoms, and sets in as an ordinary cold.
There  will likely  be  chilliness  followed  by slight
fever,  sneezing, w7atery eyes, languidness and  head-
ache.  Coughing  is frequent and annoying, causing a
most disagreeable sensation and considerable  loss of
sleep.  This stage of the disease may last from one to
five  weeks, usually about two weeks, and runs into
the next  stage.
  Second  Stage.—Frequent and most distressing parox-
ysms of coughing now manifest themselves.  Increas-
ing in frequency and severity as the disease progresses.
Each paroxysm is preceded by a peculiar sensation in
the chest and throat wdiich gives  warning of  its ap-
proach.  The  child  endeavors to repress  the cough
but  always  unsuccessfully.  It consists  of several
rapid and violent expiratory acts, not  permitting in-
spiration until all air seems to be exhausted from the
lungs,  and then the air is drawn inward with a whoop.
During the paroxysm of coughing  the  child becomes
weak and  clings to any convenient article, the eye-
balls bulge forward,  the veins of the neck and face
become prominent,  the  countenance  turns purple,
swTeat  covers  the forehead, the heart beats violently
and  it looks as though there would be rupture of a
blood-vessel  or  death by  suffocation, when  relief
comes.
  Such a paroxysm may last from one to six minutes
and then cease suddenly, and be followed by expecto-
ration of tenacious mucus or by vomiting of the stom
ach's contents.  Relief follows, but is  of short dura-
tion, as paroxysms follow one another closely, the  in-
tervals lasting an hour or half hour or.  perhaps, only
a few minutes. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
557
   This period may continue two or more weeks.  Dur-
 ing paroxysms the eyes may become bloodshot and
 there may even be  bleeding from the nose or ears, or
 involuntary ejections from  the bowels and  bladder.
 Convulsions may occur.  There is no fever during this
 period, but appetite is usually lost.
   Third Stage.— This may be termed the period of con-
 valescence,  and  gradually  follows  the   paroxysmal
 stage.  It  is characterized by diminution  of  the
 cough in frequency  and  severity, and the appetite re-
 turns and  food  is  retained and sleep  is  obtained.
 Care must be taken during this  stage to guard against
 exposure and over-eating, lest paroxysms again in-
 crease in frequency.
   Complications.—Bronchitis, capillary bronchitis,  ca-
 tarrhal  pneumonia, pleurisy, emphysema, laryngitis,
 croup, meningitis,  inflammation of  the  stomach  or
 bowels with diarrhoea, hernia,  ruptures of blood-ves-
 sels and various other complications may arise during
 whooping cough, caused  by the violent  paroxysms,
 exhaustion, exposures or  by accident.  Consumption
 or tuberculosis  may follow  the disease, especially in
 scrofulous subjects.

   Treatmeid.-—Whooping cough  is such an exhaustive
 and distressing malady, that while it is of itself rarely
 fatal, children should not be purposely or carelessly
 exposed to it.  And when contracted do not conclude
 that it must run a long and  tedious course, but deter-
 mine to cut it off as quickly as possible.  Any neglect
 to prevent or properly attend to whooping cough is an
 act of cruelty to the little  child who is afflicted.
  Be sure that  the  patient is  warmly clad;  woolens
 should be placed next  to the  skin and  at night the
 child should sleep between blankets.  It is most ben-
 eficial to protect the chest by a chamois skin or flan-
 nel breast plate, and during the most severe paroxoys-
 mal period to place  over the chest a brown paper cov-
 ered with mutton  tallow and well sprinkled with gin-
ger.  Should the weather be warm, out-door play dur-
ing the sunny hours will be beneficial; but  during cold
or inclement  weather the patient should  be  kept
strictly in-doors. 
558
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  The diet must be light and nourishing and consist of
easily digested foods.  A paroxysm of coughing may
sometimes be averted by turning the child's attention
to other matters.
  The following preparation will cut short an attack
of whooping cough:  Chestnut  leaves, two  ounces;
black cohosh, one ounce; lobelia herb, one-half ounce.
Steep in a pint  of boiling water for half an hour and
then add  two pounds of sugar.  Dose, one teaspoon-
ful every hour and frequently during a spell of cough-
ing.  Persistence will give relief.
  During the period of convalescence syrup of wild
cherry is  the proper tonic.   All through  the attack
flaxseed and ginger tea should  be allowed in abun-
dance.   Complications must be appropriately treated.
                     WORMS.

     Round  Worms.  Pin Worms. Tape Worms.

  Worms of  various  kinds  may  make their homes in
the human intestines, causing not only annoyance and
often distress, but also loss of flesh and strength and
general impairment of health by interfering with  nu-
trition.  They gain entrance to the alimentary canal
chiefly as eggs in food and drink, and take up their
abode in special localities according  to their nature.
Altogether between thirty and forty different kinds of
worms thrive in  the human intestines, though they
may all be generally classed under a few headings.

  Round Worms.—Ascaris Lumbricoides.—These very
much resemble in size  the  ordinary angle worms,
though they possess  more firmness and are of  a pink
or flesh color, and vary from three to four inches in
length.   Seldom more than two such worms are found
at one time in a human being,  although they may  be
very numerous and even amount to an obstruction in
the intestines.
  A female intestinal worm is capable  of discharging
sixty millions of eggs, aiid these eggs retain their  vi-
tality under most  adverse circumstances.   They  are 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.


  HUMAN  PARASITES.
559
Round Worm (Ascaris Lumbricoides).  Half size.

Itch Mite (Scabies).
Greatly magnified.
    Thread Worm.
a. Magnified (Bristowe).  Trichina.
b. Male.              Greatly magfd.
 Tape Worm,  a, b, c, d, different parts (natural size); e, f,
Cysticercus (natural size); g, Head;  h, Head seen from
above; i. Sucker; j, Hooklet; k. Egg.
 All greatly magnified.  (Bristowe.)
 Filaria.
(Cobbold.; 
560
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
discharged with faeces from the bowels, and find their
way into streams and shallow wells, and are, with the
drinking water, introduced into the human body to be
hatched.  Thus it  often happens that many persons
depending upon a  surface-water supply  are  afflicted
with worms; while those drinking w7ater from deep
wells, or filtered water, are not apt  to  be  annoyed.
While the worms usually remain in  the intestines, they
sometimes wander into  other  localities,  such as the
stomach, or even up behind the nose,  in the pharynx
and possibly into the Eustachian canal, leading from the
pharynx to the middle ear.  Occasionally through fis-
tulas or abscess they may enter the bladder, and it is
not uncommon to have them vomited from the stomach.

  Symptoms.—The  presence  of  round worms  in  the
intestines may not be accompanied by any pronounced
symptoms,  and may not be  even suspected until no-
ticed in the stools or vomit.  Still  it is usual that one
or more of  the following signs will be noticed:  Nerv-
ous irritability, gritting  of the teeth at night and
"night-mare," foul breath, dry, hacking cough, dark
rings under the eyes, a red spot on one cheek, pinched
and itching nose, headache, dizziness, sickness  of the
stomach, irregular appetite, indigestion and diarrhoea.
Children may be indisposed and possibly have colic
pains and convulsions.

  Treatment.—The favorite prescription  for worms is
santonine, in one grain doses (for children) each night
for three successive nights.  This causes the worms to
die in the intestines and  be  discharged.  Before tak-
ing santonine, castor oil  should  be administered and
the child kept upon a light diet, without sugar. The
santonine is easily taken,  and may be sprinkled upon
a cake or piece of  bread and swallowred without the
child's knowledge.  Often the worms will be cut up
into small pieces before they are discharged.  Santo-
nine causes the urine  to become  high colored, like
saffron.  An excellent stomach tonic,  suitable  for the
weakness and  dyspepsia caused by  worms,  may  be
made of an infusion of  equal parts of goldenseal and
peach leaves. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
561
  Pin Worms.—Oxyuris Vermieularis.— These are very
small, thread-like  worms, about one-sixth of an inch
in length, which may infest the human intestines by
the  thousands.  Their eggs have great vitality and
are discharged by the million.   The chief symptom of
pin-worms is  the intolerable itching, caused by the
worms getting into the rectum and about the anus,
often crawling up the  female urethra  or  vagina.
Itching is worse at night time.

  Treatment.— The  most successful method of getting
rid  of pin-worms is the frequent use of injections of
warm water (two or more quarts at a time) containing
Castile soap or lime water and borax.  The injection
must be given slowly with a fountain syringe.   Salt
water injections are frequently resorted to, and santo-
nine is  likewise effectual.   The compound  syrup of
gentian  will be found a suitable tonic.

  Tape Worms.—Three varieties of tape worms may
live and thrive in  the human intestinal canal, and at-
tain an enormous size and cause disagreeable symp-
toms.  The embryos of tape worm may enter the body
with the food, especially rare meats, and may be de-
rived from various animals, especially hogs and dogs.

  Taenia  Solium.—This is the most common form of
tape worm, and its most frequent  means of entering
the  system is with measly pork.  Its  head is very
small (like a pin-head), and is eight-sided, having four
suckers by which it  clings to the intestinal mucous
membrane.  In front of these suckers will be seen two
rows of  a  dozen or more minute claws.  The neck is
very thin,  and about an inch in length, and following
it are the segments which make up the  great part of
the worm.   They  may be very numerous and in all
amount  to ten feet or more in length.  Each segment
is flat and  of a whitish appearance; new segments are
constantly developed,  and the oldest one is farthest
from the head and may be expelled, while the others
remain.  Each segment has both male and female or-
gans of  generation, and the eggs  are discharged in
large numbers.
      36 
562
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
  A developed tape worm may remain in the intestinal
canal for a long time without giving evidence of its
existence, and may not  be definitely recognized until
segments have been passed.  As a rule there will be
nervousness,  dilated  pupils, paleness,  evidences of
failing nutrition, uneasiness through the chest and ab-
domen, and symptoms of intestinal catarrh, and some-
times diarrhoea.   There  may be frequent faintness and
dizziness.

  Treatment.—Undertake no specific treatment until
segments have been seen in the stools.  The following
method will prove effectual:  Fast for two or three
days, on a diet of salt fish and milk; take,  on the
evening of the last fast day, a  large dose of  Epsom
salts; next morning take, fifteen minutes apart, half
a cupful of strong and  hot decoction of pomegranite
root  bark (half a pound  to the quart and a pint of wa-
ter,  and boiled twenty minutes).  A  lemon may be
sucked while this is being taken; four half cupfuls are
necessary, and it  must be hot to avoid nausea.   After
the decoction is taken  allow the patient to lie quiet
for an hour.  During this period there may be consid-
erable pain and  discomfort throughout the abdomen
and dizziness and headache.   Then administer, in cap-
sules, half a drachm of  etherial  extract of male fern,
and in an hour repeat the dose.   If the bowels  have
no tendency  to move within  two or three hours, a
large  dose of castor  oil should  be   administered.
When the bowTels do move, the patient should sit upon
a vessel  well filled with warm water, that the worm
may not be broken, and  if discharged may be readily
cleaned and examined.  If the head is not seen, the
effectiveness of the treatment cannot be established;
but it should not be repeated for several months, or
only after segments have showm themselves.  Pumkin
seed oil,  an ounce, in  an emulsion of milk, is  recom-
mended,  but is not so effectual as the above.

  Bothriocephalus Latus— This is a species of tape
worm differing  in several particulars from  the  ordi-
nary variety  spoken of  as  taenia solium.  Its length
may be enormous; specimens over seventy feet long 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
563
have been recorded.   The segments are broader than
they are  long, and  the  head, instead of being eight-
sided is flat and oval, and has a fissure on either side
to take the place of the  four suckers of the taenia
solium. The eggs have a valve at one end, and they de-
velop in water and are eaten by fishes, and thus the
embryos are set free and get into the  muscles  of the
fishes and into the  stomachs of human beings.  The
symptoms produced by  this worm in the  human ali-
mentary canal are the same as those of taenia solium,
and its expulsion is accomplished in a similar manner.
Tape worms very seldom remain in the intestines over
four months without discharges of segments  taking
place.
              WRITER'S CRAMP.

         Muscular Inability from Over-use.
  This difficulty is peculiar to those who are  required
to write continuously for a livelihood,  or  those who
constantly use delicate muscles,  such as shoemakers,
pianists, tailors, etc.  Dissipation and poverty aggra-
vate the difficulty.

  Symptoms.—These are" spasms  or  tremblings of the
muscles of the  hand and probably of the  arm and
shoulders, rendering the  use of the muscles impossible
until a spasm passes by.

  Treatment by the administration of drugs is of  itself
of little avail.  Absolute rest must be enjoined.   The
discontinuance of existing bad  habits  is imperative,
and diet and surroundings must be such as to invigor-
ate the system.  Electricity has been employed to ad-
vantage.   The compound syrup of gentian is a most
serviceable tonic to be used with the hygienic meas-
ures mentioned.
  Wry Neck.—Occasionally the muscles of the neck
become unevenly contracted, causing the head to be
twisted  or  inclined upon its axis.  In hysterical or 
564
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
temporary cases rubbing on the tincture of lobelia and
applying hot flannels will  suffice.   Permanent cases
require surgical operation upon the affected muscles.
             XANTHELASMOIDEA.

             Skin Disease of  Infancy.

  This is an affection of the skin of children, but sel-
dom met with, and usually mistaken  for evidence of
syphilis.   The origin of the disease is not yet known,
and it does not seem to in any way disturb the general
health.

  Symptoms.—At first various parts of the  body may
be covered with  small elevations, as though flea-bit-
ten; these elevations enlarge, itch intolerably, and re-
semble hives, and become first  red and then dirty yel-
low and attain the size of a silver quarter.  They may
make their appearance at  birth or soon after, and do
not as a rule endure long.

  Treatment does not affect them, though careful nurs-
ing and hygienic surroundings favor  their  disappear-
ance.  It is well to have a knowledge of this difficulty
that its appearance  upon an infant  may not be mis-
taken for congenital syphilis.
                  XANTHOMA.

          Skin Disease following Jaundice.

  This is a condition of the skin which frequently fol-
lows cases of jaundice, characterized by spots of a
dirty yellow hue upon the skin or  mucous membrane.
Simple xanthoma most frequently occurs upon the eye-
lids, and may spread over the cheeks.  The  spots are
on a level with the skin and cause only unsightliness. 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
565
  Tuberous Xanthoma consists of raised yellowish
spots like a collection of small tubers.  They seldom
appear on the eyelids, but frequently on the cheeks
and over the body, and when  they occur on the palms
of the hands or soles of the feet they may cause great
inconvenience by their burning pain.

  Treatment— Simple xanthoma needs no treatment,
but the tuberous form  may  occasion such inconven-
ience as to require being cut out by the knife.  They
cannot be effaced by remedies or outward applications;
but their multiplication may  often be prevented by
persistent treatment for jaundice.
                     YAWS.

                 Tropical Ulcers.

  This disorder is very rarely met in this country, al-
though it is common in tropical lands.  It is very con-
tagious and is not usually fatal, though convalescence
is slow.

  Symptoms.—The attack is ushered in by a chill, soon
followed by fever w7hich has daily periods of remis-
sion.  Soon small elevations appear upon the face and
limbs, reaching the size of a nickel, and in a few days
a pustule forms upon this raised spot and soon bursts,
causing a scab,  and under this scab there is a foul
ulcer, with granulations looking like  a red raspberry.
There may be  many such ulcerative spots over the
body and they  may come and go for months, accom-
panied by debility, fever and soreness of the throat.
Exposure to drafts or imprudencies will cause dropsy.

  Treatment.—Use freely infusion of composition.  Ap-
ply over the ulcers a salve of pulverized myrrh and
goldenseal, each  one  drachm, and boracic acid and
capsicum, ten grains,  in an ounce of vaseline.   Sus- 
566         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
tain the strength by a nourishing diet and provide rest
and fresh air and hygienic surroundings.
                YELLOW  FEVER.

             Gulf Fever.  Febris Flava.

  This is a  disease of  warm climates,  and unless
transported, requires for its development a tempera-
ture of not less than 7H: uninterrupted for  a  month's
time.   The exact  origin of the disease  is not fully
agreed upon,  though it can probably be conveyed by
clothing and other articles, just as small-pox can be
carried.  It is most frequent along the sea-coast or on
board ships, or in camps and crowded cities.  Impure
water and  malarial surroundings  favor  its develop-
ment.
  A person who has once had yellow fever is no more
likely to have the disease again than one is to have a
second attack of small-pox.  Persons unused to hot
climates, or those of intemperate habits,  are most lia-
ble to be attacked, and dampness and  exposure to
night air favor its development.  The colored race,
for unaccountable  reasons, are rarely afflicted by it.
  The commencement of an  epidemic of  yellow fever
is marked by the appearance of several sporadic cases
not far from one another in a town,  and then the ap-
pearance of  numerous cases "to  fill  in  the gaps."
The disease does not spread far unless carried, which
makes it possible to restrict its ravages by quarantine.
  The  West  India Isles and the western coast of
Africa are designated as  yellow  fever  localities,
where  the  disease may  be expected  every  summer.
High altitudes, of  over 2,000 feet above the sea level,
are free from it.   Frost will put an end  to a yellow
fever epidemic.  Vessels,  whose sailors  are  afflicted
with it in southern waters during the late fall, if taken
to northern waters  and  frosty  weather,  will be free
from further  cases.

  Symptoms.—As in most infectious diseases, the symp-
toms of yellow fever may  vary greatly according to 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.          567
surroundings and circumstances and individual pecu-
liarities.   But the average case may be taken  as typ-
ical, and its symptoms considered; and these  may be
divided into several stages, as follows:

  Development— This is medically termed the period of
incubation, and its average duration  is four  or  five
days; though the disease may possibly  manifest itself
within a few7 hours  after exposure, or  be  delayed for
over three weeks, and  the  circumstances which con-
trol this period of development are not known.   Un-
doubtedly a debilitated and nervous person or one un-
used to the climate will succumb more quickly than
one who is robust and accustomed  to the climate, es-
pecially if his mind is free from fear of the disease.

  Invasion.—As  a  rule an attack comes on suddenly,
very often  during the night, the victim being awak-
ened by the severity of the  symptoms.  There is  fre-
quently, but not always, a most decided chill;  sharp
pains shoot through the limbs and loins;  headache is
intense; dizziness  and delirium are common, and oc-
casionally there will be nausea and vomiting at the
start.  Fever is soon manifested and in three  or four
hours the  temperature  may  reach 105° or 106°.   The
pulse is at first strong and  very frequent.  The face
looks red and the countenance is distressed, while the
eyes are red and watery.  The tongue at first is broad,
white and  moist with red tip and edges.  Thirst is
great and  constant throughout the attack, and  the
less urgent the thirst the more favorable the outlook.
  In about  twenty-four  hours prominent stomach
symptoms  manifest  themselves.  There  is  an  op-
pressed feeling in the stomach accompanied by burn-
ing pain and tenderness.  Vomiting and retching are
frequent  and most  distressing.  At first the vomited
matter is not characteristic, but  in tw70 or three days
it is of a  yellow or dark  brown color, frequently
mixed  with mucus  and streaked  w7ith blood.   The
vomit may in bad cases look like dark coffee grounds,
and in fatal cases may be thick and ropy and  almost
black,  from which  comes the term  "black vomit,''
often given to yellow fever. 
568         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  During the early part of the attack the bowels are
usually constipated, but they frequently become free,
and their actions are characterized by offensive stools.
  The urine in nearly all cases is scanty, and in severe
cases it is very high colored and  contains albumen,
and may be suppressed for awhile.
  Great nervousness and restlessness are usual, and
in children convulsions  must be expected.  In very
severe cases there may  be  prostration and  stupor.
Some cases of yellow fever are  characterized  by sud-
den  depression  and collapse  and death, after only a
couple of days of  fever and ill-defined feelings.
   During  the stage of  invasion the  face is  usually
flushed and the  skin dry and hot.  Mild cases give a
warm  and moist skin; but if there is much perspira-
tion without relief of symptoms, it is a bad sign.   In
from three to five  days (the longer the time the milder
the case)  the period of invasion will be followed  by
the period of remission.

   Remission,—This stage  lasts from a  few hours to a
 couple of days, during which time the patient experi-
 ences great relief, and  there is an abatement of  all
 symptoms.  Occasionally convalescence sets in at this
 time;  but as a  rule this period of remission is  only
 temporary; the face begins to look  yellowish and
 prostration becomes marked and the  disease passes
 into the next stage.

   Secondary Period.—This is usually characterized  by
 an increase of temperature, while at the same  time the
 pulse rate  lowers (a bad sign).   Nausea and vomiting
 recommence, the  vomiting often being in the nature
 of hemorrhages;  and blood  sometimes passes off  by
 the bowels.  Black vomit is now usual in severe cases.
 Hemorrhages are not unusual from the nose  and mu-
 cous  surfaces.   The tongue becomes very dry, and
 may be coated  browm or even black, and occasionally
 it is  glossy  red  and fissured, and the teeth and lips
 are coated with dark material,  termed sordes.
   It is during this secondary period  that occurs  the
 peculiar  condition  of countenance which  character-
 izes yellow fever.  It commences with a bilious  look, 
DISEASES AND TREATMENT.
569
like jaundice, and may become almost  an orange or
even a bronze color—the darker the  hue the more se-
vere the case.  The abdomen becomes  enlarged and
sensitive and the urine high  colored  and almost sup-
Dressed.
  Convalescence may now commence by  a gradual re-
lief of symptoms.  Fatal  cases  will show great de-
pression, the pulse will grow weak and irregular,
there may be involuntary  discharges  of  urine  and
faeces, delirium may set in or the  patient may retain
consciousness  until death, or a  state of indifference
may be manifested, soon followed by collapse, cold
and clammy skin, stupor and death.  As a rule fatal
cases terminate  inside of twelve days,  the sixth or
ninth or eleventh day being  the usual time of death,
but it may be deferred for over two weeks.

  Treatment—During the stage of invasion, when the
fever is high, and the skin is dry and hot, perspiration
should be  induced.  Administer  every  half  hour  a
large dose of infusion of  pleurisy root containing a
little ginger.  Relieve the bowels by injections.  Place
the patient in bed and to the feet and sides  apply hot
irons or hot water bags.   An ordinary emetic  (see
emetics) should be administered early in every case.
Place over the stomach a flannel cloth saturated with
stimulating liniment.
  To allay thirst, small chunks -c ice may be allowed
to melt in the mouth.  When perspiration starts, cease
giving the infusion and do not  use the water bags.
Give a light diet  of broths  or malted milk prepara-
tions,  and  avert nausea  by giving hyposulphite of
soda.
  If there should be hemorrhages and dark and bloody
vomit, administer injections of composition contain-
ing a little myrrh.  Collapse  must be treated as recom-
mended under that title.  Should the  urine be sup-
pressed, place a large flax-seed poultice over the re-
gion of the kidneys.  Sage  tea,  or orange leaf tea
may be used when the skin is dry.  During convales-
cence the utmost vigilance  must be exerted against
over-eating and over-exertion. The compound  syrup
of gentian is the most appropriate tonic. 
570         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

  The warding off of yellow fever depends upon a nour-
ishing diet, fresh air,  frequent  baths, moderate exer-
cise and avoidance of night air and exposures to the
malarial atmosphere of swamps and vitiated air of all
kinds.
                     ZOSTER.

      Skin Affections from  Nervous Disorders.
  Under this general heading are classed a number of
skin affections which seem to be due to peculiar con-
ditions of the peripheral nerves.  Zoster is character-
ized by the appearance of small vesicles which have a
tendency to run together, and also cause great itching.
The contents of the  vesicles are at first clear, but
soon become yellow, and eventually dry up and leave
a thin scab.  The vesicles appear in successive crops,
of about four to six days' duration each, so that an
attack of  zoster may last for several weeks.
  Herpes zoster is considered in the article on herpes.
Zoster zona is another name for shingles.  Zoster may
occur upon special parts of the body, and is named ac-
cording to the locality.   The limbs, neck, arms, chest,
back, face and head may be  the seat of the difficulty.
It is never fatal of  itself.

  Treatment must be directed toward soothing the irri-
tation and sustaining the  system, as prescribed under
Shingles.   An attack cannot be aborted by the use of
medicines. 
DISEASES  OF  WOMEN.
           NEEDLESS  OPERATIONS.

     How Women are Scientifically Mutilated.
  What a field for butchery and for the attainment of
fame and money woman has become to the mercenary
practitioner of so-called  "modern gynecology."  It
would be interesting, were it  not  revolting, to trace
the history of  the treatment of diseases of women by
the majority of the medical profession during the past
twenty years.   Ever and  anon some new theory has
been advanced to account for  the  weaknesses and in-
abilities, the neuralgias, pains, sleeplessness, nervous-
ness and other indications of  derangements in the or-
ganism of woman.
  In man, such disturbances would be traced to  vari-
ous causes, and the special cause ascertained and over-
come. But, alas, for woman, whose procreative or-
gans differ from those of man! That difference of or-
ganization is  made  the  scape-goat of all  diseases,
simple or complex, whether they are directly associ-
ated  with the procreative organs or remote from them.
  The womb has been an  especial  object for reproach
by the medical profession. It has been maligned and
abused until woman has  been led to  look upon that
poor organ and its appendages as a curse to her exist-
ence  instead of the  glory and blessing that Nature
manifestly designed they  should be.  It is true  that
the womb, through the nervous system, is closely con-
nected with every other  organ of the body, but it is
not true, as  modern scientific mutilators would have us
believe, that every distress of the various organs of
                       571 
572
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
the female body should be ascribed to disorders of the
womb.
  Some of the fads profitably encouraged by the med-
ical  profession are not  only  absurd but are almost
criminal in their methods.  Woman has been led to be-
lieve that in her case Nature blundered or was unable
to maintain that destiny  for which she was created,
and that it w7as left to the modern gynecologist, for a
fee, to correct these natural shortcomings.  A few of
the modern fads in the treatment of women may be
mentioned:

              Scraping  the  Womb.

  This operation is a tedious and most painful one. It
has been indiscriminately resorted to under the slight-
est pretexts and has doubtless laid the foundation for
many wrecked lives.  But what is a woman to do?
She presents herself for treatment before a physician
and expects to follow his advice.  If he is one of the
modern gynecologists, it is impossible for him to rec-
ognize any disease or to see any symptoms without the
aid of his speculum.   He commences  his  investiga-
tions at once by demanding an exposure and indulg-
ing in manipulations, revolting to a modest  woman,
and in the great majority of cases absolutely unneces-
sary.   After this comes the declaration that the whole
trouble lies with the womb; instruments of torture are
introduced, a fee is collected, and frequent repetitions
of this treatment are demanded.
  By these '' treatments " the inner wall of the womb
is literally scraped, liability to hemorrhages is made
probable, and  in nearly every case chronic inflamma-
tion is established.  It is a fact that in a few abso-
lutely diseased conditions scraping of  the womb may
possibly be beneficial;  but such cases are  few indeed,
and  in every  instance appropriate  treatment would
prove far superior. Scraping  of  the womb is a need-
less and dangerous operation; and when it is not per-
formed for mercenary purposes it is performed because
the operator has an insufficient knowledge of the  more
humane and scientific methods of treating disease.  It
has been my personal experience to rescue many such 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
573
cases from the hands of modern mutilators and restore
them to health by rational means.

        Cutting the Neck  of  the Womb.

  In due course of time it became evident that such a
barbarous practice was not  only useless in overcom-
ing disease, but was also of such a revolting character
as to prove injurious to business w7hen its nature be-
came generally known.  And so another mutilation
was "discovered"  and given to the medical profes-
sion, and its discoverer gained for himself wealth and
great notoriety throughout the world before a revolu-
tion of  sentiment  condemned  his  discovery and
shelved it for other butcheries.
  His method was to enlarge the neck of the womb by
slitting it lengthwise on the  inside.  It was declared
that at last the secret of woman's ailments had  been
discovered, and consisted in Nature's blunder in form-
ing the neck of the womb upon too narrow a scale.
Perhaps,  though, she had purposely made  this error
that the  medical profession might find a means of
making a livelihood by correcting  it.   Be that as it
may, the  new7 operation  w7as receive! with delight.
Knives and other instruments were devised for the
work, and to invent a new form of knife or instrument
for this operation was to gain notoriety and self-satis-
faction.  Medical societies and medical  journals dis-
cussed  the merits and demerits of the various methods
and instruments  employed in performing  this opera-
tion, leaving  the  discussion of results a question of
very minor consideration.
  And what part did w7omankind  play in  this grand
discovery?  Why, she wras, as usual, exposed and tor-
tured and mutilated in the  name of science; submit-
ting heroically, yet revoltingly, to what she believed
to be the  superior judgment  of her professional ad-
visers.
  After the incisions had been made and commenced
to gradually heal, it is  apparent that the scars made
the passages  narrower than ever,  unless  the  edges
were kept apart by the insertion of cotton or pieces
of sponge (called sponge tents) into the incised neck 
574
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
of the womb.   To insert  these  tampons or tents re-
quired the skill of a physician almost daily, with con-
sequent exposures and the frequent payments of  fees.
No wonder  the profession lauded the operation!  In
most   cases  the  scars  caused  inflammations and
growths and consequent  narrowing  of the neck, till
again and again the  operation had to be performed.
In nearly every case the neck of  the womb was left as
hard  as gristle and  lengthened by being so often
pulled down for operation.   And if from these causes
the monthly functions were  interfered with, then the
w7hole neck of  the wromb was cut off  as a final mutila-
tion, to be pronounced as a radical cure unless cancer
should  follow  such  treatment,  w7hich is  extremely
probable.

            Stretching the  Passage.

  A favorite fad among physicians of a certain class
is the declaration that the canal in  the  neck of the
womb is too small to allow  the  escape of the neces-
sary  fluids.  This has been announced as the great
cause of every difficulty the female  organism is heir
to.  And to  many women it has been so plausibly rep-
resented that their consent is readily obtained to fre-
quent exposures and manipulations wTith the object of
stretching and dilating the canal of the neck of the
womb.
  To accomplish the purpose,  very slender, thimble-
like pieces of compressed sponge or sea-tangle, called
tents,  are introduced into the passage and left to swell
by absorbing the secretions present and thus stretch
the parts.  This procedure early became the fashion,
and physicians provided themselves  with supplies of
the tents and the various instruments  required to insert
them, and reaped a harvest at the business of pretend-
ing to cure by  this method almost every disorder of
womankind.  Headache, neuralgia,  indigestion,  liver
troubles, palpitations, painful menstruations and in-
numerable ills were so plausibly traced to this condi-
tion that millions of women and  young girls have sub-
mitted to innumerable exposures and manipulations in
the vain hope of securing relief.  It does not seem 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
575
credible,  but  it is a fact, that young virgins, whose
menses were backward  in  appearing, were ruthlessly
persuaded to violate their modesty and submit to such
barbaric practices.
  Consider the operation and its consequences from a
common sense standpoint.   At first the canal of  the
neck of the womb must be large enough to admit the
introduction of a tent, and if  large enough for that it
is large enough for the escape of fluids, but  not- large
enough to satisfy the barbarous mind of the mutilator.
The tents being frequently and repeatedly introduced,
inflammations are bound  to follow from  the  harsh
pressures and frequent introductions.
  And these inflammations lead to swellings, and ul-
cerations, and purulent discharges and destructions of
the parts; all of which require  more  "treatments"
more exposures and more fees.  And the results to the
patients are what?  In, alas, too many cases,  cancer
and its frightful agonies result, or,  at least  an abso-
lute failure to correct the original sufferings, with the
addition to them  of backache,  paleness,  emaciation,
weakness, nervousness and other numerous manifesta-
tions of an organism wrecked by mutilation.

          Revolting Practices For Gain.

  The American people are sympathetic and lovers of
peace,  and are ever  ready to condemn the heartless
cruelties  of barbarous or  monarchial governments.
Especially do we point with pride  to our respect for
womankind and  our guardianship over their virture
and modesty.   A woman  inflicted by dishonor or cru-
elty or torture never appeals to American citizens in
vain.   Little do the fathers and husbands and broth-
ers know of the indignities their daughters or wives or
sisters are often forced to endure  in  the way of  un-
called  for exposures and mutilations  to satisfy  the
notions and the mercenary appetites of modern gyne-
cologists.  And why do  women submit, and why do
not the men know of  these things?
  Women  submit  because they cannot help believe
that  educated men holding State credentials of pro-
ficiency in medicine would for mercenary reasons ad- 
576         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

vise them against their own wrelfare or persuade them
to grant needless exposures to satisfy their "fad."
And  men know7 but  little of  these  things because
through  fear and shame women dread to disclose the
impositions made upon their modesty and endurance
in the name of science.
  I speak plainly upon this subject, as my large expe-
rience in all  diseases of women has  brought  to my
knowledge thousands of cases where women and vir-
gins have been needlessly subjected  to  revolting ex-
posures and painful operations, only to be mutilated
for life and  left in  a far worse condition than when
they applied for relief.
  But not only has it been my painful experience to
witness the direful results of these medical fads, but
it has been my good fortune  to be able to save, by
timely interference, hundreds of women and girls from
the immodest procedures and the lasting mutilations
of the mercenary gynecologists w7ho  infest the  medi-
cal profession.
  A few cases are here given that they maybe a warn-
ing to others, and  that they may  be  the means of
awakening- in womankind a hope of deliverance from
the revolting methods of modern practice.

  Case  I.—Mrs. J. W., of Iowa, an educated  and re-
fined wife of a prominent banker, aged 35, in  appar-
ently good condition, the mother of two children, who
were both strong and healthy.   For three months her
menses had failed to appear, and there was a frequent
unpleasant discharge writh  considerable pain and ten-
derness;  accompanied also by irritability and great
nervousness and disturbances of the stomach.
  She consulted her family physician, who subjected
her to frequent examinations before his " colleagues."
They seriously considered her condition, and informed
her and her distracted husband that a malignant con-
dition of the neck of the womb was fast approaching
the cancerous  stage, and advised her being  sent at
once to a famous surgeon  connected  with a Chicago
hospital.  After reaching Chicago the famous surgeon
examined her and appointed a day for the operation. 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
577
  A former patient of mine, being acquainted with her
 misfortune, persuaded her to obtain my opinion, know-
 ing my opposition to needless operations.  I ascer-
 tained to my entire satisfaction that her condition was
 in no way dependent upon malignant tendencies, but
 was one of the annoying difficulties which often  arise
 during pregnancy.   It is hardly necessary to add that
 the operation was indefinitely postponed, and under
 appropriate and rational treatment which I gave her
 she  returned  home,  and was duly  delivered  of  a
 healthy boy, and has ever since been in the best of
 health.

  Case II.—At one  time a young girl but 15 years of
 age was brought to me through the  kindness of  sym-
 pathetic friends.  Menstruation in her case had not as
 yet been  established  and she had  suffered  all the
 symptoms common  to such  cases.  Upon presenting
 herself to a surgeon of high reputation, noted for his
 skill in operations upon women, she had been induced
 by  direful declarations of her condition  and the ne-
 cessities of the case to submit to a physical examina-
 tion by the surgeon and two of his assistants,  who,
 after considerable manipulation, informed her and her
 companion who was with her that she would have to
 undergo an operation.   Her "disease " being stenosis
 or closure of the neck of the womb, requiring dilata-
 tion in order to permit the escape of the fluids.
  When she came to me she was  trembling  with fear
 and begged that she be not compelled to submit to ex-
 amination,  and this was not  necessary.  Her symp-
 toms,  otherwise ascertained,  plainly  indicated her
 true condition.  A proper course of appropriate medi-
 cation  soon  established menstruation and  saved her
 from the mutilation of a needless and shameful oper-
 ation.

            Taking Out the Ovaries.

  The ovaries, situated in the groins and  closely con-
nected  with the womb, are the most sensitive struct-
ures  in the  female  organism, and they  are also the
most important as far as her sex is concerned.   On ac-
     37 
578         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

count of their extreme sensitiveness they are very lia-
ble to be easily affected by disturbances of  the circu-
lation or of  the nervous system,  giving rise to such
sufferings as neuralgia, inflammation and congestion,
etc., just as other structures are.  It is not at  all un-
common for excesses  of all kinds, mental as  well as
physical, to cause such disturbances, which by proper
care and  appropriate treatment may be completely
overcome.
  But the ovaries being such  important organs to the
well-being and perfections of the female organism, the
idea gained  possession of  the professional mutilators
that the ovaries would present  a fertile field for their
operations, and they straightforth set to work to con-
coct a theory upon w7hich to base a plausible excuse
for their mutilation.   It was soon declared that the
least inflammation or other disorder of these  organs
were prolific causes of suffering  in  all parts of the
body.  Sick-headaches, back-aches, general weakness,
melancholy, hysteria and almost every other  form of
disturbances was directly traced  to  these special or-
gans, and they were accordingly doomed to be cast
out of the body like evil  spirits.   And many  women
were persuaded that all their ills  and w7oes  would in-
stantly and forever cease should  they but submit to
the  operation of  ovariotomy or   removal  of the
ovaries.
  From five hundred  to five  thousand dollars is the
merely nominal charge made  for  thus  destroying the
sex of woman, and out of  charity, and a  desire  to in-
crease the number of  successful operations performed,
these obliging and humane surgeons would, and still
do, spay women and young girls for nothing, provided
they could be persuaded to submit.  And as an induce-
ment to be thus spayed, the comforts of at once and for-
ever stopping menstruation and of avoiding pregnancy
were portrayed.
  This operation of removing the ovaries is to woman
what castration is to man.  The latter is a crime if
needlessly performed, and the man who has submitted
to it is regarded as an object of pity and an  aimless
and sexless  creature.  Can it be possible that in this
Christian land there are men  who for gain or  reputa- 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
579
 tion will so abuse the professional confidence reposed
 in them as to advise or even countenance the unsexing
 of woman for any other reason than for the saving of
 human life?  Such a  thing is not only possible,  but it
 is a fact only too frequently demonstrated.
  It cannot be that men of education and experience
 are so blind to  results as to suppose that removing
 the ovaries will overcome  the  disturbances of other
 organs caused by derangements of those organs them-
 selves.  There can be no other motive but a necessary
 one or a desire for fame to  prompt intelligent men to
 such infamy at the expense of helpless women.
  I would not have it understood that this abhorrence
 of mutilation is confined only to myself.  There are in
 the medical profession many men of ability and expe-
 rience who view these things in their proper light and
 who raise their voices in protest against the continu-
 ance of  such practices.  But the motives of the muti-
 lators are too mercenary to be overcome by protests.
 When one class  of operations become manifestly re-
 volting  to the public, another is introduced, and  usu-
 ally one of more daring and less regard for the sacred-
 ness of  womankind.
  The great mass  of the medical profession are  en-
 gaged in these nefarious practices, and so determined
 are they to uphold one another and to endeavor to
 blind the public to their failures, that in almost every
 instance of an operation, long before it is possible to
 definitely ascertain results  they proclaim in the jour-
 nals and newspapers the '' success '' of their great oper-
 ation; never failing to give the name and address of
 the operator and whatever  other statements as might
 serve for  advertising purposes.  As a rule it is  this
 class of  men who clamor for upholding professional
 dignity by codes of ethics and rigid prohibition of le-
 gitimate (paid for) advertisements.

            Professional  Testimony.

  It is  extremely  gratifying  to  know that  in  all
branches of the medical profession there are men who
cry out  against  these  outrageous  operations.   Prof. 
580
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
Bigelow, of Boston, in a paper read before the Inter-
national Medical Congress, said:
  "Who can enumerate the cases  in which the abdo-
men has been opened for supposed ovarian diseases
when not a trace of a pathological [diseased] condition
was discoverable?  Who wTill write the history of the
cases in w7hich perfectly healthy ovaries have been re-
moved without  one  shadow of improvement  in the
general condition of the patient?  A human being mu-
tilated, deprived of her distinctive chcracteristics, and
rendered miserable!   A human life poised between
earth and heaven to gratify ignorance or conceit!  A
human life sacrificed to ambition upon  the operating
table!"
  Is it  your life, your wife's life or your mother's life
that it is  proposed to thus poise between earth and
heaven or  to sacrifice,  upon the operating table, to
gratify ignorance or conceit or to satisfy ambition?
  Considerable space has been given to this subject of
mutilation of women, but it is worthy the earnest con-
sideration  of the  most thoughtful. It is a  subject
which  has had my closest attention for years, and it
has been my good fortune to rescue hundreds from the
hands of mutilators and restore them to perfect health
without the use of  the knife or any sacrifice of their
self respect.
  When it is of almost daily occurrence for me to be
consulted by those who were on the verge of submit-
ting to wholly needless and brutal mutilations, and
for me to start them on the  road  to recovery  by the
employment of rational means I feel justified in  saying,
in the name of womanhood, in the name of common
honesty, in the name of humanity, defend yourselves,
your wives, your  daughters,  your sisters and your
friends from the hands of  the  professional mutilators
of women.
    DISEASES OF THE WOMB OR UTERUS.
              Cancer of the Womb.
  This is a most frightful malady and one that is the
constant dread of many women.   Still it is  not  near 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.            581
so frequent as many suppose.  Unmarried women, or
those who have never borne  children, are the most
frequent sufferers, and although cancer of the womb
may develop at almost any time of adult life, still it
is altogether most frequent after the forty-fifth year
and before the sixtieth year.
  The causes of cancer  of the womb may  be any of
the numerous circumstances which  produce degener-
acy of the system.  The general causes of cancers of
all kinds are given in the article on cancer in the first
part of the book.   It is a fact that injury to the nerv-
ous system, disappointments, deprivations,  etc., are
closely associated with the development of cancer of
the womb.  Also impure blood from any cause, hered-
itary taint or bad habits may predispose to cancer.
The eating of pork  is especially  liable to favor the
condition in many.  To those who are predisposed to
cancer by heredity it becomes most imperative to ob-
serve the strictest rules of hygiene.
  The exciting causes of cancer of the womb may be
injuries or violence of any kind, falls, blows, the wear-
ing of pessaries, using of instruments or harsh means
of producing abortion, masturbation, violent  or ex-
cessive intercourse and even dysmenorrhoea or sudden
cessation of the menses.

  Symplons.—It is almost impossible to positively rec-
ognize a  cancer of the  womb w7hen it is at its first
stage, for many of the symptoms are such as may 'be
present  during  other derangements.   At first there
may be irregular or painful menstruation accompanied
by bearing-down sensations and peculiar feelings when
the rectum is emptied or the bladder evacuated.   Soon
after many of the early signs of pregnancy may be
noticed,   such  as  morning  sickness,  pains in  the
breasts, itching  of the gentials and  strong sexual de-
sires. Leucorrhcea is apt to be present, the discharge
being tinged with blood at times.  Melancholy, hys-
terical attacks  and peculiarities of desires are also
manifested.
  Cancer  of the womb  is usually situated upon the
neck of the organ, and if thus situated it can be seen
by examination as a knotted, irregular mass.   The 
582         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
back lip of the mouth of the womb will, as a rule, be
found larger than the front lip in such cases.  If the
cancer is situated within the cavity of the womb, the
mouth of the organ w7ill be found open.  In the early
stages the cancer is not sensitive  to pressure and is
not painful.
  The  growth of a cancer may cover a period of sev-
eral years before it becomes softened and malignant,
and during that period there may  be no suspicion of
cancer, and even a successful and full-termed  preg-
nancy  may intervene.
  When softening of the cancer once commences it
progresses rapidly and spreads in most cases to the ad-
joining organs, fallopian  tubes  and ovaries.  A dis-
charge is soon a matter of great annoyance.  In char-
acter it is tenacious at first, but may become greenish
or very dark and thin and terribly offensive and acrid,
abundant in quantity and scalding to  the surfaces of
the parts to which it comes in contact.  Hemorrhages,
often of a  dangerous character, may now be experi-
enced.  These hemorrhages may come on periodically
and at first  be mistaken for profuse menstruation.
But before long they  occur irregularly  without any
premonition and upon the slightest provocation, such
as walking up-stairs, coughing,  sneezing, etc.  There
is then, along with other  symptoms, no further doubt
of the rapid growth of a cancer progressing.  When
the blood of  a hemorrhage  is of a bright red  color,
there  is always  danger  of "bleeding to death,"as
such blood indicates that the cancer has eaten through
some artery of more or less size.
  Pain is a prominent and pronounced symptom of
cancer of  the womb in its fully developed stages.
The character of the pain is peculiarly significant.  It
is cutting or lancinating and most excruciating while
it lasts.   It darts and shoots through the loins and
groins and in the extreme lowest part of the abdomen.
At first such pains come  on every month along with
periodical  hemorrhages, and both  coming together
may for a time be mistaken for  painful and profuse
menstruation.  But the periodicity soon ceases and
pain may be experienced  at irregular  intervals or al-
most constantly.  And of such agonizing character 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
583
 are these pains that the sufferer becomes an object of
 commiseration; she probably endures the most intense
 suffering that can befall any human being.  And with
 such agony, along with the continuous ulcerative dis-
 charges, which become very abundant, and  the  fre-
 quent and profuse hemorrhages, it can well be under-
 stood that the patient's wThole system breaks down
 and is soon overwhelmed.   Emaciation is rapid  and
 the sufferer is spoken of as being nothing but  "skin
 and bones." A  woman weighing over one  hundred
 and fifty pounds  can in less than three months' time
 be reduced to  under seventy pounds.   The skin loses
 its elasticity and  becomes dry and shrivelled, and at
 first waxy and then  of that  peculiar ashy  or pale
 straw color which is peculiar to cancerous patients.
 At the same time the countenance assumes that ago-
 nizing and woe-begone expression commonly known
 as the "Hippocratic countenance."
  In the latter stages of the  disease lock-jaw and its
 associated convulsions may set it, rendering  the mis-
 ery agonizing to the sufferer and  most heart-rending
 to those who witness them.  Death under these cir-
 cumstances comes in its most horrible form.
  The sizes that cancers may reach  before  ulceration
 sets in vary.  In most cases the size of  a walnut is at-
 tained, though a cancer may reach the size of  a  goose
 egg even before it commences to  soften.  After soft-
 ening commences the growth becomes very  rapid  and
 may reach the size of a child's head.  Ulceration  and
 breaking down may  commence at  any time after  the
 cancer has softened.

  Treatment.—If a sufferer is fortunate enough to  rec-
 ognize her condition long before  softening has com-
 menced, there is a possibility of a cure  being effected,
 but measures must  be most prompt and  persistent.
 The least suspicion of the existence of cancer of  the
 womb should cause a woman to freely consult a skill-
ful physician and submil to  a thorough examination.
Absolute observance of all the  laws of hygienic  liv-
ing  should be  rigidly observed.  Fresh air in  abun-
dance, pleasant  out-door exercise,  well  ventilated
sleeping rooms, food of a nourishing and wholesome 
584
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
character, an abundance of pure water, frequent baths
of an agreeable temperature and pleasant companion-
ship—all these things must be provided if there is to
be any ground at all for recovery.
  Medication in the early stages of cancer must be di-
rected toward any disturbances of the  system which
may be manifested.  All through the disease the com-
pound syrup of  yellow dock  will be found a most  ex-
cellent alterative, and the stomach must be  kept in
good condition  and  the bowels  freely open.  The
"milk diet " is most advisable in advanced cases.
  For hemorrhages, the treatment advised  for flood-
ing in the article on Profuse Menstruation should be
carried  out.  For  the offensive and  irritating  dis-
charges, obey the treatment  advised for the  offensive
and degenerate discharges mentioned  under  Leucor-
rhoea.
  Beware of  charlatans and submit to  operation only
upon the advice of  and consultation of  surgeons
whose skill and judgment can be trusted.

          Displacements of the Womb.

  From many various causes the womb may become
displaced from its normal position and occupy a posi-
tion which will cause discomfort and, if not relieved,
may result in disease or invalidism.

  Symptoms.—Many of the symptoms that  are mani-
fested when the womb is  displaced are  likewise symp-
toms of other womb troubles. There may be  painful
menstruation or leucorrhcea, back-ache, bearing-down
sensations, a feeling of fullness and weight in the pel-
vis, pain in  the perineum  and  difficulty in passing
urine or  evacuating  the bowels,  nervous  disorders,
general weakness and frequent neuralgia.  There will
be pain during intercourse and usually  sterility.
  If the womb is thrown backward there will  be pain
in the lower part of the back, and the  body of the or-
gan being thrown against the rectum will cause most
obstinate constipation from painful accumulations in
the rectum. 
DISEASES OF  WOMEN.
585
  If the displacement  is forward  the body  of  the
womb will press against the bladder, causing a great
and constant desire to  urinate and perhaps absolute
inability to perform the act without the use of a cath-
eter, which often can  be introduced only with great
difficulty.  The  chief pain will be felt in the lower
part of the abdomen and thighs, also in the back.
  By careful examination by introducing the  fingers
into the vagina, the  nature of the displacement may
be ascertained.  In all cases  the side of the womb
will be distinctly felt  as a  smooth  and  dense body,
while  the mouth of the organ will be difficult to reach,
being  high up, either  pointing backward, as in  for-
ward displacement; or  pointing forward, as in back-
ward  displacement.  In backward displacement the
back wall of the vagina will be loose and the front
wall tense. In  forward displacement the front wall
will be loose and the back wall tense.
  Some cases of displacement come  on suddenly, ac-
companied by great pain, but most cases come on
gradually  and the symptoms develop slowly.   Not in-
frequently displacement of the womb may occur  dur-
ing pregnancy, when it should  be  attended to early,
as the constantly enlarging  organ makes it more and
more difficult to adjust,  and if neglected under such
circumstances,   serious  consequences  may  result.
While needless  examinations  are always to be  con-
demned, still when there is uncertainty as to the pre-
cise nature of womb troubles, an early  examination
may save many years of suffering.
  Forward displacements of the womb may be caused
by excessive or violent exertion,  long  retention of
fasces in the rectum, retention of the  menses, severe
vomiting,-  general weakness,  tumors,  tight clothing,
rupture during delivery, excessive horseback or bicy-
cle riding or anything that may cause engorgement of
the womb or relaxation of the tissues  surrounding it.
  Backward displacements may be caused by long de-
tention of urine in the  bladder, violent laughing or
coughing, jumping or sudden falling or stepping down
unawares,  long riding with the bladder full, blows on
the abdomen, tumors and ruptures and various similar
acts or conditions. 
586        A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Treatment—First  of  all it is absolutely necessary
for both the bladder and rectum to be  evacuated  be-
fore  attempting  replacement.  An injection should
unload the  bowels, and the urine may need to be
drawm off by means of  the catheter.
  In mild cases of short duration all that may be nec-
essary will be to place  the fingers into the vagina and
find the mouth of the womb and then insert one finger
into it and, by slightly bending the finger like a hook,
pull the organ  into its natural  position.  If the dis-
placement be forward the  patient should lie upon her
back  and have the  thighs flexed upon the abdomen.
Sometimes a woman may be able  to produce replace-
ment unaided, by lying on the floor on her back with
the thighs up against  the  bed and remaining in that
position  for  possibly  half  an  hour;  thus relieving
pressure  of the bowels downward  against  the womb
and allowing that organ to fall into its natural  posi-
tion  by  gravitation. At any rate, this position will
render replacement by manipulation much easier.
  Should the  displacement  be backward the patient
should assume what is known as the "genu pectoral"
position,  that  is,  she should place  herself upon her
knees and breast so as  to  place the pelvis as high up
as possible so as to aid replacement by gravitation.
  Backward displacement  wdll usually require manip-
ulation.   If  insertion of- the fingers into  the vagina
will not suffice, they should  be inserted into the rec-
tum, and pressure thus made.
  After the womb has been returned to its proper  po-
sition treatment must be as  advised for prolapsus or
falling of the womb (which see).

              Dropsy of  the Womb.

  Dropsy, of whatever nature, is a collection of serous
fluid in a cavity of the  body.  The lining of the womb
secretes a serous fluid, and  when  the  mouth of  the
womb becomes closed from some one cause or another,
the serous fluid is extremely liable  to  accumulate in
the womb and cause dropsy.  Tumors  are frequent
causes of dropsy of the womb,  though  irritations or
nervous conditions may cause contraction of the mus- 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
5H7
cles of the womb and thus retain the serous  fluid.
Dropsy is not infrequent  during pregnancy, and when
it then exists,  the  abdomen may grow to enormous
siz
  Anything that causes a low grade of inflammation
in the womb may be  a cause of dropsy.   Kicks or
blows or falls upon the abdomen, the improper use of
pessaries or the unskillful introduction of the uterine
sounder  other instruments,  the  improper use of in-
struments during labor, the performance of abortion,
etc  may all be mentioned as causes of that low grade
of inflammation which is apt to  result in dropsy; es-
pecially if the  system  is run down.

