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

7. Sore Throat, Remedy from a mother in Johnson City, Tenn.—"Fat meat stewed in vinegar and bound to the neck. Kind friends:—After waiting so long I will help you what I can, and where is the mother that won't want the book? I am truly glad you have such an interest in the welfare of suffering humanity. I hope this book will soon be out on its good mission. Kind friends, I think it a wonderful kindness to the rich as well as the poor to have a friend in time of need. I think a good honest book of home remedies tried by our good mothers and grandmothers will be accepted and looked to by all mothers, for we all think mother knows best. I certainly want this book completed and in my home."

8. Sore Throat, Gargle and Local Application for.—

"Common salt 2 tablespoonfuls
Strained honey 2 tablespoonfuls
Vinegar 3 tablespoonfuls
Camphor 1/2 teaspoonful"

Use as a gargle. External applications, wring a cloth out of salt and cold water and keep it quite wet, bind tightly about the neck and cover with a dry cloth. It is best to use this at night."

9. Mild Sore Throat, Vinegar Gargle for.—"Gargle with vinegar and hot water. This will help to sooth the irritation and in a mild sore throat is a sure cure."

10. Sore Throat, Alum and Vinegar for.—"One glass of warm water; one tablespoonful of vinegar; one teaspoonful of sugar; one-half teaspoonful of alum; dissolve well and gargle throat several times daily."

11. Sore Throat, Kerosene for.—"Dip a flannel cloth in coal oil, (kerosene) and bind on the throat. I have tried this; in fact it is what I always use. It is almost sure to cure."

12. Sore Throat and Cough, Remedy always at hand.—"Equal parts of alcohol and glycerin make a good gargle, or use three tablespoonfuls of vinegar and one of salt to a tumbler of water. Or simply hot water and salt when nothing else is to be had. The hot water alone is very good."

13. Tickling in Throat, Simple Remedy for.—"Take bread crumbs and swallow them."

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Sore Throat.—1. Inhalation of steam either with or without medicine is good. (See treatment of tonsilitis-Inhaling steam) I treated a man once who had a terrific pharyngitis, All the parts were so terribly swollen, that he was unable to swallow or talk. I induced him to inhale steam from a teakettle. He was able to put his mouth over the spout of the kettle and he was relived in a few minutes. I think it saved his life. I put no medicine in the water for that case. Very few persons can inhale the steam directly from the kettle. Other method is given under tonsilitis. A dose of salts at first is good. Remain in the house for a few days.

2. Sulphur and Cream for.—Mix some sulphur with cream and put some of it on the sore membrane.

3. Good Old Mother's Remedy.—"Steep a medium sized red pepper in one-half pint of water, strain and add one-fourth pint of good vinegar and a heaping teaspoonful each of salt and powdered alum and gargle with it as often as needed. This is a very good remedy."

1. Physicians' Local Treatment.—A wet compress on the neck is useful at the onset. Sucking ice or gargling with ice or cold water, or applying an ice bag to the throat will be found useful.

Later on, warm gargles and steam inhalation are more grateful. If there is great pain in swallowing, cocaine painted on the throat or sucking a cocaine lozenge before taking food will be found very useful.

2. When the attack is mild medicine may not be needed. When there is fever and the throat is real sore, you can use one drop doses of tincture of aconite every hour. This will frequently check it.

3. I like the following at the beginning. Give tincture of aconite and mercury biniodide, called the pink tablet, alternately. Put ten drops of the aconite in one-half glass of water and give from one-half to two teaspoonfuls everyone or two hours, alternating with one or two tablets of one-hundred grain tablet of mercury biniodide. After the first twenty-four hours stop the acoite and give the mercury biniodide every three hours.

4. For Chronic Catarrh remaining after, lozenges containing rhatany or tannin are useful.

5. Other gargles.—

Menthol 3 to 5 grains
Camphor 2 to 4 grains
Liquid paraffine 1 ounce

For irritable and catarrhal conditions of nasal membrane use a spray.

8. Snuff.-

Hydrochloride of Cocaine 1 grains
Menthol 1 grain
Sugar of Milk 2 drams

Mix very thoroughly.

When using the Menthol preparation do not use the preparation very hot.

HOARSENESS. Inflammation of the Larynx. (Acute Laryngitis) Causes.—Due to taking cold or over using the voice; hot liquids, poisons. It may occur in influenza and measles; from irritating gases; some are subject to it.

Symptoms.—Tickling in the larynx; cold air irritates, and breathing may cause some pain; dry cough; the voice may be altered. At first it may be only husky. In children breathing may be very difficult, after a day or two there may be a light expectoration and finally there may be a loose cough and a slight fever. The trouble is in the region of "Adam's Apple." There is little or no danger in these attacks if proper care is taken. The attack generally lasts two to four days.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. Hoarseness, Borax for.—"For hoarseness dissolve a piece of borax the size of a pea in the mouth and don't talk. It will work like a charm." The borax does away with the inflammation of the inflamed parts and gives relief very quickly.

