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

id="id01399">2. Chafing, Good Home Remedy for.—"Usually all that is required is washing the parts well with castile soap and cold water, and anointing with plain vaselin," This remedy is always at hand, and is one to be relied upon. Vaselin, as we all know, is very healing.

3. Chafing, Borax and Zinc Stops.—"Wash parts frequently with cold water and use the following solution:

    Pure Water 2 gills
    Powdered Borax 1 teaspoonful
    Sulphate of Zinc 1/2 teaspoonful

Apply by means of a soft rag several times daily. After drying the parts well, dust with wheat flour, corn starch or powdered magnesia;"

The above combination is excellent as the water cleanses the parts and the borax and zinc are very soothing and healing.

4. Chafing, Common Flour good to stop.—"Burn common wheat flour until brown. Tie in rag and dust chafed parts."

MOLE. (Naevus).—Mole is a congenital condition of the skin where there is too much pigment in a circumscribed place. It varies in size from a pin-head to a pea or larger. The face, neck and back are their usual abiding place.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Moles.—They should be removed by knife or by electricity. The last is the best, especially for the hairy variety.

Causes.—If they are subject to too much irritation they develop into malignant growth.

ENLARGED NAIL. (Onychauxis).—The nail may become too long, thick or wide. Treatment.—Remove the cause. Trim away the excessive nail tissue with a knife or scissors. In paronychia, inflammation around the nail, pieces of lint or cotton should be inserted between the edge of the nail and the inflamed parts, and wet solution of antiseptics, like listerine or salt water, applied with cloths.

[78 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

INFLAMMATION OF THE NAIL. (Onychia). Treatment.—Cut into the back part if it needs it. That will relieve the tension and pain. Sometimes the nail must be removed. The inflammation is at the base (matrix) of the nail.

LOUSE, Disease of the Skin Produced by.—This is a disease of the skin produced by an animal parasite, the pediculus or louse. There are the head louse, pediculus capitis; the body louse, pediculus corporis; the pubis, (about the genitals) pediculus pubis. The color of lice is white or gray. They multiply very fast, the young being hatched out in about six days and within eighteen days are capable of propagating their same species. The nits are glued to the hair with a substance which is secreted by the female louse.

HEAD LOUSE or Pediculus Capitis. Treatment.—The symptoms are very apparent. Apply pure kerosene, rub it into the hair thoroughly. It can be mixed with an equal part of balsam of peru. It should be left on the scalp for twelve to twenty-four hours and then removed by a shampoo. Other remedies that can be used are, tincture of staphisagria (stavesacre), this can be made into an ointment; or ointment of ammoniated mercury. The dead nits are removed from the hair by dilute acetic acid or vinegar. Cutting the hair is not usually required. An infusion of quassia is good as a wash.

Body Louse or Clothes Louse (Pediculus Corporis).—This parasite lives in the clothes. It is apt to be found in the folds or seams, especially where the clothes come in close contact with the skin, as about the neck, shoulders and waist. This creature visits the body for its meal. They may produce different kinds of skin troubles like eczema, boils, etc.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Lice.—Destroy the lice and their eggs (ova) by thoroughly baking or boiling the clothing. The irritated skin can be healed by soothing applications like vaselin, and oxide of zinc.

(Pediculus Pubis).—Lice on the hair of the pubis or about the genitals. This is the smallest parasite of the three varieties, and it attaches itself firmly to the hair with its head buried in the follicular openings, and it is removed with great difficulty.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Lice.—1. Ointment of mercury, blue ointment. This is to be used frequently. It is rather unclean and may create a severe inflammation so be careful of it.

2. Solution of corrosive sublimate, from one to four grains to one ounce of water. This is good and can be used once or twice a day; rub thoroughly into the parts. It will cause redness and inflammation may follow if too much is used. It is very effective. Kerosene with an equal quantity of balsam of peru is a good remedy.

[SKIN DISEASES 79]

BLISTER DISEASE, (Pemphigus).—This is an acute or chronic skin disease in which there are blisters of various sizes and shapes, and these usually occur in crops.

Symptoms.—The disease may attack any part of the body. The blisters range from the size of a pea to a large egg. They contain at first a clear fluid, which soon becomes cloudy and looks more or less like pus. They last several days and then dry up. They do not rupture of themselves very often. It is not catching.

Causes.—These are obscure and not understood. A low state of the system is usually found.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Blister Disease.—General treatment should be given. Arsenic is the best remedy and can be given in the form of Fowler's solution, five drops after meals at the beginning far an adult. This should be increased until some poisonous symptoms, such as bloating in the face is produced.

Elixir Quinine, Iron and Strychnine is good as a tonic, one teaspoonful after meals. Regulate the diet, give nourishing and easily digested food.

Local Treatment.—Puncture the blisters. Then put on a mild ointment like vaselin; bran and starch baths can be given in some cases. The length of the time of the disease is uncertain.

THE ITCH DISEASE. (Psoriasis) (not Common Itch). Definition.—This is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, in which there appear upon the skin thick, adherent, overlapping, scales of a shiny, whitish color, and these are situated upon a reddish, slightly raised and sharply outlined (defined) base.

Symptoms.—They begin as small reddish spots, sharply defined against the healthy skin. They may be elevated slightly and soon became covered with whitish pearl colored scales. If the scales are picked off, there is left a smooth red surface, and from this, small drops of blood ooze out. No watery or pus-like discharge escapes at any period of this disease. These spots extend at the circumference (periphery), reaching the size of the drops, or of the coins, or they may run together and form ring-shaped, or crooked wavy lines of patches, with a center that is healing up. A few scattered spots may be present, or large areas may be involved. In rare cases the whole skin is affected. These spots or patches may occur an any part of the body, but involve the extending part of the limbs, especially the elbows and knees. There may be slight itching present at times.

Course of the Disease.—It is chronic; patches may continue indefinitely or they may disappear in one place, while new crops appear elsewhere. This disease usually appears far the first time between the ages of ten and fifteen; it may then return at various intervals during a lifetime. It is usually worse during the winter.

[80 MOTHERS' REMEDIES.]

Causes.—Are usually unknown, it may occur in all classes and kinds of people.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Itch Disease.—Remedies for the general symptoms are demanded. The general health must be looked after. Stimulating foods and drinks and the use of tobacco are forbidden.

Arsenic in the form of Fowler's solution from three to ten drops three times a day; or the arsenious acid in pills of 1/50 of a grain three times a day. This medicine must not be used in the acute form, but only in chronic cases.

Local Treatment.—1. Remove the scales first and follow this by stimulating applications unless there is much inflammation. In such cases soothing lotions should be applied. Dr. Schalek of New York, recommends the following:

2. Remove the scales thoroughly with hot water and soap and then apply:

    Chrysarobin 1 dram
    Ether, Alcohol Equal parts of each and enough
                         to dissolve the first remedy
    Collodion 1 ounce

Mix and apply with a brush to the parts affected.

This solution may cause inflammation and great swelling, and on that account it should not be used on the face, it stains the skin. Dr. Hare recommends a bath only before the application. In that way some scales remain and there is not so much inflammation and swelling resulting. The stain can be removed with a weak solution of chlorinated lime.

3. Tar Remedy.—Tar is also a good remedy in ointment forms. The skin should be closely watched to find out how sensitive it is to the tar's action, not only in this but in all skin diseases. Drugs should be changed occasionally, for they lose their efficiency.

4. Tar and Sulphur Remedy for.—Never use tar on the face, it stains.

    Ointment of Tar 1 ounce
    Ointment of Sulphur 1 ounce

Mix thoroughly and apply at night.

5. Precipitated Sulphur 6 drams
    Tar 6 drams
    Green Soap 2 ounces
    Lard 2 ounces
    Powdered Chalk 4 drams

Apply frequently.

If necessary more lard can be used, especially if the skin is very tender.

[SKIN DISEASES 81]

6. Another good local application. It is composed of the following ingredients:

    Resorcinol 1 dram
    Zinc Oxide 1 dram
    Rose Water Ointment 10 drams

Apply twice a day to the part affected.

After mixing the ointment heat it until the resorcinol crystals melt to prevent any irritation of the skin from them.

    Ichthyol 2-1/2 drams
    Salicylic Acid 2-1/2 drams
    Pyrogallic Acid 2-1/2 drams
    Olive Oil 1 ounce
    Lanoline 1 ounce

Mix thoroughly and apply.

The result of the disease is always favorable as to life and general health. It yields to treatment, but it has a tendency to recur.

ITCH. Common Itch (Scabies).—Itch is a contagious disease, due to the presence of an animal parasite. There is intense itching in this disease. The parasite seeks the thin, tender regions of the skin, the spaces between the fingers, wrists and forearms, the folds in the arm-pit, the genitals in men and the breasts in women.

Cause.—It is always transmitted by contagion. An intimate and long contact is usually needed. A person occupying the same bed with one who has it is liable to take it. The female parasite lives from six to eight weeks, during which time she lays fifty eggs, which, when hatched out, become impregnated in their turn.

MOTHERS' TREATMENT for Common Itch. 1. Mustard Ointment for.—"Make an ointment of cup of fresh lard (without salt) and a tablespoonful of dry mustard, work to cream and apply." This is very soothing.

2. Itch, Grandmother's Cure for.—"Sulphur and lard mixed; rub on at night, then take a good bath, using plenty of soap, every day." The above ingredients are always easily obtained and anyone suffering with this disease will find relief from the itching by using this remedy. It is very soothing.

3. Itch, Herb Ointment for.—"Mix the juice of scabious with fresh lard and apply as an ointment. A decoction made from the same herb might be taken at the same time to purify the blood. It is always well to take some blood tonic together with any outward application you may use." Some who read the above may know scabious by other names as the "morning bride" or "sweet scabious" or "devil's bit," etc.

4. Itch, Elecampane Root Ointment for.—"Boil elecampane root in vinegar, mix with fresh lard, beating thoroughly." This is an excellent remedy for itch, having a very soothing effect and relieving the itching.

[82 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

5. Itch, Oatmeal for.—"A poultice of oatmeal and oil of bays; cures the itch and