  Symptoms.— There  are no positive signs at first to
distinguish uterine dropsy from pregnancy,  but  as a
rule there will  be loss  of appetite, nervous debility,
indisposition and increasing paleness.
  The usual signs of  early pregnancy are present-
swelling  and tenderness of the  breasts, nausea or
morning sickness, bearing-down sensations and a pro-
gressive enlargement of the abdomen.  There may be
no suspicion of anything but natural pregnancy until
the time of quickening arrives, when failure to recog-
nize it will cause suspicion of other conditions.  Some-
times the weight of  the fluid in the womb will be suf-
ficient  to excite  contraction or  force aside the ob-
struction and be discharged in a few  weeks, and then
accumulate again, and again be discharged.
  But in other cases the fluid may not at all escape,
but continue to increase until the womb enlarges to
such an extent as to threaten rupture, which occasion-
ally does occur.  As  a matter of course the health
will fail rapidly  under such conditions and this fact
alone should cause suspicion that pregnancy may not
exist.  Fortunately, dropsy of the womb is far more
frequent with married women  than  with single wo-
men; for when an unmarried woman  does suffer from
such a dropsy  she cannot avoid scandal being circu-
lated concerning her which is hard to bear until time
proves pregnancy impossible.  And  should the fluid
be discharged  before  the time  when delivery is to be 
588         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.

expected, it will be extremely difficult to ever hush up
the circulated scandal in a satisfactory manner.

  Treatment.—In all cases of dropsy the system will be
so much run dow7n that the most rigid adherence to the
rules of hygiene must be observed.   Out-door exercise
of not too excessive a nature must be provided; if
walking is out of the  question, then carriage-riding
must be substituted, but horse-back and bicycle riding
must be prohibited.  Cheerful and sunny  rooms must
be provided, and the sleeping room  must be well ven-
tilated and be such a one as will have the sunlight en-
ter it during the daytime.   The food must be nourish-
ing and  plentiful, but  always plain.  Spices,  stimu-
lants  and alcoholic  liquors must  not be taken.  The
clothing should not be excessive, but it should always
be comfortably warm, for  chilling of the surface un-
der such circumstances  would be  disastrous.  The
feet must  be especially  protected  from  cold.  The
bowels should be moved twice a day and never be al-
lowed to become constipated.  The liver pills men-
tioned in the formulas will be found best for this pur-
pose.   Stimulating liniment should be rubbed over the
abdomen  night and  morning, and  sensitive persons
should protect the abdomen from cold by w7earing flan-
nel over it.
  It is important to ascertain the primary cause of the
dropsy, and if  possible, direct treatment to overcom-
ing it.  If  a tumor is present, it should be removed, or
if the lungs, or heart or  stomach  should  be affected,
the proper steps for relief must be taken.  Tonics are
in all cases absolutely necessary to invigorate the
system.  The  administration of  spiced  bitters (see
formulas) will be found most beneficial.   The skin will
usually be found dry and  harsh and w7ill require fre-
quent drinks of composition  containing pleurisy root,
which will produce  a perspiration that should  be
maintained if possible.   In all dropsies the skin can
be  advantageously taxed to relieve the body of ex-
cessive  fluid.   It is far  wiser to drive the skin than to
force the kidneys to  over-exertion.   Eating freely of
boiled onions will usually increase  the flow of  urine
sufficiently; though a little dwarf  elder may be used 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
589
with the spiced bitters.  Mullein leaves made into an
infusion and used freely will  aid  the  absorption of
fluid.  To promote the action of the skin there is noth-
ing so effective as a vapor bath.  It is very easy now
to&procure an apparatus for home use, and for dropsy
of the womb its use twice a week cannot be too highly
recommended.  If the vapor bath  is not used, then
hot hip baths should  be frequently  employed.
  In obstinate cases it may be necessary to use  vagi-
nal injections of lobelia  and lady-slipper,  and take
such measures as will excite the womb to activity; for
instance, the use of the emmenagogue pills, mentioned
in the formulas.
  Such treatment  should cause the fluid to be dis-
charged within a couple of  weeks after  it  is com-
menced.  When relief has been  secured,  the system
will be found w7eak and run down,  for  which the fe-
male restorative (see  formulas), should be given, and
general hygienic measures adopted  to build up the
strength.  Fluids should be taken sparingly and foods
should be of a solid  character, nourishing,  but not
stimulating.   It may take several months to regain
perfect health after dropsy of the womb.

       Falling of  the Womb.  Prolapsus.

  The womb is held in position simply by ligaments
and soft tissues, and it is therefore easily subject to
displacements of position, and the  more so when the
system is deranged in such a manner as to relax the
structures surrounding it.  One of  the  most common
of all the displacements is prolapsus, or falling of the
womb.   It is liable  to occur to any woman; though the
married are the ones most frequently subject to  it, es-
pecially if they have borne children  or are of a. lym-
phatic temperament or have been  worn by disease or
over-work or nervous strain.   It is also very frequent
in women who have been mutilated by instruments
during delivery or by having  the after-birth  forcibly
removed.
  The remote causes of falling of the womb are very
numerous,  and include all forms of diseases  or influ-
ences which cause a relaxation of  structures.   Dane- 
590         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ing, excessive walking, tight clothing and bad habits
often cause the difficulty.  Too frequent child-bearing
and too free marital indulgence are  frequent causes.
Bicycle riding at or about the menstrual period is also
becoming a prominent cause of prolapsus.

  Symptoms.—Falling of the womb may vary greatly
in degree and present diversified symptoms, and  the
temperament or state of general health of the woman
afflicted will likewise influence the symptoms and the
degree of suffering endured.
  The womb may be lowered but one or two inches,
and this is most usually the  case.  In  such instances
there will  be experienced  a  pronounced feeling of
weight or dragging in the groins and the fundament,
accompanied by pain in the small of the back and the
lower part of the abdomen.  These  symptoms will be
aggravated  by w7alking  or  over-exertion and at all
times proves very  weakening.  In  the vagina there
will be experienced a bulging and weighty sensation,
and by inserting the fingers, the womb  may be very
readily felt as a firm and movable tumor.  Pressure of
the organ against the bladder and the rectum may cause
difficulty of urination and produce constipation.  Not
infrequently such a condition of affairs, through sym-
pathetic action,  will result in nausea  and headache.
With  some women there may be a marked falling of
the womb into the vagina with very few unpleasant
symptoms, while with others the least  degree of pro-
lapsus may cause intense suffering.
  In some instances the degree of prolapse is very
pronounced, the womb itself actually protruding into
the outer world, dragging along with it the  walls of
the vagina and the ligaments, and occasionally the
bladder.  Of course in all such cases the suffering is
very great and accompanied by most pronounced pros-
tration.  The dragging  sensation may become unen-
durable and  cause a sense of tingling or numbness in
the small of the back.  Hemorrhage may occur,  and
not infrequently it will be impossible to prevent  the
urine  from constantly dribbling.  The womb soon be-
comes dark and greatly sw7ollen and tender,  and even
ulceration may result.  Leucorrhcea or "whites" is 
DISEASES  OF WOMEN.
591
extremely liable to prove annoying,  and in cases of
long standing, the discharge will become acrid and ir-
ritate every surface it comes in contact  with.   The
menses may make their  regular appearance.   It is
evident that such a condition will surely affect the
whole system.   The nerves especially will become de-
ranged, and hysteria and melancholy are apt to fol-
low.  In most severe cases the  sufferer will  be  com-
pelled to abandon ordinary pursuits and remain mostly
off her feet.

  Treatment—-It is very frequently supposed that local
injections  of  strong astringents  will of  themselves
effect a permanent cure.   But such is not the fact, for
there are many things to be taken  into consideration.
First of all, the  remote  causes of the  difficulty must
be ascertained and removed as far as possible.  Scrof-
ulous persons should use freely the compound syrup
of yellow dock (see  formulas).  In all cases attention
must be given to invigorating the system.  The most
nourishing diet must be used, fresh air must be pro-
vided in abundance and cheerful surroundings afforded.
Constipation is best relieved by glycerine supposito-
ries, as cathartics are inadvisable.  If the hands and
feet are cold frequent drinks of  composition tea may
be used to advantage.  Injections of "Distilled Sweet
Clover" against the womb  will  be found cleansing
and very beneficial.  As a general tonic the female re-
storative  (see  formulas) will be pleasant  and useful.
Vaginal suppositories containing oak bark and a  little
myrrh, made into regulation  size, with cocoa-butter,
should be used each night.   Cold  hip baths, where
they can be endured without discomfort,  will  often
prove beneficial as also will cold packs about the hips.
Sometimes  prolapsus will occur suddenly, which may
cause nausea or complete fainting.  In these cases re-
store the  patient to consciousness  by the methods di-
rected for "Fainting," and then administer compound
spirits of lavender or  ginger  or other diffusions, and
then proceed immediately to restore the womb  to its
proper position, for delay will cause  the organ to
swell and render its adjustment  most difficult.   Let
the  patient lie on the back with the limbs separated 
592         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

and the knees drawn toward the abdomen.  Cover the
hands and the parts with vaseline or lard and firmly,
yet gently, press the womb into its proper position.
  If the organ has been protruding for hours replace-
ment becomes far more difficult.   The bowels must be
moved freely by enema and the bladder must be emp-
tied by using the catheter.  Then an injection of lo-
belia infusion must be thrown into the rectum and re-
tained as long as possible, and lobelia mixed with lard
applied to the womb  so  as to  reduce the swelling.
Then proceed as described to effect replacement.
  When the womb  has been placed into its proper po-
sition perfect quietude on the back must be maintained
for a few days.  The astringent suppositories named
should be inserted and held in position by tampons of
cotton.
  There are  many devises invented for holding  the
womb in position, known as pessaries.  Some of them
are elastic rings, inserted  by bending them and then
allowing their elasticity  to keep them in position.
Others are  made of hard rubber and are cup-shaped,
held in position by a wire  in the vagina, fastened to
another wdre secured to a waist-band.  Pessaries do
not of themselves cure the difficulty,  but are a con-
venience in certain cases.   Their use may increase the
relaxation.  They should  never  be worn about  the
menstrual period,  and should be  removed at night.
Before inserting a pessary evacuate the bowels and
bladder and  wash out the vagina with an antiseptic
solution.

           Fibroids.  Fibrous Tumors.

  From causes not as yet fully recognized, tumors of a
fibrous character  are apt  to develop in the walls of
the womb,  and possibly  attain an  enormous  sir.e.
They  very  seldom appear before the age of thirty or
after the change of life.  They develop  very slowly,
and when of  large size they often give the appearance
of pregnancy, though as a rule the enlargement of the
abdomen caused by them is more to one side than gen-
eral.   Fibrous tumors have frequently been mistaken
for pregnancy. 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
593
  Symptoms.— In general nearly all the signs of preg-
nancy will be produced by a polypus or fibrous tumor.
There will be suppression of the menses, enlargement
of the breasts and  abdomen, nausea,  colic pains,
swelling of feet, and limbs,  cramps, constipation and
irregularities  of  urinary discharges from  pressure.
The* bearing-down  pains  are  greater in the polypus
than in pregnancy.   There is apt to be falling of the
womb, and in some  cases menstruation may not cease.
In many instances the health does not become greatly
impaired, and the tumor may cease to develop after it
has reached a certain size.  In all cases of polypus it
is impossible for pregnancy to go to full term.  It is
always important when such signs as described are ob-
served to definitely  ascertain as soon  as  possible
whether they are due to pregnancy or fibrous tumor,
and this will require a most thorough and skillful ex-
amination when it is not knowm that pregnancy is ex-
pected.

  Treatment.—The system must be  sustained by hygi-
enic measures and tonics if necessary.  Marital indul-
gence must be forbidden and all things avoided w7hich
have  a  tendency  to excite the  womb.   The bowels
must  be kept  open,  but  not by  violent cathartics.
Spontaneous or remedial cures are  impossible, but re-
moval by surgical operation is often resorted to.

            Flexures of  the Womb.

  The womb is liable to be bent upon itself in various
directions, the neck of the organ  remaining  in nearly
its natural position, while the  body inclines forward
or backward,  or  to either side.   The symptoms are
very much the same as those described in the chapter
on displacements of the womb, and the treatment also
similar.   As a  rule  the  exact form of flexure and its
extent cannot be  ascertained  without the use  of the
uterine sound,  and that instrument is usually  neces-
sary to correct the  difficulty.   Sometimes the flexure
is trifling and  temporary,  but nearly all cases of long
standing or pronounced flexure will require skillful ad-
justment.
     3S 
594         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
             Neuralgia  of  the Womb.

  This is a distressing malady, although not especially
serious in its nature.  It is most common to persons of
rheumatic tendency, and may,  indeed, be regarded as
a species of muscular  rheumatism.  It is  not  espe-
cially associated with menstruation and does not come
on periodically.
  Neuralgia of the womb is caused  by exposure to
cold or  dampness,  especially during  menstruation.
Laundry work at the time of menstruation is  a fre-
quent cause.  Excessive marital indulgence, dancing,
bicycle riding and sudden cooling off wrhile perspiring
will often result in neuralgia.

  Symptoms.—Sharp and  frequent pains in the region
of the womb and in the loins  will be experienced for
hours or days at a time, accompanied by dragging sen-
sations in the pelvis and a feeling of heat within the
lower part of the abdomen.   There will be  sensitive-
ness upon pressure and the pain will not be constant
in one spot.  Desire to urinate and  to evacuate the
bowels will be constantly urgent and painful.  Bodily
or mental exertion will increase the difficulty, and re-
lief seems to be obtained only by perfect quietude and
listlessness.  The suffering is most  excruciating in
character and may continue  for months.

  Treatment—Perfect quietude must be enjoined under
all circumstances and an endeavor made to divert the
flow of blood to the surface  as  quickly  as possible
during a paroxysm.  For this purpose use an infusion
of four parts of pleurisy root  and one part each of
ginger and black  cohosh, to be taken hot every half
hour in half-cupful doses for several  hours.  Put hot
irons or hot water bottles to the feet if they are cold,
and every three hours give an  injection to the bowels
of an infusion of lobelia, lady slipper and  scullcap;
over the abdomen rub stimulating liniment, and see to
it  that the  bowels are  freely  evacuated.  Such a
course should give  prompt  relief.  After relief has
been obtained from  paroxyms, the utmost care must
be taken against their return.  Pain may suddenly
cease and then suddenly return again. 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
595
  Persons subject to neuralgia of the womb should
seek a climate free from rheumatic influences and lead
a  quiet  life.  It is w7ell  to take a  soothing and
strengthening tonic, such as the Mother's Cordial (see
formulas), to  which  fluid  extract of  lady slipper
should be added.  Distilled water  should be drank
abundantly, to w7hich  may be added three grains of
citrate of lithia to a glassful.  In lieu of this  the
Buffalo Lithia water may be used.  The clothing must
be warm, and changed according to the changes of the
temperature as often as necessary.

                    Hydatids.

  These are  small  sacs, filled with  liquid, which oc-
casionally develop  in the womb  during pregnancy.
They may be very small or may appear like clusters
of grapes.  In some instances they may break and be
discharged during   early pregnancy  and  a  natural
pregnancy continue.  In most cases  hydatids grow to
great size and destroy fcetal life and are expelled be-
tween the fifth and  eighth months.   Though it is  not
unusual for hydatids to remain in the womb for sev-
eral years.
  The signs are those of early  pregnancy.   When they
are expelled early there will be a gush of clear or
straw-colored liquid and the foetus may follow  or re-
main to develop.  In later  stages hydatids are dis-
charged as an  abortion  would occur  and  must  be
treated in the same manner.

      Inflammation of  the Womb—Acute.

  At any time during adult life a woman is liable to
have inflammation of the womb from various causes.
Among the many causes may be mentioned exposure to
cold or chilling the body during the menstrual period,
the use of irritants to produce abortion or the employ-
ment of purgatives,  displacements of the womb of all
kinds, injuries to the abdomen, excessive  horse-back
or bicycle riding, the  insertion of instruments and
preventives,  dancing,  or walking,  or  exercising  to
great excess, too frequent or violent marital indul- 
590         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

gence and similar actions which excite the nerves of
the pelvic organs and induce an  abnormal flow7 to the
parts.
  Symptoms.—The form of inflammation of the womb
which  sometimes follows delivery  and is knowm as
child-bed or puerperal fever is fully described in the
article on child-bed fever.   Simple acute inflammation
is not so severe or dangerous.  The symptoms  are a
pronounced chill at the outset, soon followed by fever
of  varying degree, not high, as a rule, although the
pulse becomes very rapid in most cases.   Pain in the
lower part of the back and in the region of the womb
and possibly in the thighs will usually be experienced.
In  some the nervous  system suffers greatly and neu-
ralgic  symptoms  are  pronounced.   Faintness. nausea
and vomiting are  not infrequent.  The parts involved
become exceedingly tender, the vagina is hot and sensi-
tive, and the womb enlarges and is exceedingly tender
to  the  touch,  even through the  abdomen.  The en-
larged and inflamed womb  affects adjacent parts.
Evacuations from the bowels become painful and con-
stipation is marked,  and the bladder becomes  sensi-
tive, causing a constant desire to urinate, the act it-
self being painful.  Headache is  an almost constant
symptom, and in protracted or severe cases the tongue
becomes coated and there  are indications of general
depression throughout the system.

  Treatment.—Quietude in  bed  and an even tempera-
ture of the room are  of the first necessity. After the
chill has passed by, and it  will be of very short dura-
tion, administer  freely an infusion  of  ginger,  one
part, and pleurisy root, three parts, in order to pro-
mote outwTard circulation.  At the same  time  apply
stimulating liniment  over the abdomen and keep hot
irons to the feet until the whole body  is in a warm and
moist condition and  the extremities more than warm.
The bowels should be moved twice a day by the use of
a mild laxative—pills and  violent cathartics being in-
jurious and often of themselves a cause of inflamma-
tion.
  Should  the  menses be suppressed, the treatment
must be as advised for suppressed  menstruation (see 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
597
amenorrhoea).  It may be several  days or weeks be-
fore an  attack of  acute  inflammation of the  womb
subsides.   It is rarely dangerous  (except during con-
finement),  though if  neglected it may run into the
chronic form.  The diet must be light and nutritious,
and the laws of hygiene strictly observed.

     Inflammation of the  Womb—Chronic.

  The causes of chronic  inflammation  of  the  womb
are the same as those of the  acute form;  although  it
is more liable  to be caused  by displacements  of the
organ or other conditions whose effects  are  slowly
produced.   It is also a frequent result of improperly
treated or neglected acute inflammation.

  Symptoms.— There will be a bearing-down feeling  in
the pelvis with  pain in the back and groins, and the
patient may "feel as though something was coming
out," and have sensations common to  falling  of the
womb.   The menses  may or may not be interfered
with, though the  symptoms  usually  are  pronounced
between the menstrual periods.
  In the chronic  form of inflammation the nervous
system is usually  greatly affected.  There may be  ir-
ritability and melancholy or even hysteria.  Cramps
and neuralgia are common and spells of  palpitation
may be  frequent  and  annoying.   Constipation  is
marked, and evacuations from the bowels and bladder
usually cause considerable pain.

  Treatment.—Hygiene  and care are essentials for re-
covery.   Quietude of mind and body must be enjoined,
but not to such an extent as to  cause indolence; for
the thoughts must be kept upon cheerful things and
out-door fresh air is an absolute necessity.  The bow-
els should be kept open with very mild laxatives, and
the bladder may be soothed by drinks of cleavers or
marsh  mallow root.   Nervine  liniment  should  be
rubbed over the low7er part of the abdomen and small
of the  back,  and sponge baths, agreeably  warm,
should be used frequently.  Occasional  feverishness
may require the use of  infusions of pleurisy  root con- 
598
A PHYSICIAN JN  THE HOUSE
taining a little ginger.  The following will be found a
most excellent preparation for these cases:

    Take Pleurisy Root...................two parts.
         Marsh Malloiv Root..............two parts.
         Canaan He......................one part.
         Lady S/ipjier...................one part

  Mix,  and drink as a cold infusion every two hours.

  After the suffering  has been relieved the Mother's
Cordial (see  formulas)  will  be excellent  as a tonic
taken before meals.  It  may take months for recovery
to follow chronic inflammation of the womb.

  Congestion of the womb  presents very much the
same  symptoms as  inflammation,  though more de-
pressing in character, and not involving so much  sen-
sitiveness.  Treatment is very much the same, though
more decided stimulants should be applied.

             Inversion oF the Womb,

  Literally, inversion of  the  womb is that condition
where  the organ is inside out.  This may be partial,
as is most usual, or complete, which is rare and ex-
ceedingly dangerous.   Several  causes may  produce
this condition, the most frequent of which  is forcibly
detaching the after-birth in  confinement.  This  pro-
cedure is fraught with so much danger in so many
ways,  such as hemorrhage, inversion, inflammation,
incomplete removal, leaving particles to putrefy, etc.,
that it is strange that such a brutal practice is  still
followed by many physicians  who follow the dictates
of "authority" whether they  agree  with  common
sense or not.   Violent efforts  at expulsion during la-
bor, or the improper use of instruments,  or too short
a cord may likewise cause inversion.   Again, a tumor
of large size situated in the womb may, by its weight,
in falling into the vagina, drag the wall of the womb
with it.  Dropsy of the womb and any other condition
that relaxes the walls of the  organ may result in in-
version.  The condition is always  a serious one, and 
DISEASES OF  WOMEN.
599
if neglected or improperly treated, will result in life-
long invalidism, if not death.

           Moles.  False Conception.

  In frequent instances, on account  of shock or acci-
dent or other reasons, a pregnancy which has started
normally may not proceed.  The fcetus very early
ceases to develop correctly and  forms a mass, often
vaguely resembling a fcetus, soft and bloody in char-
acter, which is usually discharged about the  second or
third month, though sometimes  going to "full term,"
or nearly so, though not usually developing to a size
beyond that of a large apple.
  The symptoms  are  the usual  signs of early preg-
nancy and  there are no means of recognizing  moles
from pregnancy, unless they remain beyond the  fifth
month when absence of quickening  should  cause ex-
amination.  Hemorrhage is likely to occur at the  time
of expulsion.

            Polypus of  the  Womb.

  Prom  causes not always to  be ascertained tumors
may grow  in the womb or at its entrance,  known as
polypi (singular, polypus).   They usually develop  very
slowly and  attain varying degrees of size—some being
but as large as a marble and others larger than an or-
dinary crooked-neck  squash.  A polypus  is rather
firm in consistence and is covered with mucous mem-
brane and contains blood vessels which permit of its
growth.   Sometimes so great is the growth  of a poly-
pus that pregnancy is suspected, and not infrequently
such a condition is the cause of humiliating scandal.

  Symptoms. — The existence of polypus is rarely sus-
pected until it has obtained considerable size; although
examination for suspected womb troubles  of a  very
different nature may  reveal a  polypus.   Among the
symptoms may be  mentioned a  discharge  of mucus,
pus  and blood,  offensive in character, followed by fre-
quent hemorrhages which may prove quite exhausting.
Menstrual irregularities v/ill become frequent, and the 
600
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
general health will fail and the sufferer become  pale
and very weak.  Bearing down sensations will be ex-
perienced, and palpitation, weak pulse, nausea, faint-
ness and  swellings of  the feet and limbs may occur.
In some instances, wdien the polypus has existed for
some time, its presence will excite contraction of the
muscles of the womb, which may cause severe  pain
and be so violent as to break the neck  of the tumor
and allow of its spontaneous contraction.  Sometimes
the tumor will close the mouth of the womb and hin-
der the discharge of menstrual fluid, which will  then
accumulate and undergo decomposition  and cause se-
rious troubles.  The tumor may  descend into the va-
gina and  grow7 so large that it will drag down the womb
and cause prolapsus or falling of that organ.   Hemor-
rhage is a constant symptom of polypus.

  Treatment.—A surgical operation is the only means
of removing a polypus.  The operation is not a severe
or dangerous one and is uniformly successful.  In no
case should operation be delayed in the hope that na-
ture will expel the tumor unaided.
  When hemorrhage is severe the directions given for
excessive menstruation must  be  followed.  At the
time of  hemorrhage  the patient must lie down and
use  the diffusive drops or other stimulating agents.
A drink of raspberry and goldenseal infusion three or
four times a day will  be beneficial until the operation
is performed.

            Ulceration  oF  the Womb.

  Any thing  or act which irritates  the neck of the
womb  may cause an inflammation followed by conges-
tion and  ultimately result in ulceration.   Married wto-
men may suffer from this difficulty in consequence of
excessive or violent marital intercourse, or as a result
of wearing pessaries  for womb  troubles, or mechan-
ical  contrivances for the prevention  of conception.
Likewise harsh vaginal injections may  be the cause.
Young girls or unmarried women may bring about an
ulcerated condition  by the  insertion of instruments
for the  purpose of pleasurable excitement,  or  they 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
601
may suffer ulceration as a consequence of sudden sup-
pression of the menses producing congestion.

  Symptoms.— Ulceration itself  cannot occur suddenly.
In all cases there must first be  a period of congestion,
manifested by more or less suffering. This period
may extend over weeks or months before the ulcera-
tion.  There will be a  sense of fullness in the pelvis
and dragging dowm sensations.  Intercourse will be
painful and usually there will be tenderness in the re-
gion of the womb and sensitiveness or irritable  itch-
fngs of the external parts.  These symptoms are soon
accompanied  by shivering sensations becoming fre-
quent and followed by  hot  flushes.  Soon after these
symptoms a leucorrhoeal  discharge  will be noticed,
which will increase in quantity and be streaked with
blood and pus. and usually becomes  offensive,  and
may be, in bad cases,  acrid and irritating to surfaces
in which it comes  in contact.  Such  a condition  will
surely affect the general health, causing great weak-
ness,  paleness, loss of appetite and  irritability or
prostration of  the  nervous system.   The  ulceration
itself  may not be  extensive, and is usually  in small
spots over the neck of  the womb, but if not promptly
attended to may continue for  months  and prove  ex-
hausting and is extremely liable to result in serious in-
flammation of the womb.

  Treatment.—It is, of course, best to  check  the diffi-
culty before it reaches the ulcerative stage, but this is
rarely done, because  the  first symptoms are usually
thought to be trifling and  are  thus neglected.  Could
they  be  recognized and attended to  promptly,  the
difficulty could be readily overcome.  Keep the bowels
freely open with mild laxatives, rub "stimulating  lini-
ment  over the lower  part of the abdomen and use a
vaginal injection four times a  day of Distilled Sweet
Clover,  avoid  excessive exertion and  forbid marital
intercourse.  After ulceration has made  its appear-
ance add to the Distilled Sweet Clover a small amount
of myrrh and goldenseal, and  sustain the strength by
using the female restorative three times a day.   (See
formulas). 
602         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

                MENSTRUATION.

         Menses.   Periods.  Monthlies.

  All healthy women have a blood discharge from the
womb periodically once a  month  from the time when
the procreative organs are fully developed until  they
lose their powers of procreation.  This period usually
extends over thirty years,  sometimes more and some-
times less; usually commencing at the age of fifteen
and ceasing at the  age of forty-five.  In warm  cli-
mates menstruation may commence at the tenth year,
and in cold climates  it may not commence until  the
twentieth year.
  Habits of  life may alter the period when menstrua-
tion commences.  Weak girls or those reared in lux-
ury, or  those  who over-excite their brain and nerv-
ous system by sensational reading or false methods
of life are  apt to menstruate early.  While,  on the
other hand, girls of  quiet  habits and free from sensa-
tional ideas, and those of strong physique  and  not
over-sensitive  natures may not menstruate until very
late, possibly not until the twentieth year.
  It was long supposed that the menses were con-
trolled by the  changes of  the moon, as many women
menstruate at  the new or  full moon, and the function
is performed naturally every tw7enty-eight days.  But
menstruation may occur at any  time of the month,
and the periodical return,  like the periodicity of many
other natural performances,  must be classed as a law
of nature.
  Natural menstruation should last from three to five
days  every  month.   The  amount of blood passed at
each period is  rarely less  than a small teacupful and
seldom  more than a large coffee-cupful (from four to
eight  ounces).   Less than the smaller amount should
be considered as deficient menstruation, unless the
person is very small  or wTeak or anaemic.  More than
the larger amount named  should  be considered as ex-
cessive  menstruation,  unless the  person is large or
full-blooded  or  lymphatic.   The smaller  amount
named would likewise be  a deficient quantity for the
latter class of women; and the larger amount  men- 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
603
tioned would  be excessive  for women of the other
class.
  What is menstruation?  This is a question very fre-
quently asked and very simply answered.  The blood
which is discharged from the womb by developed wo-
men not pregnant or nursing, is the blood that would
otherwise be used in developing  the  fcetus in the
womb, or in forming the milk for the new born babe.
Nature  thus  makes provision for procreation,  and
whether or not this provision is utilized depends upon
the individual.   All through  the menstrual (or cata-
menial) period of life pregnancy will cause this blood
to be  used rather than discharged.   In some cases, es-
pecially during  the early months, a slight menstrua-
tion may continue  during  pregnancy;  apparently
more  blood being furnished  than is  necessary.  In
full-blooded persons this  should  not occasion alarm;
but in feeble or anaemic persons  it is not a good sign
and should be corrected.
  The blood  discharged during- menstruation differs
from  ordinary blood  only in  the  peculiarity  that it
does not coagulate.  With some persons the discharge
is very  offensive, which necessitates the use of mild
disinfectants.  In all  cases it  is absolutely necessary
to health  that cleanliness be  observed.   The napkin
used  to receive  the discharge should be frequently
changed, and the part washed  with warm—never cold
—water.  An odorless disinfectant, such as  Piatt's
Chlorides, will be found best when any such article is
needed, and the  napkins may  be  saturated with this.
  Let it be remembered that while menstruation is a
natural act, the system at such a  time  is disturbed in
such a manner as necessitates the greatest precautions
against exposures or  extra  exertions.   Fatigue of
mind  or body or catching cold during menstruation
may cause serious trouble  and  lay  the  fcundation  for
future invalidism.   Ordinary duties may and should
be performed, but excesses of  all  kinds, trying  jour-
neys,  dancing, long walking, bicycle riding, and other
similar acts should be "voided. The system at such a
time has a natural strain put upon it  and cannot  en-
dure,  without injury, indiscretions  of any character. 
604         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
         Establishment oF  Menstruation.

  When  the  procreative  organs  of  women  have
reached  that  stage of development which enables
them to fulfill the functions for which they were de-
signed, the menses  will usually make their first ap-
pearance.  This period of life (the age of puberty, or
" the first change of life ")  is one of the most trying
in the life of woman, and much of her future physical
well-being depends upon the care exercised  at this
time. Mothers  should warn their  daughters  at this
time and not allow  false modesty to leave such facts
to be spoken of first  by inexperienced or frivolous
classmates, or to be learned accidentally in a manner
which might shock or injure the  body for all future
time.
  A young girl approaching her first menstrual period
w7ill evince some marked peculiarities,  w7hich  should
be recognized and  dealt with properly.  For a time
she will be mentally unaccountable for her words and
actions.  She  is apt to be exceedingly  irritable and
peevish,  of hasty temper  and most  excitable.  She
may  appear cruelly unkind or perverse,  and again she
may  be very affectionate and sensitive to impressions.
No dependence can  be placed upon the state of her
mind, and she should not be censured for her  peculi-
arities.   Headache  at  this time is most usual, and
with it comes drowsiness and perhaps dizziness and a
confused feeling with  absent-mindedness or loss of
memory.   Many girls  become most stupid and awk-
ward in manner and commit all sorts  of  blunders for
which parents, ignorant of  the facts, will harshly con-
demn them.   Falling to sleep over their work or in
conversation, dropping dishes or other articles and a
hundred and one other unnatural acts  may be  com-
mitted without intention.   The appetite at  such a
time is extremely apt to  be peculiar  and unaccount-
able.  What will be relished  one day may be detested
the next, and dainties or  improper foods of all kinds
may  be demanded.  It  is not unusual to find such girls
eating chalk crayons or slate pencils or drinking vine-
gar,  and  their appetite  for  pickles is apt to become
insatiable. 
DISEASES OF  WOMEN.
605
              Tardy  Menstruation.

  It very frequently happens that menstruation is not
 established  at the time when it  should be expected.
 This may be the occasion of much alarm and unless
 the reasons  therefor are fully understood, measures
 may be taken which might result in disastrous effects.
 The causes of delayed menstruation may be summa-
 rized as follows:

  Imperfect Development.—In some instances all
 the signs of puberty or "the first change of life " may
 manifest themselves and do so in a most regular man-
 ner, and still the menses do not  appear, and unpleas-
 ant  symptoms  are soon noticed,  such as paleness,
 weakness, severe  headaches, poor appetite, palpita-
 tion and hot flushes.  Sometimes a discharge of mucus
 (whites) may take  place and  prove exhausting, and
 again the girl may fall into the condition known  as
 green  sickness (see Chlorosis).  These  undersirable
 conditions may sometimes be caused by great grief or
 disappointments coming at the age of puberty, or by
 improper  living  or insufficient food.   Over-worked
 girls, such as are employed in  stores,  factories, etc.,
 and girls who are aimless on  account of wealth and
 lead indoor lives, are the ones most likely to experi-
 ence imperfect development.  The consequences of this
 condition are serious unless early overcome, and  not
 infrequently marasmus or consumption will follow.

  Treatment.—Under no circumstances should drugs be
 relied upon to meet this condition of imperfect devel-
 opment.  Mothers make a great  mistake in supposing
 that the  girl may be  " brought  around all right " by
 the use of emmenagogue  pills or other means calcu-
 lated to force the system.  Force is not required in
 these cases, and is absolutely harmful.
  First of all provide such hygienic surroundings and
employ such measures as will give nature every op-
portunity to bring  about the  usual condition of  the
system. Provide sunlight, and plenty of it; fresh air
uabapunince; plain and wholesome food; plenty of
re wdentar; bed-rooms  w7ell ventilated,  pleasant com- 
606         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
pany and  wholesome  and interesting  reading, and
complete rest from study.   Do not treat the girl as an
invalid, but recognize  her  condition and its  require-
ments.  Be sure that the clothing is regulated to the
seasons, and  that extra wraps are worn when chilly
changes of the wreather occur.  Keep  the feet warm
and  dry  and enforce the rule of '' early to bed and
early to rise."  Keep the bowels open by some mild
laxative, and  for cold  feet bathe them in  hot water
containing a little red pepper.
  In severe cases (and only severe  ones) give eacii
night a drink of camomile  and motherwort infusion,
containing a little ginger.  When it  is evident by
pains and otherwise that the menses are about to ap-
pear, a little black cohosh  may be added to the infu-
sion.   Such a course will prove fully sufficient.

  Excessive  Development.—Some  girls  who are
very full-blooded and robust may experience consider-
able  trouble  wThen the menses  should first  appear.
The face may be flushed, the pulse full and strong, the
breasts tense; there may be headache and pain in the
back  and  possibly a  sense of fullness in  the lower
part of the abdomen.

  Treatutod.—Keep the bowels freely open by a saline
aperient, such as Rochelle salts;  forbid stimulating
foods; allow very little meat.   Have tepid baths taken
every  other day and provide out-door exercise of a
vigorous nature.  At  the time of  approaching men-
struation  give infusion of  pennyroyal  and black co-
hosh, and hot foot baths.   Let the body have oppor-
tunity to wrork off its surplus energy.

  Feeble Development.—Sometimes girls may more
than  reach the  time of menstruation  and  yet there
may be scarcely any signs  of  a change taking place.
The  breasts  and figure and  voice may remain  un-
changed; and the internal organs may not yet be fully
developed.  As  long  as there is good health such a
condition  need  cause  no alarm;  and  no  treatment
whatever should be given beyond allowing plenty of
fresh air,  wholesome food, pleasant  employment and 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
607
 cheerful surroundings.   Never try to force the system
 under such circumstances, and do not allow the girl to
 imagine there is "something wrong."  There is noth-
ing wrong as long as the health is good, even though
 the  menses  do not appear until after the  age of
 twenty.  If they never come, the reason may possibly
 be absence of the womb or other malformation.

  Disease.—Girls who are consumptive,  or who have
 constitutional diseases of specific origin, such as con-
 genital syphilis, or girls who have serious diseases of
 the liver, or other  organs, are extremely liable to have
 their menses retarded by the  impossibility of the womb
 being fully developed under  such conditions.
  In such cases it is worse than useless to use emmen-
 agogues or  other  agents to force the system.  The
 best that can be done is to  endeavor to remove the
 constitutional disease, which is a doubly difficult task
 at this time.  It very frequently happens that women
 who have long  menstruated  will experience suppres-
 sion from diseases  of various natures.  Under all such
 circumstances emmenag-ogues should not be used.

  Malformations.—There are occasionally instances
 of malformations  retarding  the menses.  Sometimes
 the  hymen  will be imperforate.  This may  be sus-
 pected when there is full development and periodical
 attacks of pain  in the back and pelvis accompanied
 by swelling and tenderness  of the  abdomen and un-
 pleasant  feelings  afterward.  Such  circumstances
 should warrant an examination and the slight opera-
 tion necessary to correct the trouble.
  In rare instances there is what is known as " atresia
 of the vagina," where that canal is closed its entire
 length, or part of its length,  operation is then a neces-
 sity.
  Absence  of the  womb and  absence  of the  ovaries
 are conditions which maybe  mentioned, but they are
 very rare.  Occasionally the labia are sealed together,
 and will necessitate a slight  operation.   But all such
 circumstances are  curiosities  and might not  be met
 once in ten million cases. 
608         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Early Irregularities.—It is most frequently the
case that after the first appearance  of the menses,
they may not appear again  for two, three or more
months.  Nothing wrong may  be  suspected  under
such circumstances, as it is most common.  See to  it
that fresh air, good food, cheerfulness and appropri-
ate exercise are  all furnished, and as  long as the
health continues good there is no cause for worry, for
Nature will work in her own way and at her own time
to accomplish her purposes.
  It sometimes happens that uninformed girls are
frightened at the  first appearance of the menses, and
strive to check  the  flow by  bathing in cold water.
Such a procedure is often the cause of serious trouble
ever after.

     PainFul  Menstruation—Dysmenorrhoea.

  There is no more universal form of suffering endured
by  women  than  painful  menstruation.   There   is
scarcely a woman living who  has not suffered in this
manner at some time, and there are  many  who suffer
regularly and intensely at every period from puberty
to the "change of life."  There  are many causes of
dysmenorrhoea, the chief of which  is imprudency at
some time at  the  period of menstruation,  usually ex-
posure to cold or excessive  exertion. Rheumatism.
neuralgia and ulceration of the  womb, grief, excite-
ment and excessive marital indulgence are also causes
of dysmenorrhoea, often of an obstinate character.

  Symptoms.—Usually one day, and  possibly two or
three days,  before the discharge makes its appear-
ance, there will  be  pain in  the back and loins and
lowrer part of the abdomen, sometimes extending down
the thighs.  This pain varies in character and  dura-
tion in different persons.  Some suffer but a few hours
before relieved by the discharge, and others suffer for
several days, and the suffering may continue while the
discharge takes place little by little.  With some the
suffering is accompanied by constipation,  nausea and
sensitiveness of the stomach and great irritability  of
mind; while  others may not have these accompaui- 
diseases of women.            609
 ments.  Faintness, headaches and neuralgia may like-
 wise occur; and some suffer tenderness and swelling
 of the breasts and abdomen.
   At first these distressing circumstances are not of
 long duration,  but, if left unattended  to, dysmenor-
 rhoea becomes a matter of great concern, many women
 suffering a week or possibly two wTeeks at each period;
 making  half their  lives times of agony.  Frequently
 during painful  menstruation the blood will be dis-
 charged in clots and occasionally mingled w7ith shreds.

   Treatment.—Be sure that the bowels are freely open
 as the menstrual period approaches, and  for  three or
 four days before the attack use a hot hip-bath twice a
 day and drink freely  of camomile or motherwort or
 blue cohosh or smart-w7eed or pennyroyal or feverfew
 tea, and these teas may be continued during the pain-
 ful periods.  Relief may  also be obtained by  using
 large injections of lady slipper, containing a little lo-
 belia, in starch water.  It is usually best  to lie down
 while the suffering is intense; although some find most
 relief by sitting upon a chamber vessel partly filled
 with a steaming infusion of lobelia.
   By far the most  certain means of securing relief is
 to make  an infusion of equal parts of lobelia herb and
 lady slipper in  hot olive  or  cocoanut  oil and  when
 cool dip  into it small rolls of cotton  with strings at-
 tached, and insert one such roll of cotton up  against
 the mouth of the womb every tw7elve hours; removing
 them by  the attached string.
   But relief at the time of  pain is not the  only aim to
 be sought, the prevention of further attacks by com-
 pletely overcoming the difficulty  should be most de-
 sired.  Accordingly a  course of  treatment must be
 planned and diligently pursued, perhaps for  months.
 Of course hygienic regulations, proper food, fresh air
 and moderate exercise are imperative.  The compound
 liriodendron syrup (see formulas) will meet most cases.
 If  there is sluggishness the compound syrup of Mitch-
ella  will be preferable.   If the  liver is  greatly at
fault, as will be manifested by sallowness  and consti-
pation, the liver pills should be employed. Chronic 
610
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
diseases, which complicate dysmenorrhoea, must be
ascertained and appropriately treated.

     Excessive Menstruation—Menorrhagia.

  It has been stated that women differ in the amount
of blood discharged at menstrual periods.   But when,
in an individual case, a woman discharges much more
blood than is natural for her during a menstrual pe-
riod, it may be called  profuse  menstruation or menor-
rhagia.  The excessive quantity may be discharged in
the usual period of time, or the  discharge may  con-
tinue more days than usual, or the  periods may be at
intervals of three,  or even two weeks.  In any case
the excessive loss of blood cannot but be weakening
to the system, and if repeated will surely result in in-
jury, and menorrhagia, unless remedied, will  almost
surely increase in severity.

  Causes.— Women of  vigorous habits who are  full
blooded, often suffer from menorrhagia, as also do wo-
men who are debilitated or whose tissues and organs
are relaxed.   Scrofulous persons or  those suffering
from diseases of the kidneys or liver are also prone to
the difficulty.   Poor food,  bad habits and too  long
nursing of  an infant may likewise favor menorrhagia.
  Among the immediate causes of profuse  menstrua-
tion none is so common as force in labor.   The usual
methods of delivery by the aid of forceps, and the
hurried removal of  the placenta  by force  cannot be
too highly condemned, and thousands  of women are
rendered life-long sufferers by these acts  of  profes-
sional barbarity.
  Excessive marital indulgence is also a very frequent
cause of profuse menstruation, and a most unpleasant
one, as thereby the  organs,are rendered sensitive and
congested.  The use of  stimulants and excesses of
all kinds are likewise common causes of the difficulty.
But whatever may  be the  cause  of menorrhagia the
results must be disastrous, bringing  about impoverish-
ment of the blood and great loss of strength.

  Symptoms.—There may  or may not be an  extraordi-
nary amount of pain at the menstrual period, but the 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
611
amount of the discharge will be materially increased,
and will  usually be recognized as brighter in color
than normal and immediately followed by a more com-
plete sense of prostration than common.
  Excessive menstruation  cannot continue  without
most marked effects of the loss of blood  being soon
made manifest.  There  will be paleness and great
prostration, and a sense of inability to perform ac-
customed labor.  There will be  short breathing and
frequently  derangements of the stomach and bowels.
The  countenance in time  becomes pinched and d.ark
rings come  under the eyes; and often there is extreme
sallowness.  The brain eventually  feels the  loss of
nourishment through a deficient supply of blood and
there will be intense  headaches,  dizziness, faintness
and,  in occasional cases, epilepsy.  The nervous sys-
tem becomes irritable and sensitive, and the enfeebled
circulation  is  manifested by a weak and rapid pulse;
while the heart frequently  "flutters " after the least
exertion.  Sometimes  there  will be dropsy about the
ankles and  limbs; and  not infrequently  leucorrhcea
(whites) will be annoying betw7een the regular periods.
In protracted cases or  in women of feeble constitution,
or those of very plethoric condition who suffer profuse
menstruation, there is liability of a sudden and very
severe hemorrhage endangering life.   Elderly women
who have long had menorrhagia are apt to have dis-
placements  of  the womb—that organ  falling over
against the bladder and causing unpleasant symptoms
in connection  with urination.   Thus in many ways
menorrhagia or  excessive  menstruation  makes  life
miserable and breaks down the system.

  Treatment.—General  treatment  for excessive men-
struation must be  directed according to the cause of
the difficulty and the physical condition of the patient.
Women of delicate constitution must  be allowed every
opportunity to gain strength.  Fresh air, very nour-
ishing food, cheerfulness and  pleasant  surroundings
are indispensable.  The feet must be kept  warm at
all hazards and  the limbs well clad.  Exercise must
be very limited and never violent. Vigorous rubbing's
of the hips and back are useful.  In the way of medi- 
612         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
cines there is, perhaps, no better preparation for this
condition than " Elixir of Pepto-Mangan,'' that desig-
nated as "Gude's" being especially valuable.   The
female restorative bitters, mentioned among the form-
ulas, will be found  very useful.  The stomach may
likewise  demand attention.  Sucking babes must be
weaned if possible.
  Persons of  plethoric habits should pursue an oppo-
site  course.  With them  it is  necessary to prevent
over-stimulation and over-nourishment.  Food must be
wholesome but not stimulating and devoid of spices
and  coffee.  Exercise is a necessity though extremes
of heat and  cold  and in all things must be avoided.
The bowels should be kept freely open—the saline ca-
thartics  being best  suited for  this purpose in these
cases; Rochelle salts being most excellent.

  Hemorrhage.—In case of sudden and profuse hemor-
rhage, which may endanger life, manifested by con-
tinuous gushes of blood,  cold hands and feet and flut-
tering pulse, action must be prompt. Place the patient
on the back, without a pillow7.   Bathe the feet and
limbs in hot water containing mustard or red pepper,
rub them dry and wrap in blankets.  Put hot irons or
hot water bottles to the feet and hips.  If possible to
secure it promptly give every ten minutes for an hour
three-drop  doses of oil of erigeron (flea-bane) on a lit-
tle sugar.  Any of the following may be used advan-
tageously:
  A strong tea of alspice, or an infusion of  black pep-
per in teaspoonful doses.  These may be most handily
prepared.
  A strong infusion of composition, given  in one-fourth
cupful doses every twenty minutes is a most valuable
means of stopping the hemorrhage.
  Witch hazel, raspberry leaves, bayberry, tannic acid,
kino, or any other strong astringent with red pepper
will  answer.
  If  the patient grows very cold and the lips and nails
look blue no time can be lost.  The strongest medica-
tion must be used promptly—red pepper tea every five
minutes will  not be too much.   Every effort must be 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
613
 made to get the circulation equalized by urging the
 blood to the surface and extremities.
  It may be necessary to use vaginal  injections of as-
 tringents  (without the  stimulants).  Never use  cold
 water injections or applications of any kind.
  After an attack of hemorrhage or of unusually pro-
 fuse menstruation the patient should be  kept abso-
 lutely quiet and allowed to sleep as much as possible
 and to talk only as a necessity.   Strengthening nour-
 ishment must  be  taken as soon after the attack as
 possible.   The recumbent position, with the head low7,
 must be maintained for two or three days;  and before
 the next period the general treatment advised must be
 carried out.
  It must be remembered that profuse menstruation is
 not infrequently a symptom of  some disease of the
 womb, such as tumors, cancers, etc.  When such con-
 ditions are suspected  no time should be  lost in sub-
 mitting to a thorough examination that  the  proper
 treatment  may be commenced.


    Suppressed Menstruation—Amenorrhoea.

  It is well understood that the menses usually cease
 when conception takes place and do  not  occur again
 during pregnancy,  and possibly not until several
 months after delivery—sometimes not until the child
 is weaned.  Also the  menses fail to appear at the
 change of  life.  But often when  neither one of these
 conditions is present other causes may result in the
 suppression of  menstruation.  Some  of these causes
 may bring about  a sudden cessation, in  which case
 there will  be acute amenorrhoea.   Other causes may be
 slow in affecting the function and  produce  chronic
 amenorrhoea.

  Acute Amenorrhea.—This condition is almost  in-
 variably the result of  catching cold about the time the
menses should appear  or during menstruation.  Get-
ting the feet w7et, taking cold baths,  sitting upon the
ground, wearing improper clothing, drinking excess- 
614         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

ively of cold fluids, and exposures of any kind which
chill the surface  are extremely liable to prevent or
check the  flow.  Another cause of  suppressed  men-
struation is sudden or profound mental strain, such as
may be caused by great worry or grief or excitement.
It may  be mentioned  that any of these causes may
manifest themselves between the periods and  be fol-
lowed by suppression.   Often, also, during the course
of disease the menses may fail to appear properly and
thus aggravate the general difficulty.

  Symptoms.-—In light cases there will be a dragging
sensation about the hips and thighs and lower part of
the back, accompanied by considerable pain in the
lower part of the abdomen and back, and  slight fev-
erishness or flushes.  In more severe cases all these
symptoms are aggravated, and there may also be in-
tense headache, usually on the top of the head, and
dizziness  and  impaired  eyesight.  Sometimes  pain
will be  of a neuralgic character, both in the  head
and in the womb, causing intense suffering.  Not in-
frequently the stomach will be very sensitive and food
or the thought of it will produce nausea  or vomiting,
often bile and mucus being vomited.   The mental fac-
ulties are affected, and there will be  inability to read
or even  listen  to conversation.   Occasionally there
will be a partial paralysis manifested.  In scrofulous
persons,  or those of consumptive tendencies, an in-
flammation of the lungs is extremely liable to occur in
severe cases, caused by exposure to cold or to damp-
ness.  Others may suffer from inflammation  of the
bowels or of the womb itself, and the abdomen may be
greatly distended and the  breasts enlarged.  In nearly
all cases there will be  a marked indisposition to men-
tal and physical  labor, and some palpitation of the
heart, and under  the eyes dark rings will appear, and
the feet will be cold.  Nervous persons, and especially
those suffering suppression from  nervous strain, are
liable  to serious outbursts  of hysteria,  sometimes
closely  resembling mania in  their  characteristics.
Leucorrhcea, or the whites,  may follow suppressed
menstruation, and when abundant will give relief, al-
though it is not a desirable outcome.  In some cases 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
615
vomiting of blood may occur  and abatement of dis-
tress follow.

  Treatment,—It is necessary to ascertain the cause of
suppression.  If it is due to exposure to cold, the first
aim must be to equalize the circulation by getting the
blood to the surface  and extremities.  By all means
place the patient in bed and  keep her there until re-
lief is secured except when it is necessary to apply
treatment requiring otherwise.  In mild cases placing
hot irons or water bottles to the  feet and  administer-
ing freely  a  strong  and hot  infusion of  pennyroyal
will suffice.  This is an old-time method, but none the
less  valuable.  Our  grandmothers often  manifested
far more ability to aid  Nature in her efforts  than do
most of the modern physicians skilled in  the nomen-
clature of bacteriology and the administration of poi-
sons.   Their household remedies for  suppressed men-
struation have never been excelled for ordinary cases.
Among them may be mentioned  motherwort, blue-co-
hosh, sage, thyme, tansy, camomile and summer sav-
ory.  If there is  pain and  swelling  in  the abdomen,
place over it flannel cloths wrung out of hot ginger in-
fusion,  or  apply stimulating liniment.  A  favorite
method of many  is to sit over a vessel containing a
steaming infusion of tansy herb.  Never administer
tansy oil; it is often lauded for its efficiency, but it is
absolutely dangerous.  In all cases the  bowels should
be moved freely; by injection  is best.   For this pur-
pose ginger and boneset infusion will be found suit-
able.  After suppression has been relieved some mild
physic may be given.

  Nervous  cases—those caused  by  mental  strain—
should be given diffusive drops (see formulas) in an in-
fusion of lady slipper,  and  perfect quiet enjoined.   If
there is great nervousness  manifested give an  injec-
tion  of lady-slipper  containing  a little blue cohosh,
made with starch water and retained as long as possi-
ble,  and repeated every  three  hours.  In  addition,
keep the feet warm and relieve pain  by the  outw7ard
applications  mentioned.  Hysterical cases  must 'ce
treated as  recommended in the article on Hysteria. 
616         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
After treatment of suppressed menstruation must be
in accordance with the causes.

      Suppressed  Menstruation—ChroniCo

  There are a great  many  causes for this condition,
for anything  w7hich brings about a  general enfeeble-
ment of the system may result in the chronic suppres-
sion  of the menses.  Scrofula, consumption, anaemia,
marasmus, spinal  diseases, cancers and tumors are
most frequent causes of  chronic amenorrhoea.  Womb
troubles, tumors, congestions, inflammations, etc., and
diseases of the ovaries and appendages of the womb
are also common sources of suppressed menstruation.
The  difficulty is also often  the result of imperfect re-
covery from  acute attacks of amenorrhoea, growing
more and  more obstinate as the  periods  pass by and
finally becoming chronic.

  Sy)uj>toms.—Paleness, listlessness, and a melancholy
disposition  gradually become more and more  pro-
nounced.  The patient will in time lose flesh and look
tired and haggard, and become sensitive and irritable
and  lose  strength to perform the ordinary duties of
life.   Headache and pains through the back and limbs
become almost constant,  the appetite fails and  the
consequences shown by these untoward manifestations
soon become alarming in their character.  Such symp-
toms may all be present from simple chronic suppres-
sion; but when other diseases are present the difficulty
is greatly aggravated and  the complication of symp-
toms vary according to the nature of the other dis-
ease.  With  lung  troubles  the dangers of suppression
become of most serious apprehension.
  It must be mentioned that occasionally during sup-
pressed menstruation the abdomen gradually enlarges,
very much simulating pregnancy, and the breasts may
also enlarge and the  nipples darken as  during preg-
nancy.  In such cases it is of the utmost importance
that a rigid examination be made and the true nature
of affairs ascertained.  Many a virtuous girl or woman
has  had slander breathed  against her wrongfully on
this account, and also many pregnant women have had 
DISEASES  OF WOMEN.
617
their lives endangered by diagnosing pregnancy as
simply suppressed menstruation.  Tumors  and other
conditions of the womb are also frequently mistaken
for cases of suppression.   It is manifest that such mis-
takes may lead to serious  blunders  in  the way of
treatment.

  Treatment.—When there is no serious disease present
and the case is one of simple chronic suppression, per-
sistent treatment  in the right direction will secure a
permanent relief.   Be sure to keep the bowels open by
a mild  laxative; the butternut syrup  (see  formulas)
will  be found serviceable;  two evacuations daily
should be the rule.  Stimulating  liniment, containing
a little tincture of lobelia, should be  applied  to the
spine and lowor part of the abdomen twice a day.   As
a tonic the following will be found excellent:

    Take Motherwort...................eight ounces.
        Goldenseal...................two ounces.
        Camomile....................six ounces.
        Blue Cohosh..................four ounces.
        Ginger.......................one ounce.
  Mix, and make into a syrup as directed in the chapter on
Formulas.

  Take of  this a tablespoonful before  each meal.  At
the time when the menses should  regularly appear,
the directions given for  acute suppression should be
carried out.   In all chronic cases  every effort must be
used to build up the system,  and all  remedial meas-
ures must be aided by hygienic regulations.  In fact
perfect hygiene is absolutely necessary and as valu-
able as remedies.   Let the diet be extremely nourish-
ing,  but avoid all rich foods.   There are  so many
health foods upon the market now that a choice vari-
ety can always be obtained.  Whole  w7heat flour should
be used for bread; oatmeal and various cereals should
be eaten freely.  Tea and coffee  must be  forbidden,
but cereal  coffee may be taken in  place of it.  There
are many varieties to be had, but  if  the patient is  re-
mote from stores and does not wish to send to head-
quarters, browned barley will prove an excellent sub- 
618         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
stitute for the coffee bean.  Eggs, especially raw eggs,
with cream, should form a goodly portion of the diet.
Animal broths and tender meat  (except pork) are al-
lowable.  Plenty of  fresh air should be provided; ex-
ercise in the sunshine, sleep in well ventilated rooms,
cheerful companionship, frequent bathing in water of
an agreeable temperature and pure wTater to drink are
the greatest restoratives to health.
  Harsh agents, such as aloes, to bring on the menses,
and blue mass to evacuate  the liver, should not be
used  under any  circumstances.   All such forcing
measures are absolutely harmful in their after effects.
Savine, oil of tansy and the harsh emmenagogue pills
so freely advertised  may bring about quick results,
but they do so  at the expense of the general health1
and make matters much worse in the long run.
  Fleshy persons of bilious temperament will usually
require the  frequent use of the liver pills, and the oc-
casional employment of injections to the vagina com-
posed  of infusions of  goldenseal containing a little
borax  and tincture of  myrrh.
  When the menses become more regular,  the tonic
and hygienic measures should be maintained for sev-
eral months; for it is an easy matter to lose ground.
  When suppressed menstruation is due to diseased
conditions the difficulty becomes a serious matter, and
requires skill in diagnosing the conditions  present.
The disease existing must be, as a rule, treated appro-
priately before the amenorrhoea can  be  remedied.
But in consumption, cancer and allied difficulties the
restoration of the menses is much desired  as a meas-
ure of relief and should be accomplished if  at all
possible.
  When it is evident that suppression of the menses is
due to nervous or mental strains, such as over-study,
grief,  excitement, melancholy, etc., medication will be
of  little avail unless such causes are removed, and the
first efforts must be made in that direction.   The hygi-
enic regulations now7 become doubly imperative, and
the mind and nerves must be soothed in the gentlest
manner.  Never make an invalid of such persons, but
do not go to the other extreme and scold at their pe-
 culiarities; such a course is ruinous.   Cheerful associ- 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.            619
ations, fresh air, nourishing diet, proper clothing and
light exercise will accomplish wonders, and very little
medicine will be required.

            Vicarious Menstruation.

  This is a peculiar and not very frequent condition of
affairs, and is apt to prove very alarming to those un-
acquainted with the possibilities of  menstruation.  It
is the discharge of blood at the menstrual period from
some other part of the body than the womb,  and is
immediately  preceded by suppression.   Not  infre-
quently the stomach will be the source of exit for the
blood which will be vomited and thus afford relief, or
the lungs may throw it off.  Sometimes blood will be
discharged with the urine from the bladder, and again
it may be from the bowels.  In some women the nose
will bleed profusely at the menstrual period, and the
menses scarcely make their proper  appearance, if at
all.  Cases have been observed where the discharge
escaped from the nipples, or even from the eyes, ears
or gums.  A few instances  are  recorded where the
blood  oozed slowly  from the  pores of  otherwise
healthy skin.  In all such cases it is extremely rare
for the discharge to be excessive in amount,  although
occasionally when it occurs from the nose or lungs it
may amount to a weakening hemorrhage.
  All such extraordinary discharges of blood  at the
menstrual periods should be promptly attended to, for
allowing such unnatural processes to continue cannot
fail to injure the system and cause  the regular per-
formance of  the menstrual function  to be easily inter-
fered with.

  Treatment—The cause of vicarious menstruation be-
ing the suppression of the menses, it must be treated
between the  periods precisely as a case of suppressed
menstruation.   At the time  of  the  unnatural dis-
charge little can or should be done unless the  hemor-
rhage is of such a nature  as to  endanger the  life or
cause weakness.  If from the bowels, treat as directed
for hemorrhages from the bowels (which see); if from
the stomach or lungs, treat as directed for hemorrhages 
620         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

of those organs.  In all  severe cases endeavor to
equalize the circulation.  Place  hot irons to the feet
and  hips  and thighs.  Administer Diffusive  Drops
every half  hour or oftener.   Stimulate with composi-
tion or capsicum infusion; and if from the bowels, ad-
minister injections  of raspberry or kino infusion in
starch water.
                 LEUCORRHOEA.

              Whites.  Fluor Albus.

  This condition,  often spoken of as female weakness,
is the bane of  woman's life.   Very few, if any, women
escape suffering from it at some time.  It is essentially
a mucus discharge of somewhat viscid material from
the vagina.  While it  is often associated with men-
struation,  yet  it may occur  to any  female.   Very
young infants  occasionally suffer from it as they would
from a cold in the head; and old  women, who have
long since passed their change of life, may  be  great
sufferers from  it; though in  the latter instances it is
usually a symptom of some serious malady, such as
cancer, especially when the flow is persistent.
  Leucorrhcea can scarcely be termed a symptom of
any disease, although it is present during the  course
of many maladies.  It may  also  occur  at any time
from exposure to  cold or dampness, on account of  the
blood being driven in from the surface and thus caus-
ing congestion of the mucous lining of the vagina or
womb, just as  catarrh of the  nose or throat is caused.
  In some cases the discharge comes entirely from the
womb, although in most instances it is confined to the
mucous membrane of the vagina.   Fleshy persons, or
those who lead lives of luxury, are most frequent suf-
ferers, but nervous persons and those in want are ex-
tremely liable to be affected.
  Leucorrhcea may also follow violent exercise, such
as excessive bicycle riding, horseback  riding, long
walks, etc., also it may be caused by masturbation or
excessive martial indulgence. Worms and  various 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
621
 forms of rectal  troubles likewise are frequently  ac-
 companied by leucorrhcea.

   Symptoms.—It must not be supposed from the name
 of "whites" that the discharge of leucorrhcea is a
 white discharge  under all circumstances.  Such is  not
 the case.  The discharge may be clear, very much re-
 sembling egg albumen, and such is apt to be the case
 in the early stages of the disease.  The amount varies,
 and cannot  be  definitely  ascertained, some  having
 merely  enough to prove annoying as excessive  and
 sticky moisture,  while others will flow extensively.
 Again, the color may be white and the discharge come
 in spurts  containing curd-like particles.  Sometimes
 there will be a thin and acrid discharge; so acrid, in
 fact, as to inflame the parts and produce intense burn-
 ing and itching.  In cases of long standing or those
 associated with other disease or with low vitality,  the
 discharge is apt  to  be  yellowish or even dark yellow
 or green;  sometimes of  creamy consistence and at
 other times thin  and purulent.  When the secretion is
 white and glairy it indicates that the mouth  of  the
 womb is affected.
   As a rule, acute leucorrhcea  does not last more than
 a week  or ten days  at a time, but  may return at  the
 next menstrual period.  Pain is  not  pronounced  be-
 yond  a  dragging sensation in the  pelvis and pain in
 the loins.  But acute cases, unless corrected, soon run
 into the chronic  form, and then the symptoms grad-
 ually grow more and more pronounced and the general
 health fails.  The face grows pale and hollow-eyed
 and the lips look bloodless; the feet and hands grow
 cold and often clammy.   Constipation is  pronounced
 as a rule, and  there  is a general feeling of lassitude
 and not infrequently the structures become so relaxed
 that falling of the womb aggravates the condition.
 In many cases of long standing the discharge becomes
 very offensive.
  Treatment—In all cases it becomes absolutely neces-
sary to  ascertain the primary cause  of the disorder
before proper treatment can be undertaken.
  In acute cases perfect  quietude is essential, and the
patient should remain in  bed until  relieved.  Nearly 
(522         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

all acute cases are caused by exposure to cold and re-
quire much the same treatment as an ordinary cold.
Should there be  feverishness an infusion of pleurisy
root and  ginger  may  be taken to advantage.  The
bowels should be freely moved.  Marsh  mallow  root
or flax-seed tea should be used  freely  when the urine
is scalding.   If the parts are dry and burning  anoint
them with cocoanut oil containing a very little lobelia
oil.  In acute cases astringent injections should not be
used.
  The diet must be rigidly plain and free from spices.
Pure water should be used in abundance, and employ
a luke-warm bath not  oftener than every  other  day.
In all cases keep the  feet  warm, and,  if necessary,
bathe them in mustard w7ater.   Out-door exercise must
be taken in moderation,  and  too much sunshine  can-
not  be  enjoyed.  The sleeping room should be light
and well ventilated, and the clothing at all times worn
loose.
  But, unfortunately, all chronic cases of leucorrhcea
do not present a simple aspect.  Where the case is es-
pecially degenerate, and  the stomach seems inactive
and foul, as indicated by a heavily-coated tongue, and
the liver is sluggish, which may be known by marked
constipation, it will be most advisable to  commence
treatment with a stimulating emetic, and then repeat
it every week as long  as the stomach and liver show
signs of  torpidity.  The liver pills,  taken in large
doses every night, may be required to keep the bowels
regular until the system becomes able to perform its
functions normally. The following is  a most excel-
lent compound to use.

     Take  Columbo.................tivo ounces.
          Goldenseal,  Unicorn  root,
            Solatium's Seal, each .. . .one ounce.
          Prickly  Ash..............one-half ounce,
          Orange Peel.............one-fourth ounce.
  Mix, and make into a  syrup  as directed in the article on
Syrups, and use three tunes a day.

  When the discharge is  offensive, tincture of myrrh
should be added to the vaginal injection, and if the 
DISEASES OF  WOMEN.             623
discharge  is tenacious, the  vagina should be  thor-
oughly cleansed by weak Castile soap and water in-
jections before the medicated injections are used.
  In chronic cases, treatment must be persistent and
always in accordance with the primary cause.  If the
patient is  scrofulous, the compound syrup of rumex
containing blue cohosh may be used.   If the stomach
is deranged, aid that organ as directed for Diseases of
the Stomach.  If the liver is  manifestly deranged,
treat accordingly.
  Most cases  of chronic leucorrhoea  in their earlier
stages may be easily cured by appropriate treatment
and rigid  adherence to hygienic  regulations.   Use
scullcap, goldenseal and blue cohosh either in infusion
or in syrup form.  Keep the bowels open by a mild
laxative.   As a vaginal injection use twice a  day the
following:

    Take White fluid Hydrastis........two ounces.
        Borax.....................one-half ounce.
        Distilled Witch Hazel extract, one pint.
  Mix.  Use about an ounce each time in a pint of luke-
warm water.
         DISEASES OF THE OVARIES.

    Dropsy oF the Ovaries.  Ovarian Tumor.

  Ovarian dropsy is a frightful  difficulty, and  is an
accumulation of fluid in a membranous sac about the
ovary.   The sac may be single or there may be a mul-
titude of sacs joined together, usually spoken  of as
"cysts. "  The character of the fluid contained in the
ovarian  sacs may vary  greatly.   In some  instances it
is clear and  thin, while in other  instances it may be
opaque and viscid  or even dark or bloody looking or
greenish.  The amount of the fluid contained in  these
cysts may be but a few ounces,  but  generally more;
and if not removed early the accumulation may amount
to gallons.  Cysts weighing sixty or seventy and even
over one hundred pounds have been removed.  The
chief dangers from ovarian dropsy are the drain upon 
621         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

the general system and the unnatural pressure upon
adjacent organs.

  Symptoms.—As ovarian  dropsy is usually preceded
by chronic inflammation of the ovaries the symptoms
of that malady (which see) are, in most instances, the
ones first noticed.  But ovarian dropsy may advance
so slowiy as to be imperceptible until the cyst has en-
larged sufficiently to be clearly visible upon examina-
tion.  As a rule, the first pronounced symptom follow-
ing those of chronic inflammation will  be an acute
and  lancinating pain in the groin, which will be of
short duration, but return frequently.  At this time
there is likely to be a feeling of  heaviness in the groin
and  pelvis, wiiich increases  with the growth  of the
tumor.
  In nearly all cases the menses are regular, although
they may cease, and the  condition of affairs may be
mistaken for signs of pregnancy, especially as there is
apt to be nausea and morning sickness, unnatural ap-
petite, spells of palpitation and shortness of breath,
frequent desire to urinate and difficulty  and distress
during urination and movements of the bowels.  Con-
stipation is usually marked.
  Enlargement of the abdomen, or rather one  side of
it, commences after the tumor has reached consider-
able size and progresses slowly, eventually occupying
the whole abdomen.   In some cases this enlargement
has been similar to the enlargement of pregnancy and
has  been mistaken  for such, and  has caused great
alarm when  nine, ten or  more  months  have   passed
without  delivery.   But such cases  are  rare,  for in
nearly  all instances years  must elapse  before the
tumor reaches the size of  a pregnant womb.
  In many cases there are sharp pains in the  tumor,
but the chief distress will be occasioned  by pressure
of the sac upon various organs.   This pressure causes
inflammation which results in adhesions,  possibly be-
tween the bow7els, womb,  bladder and fallopian tubes.
These adhesions,  as will be readily  comprehended,
hold these organs together in such a manner as to for-
bid freedom of movement, and thereby occasion pain;
making  it necessary for  the sufferer to  maintain as 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
625
great quiet as possible, thus increasing the difficulty
by hindering much needed exercise.
   Early in the course of ovarian dropsy, if the condi-
tion is suspected, and before the tumor is externally
apparent, its existence may  be recognized by manipu-
lation—one finger being inserted  in  the vagina and
the other in the rectum.  After the tumor has attained
considerable size, if its walls are thin, the fluid may
be distinctly recognized by its fluctuations.   But fluct-
uations may not always be  felt; for the walls of the
sac may be thick or the  tumor may be composed of
numerous cysts, or the fluid  may be jelly-like.   In
such cases the abdomen will be hard or firm.
   It is evident that  such  a condition existing  in the
pelvic cavity, along with the disorders of digestion
and the obstructions of  the liver and bowels must
cause serious alterations in the health of the sufferer.
Such  is the case.  Paleness and progressive emacia-
tion are inevitable.
   Pressure on the veins in the pelvis cause swelling
of the feet and  limbs, which may amount to dropsy.
Pressure of the tumor upward is sure to interfere with
respiration, and  breathing may become very difficult,
and suffocation seem imminent at times  when the pa-
tient is lying upon the back.  In nearly all cases ova-
rian tumors continue to increase  in size until death or
surgical operation is the  alternative.  In a few in-
stances a tumor  may  reach  a  definite size and so re-
main  for many  years. In a very few instances well
formed ovarian tumors lose their contents by absorp-
tion.  But no reliance can  be placed upon  the  stated
abilities of persons to cause absorption of these tu-
mors  after they have been fully developed.   Occa-
sionally, when a tumor consists of multiple cysts, one
or more of the cysts may burst and be discharged in-
ternally;  this is a good sign if the  fluid  is of a harm-
less character, but should  the fluid be acrid or other-
wise irritating, or poisonous, its discharge into the ab-
dominal cavity would  be highly dangerous.

  Treatment.—In  all cases the patient  will dread an
operation and desire to be  cured  by the use  of  medi-
cines,  or to be enabled to delay the operation as long 
626         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

as possible.  At any rate, it is alw7ays advisable to do
all possible tow7ard keeping the system in good condi-
tion, and if the development is not arrested by proper
medication, the chances of speedy  recovery  after an
operation may be  greatly enhanced.  Hygienic regu-
lations must be  rigidly and persistently maintained.
Fresh  air and sunshine should  be enjoyed in abun-
dance.   Out-door exercise, within proper limits, should
be taken with regularity.  Horse-back and  bicycle
riding must be absolutely prohibited.  The diet must
be light  and very nourishing.  Tea  and coffee and
spices  must be  abandoned.  Cereal coffee  and  the
health foods will  be found most serviceable, along
with fruits and  succulent vegetables.   The sleeping
room must receive sunshine during the day  and  be
well ventilated at all times.   Clothing should be loose
and properly adapted to the requirements of the sea-
sons.  For the constipation use the preparation men-
tioned for constipation during chronic inflammation of
the ovaries, and use the enemas of warm water in the
morning if the laxative preparations are not sufficient.
A liniment composed as follows  should  be used twice
a day over the abdomen:

    Take Tinct. Capsicum..............one drachm.
         Tinct Mullein................three ounces.
         Oil Origanum................one drachm.
         Alcohol......................five ounces.
  Mix.

  Whatever difficulties of the stomach or other organs
arise must be properly attended to.  An expert sur-
geon should be consulted,  and preparations made for
an early operation, which is in nearly every case suc-
cessful.

      Inflammation oF the Ovaries—Acute.

  Any women  may become a  sufferer from acute  in-
flammation of  the  ovaries,  but the difficulty is most
frequent  between the ages of twenty-five  and forty.
As a rule but one ovary is affected, although both may
be involved. 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
627
  The causes of ovarian inflammation are similar  to
those of inflammation of the womb, such as violent or
excessive exercise,  like dancing, or bicycle or horse-
back riding beyond moderation, sudden suppression of
the menses by  exposure  to  cold, marital excess, at-
tempts at abortion by instruments or harsh agents,
blows on the groin, tight clothing, the wearing of sur-
gical appliances, etc.

  Symptoms.—There will be pain and tenderness in the
groin of  the  affected side.   Sudden pressure  may
cause a feeling of faintness or nausea.  Pain  may
shoot down the leg  even to the toes, and will be inten-
sified by standing  or  walking.   Urination  may  be
scalding and painful, and evacuations from the bowels
may cause much distress.  Menstruation will  become
irregular and painful, and inflammation of the womb
may be present at the same  time.  There will be  no
swelling in simple  inflammation of the ovary, but if
neglected, dropsy or suppuration may ensue, and ova-
rian tumor of a serious character may develop.

  Treatment.—In acute inflammation of the ovaries the
method of treatment depends upon the severity of the
case.  When the symptoms are not mild in character
they may be overcome by perfect quietude in bed, hot
water bottles  or irons to the  feet and tablespoonful
closes every hour during the day of an infusion of pleu-
risy root,  two  tablespoonfuls; feverfew, one table-
spoonful, and  ginger, one teaspoonful, to a pint of
boiling water.   Over the abdomen rub stimulating lin-
iment three times a day,  and keep the bowels freely
open by injections  of  warm water or by the use of
mild laxatives.  Great care must  be taken lest too
early rising from the bed  or undue exercise should ag-
gravate the difficulty.
  Severe cases of inflammation of the ovaries require
much more vigorous treatment. The circulation must
be generalized  and drawn  from the pelvic  organs.
The infusion just mentioned should be given as often
as every quarter of an hour, and a free perspiration
be thereby induced.  A  luke-warm  injection to the
bowels should be given every four hours, consisting of 
628         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
one teaspoonful each of lobelia and boneset in a pint
of slippery elm infusion.  This injection should  be
retained as long as possible.  The stimulating lini-
ment should be bathed over the abdomen every three
hours;  and while the intense pain continues, flannels
wrung  out of very  hot water should be placed upon
the abdomen as hot as can be borne, and changed fre-
quently.  If the feet  are cold, as is  likely to be the
case, hot irons must be  used, and these or hot water
bottles should also  be  placed along the thighs.  The
bowels must be  kept  freely open  by mild laxatives.
If there is much fever and the skin continues dry, a
warm sponge  bath will  be of advantage.  Delirium,
accompanied by furred tongue and sudden swelling of
the abdomen, would indicate a serious condition, to  be
treated as directed for Child-Bed Fever.

     InFlammation oF  the Ovaries—Chronic.

  Chronic inflammation of the ovaries may follow the
acute form of the difficulty,  or  may  advance insidi-
ously from other circumstances such as have been
mentioned as  causes of  the  acute form of inflamma-
tion.  With the married, too frequent child-bearing is
a prolific cause, and among the unmarried, checking of
menstruation and improper dressing  often cause the
trouble, and it must also be stated that masturbation
frequently results  in chronic  inflammation of the
ovaries, and such cases are not rare.

  Symptoms.—In addition to mild manifestations of all
the  symptoms of acute  inflammation  of the ovaries
the chronic form will usually present many other dis-
turbances, such as dragging or  bearing  down sensa-
tions, extreme weakness, pain in the  back  and loins,
distress during urination or evacuation of the bowels,
and mental and nervous  disturbances.  Melancholy is
apt to be very pronounced, or there may be  spells  of
uncontrollable hysterics.  The conduct of the patient
may be  most aggravating to those  wiio do not under-
stand her condition—ill-humored and hard to please
will be her conduct. In  many cases the stomach be-
comes deranged and indigestion most marked.  There 
DISEASES  OF WOMEN.
629
 may be  spells of severe palpitation,  and perhaps
 cramps of a violent nature.   The most  severe  parox-
 ysms of  symptoms are usually experienced between
 the  menstrual periods  and are not  associated  with
 menstruation.  It may be possible for the whole train
 of symptoms to abate and be absent  for months and
 then return.  This fact often causes many to be neg-
 lectful and  to defer medication until  it is realized a
 serious difficulty has developed.  It may then be too
 late to avoid dangerous consequences.

  Treatment—Rest and a light but nourishing diet are
 imperative.   Marital   indulgence must  be  strictly
 avoided and fresh air and out-door living must be pro-
 vided as  far as is consistent with maintaining rest and
 comfort.   The sleeping room must be well ventilated,
 and  cheerful surroundings and  pleasant companion-
 ship will be of great advantage.  Tea  and coffee and
 highly seasoned foods must be prohibited.
  As for  medication, it must  be  remembered that the
 difficulty will yield slowly, and quick results must not
 be expected.  Treatment must be persistent and every
 encouragement extended to the patient.
  The bow7els must  be  kept open without at any time
 using cathartics or other harsh measures.  The follow-
 ing prescription will be found serviceable in this class
 of cases:

    Take  Fluid Extract Cascara......one-half ounce.
                     Leptandra.... one ounce.
                     Wahoo.......one  ounce.
         Syrup of Butternut.........six ounces.
  Mix.  Dose, one teaspoonful at bedtime,

  In addition, it may be necessary, in order to evacu-
 ate the bowels without distress, to administer an in-
jection of warm water or weak infusion of boneset
every morning.  If  injections  are  employed they
should  be retained as  long  as  possible.  If there is
great pain it will be best to resort to injections to the
bowels every three or four hours in order to obtain re-
lief.  Such injections  should consist of lady slipper
and blue cohosh in  slippery elm infusion. 
630         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  The  following  preparation should  be persistently
employed:

    Take Fluid Extract Burdock Root, one-half ounce.
                 "   Peach Leaves, one-half ounce.
          "      "   Black Cohosh, one ounce.
        Syrup of Ginger...........six ounces.
  Mix.   Dose, a teaspoonful before meals.

  It may require several months of such treatment to
effect a cure; but,  if persisted in,  the desired results
will  be obtained if the difficulty was not allowed to
obtain  a great hold before commencing medication.
After relief has been obtained and the strength is re-
turning the patient should employ  the Female Restor-
ative mentioned in the section of Formulas.

       Removal  OF  the Ovaries. Spaying.

  This is a surgical operation which  is now too  fre-
quently performed without  sufficient reason.  It is
surprising how many women are willing to undergo
this operation to avoid  bearing children.  Many  sur-
geons treat inflammation of the ovaries by their re-
moval  on account of the fee received and the notoriety
gained by adding to his list of  operations.   Removal
of the  ovaries sometimes becomes  necessary.

        Tumors (Fibroid) oF  the Ovaries.

  These are  occasionally  met  with.   In their early
stages the symptoms resemble those of the early stages
of ovarian dropsy, but  they very seldom develop to
great size.   They  can be successfully cured only by
operation.
              VAGINAL  DISEASES.

    InFlammation oF the Vagina.  Vaginitis.

  The vaginal canal is extremely liable to become in-
flamed.  Irritation is the most frequent cause, and 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
631
 young married women are extremely liable to suffer
 from it on account of too frequent or violent  marital
 indulgence.   The use  of   pessaries, mechanical or
 harsh fluid preventives and masturbation  may cause
 vaginitis.

  Symplons.—There will be a burning sensation in the
 vagina, often extending to the outer parts, a feeling
 of weight will be experienced in the perineum, and
 sometimes flitting and  sharp  pains will prove annoy-
 ing.   There will be a frequent desire to urinate, and
 the act itself may cause considerable smarting.

  Treatment.—All acts calculated to aggravate  the
 difficulty must be strictly forbidden.  Rest must be en-
 joined and the patient should keep off the feet until
 relieved.  If  there is constipation empty the rectum
 by an injection of lobelia and elm.  As  a vaginal in-
 jection, use three or four times a day, Distilled Sweet
 Clover containing a little infusion  of lady slipper, al-
 ways warm.  There is a liability to congestion follow-
 ing the inflammation,  so that after  the acute symp-
 toms have subsided raspberry leaves, in infusion,  may
 be added to the Distilled Sweet Clover, instead of the
 lady slipper.   The mucus  discharge during vaginitis
 is usually profuse, and if it should become offensive,
 add a little myrrh to the vaginal injection.


               ImperForate  Hymen.

  In virgins, as a rule,  though not invariable, a mem-
 brane partially closes the orifice of the vagina.  This
 membrane is termed the hymen.  In most  cases it is
 thin and may be easily broken, while in other cases it
 is very firm and sometimes almost fibrous in its na-
 ture.  In rare instances the  hymen will completely
 close  the orifice of the vagina  and prevent the men-
 strual  discharge  from escaping.  Such a  condition
 would result in serious  consequences if unattended to.
 The operation  for cutting  an imperforate  hymen is
very simple when performed by a surgeon and requires
no after-treatment but rest.   It should not be neg- 
632         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

lected when the  hymen interferes with menstruation
or marital indulgence.

            Prolapsus  oF  the Vagina.

  Not infrequently the walls  of the vagina  become
folded upon themselves through excessive relaxation
and may possibly protrude beyond the external parts.
In nearly all cases the anterior or posterior wall  will
be singly affected.
  The causes of this condition may be numerous  and
include abortion, rupture during delivery, excessive
marital indulgence,  masturbation, long continued or
severe leucorrhcea, or anything  that will relax the
tissues of the vagina or  diminish its support.  Lym-
phatic or delicate  persons,  or those suffering from
weakening  diseases,  are most liable.

  Symptoms.—In many  respects the  sensations  pro-
duced by falling of the vagina are similar to those of
prolapsus of the womb, only, as a rule, much less pro-
nounced.  There  will be a sense of w7eight and  full-
ness  in  the  vagina, and on inserting the finger  a
rounded  and soft tumor will be distinctly recognized
(the womb when fallen will  be felt as a hard and ob-
long mass).

  Treatment.—The patient must keep in the recumbent
position  as  much as possible until  relieved;  though
constant lying in bed will prove weakening.  The as-
tringent  supposity mentioned in the article on falling
of the womb should be used; but astringent injections
to the vagina will prove serviceable.  In mild cases
witch hazel or raspberry infusion will prove all suffi-
cient; but in severe and  persistent cases a weak solu-
tion of tannic acid or of kino will be best.  To avoid
the inconvenience of injections a drachm of  tannic
acid may be thoroughly rubbed into an ounce of vase-
line and  used as a salve.  If the general health is im-
paired the same treatment should be pursued as ad-
vised for falling of the  womb.  In rare instances pro-
lapsus of the vagina is so persistent as to render sur-
gical interference necessary. 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
633
      Spasm oF the Vagina.  Vaginismus.

  The muscular fibres of the vagina include many cir-
cular ones, like rings; and  under  certain conditions
these muscles are liable to spasm, causing the vagina
to close suddenly and to remain closed until relaxed.
Such a condition is very annoying.  It is most liable
to occur in nervous persons during  sexual excitement.
It will render conception  unlikely and sexual inter-
course partial or impossible.  Newly married women
are subject to it, and it manifestly causes unhappiness
and  annoyance. Many  cases are on record where
spasm of the  vagina occurred during intercourse, ren-
dering withdrawal impossible for a considerable length
of time, and causing pain and humiliation.

  Treatment.—General attention should be given to the
nervous system, and  soothing nervines, as mentioned
in the section  on  Remedies, should  be employed.
Lady slipper and camomile will make an excellent in-
fusion.  Locally, vaginal injections of lobelia infusion
in Distilled Sweet Clover should  be used freely.  If
intercourse is  attempted it should be gentle and infre-
quent; and it  would be best to freely anoint the parts
far into the vagina with an ointment made by  rubbing
a little oil or seeds of lobelia into vaseline.  Plenty
of out-door exercise, a light  and nourishing diet and
the encouragement  of thoughts  upon other subjects
will be beneficial.
                 BARRENNESS.

            Sterility.  Childlessness.

  It is the destiny of woman to bear children, and she
has been endowed by the Creator with organs designed
for that special purpose.  Her whole constitution and
her frame have been formed with that design; and fail-
ure to fulfill her destiny, like failure to comply with
any other natural law, is sure to be followed by evil
consequences. 
634
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  It may be the boast of some that their higher intel-
lectual life and mental  training overcome  and  com-
pensate  for marriage  and the  bearing  of  children.
The nipping off of buds  from a rose vine may indeed
cause the vine itself to grow taller and more graceful
as a vine; but its usefulness for which it is adorned
and  for  which it was designed is lost.  What a sad
disappointment to the  gardener is the rose vine that
bears no  flower.  What a sad disappointment to  Na-
ture is the woman that bears no children!
  Barrenness or sterility is the term applied to that
condition of a woman which makes  it impossible for
conception to take  place.  It is a misfortune of the
gravest character.  To those who  imagine child bear-
ing to be the  great drawback to marriage, barrenness
may  seem  an ideal  condition.   But experience will
soon teach them otherwise.   The married woman who
will not bear children has the satisfaction of knowing
that  she  can, if she would, and that  her physical con-
dition is  not imperfect.   But the married woman who
cannot bear children soon becomes  painfully distressed
over her  incapacity, and it weighs upon her mind with
great intensity.  It is  not  long- before  she becomes
possessed with an inordinate desire  to bear children,
a desire which is  always uppermost in her thoughts
and is accompanied by a keen realization of her in-
ability.  Her  physical imperfection preys  upon her
mind, and day and night she worries about it  and
keeps herself upon such a mental strain that her nerv-
ous system becomes more or  less unstrung, and conse-
quently various physical ailments  follow and she be-
comes miserable indeed, and  perhaps is dosed  and
manipulated  by physicians for first  one ailment and
then another with mortifying lack of success.
  No woman  and no man can be incapacitated for ful-
filling their natural destiny to do  their share toward
continuing posterity without experiencing a sense of
imperfection and humility  which is fatal to mental
happiness and physical welfare.
  Causes.—Sterility or barrenness  is not a disease of
itself. It  is  rather a symptom  of unnatural condi-
tions being  present  in the organism.  These condi-
tions are various; and when barrenness is apparent, it 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
635
becomes a woman's duty to herself and to her hus-
band, as well as to position in creation, to submit her-
self to a thorough and critical examination by a skill-
ful physician of integrity, that she may ascertain the
precise character of her unnatural  condition,  and be
enabled to intelligently undertake to correct it.

  Absence of Organs.—It is apparent that the ab-
sence of any of the  essential organs of generation
would cause barrenness.  The womb  itself may  be
wanting,  or there  may  be no ovaries  or  fallopian
tubes, or the vagina may be completely  obliterated.
Such cases are  on record, although they are extremely
rare, except the absence of ovaries, and naturally that
is rare.   Surgical removal of the ovaries has become
of far too common occurrence.  It is justifiable under
some circumstances, but those circumstances are rare.
The woman who has  her ovaries  removed to escape
the bearing of children is committing a crime against
herself and humanity at  large.  A life of mental mis-
ery and regret will be hers, and the surgeon w7ho. with-
out absolute necessity, performs such an operation is
a criminal and  should be dealt with accordingly.  Of
course no treatment or surgical operation can possi-
bly overcome barrenness when occasioned by absence
of the  ovaries,  tubes or  womb.  Such  a  condition
could not exist without a suspicion of unnatural for-
mation before marriage, which should lead  to an  ex-
amination, and if ascertained to be such, the marriage
relation should never be entered into; for sexual in-
capacity of either the wife or the husband  is sure to
be fatal to  marital happiness.  If the vagina is  ab-
sent it is often possible to at least partially remedy
the difficulty by a surgical operation.

  Tumors.—Barrenness may be caused by the presence
of tumors in the womb or protruding into the vagina.
Such tumors may be of a fibrous character, or may be
what are termed polypi.  The symptoms and  treat-
ment of these tumors will be found in the  article  on
Tumors of the Womb.  It is evident that they should
be removed by surgical operation  as soon as possible
after being recognized.  It is not at all uncommon for 
636
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE,
such tumors to be mistaken for pregnancy, and thus
the symptoms of a cause of barrenness are mistaken
for symptoms of an exactly opposite condition.

  Imperforate Hymen.—Occasionally the hymen—
the membrane which naturally exists in virgins at the
mouth of the vagina—may be so dense as to remain
unbroken after many attempts at  intercourse.  Mar-
ried couples have even lived  for years together and
had  frequent imperfect  intercourse before the true
condition of  affairs became knowm.  The method of
overcoming such a cause of  barrenness is an extremely
simple operation,  consisting of  making  a slight  in-
cision through the hymen with a sharp surgical knife.
But simple as the operation is it should be performed
only by skillful  hands.   It is a mistake to suppose
that everyone can be his own surgeon.  That is a do-
main that requires study, practice and talent to insure
success.

  Vaginismus.—Some women are extremely sensitive
in the sexual organs, and attempts at intercourse may
cause a spasm and complete closure of the  vagina.
Such  a condition is a source of mortification, and if
not overcome is sure to  prove a cause of barrenness.
Its signs and treatment are fully mentioned in the ar-
ticle on Vaginismus (which  see).

  Displacements.—The womb may be bent upon it-
self or otherwise displaced, making it impossible for
the semen to enter,  and  thus  causing  barrenness.
There are several forms of  displacement, and all are
usually remedied with ease if attended to early.  They
are mentioned in  detail in the  article on Displace-
ments.

  Inflammation.—The ovaries  or the womb or the
membranes covering them may become inflamed and
bring about  a condition of barrenness.   Inflammations
of this kind and even  dropsy of the ovaries or ova-
rian tumor  do not absolutely prevent child bearing,
but they usually do; and should at any rate prohibit
it.  No woman has a right to subject  herself to  the
dangers of child  bearing who is thus afflicted.  See 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.            637
 the articles on Inflammation of the Womb, Congestion
 of the Womb, Inflammation of the Ovaries and Dropsy
 of the Ovaries.

  Irregularities.—Flooding  or profuse  menstrua-
 tion, painful menstruation or dysmenorrhoea, and defi-
 cient menstruation or amenorrhoea may all cause bar-
 renness.  These subjects  are fully treated elsewhere.

  Exhaustion.—Women  suffering  from exhausting
 diseases of any nature may not be able to  bear chil-
 dren, and they should  not undertake to do so if  they
 could.  Such an act is criminal to  both mother and
 child.  But  there is a  form of  sexual exhaustion
 caused by excessive intercourse which of itself  may
 bring about barrenness.   Thus it often happens that a
 desire on the part of both husband  and wife to have
 children may lead to  such excesses as to defeat the
 desire it is aimed to attain.

  The Husband.—It is not always the woman who is
 at fault when she fails to bear children.   The husband
 may be impotent and unable to do his share in causing
 conception.  A childless woman should be thoroughly
 examined by a skillful physician, and if a condition of
 perfect health is revealed, the husband should submit
 himself to rigid  examination, and if  he, too, is  per-
 fectly healthy, inadaptability must be suspected.
  Let no woman despair of becoming a mother.  Since
I began w7riting on these subjects I have been written
to by many ladies who considered themselves hope-
lessly barren.  I am glad to say that acting  on my
suggestions the great majority have  been able to bear
children—have become happy mothers of happy chil-
dren.                 ______
                NYMPHOMANIA.

           Inordinate  Sexual  Desire.
  There are certain conditions of the external genitals
which cause a degree of sensitiveness that becomes
manifested  by the arousing of inordinate sexual de-
sires.  These conditions  may be brought about by ex-
cessive bicycle  riding or masturbation or by lack of 
638         a physician in the house.

cleanliness during menstruation.  Excessive marital
indulgence may sometimes occasion it in married wo-
men.  It is an unfortunate condition, and is frequently
the cause of great mortification if not of absolute dis-
grace.   The difficulty often amounts to insanity and if
not soon overcome will result in serious consequences.
  Symptoms.—The description given of the disorder
and its causes sufficiently describes its ordinary symp-
toms.  In severe and protracted cases the countenance
will betray the sexual desires by a look which is read-
ily recognized, and when left alone with a male  com-
panion a confirmed nymphomaniac is extremely liable
to be indecent in conversation and action, much to her
future   mortification.  Sometimes  nymphomania  is
manifested only at the menstrual periods, while en-
tirely absent between periods.
  Treatment.—Avoid  tea, coffee  and stimulants, eat
bland foods, drink water abundantly, and take exer-
cise to the fullest  extent  consistent  with  health.
Food must be very plain and should not contain eggs,
oysters, meats or highly seasoned articles.  The sleep-
ing room must be cool and the  bed hard and covers
light.  Male companionship must be  avoided  and
reading of  newspapers and novels must be prohibited
lest matters of excitement should  be perused.  Abso-
lute cleanliness must be observed, and a tepid  bath
should be daily indulged in.  Except at the menstrual
periods, applications of cold water should be made to
the external  genitals.  The chewing  frequently  of
marsh mallow root  will be soothing to the sensitive
mucous membranes, and ten-drop doses of fluid  extract
of  scullcap, taken  in water four times  a day, will
strengthen the nerves and allay desire.   If excitement
becomes excessive a capsule containing two grains of
lobelia seed should  be taken every four hours.   In all
cases the thoughts must be directed to other things.


                DISPLACEMENTS.

          Displacement oF the  Bladder.

   This organ may fall downward and produce most un-
pleasant symptoms.   There will be a sense of  fullness 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
639
in the vagina, and examination will reveal a tnmor of
the anterior w7all.  When the bladder is full the tumor
will be large and firm, and when empty it will be
shrivelled  in appearance.  Urination will be painful
and difficult and dragging sensations  will be  experi-
enced, and inflammation is apt to follow.

  Treatment— Soothe the urinary  passages by drinks
of marsh mallow root or other demulcent.  When the
biadder is empty it should be gently pressed into posi-
tion and kept  there by a cylindrical roll of muslin,
covered with witch hazel ointment, placed in the va-
gina.  Astringent vaginal injections should be used
frequently and the general health maintained.  Rest
should be enjoined; especially should the patient keep
off her feet.

         Displacement oF the  Rectum.

  Occasionally the rectum may bulge forward into the
vagina.  This is usually brought about by allowing the
rectum to remain over-loaded for  too  long a time, or
by straining too  hard  at  stool,  especially when the
tissues are relaxed or the system depressed.  Over ex-
ertion or too prolonged standing may  likewise pro-
duce the difficulty.
  The symptoms  of displacement of the rectum are
readily recognized and consist  of a sense of fullness
in the vagina and a distinct  tumor on the posterior
wall, which diminishes on lying upon the back.  Re-
place the rectum by lying on the back and inserting a
cylindrical roll of muslin  in  the vagina, after  first
thoroughly evacuating the rectum.  Use frequently as
a vaginal injection an infusion of  some astringent and
cover the cylinder with witch hazel ointment and keep
off of the feet.
     DISEASES OF EXTERNAL GENITALS.

       Abscess oF the  External Genitals.

  When inflammation of the external genitals is neg-
lected abscess may possibly  follow.  There will be 
640         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
throbbing pains and great tenderness, extending to
the groins and down the thighs.  There may also be
distinct kernels in the groins, which will subside after
the abscess has discharged.  The size and position of
the abscesses vary.

  Treatment.—Poultices must  be applied  every  six
hours and worn constantly.  These poultices should be
of ground flaxseed sprinkled over with goldenseal and
lobelia.  After each  poultice  is removed the parts
should be thoroughly cleansed with warm water con-
taining Distilled Sweet Clover and a little tincture of
myrrh, and a vaginal injection of the same should be
used.   The strength must be  maintained by a light
but nourishing diet and the use of the  Scrofula Com-
pound (see formulas).

              Dropsy oF the Labia.

  The external genitals may be occasionally the seat
of dropsy.   This most frequently occurs during preg-
nancy, and may at such times become so  annoying as
to necessitate their being punctured  to allow  the ac-
cumulated fluid to escape.  Sometimes from irritations
or  other causes of inflammation, the  labia may be-
come enormously  swollen and doughy.   For  such a
condition the skin and kidneys should be urged to in-
creased activity by frequent drinks of peach leaves
containing a  little  ginger and  pleurisy root.   The
parts themselves may be bathed with Distilled Sweet
Clover.  When there  is  no direct cause  known for
dropsy of the labia a careful  examination should be
made for womb troubles which may exist.

           Injuries to External Organs.

   Sometimes through accident or by violent inter-
course or as a consequence of  improper delivery  dur-
ing labor,  the  external genitals  become  injured.
They may be swollen and present a bruised appear-
ance, and be of varying degrees of redness or even
purple.  Tenderness and pain will be experienced and
suppuration  is apt  to  follow, preceded  by chilliness 
DISEASES OF WOMEN.
641
 and fever.  Bathe the  parts with  distilled  sweet
 clover and wear a napkin saturated with the same.
 If suppurating discharge is  present add a little tinct-
 ure of myrrh to the distilled sweet clover.  Quietude
 must be strictly  observed.

   Pruritis.  Itching oF the External  Genitals.

  This condition may  be the cause of great mortifica-
 tion, as the desire to scratch the parts becomes uncon-
 trollable, and may be experienced day and night under
 all circumstances.  What is  most aggravating about
 the trouble is the fact that although scratching is per-
 sisted  in it gives  no relief,  but increases the trouble.
 It is not long before the parts become dry and hot and
 sensitive, and often small pimples appear.
  The causes of itching may be mentioned as unclean-
 liness, masturbation, excessive or violent intercourse,
 pin-worms, the use of  pessaries or other instruments
 or irritating bandages, leucorrhceal discharges, inflam-
 mation of  the bladder, or derangements  caused by
 stomach or liver troubles.

  Treatment—It is of the utmost importance to ascer-
 tain the cause of the difficulty and remove it.  This
 having been done local treatment may be carried out.
 Wash the parts well with borax water several  times a
 day and then apply a wash of equal parts of distilled
 witch hazel and  strong infusion of  lobelia and rasp-
 berry leaves.   Always  keep the bowels open by mild
 laxatives.   Bathe the body often, and if there is nerv-
 ousness use assafoetida pills.   Cold water applications
 to the  parts are serviceable.   As a rule the use  of a
 mild tonic, such as the  female restorative (see formu-
 las) should follow.

       Inflammation oF External Genitals.

  A most aggravating condition of the  external fe-
 male genitals may be caused by several things, such
as lack of cleanliness during leucorrhcea or menstrua-
tion, excessive or  violent intercourse, masturbation,
etc.  Little children are especially prone to this  con- 
642
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
dition, due to their manipulating the parts or even in-
serting sand, gravel, etc.  Lately a common source of
inflammation of the external genitals has been found
in improper bicycle riding, especially by fleshy women
or girls.   In all cases the  difficulty is capable of caus-
ing intense and very annoying suffering.

  Symptoms.—The parts become sensitive and red, and
hot and often swollen and glassy looking, and some-
times very dark red.  In a short time a  thin and  irri-
tating discharge is noticed, which may become acrid
and irritate the parts and the adjoining skin and at the
same time cause intense itching.  This discharge may
be so irritating as to excoriate the surfaces and cause
the lips to adhere.   Children of scrofulous tendencies
are extremely liable to suffer from this form of inflam-
mation, and with them  the discharge may assume an
offensive odor and  be of a  creamy consistence.  Walk-
ing aggravates the  difficulty by rubbing the surfaces
together.

  Treatment.—Cleanliness  is indispensible. Wash the
parts often and thoroughly with warm water contain-
ing distilled sweet  clover.  Bathe  the parts with a
wash of  equal portions of distilled witch hazel and
Strong lobelia  infusion and wear a napkin saturated
with the same.   Keep  the bowels freely open by the
use of mild laxatives.
  If the  urine  is  scalding, as is most usual, drink
freely of  marsh mallow root or slippery elm  infusion.
If there is  feverishness use an infusion of  pleurisy
root and  ginger.   If  there is  any  tendency of the
parts to adhere, a  piece of oiled silk should be worn
betw7een them.   The difficulty will be  thus overcome
in a few days.  But feeble children may be somewhat
exhausted and need such a tonic as the  Female Re-
storative  (see formulas). 
REMEDIES  AND  FORMULAS.
         DISEASE AND MEDICATION.
                 Classifications.
  Disease is a condition of the orgamsm whereby one
or more of its functions are interfered with, and conse-
quently  not  performed easily.  Obstructions  within
the system are the usual causes of diseases, and these
may  be  of a poisonous nature as well, and directly
cause destruction of tissues.  (See Causes of Disease.)
  Departure from  health (disease) may be dependent
upon the existence  of three  general classes  of  ab-
normal conditions:  (1)  The tissues may be too re-
laxed; (2) the tissues may be too tense; (3) the minute
structures (see article on Minute Structures) may be
in too great activity, termed stimulation.   Whatever
the  disease,  there will be manifestations of  one or
more of  these conditions at the start and during the
course of the difficulty, though destructions of  tissues
and other derangements may follow.
  Relaxation,  tension  or  stimulation  may   occur
throughout the body, or  may  be confined to certain
structures or certain organs.  Thus there may be gen-
eral relaxation, as in congestive chills, or general ten-
sion, as in convulsions, or general stimulation, as in
fever.
  All true remedies may be divided into three general
classes, (1) stimulants,  (2) relaxants, (3) astringents;
and the influences  they exert  over the  tissues  of the
body are well described  by  these terms.  As  a rule,
general  relaxation of the tissues require  the  use of
stimulants and astringents, and general increased ac-
                       643 
644         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
tivity and general  conditions of tension require the
use of relaxants.
  But it is seldom that all the structures of the body
are disordered in the same  manner.  As a rule two or
more  classes of tissues become involved.  Thus the
nerves may be over-stimulated, while many of the or-
gans may be otherwise.  The liver  may  be relaxed
and at the same time the stomach may  be  over sensi-
tive and the nerves tense; and various other complica-
tions of disordered  conditions are apt to be the rule
in nearly every form of disease.
  Remedies are also classified according to the tissues
they chiefly act upon in  addition to their general
classification.   Besides many agents exert stimulating,
relaxing and astringent properties in various degrees,
allowing them to be spoken of as moderately stimula-
ting, moderately relaxing, etc.
AGRIMONY.—Agrimonia Eupatoria.

  This plant grow7s wild in many localities.  It is a
hairy herb about three feet high, with yellow flowers
arranged on a spike  at  the top.  It is easily dried in
the open  air  and loses little of its virtues by the
process.
  Properties.—Agrimony is  a mild  astringent tonic,
adapted to relaxed though sensitive conditions; but
out of place where there is dryness of the secretions.
It is used  for bed-wetting and weakness of  the blad-
der, also for loose coughs, and sore mouth with mem-
branes of  a  purplish hue.  The whole  herb  or the
dried root may  be used in the form of infusion;  an
ounce to a pint of boiling water;  given in doses of
three or  four tablespoonfuls every four  hours  or
oftener.
ALDER.—Alnus Serrulata.

  This shrub, also known as swamp alder or tag alder,
is abundant in marshy places.  The bark is the part
of the plant employed in medicine. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
645
  Properties.—The alder is  a mild, astringent  altera-
tive, chiefly used in combination with sarsaparilla or
other alteratives in the  treatment of various blood
diseases—such as scrofula and skin eruptions.  Some-
times, on  account  of  its astringent  properties,  it is
used in chronic diarrhoea.   It is best administered as
a syrup.  As a remedy for ulcerations of the mouth
its infusion, used as a  wash, has been found valuable.
Sprinkled  (powdered)  over a poultice and applied to
degenerating sores it will be found serviceable.
ALLSPICE—Pimento.

  This agent is  too well known to need special de-
scription.   It is very pleasant to the taste, and for
that reason is largely employed to disguise unpleas-
ant agents, for there are but few  persons who cannot
endure it.
  Properties.—Allspice is a mild stimulant and astrin-
gent, and for that reason should not be used as a spice
by persons having sensitive stomachs.   A strong tea
of allspice, containing a little  cloves, will  be found
very useful in  ordinary  diarrhoea, and  at the same
time relief may be hastened by  applying over the ab-
domen cloths wrung  out  of a strong  infusion of all-
spice  containing a little ginger.   Such  methods are
very acceptable to children suffering from ordinary at-
tacks of summer diarrhoea.
ALOES—Socotrine.

  There are very many varieties of the aloes family,
and the drug on the  market under that name is the
dried juice of the leaves of species found in Africa and
Southern Europe.  It is a well-known  agent and has
been employed for many centuries.
  Properties.—This  is a stimulating cathartic of a very
bitter class, and on  account of its unpleasant taste
and severe action it  is usually combined with other
agents.  Persons suffering from piles or hemorrhoids
should not use it as it excites  and irritates the lower 
646
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
bowel.  Ten grains of  the powder is an ordinary dose,
although half that amount made into a pill with a lit-
tle leptandrin w7ould be preferable.  Powdered aloes
made into a strong decoction is often used by mothers
to rub over the nipples when weaning children—the
bitterness of  the aloes causing  the  child  to  turn
against the breast.
ALUM.—Ammonia-Potassium Aluminate.

  This is a well known agent, very much resembling
washing soda  in  appearance,  though consisting of
crystals of a different shape.  Powdered alum is the
ordinary alum  heated,  dried  and  then  pulverized,
called also burnt alum.
  Properties.—Alum is a pure and powerful  astringent
of great use in hemorrhages from small bleeding ves-
sels, as of the nose and mouth and surface.  An alum
crystal  applied to granulations of  the eyelids will
produce good results, or  a  weak solution  of alum is
excellent  for ordinary sore eyes.   Alum  gargle is
good in relaxed sore  throat, and burnt alum touched
to a fallen palate will contract it.  Teaspoonful doses
of alum syrup every fifteen minutes will excite vomit-
ing in croup.   Its solution is frequently rubbed over
the breasts to dry  up the milk, and also to harden the
nipples.  And, unwisely, the menses are often checked
by its use.
AMMONIA.—Spirits oF Hartshorn.

  The characteristic and pungent odor of ammonia is
well known.  In its stronger form  it is a dangerous
article to have about the house, as it acts like a strong
alkali  if swallowed (see Poisons), and  if inhaled its
fumes will irritate the lung"s and  perhaps prove fatal.
  Properties.— As an addition to stimulating  liniments
it often proves/serviceable in the relief of pain; and as
"smelling salts," applied  to the nostrils in fainting
spells it is very useful; but it should  not be placed too
close to the  nostrils.  What is known as Volatile  Lin- 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
647
iment consists of a pint of strong ammonia and two
pints of cotton-seed oil, shaken thoroughly together.
Origanum or other essential oils may be added.
ANISE.—Pimpinella Anisum.

  The seeds of anise, containing considerable quanti-
ties of  a very pleasant essential  oil, have been used
in medicine from time immemorial.   They are brought
to this  country from the old world.   The extracted oil
is also  upon the market.
  Properties.—Anise is a stimulating  and diffusive aro-
matic, of a very pleasant taste and especially accept-
able to children.   It is known as a carminative a.nd is
much employed for flatulence and colic.  One or two
drops of the  oil of anise  upon sugar  is a sufficient
dose for children.  The essence is more convenient for
use, and infusions of the seeds may  be  employed.
Paregoric contains anise, as also do  many unpleasant
compounds used in medicine.   The use  of anise seeds
upon cakes for children is beneficial  at holiday times,
aiding digestion and overcoming  disturbances caused
by over-eating.
ASSAFOETIDA—Narthex AssaFoetida.

  This is a gum obtained from trees of oriental growth.
Its odor is characteristic and abominably disagreeable.
It is seldom used crude, but is nearly always adminis-
tered in pill form.
  Properties.—Assafoetida is a powerful nervine of a
somewhat stimulating character.  It is of great value
in hysterics and nervous irritability,  often inducing
natural sleep.  For  smothering  sensations  due  to
nervous disorders it is valuable.  By many  it is used
for cramps and colic.  It is also very serviceable as a
preventive of la grippe and other forms of neuralgia.
Milk of assafoetida is formed by  rubbing thoroughly
together in a mortar one ounce of gum  assafoetida and
eight ounces of water.  This is usually employed  as
an enema to the bowels in colic.  In pill form, of two 
648         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
grains each, assafoetida may be given every four hours
for neuralgia or hysterics, or two or three pills at bed-
time for sleeplessness.
BALM OF GILEAD—Populus BalsamiFera.

  The fragrant brown buds of the balsam poplar tree
are by many highly prized as a  remedial  agent, their
medicinal properties being due to their fragrant resin-
ous constituents.
  Properties.—Balm of Gilead is classed as a stimula-
ting  expectorant, and is very  useful in  old coughs
where the lungs are feeble and unable to throw off ac-
cumulations in the air passages.  Half an  ounce of
them in the ordinary alcoholic tincture is  sufficient to
add to a pint of cough syrup.  An  infusion cannot be
made, as the resinous  substance is  not acted upon by
water alone.   The use of Balm of Gilead would be  in-
appropriate in irritable conditions of the lungs.
BALMONY—Chelone Glabra.

  This herb is  also  known as snakehead  or turtle
bloom.  It is a common plant and blooms in the late
summer or early fall, having large, light pink flowers.
The leaves are used medicinally.
  Properties.—Balmony is a stimulating, bitter tonic,
exerting a powerful influence upon the stomach, and a
less pronounced impression upon the liver and bowels.
It is a valuable  agent to use in weak conditions of the
stomach, where the liver  is sluggish.  In chronic ma-
larial difficulties it  is serviceable.   By some it  is
highly prized as a w7orm medicine. Half a  cupful of
the infusion taken before meals will act as a satisfac-
tory appetizer in sluggish  conditions  of  the stomach.
BALSAM FIR.—Abies Balsamea.
  This is a resinous fluid obtained from a secretion un-
der the bark of the evergreen tree known as Canada
Balsam. 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
649
  Properties.—Balsam Fir is a stimulating expectorant,
very much resembling Balm of Gilead  in its action
and uses.  For old coughs the following will be found
excellent: Balsam  Fir,  one ounce;  glycerine  and
honey, each four ounces; flavor to suit the taste; thor-
oughly mix; dose, one teaspoonful four  times a day.
Aged persons suffering from congestion of the kidneys
will find Balsam Fir an excellent kidney tonic.
BALSAM TOLU.

  This is a resinous  substance often used as a stimu-
lating expectorant in old  coughs, but should never be
employed in irritable conditions.  Its usual form is as
syrup of  tolu, which may be added  to cough syrups in
the proportion of not more than one ounce to eight.
BARBERRY—Berberis Vulgaris.

  This is a house-yard shrub bearing bright red ber-
ries which are often used  for  preserving purposes.
The bark is the portion that is used medicinally.
  Properties.—Barberry  bark  is  an intensely bitter
stimulant, used chiefly for torpid condition of the liver
and flaccid conditions of the stomach.  It is a pro-
nounced tonic and is adapted only to chronic cases.
In jaundice, accompanied  by loss  of strength and
feeble appetite, it is valuable.  It is much used in ma-
larial diseases  combined with other agents,  such  as
goldenseal and wild cherry bark.  An infusion of half
an ounce  to the pint of boiling water is sufficiently
strong-.  Half a teacupful before meals will prove  of
most benefit.  It is  frequently employed along with
burdock or yellow  dock for diseases of  the blood
where the liver is also involved.
BETH ROOT—Trillium.

  This little plant is familiarly known as ground lily
or birth root.  It grows in the woods, and consists of 
650         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

a single flower at the axis of three large  leaves, sup-
ported by a single  stem about ten inches in length.
The root contains the medicinal properties.
  Properties.—Beth Root is a soothing astringent, leav-
ing a tonic impression.  It is chiefly used in the form
of infusion, one  ounce to a  pint of boiling water.   It
will aid  in arresting  all forms  of  hemorrhages, as
bleeding from the nose, mouth, stomach, bowels, blad-
der and womb.  The pow7dered root may be applied;
or snuffed up  in bleeding of the nose  or catarrh.  In
dysentery  it has been found very useful;  and with
some  it  is considered almost a  specific for female
weakness.  It derives its name of birth root from its
being frequently used prior to childbirth to  lessen the
pain and difficulty at the time of  delivery.
BITTER ROOT—Apocynum.
BITTER ROOT.
  This plant is also known
as black  Indian hemp or
dogsbane.  It  is  a  very
common  plant and grows
abundantly along the road-
side.  Its creeping root is
very long and is the  part
used as a medicine.
  Properties.—Bitter Root is
a very bitter stimulating
tonic,  acting  chiefly  upon
the liver, emptying the gall-
ducts,  securing a free dis-
charge of bile and thereby
causing activity of the bow-
els.  For  jaundice,  gall-
stones and chronic sluggish
conditions of the liver, bit-
ter root is unexcelled; but
it should not be employed in
irritable conditions of the
stomach.  It will act as a
physic, producing a move-
ment of the bowels in eight 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.          651
or ten hours, by using half a teaspoonful of the powder
at bedtime.  Apocynin is a concentrated preparation of
bitter root and is the best form to use in chronic cases.
Dose, one to two grains twice a day.  The fluid extract
can be obtained.  Dose, ten drops every six hours.
BITTER-SWEET— Celastrus Scandens.

  This is often called staff vine and also bitter-sweet.
It is a climbing shrub, bearing orange-colored, three-
cornered berries.   The
root is long and also or-
ange-colored; the bark of
the root is the medicinal
portion of the plant.
  Properties. — Bitter-
sweet is a relaxant, exert-
ing its influence chiefly
upon the glandular sys-
tem; proving especially
soothing in irritable con-
ditions.   It   is  usually
given in syrup form com-
bined with  pronounced
alteratives, such as yel-
low  dock or  stillingia,
and is very beneficial in
the treatment of eczema
and   scrofula.  Bitter-
sweet ointment is  very
soothing  for  irritable
skin  troubles,    piles,
burns, scalds, etc.   It is        bitter-sweet.
prepared by heating for
eight hours one pound of bark in one pound  of lard.
BLACKBERRY—Rubus.

  The ordinary blackberry or dewberry is too well
known to need  description.   As  a remedial  agent
blackberries are classed as  astringents  and are far
 
652         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
more  serviceable medicinally  than many would sup
pose.   A strong decoction of  the  berries with witch
hazel  makes a most excellent  wash  for  sore mouth,
and with allspice added will be found useful in diar-
rhoea  and dysentery.
  Blackberry Cordial is  a  well-known household
remedy for summer diarrhoea, and it  may be prepared
as follows:  Heat the berries slowiy  until they swell
and burst, mash them and  place  in a close bag and
squeeze thoroughly.   In every quart of juice place a
small  cloth  bag  containing  the  following spices,
ground: half an ounce each of cinnamon, allspice and
ginger, and a very small quantity of cloves and mace;
heat slowly for two hours  in a covered porcelain ves-
sel and  add two  and a half  pounds  of granulated
sugar, and when dissolved  put into small bottles.
BLACK COHOSH.—Cimicifuga Racemosa.

                  The root of this herb is extensively
                used in the practice of medicine, and
                has been of known value for many
                years to the American Indian women.
                It is also called squaw root and rat-
                tlesnake root.
                  Properties.—Black Cohosh is a re-
                laxing nervine and expectorant.  It
                acts markedly on the spinal nerves,
                and for that reason it has gained a
                reputation  in  St.  Vitus' dance and
                spinal meningitis and snake bite poi-
                soning.  So pronounced is its action
                that excessive doses produce a dizzy
                feeling in the head, though it is not
                in any way poisonous.  Among In-
                dian women it has  a fabulous reputa-
                tion for relieving pain during  the
                menstrual period and during child-
                birth, and in general medical practice
                this reputation has been  proven to
                be w7ell founded.  For tight coughs
BLACK COHOSH,  it is peculiarly serviceable, acting as
 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
653
a soothing expectorant,  although but small  doses
should be given, and then combined with other agents.
An infusion may be made by steeping an ounce of the
ground or powdered root in a pint of hot water; dose,
a tablespoonful or more every three hours.   The pow-
der may be given in five grain doses three times a day.
The tincture is often used as a nervine liniment, either
by itself or combined, and is especially valuable in
sciatica and rheumatism.  Persons  who have taken
large doses of black cohosh just before retiring some-
times experience the peculiar sensations of  dreaming
over  a long  space of time in  a  few minutes, a fact
which has been frequently reported,
 BLACK  ROOT.—Leptandra Virginica.

  This valuable remedy was introduced as a medicinal
 agent by Dr. Culver, after whom it has been called
 Culver's physic.   Another common name for the plant
 is tall speedwell.  It is an annual, and  sometimes at-
 tains six or more feet in  height,  bearing at the top
 spikes of small white  flowers.   The leaves are ar-
 ranged in sets about  the stem, several  inches apart.
 The black root is the part used for medicine.
  Properties.—Black root is a  relaxant, exerting its
 chief action on the liver and is employed as a physic
 on account of its producing a  free flow of bile.  The
 concentration prepared from it, called  leptandrin,  is
 the form usually employed.  Two grains of leptandrin
 is a large dose, and should usually be combined with a
 more stimulating agent, as  apocynin.  As  a rule ten
 hours are required for it to act fully.  Leptandrin en-
ters into many "liver pills."
BLACK SALVE.—All-Healing Ointment.

  This is a wonderful preparation, and when  it once
gains a place in a household it  is likely to be consid-
ered indispensable.  It is a stimulating application for
old sores, sluggish ulcers,  inverted toe nail, crushed 
654
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
parts,  etc.,  and when freely applied will serve  to
"draw " abscesses, felons and similar affections.  To
prepare black salve, carefully melt three ounces each
of yellow7 beeswax,  Venice turpentine  and rosin  in
three pints of olive  oil.  Keep upon  a slow fire and
stir into it very slowly two pounds  and a quarter  of
powdered red lead,  using a wooden paddle to stir it
with.  The lead and the oil will chemically combine
and become  dark brown and almost  black.  It is then
finished, and while hot should be poured into suitable
boxes.   To apply the salve, spread it thinly  over a
piece of linen cloth and apply face downward  to the
sore.  Do not use it upon irritated surfaces.
 BLOOD ROOT— Sanguinaria.

                         This is the common plant
                       often known as red puccoon.
                       It bears a little  white blos-
                       som, and the stem and root
                       exude an orange-colored juice
                       when broken.
                         Properties.—Blood Root is a
                       sharp stimulant and decided-
                       ly harsh in action.  It is most
                       highly valued as  an expecto-
                       rant in old  chronic coughs,
                       that  are not irritable.  It
                       should be combined with lo-
                       belia and black cohosh in such
                       cases.  Some value its action
                       upon the stomach and liver,
                       in sluggish conditions.  Nasal
                       polyyus  is often  treated by
                       using  a  snuff  of powdered
                       blood root.  One  drachm of
                       blood root in two ounces of
                       bayberry and one-half ounce
                       of borax will make a sharp
                       snuff.   One  drachm  of the
tincture in eight ounces of cough syrup will be suffi-
cient.
BLOOD ROOT. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          655
BLUE COHOSH— Caulophyllum.

  The Indians used this agent for the cure of cramps
and colic, whence it derived the common name of pap-
poose root.  It is a very valuable nervine of a stimu-
lating character, and is employed chiefly in the  men-
strual difficulties of  women—promoting the flow and
affording relief. It is also a valuable agent to use in
promoting labor pains. A strong infusion  may  be
made by steeping  an ounce of  the  root in a pint of
boiling water;  dose,  two tablespoonfuls every three
hours.  For nervous and sluggish coughs it will act as
an expectorant.  For spasms it may be given freely.
BLUE FLAG.—Iris Versicolor.

  This agent is usually used in combination with yel-
low dock and sarsaparilla on account of its power of
increasing glandular  action.  It  is also given  in
twenty-grain doses as an active cathartic.
BONESET.—Eupatorium Perfoliatum.

  This has long been
a household remedy,
sometimes known un-
der the name of thor-
oughwort. As a tonic
it  is used either  in
syrup form or as a
cold  infusion, and is
useful  in  obstruc-
tions of the liver and
in promoting the se-
cretion  of  bile   in
cases of jaundice and
malarial   disorders
characterized by con-
stipation.
  In  warm infusion
boneset   is  a  pro-
nounced  relaxant
and  will soften  the
 
656         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
skin by inducing perspiration; and if given too freely
will excite vomiting.  An infusion  is made  by steep-
ing an ounce of the herb in a pint of boiling water.
It is extremely bitter to the taste, and to children it is
often highly objectionable.  A thick syrup of boneset
containing ginger and anise is used by some for coughs
of  children with good results.
BORAX.

  This household article occupies an important place
in medicine.  It is  a good antiseptic, and combined
with witch hazel extract and goldenseal makes an un-
excelled w7ash for thrush  and ulcerated sore  throat.
With sulphur in  powder it will loosen the membrane
of diphtheria.  As an eye wash ten grains to an ounce
of water is good for inflamed conditions, as borax is
soothing.   Babes should be cleansed with water con-
taining a little borax instead of soap;  it will avert
skin  troubles.  Likewise   persons  suffering  from
eczema should avoid soap and use borax  in its place.
For irritated sore throat borax solution will be found
very serviceable.
BORACIC ACID.

  This is very similar to borax in its medicinal prop-
erties, but it is much stronger as well as far more ex-
pensive.   But it is preferable to borax in degenerate
cases and as an antiseptic.   Its solutions are slightly
acid in character.
BUCHU—Barosma  Crenata.

  The leaves of this African tea have long enjoyed a
reputation for diseases of a congestive  character of
the mucous membrane of the urinary tract, including
congestion of the bladder.  An ounce  to a pint of
boiling  water makes  a  strong  infusion; dose,  two
tablespoonfuls.  Dose of  the fluid extract, ten drops
every six hours. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          657
BUGLE WEED.—Lycopus Virginicus.

  This agent is also known as water horehound.  It is
a soothing astringent, also acting as a nervine, and is
valuable in loose coughs  and  hemorrhages  from the
lungs and bladder and for incontinence of urine.  An
ounce to a pint of water is the  orinary infusion; dose
two or three tablespoonfuls every two  hours.  The
powder blown into or  applied  upon the surfaces of
fistulas aids in the healing processes otherwise estab-
lished.
BUTTERNUT—Juglans Cinerea.

  The inner bark of  the white walnut tree has an im-
portant place in the materia medica.  Its  principal
use is as a physic, and in that respect it is exceed-
ingly valuable on account of its mild action and the
tonic impression left upon the structures of the bow-
els.  Its chief influence is  exerted  upon the  lower
bowels, and for that reason it cannot be excelled for
prolapsus and constipation  due to a sluggish  condi-
tion of the large bowels.  It is best  administered in
the form of a syrup made by slowly boiling a  pound
of the bark in water and evaporating to one pint and
adding two pounds  of sugar; dose, a tablespoonful.
Senna is frequently combined with butternut to obtain
a quicker cathartic action.  Butternut syrup is a valu-
able physic for use in protracted febrile diseases.
CAMOMILE— Anthemis Nobilis.

  Garden camomile has maintained a valuable reputa-
tion for many hundreds of years, and its usefulness is
fully recognized.  In character it is  a soothing nerv-
ine, and a mild stomach tonic to be used where there
is weakness and poor appetite.   The flowers are best
used in infusion.
  Properties.—When given warm, camomile will favor
perspiration and soften the skin, and in women will
promote the menstrual flow7. The cold infusion acts
as a tonic, and is more suitable for stomach difficul- 
658
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ties, and as a drink during convalescence from febrile
diseases.  The vapor from camomile  boiled in water
may be inhaled to advantage in quinsy.  The German
camomile  is  somewhat  stronger in action than the
American.
CALAMUS—Sweet Flag.

                             This plant is found on
                           the edges of ponds in
                           shallow  water  where
                           the soil is  constantly
                           moist and rich.  It is a
                           well  knowm  household
                           remedy, and its prompt
                           use will often  prevent
                           serious troubles.
                             Properties. — Calamus
                           is a mild and agreeable
                           stimulant, exerting its
                           chief  influence upon the
                           stomach  and  bowels.
                           For   flatulent colic in
                           children it is especially
                           valuable. It is also fre-
                           quently used for heart-
                           burn, due to distention
                           of the stomach by gas.
                           An infusion of the root
                           may be  used, or a por-
                           tion of the root may be
                           chewed and swallowed.
                           Calamus  lozenges  are
kept by most druggists and are pleasant and conven-
ient.
CALAMUS.
CAMPHOR.—Laurus Camphora.

  This is a gum obtained from far eastern countries,
and is familiar to everyone.  The spirits of camphor
may be made by dissolving two ounces of the gum in 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.          659
a pint of alcohol.  Its chief use is for outward appli-
cation  in the form  of liniments, either by itself or
combined with essential  oils.  It will greatly  aid in
giving quick relief in cases of sprains, bruises, etc.;
as an application for muscular rheumatism it is valu-
able, but if persisted in for rheumatism of the joints
it is apt to favor stiffening on account of its drying in-
fluence.  Some use  it outwardly over  the breasts to
dry up the flow of milk, but in such cases it is apt to
favor permanent shrinkage of the breasts.  Its inter-
nal use is chiefly confined to its employment to check
looseness of  the bowels.
CASCARA SAGRADA— Rhamnus Purshiana.

  This is a species of the  California buckthorn, also
known as sacred bark.  It is of recent introduction to
the medical profession, but it is a valuable article.
Its taste is intensely and persistently bitter, though
to some it is not disagreeable.
  Properties.—As an agent to be used in chronic consti-
pation it  can be highly recommended, though as an or-
dinary physic  it  is uncalled for, as there are more
pleasant and prompter cathartics.  An  ounce of the
fluid extract in eight ounces of syrup of yellow dock
makes an excellent preparation for engorged liver and
blood disorders with constipation.  By some it is highly
prized as a "spring medicine."  The dose of the fluid
extract as a physic is a teaspoonful at bedtime.  A
very pleasant preparation  is for sale known as Aro-
matic  Cascara.   Its action  is similar to the uncom-
bined article, and the dose is the same.
CASTOR OIL—Oleum Ricinus.

  The castor oil of commerce is obtained from  the
bean,  the plant  being  quite showy as a lawn orna-
mentation, growing, with its  spreading leaves, even
ten feet or more in height during a single season.
  Properties.—Castor  oil  is  an  extremely  valuable
physic, a large dose securing a movement of the bow- 
660         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
els in about four hours.  The dose for an adult  is one
large tablespoonful, and for a child a large teaspoon-
ful.  Its disagreeable odor and consistence  may be
disguised by mixing it thoroughly with hot milk con-
taining peppermint or cinnamon.  By injection it may
be given to clean out the lower bowel; for such pur-
poses,  four  tablespoonfuls  should  be  thoroughly
mixed with a mucilage of slippery elm bark.  A dose
may readily be taken in a glass of  strong lemon soda
water.
CATNIP.—Nepeta Cataria.

  This plant is so abundant and its use so common as
a nursery remedy, that its value is  often overlooked.
It is a  most soothing article in all cases of nervous
irritability, and may often prove an unusually accept-
able drink to feverish persons.  It is  best used in the
form of infusion, an ounce to the pint of boiling water
in a closed vessel.   As an injection it is invaluable for
colic in children,  frequently  causing  such sudden re-
lief from pain as to produce speedy sleep.  In hysteria
and other forms of nervous diseases of an acute char-
acter, as to manifestations, it will be  found very  ser-
viceable.  It is of but little use in the form of syrup
or fluid extract, its action being transient.
CAYENNE PEPPER—Capsicum.

  Red pepper is the most pronounced stimulant of the
materia medica,  and it cannot be  equalled for use
when powerful and prolonged stimulation is needed,
as in congestive chills, heart failure, etc.   The whole
circulation is affected by the agent, and it can be used
externally as well as  internally.  Liniments for neu-
ralgia, sciatica, paralysis, etc., should contain  capsi-
cum.  And  in  chronic  sluggish  conditions a  small
amount may be added to  other  kinds  of  medication.
In congested, ulcerated or infectious sore throat it is
most excellent, especially combined with myrrh.  It is
antiseptic in character and a most suitable gargle  in 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
661
diphtheria.  Given internally  it  will check uterine
hemorrhages.  One grain is considered a full dose, ex-
cept for  rare  cases, as in congestive  chills.  Ten
grains to a pint of boiling  water will make an ordi-
nary infusion.  Capsicum  plasters  are  valuable for
pneumonia and other conditions, but should not be al-
lowed to remain over an hour on the parts.
CHARCOAL.—Carbon.

  It is a well known fact that powdered charcoal acts
as a disinfectant on account of its power of absorbing
gases.  Meats  placed in  charcoal  will be  preserved
for a great length of time.
  Properties.—Charcoal  is frequently employed  as  an
arrester of putrefaction in  the stomach and bowels.
The powdered willow charcoal is the kind most used.
A teaspoonful taken after meals will often afford re-
lief to those suffering from heart-burn and other forms
of dyspepsia.  Old charcoal is made more effectual  by
heating it before using it.   Sprinkled over or mixed
with poultices applied to degenerate ulcers  or sores it
will be found serviceable.  It is a most excellent ap-
plication for gangrene.   Charcoal tablets may be ob-
tained  of druggists; and  they are pleasant to use in
dyspepsia.
CHERRY BARK.—Prunus Virginicus.

  Wild Cherry bark has  gained a wide reputation for
certain  forms of lung  troubles; but  it is useful in
many other classes of diseases.  It  is a mild tonic, of
the soothing astringent class.   It should not be used
for dry coughs, but is valuable when expectoration is
too free, especially when combined with other arti-
cles.  For diarrhoea of children it is excellent  in the
form of  syrup, and may be pleasantly combined with
neutralizing cordial.   Indigestion caused by a lack of
tone in the stomach will be benefited by its use.  The
fluid extract  may be  readily obtained.  Dose, fifteen
drops in water.  The syrup of wild cherry bark is 
062
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
very pleasant and may be used as a basis for cough
medicines for old or protracted and enfeebled cases,
spikenard and lippia Mexicana being valuable agents
to combine with it in such cases.
CHESTNUT LEAVES.—Castania.

  The leaves of the ordinary chestnut tree are becom-
ing recognized as possessed of pronounced medicinal
value.   They are  soothing to mucous surfaces, and
also to the nervous system, acting  as an  anti-spas-
modic.  For whooping cough  they are by many re-
garded as a specific.  For this malady they may be
combined with  lobelia and blue cohosh.  They are
also useful in coughs of a distressing character.  For
protracted cases of hiccough they  may  afford  relief
after all other agents have  failed.  The best form of
using them is in infusion—an ounce to the pint of boil-
ing water.  The infusion may be strained  and  made
into a syrup.  The fluid extract  is  convenient; dose,
ten drops.  Dose of the infusion, two tablespoonfuls
for an adult, and half the quantity for children.
CLEAVERS.—Galium.

  This is the common trailing plant generally known
as goose grass or bed-straw\  It grows wild in fields
near the woods  and is very abundant.  Medicinally,
the green herb may be used as well as the dried; and
if  combined with marsh  mallow7s  will prove  a most
soothing agent in the treatment of inflammatory dis-
eases of the kidneys, bladder and urinary passages.
Its fluid extract added to neutralizing  cordial adds to
the adaptability of that preparation to diarrhoea with
acrid discharges.   Galium  is  best  used in the form of
a cold infusion and may be taken frequently.   During
the latter stages of scarlet fever, wiien there is a tend-
ency to irritable  conditions of  the kidneys, cleavers
will prove a very acceptable and beneficial drink.
For  children,  and  adults  as well, who suffer from
scalding urine, it is invaluable. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
663
CLOVES.—Caryophyllus Aromaticus.

  These need no description,  and as  they are  usually
kept in the house as a kitchen spice, it  is well to re-
member that their stimulating and astringent  proper-
ties may at times be used to advantage medicinally.
Internally, an infusion of cloves will be found useful
in summer diarrhoea, especially  when combined with
a larger proportion of allspice.  Cloths wrung out of
a hot infusion of cloves and applied over the abdomen
will relieve the pain of colic.   The oil of cloves on
cotton, placed in the hollow  of an aching tooth, will
usually afford relief.  Cloves cannot be  used in large
quantities or for any length of  time, as they are too
strong for the coats of the stomach.
COLD CREAM.

  Many different  kinds of ointments  are sold under
the name of  cold cream, some of them being most ex-
cellent, while others are worse than worthless.  The
following preparation is a wonderfully soothing  ap-
plication for scalds and burns and chapped hands and
face:  Melt in a water bath or pudding kettle  six
ounces each of spermaceti and white beeswax, and
one ounce  of lanoline and sixteen ounces of almond
oil.  Heat two drachms of borax in an ounce of glyc-
erine and add to the melted wax and oil, and then stir
into all briskly ten ounces of hot rose water.  Continue
stirring until the mass cools, which may be hastened
by placing the vessel  in cold water  while stirring.
When the mass  is  of  the consistency of  ordinary
cream, pour into boxes.  Attar of rose may be added
to make an elegant preparation.
COLOMBO.

  This is also known as foreign calomba.  It is an in-
tensely bitter tonic and is frequently an ingredient of
stomach  bitters.  As an appetizer,  the infusion  in
tablespoonful doses should be taken at meal times,  or 
664         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
the powder, in  five grain doses, may be given in cap-
sules with a little ginger.  It is a most suitable agent
to use in debilitated conditions where  the stomach is
exceedingly wreak, as after protracted  spells of sick-
ness.
CORN SILK—Stigmata Maidis.

  Ordinary corn silk has been accepted as a remedy
possessing great virtue in irritable conditions of the
urinary organs.  It is a  gentle  article  of stimulating
and relaxing properties, leaving behind a tonic im-
pression, and at the same time  displaying  demulcent
characteristics.  It is best used in fluid extract form;
dose,  half a teaspoonful four times a day; and its
value is increased by combining it with dandelion and
shepherd's purse.   With agrimony it is excellent for
bed-wetting (eneuresis).   The  infusion may  be used
very freely, though with some it  may  prove  slightly
nauseating.  The fluid extract in syrup is very pleas-
ant to the taste.  As a nervine  in neuralgic troubles,
caused by irritation of the female organs,  it will  be
found serviceable.
COUCH  GRASS.—Triticum.

  This is a very annoying  weed, often spoken of as
quitch grass.  It grows abundantly, the  root spread-
ing and sending up numerous off-shoots.  Medicinally
it is classed as  a mild, stimulating demulcent, acting
chiefly upon the kidneys and bladder and urinary pas-
sages. It will prove very soothing in cases of irrita-
tion of the kidneys, bladder or  urethra, and is espe-
cially valuable in gravel,  many  declaring that it will
dissolve small calculi.   It is best used as an infusion,
drank freely.  The  fluid extract well represents the
plant, and may be used in  ten-drop doses every four
hours, or combined  with such agents as dwarf elder
and peach leaves in syrup form.   There are several
compounds  of  triticum on the market as  proprie-
tary medicines, but those containing poisons should
be avoided. 
            REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.         665

CREAM OF TARTAR.

  This affords a very pleasant drink in feverish condi-
tions, a teaspoonful to a  glass  of cold water, a few
swallows only to be taken at frequent intervals.  Some
prefer to add  lemon and  sugar to  cream of tartar
drinks.  It is an excellent addition to butternut syrup.
Large doses act upon the bowels and increase the dis-
charge of urine.
DANDELION.—Taraxacum dens Leonis.

  This common field plant may be used to great ad-
vantage as a medicinal agent, the root being the part
employed.  It has  gained  a reputation  in the treat-
ment of dropsy, and undoubtedly exerts  an influence
upon the kidneys, es-
pecially w7hen the kid-
neys are disturbed on
account of  torpidity
of the liver.  Tarax-
acum is a slow tonic,
and is best  employed
in chronic difficulties
where slow action can
be depended upon.
  The root of the dan-
delion is the part to          dandelion,
be used.  This should
be boiled in order to extract its qualities; an ounce to
the pint of  water, taken in half-cupful doses.   When
combined with peach leaves it makes a most soothing
preparation for inflamed conditions of the kidneys.
DOGWOOD—Cornus.

  The dogwood  tree with its peculiar flowers, bloom-
ing in early spring, is well known to all.  The flowers
and the bark of  the tree are used in medicine, and are
very acceptable tonics.  The flowers strongly resem-
ble camomile in their action, being soothing and tonic,
 
666
A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
                             and well adapted to
                             weakened and debili-
                             tated  conditions  of
                             the stomach.
                               The bark is a more
                             decided tonic than the
                             flowers, possessing
                             considerable  astrin-
                             gency.
                               By some, dogwood
                             is prized in ague; but
                             it is better adapted to
                             the diseases caused
                             by weakness of  the
                             stomach and bowels.
                             The  fluid extract is
                             sold; but an infusion
                             is used to advantage.
                             Combined with gold-
                             enseal and ginger the
                             powder  may be given
                             in capsules after
                             meals   to  overcome
water brash and other stomach weaknesses.
DOGWOOD.
DWARF ELDER—Aralia Hispida.

  This agent is much  employed on account of its ac-
tion upon the kidneys, which it stimulates to a marked
degree, increasing the flow of urine, and at the same
time influencing the bowels.  Half a cup of the cold
infusion may be used at a  time every three hours,
made by steeping an  ounce of the root in a pint of
boiling  water.   The  fluid extract may be obtained;
dose, a teaspoonful.
ELDER—Sambucus.

  "Elder blow tea" has long been used to influence
the skin and kidneys in febrile diseases.  The bark in
decoction  is often employed as  a  mild cathartic. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          667
Elder berries are sometimes  substituted for black-
berries in making a cordial.  Elder ointment for cuts
and bruises is made by slowly  heating for a long time
a pound of  elder bark in two  pounds  of lard and
a quarter of a pound of mutton suet.
ELECAMPANE.—Inula.

  This is an old-fashioned household remedy, but it is
none the less useful on that account.  In fact, should
the medical profession  abandon  their mysteriously
concocted preparations, their anti-this and anti-that,
and fall back  upon the old remedies of their grand-
mothers, their patients would be  better off.  If wo-
men, without medical knowledge,  could use to such
advantage the well-known household remedies, how
much better could those remedies be used when admin-
istered intelligently by skillful hands.
  Elecampane root is a stimulating expectorant, and
is best adapted to old coughs.   An ounce to the pint
of hot (not boiling) water  makes  the usual infusion,
but it is best used in combination with other agents in
the form of syrup.  A  good formula is, elecampane
and spikenard, each one ounce; wild cherry bark, four
ounces, for one quart of syrup (see syrups) and add
one ounce fluid extract of lippia Mexicana.
ELM  BARK.—Ulmus.

  Slippery Elm has been used as a household remedy
for many years—the inner bark of the tree being the
part used.  It possesses most pronounced mucilagi-
nous properties, making it valuable in irritable or in-
flamed conditions of the mucous  membrane, such as
are present  in inflammations of the stomach, bowels
and kidneys.   For such difficulties the bark should be
placed in cold w7ater for some time, which may be then
strained and drank freely.  Hot water renders the in-
fusion too thick.   For irritable coughs and sore throat
the bark may be  chewed and the saliva swallowed.
For poultices  the ground bark should be used, soft- 
668
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
ened with  water containing a  little glycerine.  For
enemas, slippery elm is valuable as a means of sooth-
ing the lower bowel.
EPSOM  SALTS.-Magnesium Sulphate.

  This is a natural product and is the chief ingredient
of the bitter waters at Epsom,  England.   It is often
spoken of as bitter salt.  In appearance  it is some-
what like coarse table salt, only the crystals are more
needle-like. It is intensely bitter to  the taste, and
dissolves  very readily  in  water.  Medicinally it  is
used as a physic, and is most excellent  in cases where
quick action is needed, especially where there is fever-
ishness.  When the  surface is  cold,  or when the pa-
tient is emaciated or very feeble, Epsom salts  should
not be used.  Nor should it be relied upon for contin-
ued constipation.   The ordinary dose is a large table-
spoonful, best  given in strong lemonade, although the
salt may be simply dissolved in water,  and some pre-
fer half a tablespoonful in a solution of senna.  It
should cause a watery stool within four hours.
FEVERFEW—Pyrethrum.

  This is a very common plant in household gardens
and  bears  a flower  valued for  its beauty. It very
much resembles camomile  in appearance.  As a reme-
dial agent the flowers, usually given in infusion, will
be found serviceable in relieving suppressed or painful
menstration brought about by exposure to cold.
FLAX SEED.

  Flax seed or linseed is much used in medicine, both
internally as a  demulcent and externally as a poul-
tice.  Where there is  inflammation  of  the mucous
membrane flax seed will usually be found serviceable
taken as a drink, either warm or cold.  A tablespoon-
ful of the  whole seed  steeped  in a pint of hot -water 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          669
for an hour and then strained will be useful in dysen-
tery or flux, or in inflammations of the bladder and
kidneys.  Or such  an infusion may be  made into a
soothing cough medicine by adding to it half a pound
of sugar, the juice of one lemon and a fourth stick of
ordinary  black licorice;  a  little  ginger if there  is
paleness; or a small quantity of spikenard if there is
too  little expectoration.  For  soothing  injections to
the lower bowTel a boiled and strained infusion will be
found best.   As a poultice the  ground seed should be
used,  and  medicaments  may  be mixed with  it or
sprinkled over the surface.
GENTIAN.—Gentiana Lutea.

  In medicine the foreign gentian root is used as a bit-
ter tonic,  and as such it is unexcelled, although for
mild cases it should always be combined with less in-
tense agents.   Its chief action is upon the liver and
stomach, and for sluggishness of the liver with dys-
pepsia it is most excellent.  For ague  it may prove
effective when other agents fail,  taken for  several
hours before the chill, in  hourly doses of a half tea-
spoonful of the fluid extract with a little red pepper
added.

  Compound  Syrup OF  Gentian.—This has been fre-
quently  referred to in the preceding pages, and is pre-
pared as follows:  Take  one  ounce each of gentian,
ginger and wahoo and two ounces each of goldenseal,
boneset  and dwarf  elder,  and a little orange peel and
coriander seeds, and make into a  quart of syrup (see
syrups).   This compound  is one  that may be relied
upon  wherever a bitter  tonic is needed.  Dose, two
teaspoonfuls before  meals.
GERANIUM.—Crow's Foot.

  This is a well known wild flower, growing in sparse
woods and  fence corners;  recognized  by its delicate
purple flowers upon slender stems; it must not be con- 
670         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
GERANIUM.
founded  with  the" so-called
cultivated  geranium.   The
root is the portion used for
medicinal purposes.
  Properties.—Geranium is de-
cidedly astringent in  charac-
ter, and yet it is not harsh in
its action and can be taken by
sensitive  persons.  It should
be used in relaxed conditions
and  will  be found excellent
to relieve  profuse menstrua-
tion,  diarrhoea  and  hemor-
rhages, and  as a  wash  for
sore  mouth  and  bleeding
gums.  For such purposes an
infusion,  one  ounce  to the
pint of boiling water,  is best,
given in small doses.
  The  powdered root  may be
used as a snuff for excessive
catarrhal discharges, and also
to stop bleeding of the nose.
GINGER—Zingiber.

  This universal agent is a most pleasant diffusive
stimulant, and is excellent for chilliness, new colds,
colic and disturbances of  the circulation.  It quickly
sends the blood to the surface, and its prompt use may
avert a spell of pneumonia  or other serious malady.
It is best given by infusion.  A pleasant way of pre-
paring it is to mix  thoroughly half a  teaspoonful  of
pulverized ginger and a teaspoonful of sugar and pour
upon it a cup of boiling water and add a little cream.
The tincture of ginger is readily procured and is an ex-
cellent form of ginger to keep on hand for emergencies.
Jamaica ginger is stronger and better than  the Afri-
can variety.  The external application of the infusion
or tincture of  ginger over the abdomen often gives re-
lief in colic.  Syrup of ginger is made by adding six 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          671
drachms of the tincture to a pint of simple syrup; it
is a good basis for many preparations.
GLAUBER SALT—Sodium Sulphate.

  This is a salt much used as a cathartic, and its ac-
tion very much resembles that of Epsom salts.  A
tablespoonful or more constitutes a dose to be taken
in water, and will act within five hours.  This salt
should not be relied upon for constipation, but should
be given only when a prompt cathartic is demanded.
GOLDENSEAL.—Hydrastis Canadensis.

  This agent, also known as yellow7 puccoon, cannot
be too highly esteemed as a tonic for the stomach and
liver; and on account
of its influence  upon
all mucous membranes
it  is  invaluable.  Its
proper place for  use-
fulness is in congested
conditions. Weakened
stomachs with feeble
digestive powers are
greatly  benefited  by
its use; and  combined
with scullcap  and  a
little ginger  it can be
used to  great advan-
tage in nervous troub-
les which are apt to
follow  or accompany
dyspepsia.  For  ordi-
nary diarrhoea it can
be used with raspberry
leaves or neutralizing
cordial or wild cherry
bark.  It sustains the
circulation of blood in
the veins, and on that         golden seal
 
672         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

account is valuable in heart affections where the ex-
tremities are prone to become cold and the lips bluish.
In such cases it should be combined with cayenne and
scullcap.  Thus a weakened heart may be greatly sus-
tained.
  Goldenseal is best given in infusion, half a teaspoon-
ful to a cup of boiling water, taken cold.  When com-
bined with other agents it should constitute one-fourth
part of the whole.  Locally it is used to advantage in
many skin difficulties, such as eczema, erysipelas, etc.,
for which purpose the fluid extract  should be mixed
with glycerine.  The  powder may be sprinkled over
poultices for sores that are of a dark color.
  Hydrastia  sulphate  is  a  concentrated preparation
which may be used instead of the ordinary goldenseal
and is superior to it as an eye-wTash; one-half grain to
an ounce of rose water, and a little alum added for
granulated lids.  As a tonic for intestinal indigestion
one grain of sulphate of  hydrastia may be combined
with a grain of tartrate of iron and potassa and  half
a grain of capsicum, given in capsule after each meal.
The  phosphate of hydrastia  is  similar in every re-
spect to the sulphate.  Hydrastine  parvules  contain
one-tenth grain each  of hydrastine  and are suitable
for sensitive persons.
GUM ARABIC—Acacia.

  This is a well known article and is of great service
wherever  a soothing demulcent  is needed.  It is a
perfect mucilage and will dissolve in hot or cold
water, but not in alcohol.  In fever cases where the
mouth becomes dry and thirst is great, and especially
when the  throat, stomach or bowels  are inflamed, a
teaspoonful of  gum Arabic dissolved in a glass of cold
water and given in tablespoonful doses at short inter-
vals will be gratefully appreciated by the patient and
prove very soothing to the inflamed surfaces.  Made
into a mucilage  it is often used instead of simple
syrup as a basis for preparations of fluid extracts to
be used by persons  who cannot endure sugar.  Such
preparations should contain one-fourth part of glycer- 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
673
ine as a preservative.  A weak solution of gum Arabic
will prove a soothing enema for dysentery.
GUARANA—Paullinia Sorbilis.

  This is a powerful nervine prepared from  the seeds
of a Brazilian plant.   The fluid extract is much used,
as well as the active principle—guaranine.   It gives
speedy relief in headache caused by over-working the
brain, or from exhaustive diseases where there  is a
tendency to faintness.  Its main action is due to its
active principle, which is very similar to theme and
caffeine in tea and coffee.  Dose  of the fluid extract,
ten drops in water, repeated every half hour for three
doses.  Dose  of the guaranine (in powder), five grains.
In cases of  neuralgia from depression of  the nervous
system it is most excellent.   Persons  with  weakness
of the heart should not use guarana freely.
GLYCERINE.

  This household article, besides being an excellent
application for chapped hands and other skin troubles,
is a most useful agent to add to various preparations
as a substitute  for alcohol as a preservative.  One-
fourth part  of  glycerine and three-fourths of water
will preserve drugs as a tincture.  Internally glycer-
ine acts as an expectorant in  coughs,  and as a mild
laxative in chronic constipation.   Suppositories made
of glycerine solidified with pure glue will be found
most excellent for old cases of obstinate constipation,
or to use with children instead of enemas.
HOLLYHOCK—Althea Rosea.

  This is a common garden flower, but in its proper
place is  a valuable agent  for  medicinal  purposes.
The flowers are used as a demulcent,  and an infusion
of them will be found very  soothing in all inflamed
conditions of the alimentary and urinary tracts, and
      43 
674
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
especially so in inflammations of the kidneys or blad-
der.  The flowers may be dried in the shade and kept
for winter use without losing their virture.
HONEY.—Mel.

  For centuries honey has been used for recent coughs,
and it enters into many preparations.   With hops and
a little lobelia it makes an excellent remedy for bron-
chitis.   Combined with  sage and  borax it has long
been valued as a remedy for sprue  or  thrush  of chil-
dren, and added to ordinary gargles it will increase
their efficiency.
HOPS.—Humulus.

  This old-time plant is an excellent agent for  many
conditions.  The flowers are usually employed  in in-
fusion, half  an ounce to the pint,  in doses of three
tablespoonfuls every three hours, though the fluid ex-
tract may be used in ten-drop doses.  An  infusion of
hops is an excellent nervine,  and  is much used for
sleeplessness;  and it is an  old  custom for sleepless
persons to  rest the head upon  a pillow  filled  with
dried hop  flowers.  The fluid extract is often used in
cough syrups where there  is  nervousness, and in heart
palpitation ten drop doses of the fluid extract will be
found  serviceable.  A hot fomentation of  hops ap-
plied to the  face will give  ease in neuralgia and ear-
aches;  and as a poultice for suppurating abscesses of
a painful character it will afford relief.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.

  This is a powerful antiseptic and  detergent.  It
may be obtained in sealed bottles, as a clear liquid, in
appearance  identical with water.   It  must be  kept
closely stoppered and in a dark and cool place, other-
wise its  strength is rapidly lost.   It  will mix  with
water in  any proportion and is usually employed di- 
             REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          675

luted one-half, though in very mild cases ten per cent
solution will answer, and in severe cases full strength
may be required.
  It is chiefly used to cleanse abscesses or cavities of
pus or degenerate matter.  For such purposes it is in-
jected into the cavity by a rubber or glass  syringe
(metal is corroded  by it).  Instantly there will  be a
discharge of frothy matter.  As a spray (diluted) it is
of great service in nasal catarrh and discharges from
the ear.   In putrid sore throat and diphtheria it is in-
valuable.  In diphtheria small amounts of tincture of
myrrh and fluid hydrastis should be added and  em-
ployed freely (see Diphtheria).   In all putrefactive
conditions it  may  be  depended upon  to  perform its
service.
 IRON—Ferrum.

  The use of many forms of iron in medicine is based
 upon the fact that the blood contains iron,  and it
 seems plausible that iron taken into  the system will
 enrich the blood.  Such is the common belief, but the
 amount of iron in the whole body is but a few  grains,
 and the maintenance of this small proportion depends
 upon the iron taken into the system  along with  or-
 ganic compounds as food, and not upon the crude ele-
 ment administered as medicine.  Non-poisonous iron
 compounds undoubtedly aid intestinal digestion, and
 thus the blood is enriched.  They  are  suitable  for
 anaemic conditions (see anaemia).  The  following may
 be mentioned:
  Tartrate of Iron and Potassium.—Two drachms
 of this and  ten grains of sulphate of hydrastia and
 one drachm of citric acid  dissolved in  one  pint  of
 water will make a most excellent tonic for feeble  di-
 gestion; dose, a tablespoonful before meals.  Keep in
 a very cool place.
  Citrate of Iron.—This may be used instead of the
above.
  Reduced Iron.—A gray powder; dose, three to five
grains.
  Carbonate of Iron.—Often used in pill form. 
676
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
  Iron Waters.-—These natural waters are excellent
for feeble persons with poor digestion and little blood.
JALAP.

  This is an old-time physic of great power, but en-
tirely too harsh to be used alone, and for that reason
should be combined  w7ith milder agents and diffusives
to prevent griping.  Senna, ginger and cinnamon are
good articles to use with jalap.  The dose of the plain
powdered drug is half a teaspoonful, operating inside
of seven hours.
JUNIPER BERRIES.

  For sluggish conditions of the kidneys juniper ber-
ries will be found most serviceable.  They increase the
flow of urine, but should not be used in sensitive con-
ditions.  An ounce of the berries to a  pint of boiling
water  is  the ordinary  infusion. A  more judicious
method of  employing juniper berries is to combine
them with  peach  leaves and  a little marsh-mallow
root.  Their harshness  will thus be avoided,  and the
urinary passages soothed while the action of the kid-
neys is increased.   Twenty drops of the fluid extract
of juniper berries may  be used in water  every four
hours, or combined with syrups.
KINO GUM.

  This agent has been frequently mentioned through-
out the body of this work, and its value makes  it an
important article of the materia medica.  It is a pure
astringent of a soothing character, leaving a  decided
tonic impression.  Wherever there is great relaxation
it  will be found serviceable.  For  congested throat
troubles it should be used as a gargle in infusion with
o-ino-er or other stimulants.   For oedema of the glottis
the&tincture may be used slightly diluted  with water.
In this difficulty it is regarded as a specific, as also for 
            REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          677

"fallingof the palate."'  Half an ounce of the tincture
in eight ounces of neutralizing  cordial increases the
value of  that  preparation  for  diarrhoea and dysen-
tery, or the plain infusion of kino given in tablespoon-
ful  doses  every two  hours may be  used  for these
troubles.   For hemorrhages of whatever nature kino
is most excellent.  Its value as  a tonic depends upon
its power to strengthen the walls of the blood ves-
sels.  A tablespoonful of gum kino to a large cupful
of boiling water makes a suitable infusion.   The tinct-
ure forms into  a jelly by long standing.
LADY SLIPPER—Cypripedium Pubescens.

  The root of the American  valerian  has long been
used as a household agent under the  name of nerve
root, and for a mildly  relaxing nervine it cannot be
equaled.   So quickly does it relieve pain, restlessness,
cramps, neuralgias, etc.,  that many suppose  it pos-
sesses narcotic properties, but none such belong to it.
During fevers its use is indicated for restlessness, and
during the early fever stages  of pneumonia, combined
with a little lobelia and ginger, it will  often cut short
that trouble.   Its infusions used with elm  as an injec-
tion for dysentery will give relief.   Added to neutral-
izing cordial it greatly lessens the pain or  diarrhoea in
children.   As a persistent nervine  in chronic irritable
conditions of the  nervous system it should be used
with scullcap.  Tablespoonful doses of the  infusion
(an ounce to the pint of hot, not boiling, water) every
three hours, or oftener, is the  best method  of employ-
ing the agent.  The  fluid extract can be obtained;
dose, fifteen drops in water, or combined with syrups.
Lavender.—Lavenduia.

  The  flowers of the  lavender plant are much em-
ployed in the form of tincture as a prompt and  diffu-
sive nervine in all forms of nervous depression, faint-
ing, etc.   The  oil is  a frequent ingredient of  lini-
ments. 
678         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE,

  Compound Spirits of La voider may be procured at any
drug store; the preparation consists of lavender flow
ers, two and a half ounces; cinnamon  bark and rose-
mary leaves,  each  six drachms; ground cloves and
nutmeg, each fifteen grains, tinctured in four ounces of
alcohol and twelve ounces  of  water.   A most  excel-
lent and prompt nervine for fainting or nervous spells.
LICORICE.—Glycirrhiza Glabra.

  Ordinary licorice root is not now used as much  as
formerly,  though the black extract is  a well known
remedy for irritable coughs.   It is best combined with
black  cohosh,  wild  cherry,  or  similar articles.  A
pleasant drink is composed of flaxseed,  ginger, lemon
and licorice, with sugar, made into an infusion.  Too
much licorice is apt to sicken the stomach  or  even
produce vomiting from its relaxing character.
LIME  WATER.-Aqua  Calcis.

  This is  a most  useful remedy to have  about the
home, giving relief for many transient troubles.  It is
chiefly used to correct sourness  of the stomach, or
stomach  troubles  accompanied by nausea or actual
vomiting after meals; a tablespoonful in milk an hour
after  meals being the usual  method of employing it.
For infants it is invaluable where artificial feeding is
resorted to; a teaspoonful or more being added to each
nursing to  correct diarrhoea or frequent vomiting.
Mixed with an equal  amount of  linseed oil until an
emulsion is formed,  lime water will give relief as an
application to  burns, and  will often prevent serious
consequences.
  To prepare lime water, gradually pour a pint of wa-
ter over an ounce of quick lime;  stir and allow it to
settle about an hour; pour  away the wrater, and to the
then slaked lime  add  a gallon  of  pure water; let it
settle fifteen minutes and pour the clearer liquor into
bottles to be kept well  corked.  It will not deteriorate
by age. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
679
LIPPIA  MEXICANA.

  This is a stimulating and relaxing agent, soothing to
the throat and  air passages, and  also somewhat de-
mulcent.   It  is very  useful combined with syrup of
wild cherry or other lung  tonics.   It will increase ex-
pectoration and prove very grateful  in old coughs to
relieve tickling in the throat and feelings of stuffiness
in the bronchial  tubes.   It is very  pleasant to  the
taste, but should not be too freely used lest it provoke
nausea.  Dose of the tincture, ten drops.  One drachm
of the tincture will be found sufficient to add to four
ounces of cough syrup.
 LITHIA COMPOUNDS.