2. Hoarseness, Egg and Lemon for.—"Beaten white of one egg, juice of one lemon, with sugar enough to thicken, then add one teaspoonful olive oil." Take one teaspoonful every hour until relieved.

3. Hoarseness, Horseradish for.—"Horseradish root; eat plenty of it. This has been tried and proved successful."

4. Hoarseness, Successful Remedy for Adults.—"Take two ounces of fresh scraped horseradish root, infuse in a close vessel in one-half pint of cold water for two or three hours; then add four ounces of acid tincture of lobelia and one-half pound of honey. Boil altogether for one-half hour, strain and take a teaspoonful four times a day. This is a very good remedy, especially for adults."

5. Hoarseness, Lemon and Sugar for Children.—"Take the juice of one lemon and saturate with sugar, take a teaspoonful several times a day. It is sure to give relief. This is very pleasant to give to children, as they most all like it."

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Hoarseness.—1. Rest of the voice and if the case is severe keep in bed in a room with an even temperature and the air saturated with moisture from a steaming teakettle, etc.

2. An ice bag on the throat or cold water cloths to the front of the throat often give relief.

3. Tincture of Aconite.—This is given in the beginning when there is fever. The dose depends upon the age, and the amount of fever. You can give it to a child by putting one drop of aconite in twelve teaspoonfuls of water and then give one teaspoonful every one to three hours according to the case. For an adult you can put ten drops of aconite in ten teaspoonfuls of water and give one teaspoonful every hour or two.

4. Citrate of Potash is given every four to five hours in adults.

5. Full dose of five grains of Dover's powders at night for the irritating cough.

6. For a cough, for a child one year old you can give one-half teaspoonful, every two hours, of the following:—

Syrup of Dover's powder 1 fluid dram
Tincture of Aconite 10 drops
Simple syrup Enough to make two ounces

Shake before using.

TICKLING IN THROAT. Mothers' Remedies. Mullein Leaf Smoke Beneficial for.—"Smoke dried mullein leaves, just a few puffs are needed, and should be drawn into the throat. Myron H. Grinnel of Albion, Mich., says his grandmother always gathers mullein leaves for this purpose and finds them an excellent remedy. Too much would cause dizziness." Mullein leaves are good for inflamed membranes like the ear and throat. If a person does not wish to gather the leaves themselves they may buy them at a drug store.

2. Tickling in Throat, Good Northern Canada Remedy for.—"Chew some of the bark of slippery elm and gargle the throat with saliva. This stops tickling in a few minutes."

3. Tickling in Throat, Tested Gargle for.—"Gargle from four to six times daily with following:—

Strong Sage Tea 1 pint
Salt 2 tablespoonfuls
Cayenne Pepper 2 tablespoonfuls
Vinegar 2 tablespoonfuls
Honey 2 tablespoonfuls

Mix thoroughly and bottle for use."

The above ingredients are all excellent for sore throat and it is an old tried remedy and can easily be obtained. If it is too strong dilute with warm water to the desired strength.

SWELLING OF THE GLOTTIS. (Oedematous Laryngitis. Oedma of the Glottis).—Swelling or oedma of the glottis or more correctly of the structure which forms the glottis, is a very serious affection. It may follow acute laryngitis or may be met with in chronic diseases of the larynx and from other diseases. It is dangerous.

Symptoms.—Difficulty of breathing which increases in intensity so that the condition becomes very serious in a short time. There is whistling breathing, the voice is husky and disappears.

Acute Laryngitis.—Inhalations and sprays.

Menthol 10 grains
Oil of pine 1 dram
Tincture of benzion 1 dram
Liquid alboline 2 ounces

Make a solution. Use one teaspoonful in a pint of boiling water; inhale with a cone placed over the dish or put a shawl over the head and dish and inhale the steam. Or this one to inhale same way:

Tincture of benzoin 1 dram
Oil of tar 1 drain
Liquid alboline 2 ounces

Make a solution and use one teaspoonful to a pint of boiling water as above.

It may be necessary in order to save life, to have a physician make an opening by incision into the windpipe for the admission of air into the lungs. This process is called Tracheotomy.

Diet in Laryngitis.—Hard and dry toasts should be avoided, for they give pain on being swallowed, same reason applies to highly seasoned foods. Milk, custards, eggs, scraped beef may be taken. Difficulty in swallowing may be overcome by allowing the patient to lie flat on the bed, etc., with his face over the edge. Food can be sucked through the tube from a vessel placed below; or the patient can lean forward while eating.

"CHILD CROWING" (Spasm of the Glottis.)—This is usually peculiar to children.

Cause.—It is purely a nervous affection and it occurs between six months and three years, and is most commonly seen in children with rickets.

Symptoms.—It may come in the night or day; or when the child awakes. The breathing is arrested, the child struggles for breath, the face is flushed, and then with a sudden relaxation of the spasm, the air is drawn into the lungs with a high pitched crowing sound. Convulsions may occur. Death rarely occurs. There may be many attacks during the day.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT of