Mother's Remedies - Thomas Jefferson Ritter (guided reading books .txt) 📗

of illness for a week or two and the patient is not able to work much, does not sleep well, dreams, has a dull headache, back of the neck may be stiff, nosebleed sometimes, with a feeling as if there was some fever, increasing feeling of weakness, and sick feeling. Finally the fever, etc., becomes more prominent with constipation and diarrhea.

ULCER OF THE CORNEA.—Light hurts the eyes very much, tears run freely and there is a feeling of something in the eye. The eyeball shows a rim of pink congestion about the cornea. The ulcer can be seen.

ULCER OF THE STOMACH.—Pain, local tenderness, bleeding. Distress after eating and vomiting of a very acid fluid. Pain in the region of the stomach and usually sharp pain in the back is the most constant symptom. It is increased by food at once and relieved by vomiting. The tenderness upon pressure is usually marked and is localized.

WHOOPING-COUGH.—Begins with symptoms of a cold in the eyes, nose, and the chest. The cough gradually becomes worse, usually in from seven to ten days; it comes in paroxysms (spells) and then the whoop.

RESPIRATORY DISEASES [6]
Including CROUP, COLDS, SORE-THROAT, HOARSENESS,
BRONCHITIS, ASTHMA, HAY-FEVER, PLEURISY,
ADENOIDS, PNEUMONIA, ETC.

With Definition, Cause, Symptoms, Preventives,
Mothers' Remedies, Physicians' Treatment;
also Diet, Nursing and Sanitary Care; all for Home
Use and Reference.

THE ANATOMY OF THE NOSE.—The nose is divided by a middle partition (septum) into two cavities (nasal chambers or fossae) each being a wedge-shaped cavity, distinct by itself and extending from the nostril or anterior nares in front to the posterior openings behind and from the base of the skull to the hard palate below. Where the posterior opening or nares ends is called the nose-pharynx, The pharynx joins there with the cavities and hence called nose-pharynx. The partition (septum) is thin, one-tenth to one-eighth of an inch in thickness and is composed in front of cartilage (gristle) and behind of bone. In its normal state this partition (septum) should be perfectly straight, thin and in the middle line, The cartilaginous (gristle) portion is seldom found in this condition as, owing to its prominent location and frequent exposure to injury, blows and falling on the nose, the partition (septum) is often bent or turned to one side or the other so far in some cases as to close the nostril. The posterior part is composed of bone, and being well protected, is seldom found out of position or displaced, even when the cartilaginous portion is often badly deformed, The floor of the nose is formed by the upper jaw bone (maxillary) and the palate bone. The outer wall of the nose or nose cavity is the most complicated, for it presents three prominences, the turbinated bones, which extend from before backwards and partially divide the nose cavity into incomplete spaces called meatus passages. The turbinated bones are three in number, the inferior, middle and superior. They vary in size and shape, and owing to the relations they hear to the surrounding parts, and to the influence they exert on the general condition of the nose and throat, are of great importance. The inferior or lower turbinate bone is the largest and in a way is the only independent bone. The middle and superior are small. They are all concave in shape and extend from before backwards, and beneath the concave surface of each one of the corresponding passages or openings (meatus) is formed. The inferior or lower (meatus) opening or passage is that part of the nasal (nose) passage which lies beneath the inferior turbinate bone and extends from the nostrils in front to the passage behind the nose (post-nasal) (posterior nares) toward the pharynx. The middle opening (meatus) lies above the inferior turbinate bone and below the middle turbinate bone. The superior opening (meatus) is situated above the middle turbinate bone.

[RESPIRATORY DISEASES 7]

[Illustration: Bronchial Tubes and Lungs.]

The mucous membrane lining the nasal passages is similar to other mucous membranes. It is here called the Schneiderian membrane after the name of a German anatomist named Schneider. It is continuous through the ducts with the mucous membrane of all the various accessory cavities of the nose. It is quite thin, in the upper part over the superior turbinate bone and partition (septum) while it is quite thick over the lower turbinate bone, the floor of the nose cavity and the lower part of the partition. It is well supplied with blood vessels, veins, and glands for producing the necessary secretion.

The nose is an organ of breathing (respiration) and it warms and moistens the air we breathe and arrests particles of dust in the air before they enter the lungs. If the air we breathe is of an uneven temperature, or of marked degree of dryness, or if it is saturated with impurities, it always acts as a source of irritation to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, like the larynx. By the time the air reaches the pharynx, through the nose, it has become almost as warm as the blood, and also is well saturated with moisture. The mucous membrane that lines the nose cavity and especially that part over the lower turbinate bone, secretes from sixteen to twenty ounces of fluid daily. This fluid cleanses and lubricates the nose and moistens the air we breathe. Conditions may arise which interfere with this natural secretion. This may be due to the fact that some of the glands have shrunk or wasted (atrophied) and the secretion has become thick. This collects in the nose, decomposes and forms scabs and crusts in the nostrils. In this condition there will be dropping of mucus into the throat. This condition is usually only a collection of secretions from the nose,—which are too thick to flow away,—collect in the space behind the nose, and when some have accumulated, drop into the pharynx.