   Lithia is an  alkali very closely related  to potassa
 and soda; and its compounds are valuable as solvents
 of uric acid,  the  deposits  in  the  joints  and dense
 structures, which are mainly the cause of suffering in
 rheumatism.
   Lithium Carbonate.—This is a white alkaline powder,
 insoluble in  alcohol  but  rather  freely   soluble  in
 water.  Dose,  five to ten  grains  in water between
 meals.  It will be  found serviceable in   persons  of
 rheumatic tendency when their kidneys are not acting
 properly, as will be shown by puffiness under the low7er
 eyelids.  It increases the flow7 of urine, especially aid-
 ing in eliminating the solids of  the urine by dissolving
 the uric acid.

   Citrate of Lithia.—This is a white powder  of neutral
 reaction.  It is much more soluble  than carbonate  of
 lithia, and is also slightly  soluble in  alcohol.   It  is
 not so strong as the carbonate, and  double the dose
 should be administered.  It is almost tasteless and is
 not at all disagreeable.   Dose, ten to twenty grains.
   Lithia Tablets are convenient for  use, a  dose  being
 one tablet in a glass of water.
  Lithia Waters are much lauded for the cure of gout
and rheumatism, and are undoubtedly most useful  in 
680         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
those difficulties.   They dissolve  the  deposits of uric
acid and render it  possible of elimination by  way of
the kidneys.  Lithia waters are most  valuable aids to
proper medication and hygienic  regulations.   Rheu-
matic persons will do well to drink of them.
LOBELIA—Lobelia InFIata.

  This plant grows wild in most sections of the coun-
try, and is often known as Indian tobacco, on account
of its tasting similar to ordinary tobacco, although it
is in no way related to tobacco and does not contain
nicotine or other poisonous properties.
                       Medicinally,  lobelia is a pure
                     relaxant, exerting its chief  ac-
                     tion upon the muscles and mu-
                     cous  membranes.  It  greatly
                     softens the  skin  and induces
                     perspiration, being on that ac-
                     count valuable in fevers.  For
                     irritable conditions of the nerv-
                     ous system it is invaluable, and
                     can be relied upon in ordinary
                     convulsions.  For nervous troub-
                     les it should  be combined with
                     some nervine, such as lady slip-
                     per.  As an expectorant it may
                     be used to great advantage in
                     small  doses for  colds along
                     with decided pulmonary agents.
                     For spasmodic croup it is in-
                     valuable,  and it has also gained
                     a great reputation for asthma.
                     Along with powerful nervines,
                     such  as blue cohosh  and scull-
                     cap,  it has  been  successfully
                     used in lock-jaw7.   Large doses
                     will relax the whole   system
                     completely,  so that even  the
smallest muscles cannot be  used.  This  condition is
termed the "alarm," and is uncomfortable although
not dangerous, unless poisons should  be then adminis-
LOBELIA. 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.          681
tered, w7hich are in that  condition quickly absorbed.
To overcome  the condition of  alarm, administer com-
position (see formulas) freely.
  As an emetic, lobelia cannot be equaled.  Its method
of use for such purpose is  mentioned under Emetics;
it can be thus used with safety.  As an outward ap-
plication it is most valuable wherever there is inflam-
mation.   It can be added in tincture form to liniments,
or used mixed with or sprinkled upon poultices, either
in the form of the powdered  herb  or  ground  seeds.
As a nervine, two grains of the powdered seeds in a
capsule may be given every two or three hours.
  An ounce of the herb to  the pint  of boiling water
makes an ordinary infusion,  to be administered in
tablespoonful doses every hour or half hour.  A wreak
infusion given in teaspoonful doses every ten minutes
(termed "broken doses") will thoroughly  relax the
muscular  system and prove a great aid  in reducing
fractures and dislocations, especially if cloths  wrung
out of the warm infusion be applied over  the seat of
the difficulty.   For convulsions, injections of the herb
as infusion is best.   Never administer lobelia  where
the system is relaxed or when there is congestion, and
do not apply it upon indolent ulcers or dark sores.
MAGNESIA—Calcined  Magnesia.

  This is one of the mildest forms of alkalies, and is
to be used for soreness of the stomach and in summer
diarrhoea.  It  is given  in tablespoonful doses,  first
pulverized and rubbed with sugar and then mixed with
water or milk.  This agent will usually cause a move-
ment of the bow7els within six hours.
  Citrate of Magnesia,—This  is a  most  pleasant and
slightly acid preparation,  much used  as  a  mild laxa-
tive.  It is obtained ready prepared at the drug stores.
  Phillip's Milk of Magnesia is  a most acceptable form
of using the article.   It comes as a milky preparation,
and is most serviceable in acid conditions of the stom-
ach and bow7els, or as a laxative.  It may be used in-
stead of  neutralizing cordial  as a basis for many com- 
682
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
binations.  One drachm each of fluid extracts of gold-
enseal and wild cherry, flavored with essence of anise,
will  make a pleasant  and efficient preparation for
summer diarrhoea.
 MALTED MILK.

  This is a truly valuable preparation, used as a sub-
 stitute for mother's milk with nursing children, and as
 a diet for invalids and feeble persons,  and as an ele-
 gant form of nourishment for persons exhausted by
 over-wrork or worry.   It is recommended extensively
 throughout this volume.  As  a table  drink  for chil-
 dren it cannot be equaled.   Women  in confinement
 will do best by drinking it liberally and leaving tea
 and coffee alone.   Dyspeptics  will find it the most eas-
 ily  digested form of nourishment obtainable.  It is
 sold in the market in glass jars of various sizes, the
 full directions for use being printed upon the labels.
 Of itself it will provide all the nourishment needed in
 fever cases and protracted exhaustive disease—none
 being too feeble to digest it.  Lately tablets of Malted
 Milk have been placed upon  the market.  These are
 most pleasant  for those who wish concentrated and
easily  digested food  in solid form.  The  weli and
hearty will find them  convenient for luncheon in the
midst of  work, bicycle riding, etc.
MALT  PREPARATIONS.

  There are placed upon  the  market many prepara-
tions containing malt, many of them being but sweet-
ened and  thickened  beer, but others being pleasant
and useful preparations, aids to digestion  and decid-
edly tonic to the stomach.  Johann Hoff's  Extract of
Maltisamost pleasant beverage  for those suffering
from feeble digestion and bordering upon anaemic con-
ditions.   Dose, a wine-glassful at meal times.
  Maltine with Wine of Pepsin is an elegant prepara-
tion and is of great service when digestion is feeble.
It greatly facilitates the digestion of starchy foods, 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          683
and produces a tonic effect upon the stomach.  Dose,
a small wine-glassful at meals.   Children should be
given half the amount diluted with water.  Its long
continued use cannot fail to be beneficial in the class
of cases indicated.
MANDRAKE—May Apple—Podophyllum.

  This is a very common  plant, growing wild in the
woods throughout the country.  It  flowers  in the
spring and the fruit,
known as May Ap-
ples, is rarely devel-
oped until July.  It
is not unpleasant to
the taste and is not
particularly medic-
inal.
  The green root of
mandrake   is acrid
and apparently con-
tains  a  poisonous
juice.  The  dried
root is  used as  a
medicine, and is  a
harsh cathartic.
Half a teaspoonful
of  the   powdered
root will produce a
free  movement  of
the bowels  in four
or five hours.  It is
best  adapted   to
sluggish conditions.            mandrake.

  Podophyllin is the concentration prepared from man-
drake.  It is a very  powerful cathartic.  Two grains,
given in capsule, should be considered a large dose.
It  is best used in  combination as follows:  Podophyl-
lin, one-eighth grain; euonymin and  leptandrin, each
one grain; administered in capsule.
 
684         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
MARIGOLD—Calendula.

  The tincture of the ordinary garden marigold is far
to be preferred to tincture of arnica or the tincture of
witch hazel in all cases where those agents are ordi-
narily employed, such as bruises, sprains,  cuts, etc.
For sore mouth and ulcerated conditions of the ears it
is most excellent.
MARSH MALLOWS.—Althea OFFicinalis.

  This is a well known dooryard plant, often spoken
of as cheese mallows.  Its root is  a valuable demul-
cent, very soothing to irritated conditions of the bow-
els and urinary tract.  The dried root  cut into  small
pieces can usually be  obtained at most  drug stores.
This, carried in the pocket, may be constantly chewed
and the saliva swallow7ed for soothing inflamed con-
ditions of the bladder or kidneys.
MENTHOL.

  This is a white, crystalline substance obtained from
foreign oil of peppermint.  It may be obtained in mass,
very much resembling gum camphor; but It is usually
sold in " pencils " enclosed in cases with a screw cap,
to avoid evaporation.   When rubbed over the forehead
it will relieve headache, and when rubbed  over nerve
tracts it will speedily  lessen the pain of  neuralgias.
Its influence is only temporary, as it does not seem to
produce any permanent effects.

  Menthol Inhalers  are prepared by  placing men-
thol crystals in a small tube  and inserting cotton or
fine  wire gauze at the ends to keep the crystals in
place.   The open tube  is placed to the  mouth or nos-
tril and  air inhaled through it.  While this usually
affords relief for tickling of the throat or painful ca-
tarrh, it does not  cure throat or nose troubles, even
though used a great length of time. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          685
MOTHERWORT— Leonurus Cardiaca.

  Motherwort is a well known wild plant, growing
abundantly,  It has long been used by  women for
tardy menstruation.  It is a fine tonic  nervine, espe-
cially strengthening the heart,  and may be used to ad-
vantage in palpitation, hysterics, heart weakness and
restlessness.  It is  best given by infusion,  half an
ounce to a pint of boiling water;  dose,  two  table-
spoonfuls every two hours.  Taken at meal time it is
an excellent aid to digestion in  nervous conditions.
MULLEIN.—Verbascum Thapsus.

  This plant, sometimes  spoken of  as the American
velvet-leaf, grows abundantly throughout the country,
and  its leaves  can be easily  dried and  preserved.
They will be found  most serviceable in many condi-
tions.  Made into a hot poultice they may be applied
wherever absorption is  desired, as  in dropsy  of the
joints,  deep-seated chronic abscesses  and persistent
swellings.  For sciatica, spinal tenderness and inflam-
matory rheumatism tincture of mullein may be used as
a liniment along with tinctures of black cohosh  and
lobelia.
  A syrup of mullein is excellent for irritable coughs.
The infusion may be made by pouring a pint of boiling
water on the dried and  well  broken leaves,  which
swell greatly.   A poultice of mullein  leaves, lobelia
and black cohosh will give great relief in neuralgia of
the face.
MUSTARD—Sinapsis.

  Ordinary mustard has long been employed as a
plaster wherever it  is desirable to quickly draw the
circulation outward or away from the head or other
congested portions of the body.   For such purposes
one part of mustard and four parts of wheat flour
made into a paste with warm water will be sufficient.
This should be spread over muslin and applied for not 
686
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
longer than half an hour, as a blister is liable to fol-
low.  Stronger plasters may be prepared for more ur-
gent cases.  An infusion of mustard in  a  bucket of
water is an excellent foot  bath  when  it is desired to
call  the blood  from the brain, lungs,  etc.  Mustard
emetics are quickly effective in cases of poisoning.  A
teaspoonful of mustard to a large teacupful of boiling
water, drank in one dose, will usually  be followed
promptly  by vomiting, especially if  the finger is
thrust into the throat.
MYRICA— Bayberry— Wax  Myrtle.

  This is a most useful remedy as a stimulating as-
tringent.  It  is best given as an infusion—one ounce
of the pow7dered bark to a pint of hot water.  Com-
bined with ginger  and pleurisy root  it is invaluable
for breaking  up severe and recent colds.  It is an in-
gredient of  "composition,"   mentioned elsewhere.
With goldenseal and a little borax, it is excellent for
sore throat with malignant tendency.  With beth root
it may be used for  leucorrhcea and excessive menstru-
ation.  An excellent snuff for the profuse discharge of
nasal catarrh consists of bayberry, one part; golden-
seal  and  cherry  bark, each  tw7o  parts.  Bayberry
should not be used in dry and irritable conditions.
MYRRH.

  This is one of the  most valuable remedies in the
whole  materia medica.  It is  usually  spoken of as
gum myrrh, although it contains little gum, but chiefly
resin.  In  whatever form  it is used myrrh will  be
found  a  powerful  antiseptic;  having  thousands of
years ago  been  used  for preservative purposes, and
also as a medicine.  It is usually administered as a
tincture in water or syrup,  although the powder may
be given to great  advantage.  Two grains of pow-
dered myrrh may be considered an average dose, best
given combined  with  other agents.  It will be found
advantageous to rub the myrrh thoroughly with sugar 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.          687
before making an infusion.  A small teaspoonful each
of myrrh and goldenseal to  a pint of boiling w7ater
and a little ginger added will be found useful to weak
stomachs where the food is prone to ferment.   Dose,
a teaspoonful  every two hours.   For  deficient men-
struation it has long been employed.
  Outwardly applied it is  invaluable for foul ulcers,
bed-sores and all forms of  gangrene;  best mixed with
powdered charcoal and sprinkled over poultices of
brewer's yeast, or the simple  powdered myrrh with a
little goldenseal  may be sprinkled into  indolent sores.
Myrrh  and goldenseal  with  a little borax may be
blown into the throat of persons  suffering from  diph-
theria; it will destroy the putrescence of  the  mem-
brane and prevent blood poisoning.  Powdered myrrh
is a superior tooth-powder, especially where the gums
are tender and bleeding.  Tincture of myrrh may be
diluted with glycerine and water for external use, or
with simple water (a few drops to  a  glassful) for in-
ternal use.
  Compound Tincture of Myrrh, commonly known
as Number Six, is a powerful stimulant and antiseptic.
It is a tincture of myrrh, two ounces, and red pepper,
half an ounce,  in a  quart of alcohol.  It is  unequaled
as an antiseptic for foul ulcers and is superior, when
diluted, to every other antiseptic in  operative sur-
gery.  Internally, a few drops in a glass of  water will
prove a powerful stimulant in shock,  collapse,  pros-
tration and profound congestion.
NUT-GALLS.

  These  are  excrescences found  upon  the  small
branches and leaves of young oak trees.  They con-
tain tannic acid and are intensely astringent in char-
acter.  Three of the galls are sufficient to make a pint
of infusion with boiling water.   The infusion  is use-
ful wherever a strong astringent is  needed.   Many
check the bowel troubles of children  by the use of
milk in which nut-galls  have been boiled,  but the
preparation is not  advisable  if milder means are at
hand. 
688         A physician in the house.

ORANGE.

  The juice  of orange is usually most acceptable to
weak stomachs  during  febrile and  prostrating dis-
eases, and is often the only nourishment relished by
dying persons.  It can be used freely during all fevers;
the patient  usually desiring to suck the juice from
sections of  the fruit.  Orange peel is a pleasant bit-
ter tonic.  It may be added to stomach bitters to great
advantage.  Candied orange peel is  a very  pleasant
confection, and if not used too freely, will aid diges-
tion and increase the appetite.
PEACH.—Amygdalus Persica.

  The  leaves of the ordinary peach tree  are a most
excellent soothing tonic to the stomach, and for irri-
tated conditions  of  the  urinary tract.  Along with
corn-silk or queen of the  meadow infusion of peach
leaves will  be most useful in  inflammations  of  the
bladder or kidneys.   An infusion is prepared by steep-
ing a small handful of the  leaves in a pint of  hot  wa-
ter, to be used freely as a drink.  Do not allow the in-
fusion to stand over night,  as by fermentation prussic
acid will  be formed.  When juniper berries or other
strong diuretics are administered it will be found best
to combine them with peach leaves to  allay possible
harsh results.   Peach kernels will be found an excel-
lent tonic  to the stomach when combined in small pro-
portion with other and milder agents.   They also give
pleasant flavor to stomach preparations in general.
PENNYROYAL.—Hedeoma.

  This little plant, so common throughout the land, is
most excellent, when taken as infusion, for the relief
of colic and of  ordinary coids.  It has long been used
by women to promote menstruation.  The oil  com-
bined with various essential oils may be used as a lin-
iment. 
remedies and  formulas.         689
PEPPERMINT—Mentha Piperita.

  The essence of peppermint is a standard article for
wind colic and cramps, a few drops in water or on
sugar being the  best  method of employing it.   The
herb may  be made  into  an  infusion which may be
freely used as a drink.   The oil is usually employed to
flavor syrups; eight drops, first rubbed up thoroughly
with sugar, will be sufficient to flavor a quart of syrup.
 PEPSIN.

  There are several fluids in the body  which must  be
 mingled with the body before it can be properly di-
 gested.  The gastric juice of  the stomach which
 chiefly prepares the food for assimilation, and the act-
 ive principle of this fluid is called  pepsin.  The  pep-
 sin which is used medicinally  is prepared from the
 stomach of the hog.
  Pure pepsin in  the  market is in the form of  pale
 yellow,  crystalline  flakes,  two grains of which in a
 little water acidulated with vinegar or lemon juice,
 and taken at  meal time, will aid digestion  in those
 who" have little gastric juice, but its use should not be
 persisted in, it being best to improve  the  tone of the
 stomach by suitable tonics.  Lacto-peptine is  pepsin
 thoroughly rubbed up with  sugar of milk (lactin) and
 lactic acid.  It is much milder than pure pepsin and
preferable to that  article.  For  children suffering
from diarrhoea it greatly aids in sustaining- nutrition.
 PEPTENZYME.

  One of the exceptionally fine preparations offered
to the public as  a digestant  is  Peptenzyme.  It is
claimed that this article contains the active principles
of all the glandular ferments employed in natural di-
gestion; and by its demonstrated efficiency in aiding
digestion the claim seems to  be substantiated.  Not
only does it facilitate  digestion in the stomach, but it
also performs active service in the  intestines.  Thus
     44 
690
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
it is of great value in cholera infantum and summer
complaints.   For elderly persons with loss of appetite
and feeble digestive powers  it cannot be too highly
recommended.
  Peptenzyme is prepared in three forms—as a pow-
der, as tablets and as an elixir.  The last form is best
for infants  and children.  All three forms are ex-
tremely pleasant to the  taste.
PERUVIAN BARK.—Cinchona.

  Almost the world over Peruvian  bark is used as a
bitter tonic and as a remedy for malarial troubles,  It
is a stimulant  to  the nervous  system and also has
marked astringent properties, for which  reason it
should not be given when the tongue  is dry and the
secretions scanty.   It sustains the nervous system and
may be relied upon in the chills of ague to lessen their
severity.  In other diseases of a low  form  when the
system is being exhausted by excessive discharges,
Peruvian bark will be found  beneficial.   Dose of the
powder, five to twelve grains, best used combined as
infusion.  Compound tincture of cinchona consists of
Peruvian bark, six ounces; Virginia snake  root, one
ounce; rind of  bitter orange, three ounces, macerated,
in a pint of alcohol, and three pints of water.  Dose,
one teaspoonful in water three times a day.  See Qui-
nine.
PLEURISY ROOT.—Asclepias Tuberosa.

  This is frequently known as butterfly weed, or white
root, and is  that  species of milk-weed of a shrubby
growth bearing orange-colored flowers.  It is  a valu-
able medicinal agent, best administered as an infusion
of half an  ounce to a pint of hot water;  dose  one-
fourth of a teacupful.  It is the most effective of safe
sweating agents, and  in feverishness may be  used
abundantly until  a  free  perspiration  is secured. In
high fevers, where quick action is desirable, the  ordi-
nary dose may be given every half hour or even oft- 
            REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          691

ener, or if there  is great restlessness, lady slipper
may be added.  In feverishness from recent colds, a
little ginger should be combined with it.  For colic in
children pleurisy root and wild yam make an effective
tea with a little ginger.   For peritonitis pleurisy root
combined with a very small portion of lobelia will be
found invaluable.
 PIPSISSEWA —Prince's Pine— Chimaphila.

  This is a well known evergreen herb, growing wild
 in the woods, and frequently spoken of as  ground
 holly.  As a remedy
 for dropsy and kidney
 troubles  it  has long
 enjoyed a good repu-
 tation.  Its  peculiar
 tonic and alterative
 properties,  combined
 with a small amount
 of astringency, render
 it valuable  in  weak-
 ness of  the kidneys
 and  bladder.  Com-
 bined with poke ber-
 ries   and  American
 sarsaparilla,  as   a
 syrup, with  a  little
 citrate of lithia add-
 ed, it  is  most  excel-
 lent  in  rheumatism.
 A small  amount  of
 pipsissewa added  to
 the compound  syrup
 of yellow dock will
 add  to the  efficiency
 of that  preparation
 in scrofulous and other blood troubles, where the urin-
 ary organs are particularly weak.  A valuable prepa-
 ration for chronic urethritis consists of two drachms
each of fluid extracts of pipsissewa and goldenseal in
eight ounces of compound syrup of stillingia.
 
692
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
POKE BERRIES—Phytolacca Decandra.

  These have long sustained a  fabulous reputation in
rheumatism, and are of excellent use in that malady,
especially when used with black cohosh and prickly
ash.   The juice of the berries preserved in syrup form
may be used in teaspoonful doses every  three hours.
The fresh berries pounded to a pulp, or a poultice of
the dried berries, will be found an excellent applica-
tion in erysipelas.   The poke root is used by many in
rheumatism, but  it is a poisonous article.
POND LILLY.—Nymphae  Odorata.

  The root of ordinary pond  lily possesses value as a
poultice for boils and ulcers on account of its astrin-
gent and demulcent properties.  Infusion  of the root
has been used to advantage as a wash for lecuorrhcea.
POTASSA COMPOUNDS.

  Chlorate of Potassa (potash) has a cooling taste and
crystalline appearance.  It is used very much in ordi-
nary throat troubles, either as a gargle in solution or
in the form of lozenges, or by allowing crystals to dis-
solve in the mouth.   It is  inferior to ordinary borax
for such purposes, and besides is very apt to injure
the kidneys if freely used.
  Bi-carbonate  of  potassa very much resembles bi-
carbonate of soda, otherwise known as cooking soda.
It is a useful alkali, and is of much service in rheu-
matic affections, and may be used as a substitute for bi-
carbonate of soda,  one-half of the  potash being suf-
ficient.  In sluggish conditions of  the urinary  tract
bi-carbonate may be freely used with copious amounts
of water to great advantage.
PRICKLY ASH BARK.—Xanthoxylum.

  This agent is a decided stimulant, and  in power
rates about midway between ginger  and cayenne, al- 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
693
though used more generally in sub-acute and chronic
cases where persistent stimulation is needed.   It en-
ters  into many standard preparations, and is much
valued in rheumatism.  The infusion is prepared by
using- about one-fourth of a teaspoonful of the powder
to a large  cup of boiling water.  The fluid extract
may  be obtained, and is the form best used to  add to
syrups.  Prickly ash will increase the flow of  saliva
and moisten the dry tongue often found in liver troub-
les.  An irritable stomach will not kindly receive
prickly ash, which may even provoke vomiting in sen-
sitive persons.   Prickly ash berries have similar prop-
erties, and are  usually given in the form of tincture.
QUEEN  OF  THE  MEADOW—Eupatorium  Pur-
    pureum.

  The root of this plant, also known as gravel root,
is a relaxing nervine, capable of soothing and increas-
ing the action of the kidneys.  It is very useful in ir-
ritable conditions of the bladder and in kidney troub-
les accompanied by aching in  the small of the back.
Corn-silk may be added to it for tonic purposes.  For
the irritable conditions of the female organs it will
prove most excellent.  Dose, three tablespoonfuls or
more every four hours of an infusion made by steep-
ing one ounce of the  root in hot  (not boiling) water.
The dose of the fluid extract is ten drops.
RHUBARB—Rheum Palmatum.

  The tough root of the India  rhubarb is the article
commonly employed medicinally  under the name of
rhubarb, although  the Turkey  and American (pie-
plant) may be  used, the American being the mildest
variety.  The powdered root is a valuable and prompt
cathartic, useful in diarrhoea on account of  its toning
after effect; dose,  one teaspoonful.  Best used  in
syrup form.

  Syrup of Rhubarb.—This is a  very pleasant method
of administering rhubarb  and is  best for  diarrhoea; 
694
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
given in teaspoonful doses every four hours.   To pre-
pare it, take two ounces of rhubarb, half an ounce of
cinnamon, two drachms of  bicarbonate of potassa,
macerate with half  a pint of water, and after being
strained, dissolve  in the cold liquid one  pound of
sugar.  Dose as a cathartic, one tablespoonful.
  Aromatic Syrup of  Rhubarb is similar though milder
than the above, containing cloves and nutmeg, and
well adapted to children's bowel  troubles; given in
half teaspoonful doses.
  Compound Syrup of Rhubarb, neutralizing cordial; see
formulas.
ROCHELLE  SALT.

  This is  an  efficient cathartic for use in temporary
constipation,  and can be taken without unpleasant ef-
fects.  Dose,  a  tablespoonful or more in half a cup of
water; acting within six hours.
SARSAPARILLA.—Smilax.

  The foreign or Honduras sarsaparilla, is much used
as a mild alterative for various blood diseases,  and
combined with burdock it is most excellent for scrofu-
lous affections.   It is  best given  in  syrup form.  A
pound will make two quarts  of  ordinary syrup.   The
American sarsaparilla, technically known  as Aralia
Nudicaulus, or little spikenard,  is similar in  proper-
ties and uses to the foreign article.
SASSAFRAS—Laurus.

  This is the inner bark of the sassafras tree, and has
gained quite a reputation as an alterative.   Its chief
use should  be to flavor alterative syrups, or as oil
added  to relaxing liniments for rheumatism or in-
flamed muscles  or joints.  Sassafras  tea  is  highly
prized by many as a spring medicine, but the stomach 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
695
does not endure it w7ell, and "thin blooded" persons
should not drink it.
SABBATIA.—American Centaury.

  The herb of  the centaury plant
(not century) should be gathered
while in  bloom,  and  carefully
dried.  Its  medicinal  properties
are mildly stimulating and  decid-
edly tonic, exerting its chief power
upon the stomach and gall-ducts,
acting  very much  like gentian,
only milder.   It is an  excellent
agent to use for old cases of dys-
pepsia  where  there  is a lack of
tone in the stomach.  In mild cases
of ague or  intermittent fever  it
may be employed  to advantage.
Taken  as a warm infusion it will
promote the menstrual function
when delayed from weakness;  and
when combined with blue  cohosh
and other nervines it will be found
beneficial in female weakness, pro-
lapsus, etc.  An ounce of the herb
in a pint  of  boiling water will
make  the  usual infusion.   Dose,     sabbatia.
three  tablespoonfuls every three
hours.  The  fluid extract is obtainable,  and may be
used in  half-drachm doses.  It  is  occasionally used
when quinine or cinchona preparations cannot  be en-
dured.
SCULLCAP—Scutellaria Lateriflora.

  This little herb is very abundant  throughout the
land, and derives its common name from the cap-like
appearance of  its small seed-pods.  It is also known
as hoodwort and as mad-dog weed.  It is one of the
very best tonic nervines, best used in the form of in-
 
696         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
fusion, an ounce to a pint of boiling water; dose, half
a small teacupful every four  hours.  Combined with
cayenne  and goldenseal it cannot be  surpassed in
weakness of the heart. With lady  slipper it is  a
grand aid in irritable nervousness.  The  name  mad-
dog-w7eed has been given it on account of its useful-
ness in hydrophobia and bites of poisonous snakes.
Its fluid extract is a convenient form for use; dose, ten
drops.   For persons troubled by undue sexual desires,
scullcap taken freely and  persistently will prove  a
most efficient regulator, without doing damage of any
character.
SENEGA.—Seneca Snake Root.
                            This plant  is found
                          throughout the Southern
                          and Central States, and
                          was from remote accounts
                          used by  the Seneca tribe
                          of  Indians  as  a cure for
                          snake bite poisoning.
                            The fresh roots possess
                          an acrid  odor which is not
                          characteristic of the dried
                          root.  The taste is bitter,
                          though  somewhat swreet.
                            Properties.—Senega is a
                          distinct  stimulant to the
                          mucous membranes, espe-
                          cially those of  the lungs.
                          It  increases  the secre-
                          tions and circulation.  It
                          is a valuable expectorant
                          in old cases, but is too ir-
                          ritating for recent coughs.
                          Its use is indicated where
                          there is  prostration from
                          blood  poisoning, as  in
mortification, hemorrhagic small-pox, etc.  Its power
to arouse the system and stimulate  the  secretions
makes it  useful  in  poisoning  by  snake bite.  Pow-
SENEGA. 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
697
dered senega may be given in ten-grain doses every four
hours.  Boiling water destroys its properties, and in-
fusions should be  pre-
pared with  luke-warm
water.  It is best com-
bined with  licorice or
marsh mallows.
SENNA LEAVES.

  For many hundreds
of  years  senna  has
been used as a cathar-
tic.  It is prompt and
efficient,  although,
when given alone,  it
will cause griping, and
it should therefore be
mixed  with  a little
ginger  or  cinnamon
and  cream  of tartar.
A tablespoonful of the
leaves, or a teaspoon-
ful of the powder, to a
cup  of  boiling water
will  make  a  suitable             senna.
infusion to be taken at
one dose.  Syrup of senna is excellent.  Senna should
not be used in irritable conditions.
SHEPHERD'S PURSE—Capsela Bursa-Pastoris.

  This is a small  herb w7hich  grows abundantly in
fields, looking like ordinary pepper-grass, only  the
seed-pods resemble small pear-shaped purses, and the
taste of the herb is not biting.
  The medicinal properties of the herb are  chiefly
manifested by their action upon the kidneys and blad-
der,  where they prove stimulating and moderately
tonic.  These characteristics render it very service-
able in congested conditions of the kidneys and blad-
 
698         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

der, and in catarrh of the urinary tract, known chiefly
by large quantities of mucus in the urine.  Combined
with agrimony it is useful in  bed-wetting (eneuresis).
With peach leaves and mallows it  makes an excellent
drink where there is a gritty deposit in the urine.  An
infusion is made of one ounce of the herb to a pint of
boiling water to be used freely as a drink.   Dose of
the fluid extract, half a teaspoonful four times a day.
SMART WEED.—Polygonum Hydropiper.

  The   leaves  of  this ordinary weed,  growing  in
sw7ampy places or along creeks, constitute a most pro-
nounced stimulant.   Combined with pleurisy root the
article will be found of great service  in causing per-
spiration.  Hot  fomentations  of  smartweed applied
over the abdomen will relieve  cramp-colic, dysentery,
cholera morbus, inflammation of the womb, child-bed
fever, etc.  It is also of value as an  application for
gangrene.
SODA COMPOUNDS.

  Soda Bi- Carbonate, also known as cooking soda, is the
most frequently used of all alkalies.  For sourness of
the stomach it is  a prompt  neutralizer, although its
use should  not be persisted in.  Dose for such pur-
poses,  half a teaspoonful in half a glass of water,
sipped at intervals.

  Caustic Soda is a most powerful alkali, burning what-
ever it comes in contact with and is used as a caustic
to destroy  warts and growths,  degenerate  edges of
sores, poisonous bites, etc.

  Soda Hyposulphite is in the  form of crystals  of a pe-
culiar sulphurous taste, very soluble.  A solution of
fifteen grains to a cupful of  water will greatly relieve
sick headache  caused  by indigestion, given in tea-
spoonful doses  every hour or oftener.  Outwardly, ap
plied as a wash, it is most excellent for many forms of
skin affections, especially for ring-worm and for scald 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
699
head of children.  It  is  unequalled  for  sore  mouth
from smoking, a crystal being  allowed to slowly dis-
solve.
SPEARMINT.

  This is a very mild mint, but its  infusion will  be
found exceedingly useful as a drink  in conditions  of
feverishness, and as  an injection for restlessness  of
children.  Essence of spearmint is highly  prized  by
many as an addition to nervine liniments.
 SPIGELIA.—Pink Root.

  The root  of  this plant  is the
 part used for medicine.  The herb
 itself is quite attractive and blos-
 soms during the early part of the
 summer.   It grows wild through-
 out Pennsylvania and the country
 south of  that State.
  Properties.—This agent  has long
 been regarded as a most excellent
 vermifuge; and it 'does undoubt-
 edly answer admirably  for that
 purpose when the many more val-
 uable vermifuges are not obtaina-
 ble.   The dose for a child is from
 ten to twenty grains of the pow-
 der.   It  is better  given  by infu-
 sion, an ounce to the pint of boil-
 ing water.  Dose, half a teacup-
 ful in the morning, followed by a
 dose of some active cathartic; or
 senna may be added to the infu-
 sion.  By some this article is re-
 garded as poisonous on account of
 the  dizziness  and  drowsiness      spigelia.
 which sometimes  follow  its ad-
 ministration; but there is no evidence of its  having
directly  proven fatal.  Excessive  doses  are  apt to
prove irritating to the bowels and cause diarrhoea.
 
700        A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
SPIKENARD.—Aralia Racemosa.

  For many years spikenard root, or spignet, has been
used as an addition to cough syrups combined with
other agents according to the nature of the cough.   It
is best given as fluid extract in syrup.   In wild cherry
syrup it is adapted to irritable conditions: with lippia
Mexicana  and elecampane it  may be used  in  old
coughs, and with coltsfoot and ginger for relaxed con-
ditions. For compound syrup of spikenard, see chap-
ter on Formulas.
SQUAW VINE.—Mitchella Repens.

  This is a very pleasant though mild tonic, useful in
weakened conditions of the kidneys and womb.  A de-
coction may be used, or ten drops of the fluid extract
for a dose every four hours; although it is best admin-
istered combined with  other and  stronger agents in
syrup  form.   For   compound syrup  of Mitchella,
mother's cordial, see Formulas.
STILLINGIA.—Yaw Root.

  This agent is a most pronounced glandular stimu-
lant, and for that reason  is of great  use. especially
when combined with sarsaparilla,  as an alterative
preparation.  It is best employed as  fluid extract in
syrup.   For sluggish conditions  of  scrofula,  or in
syphilis or other diseased conditions of the blood, it is
valuable combined with blue flag, pipsissewa, prickly
ash and turkey-corn,  under the name of compound
syrup of stillingia; dose,  a  teaspoonful every four
hours.
SUMAC—Rhus Glabrum.

  The well known upland sumac  constitutes a most
pronounced astringent, useful in infusion as a gargle
for sore throat.  The bark  of the sumac is stronger 
            REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          701

and makes an excellent wash  for old sores, etc.  The
article is seldom used except by those who live in sec-
tions where it grows abundantly.  A tea of the berries
is sometimes grateful as a slightly  acid drink to per-
sons suffering from malarial fever.
TANNIC ACID.

  This is prepared from nut-galls.  It is a glistening,
light  yellow  powder, soluble  in water and leaving a
pronounced astringent impression in the mouth.  It
is a pure astringent and the most powerful of all veg-
etable astringents.   A small  amount  touched  to  a
"fallen  palate " will give instant relief.  Rubbed up
with vaseline, a drachm to an ounce,  it makes an ex-
cellent ointment for  relaxed conditions of piles and
rectal troubles. Its  infusion is an antidote  for nar-
cotic poisoning.
 UVA URSI—Bearberry.

  The leaves of this ever-
 green shrub have long en-
 joyed  a  fabulous  reputa-
 tion in chronic  affections
 of the kidneys and urinary
 organs.  It  possesses  as-
 tringent properties; and is
 useful in diabetes, excess-
 ive flow of urine and pro-
 fuse menstruation.  In
 chronic forms of dysentery
 or diarrhoea it may also be
 used advantageously. Old
 cases of leucorrhcea and
 chronic urethritis  will be
 relieved  by its use. The
 dose of  the powdered
 leaves should  be twenty-
five  or forty  grains.   A
strong decoction may  be
made by  boiling half  an
UVA URSI. 
702
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ounce of the leaves in a pint of water for ten minutes.
Dose, half a cupful every four hours.
VALERIAN.

  This is a well known nervine, but its disagreeable
odor and nauseating  taste render it very offensive to
many.  It is best given as a fluid extract, in ten-drop
doses in water.  It is valuable in hysterics and great
nervousness, and for such purpose double the  ordi-
nary dose may be given and repeated every two hours
until quietude is obtained.  A little peppermint es-
sence increases the promptness of its action.
VERVAIN.—Verbena Hastata.

  This is the ordinary blue vervain common in all sec-
tions.  An ounce of the herb makes a strong infusion,
to be used freely in old cases of
ague.  It  is intensely bitter,
and has a strong influence upon
the liver and stomach.  Made
into a syrup  with twice its
amount of wahoo  and butter-
nut it constitutes a valuable
preparation for chronic consti-
pation in  malarial difficulties.
VIRGINIA  SNAKE-ROOT-
    Serpentaria.

  This is  a pure stimulant
whose action  is mainly  em-
ployed in diverting the flow of
blood outward;  and for that
reason it is largely employed
in eruptive diseases during the
earlier stages to hasten  the
eruption.   Its  action  is  so
prompt that it has a great rep-
utation for snake bites, hence Virginia snake-
 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          703
its name.  A quarter of an ounce of the  root is suffi-
cient for a pint of  infusion.  Dose, a tablespoonful.
Too large or too frequent doses prove nauseating.
WILLOW—Salix.

  The bark of the willow is sometimes used as a bitter
tonic, but  its  active  principle, Salicin, is far  more
valuable, and is very similar to quinine  for ague and
low grades of fever.  Dose, three grains in a capsule
every three hours, combined with half a grain of cay-
enne where there is great prostration; and also with
half a grain of sulphate of hydrastia when the heart
as well as  the nervous system needs sustaining.
WINTERGREEN—Gaultheria Procumbens.

  The leaves of the or-
dinary trailing winter-
green yield a most val-
uable oil, which is used
medicinally in the form
of  tincture.  A  few
drops will be a pleas-
ant flavor to many al-
teratives, and will also
add  greatly to stimu-
lating and nervine lini-
ments.   The pure oil,
given in ten-drop doses
in capsules  every six
hours, has been largely
used in rheumatism.
WITCH HAZEL— Hamamelis Virginica.

  This agent has gained a fabulous reputation, and
one well deserved, as a mild astringent for diarrhoea,
dysentery, sore mouth, inflamed eyes, burns, bruises,
etc.  The  distilled extract is the  cheapest  and the
 
704
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
most pleasant form of using the agent; it is precisely
the same as the famous Pond's Extract.  The leaves
may be made into an infusion  and are stronger than
the distilled extract.  The tincture is useful in inflam-
mations of the ear, and combined with other agents in
liniments.
WORMSEED— Jerusalem Oak.—Chenopodium.

  This is a very common plant, growing wild in many
places.  It blooms during the late summer and early
                     fall; the flowers being  about
                     the same color as the leaves
                     and  having  a decidedly  un-
                     pleasant odor.
                       Properties. — The  medicinal
                     value of the  plant chiefly de-
                     pends upon the oil which can
                     be extracted  from the seeds.
                     It has long been used effect-
                     ually as a vermifuge; and  the
                     infusion of the plant is 'often
                     employed to promote menstru-
                     ation and to  overcome uterine
                     colic.  To  expel worms,  the
                     dose of the oil is (for children)
                     ten or twenty drops on sugar
                     each morning, for several days,
                     to be followed by a cathartic.
                     Often an infusion of  the plant
                     in milk will prove effective in
                     expelling worms.  One  ounce
                     of  wormseed oil  in sixteen
                     ounces  of  castor oil, with  a
                     small  amount  of  turpentine
                     added, is the  formula of a wTell
                     known worm  remedy.
WORMSEED.
YELLOW  DOCK—Rumex Crispus.

  The dried root of  this common weed is a most excel-
lent ajrent to use in diseases of the  blood and glandu- 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          705
lar system, and is very valuable in scrofula, especially
when discharges are free, as in running of the ears,
or ulcerated eyelids.  It may be used as infusion, but
is best combined with other articles.  The principal
preparation containing it is known as compound syrup
of yellow dock, or scrofulous syrup.  See article on
Formulas.
ZINC.

  Chloride  of zinc and  sulphate  of zinc are impor-
tant, though very poisonous, disinfectants, and should
never be used medicinally.
  Oxide of Zinc is a white powder,  non-poisonous, and
valuable to dust over chaffed surfaces of fleshy  peo-
ple.  Or an ointment of  two drachms of the powder
to an ounce of vaseline or lard may be similarly used,
and it is also  a good application  as  a drying salve.
Rancid lard renders the ointment irritating.
                 ALTERATIVES.
            Formulas for Blood Purifiers.
  Remedies that exert their chief influence upon the
purification of the blood are called  alteratives  or al-
terants.  They are necessarily varied in character, as
the blood  becomes impure from  many causes.   The
liver may be deranged and cause biliary products to
enter into the circulation, discoloring the skin and in
many instances causing  eruptions.  The kidneys may
become enfeebled or engorged and allow urinary con-
stituents to mingle with the blood and cause serious
results and often most dangerous  abscesses and other
affections.
  The lymphatic glands are most  frequently  at  fault
when the blood is diseased.  These  glands aid in car-
rying off effete material from the system by taking it 
706         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.

from  the circulation.   When from any cause  these
glands become inflamed  or obstructed, the blood nec-
essarily becomes impaired.   Consequently,  in nearly
all disorders of the blood the lymphatic  glands,  situ-
ated  in  various parts of the body,  will become en-
larged and may be distinctly felt as  kernels or swell-
ings, especially in the neck, and  occasionally these
break down into abscesses.
   Constipation, indigestion,  impure atmospheric sur-
roundings, improper or insufficient food and mental
difficulties may be possible causes of diseases of the
blood.
   Remedies that bring about healthy changes in the
circulation, do so chiefly by their influence upon the
glandular system; and alterative  preparations should
be combinations of agents compounded in reference to
the particular organs  involved.  The following  have
 been found most efficient for use in the difficulties men-
 tioned, and are especially valuable alteratives:

          Compound  Yellow  Dock Syrup.

                  (Scrofula  Syrup.)
      Yellow Dock..................one-half pound,
     Bittersweet Bark..............one-fourth  pound.
     Fig wort......................two ounces.
     American Ivy Bark............two ounces.

   Grind together and make  into two quarts of syrup
 as directed  under the article  on syrups.   The crude
 drugs should be macerated for forty-eight hours in
 equal parts of alcohol and water.
   The dose of this syrup is a teaspoonful or two after
 meals.   It is a most thorough alterative, and is  espe-
cially beneficial  in  scrofula and in blood  diseases
where persistent and long continued medication is nec-
essary.

          Compound Syrup of Stillingia.

     Queen's Root (Stillingia).........two parts.
    Blue Flag (Iris Versicolor).......one part
    Elder Flowers  (Sambucus).......one part 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
707
    Pipsissewa  (Chimaphi/a) . .,......one part
    Prickly Ash (Xanthoxy/uni)......one-fourth part.
    Coriander Seeds.................one-fourth part.

  Make into a  syrup as directed  in the article on
syrups.  Dose,  a teaspoonful or more after meals.
This is a stimulating alterative and is most beneficial
in sluggish conditions of  the system,  and especially
serviceable where syphilis is in the body.  Persons who
are sensitive, or those with weak stomachs, should not
use it.   This preparation can be obtained at the drug
stores.

        Compound  Sarsaparilla  Syrup.

    Sarsaparilla Root (Smilax).....one-half pound.
    Yellow Dock (Rumex Crispus).. .one-fourth pound.
    Yellow Par ill a (Menispermum).. tivo ounces.

  Make into two quarts of syrup according to the di-
rection in  the article on syrups, and flavor with sassa-
fras.  Dose,  two teaspoonfuls after each meal.
  This preparation is decidedly tonic as an alterative,
and is valuable in feeble conditions where the blood is
deranged,  as in anaemia.   As a "spring medicine" it
is most  excellent. There are a great many  " com-
pound sarsaparilla"  preparations on the market,  of
varying strength and reliability, mostly of them being
comparatively worthless.
                 ANAESTHESIA.

         Means of Producing Insensibility.
  Producing anaesthesia is the act of rendering a per-
son unconscious or insensible to pain by  the  use of
drugs, chiefly by the inhalation of volatile substances
in the form of vapor, or of certain gases.  Chloroform
and ether are  the  agents chiefly employed for this
purpose, and although the  value of chloroform was
not discovered  until 1847,  yet it is now universally ac-
knowledged as the most powerful  anaesthetic,  al-
though ether is more  frequently resorted  to as it is
milder. 
708
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Chloroform is a dangerous article to administer by
inhalation, and should never be given except by an ex
pert who is able to recognize the signs of danger and
take prompt measures to overcome  them.  As a well
known surgeon once said, "Whoever is rendered un-
conscious by chloroform hang's over his own grave un-
til full consciousness is restored."
  The  administration of chloroform should be made
only when absolutely necessary,  and should be con-
ducted as follows:   Have the patient in a well venti-
lated room, and loosen well all clothing about the
body,  especially about  the neck and chest.  Fold a
a  towel  into  the  shape  of a  funnel and drop one
drachm of chloroform in the inside  of the top of the
funnel and invert it over the mouth and nostrils, lift-
ing up one side so as to allow as much pure air to en-
ter as possible without allowing the chloroform vapor
to escape.  It may possibly require  two, three or even
four drachms to  render the patient  completely uncon-
scious  and insensible to pain.  Sometimes a few drops
of chloroform on a handkerchief will be sufficient  to se-
cure unconsciousness.  But it is not advisable to use
chloroform when ether may be obtained and  answer
the purpose.

  Ether is far safer than chloroform in the production
of anaesthesia, and, except in very rare cases, will an-
swer every purpose just as well, and it will not  leave
such bad after-effects as follow  chloroform adminis-
tration.   Ether, also,  and more properly known as
sulphuric ether, is often used internally and other-
wise to overcome spasms, cramps,  hysterics, asthma,
etc., and as an outward  application for headache,
toothache and similar affections,  but its employment
in such cases is  unadvisable.
   To produce anaesthesia, ether should be used in the
same way as chloroform, only probably an ounce or
more may be required to accomplish  the same result,
and complete anaesthesia  will be slower.  The odor of
ether is very disagreeable and often causes nausea and
vomiting.  Only skillful  hands should  administer it
except in cases  of extreme necessity. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
709
   Local-Anaesthesia.—This is accomplished by be-
 numbing the parts chiefly by the rapid evaporation of
 a volatile liquid applied by means of a spray.  Ether
 is most commonly used for this purpose.  It is well to
 have the patient in a draft of air, so as to facilitate
 evaporation and to avoid  inhalation of fumes.   The
 parts may be completely  benumbed so  as to render
 painless minor surgical operations.  No danger at-
 tends such local anaesthesia.
  Sometimes it  may be necessary to produce  local
 numbness when  ether cannot be  obtained; snow and
 salt or ice  and salt will partially freeze  the  parts.
 This method is clumsy and should be employed  only
 in cases of necessity.

  Chloride Of Ethyl, contained in bulbs ready for use
 without an atomizer, may be obtained of most  drug-
 gists.   It is very convenient for producing local anaes-
 thesia, and is far more pleasant and more  rapidly ef-
 fective than ether.  Directions accompany the article.

  Cocaine.—Of  late  years cocaine solutions  have
 been used extensively in minor  surgical operations,
 such as the  removal of superficial tumors, eye  oper-
 ations, inserting of surgical stitches, etc.  It is often
 used in  the painless extraction of teeth, and even for
 ordinary toothache, but such a use of it  is not recom-
 mended. The muriate of cocaine is used, dissolved in
 a saturated solution of boracic acid.  A  four per cent
 solution is a very strong solution; or three grains to
 three and a half ounces of wrater.  One or two drops
 of this solution injected by a hypodermic syringe be-
 neath the skin for operations, or into the gums for ex-
 traction of teeth, will suffice.   When applied directly
to the surface  a drachm or more of a two per cent so-
lution is often employed.  Cocaine is a highly danger-
ous article and uncertain in its after effects, being es-
pecially treacherous w7hen employed on young or very
old  persons, or  persons having  valvular  disease  or
weakness of the heart.   The frequent use  of cocaine
has brought many into the habit of using the drug for
pleasurable sensations, a habit more dangerous than
the opium habit. 
710         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                   ANODYNES.

            Formulas for Relieving Pain.
  These  preparations are  calculated to relieve  pain
promptly without resorting to harmful narcotics.

              For Children's Colic.

    Take Fluid Extract Pleurisy Root. ..two drachms.
         Fluid Extract Wild  Yam......one draelnn.
         Essence Cinnamon............ten drops.
         Essence Anise................ten drops.
         Simple Syrup................four ounces.

  Mix.  Dose, one-half  teaspoonful in water, to be re-
peated in fifteen minutes.

           Injection for Infant's Colic.

    Take Catnip Herb.................one ounce.
         Pleurisy Root................one ounce.

  Steep in a pint of boiling water and  use about two
ounces at a time of  the strained infusion, luke warm.
Such an injection, if retained by compression, will af-
ford relief more  quickly and efficiently than remedies
given to the stomach.
                  ANTISEPTICS.
     Applications for Preventing Decomposition.
  These are substances or preparations which prevent
putrefaction or decay; or, according to the germ the-
ory, destroy microbes and germs of disease.

             Dry Surgical Dressing.

    Take Tincture of Ca/oidu/a........one ounce,
         Pulverized  Boracic Acid.......one ounce.
         Pulverized  Goldetiseal.........eight ounces.

  Rub the calendula and boracic acid thoroughly in a
mortar and heat gently, and then rub with the gold-
enseal to a smooth powder.  This preparation will 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
711
be  found both  healing  and antiseptic.  It  may be
dusted directly  into open  cuts or upon sores, and  is
not at all irritating.

            Antiseptic  Throat Spray.

    Take Boracic Acid...............twenty grains.
         Fluid Goldenseal...........two drachms.
         Tincture of Myrrh..........one drachm.
         Glycerine..................one-half ounce.
         Distilled Water.............seven ounces.

  Mix.  This is excellent for pharyngitis and throat
troubles generally, used as  a spray or gargle.

    Compound  Tincture  of  Myrrh.—"No. 6."

    Take Pulverized Myrrh...........two ounces.
         Red Pepper (Capsicum).....half an ounce.
         Alcohol....................one quart.

  Mix and allow the preparation to stand for a week,
when the tincture will be ready for use after decanta-
tion.
  There is no antiseptic to  equal this preparation.   A
few drops in a glass of water  make a milky looking
fluid w7hich may be used as  a spray in  malignant diph-
theria and other putrefactive diseases, especially when
mixed with an equal quantity of fluid  extract of gold-
enseal.  As an application  for gangrene or to prevent
mortification there is nothing that  can compare with
undiluted compound tincture of myrrh.  Its  internal
use as a powerful stimulant and as an arrester of pu-
trefaction has been elsewhere mentioned.   We are in-
debted to Samuel Thomson, a medical genius of the
early part of the century,  for this combination  and
the methods of employing it.
        CATHARTICS AND  APERIENTS.
    Means of Producing Movements of the Bowels.
  These are agents which produce evacuations of the
bow7els, and they vary greatly in character.  Some di-
rectly excite the muscular  coats  of the bowels, like 
712         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

rhubarb;  others exert their influence on some special
portion of the bow7els; some increase the  amount and
flow of bile, as leptandra, and bitter root and wahoo;
while others, like rhubarb, act upon the upper portions
of the bowels.  Manifestly it is best usually to com-
bine cathartics so as to cause action all along the in-
testinal tract.  Some agents, such  as salts, are so ir-
ritating  to  the  bowels that  they cause large and
watery stools to occur shortly after administration.
Aperients and  Laxatives are  agents which act  mildly
and slowly in producing evacuations of  the bowels.
Purgatives are agents which act briskly, and are useful
in  emergencies.   Hydragogues  produce   watery dis-
charges.   Chologogues cause  movements  of the bowels
by increasing the flow of bile.

             Senna and Salts.  (Purgative.)
     Take Senna leaves...............tivo drachms.
          Epsom Salts...............one-half ounce.
          Manna....................one-half ounce.
          Fennel seeds...............half a  drachm.

   Mix and make an infusion with a large teacupful of
boiling water and strain and sweeten. One half of the
amount is an average  dose and should  produce an
evacuation of the bowels in  four hours; if not, the
other half cupful should be  taken.

           Castor Oil  Mixture.  (Purgative.)
    Take  Castor Oil..................one-half ounce,
          Gum  Arabic .'..............one drachm.
          Essence of Ginger...........ten drops.
          Peppermi)d Water..........one-half ounce.

  Rub the oil and the powdered gum  Arabic  well to-
g-ether and then pour into it the peppermint and gin-
ger heated, stirring constantly, and drink while hot
and wrell  mixed.  In obstinate cases double the quan-
tity may be taken at a single dose.

            Seidlitz Powders.  (Aperient.)
    Take Tartrate of Soda and Potash. ..two drachms.
        Bi-carbonate of Soda.........forty grains. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
713
  These may be dissolved in one-third of a  glass  of
 water and constitute Solution No. 1.
  Take  powdered  tartaric acid  twenty-five grains.
 Dissolve this in another one-third cup of water to con-
 stitute Solution No. 2.
  Mix the two solutions and drink wiiile effervescence
 continues.  This is a mild and very pleasant  aperient
 and may be used in sensitive cases.

          Rhubarb and Magnesia.  (Aperient.)
     Take Calcined Magnesia...........one drachm.
         Powdered Rhubarb...........three grains.
         Powdered Sugar.............two drachms.
         Essence of Peppermint........twenty drops.
          Water......................three ounces.

  Mix and stir well and place in a wide-mouthed bot-
 tle.   Dose, one teaspoonful every three hours for chil-
 dren troubled with constipation and sour stomach.

           Cascara Compound.  (Laxative.)
     Take Fluid Extract of Cascara.. . .one-half ounce.
         Fluid Extract of  Wahoo.....one oiniee.
         Fluid Extract of Licorice.. . .two drachms.
         Essence of Ginger.......... .one drachm.
         Syrup of Butternut.........six ounces.

  Mix.   Dose,  one  teaspoonful  night and  morning.
 This is a most valuable preparation  for  chronic con-
 stipation, and will not only cause regular movements
 of the bowels, but will, by its tonic action, completely
 cure the difficulty when due to weakness of the bowels.

          Anti-bilious Physic.  (Purgative.)
     Take Senna.....................two ounces.
         dalap......................one ounce,
         Ginger.....................0)>e drachm.
         Cream of Tartar............twenty grains.

  Mix, having all the articles pulverized.  Dose, one
teaspoonful of  the powder in w7ater, sweetened.  It
should act in four hours, but should be repeated should
it fail to do so.   If the  rectum is loaded, an  injection 
714         A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
of warm water may be given, and the whole intestinal
tract thus quickly emptied.

           Fruit Laxatives.  (Confections.)
    Take Figs......................four ounces.
         Dates (stoned)..............two ounces.
         Raisins (stoned)............two ounces.
         Leptandrin................two drachms.
         Aromatic  Cascara..........one ounce.
         Extract of Licorice.........one-half ounce.
         Pulverized Street Chocolate. ..one ounce.

  Chop the raisins, figs and dates very fine and add
the other ingredients, stirring all thoroughly until it
is a homogeneous mass, when it may be rolled out on a
board covered with confectioner's  sugar or sugar of
milk and cut into twenty-five  lozenges.  These  may
be dusted in confectioner's sugar.  Dose, one or two at
bed-time.   This is an elegant preparation, and will be
taken as a confection by children.

         Cathartic Capsules.  (Chologogue.)
    Take Leptandrin..................twenty grains.
         Apocynin...................ten grains.
         Euonymin..................ten grains.

  Mix, and fill into ten capsules.   Dose,  one at  bed-
time.   The bowels should move in ten hours.
                 COMPOSITION.
          A Valuable and Noted Formula.
  The  following formula  was devised  by  Samuel
Thomson many years ago,  and has become a famous
preparation, and  may be obtained  all  ready com-
pounded in many drug stores:

    Take Bayberry Bark.............one pound.
        Hemlock Bark..............one-half pound.
         Ginger....................one-half pound.
         Cayenne (Capsicum),.......one ounce.
         Cloves....................one ounce. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
715
  Mix  thoroughly.   All  the ingredients should  be
fresh and pulverized.
  This composition is frequently referred to through-
out this volume.   It  is  a powerful  stimulant  and  is
calculated to arouse and to sustain the circulation.
Useful in colds, chills, collapse, flooding, snake bites
and blood poisoning  and various states of depression.
It is best given in an infusion,  a tablespoonful to a
pint  of boiling water;  dose, tw7o  tablespoonfuls as
needed, or as much as a cupful at a time in desperate
cases.  As a stimulating sweating preparation pleur-
isy root should be substituted for the hemlock.
                 DIAPHORETICS.

                 Sweating Agents.
  There are many remedies which stimulate the circu-
lation and open out the pores of the skin so as to pro-
duce perspiration.  Such an action is especially desir-
able in the early stages of eruptive diseases and in
the fever stage of malarial and many other difficulties.
  The following will be found a pleasant and most ef-
ficient diaphoretic.

    Pleurisy Root....................two ounces.
    Ginger..........................one-half ounce.
    Thyme..........................one-half ounce.
    Sweet Ma jo ram..................one-half ounce,

  Mix well the  pulverized articles and use  as an in-
fusion, made by steeping a tablespoonful of the mix-
ture in a pint of boiling water; dose, half a  teacupful
every forty-five minutes.  A few7 grains of citric acid,
or lemon juice  and  grated nutmeg,  may be added if
desired.
                    EMETICS.

           Means of  Provoking Vomiting.

  The usual use of emetics is to empty the stomach of
offending materials in the quickest manner.  The of- 
716         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

fending materials may be poisonous substances taken
into the system as such, or substances rendered  poi-
sonous by decomposition or fermentation after enter-
ing the stomach;  or  the offending materials may be
accumulations of mucus  interfering with digestion, or
foreign bodies sw7allow7ed by accident.
  A more extended use of emetics will be found bene-
ficial in the  general treatment of disease, to start the
secretions and to empty the gall-bladder and the ducts
of the liver  and cleanse  the various other glands.
  Disease always  implies interference with free  per-
formance  of functions on account  of obstructions in
the system, and an emetic, if properly administered,
will so act upon the various structures of the body as
to favor the overcoming of these obstructions.  In
nearly all chronic  diseases great  benefit will  be expe-
rienced  by  an  occasional emetic; and in most acute
affections an emetic  at  the start will often cut short
the severity of  the  attack.  It  is an easy  thing to
overdo  the  employment of emetics;  and in persons
subject to hemorrhages they should not be used at all.
In all cases where they are given the subsequent ad-
ministration of drugs will be more effectual.
  The philosophy of emesis or vomiting is very sim-
ple, and consists  of  the sudden contraction of the
muscles of the stomach,  chest and  diaphragm in  such
a manner that the stomach is forcibly squeezed and
diminished in size, resulting in the ejection of its con-
tents  through the gullet or oesophagus.   The manner
in which this may be accomplished varies according
to the condition of the stomach.   When that organ is
extremely sensitive the least relaxant will prove nau-
seating and cause a  contraction of the  muscles as a
reaction; thus, a little warm water,  or  boneset  infu-
sion, or simply lobelia tea, or salt and water will pro-
voke vomiting  in  irritated conditions of  the stomach.
  On  the other hand,  depressed  conditions  of the
stomach would  not permit vomiting  by such  means;
and when depressed by narcotics or other similar poi-
sons,  the  administration of relaxants would  not only
fail to accomplish emesis, but would  greatly increase
the danger  from poisoning by increasing the powers
of absorption.   Stimulants are needed  in such cases 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
717
along with astringents, as mentioned under the article
on poisons.
  In diseased and sluggish conditions the aim must be
to stimulate the structures  into activity, to consoli-
date the mucus that it may be dislodged, and to relax
the structures in order to  dislodge the mucus and ren-
der the muscular fibres capable of suddenly contract-
ing by reaction, and thus causing the act of vomiting.

  Simple Emetic.—Make a strong infusion of compo-
sition  (see formulas), using a large  tablespoonful of
the powder to a pint of boiling  water;  allow it to
stand twenty  minutes and  then strain  and sweeten.
Also prepare an infusion of lobelia herb, a teaspoon-
ful  to a cupful of boiling w7ater. and allow it to settle.
If the patient is very sick he should lie in bed, though
otherwise he may sit in a chair while taking an emetic.
The temperature of the room should be comfortable,
and at  the  same time plenty of fresh air should be
provided.   Administer  the   composition  infusion in
half-cupful  doses  every  fifteen  minutes, until  the
whole system  feels thoroughly warm; four doses usu-
ally being sufficient; then, in five or ten minutes after
the last dose of composition  has been taken,  adminis-
ter  the whole  cupful of lobelia infusion,  previously
prepared and  strained.  This may provoke vomiting
at once; but it is preferable  that it should not do so,
and the patient should  endeavor to hinder immediate
vomiting, for the longer it  is delayed the more thor-
oughly the tissues will be relaxed  and the more bene-
ficial will  be the results.  If vomiting does not take
place in ten minutes, then give again the composition
infusion in one-fourth cupful doses every five minutes
until vomiting does occur;  and after each  spell of
vomiting give composition freely in order to give fluid
to the stomach and thus avoid distressing retching.
  Where there is sourness of the  stomach it  will be
necessary to add a teaspoonful of cooking soda to the
lobelia  infusion.   Or,  if  vomiting  does  not  occur
promptly, add the soda to the composition taken after
the  lobelia.  Only the  one  dose of lobelia  need be
taken,  as another quantity would simply increase the
relaxation and so much longer delay vomiting. 
718         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE

  Where there is apparently far too much relaxation
and  vomiting cannot be  readily induced, it will be
found advisable to give a drink of infusion of  capsi-
cum.  Vomiting may possibly  be delayed  an hour or
more and then occur suddenly  upon exertion, or tak-
ing anything into the stomach.

  Stimulating Emetic.—In various parts of this vol-
ume stimulating emetics have been advised.  They are
especially valuable in extremely sluggish  conditions
wrhere the extremities are cold and the whole system
appears to be relaxed.
  Add to the composition  a small amount of cayenne,
and  administer this infusion in quarter of a cupful
doses every  half hour  for  several  hours,  until the
whole body is warm, even to the tips of the toes, and
the pulse is strong,  and then give the lobelia infusion
and proceed as in a simple emetic.  Never give the lo-
belia until the hands and feet are warm and the pulse
strong.   Such an emetic will  leave a tonic impression
on the  system,  especially if  goldenseal  should be
given with the composition after administering the
lobelia.

  Gruel Emetic.—Some  persons  become somewhat
weak during an emetic and need strengthening, espe-
cially if the emetic  is given before breakfast, as is ad-
visable  wiiere there is apparently  a stomach well
coated with mucus,  as will be denoted by a furred and
slimy tongue. In such cases the use of gruel will not
only sustain the system, or rather overcome the feel-
ing of faintness, but will greatly aid in loosening the
tenacious mucus and help  its ejection.  Children are
especially benefited by this form of emetic.
  Prepare the composition  infusion as for a simple
emetic,  and  also prepare an  infusion of raspberry
leaves, an ounce to  a pint of boiling water, strained
after steeping.  Besides these,  make about a pint of
thin gruel, salted and sweetened.  Give half a cupful
of the composition infusion and follow7 by  half a cup-
ful of gruel.  In ten minutes give the  raspberry in-
fusion, and in another ten minutes give the composi-
tion and the gruel.  Do  this for an hour and then give 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          719
the lobelia infusion—a teaspoonful to a cup of boiling
water.  Follow the  lobelia by the composition infu-
sion as for a simple  emetic.  It is  often surprising to
see the great amount of tenacious mucus which will be
throwm out of the stomach by such an emetic.  This
will give immediate  relief, and will aid in the action of
remedies administered thereafter.

  Nervine Emetics.—Frequently there will be nerv-
ous conditions requiring an emetic on account of foul
conditions of the  stomach, and which  require milder
means of producing vomiting than are afforded by or-
dinary emetics.  For such cases,  instead of  composi-
tion, use an infusion  of equal parts of raspberry leaves,
ginger and wild yam (dioscorea); and divide the lobe-
lia into three doses,  to be given ten minutes apart, the
last dose mixed with the raspberry infusion.

  Rectal Emetics.—Some persons cannot take emet-
ics  by the stomach  at all when vomiting is needful.
In such cases use, by  injections to the bowels  every
twenty minutes, the raspberry infusion named for nerv-
ine emetics.  Continue four hours and then give the lo-
belia by injection in very thin starch water.  There will
be but slight vomiting,   Such emetics are not useful
in cases of poisoning.
                    ENEMAS.
          Injections to the Lower Bowels.
  Enemas are often spoken of as clysters, and are of
great value in the treatment of disease.   Not only are
they serviceable  in evacuating the bowels, but they
are important aids  to  medication, and  are often re-
sorted to as a means of furnishing  nourishment when
the stomach is unable to receive food, or when for any
reason a person cannot eat.

  Cathartic  Enemas.—To  evacuate  the rectum, a
pint of fluid  is necessary  for an adult.   Luke-warm
water may suffice, but it is also best to add to it some
light stimulant, such as a tablespoonful of molasses or 
720         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

sugar.   A very weak ginger tea (a few grains of gin-
ger to the pint) or  a  teaspoonful each of salt and
sugar may be necessary.   Soapy water is often prompt
in adults, but is too harsh for children.  Usually it is
best for children to be given injections of  sweetened
catnip tea, as they frequently suffer  from colic when
constipated.   Allow an injection to be retained for at
least  fifteen minutes,  if possible, in order to  soften
the contents  of the rectum.  If an  evacuation does
not occur within  an  hour the enema  should  be re-
peated.

   Relaxing Enemas.—When the body is feverish and
tense relaxing injections will be found serviceable.
These should  be given in thin  boiled starch made with
infusions of the relaxants.  In mild cases, especially
with  children, pleurisy root and  boneset  are useful.
With  adults lobelia infusion is most  serviceable.  As
a  means of relaxing the  system to facilitate the re-
duction of fractures and  dislocations, relaxing injec-
tions of  lobelia cannot be equalled;  and for convul-
sions they may be relied upon.  Such injections should
be very strong,   a teaspoonful of powdered lobelia
herb to half a cup of boiling water being an ordinary
amount for one enema.

   Stimulating Enemas.—These  are prompt aids  in
depressed conditions, such as in collapse,  shock, etc.
Composition,  ginger or  even compound  tincture  of
myrrh may be thus administered and repeated every
hour until reaction  sets in, which is usually  accom-
panied by violent evacuations of the bowels.

   Nervine Enemas.—In severe prostration, as in ap-
oplexy, meningitis,  lockjaw,  etc., strong  nervine in-
jections should be employed.  In  such   cases large
doses of the powdered agents should be given in thin
boiled starch, and  they should be retained an hour,
even if a tight compress against the  anus be found
necessary.  Nervine  injections  should  be repeated
every three hours, half a large teacupful being suf-
ficient at one time.  Any medicament may be given by 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
721
 injection when it is impossible for it to be  adminis-
 tered to the stomach.

   Warm Water Enemas.—At times it is a good plan
 to take daily injections of warm wTater in very large
 quantities.  Persons who have long suffered  from bil-
 iousness and sluggishness brought about by  neglect,
 over-eating, improper diet,  etc., may feel themselves
 loaded with accumulations throughout the system and
 realize the necessity of taking a thorough course  of
 cleansing.
   Procure a four-quart fountain syringe and  take the
 injections while in bed,  and  remain there  until the
 operation is over.   First cleanse the rectum by about
 a half pint of water, and after the rectum has been
 evacuated allow fully four quarts of luke-warm water
 to enter the bowels.  The  buttocks being  elevated
 will facilitate the operation.  Retain the water for at
 least an hour.  At first so large an injection will feel
 uncomfortable, but by being repeated daily  one  will
 soon become accustomed to  the amount.  These injec-
 tions are marvelous aids  to  eleminating impurities
 from the system, cleansing the whole body, improving
 the appetite and digestion, clearing the skin, and al-
 together rejuvenating the physical being.

   Astringent Enemas.—In diarrhoea, dysentery, etc.,
 it will often be found serviceable to administer  as-
 tringent and tonic injections.  In mild cases witch
 hazel or cherry bark infusions will answer the purpose,
 but in severe cases bayberry bark  or gum kino in in-
 fusion will be best.

   Nourishing  Enemas.—In  cancer of the stomach,
 wasting  diseases,  unconsciousness and  many other
 conditions, it becomes necessary to administer food by
 the rectum, where it will be absorbed.  First cleanse
 the rectum by warm water and then give the nourish-
 ment; a half cupful at a time will be  sufficient, re-
 peated every  three  hours  if  possible.   Thin barley
 water with beaten white of egg, beef broth, malted
 milk and  similar articles  without sugar or salt are
suitable.  Rectal nourishment must be concentrated 
722         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.

and retained as long as possible, it being best for all
of it to be absorbed.
                   ESSENCES.

            Alcoholic Solutions of  Oils.
  A  solution of an  essential  or aromatic oil  in pure
alcohol  is termed an essence or a spirit of that sub-
stance.  Sassafras, dill, fennel, wintergreen, rosemary,
peppermint and  many other  agents may be obtained
in the form of essence.  In colic these diffusive es-
sences may be given to great advantage—a few drops
given on sugar or in hot water.  One ounce of oil in
nine ounces of alcohol will constitute the average es-
sence.   In making pills it  is customary to add to the
mass some essence of peppermint to disguise the taste
and to prevent griping.   An essence must not be con-
founded with a tincture (which see).
  The essence of wintergreen requires but half  the
average amount of alcohol  in its preparation.
                   EXTRACTS.
             Fluid and Solid Extracts.
  These are convenient remedial preparations, made
by macerating the crude drugs  in water and alcohol
containing a small quantity of glycerine, and then
evaporating to a degree that will cause one pound of
the fluid  extract to represent one pound of the crude
drug  in  medicinal  strength.  Nearly  all  vegetable
remedies  may be obtained in the fluid extract form;
and when they are manufactured by first class drug
firms they may be depended upon. Most fluid extracts
become cloudy and cause a  sediment when added to
water.

  Solid  Extracts of remedies are obtained by long
steeping  the crude drugs in hot wrater or in alcohol
and cold  water, and then  evaporating in porcelain
dishes until of solid consistence.  Solid extracts are
chiefly used in making pills. 
REMEDIES AND  FORMULAS.
723
                   INFUSIONS.

         Hot Water Extracts of Remedies.
  One of the simplest and most  effective methods of
administering drugs  consists in extracting their  vir-
tues by warm or hot  water.  Coarsely ground articles
are best for infusions, as they may be readily strained,
but the pulverized drugs can be used as well.
  As a rule one ounce of  the  drug should  be  the
amount necessary to  a pint of boiling water, and after
prepared, the  infusion should  be  allowed  to steep
tw7enty minutes or longer.  Bitter  herbs do  not re-
quire so large a quantity to the  pint, and only a  few
grains of capsicum will suffice.
  Aromatic drugs and those containing tannin or vola-
tile oils are injured  by pouring boiling water upon
them, and should therefore be treated with very warm
water instead,  and be allowed to steep over  half an
hour; of  these may be mentioned elecampane, witch
hazel,  bayberry.  wild cherry, peach leaves,  catnip,
black cohosh, etc.      ______
                   LINIMENTS.
           Outward Alcoholic Compounds.
  These are useful applications for the quick relief of
pain, or as aids  in causing  an outward circulation of
blood, or in relieving local abnormal conditions of the
muscles or  nerves.  Liniments are usually prepared
by dissolving oils in alcohol; or the tinctures may be
used in place of  the oils.
  The  following  has  been frequently  mentioned
throughout this volume as a

              Stimulating  Liniment.
    Take Oil of Origanum.............tivo drachms.
        Oil of Sassafras..............two drachms.
        Oil of Rosemary.............two drachms.
        Tincture of Capsicum.........one ounce.
        Alcohol......................one pint.

  Mix and add half a drachm of gum camphor, to be
dissolved.   This  is  an  excellent  liniment for  use 
724         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
wherever there are inward inflammations, as in sciat-
ica, peritonitis, inflammation of the bowels, etc.

                 Nerve  Liniment.

    Take Tincture of Lobelia.........three ounces.
         Tincture of Black Cohosh.. . .two ounces.
         Tincture of Calendula......two ounces.
         Tincture of Capsicum.......one-half ounce.
         Alcohol ...................one pint

  Mix.  This  liniment  will  be found  very  useful in
treating sprains,  muscular rheumatism, bruises,  etc.

               Rheumatic Liniment.

    Tincture of Black Cohosh.........two ounces.
    Tincture Cajisieum ..-............one-half ounce.
    Tincture Lobelia................two ounces.
    Fluid Extract Mullein...........two ounces.
    Tincture Prickly Ash.............one ounce.
    Alcohol........................one pint.

  Mix.  This will be found a very thorough liniment in
rheumatic  cases, especially  in  muscular rheumatism
and where there is  swelling of the joints.
                   OINTMENTS.

         Soothing and Healing Applications.
  For healing and soothing sores, ulcers and various
other superficial  affections, ointments will be  found
very serviceable.  They are usually prepared by mix-
ing medicinal substances with lard, wax, spermaceti,
vaseline, etc.   Lard allows the  ready absorption of
medicines, while wax and spermaceti give firmness, to
the mass.  Vaseline  is  a very  convenient  base for
ointments, as it is of  proper consistence and does not
become rancid, while lard is very readily made rancid
and irritating, but  vaseline does not promote the ab-
sorption of remedial  agents.  Mutton  tallow  mixed
with a suitable amount of olive oil or  cotton-seed oil, 
             REMEDIES  AND FORMULAS.           120

 with a little glycerine, is preferable to  either lard or
 vaseline.

                   Cold Cream.

     Melt together Oil of Almonds......tivo ounces.
                Spermaceti..........half an ounce.
                White Wax..........one drachm.

  After being thoroughly melted and w7hile cooling,
 stir into it twro ounces of rose water slightly warmed.
 Stir briskly until cooled.  This is a well known and
 excellent  preparation for chapped hands,  sore lips,
 etc.  Another formula is:

     Almond Oil........................five ounces.
     Smermuceti.........................two ounces.
     White Wax........................two ounces.

  Melt these together at a  low heat  and while they
 are cooling stir into the  mixture the following, previ-
 ously prepared:

     Borax..........................one drachm.
     Glycerine.......................half an ounce.
    Rose Water......................three ounces.

  Heat to near the boiling point, and when cool add a
 few drops of attar of roses.

             Oxide of Zinc Ointment.

    Rub together Oxide of Zinc (blende), half an ounce.
               Lard  (fresh).........three ounces.

  This is  a  most excellent application  as  a drying
agent for burns and scalds, blisters, chaffed  skin, etc.
It is necessary that  the application be frequently
changed, every twelve hours at least, and the parts
thoroughly  cleansed  with  warm water  and  Castile
soap; otherwise the lard will  become rancid by the
heat of the body and  form a poisonous and  irritating
compound of zinc.  Vaseline is preferable to lard in
this preparation, as it does not become rancid. 
726         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                  Tar  Ointment.
    Take Pitch Tar......................one ounce,
         Mutton Suet....................one ounce.

  Mix  and melt  together, stirring thoroughly  until
cold.   This  is used for scald head, ring-worm,  piles
and various affections.
                      PILLS.

         Concentrated  Doses of Medicines.
  These are convenient for the administration of some
kinds of  drugs where slow action is desirable.   Most
generally cathartic preparations are  administered in
pill  form,  and  when concentrations are used, great
strength may  be  contained in  a  very  small pill.
Nearly all pills on the market  are  coated with sugar
or gelatine by machinery, but pills may be made by
hand.  Solid extracts are used in pill-making,  and as
a rule some one extract is used as a base and other in-
gredients are added.  There are thousands of kinds of
pills manufactured under various names, mostly for
cathartic purposes, though some for tonic, or nervine
or other uses.   Never purchase  pills without  ascer-
taining the formula and being certain that no  poison
is contained in them, as is  most frequently  the case.
Asafoetida is most advantageously administered  in pill
form.

            Compound Cathartic Pills.

  Under this title pills are extensively sold which con-
tain calomel, and  are  therefore not  advisable.  A
good compound cathartic pill may be made as follows:
Leptandrin, one drachm; apocynin and euonymin each
one-half  drachm; mix with solid extract of butternut
into a stiff  mass and roll into pills of  about the size of
a small pea;  these should be rolled in powdered lico-
rice root.  Throughout this volume these pills are men-
tioned as Liver Pills.

  Capsules are small gelatine receptacles for holding
powdered drugs, chiefly the concentrations, and some- 
            REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          727

times oils or bitter fluid extracts are administered in
capsules.  They have an advantage over sugar-coated
pills in being more readily soluble.  Capsules  of all
sizes may be obtained at comparatively nominal prices.
                  POULTICES.

          Relaxing Outward Applications.

  These are applications made to the surface for the
purpose of softening  the parts or medicating  them,
and often employed to favor the outward course of
an internal abscess; sometimes used to direct the flow
of blood outward from inflamed internal organs.
  Poultices should be  made with the aim of their hold-
ing warmth and moisture for a great  length  of time.
Ground flax-seed, slippery elm bark (pulverized), corn
meal,  rolled oats and other similar articles make good
poultices.   They should be  of such a consistence as
will permit them to adjust themselves to surfaces over
which they are placed, without being thin  enough to
run.   It is ahvays best  to  mix with the poultice  a
small  quantity of glycerine  or hot oil to hinder too
quick  drying or hardening.   Bread is  often employed
for a  poultice,  but it does  not retain heat so long as
the flax seed.  Yeast  poultices  are most excellent in
sluggish conditions,  old sores,  gangrene, etc.   They
may be made by diluting ordinary yeast and adding
flour to make a stiff batter, which should be allowed
to rise.  It is  a common practice to medicate such
poultices by diluting the yeast  with strong infusions
of desirable  articles.  For  the class of sores men-
tioned pulverized myrrh, charcoal, ginger and golden-
seal may be mixed with  the  prepared batter before it
rises.
  Where there is a too free discharge  from ulcers and
the tissues are relaxed,  the  poultices should contain
such astringents as witch hazel or wild cherry bark,
possibly pulverized  bayberry bark.  When there  is
great  inflammation and tenseness of the parts, there
is nothing that can equal pulverized lobelia, either the
herb or the seed, sprinkled over the poultice.   Where 
728
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
there is great pain pulverized lady slipper is excellent
with lobelia.

  Fomentations  are poultices  made entirely  of
steeped herbs.  They are excellent for  relieving pain
and acting promptly.  Bruised smart weed  fomenta-
tions over the abdomen are valuable in severe  intes-
tinal disorders and peritonitis, especially with mullein
leaves.   Catnip fomentations with lobelia herb will be
found useful where there is great sensitiveness.
  To apply  a poultice properly it should be placed in
a cloth sack—ordinary salt bags are convenient.  The
open end of a poultice bag should not be sewed, but
folded several times to keep in the substance.   Medi-
cated poultices may be spread thickly  over cloth and
applied directly to the surface, or if an open sore, first
covered with a piece of thin cheese cloth.  In order to
retain the heat as long as possible cover all with sev-
eral thicknesses of flannel or with oiled silk.  A poul-
tice  should never  be  allowed to become  cold.   It is
best to have a second poultice ready to apply as soon
as the first is removed.   Never warm over a poultice
once used, but always apply fresh ones.
                     SNUFFS.

               For Offensive Catarrh.

    Take Pulverized Goldenseal.........one ounce.
         Pulverized Bayberry..........two drachms.
         Pulverized Borax.............two drachms.

  These may be thoroughly rubbed together and then
sifted through  silk bolting cloth  It should be used
as ordinary snuff several times a day.

                For Watery Catarrh.

    Take Powdered Witch Hazel.......one ounce.
         Powdered White Oak Bark.. .one-half ounce.
         Powdered Wild Cherry Bark. .one-half ounce.
Mix and sift through silk bolting cloth. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          729
                   For Snuffles.

    Take Powdered Lobelia .............one ounce.
        Powdered Goldenseal......... .one ounce.
        Powdered Borax..............two drachms.

  Mix and sift through silk bolting cloth.   This prep-
aration is most  excellent  where  the nostrils  become
choked.
                    SYRUPS.

        Pleasant Preparations of Remedies.

  One of the most pleasant and convenient methods
of administering remedial agents is in the syrup form,
especially in those cases where slow  action is desira-
ble;  for in most acute cases there are  no forms of med-
ication equal to infusions.

  Simple Syrup.—This  is  the  most frequently em-
ployed vehicle for the administration  of fluid extracts,
and may be prepared as follows:   Pour a pint of boil-
ing water upon a scant two pounds and a half of dry
white sugar; place upon  a hot stove and stir con-
stantly until it starts  to boil, when  it should be in-
stantly removed.  This will make one quart of simple
syrup, and it may have added to it essence of ginger
or peppermint or  orange  flower  by way of flavoring.
One ounce of fluid extract  added to  three ounces of
simple syrup will  make an average medicinal syrup.
Dose, one teaspoonful.  Some agents are mild and
double the average  proportion may be used; while of
other agents half  the usual  amount will be sufficient.
Some stomachs revolt against every form of syrup,
and yet cannot endure  infusions, or it is inconvenient
to prepare them in protracted cases.   Under such cir-
cumstances  a  vehicle  for fluid extracts may be pre-
pared by adding  two  ounces  of glycerine to twelve
ounces of a rather  thick  mucilage  of  gum  Arabic.
Such a vehicle is well suited to persons suffering from
diabetes or obesity.   Alcohol may be used instead of
glycerine as a preservative;  but under all  circum- 
730         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
stances it should be remembered that alcohol does nol
in any w7ay add to  the remedial properties of a com-
pound, but simply serves as a preservative or as an
extractive.

  Medicinal  Syrups.—These are prepared  as  fol-
lows:  To compound a half gallon of syrup use on an
average one pound of coarsely ground drugs.   Place
these in a porcelain or very  new tin kettle and cover
them with water, eight parts, and alcohol, one part,
and  then tightly cover the kettle, and allow all to
stand in a cool place for twenty-four hours; at the  end
of which time the drugs should be strained and again
covered well with warm water, without alcohol,  and
allowed to stand in the  closed kettle for four hours.
Have a large funnel with an unbleached muslin sack
prepared to  fit within it.  Snugly close  the mouth of
the funnel with cotton and then adjust the bag  and
fill  in the drugs with the hot water and  press down
firmly.  Allow the water to drip through rapidly three
times, when  it will be rather clear.  Add enough cold
water to this to make one quart and then  let all drip
through slowiy. and  add  it to the  alcohol and water
first strained out and set aside.   This  should make
about one quart and a pint.  To this add four pounds
of pure white sugar, slowly stirring over a low fire to
dissolve the  sugar and to drive off the alcohol used as
an extractive.   Then add four ounces of glycerine as
a preservative.  Smaller  quantities of drugs are diffi-
cult  to handle, and  twice the  quantity will be  found
more convenient, making a gallon of  syrup, which
will  keep, any length of time, in ordinary, well stop-
pered bottles without sealing.
                  TINCTURES.

          Alcoholic Extracts of  Remedies.

  For many purposes tinctures are very convenient,
especially for  outward applications.  They are pre-
pared by soaking six ounces of  the ground drugs in
a pint each of  water and alcohol for ten days and then 
             REMEDIES  AND FORMULAS.           731

filtering.  When  internally  administered  tinctures
should be  put into  hot water to expel the  alcohol
which was necessary to  extract the medicinal princi-
ples.  Tincture of ginger is one  of the most conven-
ient of household remedies.  Glycerine tinctures, with-
out alcohol, may be prepared by macerating the drugs
in one part  of glycerine  and four parts of water.
These are not so efficacious for external use as are the
alcoholic tinctures.
                     TONICS.

        Preparations for Sustaining Strength.

  Under the general name of tonics are classed those
agents wThich exert an especial influence in building up
the system when enfeebled by  disease.  Necessarily
there are various  classes of  tonics,  designated  as
stimulating, and relaxing and astringent,  according to
their peculiar characteristics manifested by the im-
pressions  they leave upon the  system.  Tonics are
also divided according to the  organs they especially
influence—there may be tonics for the stomach, liver,
bowels, nerves, etc.

           Compound Gentian Syrup.

    Goldenseal (Hydrastis)..............four ounces.
    Balmony (Chelo)ie).................four ounces.
    Dwarf Elder (Ara/ia Hispida).......four ounces.
    Gentian...........................two ounces.
    Prickly Ash (Xanthoxyfum)..........tiro ounces.
    Wahoo (Etionynius).................two ounces.

  These quantities will make two quarts  of syrup ac-
cording to the directions for making syrups.  Dose,
two tablespoonfuls after meals.
  This is a most excellent tonic  where the liver is at
fault, and is  therefore valuable in jaundice, bilious-
ness, dropsy, agues and chronic difficulties peculiar to
malarial regions.  It is useful in depressed conditions,
and may be used in atonic forms of dyspepsia. 
732         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
                Mother's Cordial.

    Squaw Vine (Mitchella)...............four parts.
    Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum)..........one part
    Cramp Bark (Virbunum Op.).........one part.
    Unicorn Root (Helonias)..............one part

  These should be ground together and covered with
equal parts of water and alcohol, which should  be
strained off after three days and the drugs then used
to prepare a syrup (see Syrups); the first liquid is then
added and all slowly evaporated to one quart, and four
pounds  of sugar and four ounces of glycerine added.
Dose, two teaspoonfuls before meals.
  This is a most excellent preparation for all forms of
female weakness, and is of  great service when used
during  pregnancy,  relieving  cramps  and  giving
strength to the organs.

                 Spiced Bitters.

    White Poplar.....................four ounces.
    Golden Seal (Hydrastis)............one ounce.
    Prickly Ash (Xanthoxylum).........one ounce.
    Balmony (Chelone)................one ounce.
    Cinnamon........................one ounce.
    Ginger..........................one ounce.
    Cayenne (Capsicum)...............fifteen grains.

  The  pulverized  form of  these  articles should  be
thoroughly mixed, and the preparation may be used as
an infusion or given in  capsules.  For an  infusion,
use one teasponful to a cup of boiling water; dose, two
tablespoonfuls after meals.   Dose of the powder, eight
grains.  This tonic is useful in extremely sluggish con-
ditions of the stomach, especially in malarial troubles.
Sensitive persons cannot take it.

                  Bread of Life.
    Poplar Bark.........................one ounce.
    Goldenseal  (Hydrastis)................one ounce.
    Cloves..............................one ounce.
    Cinnamon..........................one ounce.
    Anise Seeds..........................one ounce.
    Ginger.............................one ounce. 
             REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          733

  Mix these articles in the pulverized form with two
 pounds of confectioner's sugar and kneed into a stiff
 dough with a  thick mucilage of  slippery elm bark;
 roll into flat sheets about one-fourth of an inch thick
 and cut into small cakes about the size of a half dol-
 lar, and dry slowly and thoroughly.  These cakes may
 be nibbled for dyspepsia, faintness of the stomach and
 indisposition.   The  preparation  is  suitable for lan-
 guid conditions and is very pleasant and convenient
 to take.

           Compound  Scullcap Syrup.

    Scullcap (Scutellaria)..........one-half pound.
    Blue Cohosh (CaulophyHum).. . .one-fourth pound.
    Goldenseal (Hydrastis).........one-fourth pound.
    Capsicum....................fifteen grains.

  These articles should be ground together and made
 into two quarts of syrup, as directed under the article
 on syrups.  Dose, two teaspoonfuls after meals and at
 bed-time.  Or the ingredients may be mixed together
 in the pulverized form and used as an infusion  of two
 teaspoonfuls to a large cupful of  boiling water; dose,
 three tablespoonfuls.
  This preparation will be  found very  valuable  in
 nervous weakness, especially in such forms as involve
 the heart, or in wakefulness, delirium tremens, etc.

               Wine of Camomile.

    Camomile F'lowers (Anthemis).....four ounces.
    Blue Cohosh (Caulophyf/um).......tivo ounces.
    Motherwort  (Leonurus)...........two ounces.
    Orange Peel.....................one-half ounce.
    Coriander Seeds.................one-half ounce.
    Cinnamon......................one-half ounce,
    Ginger.........................one-half ounce.

  Grind these  articles together  and  macerate in  a
quart of  good  sherry wine for two weeks, strain and
add one pound of granulated sugar.  Dose, a table-
spoonful before meals. 
734         A PHYSICIAN  IN  THE HOUSE.
  This will  be found  a  very pleasant  and efficient
tonic in languid conditions, especially of females.   If
the wine is objectionable the articles may be ground
together and used as an infusion, a  teaspoonful to a
cup of boiling water.   Dose, half a teacupful.

               Colombo Compound.

    Take of Colombo.................one-half ounce.
           Ginger.................one-half ounce.
           Goldenseal..............one-half ounce
           Senna..................two drachms.

  Mix and grind together,  and use as an infusion, a
teaspoonful to a cup of boiling water, to be strained
and taken in three doses, one  after  each  meal.  This
is an excellent stomach tonic where there is constipa-
tion.

               Compound Cinchona.

    Tincture of Cinelunat..............three ounces.
    Tincture of Valerian...............two ounces.
    Peppermint Water..................eight ounces.

  Mix.   Take  a  tablespoonful  between meals, and
night and morning for weakness and nervous debility.

                 Intestinal  Tonic.

     Tart rede of Iron and Potassa .. .one-half ounce.
    Sulphate of Hydrastia..........one-half drachm.
     Citric Acid....................three drachms.

  Dissolve  in  seven ounces  of water  and  add one
ounce of glycerine.  Dose, a teaspoonful after meals.
This is a most excellent tonic for  intestinal  indiges-
tion accompanied by rumblings of the bowels.  It will
improve the appetite and prove very acceptable to a
weak stomach.  To be kept in a cool place.
  When there is anaemia, characterized by great pale-
ness, and the food taken is not assimilated, although 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.
735
 the appetite is fair, and there  is a lack of tone, the
 following may be given in capsules after meals:

    Tartrate of  Iron and Potassa.....tivo grains.
    Sulphate of  Hydrastia...........one grain.
    Capsicum ......................one-half grain.

           Syrup  of  Hypophosphites.

  The following preparation  may be obtained at the
 drug stores, and is  of value  in wasting  diseases.   It
 has been extensively used in consumption:

    Hypophosphite of Lime.............six drachms.
    Hypophosphite of Soda.............two drachms.
    Hypophosphite of Potash...........two drachms.

  Dissolve in hot water, ten ounces; strain and dissolve
 in this fourteen ounces of sugar; again strain and add
 half an  ounce  of water  of orange flowers.  Dose, a
 teaspoonful after meals.
  To this preparation many of the stronger tonics may
 be added,  such as gentian or goldenseal in the form of
 fluid extract.
  In purchasing syrup of  the  hypophosphites it is im-
portant  to ascertain that such poisons as strychnine
and arsenic are  not  contained  in it as is very fre-
quently  the case.
                  VERMIFUGES.

               Tape Worm Expeller.
  No. 1.  Take  fresh  pomegranate  root  bark, one
quarter pound; upon this pour two pints of boiling
water and boil all very slowly till evaporated to one
pint.
  No. 2.  Take four  ounces  of  pumpkin  seeds and
bruise them to as fine a pulp as possible in a mortar,
and add one pint of hot water and stir thoroughly.
  Strain and mix both  No. 1  and No. 2, and keep
warm.   This is called the decoction. 
736         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

  Mix well together in a small bottle one-half drachm
of chloroform and one-half drachm  of  oil of  male
fern and rub w7ell in a mortar  with  one drachm of
sugar of milk and fill into nine large capsules.
  Have the patient fast for twenty-four hours, eating
only salt fish and drinking milk.  In the morning after
the fast day take a large dose  of salts and senna (see
formulas), and after the bowels have moved freely drink
the decoction in four doses,  twenty minutes apart,
sucking half a lemon after each dose, to avoid nausea.
Half an hour after the last dose  of decoction is taken
take three of the capsules and repeat the dose twice
during the next hour.   In half  an hour after the last
dose of capsules take an ounce of castor oil prepared
as directed in the chapter on Remedies.   If the castor
oil  cannot be taken  use  another dose  of salts and
senna.   If there is a tape worm present it will soon be
expelled,  and should be received in  a vessel nearly
filled with warm water to prevent breaking the worm
and consequent  retraction of  the head.  Never give
treatment for tape worm unless segments of the worm
have been first previously passed.

             Pin and Round Worms.

    Take Carolina Pink Root.........one ounce.
         American Wormseed........one ounce.
         Senna.....................one ounce.
         Balmony..................one-half ounce.
         Anise Seeds................one drachm.

  Mix and place in a porcelain vessel  with  one quart
of boiling water and let it steep, well covered, for two
hours.   Strain and sweeten well.  For a  child, a dose
is one-half cupful on an empty  stomach, four times a
day.  Milk may be added.

               Pin Worm Injection.

    Hyposulphite of Soda...............one drachm.
    Bi-carbonate of Soda...............one drachm.
    Weak Soapy  Water.................two quarts. 
REMEDIES AND FORMULAS.          737
  After using an active cathartic, and the bowels  be-
ing freely evacuated, take  all of this amount at one
time as an injection, using the fountain syringe and re-
taining it as  long as  possible.   Satisfactory results
will surely follow.

                For  Pin Worms.

    Take Powdered Sulphur.............one drachm.
        Powdered Borax...............one drachm.

  Mix well and fill into twenty-five capsules.  One to
be inserted into the  rectum each night and morning
until no traces of pin worms can be found in the evac-
uations and all itching ceases.

               For Round Worms.

    Take  Wormwood.....................one ounce.
        Rue...........................one ounce.
        Peach Leaves...................one ounce.

  Mix and steep in a quart of hot water for an  hour,
strain and sweeten well.  Dose for a child, one-half
cupful  four times a day on an empty stomach.  This is
an excellent  vermifuge for children.  It  may be  fla-
vored with anise seeds, and milk may also be added to
the infusion each time  it is taken.
            WATER APPLICATIONS.

                The Wet Compress.
  This form of applying water has  long been in gen-
eral use, and when judiciously employed will be found
most efficient for the relief of pain and various dis-
orders.  An ordinary wet compress consists of several
folds of clean cloth, such as a folded pillow-slip, or (if
extensive) a folded sheet, dipped into water and ap-
plied directly to the  skin at  the seat of disturbance,
and then covered with folds of woolen cloth, such as
a folded blanket, so  as to allow the compress to  be
heated by the body.  Robust persons of vital temper-
ament  yield most readily to a cold compress;  delicate 
 738         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

 persons  prefer  it warm  and feel most comfortable
 when it  is applied hot.   The feelings of  the patient
 should decide the degree of temperature employed.
  To make a compress comfortable see to it that there
 is not the slightest crease in any one of the folds, and
 make it of such a size as will be most perfectly adapted
 to the part of the  body to which it is to be applied,
 and cover it in such a manner as to avoid uncomfort-
 able "bunches."
  The application  of the compress is frequently a cure
 for deep-seated difficulties—the water penetrating the
 affected  part and  driving out,  by displacement, ab-
 normal  accumulations.  As the  water thus  applied
 actually  enters  the  system, it is imperative that  it
 should be absolutely pure.  Distilled water is best to
 use, though spring water or well water, not hard, is ex-
 cellent.  Let it be clean and fresh and the best results
 will follow.

                Hot Compresses.

  These consist  of squares of  flannel soaked  in very
 hot water, and applied as hot as can be borne, and fre-
 quently renewed.  A water bottle or other receptacle
 may be filled with hot water and placed over the wet
 flannel after it is in position.   It is surprising to notice
 how  quickly deep-seated  pain can be relieved by the
 application of hot water fomentations.
  Hot compresses should be employed w7herever there
 is congestion of  the internal organs, as they equalize
 the circulation and divert the flow of blood  outward
 by relaxing the  superficial  blood  vessels.  They are
 likewise  serviceable  in  relieving deep-seated pain
 caused by pressure upon nerve trunks.
  Hot  fomentations  are also applied over  regions
 where abscesses are forming, causing them to discharge
 outw7ardly, as they soften the tissues over the confined
suppurative liquid.  But when abscesses  have dis-
charged and the healing  process is going on, the hot
fomentations should  be discontinued, for the softening
of the tissues under such conditions will favor the
growth of proud flesh and delay perfect healing. 
MISCELLANEOUS  ARTICLES.
     MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN.

         Foods, Baths, Sleep, Exercise, Etc.

  The bestowal of care and watchfulness upon chil-
dren requires many acts of self-denial and of patience
and labor; but the reward repays the parents tenfold.
Neglect and improper management alw7ays leave their
imprints as  life-long reminders  of criminal careless-
ness on  the  part of those whose duty it is to protect
and train for the future those whom they have called
into existence.
  This article will deal with the best methods of  at
tending to  the wants of the little one after the first
few days of  its existence until  it is capable of being
reasoned with, so that it may aid in its own welfare.

                    Feeding.

  The mother's milk is the most natural  and  suitable
diet for  a young babe, and if at all possible it should
be wholly  relied  upon during the first  six or nine
months, or until the advent of teeth signifies that
other food is required.  Nursing not only benefits the
child but benefits the mother as well.  It is a natural
process  and  cannot be substituted without risk of  in-
jury.  A child  fed artificially under the most  favora-
ble circumstances has a poorer chance of life than one
fed  naturally  under  the most unfavorable  circum-
stances.  But nursing  should be regular if it is to be
of the greatest benefit.  Many a child with a healthy
and over-anxious mother grows puny and sickly from
                       739 
740         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

no other cause than over-feeding or too frequent or
irregular feeding.  During  the first few wreeks of its
existence an infant should be nursed every two hours
during the day and less frequently at night.  It is an
excellent plan to speedily accustom the child to sleep
soundly at night without nursing at all, and one which
is of great benefit to the mother.   Some mothers offer
the breast to their babes whenever they cry,  regard-
less of time or frequency of nursing.  Nothing more
seriously interferes with  infantile digestion than  this
foolish procedure.  The cause for the crying will only
be aggravated, and nothing gained but a few moment's
lull.  If an infant cries after  being regularly nursed,
the trouble arises from some other cause than hunger.
As  is probably  well  known,  the mother should be
careful in regard to her diet while nursing.  Acids
usually affect the milk so as to give the  baby colic,
and few women can partake of lemonade, cranberries
or other tart articles during the first months of nurs-
ing.  Tea is  also often  the cause of making infants
restless at night.  Similarly, instead of giving infants
drugs directly,  they  may be affected by the mother
taking the desired articles.  A very simple means of
breaking up  a cold or overcoming restlessness  in a
babe  is the eating of boiled onions by the mother.
Also the bony system of  a child may be strengthened
by  the mother  eating abundantly of oatmeal, or its
growth retarded by her eating too rich  or insufficient
food.
  A child six months old will usually be able to eat a
little  bread and  milk pressed through a colander, and
even  a little ''cream of potato," made  by  boiling
mashed  potatoes  in  milk to a creamy  consistence.
Also at this time strained boiled oatmeal  mixed with
milk will be beneficial.   Such articles are best given
by the nursing bottle instead of the spoon. At eight
or nine months of age egg-nog, without alcohol, and
broths from lean meats are to be given.   Thickened
milk, sago, arrow7 root and prune juice  are often rel-
ished by children of eight or ten months of age.  But
meat,  no matter how finely minced,  should not be
given before the child is a year old, and even then only
when the child is hearty and has a number of  teeth. 
MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN.
741
   In some instances the mother is absolutely unable to
 provide milk for her infant, and various circumstances
 may compel a child to be "raised by hand,"  or arti-
 ficially fed.  Then the question  arises,  what food is
 best to be used?  When goat's milk is obtainable that
 is unquestionably  the choice,  for it most healthfully
 substitutes  mother's milk, but when it cannot be ob-
 tained  cow's  milk is  the next best thing, and  the
 fresher the  cow the better, though in using such inilk,
 as much water as milk should  be added for the first
 two months, and after that the quantity of water may
 be diminished.  Always sweeten the milk with a little
 white  sugar,  or, better  still,  with a little sugar of
 milk,  sometimes  spoken of  as  lactin.   In  warm
 weather it is best to scald the milk before using, and
 at all times it should be luke-warm or at  body-heat be-
 fore being given to the child.   Should it sour on the
 stomach or  should the bowels run off, a teaspoonful of
 lime water may be  added to each nursing.  All  milk
 should be as fresh as possible, and  should be kept in a
 cool place.
  Another important item in infant feeding is cleanli-
 ness.   Milk jians  must  be thoroughly  scalded, and
 nursing  bottles cleansed  beyond  possibility of any
 dirt or sour milk remaining in them.  Patent  nursing
 bottles are  excellent,  though  usually difficult  to
 cleanse, and w7here there' is any likelihood of  over-
 sight on that score, an ordinary  black  rubber nipple
 fitted to a common  flat bottle is best,  though the nip-
 ple should not be  large.  An unusually large nipple,
 either on the mother's  breast or on the bottle, is liable
 to give the child a protruding or sharply arched upper
 jaw.  Sucking the thumbs will also cause such a con-
 dition.   The knowledge of such facts may prevent un-
 sightly deformities.
  Many so-called  infants' foods  are on the market,
 and most  of them  are meritorious articles.  The di-
 rections for  their use accompany the packages of the
 preparations.   But when such  preparations are used
 the danger lies in the fact that directions are  not al-
 ways strictly  carried  out.  Only enough  should be
prepared at one time to answer for a single nursing,
and as  this  is  troublesome, the temptation arises  to 
742         A PHYSICIAN IN THE  HOUSE.
warm over what is left, and therein  lies the danger.
Otherwise the use of " Infant Foods  " is most advis-
able in many instances.
  Condensed milk is a most satisfactory article for in-
fant feeding, and is to  be  preferred where  artificial
feeding is necessary,  and goat's  milk,  or pure  milk
from one cow cannot  be obtained.  Always choose  a
brand of milk put  up by a firm  of well known  good
reputation.   One part to fourteen of water is the right
proportion for new born children,  but this proportion
may be altered to suit the age.  There is always  more
danger in giving the milk too strong  than in giving it
too weak.  When the brand of condensed milk used is
unsweetened,  a  little  sugar should be added,  and
when there is the least manifestation of indigestion a
teaspoonful of lime water must also  be added to each
nursing.
  It is a most excellent practice to accustom an infant
to drink pure water (absolutely pure,  but not cold).  A
week-old child may take only a teaspoonful at a time,
and frequently, but always to its advantage.  Often a
little one may actually suffer from the want of a drink
of water.   When we consider that nearly every tissue
of the body contains water, we can realize the neces-
sity of furnishing it to the  system, though, of course,
milk itself  is largely composed of water.  Some per-
sons give their infants coffee, tea  or  even  lager  beer,
but intelligent beings will not be  guilty of such gross
outrages upon helpless babes.  Such  things will dwarf
both body and mind.
  At this point it may be well to mention the dangers
attending the use by the mother of narcotics or alco-
holic liquors during pregnancy  or during nursing.  It
is a common thing for a young mother to suppose that
the extra drain upon her system  demands the use of
ale or  beer, or even  whiskey toddy, and there are
many physicians who will lend themselves to the en-
couragement of  such a fallacious idea.  The fact is,
that a barrel of beer does not contain as much actual
nourishment as  half a loaf of  bread, but a single
glass of beer contains sufficient poison to influence the
entire system.  The small amount of alcohol taken in 
MANAGEMENT OF  CHILDREN.         743
 such beverages will, Of course, cause a slight feeling
 of exhilaration, but such a feeling is always followed
 by a  corresponding amount  of  depression.  And no
 matter how small the quantity of alcohol taken, and
 no matter under what name it may  be  incorporated,
 the action will always be the same in character.   But
 a still greater evil results from the use of such bever-
 ages by the pregnant or nursing women.  The  taste
 for alcohol may thus be fastened upon  a child which
 will in after years be its curse, and upon the  mother
 must  then fall the guilt and anguish of bringing her
 own gray hairs in sorow to the grave.
  Of  artificial food  or diluted  milk  a new-born  child
 should consume two or three  ounces at a time every
 two hours,  and in a short time should be able to use
 fully  a gill (eight tablespoonfuls) at a meal.  A  child
 should not  be awakened to receive its meal, as it will
 nurse just as well when asleep if hungry, but as soon
 as it is through nursing, the  nipple  should be taken
 from  its mouth.  No infant should be  given starchy
 food until after it has  a few7 teeth.  Starch requires
 saliva to aid in its digestion, and this cannot  be fur-
 nished in sufficient quantities by very young infants.
 The appearance of teeth indicates a readiness for the
 commencement of a more varied diet.

                    Weaning.

  Weaning  children need not be a difficult task if prop-
 erly undertaken.  First accustom the child to sleeping
 alone, and of taking no  nurse during the  night, and
 then allow7  some one else to take charge of it during
 the day. that is. if possible at home.  Otherwise give
 the child whatever has  been prepared  for  it, and do
 not offer it  the breast.   If the breast is given it on ac-
 count   of  its  crying,  weaning  will be difficult.  A
 hearty and  robust child  with several teeth and accus-
 tomed to taking artificial food at nine months of age,
 may then be weaned, though most children should not
 be weaned before one year of  age, and many not until
fifteen months,  and  some even longer, rather than to
be weaned in hot weather.  Milk should be  the  chief
diet until three years of age. 
744
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
                     Bathing.

  An infant cannot be healthy without frequent bath-
ing, and this should be performed daily.   For the first
month the child should be only sponged, but always
with luke-warm water; never hot or cold.  Pure  Cas-
tile soap  may be used,  though  a  little  borax in the
water is to be preferred, as it will avoid skin troubles
and chafing.  After the first month a babe may be im-
mersed in water in a tub and allowed to splash for five
or ten minutes, always making sure to wet the head
first   Always wipe the child thoroughly with a soft
towel, and  dress at once after taking from the  bath,
having the clothes  previously warmed and ready for
being put on quickly.

                     Clothing.

  Very young infants should wear a belly-band, made
of one piece and without hems,  or  knitted out  of
zephyr, four to six inches wide.   This band is  indis-
pensable at first, and for  at least six months it will
serve a useful  purpose in supporting the muscles of
the abdomen and chest, as well as sustaining the back.
Next to the skin a short woolen shirt should be w7orn,
short enough to keep  from getting  wet.  In very hot
weather the shirt may be be dispensed with while the
band is worn.  A blanket is next worn in such a man-
ner as to serve as a  skirt,  made  of a piece of flannel
thirty inches long and forty-five inches wide, attached
to a piece of heavy  muslin about four inches wide and
half  a yard long, by being gathered in to fit.   This
muslin band is placed about the baby's body well up
under the  arm-pits and  fastened with  safety pins.
The flannel portions are folded about the child and the
edges may  be fastened by safety pins or buttons.  A
flannel and a cotton petticoat and an outside  dress
will  complete  the outfit,  besides a  sack  for cold
weather and the necessary diaper.  Bird's-eye cotton
makes the most serviceable diaper, although some pre-
fer Canton flannel for night time and for winter.   Dia-
pers should never be used a second time without being
first thoroughly washed.   The habit of drying behind 
            MANAGEMENT OF  CHILDREN.         745

the stoves diapers wet with urine is filthy and detri-
mental to health, and such diapers cannot but chafe
the skin and  give rise to much annoyance.  Rubber
diapers,  when  properly used,  are very serviceable;
they protect the clothing and  avoid much annoyance
caused by changing too  many  articles of dress.   But
rubber diapers  must be  washed  with cold water and
thoroughly dried each time they become wet.
  Always apply an infant's clothing feet  first.  This
allows the spine to be supported during the process,
and affords less annoyance to the child.  Be sure that
all clothing is w7armed  and thoroughly dried before
being used, and then dress the child as quickly as pos-
sible.  Have  articles fit  snugly, but never tightly; use
safety pins, buttons or tape strings.  Do  not  keep a
child too warm,  but never allow it to become chilled.
  The age at which children should be put in short
clothes varies with the season.   If the child is three
months of age in the summer time the change  may be
made, but if  that age is reached in the fall or winter,
the change must be deferred until warm weather, even
if  the child should by that time reach nine months of
age.  But care  must be taken  that  the  first short
clothes are not too short; they should reach below the
feet until the child is a year old or commences to walk.
Shoes of soft material  should be worn with  woolen
socks or stockings.   The wearing of a  cap  is wrong,
except when  the child is taken into the  open air, and
then, if the weather is cold, a  thick veil must be worn
over the face. Ordinary judgment dictates a  proper
cloak or outer covering.

                    Teething.

  Some children  have but very little  difficulty while
teething, or  during the period  of  dentition, while
others suffer extremely and not a few succumb to con-
vulsions or other consequences of teething-.  As a rule
teething commences about the seventh month,  thoug-h
some start as early as the third or fourth  month, and
others may not  cut a  tooth  until after they  have
reached one year of age.  As a rule long delay in cut-
ting teeth is an indication of feeble constitution, and 
746         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
possibly points to rickets  (see article on  Rickets).
Usually the front and middle teeth  of the lower jaw
are first cut, and  soon afterwards the  corresponding
teeth of the upper jaw.   But the  reverse of this may
occur, or other teeth may be the first ones cut.
  By the end of the third year a child should have cut
twenty teeth in all, ten in each year; and by the sixth
year, two more back teeth should make their appear-
ance upon each jaw.
  It is obvious that during the  cutting of  teeth there
is much reflex irritability; causing many  disorders of
the stomacn, bowels and nervous system and possibly
convulsions.   (See general  articles on Teething and
on Convulsions and Summer Complaint.)  Should the
gums be swollen and red over a tooth endeavoring to
come through, a sharp lance should be used to make
cross incisions over the  coming tooth.  This is a sim-
ple operation and will afford instant relief and possibly
often head off threatened convulsions.  The neutral-
izing cordial, diluted, is a most excellent remedy to
use in relieving stomach and bow7el disorders common
to teething children.

                     Exercise.

  All children need exercise, and  it must be provided
for them  in  some form  or  other in order to develop
their muscular systems.  Carrying an infant  about the
room is exercise which may  be given it when but a few
days old.   Gently swinging  it back and forth, or toss-
ing it is also beneficial, being cautious at all times that
no strain is put upon the back,  as would happen were
the child to be placed uprigh t.  Wheeling in a baby car-
riage with good springs is excellent.  The age at w7hich
a child should be first taken  out  of doors, of course,
varies  with the  season.  But  whenever the weather
permits, a child  should  have daily out-door airings;
they impart a health and vigor not otherwise obtain-
able.  Do not allow a child  to  sit upright before the
fourth month, and never hasten its being able to sit
alone.   It  will accomplish  that  feat  voluntarily as
soon as it is able.
  Kicking the limbs is infant exercise  and should be 
            MANAGEMENT  OF CHILDREN.         747

 encouraged by removing restrictions caused by cloth-
 ing.  Placing a child upon a mattress with  perfect
 freedom to crawl and kick and roll is a good plan.  It
 must be remembered that the floor is usually cold and
 traversed by drafts, and for that reason infants should
 not be  indiscriminately placed upon it.   When chil-
 dren are old enough they should be allowed to play
 out doors as much as the weather will permit.  Dress
 them in cheap clothes and let them  dig in the earth
 and make mud pies unhampered, watching them that
 they may not sit upon cold  or damp ground, or expose
 themselves to the sun's rays  when  these are danger-
 ously hot.  Ordinary exposure  to  sunshine is  most
 healthful, and bleached hair and tanned skin  are lit-
 tle to pay for the vigor thus obtained.

            Pulse and Temperature.

  A newr-born infant's pulse is about 100 per minute or
 a little  more; and the rate increases during the first
 two years rather than diminishes, and averages from
 115 to  120 per minute; and after the second or third
 year the pulse rate diminishes and  continues to do so
 until  adult life.  Stomach and febrile disturbance
 cause a rapid increase of  the pulse rate.  Often the
 pulse may reach 150 per minute or more without there
 being any serious difficulty.  When the pulse is irreg-
 ular it is always a bad sign.
  An  infant's temperature may rise to 103°, or even
 higher,  under  trifling disturbances: though, should it
 continue at such a degree any length of time, it would
 be an indication of probably a serious difficulty.  Late
 in the evening the  temperature of an infant naturally
 falls.  A little after  midnight the temperature is at
 its lowest and then begins to rise.

               Signs of  Sickness.

  Waking children are alw7ays  in  motion, but w7hen
 that motion is fretful and impatient there is trouble
somewhere.  Moaning and  whining indicate distress.
Drawing the limbs up toward the abdomen is charac-
teristic  of colic.   Placing the hand  to the ear denotes 
748         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

earache.  Throwing the head backward or rolling the
eyeballs upward indicates  spinal  or brain  trouble.
Yellowness of the skin or whites of the eyes  show an
obstructed liver.  Putting the fingers  in the mouth
means that the teeth are troublesome.   An  anxious
countenance  denotes internal suffering, possibly  in-
flammation in the bowels.  Great paleness or emacia-
tion may denote an improper nourishment, usually a
failure of assimilation caused by over-feeding and con-
sequent indigestion.  Twitchings and jerkings of the
muscles often precede convulsions.  The signs of good
health are too well  known to call for repetition.

                 The Breathing.

  To observe the respirations of an infant or a child,
it should be watched while  asleep, as the least dis-
turbance will vary the frequency.  From two months
to two years of age the  respirations  will  average
about thirty-five per minute,  probably  less during
sleep, and more during  motion.  From  twTo to six
years of age they should average twenty-three per min-
ute, and from six to twelve years, twenty-two per min-
ute.   A child under two years of age does not move
the chest much during breathing, and the respirations
are not uniformly regular.  During sleep an  infant's
breathing  should be soft and  easy and regular.  A
struggle to let out the air from the lungs is always a
bad  sign,  even if  respiration  is easy.  Very  rapid
breathing indicates an inflamed condition of the lungs.

          Discharges from the Bowels.

  A young infant should  have three or four  evacua-
tions from  the bowels during each twenty-four hours;
and to be natural in character they should be of thin
(not  watery) consistence, and  vary in color from a
greenish-yellow  to  an orange-yellow7, and be of not
very offensive odor.   Should the evacuations be bright
green and mingled with white curdy flakes, the  stom-
ach  is deranged.  Such  discharges are  common  in
thrush or sprue, and if continued are of  grave import,
indicating  that  the  food is not being duly assim- 
MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN.
749
ilated.  .To correct such a condition, less and not more
food ;s required, and that more diluted, as the stomach
is  over-burdened.  Regularity of feeding is now of
vital importance.   Thrush or sprue must be appropri-
ately treated as directed under the description of that
disease.
  Evacuations of a clay-like character indicate either
that the stomach is sour or that the liver is at fault.
In the former case  there is apt  to be vomiting,  and
lime water should be added to  the milk, if  artificial
feeding is resorted to;  otherwise a  little lime  water
mixed  with  ordinary water should  be  given immedi-
ately after nursing. If the liver is at fault the mother
should take some  mild laxative. When the evacua-
tions are of  an acrid character the lime water should
be used internally  and  the sore parts anointed  with
vaseline.  Offensive and dark evacuations indicate di-
arrhoea and require the administration  of  two-drop
doses of  neutralizing  cordial  in water every three
hours.  As  children grow older, the discharges be-
come less frequent, and by four years  of age should
not be  more than two a day, and possibly one  a day
will be consistent with good health.

                      Sleep.

  There is nothing more important than a full amount
of good sleep for  an infant or child; for during the
sleeping hours most of  the grow7th of the child takes
place.  A babe should  early be taught to sleep alone;
and although  a  cradle is convenient  it can be dis-
pensed with to the comfort of both  mother and child.
It is alw7ays advisable  to change the clothing of even
a young infant for the night; it teaches a child regu-
larity of  habit, besides being  healthful.  If there  is
fretfulness and restlessness at  night, and when it is
not due to colic,  a  warm sponge bath should be given
and the  back softly rubbed.   Many nervous infants
thrive  best  by postponing the usual  morning bath
until bedtime,  instead of giving two baths.
  The  amount of  sleep required by an infant of five
months or less is about  twenty hours out of the twenty-
four, though they seldom  get  all they require.  At a 
750         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
year old fifteen hours is not too much; and  the hours
of sleep may be gradually diminished  until, at ten
years of age, a child should be satisfied with ten hours.
It is almost imperative that all young children should
have a long nap early in the afternoon of each day.
  Never allow an infant or a child to sleep in a draft,
but that does not mean that children should be put to
bed  in  close rooms.  Ventilation is all  important to
health  (see article on Ventilation).  If the covers are
not too heavy children  are not liable to kick.  But if
they persist in kicking make sack-like gowns for them
rather  than permit them  to sleep uncovered in cool
w7eather.
                   ELECTRICITY.
        Its Characteristics and Remedial  Uses.
   Electricity is a powerful agent w7hich may at times
 be employed to great  advantage in the treatment of
 disease.  But electricity should not be used indiscrim-
 inately, for damage may often be caused by  its im-
 proper application. It is a physical agent, just as cold
 and heat are  physical agents.  The proper applica-
 tion of heat, when required, is always beneficial, but
 used when not required, or applied imprudently, it is
 capable of inflicting serious injury.  In the same man-
 ner electricity should be considered.  To simply take
 hold of the handles of an electric battery and  keep
 hold of them until the sensation becomes disagreeable
 is the  height of folly,  and so far from being beneficial
 it cannot fail to be absolutely harmful.  In this chap-
 ter the peculiarities of the various currents  of elec-
 tricity and their effects upon the system under varied
 circumstances will be described.  Having a knowledge
 of the characteristics  of electricity and  its relation-
 ships to the human system, the possessor of  a home
 battery will  be enabled to use it intelligently, and
 often most beneficially, and to avoid the failures made
 possible through ignorance.
  Electricity cannot be described, as it is recognized
only by its effects.  But its effects are  such as to be
realized intelligently.  Suffice it to say that by the ac-
tion of electricity upon the human body there  is ere- 
ELECTRICITY.
751
 ated a disturbance of particles, chiefly in the nervous
 system, and this disturbance of particles may be such
 as to aid in  the  removal of obstructions and  in the
 proper performance of functions, and thus assist  in
 overcoming disease.
   For use in medicine, electricity is generated by what
 is known as an " electric battery. "  Electricity is the
 same, no matter how generated, but the methods by
 which it is conducted into the body may differ in char-
 acter and degree.   There are always two wires,  or
 poles, attached to an electric battery, both of which
 must come in contact with the body before any effect
 is experienced.  These two poles are termed the plus
 and minus poles.  The plus is usually  spoken of  as
 the positive pole and the minus as the negative.  Sim-
 ply speaking, the current of electricity flows into the
 body by the positive wire and is carried away from the
 body by the negative,  so that when both poles are
 held the current passes through  the body and thus
 creates the disturbance which is beneficia,..
  It may be stated here that a current may be allowed
 to enter the body in a constant flow; or a current may
 be so regulated by the mechanism of a battery as to be
 rapidly interrupted  in its flow, and thus enter the body
 interruptedly.  These two methods of flow are termed
 Galvanic and  Faradic;  and  are also spoken of under
 various other names, as follows:
  Faradic currents are frequently termed  interrupted
 or to-and-from currents.  They  are also sometimes
 called  secondary, or induced, or  inductive, or  vibra-
 tory, or magneto-elective, or electro-magnetic.  They
 received  their name Faradic  in  honor of  that great
 natural philosopher, Michael Faraday.
  Galvanic currents w7ere so called after Galvano, one
 of the early electricians.  They are often referred  to
 as voltaic, direct, primary, or constant  currents;  and
 not infrequently they are mentioned as continuous  or
uninterrupted currents.

          Characteristics of Currents.

  Galvanic  currents  of  electricity are  comparatively
the stronger currents.  They produce  sensations  of 
752
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
stinging or burning; and powerful Galvanic currents
are used to produce destruction of tissues, tumors, etc.
When both the Faradic and Galvanic currents may be
obtained it is preferable to employ the Galvanic cur-
rent where the source of disease is deep-seated;  as in
chronic diseases of the spinal cord and nervous sys-
tem, long continued paralysis, rheumatism and neural-
gia, stoppage of  the bow7els,  and interferences to the
proper performance of functions through muscular
weakness.  The  Faradic current may be used  for all
these difficulties, but its action  will be slower.   For
destroying tumors, emptying cavities, etc., the Gal-
vanic  current is almost universally employed.
   Faradic currents of electricity produce sensations as
though many minute needles  were pricking the flesh;
 and w7hen  strong  there is a stinging of the skin.  In
 every respect the Faradic is milder than the Galvanic,
 and can be endured much longer, and is far less liable
 to work injury in ignorant hands.  By its rapid inter-
 ruptions, almost  inconceivably  rapid, it  causes the
 muscles to be alternately contracted and relaxed many
 thousands of times during  a  short application.   This
 is equivalent to a mild massage or gentle exercise, and
 cannot fail to be beneficial as a tonic to weak parts,
 or as an aid to nutrition throughout the body.
   The  Faradic current should be used in  the  early
 forms  of paralysis, in which  cases there is power
 enough left in the muscles to respond to mild stimula-
tion of this kind.  In acute diseases of the brain and
of the nervous system, it is the proper current  to em-
ploy.   In sluggishness of the bowels due to intestinal
indigestion, this form  of  electricity is valuable.  In
most cases medical electricians employ the Faradic
current first on jiersons unaccustomed to electrical sit-
tings,  and afterwards, if there is failure to secure re-
sults, the Galvanic current  is resorted  to.   For home
use the Faradic battery is most proper.  Some batter-
ies are constructed for either the Galvanic or Faradic
current.
          Positive and  Negative  Poles.

  Every battery has two poles;  to one is attached the
wire conveying the positive current; and to the other 
ELECTRICITY.
753
is attached  the  wire  for the negative current.   The
handles attached to  the extremities are termed the
electrodes.  And in speaking of using the positive or
negative poles, the electrodes corresponding to them
are meant.  There are several methods of distinguish-
ing the different  poles, showing differences of effect.
Should both poles be  placed upon a blotter saturated
with a solution of iodide of potassium, a brown  stain
will appear where the positive pole rests.   Blue litmus
paper will be turned red by the positive pole, and red
litmus paper will be turned blue by the negative pole.
  Upon taking both poles (electrodes) in the hands,
the one holding the negative pole will be most per-
ceptibly affected, and a tender  spot will be rendered
more painful by the  negative  than by the positive.
The greatest electrical impression will always be ex-
perienced nearest the point where the negative pole
is applied, and as a rule that pole should always be
placed where there  is the least  tendency to sensitive-
ness, and the positive pole should be  applied to the
sensitive parts.  But this  rule  cannot be rigidly ad-
hered to as occasions  may demand the negative pole
to be purposely placed over a tender spot in  order to
break up adhesions, destroy tissues,  etc.  The  nega-
tive pole will relax structures,  and  the positive will
act as an astringent to check hemorrhages,  to  over-
come congestions and ulcerations,  etc.

            Duration  of Application.

  Many persons fail to secure any benefit from the use
of electricity  on account  of  its  abuse.  Charlatans
and ignorant pretenders, and often reputed scientific
physicians are so anxious to impress their  patients
that they are receiving  a full return for  their money,
that the sittings are prolonged far beyond the  limits
of beneficial application.  It is not uncommon for per-
sons to be "taking  electricity" for an hour or longer.
And at home, with a family battery in use, it is often
said that "no physician's fees being paid, one can
take all he wants, and if a little is good, a great deal
is better."  One might  just as  well  say that if a cold
sponge bath of five or ten minutes' duration  is  good,
     48 
754
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
an hour or more of soaking in a tub of ice cold water
would be better.
  Make it a rule to  remember that ten minutes de-
voted to electrical  application will usually be suffi-
cient  at any one time; five  minutes are enough for
sensitive persons, and even those wiio are accustomed
to its use should never receive the current longer than
for twenty minutes at a time.   And these applications
should not be daily, except in cases  of long standing,
or in obstinate cases,  such as continued paralysis.  A
person who  has not before been treated with electric-
ity should not begin with  sittings more frequent than
every third or fourth  day,  and the  intervals  may be
gradually diminished.   But the character of  the  ap-
plication must be considered in  connection with the
time devoted to it.
  Some physicians would  impress upon their patients
the necessity of great regularity of electrical applica-
tions.   But  this is  not at all  important except as a
matter of convenience, unless,  of course, some  special
effect is to be produced.   For instance, a mild Faradic
current just before  bedtime will prove very soothing
to the nervous system of persons subject to sleepless-
ness.   And  short applications just  after dinner will
aid digestion in persons suffering from dyspepsia on
account of weakness  of the stomach.  Many  persons
become so accustomed to electricity that applications
must be discontinued  for a w7eek  or  more, and then be
resumed in order to feel their effects.
  It is necessary to recognize the indications announc-
ing when electricity is beneficial  and when it is not so.
When the pulse grows more natural  in volume and fre-
quency, or when distress of any kind grows  less, or
when the body or brain feels soothed and strengthened
after an application,  then electricity is proving bene-
ficial.   But  wThen the pulse is increased in frequency
and becomes irritable, or when there is a sensation of
pain or an increased distress, or  when there is experi-
enced a feeling of exhaustion or weariness after an ap-
plication, then electricity  is  proving  detrimental
rather than beneficial, and should either be discontin-
ued altogether, or decreased in strength or frequency.
Other evidences of  the  improper use of electrical ap- 
ELECTRICITY.
755
plications may be mentioned, as headache, dizziness,
impaired eyesight, ringing in the ears,  backache and
profuse perspiration.

             Method of Application.

  Several terms  are employed to denote the various
methods of administering  electricity.   They convey
ideas to guide the use of the agent in disease.

  Central Galvanization.—This is not frequently em-
ployed, but is very effectual in  many obscure difficul-
ties, where it is impossible to ascertain just wiiat or-
gan or structures are principally involved.  A moist-
ened sponge fastened to the  negative  electrode is
placed over the stomach, and then the positive elec-
trode is slowly  passed over the head and down the
neck and spine.  This method should be employed not
longer than ten minutes at a time, and is useful in St.
Vitus' dance, hysteria, hypochondria and similar nerv-
ous disorders.

  General Faradization.—This method is employed
when it is desired that the electricity should permeate
the whole  body.  Either the patient may sit upon a
copper  plate attached to the  negative electrode, or
the copper plate may be placed beneath his feet.  To
the positive electrode is placed a  moistened sponge,
which may be gradually moved  over the whole surface
of the  body.  Such an application  should not be con-
tinued  longer than fifteen minutes,  and not more  fre-
quently than once a week, unless there are manifestly
urgent reasons for more frequent repetitions.   This
method of application may be found useful in general
nervous weakness, loss of muscular  power, atrophy,
anaemia, etc.  Fifteen minutes of  a mild  current in
this way should be preferred to five or ten minutes of
a stronger current.

  Local Faradization.—In this method the poles are
both used in the  same locality, near one another, so as
to bring to bear  an influence upon some particular or-
gan  or  substance.  It is chiefly employed to relieve
pain in neuralgias, rheumatism, tumors, etc., and in
paralysis of special muscles. 
756         A PHYSICIAN  UN THE HOUSE.

  Local Galvanization is applied in the same man-
ner and for the same purposes as local  Faradization,
except the Galvanic instead of the Faradic current is
used.   In some instances,  also, a strong current is
used in local Galvanization to break up adhesions, de-
stroy tumors, etc.

  Intermediate  Electrization.—Persons who  are
very sensitive to electricity may be pleasantly treated
by the intermediate method.   The patient will hold
the negative electrode in his hand, while the physician
or attendant will hold the positive pole  in one  hand,
and with the other hand convey  the electricity to the
patient by moving the hand over various parts of the
body.

  Catephoresis.—The  absorption of outward  reme-
dial applications may be greatly hastened by the aid
of electricity.   For instance, a  liniment may be ap-
plied, and while the patient  holds the negative pole
in one hand, a moistened sponge fastened to the posi-
tive electrode may be placed over the place wiiere the
liniment or medicament  has been applied.

  Bipolar Electrization.—This consists in using both
poles, side by side, separated by insulating material,
in such a manner as to have the full force of both cur-
rents  exerted at the same spot, as in treatment of the
bladder, womb, rectum, urethra,  nostrils, cavities, etc.

  Static Electricity.—This method is termed Frank-
linization.  An expensive  apparatus,  known  as  a
Holtz machine  (or its modification) is needed to gen-
erate the frictional electricity which  is employed.
The  patient is insulated  by standing or sitting upon
glass.
                      LOVE.

          Analysis of  the Master Passion.
  Among the gifts which Nature  has bestowed upon
man alone, to the exclusion of all other living crea-
tures, is the power to love.  And no one who has ever 
LOVE.
757
 experienced  that  passion, even  in its mildest  form,
 will deny that it is the most  powerful influence of all
 the  most potent agencies by  which our life in this
 phase of existence is governed.

        All hopes, all passions, all delights,
          Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
        Are but the ministers of  Love,
          And feed his sacred flame.

  Even the prosaic Lord Bacon, wiiose mind rarely
 occupied itself with any subject less engrossing than
 philosophy, has remarked that "no cord or cable can
 draw so forcibly, or bind so  fast, as love can do with
 only a single thread. "
  The gentle poet laureate of England  and author of
 "In Memoriam," regards  a  life as absolutely lost in
 which love has formed  no share, for, he asserts that

         " 'Tis better to have loved and lost
         Than never to have loved at all;"

 and  Thackeray only repeats the same thought when
 he says:  "It is best to love wisely, no doubt, but  to
 love foolishly is better  than not to be able to love  at
 all."
  Human love consists of two parts—the desire for
 procreation, which we share with the world beneath
 us,  and that blending of two  natures into a perfect
 whole which  constitutes the love that is  distinctly
 human, and utterly unknown  to the  lower animals.
 Both are necessary to constitute a perfect human love.
 Without the procreating  instinct,  or the maternal prin-
 ciple, love is  mere affection, and  does not rise to the
 loftiness or importance of a passion.
  Dealing first with the  procreative instinct we learn
 from biology that falling- in love is  really  nothing
 more than the latest, highest and  most involved exem-
 plification in  the human race of that almost universal
selective process, which  Mr. Darwin has enabled us  to
recognize throughout the whole long series of the ani-
mal kingdom.   The butterfly that circles and eddies  in
his aerial dance around his observant mate is endeavor- 
758
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ing to charm her by the delicacy of his coloring and to
overcome her coyness by the display of his vivacity.
The peacock that struts about in imperial pride under
the eyes of his admiring hens, is really contributing to
the future strength and beauty of his race by collecting
to himself a harem through  whom he hands down to
posterity the valuable qualities that  were a source of
fascination in his own person.  Just so it is with man.
We cannot fall in love with everybody.  Some of  us
will admire one person, some another.  As Grant Allen
has pointed out in an able article:  "This instinctive
and deep-seated differential  feeling of  preference for
some  one person of the other sex, above all others, we
may regard as the outcome of complementary features,
mental, moral and  physical  in  the two persons con-
cerned; and experience shows  us  that  in nine  cases
out of ten it is a reciprocal affection."
  Spenser declares that

      "Such is the power of  that sweet passion
      That it all sordid baseness doth expel."

  By  love's  influence  all  baser passions are subdued,
the attacks  of ill humor are resisted, bad habits are
corrected and vice torn  from its  throne.  By love's
power the  bitter cup of affliction  is softened, all the
miseries of life are alleviated and the sweetest flow7ers
are plentifully strewn along the thorny ways of the
world.
  Man is alone in his consecration to one being of the
opposite sex,  and in  devoting his  life  efforts to the
rearing of one family.  Birds mate afresh year by year
and many varieties are polygamous.  All quadrupeds,
in their wild state, choose a  fresh mate for each im-
pulse of procreation, and  the offspring  of  all are
turned out to shift for themselves as soon as they are
able.
  Among the choicest gifts we receive from Nature is
the capacity for enjoyment, the enjoyment of ourselves
and of herself.  Many kind  attributes she bestows on
us, but if we had not also this, the others would be a
barren  heritage.  What  value were  there in meat or
drink, in sunshine or repose,  unless the physical man 
LOVE.
759
had his regular cravings for them?  Why do we shrink
from discordant sounds, or ugly  sights or odors,  ex-
cept that Nature has implanted in us a relish for  her
own matchless  harmonies,  her  graces  and her fra-
grance?  In every faculty, bodily and mental, if we do
not ourselves impair them, she has done  her full part
to make life w7orth living.  And it will accordingly be
seen that, as the supreme privilege of  existence is to
continue itself,  to  propagate the  species "after its
kind," she has made the exercise of this privilege, in
all its stages, the supreme delight and comfort of  the
mental and physical being.  Taking it at the first step
to this temple of  enjoyment, love must be regarded,
notwithstanding its huge blunders and frequent tyran-
nies,  as probably the most  welcome  and beneficient
guest that  knocks at the door of the human heart.  Of
course it may be used amiss, like  every other gift from
nature, but when it enters into pure hearts, unstained
by any base purpose, wre may accept  the poet's ver-
dict that

        "There's nothing half so sweet in life
           As love's young dream. "

  In order  to taste the  full  sweetness, However, it is
essential that it be used  in the  right spirit.  What,
then,  are the qualifications or attributes necessary to
its full enjoyment?   Love comes to all, or with so few
exceptions that  it may fairly be described as universal.
The very  small minority  w7ho escape  its clutches do
not rise to  the full dignity of human beings at all; they
are not even perfect animals.  They are a sort of ma-
terial full stop;  love and life and  humanity, so far as
they are concerned, end in themselves.
  Love, then,  comes  to  the majority of the  human
race, and, as a rule, it comes in youth—
       "When the springs of life are fullest."
  The young  man or  women has  gone  along in  the
full enjoyment  of life, when  suddenly a  huge coiled
spring is loosed  in  his  or her breast.  The whole of
the intellectual forces center on the attainment of  one
object.  All other aims in life sink into insignificance
beside this. 
760         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  Is it any wonder in this condition of mind mistakes
in choice are often made?  The period of courtship, if
entered in the spirit of true seekers  for self-improve-
ment, will give opportunity for correcting discrepan-
cies in the nature of those who have decided to marry.
                  COURTSHIP.

            Choosing Life Companions.

  It is a most delightful period, this time when lovers
are about deciding life will not be worth much unless
the other shares it.  It is an important period as well,
for all inharmonies in thought and character must be
made to blend.
  In  the choosing of a life  companion all feelings
aside from the intellectual should be kept dormant for
the time being, and the necessary requisites for a per-
fect  union looked  for.   For instance, a woman  who
aspires to purity and goodness should not be linked to
a man in whom a love for  purity and goodness is defi-
cient.  A man with social  faculties largely developed
should marry a woman who also cares for society.  A
man  or woman having a desire for wealth or position
should mate with one of  similar taste.  Otherwise dis-
cord would result.
  In  physical make-up  the law of  opposites should
rule.  The tall  and  the short, the fair and the dark,
the  plump  and the slender  should marry.   Every
young man  and  woman, or every uninformed person
should take a course of reading on phrenology and
the law of choice,  before deciding on whom they will
marry (provided that  person's  consent can  be ob-
tained).
  Man and woman, in the plan of nature, are  comple-
ments—

  " 'As unto the bow the cord is,
  So unto the man is woman.
  Though she bends  him, she obeys him,
  Though she draws him, yet she follows.
  Useless each without the other''
  Thus the youthful  Hiawatha said within himself. " 
COURTSHIP.
761
  The modern woman has had the word "obey" strick-
 en from the marriage ceremony, having outgrown the
 idea  of submission  shared  alike by Hiawatha and
 others equally primitive.
  Having, however,  consulted  the law of mental and
 physical adaptation and selected a companion of suit-
 able years, our young people begin courtship.   What
 is it? A  few evenings  out of each week spent to-
 gether intermingling the magnetic  elements which
 make the very being together a dear delight.  The hand
 clasp, the lover kisses  all tend to convince  one that

       "There is nothing half  so sweet in life
        As love's young dream—"

  The precarious economic outlook which at present
 confronts young  people is a  serious stumbling block.
 The young man  whose  salary is just enough to meet
 his own expenses will ponder long as to  how he can
 make it answer for two.  He may not  have been pru-
 dent in the use of funds up  to  this time,  but he has
 had no incentive to do so till now.   He cannot  save
 very much in the city, out of six,  eight or ten dollars
 a week, but perseverence will enable  him to accumu-
 late enough to furnish a home nest  in time; a  place
 that will be a haven of refuge and rest from the storms
 of the active  business world,
  If the young woman  also  be earning a livelihood,
 perhaps she will hesitate before deciding to give up an
 independent career  to  begin  home-making.  Home-
 making will, in the end, win most women; women are
 dominated to  such a  great extent by  their affections
 and emotions.  Having decided to unite her life with
 a worthy young man she can add to the fund  for mak-
ing a common home, by little self-denials.  A promi-
nent writer says  "successful love takes a load off our
hearts and  puts it upon our shoulders. "  In the court-
ship days the load will  not rest heavy while the  heart
is light in  expectation of  the culmination  of  their
cherished hopes.
  Who should be happier than the young pair with a
fair life opening  before them like

   "A rose  with all its sweetest leaves yet folded," 
761'         A PHYSICIAN  JN THE HOUSE.

and all the glorious possibilities of  mutual confidence
and helpfulness and mutual  love.
  Too much stress cannot be laid upon the idea that
information regarding the marriage relation is a neces-
sity before marriage.  To their great discredit be it said
that most parents allow their children to grow up un-
trained in matters relating to sex, or give whatever in-
formation in such a way as to make  that part of the
body seem indecent.  A morbid  curiosity is aroused,
just as would be regarding any other part of the body,
if  the true knowledge of its functions  were smuggled
away.  Until purity of thought and knowledge on this
question  is engendered in youth we cannot  hop 3 for
men and  women to be much cleaner spiritually.
  Nothing can make up for a  lack of education in
youth,  but a help that will greatly assist is books.
Young people should glean all possible information
between  the time they decide to marry and the date of
marriage,  selecting with care  their  reading.  All
books will not do, because all authors do not treat of
marriage, except in its physiological sense, and there
is  so much more in true wedlock than the mere physi-
ologic.
  Another point for the consideration of lovers.  The
tide of passion sometimes will run high in these days
of close  association.  All familiarities which would
tend tow7ard overstepping the bounds of prudence and
propriety should be  avoided.   The consequences of
transgression are such that no young person wishes to
assume the load.
  Be honest and sincere one  with another.  Truth
should be the foundation of all dealings; especially
in money matters.  Food  and clothes are  more inti-
mately connected with happiness than most lovers are
inclined to think.  A  whole after life  of uprightness
may not  be able to expunge the effect of a single mis-
representation before marriage.   It would  be foolish
to jeopardize the happiness of future years for a little
effect in the present.
  It is safe to say ninety-nine young men out of every
hundred  will choose for a wife one w7hose character is
without spot or blemish, and not  consider the justice
or the need of having the same personal test applied 
COURTSHIP.
763
 to their own, as regards health, chastity and morality.
  A young man may have been  thrown into the filthy
 stream of impure social  life by circumstances or ig-
 norance; he may have gone on with the current with-
 out being befouled thereby, but  that is hardly proba-
 ble.   Assuming, how7ever, that he swims ashore  hav-
 ing seen the folly of his former course, is he a fit asso-
 ciate for any pure young woman until he has lived in
 a state of mental quarantine for some time,  in order
 to be sure he has escaped finally from the thralldom
 of sensuality 'i
  Dr.  Dio Lewis offers a plan for eradicating sensual
 thoughts which is  worth the experiment.  He says:
 ''While striving to help young  men into the habit of
 clean thinking, I have tried many expedients.  With
 intelligent persons  wiiat I call the  ' card  plan ' has
 often proven successful.   That is, to write on a card a
 number of words, each suggesting a subject of interest
 or a familiar train of thought.  When an impure no-
 tion obtrudes itself,  the idea of danger which has been
 associated with  it will  arrest attention; the  card is
 taken out, and a glance at it  will help to shift the
 switch at once." A patient who had profited by this
 prescription of the doctor's said: "I cannot tell you
 how clean and manly I feel.  I would not go back for
 a mine of gold.  I believe that this expedient might help
 the worst victim of sexual filth into purity and manli-
 ness, if he would only try it with a good strong will."
  One idea further for this period of  courtship.  The
 young man must make up his mind to try to  preserve
 the depth and sweetness  and delicacy of the attraction
 that brought them together, by  treating his wife with
 the same consideration he gave his sweetheart.  Many
 a young- husband supposes that the nuptual ceremony
 gives him the fullest  power over his wife.   Nothing
 more disastrous to their future happiness from every
 possible point of view can be imagined.  This is not
 an intentional wrong on the part of husbands—only
 lack of correct information, and that is the reason for
 bringing  up the subject for consideration during court-
ship.   Knowledge as to the  way to live a pure married
life is  w7orth more  before  mistakes are made.   "An
ounce of  prevention  is worth a pound of cure." 
764         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  Persons who would  not be  persuaded to enter a
business career without  a preparatory course, enter
the matrimonial career blindfolded,  having no guide
but passion.   The  shipwrecks of so many barks of
health and happiness can testify to the mistaken idea
that ignorance is purity.
                   MARRIAGE.
          Practical Truths Plainly Stated.
  Ralph Waldo Emerson says, " We are not very much
to blame for our bad marriages; we live amid halluci-
nations, and this especial  trap is  laid to trip  Up our
feet with, and all are tripped up first or last.  But the
mighty mother, Nature, who has been so sly with us,
as if she felt she owed  us  some indemnity, insinuates
into the Pandora box of marriage some deep and seri-
ous benefits and some great joys. "
  Every one will agree that there is a vast difference
between marriage as it is and marriage as it should be.
A marriage properly entered into by chaste partners
understanding  the natural laws which should govern
the conjugal relation, is probably the happiest condi-
tion upon earth.
  But  the divorce record,  which almost keeps pace
with the weddings, is a testimonial that few reach the
ideal state.  The ideal can never be reached so long as
we  are dominated by passion, or while the gratifica-
tion of passion or the results attending gratification is
the aim of the institution  of marriage.  Marriage is
of the mental and spiritual as  well as the physical, a
blending of all three elements, for the uplifting of man
and woman.  It is called a  lottery because reason and
judgment are so seldom exercised in connection with
sex attraction; hence the responsibilities should not
be assumed in haste, lest never-ending unhappiness be
brought Upon twTo individuals.
  Matrimony gives the opportunity and the occasion
for thekigher faculties of the mind to unfold, while a
single  fife offers self as the chief  object of  considera-
tion.   The Buddhist says  there can be no such thing
as happiness until self is lost sight of. 
MARRIACE.
765
   There are many arguments used  to  prove marriage
 is a failure by those wrho either have made mistakes in
 choice, or who, by a violation of natural laws in the
 conjugal relation,  have not tasted happiness.  The
 The fact still remains unshaken that it is the doorway
 through which the real life with all its blessings is at-
 tained.  No argument is needed to prove it to be the
 natural condition of adult  life, and that the best suc-
 cesses of life are reached through a harmonious mari-
 tal union.
   Among those living  in  "single blessedness"  the
 strongest supporters are they  who have  not loved.
 They wonder w7hat there is to induce anyone "to com-
 mit matrimony. "  From their standpoint the pros and
 cons are considered in a material vein, and the decis-
 ion rendered accordingly.  The  batchelor says a wife
 divides his pleasures and doubles his sorrow7s; that the
 world is divided into two classes—those who are un-
 married, but wish they were; and  those who are mar-
 ried, but wish they were not.
   It is true the unmarried have  opportunities  for
 learning not possible, unless under the very best finan-
 cial condition, for the married.  They may surround
 themselves with books and other means of study, and
 broaden their intellect  until the  w7orld does  them
 honor.  There is the beautiful story of Faust who had
 spent a lifetime in delving into the mysteries of na-
 ture and found one  lifetime was not enough  to fathom
 them.   Then he longed for a taste of human joy which
 his studious life had  not allowed him, and sold his
 soul to the devil for the restoration of his youth, and
 for love.  But Mephistopheles was finally vanquished,
 after producing untold misery and death for Faust and
 Marguerite,  by the great strength  and purity of their
 love.
  Not  every one is wedded to learning w7ho lives a
 celibate life, but those w7ho are, surely perpetrate big-
 amy in marrying a woman.  No woman  likes  second
place in her  husband's thoughts, and the wife of a man
absorbed in public work,  or business, or learning, feels
she is defrauded of attentions  that  should be hers;
that she has been wooed  and won as a  matter  of con- 
766         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
venience, and there will surely come a time of rebell-
ion in any spirited woman.   Do not be bigamists.
  A woman student can better think her way through
without the  little  cares  of wifehood and  possible
motherhood.  Dr. Stockham has made clear the idea
that the maternal desire can be gratified by giving to
the world child thoughts—thoughts born of the mind—
instead of children born of the body.
  Marriage is a school of  itself, as life is  a school.
Even if everything has beforehand been studied as how
to attain the best conditions for these relations, it  yet
remains that few men and women will really and truly
know each  other until the intimacy of  wedded life  be-
gins.   There are little things to be overlooked in each
other,  and little discrepancies to  be pruned out of
one's  own  character.  Pages  and  pages have been
written on  "Advice to Wives" and  "Advice to Hus-
bands," beginning with "don't do this," or "do that,"
but no one  set of rules will  apply.   Each husband and
each wife is an individuality, and, if wise, they can be
a  law unto themselves.  "Of all actions of a man's
life, his marriage  does least  concern other people,"
says Selden, " yet, of all actions  of our life, it is most
meddled with by other people."   Now, the  object of
this chapter is not to meddle with any individual mar-
riage, but to point out a few of the pitfalls common
through ignorance.
  Eternal vigilance is the price of love as well as of
liberty.  Like all fire it needs constant fuel; so while
the ups and dowTns of life come and go, do not neglect
the courtesies and sweet expressed sentiments toward
one another.   "I love you"  is just as sweet to  the
wife of five, ten, or fifty years, accompanied by lover
kisses and  embraces, as it was in the  earliest days of
courtship.  It is a mistake to apply the fuel only once
in a while.  Sometimes the fire,  for want  of it, may
smoulder aw7ay and die, and the re-kindling will be no
easy task.   Guard well this  holy flame that makes
marriage sacred.
  The world  looks on in disapproval of any who at-
tempt to handle the social question without gloves.
It prides itself in its ignorance, and calls itself pure.
Purity is not ignorance and never will be; it is a great 
PAINLESS MIDWIFERY.
767
insight.  If ignorance were purity why are the sins of
ignorance against natural laws visited with the same
severity  as sins of any other kind?  People are con-
stantly sinning  against their bodies when a little of
the light of  knowledge would  enable them to see
wherein  lay their offense.   But the world has so or-
dained it that  those who  seek  light must  find  it in
hidden places.   Not a single school text-book on phys-
iology treats of  the sex organs any more than if they
did not exist; not a  teacher, even if  he be awake to
the necessity of  knowledge regarding that part of the
body, dare mention it.  Youth is not clean, and schools
are even called hot beds of vice.   When a youth knows
himself he will  be less liable to consider marriage as
a cloak for lust. He will  then  steer right his course
in order to preserve happiness.   At present  a girl be-
fore marriage is kept from nearly all knowledge re-
garding wifely or maternal duties. If the young man
is informed at all he  is usually not one whit more so of
a practical character.
  Before and after marriage each sex sees in the other
that which it demands and  craves.  If  they  are mutu-
ally agreeable, they are drawn toward each other with
impulses for which they forsake all other ties.  Therein
is great danger,  for no other appetite binds its victims
more strongly than does passion w7hen given  unbridled
sway.  Every natural appetite is for a good purpose,
but excessive gratification is surely depraving.   Hun-
ger for food shows the system needs fuel, but eating
because the food tastes well brings on dyspepsia and
kindred ailments.  The habit of indulging any appe-
tite too  frequently  rivets  chains too strong to  be
broken, and brings in its train disaster.
             PAINLESS  MIDWIFERY.

      How Maternity May Be Made a Blessing.
  The superstitions of a thousand years still cling to
the ordinary conception of childbirth, and so persist-
ently are they imparted from the elder to the younger
that even  the advanced civilization and independent
reasoning of the present time fail to overcome them. 
768         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

  That childbirth has its dangers would be foolish to
deny, but to those who know the laws of nature  and
obey them the dangers are so very rare that they are
almost infinitesimal.
  The object of this treatise is to place before pros-
pective mothers, in plain language, such facts as  will
enable them to comprehend the true conditions and the
natural requirements of pregnancy,  that it may cul-
minate as a blessing rather than  a curse.   For one of
the superstitions  ardently  adhered to  is the story of
the curse pronounced on  childbirth by  the fall of
" Mother Eve," causing almost every woman to  feel
doomed to agonizing torture should she fulfill her  des-
tiny.  It would be better, were we to  at all consider
the story of Eve, to regard it as an illustration of the
fact that woman's disobedience  of natural laws  will
entail whatever suffering she may endure at the bear-
ing of her offspring.
  Reproduction is a universal law, and is consequently
fulfilled by a natural process, from the moment of  con-
ception to the time of completed  labor.  And, unless
interfered with by violations of the laws which govern
it, child-bearing will be performed in a  healthy man-
ner—that is, easily, harmoniously and regularly.   But
all through  the  process of reproduction, covering a
period of nine calendar months, the proper influences
upon the action,  involving  the condition and environ-
ment and behavior of the mother, should be matters
for most careful thought, that natural process may not
in any way be hindered.
  To sow grain in a field of weeds and  rushes would
be useless; for grain cannot thrive where the strength
of the soil is used for the sustenance of coarser  and
more  avaricious  plants. Nor can the human embryo
develop when the body is taxed to its utmost to over-
come disease or to fight against repeated violations of
the ordinary laws of health.
  Pregnancy  demands  increased vital  action.   Not
only must the mother maintain  herself but she  must
also maintain her child.  Her vigor cannot be allowed
to remain stationary or it will  soon become exhausted;
it must increase, and proportionately with the growth
and development of the new being, else the comple- 
PAINLESS MIDWIFERY.
76$
tion of the final act will  consume  what  should be
needed for recuperation.
  Whatever may be ordinarily necessary to a healthy
body now becomes more than doubly so, and not only
that, but everything should be provided that favors
its  extraordinarily healthful maintenance.  Stint in
nothing, but avoid excess.   The demand and  supply
should be  equalized; over-indulgence is detrimental,
for it can be endured only at the expense of vitality.
  The  great mental influence exerted by the  mother
upon the future disposition of the child  does  not lie
within our present province.  But it is of prime im-
portance to consider the influence  of her  mind over
her own physical being.  During pregnancy the whole
nervous system  is in a state of exaltation.  This is a
necessity on account of  the increased amount of work
to be performed.  But this nervous exaltation is not a
disease, for it is just as natural as increased  pulsations
of the arteries or increased  respirations during the
performance of extraordinary manual labor.
  Pregnant women  become extremely sensitive, both
to physical impressions and mental influence.   Those
about  her should remember this and make  due allow-
ance for her peevishness and sometimes trying  per-
verseness.   But, at the  same time, the mother herself,
knowing how easily her nerves are " unstrung," should
compel judgment to overcome impulse.   Let her real-
ize that when " all things seem to go wrong, " or others
appear to  slight her or give offence,  that possibly
under other circumstances such matters would go un-
noticed.  Anger and moroseness always disturb the
equilibrium of the system.  They are to be avoided as
much as physical injuries; and the  disposition to sit
and  think  with dread of "the  great ordeal" to be
passed through is one of the  surest means of making
trouble.  Such a disposition must  be early overcome.
  Don't try to cross the  bridge before you come to it,
or imagine that there is  no bridge  for you,  but only a
rocky ford.  Travellers  along a well-kept  road, over
which  thousands are daily passing, are reasonably
certain to find easy means of crossing any stream they
may come to.  But travelling through gloomy woods
of despair  in  narrow paths,  obstructed by excesses
    .  49 
770         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
and results of neglected duties, gives no promise of an
easy exit.  It is not necessary to analyze the relation-
ship of mind and matter; it exists, and too much stress
cannot be  laid upon the importance of preserving an
equanimity of  mind under every circumstance.
  In this connection may be mentioned the  inevitable
over-sensitiveness to pain.  There must always  be  a
cause for unnatural sensations,  and the cause should
be searched for and removed.   The habit of using nar-
cotic drugs is not only foolhardy,  but  absolutely dan-
gerous.
  To tie a handkerchief across the mouth and nostrils
to check the rapid respiration, causing inconvenience
during a foot race while  wearing  a too tight collar,
would be no more absurd than to indulge in opiates to
paralyze the exalted nervous  actions aroused by phys-
ical indiscretions, for paralyzed or weakened nerves
cannot perform the extra work demanded of them dur-
ing the months of pregnancy.
  Sleep is  "tired nature's sw7eet restorer,"  and the
pregnant mother should enjoy it in abundance.  Regu-
lar habits in this direction are of importance.  Do not
wait until the mind and body, both, or either one, are
weary.  Extra work is being done and extra rest must
be secured.  Ten hours out of twenty-four are not too
many to devote to sleep, and  if  these  cannot be taken
all at once, divide the time, and in the afternoon se-
cure a nap.  But let the sleeping hours be regular, and
if  possible  sleep  alone and enjoy all the rest which
that implies to married women.   During the last three
months of pregnancy this  last should be imperative.
  An abundance of fresh air  must be  admitted to the
sleeping room; there is more than the  usual amount of
blood to be aerated;  one pair of  lungs must perform
the work of two and that under most  unusual circum-
stances.  The  child  is in the womb  where its lungs
cannot be inflated, and the mother's lungs are, in the
later months, crowded by that same distended womb,
and alw7ays given extra work to do,  requiring more
oxygen to carry on the disturbed circulation.
  Let the air  that is breathed under every circum-
stance be pure.  It is in the lungs that many of the
impurities of the  blood are discharged, and if there 
PAINLESS  MIDWIFERY.
771
 they are not carried away by contact with pure air
 they must in part at least be taken back into the sys-
 tem, along  with  such other  impurities  as  enter.
 Every hour that contaminated atmosphere is breathed
 adds its proportion of pain to childbirth.
   But impurities are not thrown off by the lungs alone.
 Millions upon millions of little pores  in  the skin do
 service in this line, and to  keep them open and active
 is  important.  Cleanliness has  become a relative
 term, even among the most fastidious.  Bathing the
 entire body once a week and the face and hands  sev-
 eral  times a  day is  usually deemed  sufficient.  But
 during the period of pregnancy no woman should be
 content  with this, but on  the other hand it is well to
 remember that human beings are  not amphibious, and
 the matter of bathing should not be overdone.   Clean-
 liness alone is not the only object of a morning bath,
 but the maintenance of a healthy action of the skin is
 to be aided by it.
   The extra amount of work to be done  by the inter-
 nal organs makes the surface much more liable to dis-
 turbances of circulation, and for that reason extra pre-
 cautions should be taken to maintain its  natural  per-
 formance of  function.
   Some recommend daily baths in cold water—these
 are  good if  agreeable to the bather, but they should
 be sponge baths, and  only  a very limited portion of
 the body at a time should be washed with cold water
 quickly, and immediately rubbed thoroughly dry be-
 fore another portion is bathed.  The addition  of  sea-
 salt, or ordinary salt, makes such a bath more stimu-
 lating and invigorating.   In addition to this daily
 sponge bath, a good hot sitz bath, of short  duration,
 should be taken once  a week.  But  under every cir-
 cumstance have  the  water pure.   It  is  worse than
 useless to bathe in rain water run  into a  barrel from
 the roof and laden with various forms of micro-organ-
 isms. In a warm water bath taken for cleansing pur
 poses, pow7dered borax (a teaspoonful  to two gallons)
 should, be used instead of soap.   This will keep the
 skin pliant, and also have upon it a tonic effect.
  During the latter months of pregnancy the skin over
the abdomen becomes tense and feels most uncomfort- 
772         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