[8 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

In order to be in good health it is necessary to breath through the nose, and to do this there must be nothing in the nose or upper part of the pharynx to interfere with the free circulation of the air through these cavities. The cavities of the nose may be partly closed by polpi (tumors) on the upper and middle turbinate bone, a spur on the (septum) partition, deviation of the partition or enlarged turbinate bones, or adenoids in the upper part of the pharynx. These troubles almost close up the nose sometimes and the person is compelled to breathe through his mouth. He not only looks foolish, talks thick, but is laying up for himself future trouble. By correcting the trouble in the nose and removing the adenoids in the upper part of the pharynx the patient can breathe through the nasal passages. If you take a tube you can pass it straight back through the lower channel (meatus) into the pharynx. It will touch the upper back wall of the pharynx. If the tube has a downward bend you can see it behind the soft palate and by attaching a string to that end you can draw it back out through the nostrils. In that way we plug the posterior openings (nares). The upper part of the pharynx reaches higher up behind than a line drawn horizontally above the tip of the nose to the pharynx. It reaches forward above the soft palate on its front surface. Its front surface is almost directly on a vertical line with tonsil, above the soft palate. On its upper part and on the side near the nose cavity is the opening of the eustachian tube.

The name naso-pharynx means the junction of the nose and pharynx. Sometimes the upper posterior wall of the pharynx, called the vault of the pharynx, especially the part behind each eustachian tube, is filled almost full with adenoids. These are overgrowths or thickenings of the glandular tissue in the upper posterior wall of the pharynx (vault of the pharynx).

ADENOIDS. (Pharyngeal Tonsil, Lursehkas Tonsil, Adenoid Vegetation, Post- nasal Growth.)—Adenoids are overgrowths or thickenings of the glandular tissue in the vault (top) of the pharynx. They are on the upper posterior wall of the pharynx, often filling the whole space, especially the part behind the ear-tube—eustachian tube.

They are a soft pliable mass, well supplied with blood vessels, especially in children. Some are firmer and these are the kind seen in adults. The color varies from pale pink to dark red. The structure is similar to enlarged tonsils.

[RESPIRATORY DISEASES 9]

[Illustration: Adenoids]

Symptoms.—Children breathe chiefly or wholly through the mouth. They are apt to breathe noisily, especially when they eat and drink. They sleep with their mouth open, breathe hard and snore. They have attacks of slight suffocation sometimes, especially seen in young children. There may be difficulty in nursing in infants; they sleep poorly, toss about in bed, moan, talk, and night terrors are common. They may also sweat very much during sleep. A constant hacking or barking cough is a common symptom and this cough is often troublesome for some hours before going to bed. Troubles with the larynx and pharynx are common and spasmodic laryngitis appears to be often dependent upon adenoids. Bronchial asthma and sneezing in paroxysms are sometimes connected with them. The chest becomes deformed. The prolonged mouth-breathing imparts to adenoid patients a characteristic look in the face. The lower jaw is dropped and the lips are kept constantly apart. In many cases the upper lip is short, showing some part of the upper teeth. The dropping of the jaw draws upon the soft parts and tends to obliterate the natural folds of the face about the nose, lips, and cheeks. The face has an elongated appearance and the expression is vacant, listless, or even stupid. The nose is narrow and pinched, from long continued inaction of the wings of the nose (alae nasi). The root of the nose may be flat and broad. When the disease sets in during early childhood, the palate may become high arched. If the disease continues beyond second teething, the arch of the palate becomes higher and the top of the arch more pointed. The upper jaw elongates and this often causes the front teeth to project far beyond the corresponding teeth in the lower jaw. The high arched palate is often observed to be associated with a deflected partition (septum) in the nose.

The speech is affected in a characteristic way; it acquires a dead character. There is inability to pronounce the nasal consonant sounds; m, n, and ng and the l, r, and th sounds are changed. Some backwardness in learning to articulate is often noticed.

Deafness is frequently present, varying in degree, transient and persistent. Attacks of earache are common and also running of the ears. The ear troubles often arise from the extension of catarrh from the nose-pharynx through the eustachian tubes to the middle ear. Sometimes the adenoids block the entrance to the tubes. The ventilation of the middle ear may be impeded. Dr. Ball, of London, England, says: "Ear troubles in children are undoubtedly, in the vast majority of cases, dependent upon the presence of adenoid vegetation" (growths).

Children with adenoids are very liable to colds in the head, which aggravate all the symptoms, and in the slighter forms of the disease the symptoms may hardly be noticeable, except when the child is suffering from a cold.

[10 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Chronic catarrh is often caused by adenoids. A chronic pus discharge often develops, especially in children. There is often a half-pus discharge trickling over the posterior wall of the pharynx from the nose-pharynx. And yet some children with adenoids never have any discharge from the nose. There may be more or less dribbling of saliva from the mouth, especially in young children, and this is usually worse during sleep. Headache is not uncommon when these growths persist into adult life: they continue to give rise to most of the symptoms just described, although these symptoms may be less marked because of the relatively larger size of the nose-pharynx. The older patients seek relief, usually, from nasal catarrh symptoms. They complain of a dry throat on waking and they hawk and cough, In order to clear the sticky secretion from the throat. The adenoids have often undergone a considerable amount of shrinking, but they frequently give rise to a troublesome inflammation of the nose and pharynx. Rounded or irregular red elevations will often be seen on the posterior wall of the pharynx, outgrowths of adenoid tissue in this region. Similar elevations are sometimes seen on the posterior pillars of the fauces. The tonsils are often enlarged. A good deal of thick discharge will sometimes be seen in the posterior wall of the pharynx proceeding from the nose-pharynx.

Although adenoids, like the normal tonsil, usually tend to diminish and disappear with the approach of youth, they constitute during childhood a constant source of danger and trouble and not