able.  To relieve this disagreeable sensation lard or
various oils are rubbed over the  surface.   It must be
remembered that the skin absorbs as well as throws
off material, and  only the  purest oil should be  em-
ployed.   Sweet oil is good, if the proper article can be
obtained, but nearly all of that oil on  the market is
greatly adulterated.   Cocoanut oil is by far  the best,
and if used frequently it will entirely relieve the feel-
ing of tenseness, and also cause the skin of  the abdo-
men to return to more nearly  its former appearance
after delivery.
  The surface of the body being so sensitive at  this
time, the character of the clothing worn must be care-
fully considered.  This must be in accordance with the
atmospheric temperature, and  during summer or win-
ter the changes of the weather must  be accompanied
by changes of  the clothing.  No prescribed amount of
clothing can be adopted,  for persons  differ in temper-
ament.  But the body must always be kept just warm
enough, but not too warm.
  Chilling of the surface closes the pores and hinders
the egress of impurities;  it also  contracts the minute
blood vessels, thereby diminishing the circulation in
the skin and throwing an extra amount of  blood in-
ward  upon the internal organs.  This often brings
about disagreeable results.  The excessive flow some
women experience during pregnancy is chiefly brought
about in this way—drafts of air causing chilliness of
the surface and an extra  amount of secretion from the
mucous membrane.
  Another point in regard to the clothing  should be
assiduously attended to, and that is tightness.   Many
people through modesty,  or pride, or sensitiveness, use
effort and even force to prevent  others from knowing
their condition, and all  sorts  of methods have been
contrived to preserve the shape and compress the ab-
domen.   Any woman of  ordinary intelligence know7s
without being told that such methods are harmful and
sometimes  even dangerous, and whoever thus com-
presses her body must expect to experience  the inevi-
table  suffering it will occasion at the time of child-
birth.  There are now so many  ways of draping the
figure that the discarding of corsets need  not be a 
PAINLESS  MIDWTFERY.
773
 matter of hesitation.  Some very wisely wear a heavy
 corset-w7aist,  and others suspend  all their clothing
 from the shoulders.  Compression is sure  to cause
 damage and suffering.
   The impregnated  womb constantly expands, and it
 must have room for expansion.  Naturally the organ
 is suspended by ligaments, and there is but slight re-
 sistance to its enlargement.  But artificially the walls
 of the abdomen are so bound in by tight clothing as
 to render resistance to the development of the womb.
 Necessarily, then, the structure of its walls becomes
 more dense than natural,  and all the structures about
 share in the unnatural condition.   The muscular fibres
 are less yielding than they should be; and when the
 time  comes for them to alternately relax and contract
 to aid in the expulsion of the child, they are unable to
 do so without  great 'difficulty, and this causes  pro-
 longed and painful  labor, the  delicate  nerves of the
 womb being pinched and  tortured as the dense muscu-
 lar fibres contract  upon them.  The venous circula-
 tion,  that is, the return of blood to the  heart, is al-
 ways more or less obstructed during pregnancy. This
 is often made apparent by varicose or distended veins,
 those of the lower limbs being most frequently swollen,
 and in some so much so as to  require  the wearing
 of  elastic stockings; but this annoyance is infrequent
 with  those who carefully obey natural laws.  It is ev-
 ident that all things calculated to hinder the flow of
 venous blood should be avoided.   A few of them may
 be  mentioned.
  The distention of the venous capillaries, or minute
 veins, occasions the purplish cast to the toper's coun-
 tenance, giving evidence of  the  effect  that alcohol
 would produce  in the circulation of the blood of preg-
 nant women.  It is a false stimulant, and although it
 may cause a feeling of exhilaration immediately after
 being taken, the feeling  is due to the increased vital
 action aroused to overcome the injurious effects al-
 ways  occasioned by its administration.   Letting alone
 all  matters of sentiment and ignoring the possibility
 of  fastening a  habit by  inheritance upon offspring,
from a purely physical standpoint all pregnant women
should scrupulously avoid the use of alcoholic liquors. 
774
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
They are not nourishing and their pleasant effects are
transient.  The  more they are indulged in the more
will be the dangers of delivery.
  Other things may cause equally undesirable disturb-
ances of  the venous circulation by making the blood
too rich or sluggish.   Among them are the highly sea-
soned and rich  foods, which should be placed under
the ban during the period of gestation.
  It is well known that the urine of pregnant  women
contains  substances that are not natural to it under
ordinary circumstances.   These substances are usually
albumen  and  sugar, and their  presence signifies that
more of those substances are being taken into the sys-
tem than can be appropriated, consequently the excess
becomes  manifest in the urine, which is  the drainage
of the system.   Potatoes and other foods containing
starch are the chief sugar forming foods, and their
use should be  restricted,  and some  debar them alto-
gether, though  if  eaten  with  plenty  of  fruit, or as
some are able to do, with drinks  of buttermilk, they
are more readily assimilated.  The  excessive potatoe
eater often complains of  difficult breathing on account
of the lungs being unable to aerate the large amount
of carbonaceous material in the blood.   Unappropri-
ated food  of any  kind in the  system will cause ob-
structions  and unavoidably increase  the suffering of
childbirth.
  Eggs and cheese are albuminous  foods and should
not be eaten  as a rule,  although those whose family
physicians consider able  to appropriate them have an
excuse for their  indulgence.  Cheese  is  especially
harmful to many, especially those whose kidneys seem
at fault.  Such persons cannot be too careful.  Swelling
of the feet and limbs is frequent with  all pregnant
women, but when it is accompanied with dizziness and
impaired vision and puffiness under the eyes, the kid-
neys are  disturbed and great danger is imminent from
re-absorption  of poisonous material  which  should
pass off through the urine.   For this  reason that wo-
man is safest who  leaves meat and cheese alone en-
tirely during the term of gestation.  There are abun-
dant vegetables and fruits to more  than nourish and
give variety of food.  Too much cannot be said in 
PAINLESS MIDWIFERY.
775
favor of  a fruit diet.  It is the universal testimony of
those who have lived upon  it that childbearing was
easy and the whole period of pregnancy void  of un-
pleasantness.  Fruits can be  obtained  at any season
of the year and  should be  the  main kind  of food.
Meat eating is largely a habit which can soon be over-
come, and if prospective mothers  could realize the
great amount of suffering to be saved by overcoming
the habit they would not  hesitate to live on nature's
bountiful supply of vegetables and fruits.
  Of equal importance  with what is taken  into the
body, must be the  proper attention to the excretions.
Disease is sure to follow neglect in this direction, and
carelessness will  be rewrarded  by future suffering.
Never,  under  any  circumstance, allow  more  than
twenty-four hours to go  by without a  free  passage
from the bowels.   Make this an imperative daily duty
and let the time of its performance be  at regular in-
tervals.  Rigidly  give nature this  opportunity to rid
the body of excrementitious  material and it will usu-
ally be accomplished.
  If a free passage of the bowels cannot be obtained
at the specified time, do not wait until the next day or
for a dose of physic or  cathartic pills to take effect,
but immediately employ a luke-warm  water injection
to the lower bowel, and cleanse it out thoroughly.  A
three-quart fountain syringe should be the property of
every pregnant woman.
  Constipation need never occur in pregnancy if all
the rules of diet and hygiene are observed.   The w7o-
man who says she has had no passage from the bowels
for several days acknowledges  herself filthy through
her own carelessness or  laziness, and is positively lay-
ing up future trouble for herself and in advance mag-
nifying  the pains  of childbirth.   The  interruption to
free circulation so near the womb caused  by the pres-
ence of  impacted material in the low7er bowel would,
of itself, cause trouble, but worse than that is the re-
absorption of  morbific  material.  The  rectum is not
simply a leather sack,  but  it is a part of the human
body, and  that  material  placed in it is readily  ab-
sorbed by  the system is clearly shown by the  rapid
action which follows the administration of drugs by 
776
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
enemas.  Water is  plentiful  and syringes  are cheap,
and those who fail to use them when needed must ex-
pect to pay the  penalty in  the lying-in  room.  An
abundance of fruit and vegetables, plenty of pure wa-
ter and good  exercise and regularity of habits  will
render constipation almost an impossibility.  And yet
this  difficulty, so easily avoided, has come to be re-
garded as almost an unavoidable accompaniment of
pregnancy.
  At this place it may be proper to mention the desir-
ability of drinking an abundance of  pure  water, not
too  cold.  Every  tissue  of  the  body, except  the
enamel of the teeth, contains water.   Its free use will
aid in  the carrying off of impurities, and is  of especial
value  during pregnancy when the circulation is im-
peded  and obstructions are liable to occur.  Tea and
coffee  are not substitutes for water;  and that woman
is wisest who will leave them  alone; though during
gestation is a poor time to commence to overcome bad
habits, yet it is far better  to  overcome  them then
than to continue  them to the  detriment  of  health.
Regularity of life  and as few changes as  possible
should be the rule.
  Exercise is an important factor in  the maintenance
of health; and a large train of  the so-called diseases
of pregnancy are mainly attributed to neglect in this
respect.   It is a very foolish notion to entertain  that
pregnancy means invalidism—the fact is just the con-
trary.   All the  functions of the body are naturally
urged  to  increased  action, there is  exaltation every-
where, and when there is increased vigor there should
be increased exercise to maintain it.  Walking is ex-
cellent, especially in the fresh air.   It does not do in-
jury to stand on the feet unless it  is carried to the
point  of  fatigue.   Running  and rapid w7alking,  of
course, would be unsuitable,  and there is no occasion
for it.   But a great amount of ordinary walking can
be endured to great advantage.   But during the walk
let the figure  be  erect and the shoulders thrown wrell
back.  Many women to conceal their form walk  with
the body bent forw7ard.  Such  exercise is  worse  than
none at all.  It cramps the body and causes pressure
on the womb.  It is no wonder such women soon tire. 
PAINLESS  MIDWIFERY.
777
 It is a habit easily acquired and an absolutely danger-
 ous one.  When the  abdomen becomes very  much
 enlarged and walking out doors must be a matter of
 embarrassment during the day, the  evenings should
 be devoted to it, and during the daytime walking back
 and forth through the house is of  advantage.  Work-
 ing is good; it keeps both the mind and body employed.
 Those women who are compelled to perform ordinary
 household duties until the  last moment, provided they
 are not  too onerous, usually recuperate  the  most
 speedily after labor.
  Riding is enjoyable and beneficial, but those who in-
 dulge in it are too prone to neglect the more suitable
 exercise of w7alking, and in the latter months of preg-
 nancy riding may  be  a source of danger.  A sudden
 jolt of the carriage may be the means of twisting the
 navel  cord about  the child's neck,  and thus  cause
 trouble at birth.  Bicycle riding  in moderation  has
 been found of benefit  during the  early months,  but
 after the  third month  should  be discontinued.   Some
 believe sewing machine work unsuitable, but when not
 carried to excess there is nothing to be feared from it.
  Companionship with sensible people is most desira-
 ble, and  there should  be plenty of it, but avoid  the
 chronic croaker like you would a witch.  There are a
 few old relics of the superstitious  ages still  existing
 who seem to take delight in filling the minds of  pros-
 pective mothers with  all  sorts of nonsensical fears;
 and their recitals of disasters and troubles of all  kinds
 are calculated to disturb an over-sensitive person, who
 thinks "their experience" should be of value.   But
 the fact is their  wToeful tales are largely imagined and
 their experiences exaggerated.  Far better is it to be
 alone than to associate  with  such  uncanny  folk.
 "Make it a rule to mingle  with  women younger than
 yourself," is good advice.
  Control  the  thoughts  under  all  circumstances.
 They can be made subject to control the same as  ac-
 tions can.  Whenever  gloomy forebodings arise, dis-
pel  them.  "Sufficient unto the  day  is  the   evil
thereof."  Live correctly, and after the child is born
and the mother has recuperated, she  will realize that 
778         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

the possession of a healthy  child does  not  entail a
curse.
          A Few  Suggestions of  Value.

  Occasionally a fewT disturbances arise in spite of the
most careful observance of the laws of health: though
as a rule nearly every pain or kind of suffering during
pregnancy may be traced  to  some violation of what
was known to be right.
  Vomiting naturally occurs with some  women  soon
after  conception.  This is  sympathetic  in character
and should give no cause for  alarm.  There are innu-
merable nostrums on the market advertised to over-
come it.  But  one of the simplest and  most efficient
remedies is a half cupful of ordinary oat tea, made by
steeping a teaspoonful of oats in hot water for half an
hour.   A preventive of vomiting, and at the same time
a most delicious and nourishing drink for use at  all
times is made by pouring a  gallon of cold water on a
pound of oatmeal or rolled  oats in a stone crock, stir-
ring well and allowing to settle in a cool place.  The
water from off the top will be found most refreshing
and will quench the thirst wiien other drinks  fail.  It
will also be of the greatest benefit in the nourishment
of both the mother and the child.
  Abdominal pains  are  sometimes  very  annoying.
The  recumbent   position   usually  relieves them,
though it may be  found necessary to rub over the ab-
domen a slightly stimulating  liniment at times.  It is
surprising how much relief from  the annoying, wan-
dering pains of pregnancy can be  obtained by  using an
injection to the bow7els of an infusion of boneset. made
by pouring- a pint of hot water on an ounce of boneset
herb and allowing it to cool and then straining.   For
sleeplessness see that there is  an abundance  of fresh
air in the room.  If this does not answer, drink one or
two cupf uls of very hot water just before retiring.  The
drinking of such water at any time is very beneficial.
  For excessive swelling of the limbs or for the relief
of varicose  veins  there is  nothing  better or simpler
than drinking an infusion of goldenseal—a teaspoonful
of the powdered root to a cupful of  boiling water.  If
remedies must be used in the way of drugs, let them be 
NEURASTHENIA.
779
 simple.  But if the instructions laid dowm in this trea-
 tise are observed, and the reasons, as given, are com-
 prehended and acted upon, there will be no occasion
 for trouble, and the horrors of childbirth as portrayed
 by the violators of natural laws  will never be experi-
 enced.


   DISEASES OF  THE GENERATIVE ORGANS.

                   Neurasthenia.
   This disease is also denominated " nervous debility, "
 spermatorrhea,  etc., and is a very  common disease
 among men.  It usually begins at the age of puberty.
 It has many causes, among which may be mentioned
 urethritis,  prostatitis,  constipation,  piles,  worms in
 the rectum, chronic inflammation of the bladder, stone
 or gravel, marital excesses,  morbid imaginations,
 masturbation and spinal irritation.
   Either one or several of these  causes may operate
 at once, hence the necessity for a careful examination
 that the cause may be sought  for and removed, other-
 wise  no treatment will  be of any avail.  A careful
 study of  the genito-urinary apparatus and its relation
 to surrounding parts is the key to success in the treat-
 ment of this most difficult disease.
   Inflammation  of  the  urethra   is  a very  frequent
 source of this disease.  It may be produced by direct
 injury, or  long  continued bad habits. The latter is
 responsible for more cases than any other single cause.
 Any inflammation  of the urethra, long continued, is
 liable, on account  of the extreme sensibility of  the
 parts, to produce permanent trouble.
  Young men suffering from this disease or its effects,
 should carefully consider  the causes and avoid them if
 possible.   Abuses of the  body are a fruitful source of
 this complaint.  Early  in life boys are initiated into
 baneful  habits, which in  after years  they find it diffi-
 cult  to break away from.  Under their influence the
youth grows pale, sickly, nervous  and  debilitated.
Parents and guardians should exercise great care with
children about the age of puberty. They should be so
instructed  in regard to the proper care of themselves 
780
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
that vicious  habits will  not be contracted.   A shirk-
ing of parental duty, with temptation and evil associ-
ations  may  form the beginning  of  bad habits that,
sooner or later, will wreck both body and mind.  It is
extremely important  that  these  bad  habits,  when
knowm to exist,  be corrected at  an early  age, that
their victims be treated in the kindest and most tender
manner, and  every influence for  good be brought  to
bear, that they may be  saved to themselves and not
become a burden  to society.  In  order  to accomplish
this the mind ought to be constantly occupied.  Se-
ductive reading, trashy  love stories  and lewd conver-
sation ought to  be interdicted.  Children of opposite
sexes ought  not  to occupy  the  same sleeping apart-
ment.  Out-door  exercise for both  sexes  should  be
freely encouraged, as  should also be the mingling of
the sexes under proper  restraint  and supervision.
Much is gained by thus associating in early  life and it
acts as a safeguard against solitary habits.   Children
must be carefully watched.  An inclination to be alone
together, with a peevish  temper, pale and fretful, mo-
rose and depressed in disposition, ought to excite sus-
picion.  There  should  be no hesitation on the part of
parents in purely discussing these subjects  with chil-
dren.   If they are to be saved it cannot be commenced
too soon.  Many a child,  bright and lively, has become
dull, listless, morose and lost all its energy from this
cause.  Poor memory, hesitating speech and general
stupidity are the usual results of these practices.   It
may require watchfulness and care to  break up these
habits, but no trouble should be considered  too great
where so much is at stake.  Young  minds can be rea-
soned with, and showm the injury that a continuation
of these sins against one's self will result in, and this
is usually all that will be found necessary.
  Diseased and unnatural conditions frequently cause
these abuses.  Worms in the rectum should  not  be
overlooked.   They induce itching and scratching  to
such an extent that the  genitals  are made very sensi-
tive.  Cutaneous eruptions  by their burning and irri-
tation are also responsible for many  cases.   The close
sympathy between the genital organs and  the spinal
cord accounts for the shock to the brain and is respon 
             SYPHILIS—BLOOD POISON.           781

sible for the failing mentality which  mark those ad-
dicted to these practices.   No wonder it so frequently
ends in hypochondria, epilepsy, dementia and suicide.
  The stomach and  digestion also  becomes impaired
in consequence of  the irritation of  the nerve centers.
The want of proper  nutrition soon  leaves its impress
on  the whole  system;  the body becomes weak, the
nerves unstrung and the mind unbalanced.
  One of the unfortunate effects of this vice is cold-
ness in the conjugal  state, disappointment and conse-
quent unhappiness.
  Morbid imagination caused by bad habits often leads
the patient to think  himself incurable and as destined
to go through life always  a victim  to  his own  folly.
This  idea  is absurd and  ought to be discouraged.
These cases are as amenable to proper treatment as
any other class of  disease, and will yield as readily to
the best remedies.   In these cases it is w7ell to fix the
mind upon chaste  subjects, to avoid all  excesses of
whatever nature, and if medicine is needed to apply
to some physician skilled in the treatment of this class
of disease.  Marriage can be looked forward to with
hope, but ought not to be entered into  before the  pa-
tient is fully satisfied that his physical health is per-
fect.
             Syphilis—Blood Poison.

  This disease  is  acquired or transmitted  from  one
person to another by direct inoculation, or by contact
of the virus with the mucous surfaces.  About twTenty-
five per cent of all those affected contract it through
the  medium of drinking  vessels,  teaspoons,  pipes,
and other  articles  used  by  those  who have  the
disease.  Wherever the  virus finds  entrance  into  the
system a small specific ulcer will form with a hardened
base, called chancre, wiiich usually makes its appear-
ance within three weeks of the time of infection.   Oc-
casionally it is  delayed  much  longer, the  author hav-
ing- seen one case where sixty-five days elapsed before
the sore made its appearance.  The ulcer is  at  times
very small,  and sometimes passes  almost unnoticed.
Following the ulcer at a period of one to three months,
the seeoiuiury symptoms  usually begin.  These are pre- 
782         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
ceded by languor, pains in the bones,  enlargement of
the lymphatic glands, weakness,  loss of flesh, poor
digestion, paleness of countenance, etc.
  One of the first of these is usually a rash, which may
cover the whole or only a part of the body.  It has a
coppery color and is usually thickest in the bends of
the limb.  The tonsils become ulcerated and are cov-
ered with a gray exudation.   It is not painful and has
little tendency to spread.  The glands of the neck be-
come enlarged, especially those behind.   The  mouth
becames sore; tongue, palate and pharynx in particu-
lar.  The hair becomes dry, brittle and  falls out in
large and small patches.  Temporary and permanent
blindness are sometimes caused by  the disease  attack-
ing the  iris.  A  thickening of the covering  of the
bones—periostitis—is a frequent symptom.  The sec-
ondary stage usually lasts from six to twelve months,
but occasionally much longer.
  After the subsidence of the secondary stage, the so-
called third or tertiary stage may develop.  There are
skin eruptions, gummy tumors and  ulcerations of vari-
ous  parts of  the body.  The ulcer may begin any-
where, sometimes more than one commencing at the
same time.  They are difficult to heal and usually de-
stroy considerable tissue.   Syphilis  often causes de-
cay of the bones, large pieces at times becoming de-
tached, making ugly sores.   It  is  not an uncommon
sight to see  people whose nose, palate and ribs have
been more or less destroyed.  These symptoms are al-
ways accompanied with more or less general disturb-
ance of the  system.
  Syphilis is often hereditary, being transmitted by
one parent, or both, even to the third generation.  The
disease can also be communicated to the  mother by the un-
born child.  It is frequently  given  to children by wret
nurses who are infected with it, and in turn given to
nurses by children who have inherited it.  In  these
cases the symptoms are generally mild.
  Treatment.—The main thing in syphilis  is to avoid
the  use  of  mercury  in any form  as a remedy.  It is
both useless and dangerous.  It is  undoubtedly the
cause of  many of the tertiary symptoms that make the
disease so horrible and destructive.  In twenty-three 
                    URETHRITIS.                 783

 years'practice, during which time the author has had
 unusual advantages, having had  hundreds of these
 cases under his care, his treatment has been uniformly
 successful without one grain of mercury being admin-
 istered.   The  best  and most efficient  remedies are
 those of vegetable origin.   In this disease great care
 should be paid to hygiene  and sanitation.  Whiskey
 and tobacco must be avoided.  The former inflames
 the blood and the latter irritates the mouth, keeping
 it continually sore.
   It is impossible to give a general formula for the
 cure of this disease, as the medicine must be varied
 from time to time to meet the different indications and
 symptoms as  they  arise.   Persons afflicted  with  it
 should place themselves under skilled treatment  and
 follow7 out conscientiously the advice of the physician.

                    Urethritis.

   This  is, unfortunately,  one of the most frequent
 forms of  venereal disease.   It is always due to direct
 contact with a diseased person, or an infectious  dis-
 charge.   It usually appears from twTo to fourteen days
 after exposure and begins with itching and uneasiness.
 This is followed by a discharge more  or less profuse
 and considerable pain on urinating.  The disease usu-
 ally lasts from four to six  weeks, but occasionally
 cases are met with that have existed for years and re-
 sisted all kinds of treatment.
   Persons having this disease should exercise great
 care and not permit  any of the matter to come  in con-
 tact with the eyes.  Total blindness may  be the re-
 sult if this precaution is not observed.
   Treatment.—Great  cleanliness  should  be observed
 from the beginning.  The following prescription will
 be found excellent in the acute form of the disease.

    Bi-carbonate of Soda..............two drachms.
    Tincture of Lycopus..............four drachms.
    Water...........................four ounces.

  Mix.  Dose, a teaspoonful three times a  day.  This
will usually suffice for a cure if persistently used. 
784         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
  The chronic form, called  gleet,  is produced by so
many different causes that no general prescription can
be given.  In these cases it is  better to consult some
one who makes a specialty of  genito-urinary disease.

                   Varicocele.

  Varicocele, strictly speaking, is an enlargement of
the veins accompanying the spermatic cord and within
the scrotum.  At times, even  mild cases  are  produc-
tive of great annoyance, and for that reason ought to
be cured.  It is more frequent than generally supposed.
A celebrated French  writer places the proportion at
sixty per cent of adult males.  This, howTever.  is prob-
ably an exaggerated statement.  In my own practice,
not over ten per cent of adult  males are troubled with
varicocele.
  The presence of  varicocele  disqualifies a man both
for police and military service until a cure is effected.
Physicians are  frequently called upon  to  operate for
this difficulty in men wiio have been rejected  for  the
public service on account of it.  It is usually situated
in the left side, rarely in the right—though sometimes
on both sides.  There are several causes,  such as con-
stipation, horseback riding and injury.  Masturbation
is, however, the most frequent cause and  is probably
responsible for  more cases than all other  causes com-
bined.
  The symptoms of varicocele are so well known that
it is easily recognized by the  patient.  It usually be-
gins gradually, and the patient is not aware of it for
a long time.  It continues to grow until finally it is as
large as a hen's egg, or even  an  orange.   It most re-
sembles  a large bunch  of earth  worms, or  mushy
tumor enclosed in  a  sack.  This  description is quite
accurate,  as most patients  know.  The veins of the
scrotum are tortuous and dilated,  wiiich at times be-
come very painful.  Neuralgia of the testicle is  fre-
quent.  In time the testicle  w7astes aw7ay and becomes
completely atrophied.  Videl  has  called  attention to
the fact that suicidal impulses are frequently observed
in the subject of varicocele.  He speaks of a hospital
physician who  threatened to blow out his brains if he 
HAPPINESS.
785
  could not be promised a cure.  Should  the  tumor be
  large the physical deformity  is great.  Impotence,
  pollutions and spermatorrhea often refuse to yield to
  treatment until the vericocele has been cured.  Neu-
  ralgic pains are so severe at times that patients  are
  utterly incapacitated for w7ork.  In warm climates the
  disease is usually of a more severe type.   The pain in
  varicocele may be very severe or none at all.  Old
  people usually suffer no pain except in the beginning of
  the disease.  In other cases the pain is so severe that
  the patients  suggest castration  as a remedy, though
  this under no circumstances ought to be resorted to.
   One of the most serious results of varicocele is
 wasting of the testicle.  This is an inevitable result,
 sooner or later, and one of the strongest arguments in
 favor of surgical interference.
   The treatment of varicocele, especially mild cases,
 is vf ry simple. Strict attention should be paid to the
 bowels, sexual excesses avoided,  and  masturbation
 abandoned.  Frequent bathing in cold w7ater is excel-
 lent, and much comfort can be had by wearing- a sus-
 pensory.  These measures are  not,  "however,  a  cure.
 They are merely palliative, having a tendency to re-
 lieve the tension on the veins, and thus allay the feel-
 ing of  discomfort.   The radical treatment for varico-
 cele is the best.  We do not say every case requires it,
 but where other treatment  fails, there should be  no
 hesitation on the part of the patient.  The ligature is
 safe and  certain.   In this operation no chloroform or
 ether is required. I know it is claimed by some surgeons
 that wasting of the testicle sometimes  follows the
 ligation of the veins.  This, however, is not true.  I
 have had  a number  of my  cases under  observation
 during the last few years and can truthfully say that
 it has  not occurred.  In all cases  the testes became
 larger and firmer.


   HOW TO PROMOTE  HUMAN HAPPINESS.

 Health  and Happiness Necessary Each to the Other.

  Health  is necessary for happiness but not more so
than that happiness is necessary for health.  Present
     50 
786
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
economic conditions are largely responsible for much
of that the physician has to contend with.  Hence, to
promote  human happiness is  to conserve the public
health.   The great drawback to the enjoyment of life
is the constant  fear of poverty.   This is  the  cloud
that forever hangs over the masses,  '' freezes the genial
current of the soul " and develops the suspicious and
selfish side of our natures.
  Then the first great  factor in the promotion of hu-
man happiness must be the establishment of economic
conditions where the willingness to work four hours a
day shall forever banish the fear of poverty.
  The second factor in importance in the promotion of
human happiness is how to behave in order to keep
your body healthy, for  without health there can be no
happiness.
  The third factor in the problem of human happiness
is how to  promote intellectual development, for the
happiness  that  is only on the animal and physical
plane is of  an inferior order.
  If I can, by the elucidation  of these factors,  throw
any light  on the way  to  happiness that so few have
found, I  shall feel that I  have not lived in vain, for
this subject,  of all others, is most  important.
  I sincerely hope that I may be able to command the
language that will convince the people that poverty is
not a necessary condition of human  existence, and that
this planet is very wealthy and  very bountiful and
very generous; and that it is our own grasping, wicked
selfishness and ignorance that has brought on us the
retribution and the penalty of poverty and its diseases.
  Wealth is that which sustains life and makes it en-
joyable.  Namely, food and fuel,  houses, furniture,
clothing and books.   Money  is  only  something to
measure  these things  with, and is not wealth itself,
because it does not possess the necessary qualifications
of wrealth;  but food and houses do—namely, to sustain
life and  make it enjoyable.   Therefore this world is
very wealthy.  America alone possesses the power to
feed and clothe and house not only her seventy mill-
ions, but can also do so lavishly for the fourteen hun-
dred million human beings on the face of the earth.
Her forests and her quarries and unlimited brick fields 
HAPPINESS.
787
could build all  their houses; her fields and flocks
could easily be made to furnish food  and clothing for
all  and in doing this no man need  be called on to
work more than four hours a day.  After a few years
of scientific and just  economic  conditions poverty
w7ould be remembered only as a hideous nightmare of
the past.                               .       ,
  "But,"  says the reflective reader, "you have made
some tremendous and apparently visionary asserva-
tions; if you are a  rational man you will  state  the
grounds on which you found them."
  As  I claim to be a calm, rational  man, and as  the
above proposition is reasonable, I  will proceed to
prove beyond a peradventure that the above is easily
within the limits of our capabilities.   I admit  that
fifty  years ago the picture I have painted would  not
have been founded in fact, but a new factor has come
into  existence,  namely,  ingenious inventions.  With
this  factor we  can  and do indefinitely command  the
forces of nature to  do  the work of men and  harness
the elements to be our servants.
  Fifty years ago two vessels left America for England.
It was not thought  strange that there  was a week's
difference in the time  they took.  Two vessels made
the same voyage last w7eek [from time of this  writing]
and  there  was just  six minutes difference in the time
they took.  They carried twenty times as much in one
sixth of the time, and were far more certain to reach
their destination.   Science had  put an honest heart
and a mighty pulse  into these ships that never missed
a throb from shore to shore.  Science must come to the
rescue and put an  honest heart into society, for at
present we are not a  nation but a  heartless mob of
conflicting units counteracting each others efforts.
  Science is everywhere shedding her beneficent light
and  revolutionizing  the  methods of  distribution  and
production, and she is a welcome guest in all depart-
ments except that of economics.  The awful  and  con-
stant fear of poverty is the result of the fact  that sci-
ence has not yet put an honest heart into society.  O!
that  I might  be able  to convince humanity that  it
would be a desirable thing to have for those who are
wealthy as well as for those who are poor. 
788
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE,
  It should not take any eloquence to convince people
that a given number of men can now distribute twenty
times as many goods by railroad and steamship as they
could fifty years ago with  wagons and sailing ships.
And so it also is in the production of wealth.  A little
girl, with the assistance of inventions,  can produce
more cloth than fifty men could as many years ago.
Then men, not girls, did the work.   But as machinery
improves, less skill is required to run it.   That heart-
less fiend, called competition, demanding the employ-
ment of the cheapest labor, discharges the father and
hires the mother and her children.   The father used to
sell his own labor, but finding no market, sells the la-
bor of his helpless child, and that child  is as much a
slave, and the father as much a slave-trader as though
he had a bill of sale of her.  Would that I had a pen
dipped in the blood of  the competitive system and di-
rected  by the essence of sarcasm, that I might do
justice to the unalloyed villainy of white child slave
labor.  Can it be possible  that the beneficent inven-
tions of the world, now doing the work of man, should
have culminated in imprisoning, in factories at hard
labor, helpless little children.
  Before we compelled the tireless forces of Nature to
lighten our labor, w7e wTere  not  guilty of  stunting and
distorting the bodies of children and completely crush-
ing out the joy of their young lives.   This crime is so
hideous that the savage in  the jungle would blush to
commit it.
  Look at the children playing in the wild woods;
frolicsome as kittens and free as the air.  Look at the
Christian's children in their stench-filled squalid tene-
ment room,  where their careworn eyes can  rest on
nothing green, and while they turn their weary bodies
in a vain search  for  rest, they have no choice, but
must survey a smoky sore on the face of  Nature filled
up with bricks and mortar.
  Words are flat and incapable of  expressing the con-
centrated wickedness of this crime that is committed
against the helpless children in the  name of civiliza-
tion and by  the hand of the fiend called competition.
  That  it is competition  that  commits  this fearful
crime can  be  proven with a  certainty.  There are 
HAPPINESS.
789
some departments of industry that have become civil-
ized and that have a heart in them  and in which the
grinding monster, competition, plays no part.  These
industries are they that do the whole of those classes
of w7ork rendered to the nation, and in which there is
no opportunity to compete or cut down prices so  low
that they cannot afford to hire men, but fill their
places with  children.
  There is no competition in  the postal  service.   It
does not make  slaves of children.  The  men in that
service get salary sufficient to enable them to raise
happy children, send them to kindergartens and de-
velop their minds and bodies.   So with the school ser-
vice, the water works, the fire department and every
service that is rendered by the people for the people.
  "But," says  some one,  "these are public  services,
and we all know that public officials are  terribly  cor-
rupt.  It follows that if you increase  the number  of
public services you  necessarily increase  the number
of corrupt officials."  This looks like an irrefutable
statement on  the face of  it.  Nevertheless,  I  will
prove conclusively that it is entirely false.
  Men who want to be elected to the legislature spend
four times the amount of money for that purpose than
the amount of  their legitimate salary.  Why do they
do  this?  Simply because they know  that there are
many  outside  private  corporations anxious to  pay
them large sums of money for their votes for a valu-
able franchise,  or an exclusive right to do a public ser-
vice—and the  privilege of charging the public  four
prices for it.   To illustrate:  A private corporation
bribed certain aldermen to pass  an  ordinance grant-
ing them the privilege  to furnish the people  of this
city with gas  at SI.25 per thousand.   If furnishing
gas was conducted like  the postal service, the cost of
the gas to the people would only be 25 cents per thou-
sand feet.  If they charged 30 cents per thousand feet,
and used 5 cents of it for  boodling purposes,  as soon
as they were known  to have pocketed the 5 cents over
the cost of the gas,  they  w7ould  be  put  into jails  as
criminals.
  But  if a  private  corporation  steals a dollar per
thousand feet over cost, it is not called "boodle," but 
790         A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.

talented business dividends.  You see  that  the  same
thing that is called respectable and meritorious divi-
dends  in  private operations,  is  called criminal and
corrupt boodle in the public  service.   But  the  argu-
ment that completely refutes the plea that corruption
will increase with the increase of public service,  is
this:  If the people of the city organized to  furnish
their own gas, their own street cars, their own tele-
phones, railroads and every other service, and had no
franchise to sell or vote away for a private  consider-
ation, then the incentive for outside private corpora-
tions to bribe the people's servants would stop.
  As there w7ould be no "boodle " in the  position of
an alderman or legislator, corruption,  in order to get
elected, would cease; then we would have an honest
class of public servants.  Under the management of
this class of men there could be no such thing as mak-
ing the communities pay five prices for  gas in order to
pay a dividend on seven millions of stock watered to
$40,000,000.  Deluded humanity admire men who rob
them of millions, if you only call it. dividends, yet how
they will rave and fume at a thousand  dollar robbery
if you call it "boodle."  At  present, with the incen-
tive that outside private corporations have to corrupt
the  people's servants,  the amount of  money7  called
"boodle "—which means the sum over  and above the
value of the service rendered to the  public  by 'public
servants—is not a thousandth part of the amount of
money called "dividends"—which means the sum over
and above the value of the  service rendered to the
public by its private servants.
  These remarks may, to some, appear as a digression
from the subject of "how to promote human happi-
ness," but others will see that  it is written to  make
people recognize the great beneficence of  organized
production;  written in the hope of making people see
that this is the way 'to banish poverty.
  Every line of industry that is organized for the peo-
ple by the people, and taken from the realm of com-
petition, ceases  to imprison children in factories, but
employs the fathers, paying them enough to live hap-
pily and provide for their families.
  I have stated  that we can now transport, with the 
HAPPINESS.
791
same amount of labor, twenty times as  many  goods
by steamships and railroads as we could fifty years
ago  by sailing ships and wagons.  Every reflecting
man must see that electricity, steam and ingenious in-
ventions have  also given us the power to  produce
twenty times as much  wealth as we  did then.  One
man, with  an improved  harvester,  does as much as
three hundred men used to do with sickles.  A great log
passes up against a set of saws and while you breathe
but a few times it  is converted into lumber.  Clay is
fed to a machine and perfect bricks result.  A pair of
boots used to be a day's work; factories now produce
a pair an hour for every man, and this is one of the
lines of least advance.   Cloth can be produced now as
if  by magic.  All these things produced are wealth.
  Now, it being  true that w7e can produce and distrib-
ute  twenty times  as much  wealth as we could fifty
years ago,  the natural inquiry is:  Why do we not do
so?  Are we  too lazy?  No;  only ignorant.
  The sun has stored  up in Pennsylvania and other
States billions upon billions of tons of anthracite coal
as a legacy to mankind to make their firesides happy,
and  we have both machinery and men to mine it rap-
idly.  But we are  such  fools that we permit a dozen
infernal  rascals say that they shall not permit us to
take it out of the ground; that they will limit the out-
put to half of what we  need, and make  war on the
seventy millions by freezing hundreds to death annu-
ally and making  hundreds of  thousands  wretched.
This is one of the evil  results of our veneration for a
wicked vested  right.  Men  must learn to  trample
on them, because a vested right to one individual is a
monstrous wrong to millions.  The vested-rights gen-
tlemen are dogs in Nature's manger—they will not dig
coal themselves or let anyone else.  Nature's bounties
belong to all, but privileged villains seize, by vested
rights, the wealth in her  bosom.
  If  people are  so foolish as to permit this state of
affairs to longer continue they deserve to be frozen.
The  law is such that, without change, the remedy is
within our power.  The  State reserves  the  right of
eminent domain to all lands where their use is diverted
from the public good to the  public detriment.  The 
792
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
people must call on the  State to use her power to re-
claim the coal beds.  Organize this industry like the
postal service, take the children out of it, work the
mines  for the people and  by the people,  place no
limit on the  output  but  make demand the measure of
supply and  cost the limit of price.  When this is ac-
complished the lamentable and disgraceful scenes and
conditions now almost  yearly witnessed throughout
the coal-producing  States  of  the Union  will  have
ceased forever; the humblest will  be able to procure
fuel for helpless children and mothers and the miner's
home will radiate with health and happiness.
  When an industry furnishes the whole of one  com-
modity to the nation, like the Standard  Oil Company,
the Sugar Trust,  or that of  anthracite coal, villain-
ous competition is driven out of the capitalistic half of
that  industry only—hence our millionaires.  Competi-
tion then afflicts the labor half of that industry worse
than before—hence they become mendicants.   Foolish
individualists  say that  the  poverty of  the  world is
caused by trusts and syndicates abolishing free compe-
tition.  Now, so far as they relate to themselves, they
do abolish free competition,  and that is why they all
flourish, but so far as they relate to labor, they do not
interfere with  competition, but they hire men, not ac-
cording to the value of  their labor, but according to
the degree of their necessity; and those  who are the
most destitute will work for the least.  It is not to the
interest of a coal trust to produce wealth, for there is
more profit from the one ton at six dollars than from
two tons at  four dollars, hence it is to their interest to
limit the supply and make prices high; in other words,
leave the wealth in the ground and rob and freeze the
people.
  No man,  who has the least  idea of the wonderful
power of our wealth-producing inventions, will  deny
or doubt for a moment that  wre can produce wealth to
the value of from five to ten dollars per day for every
man, woman and  child.   Then the quescion naturally
arises:  Why  not—when so many  are  wretchedly
poor—do so?  We are very willing and  very anxious
to produce this unbounded wealth, and make pinching
poverty appear but as a hideous specter of the  past, 
HAPPINESS.
793
only to be remembered with a shudder.   Then wiiat is
the trouble?  The awful calamity is at present  that
every  man is only for himself, destitution takes the
hindmost, and that capital and labor are in separate
hands, and their conflicting interests has put a dead-
lock on production.
  The explanation and removal of this  deadlock on
production is, beyond a doubt,  the most important
subject on earth,  for it is more  than  the lion in the
way—it is the mountain in the way of human happi-
ness.
  If you never before gave your  strict  attention to
anything else, I plead with you,  for your own good
and that of all posterity, to read  the following often
enough to thoroughly understand it that you may lend
a hand and a mind to open the deadlock.
  Put in the fewest w7ords, it stands thus:
  A capitalist has his money engaged in the produc-
tion of some  necessary article.  Statistics show him
that one-half of the value of the  goods, that  one
thousand men with his machinery produces, will pay
for all mental and physical labor, the  raw materials
and the  salary of  the overseer,  and that the other
half of the value  of the goods will come to the one
man—the capitalist—as  his share; not for  any  per-
sonal service he has rendered, for he may be traveling
in Europe, but for profit and interest on his  capital.
The thousand men, whose labor produced the goods,
would like to purchase all of them or their value in
other things,  but  they have only received, as w7ages,
half the  necessary amount of  money to do so.  That
is, the men have produced one hundred per cent in
goods, but they have only fifty per cent in money;
consequently they cannot buy but half of them.  The
other half belongs to  the capitalist.  The capitalist
cannot use as much as a thousand men,  hence he must
sell his half.  But he cannot, because all other lines
of production are carried  on at about the same ratio;
the thousands^producing twice as much value as the
amount of their wages will purchase.  The people, of
course, want  the  goods, but, as a necessary  result of
this impracticable  wage system,  they have  no  pur-
chasing pow7er.  They would buy them if they could, 
794
A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.
but are not able to.   Instead of  calling this under-
consumption, it is absurdly called over-production.
  To make this under-consumption still more distress-
ing, the  capitalist shuts  down  his factory and, of
course, cuts  off the wage  bill.  Instead of  the thou-
sand men now  being  able to purchase half, they are
not able to purchase anything.
  They, with the idle machinery, have  the power and
are anxious to produce all  the wealth  they  want, but
the capitalist who owns the machinery will not  let
them  for he  has a lot of goods on hand for sale, and
it  is therefore  impossible for the workers to either
produce or buy.
  From this we learn that the  machinery of produc-
tion, being in private hands,  makes every owner of it
a dog  in the manger, who will not produce  wealth
himself, except under a system that produces panics,
enforced idleness  and univeral distress, and who will
not let anyone else, resulting  in that crime of  all
crimes—"the deadlock on production."  As this is a
most  important factor  in the  promotion of  human
health and  happiness we will  further  explain the
wicked and unnecessary deadlock in another way.
  Every  improvement in  machinery  diminishes the
number of hands required to  produce a given quantity
of goods; that fact lessens the wage bill because there
are fewer hands to be paid.
  It is the amount of money paid for labor that meas-
ures the extent of the purchasing pow7er of  the work-
ing people.  Those who own the machinery will not
produce more than can be sold with a profit, and that,
of course, is limited to the amount of  money paid as
wages; hence capitalistic combinations buy up facto-
ries and manufacturing plants simply to shut them
down and stop them  from producing  the things  the
people need that prices may be high.
  To  recapitulate:  As  machinery  improves,  fewer
men are needed, less wages are paid, purchasing power
is  diminished, and production  shrinks to  fit it.  At
present we only produce goods to the value of 50 cents
per day for every man, woman and child.
  It can be demonstrated that if the State owned the
machinery of production and  run  it for use  instead of 
HAPPINESS.
795
profit, and  supply w7as not limited to  purchasing
power, but by demand for services rendered, that in-
stead of  producing goods to the value of fifty cents
we could certainly produce twenty  times  fifty cents'
worth, and  make all  industrious men independent.
Then the fear of poverty would be  forever banished.
  Labor  saving machinery  is the new factor intro-
duced into society that makes it possible for a few
men to deadlock production, and concentrate  all the
wealth of the nation into their hands.
  In  1850, sixty-five per cent of all the wealth w7as
owned by the many, and at this date (if we  take the
ratio of concentration as shown by the last census) we
are horrified to find that the seventy million inhabit-
ants only own eleven per cent, and  two hundred and
fifty thousand millionaires own eighty-nine  per  cent
of all the wealth created by the millions.   Civilization
has risen in  Egypt, Greece and Rome under relatively
just conditions.  Those  civilizations have fallen when
injustice concentrated the wealth into a few hands.
  Every  reflecting man who watches  the "logic of
events," sees clearly that the same  fate or a revolu-
tion must.overtake the civilized world.  It is  knowm
for a certainty that the  three factors, namely—corpo-
rations with vested  rights for the  few, which means
vicious wrongs for the  many; private  ownership of
machinery and land, and relentless competition are
causes that portend a coming cataclysm.
  Now, I maintain that  the only way to avert this aw-
ful calamity is for the State to disband corporations,
purchase the machinery of production and  produce for
use instead of profit—demand alone being  the limit of
supply and cost alone being the  limit  of price.  The
land must also be nationalized.
  If these changes were to take place simultaneously,
or at once,  they would be more disastrous than  to
leave society as it is, because of another important
factor, namely, the unreliability  and low moral plane
of the average working man.  I am discouraged at
being compelled to say that ninety  per cent of them
would not use an  increase  of  income  to provide
against sickness and old age.
  The man who is employed at a good salary and lives 
796
A PHYSICIAN IN  THE HOUSE.
up to the full extent of it and neglects to provide for
sickness or  old  age, is a dishonest man, because'he
must (when these overtake him) live  on the labor of
others.
  The order of society that we aim  at w7ould  care for
the unfortunate,  but that ought to mean those only
who have not brought misfortune  on themselves by
dissipation.   If  we were to undertake to care for them
regardless of that distinction, reliable people  would
be swamped by the dissolute.
  Sudden changes are  always disastrous, but there is
a method by wiiich society can gradually be changed
that will conserve the good  and ultimately  extermi-
nate the evil.
  In the socialistic postal service the incapable and
the dissolute are  weeded out, and the capable and
temperate people are retained.
  Suppose the railroad systems w7ere run on the same
principle,  and  capability, temperance and  honesty
were made necessary qualifications—the incapable, in-
temperate and dishonest w7ould be w7eeded out of this
occupation, as well as the postal service, and  would
have to find employment in  the callings  that were
conducted on the competitive system.
  As each corporation was disbanded and the monop-
oly of natural opportunities  were reclaimed to the
people,  such as the coal beds, gas and oil supply, etc.,
and these industries were run on the socialistic princi-
ple of demand being the limit of  supply, and cost be-
ing the limit of price, they could hold out such induce-
ments and require such qualifications as would sift
once more  the capable and  temperate people out of
the industries that  were  still run on the competitive
system.
  This principle, gradually spreading, would include
street car  systems, telephone companies, telegraph
lines, and  every  industry now run and controlled by
trusts, sifting all the capable and trustworthy people
out of the competitive industries wiiich, in turn, wrould
be absorbed by the co-operative system or perish from
inherent rottenness.  Every  useful industry  would
thus be  preserved for the good of man and every evil,
disease-breeding, mind-debasing calling would become 
HAPPINESS.
797
extinct, resulting in the general ennoblement of man-
kind and the dawn of "The New Time."
  It is plain that society, if society would live, should
see to it that economic conditions are such that Na-
ture's noblemen will be the ones to finally survive.
  The wage system, the fear of poverty and the con-
tempt shown towards the recipients of charity are the
factors that hold those wiio have no self  restraint to
some degree of industry.
  When this class had been  sufficiently wreeded out by
the method suggested, then the universal  organiza-
tion of a co-operative commonwealth would be practi-
cal, and the production and distribution of wealth in-
creased tw7enty fold by invention, and the removal of
the stupid and  wicked deadlock  on production and
consumption.  The comforts of life  being absolutely
secured to all from the cradle to the  grave, the  great
barrier to human happiness would be removed.
  The grand intellects that are now fighting the battle
of life to protect their loved ones would turn their at-
tention to higher aims when life ceased to be a battle.
The laws of health would soon be so universally un-
derstood and knowm that those v. ho were sick from
neglect or vicious causes, would not look for sympa-
thy because they would know their sickness to be the
result of actions in violation of better knowledge.
  Just and intelligent economic conditions would soon
establish  the second factor to  the promotion of hu-
man happiness,  namely, robust health.
  These tw7o would give vigor and leisure for an intel-
lectual growth that would lift the  human family into
a  realm  of happiness quite unknown  to those who
live only on the animal plane.
  It has been said that the "highest happiness on
earth is the intellectual enjoyment of Nature.''  This
saying is, no doubt, true, for the  more extended our
knowledge becomes of our true relation to our natural
environments, the more happiness we can take out of
them.
  The astronomer contemplates the heavens with deep
and awe-inspiring delight and humble veneration for
its infinite grandeur.  In that comparatively  trifling
star, the rdanet Mars, he sees a companion world pos- 
798
A PHYSICIAN  IN THE HOUSE.
sessed with an atmosphere and  seasons, oceans and
continents.  He sees straight lines across it that evi-
dently means  organisms, probably human.  He sees
points of light there that are so  arranged as to sug-
gest that they are making signals  to  us, broadening
the idea of the brotherhood  of man to the brother-
hood  of  worlds.  The astronomer's whole  being is
thrilled with  the  elixer of  unrestricted rational con-
templation of  the heavens and delights in making de-
ductions from  the known to  the unknown.  He also
realizes the indestructibility of the elements of which
he is composed, and knows  that  he is a part of this
grandeur forever.
  In contemplating the beauty  and  fragrance of  a
flower the botanist (in his mind's  eye) sees not only the
flow7er and its  place in Nature, but sees its long list of
relatives and their simplification back  to the mother
plant.  He mentally reaches  also into the future and
wonders what new charms it will take on.
  A rock is of very little interest to the ignorant man.
To the geologist  it is an honest and  truthful revela-
tion of the long history of Mother Earth, away back
from the time when the hosts of fire and wTater were
engaged  in battle and the  elements  warred against
each other.  He sees  vistas of a world wiiose  living
organisms knew  no benevolence.   He looks into the
future and sees other vistas of  a regenerated w7orld
where benevolence is the leading trait.
  Ignorance sees stars and  flowers and rocks without
a thrill of happiness because he perceives nothing of
what they say to  him.  The stars and flowrers and
rocks have wonderful stories to tell and are enchant-
ing entertainers to those who realize that the highest
happiness on earth is the  intellectual enjoyment  of
Nature, which must be founded,  to  be  permanent and
progressive, on true economic conditions.
   A diseased state of  society insures epidemics.
   A healthy state of society insures the public health.
   The co-operative commonwealth is but  a healthy
system of society.  May it  be soon realized and our
common humanity, bound together in one Economic
Brotherhood  of liberty, equality  and fraternity, be
blessed with happiness and consequent good health. 
                VALUABLE RECIPES.             799

             VALUABLE RECIPES.

              Neutralizing  Cordial.
    Take Rhubarb (coarse pow7der).....  2 ounces.
         Potassa Carbonate..........  2 ounces.
         Goldenseal (coarse powder)..  1 ounce.
         Cinnamon (coarse powder)...  1 ounce.
         Sugar.......................  4 pounds.
         Brandy.....................  1 gallon.
         Peppermint Oil..............20 drops.
  Macerate the rhubarb, goldenseal and cinnamon in
half a gallon of  the brandy for six  hours at a gentle
heat, keeping Covered.   Then transfer to a percolator
and pour on the remaining brandy and then enough
water till one gallon has passed through; add the po-
tassa, sugar and peppermint oil, rubbed well together,
and then strain.
  This preparation is highly prized to correct diar-
rhoea in children.  Dose, for this  purpose, one-half
teaspoonful every half hour, for a child of  ten years.
Adult dose, one teaspoonful.  Large doses  will over-
come constipation and acidity of the stomach.

                  Florida  Water.
    Take Oil Lavender................4 ounces.
         Oil Bergamot...............4 ounces.
         Oil Neroli..................2 drachms.
         Oil Orange..................4 drachms.
         Oil Cloves...................1 drachm.
         Musk.......................5 grains.
         Cologne Spirit 96°...........1 gallon.
  Mix.  Macerate  for  twro weeks  and then pass
through filter paper.

              Basilicon Ointment.

    Take Resin........................10 ounces.
         Yellow Wax.................  4 ounces.
         Lard........................16 ounces.
  Mix.  Melt together over a slow fire;  strain through
muslin and stir slowly until cold.  This ointment  is
easily prepared and will be found most serviceable for
old burns and sores of all kinds. 
800         A PHYSICIAN IN THE HOUSE.

                 Fruit Laxative.
    Cassia (fistula)...................16 ounces.
    Tamarinds........................10 ounces.
    Prunes......               ....... 7 ounces.
    Pig-S   ''                 '' '.....12 ounces.
  Bruise and digest in sixty ounces of water for th^e
days, then  pass through "a fine sieve.  Add  to tne
strained liquor four  pounds of granulated sugar and
evaporate to seven pounds by weight, and then add
    Senna.............................10 ounces.
    Coriander......................... 6 ounces.
  Mix  till  all is like a  jelly and can be formed into
lozenges.  The above is a most pleasant laxative con-
fection to  be used in cases of chronic constipation.

                Cascara Cordial.

    Take Fluid Ext. Cascara Sagrada,12 drachms.
         Fluid Ext. Barberry........  6 drachms.
         Fluid Ext. Dandelion........  2 drachms.
         Alcohol....................  1 ounce.
         Aromatic Syrup for.........16 ounces.
  Mix.   This is  a most pleasant preparation to be
used for chronic  constipation.  Dose, one teaspoonful
night and  morning.

                  Cough Syrup.

    Take Fluid Extract Hops.........2 drachms.
         Fluid Extract Lippia .......1 drachm. '
         Fluid Extract Licorice......1 drachm.
         Syrup of Ginger for.........4 ounces.
  Mix.  Dose, a teaspoonful; useful for hacking cough.

                    Digestant.

    Take Tartrate of Iron and Potassa.. 10 grains.
         Sulphate of Hydrastia........ 5 grains.
         Citric Acid................... 5 grains.
         Water........................ 4 ounces.
         Alcohol...................... 2 ounces.
  Mix.  Dose, a  teaspoonful  before meals.  This is
useful to aid digestion and to promote appetite. 
 
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