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

seller on the market—the most usable and useful book ever offered the non-medical reader; because never before has a medical book contained the hundreds of simple home remedies from mothers. Because a physician tells you why the remedies are useful—the reason why the things used are efficacious.

Medical Terms. [xiii]

Frequently one comes across technical terms in the secular papers which, unless understood, obscure the sense of the reading. There is a dictionary of medical terms as a separate department which adds much to the usefulness of the work; the spelling, pronunciation and definition being concisely given in English.

Other Departments.

There are other departments, such as chapters on Manners and Social Customs, by an expert. Nursery Hints, Candy Making, Domestic Science, and Miscellaneous departments which interest every member of any average family in health as well as in sickness. The Candy Department provides many an evening's enjoyment for the young people.

In addition, the book gives under each disease the physician's remedies, the symptoms, causes, preventives wherever important, the diet, nursing, necessity for operations, and much other needful information for the sick-room. A complete chapter on Nursing and a detailed account of the Baby and its care is perhaps the most useful portion of the book to the mothers who desire to learn all about the baby. Many home medical books are of doubtful value by reason of exaggerated statements or vague and unusable directions regarding treatments. Mothers' Remedies stands squarely upon the foundation of utility and practical every-day usefulness. No matter how many other home medical books one may have, this is also needful because there's none other on the market like it. One of the missions of Mothers' Remedies in the home is the prevention of disease through its sound sanitary teachings. It was written exclusively for home use, and its instructions can be followed by anyone who can understand plain English, and the home remedies are extensively explained and recommended so that in emergencies one can always find something of value to use while awaiting the surgeon's arrival. It is a well-spring of usefulness in any home, and it gives me genuine pleasure to call attention to it in these few lines, and to bespeak for it the continued enthusiastic reception with which it has met heretofore.

(Signed) WM. ELLWOOD ZIEGENFUSS, M.D.
Detroit, July 2, 1914.

The National Narcotic law makes it practically impossible for the laity to have prescriptions filled which contain opiates or cocaine.

We therefore have substituted other remedies quite as good whenever this was possible and still retain the efficiency of the prescription.

DR. W. E. ZIEGENFUSS.
August, 1918.

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT [1] MOTHERS' DIAGNOSIS

STRIKING, CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS
of Many Diseases for Quick Reference and Comparison
WHEN IN DOUBT
BEFORE CALLING THE DOCTOR.

APPENDICITIS.—Loss of appetite. There may be nausea and vomiting; there is usually a sudden onset of pain, often sharp and severe in the whole or part of the abdomen. Later the pain settles in the right groin. Patient lies on his back with his right knee drawn up. The muscles become rigid on the right side and later a lump appears in the right groin (iliac fossa).

ANEMIA.—This disease is a diminution of the total quantity of the blood of its red cells, or red corpuscles or of their Haemoglobin, the coloring matter of the red corpuscles. Some difficulty of breathing. Palpitation on least exertion, tendency to faint, headache, tired, irritable, poor or changeable appetite, digestive disturbances, constipation, cold hands and feet, difficult and painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), irregular menstruation, leucorrhea. And when the skin is pale, yellowish green tinge, with perhaps flushed cheeks, it might properly be called chlorosis or "green sickness."

ADDISON'S DISEASE.—Great weakness, stomach and bowel disorders, weak heart and dark coloring (pigmentation) of the skin.

BRIGHT'S DISEASE.—Albumin and casts in the urine. The onset is usually gradual. There is paleness and puffiness of the eyelids, ankles or hands in the morning. Later increased dropsy of face and the extremities, pasty yellow complexion, dyspepsia, constipation and heart symptom.

[2 MOTHERS' DIAGNOSIS]

BRONCHITIS, ACUTE. (Cold on the Chest.)—There is a feeling of tightness under the breastbone, with a dry hard cough and headache. This cough may make the chest feel raw and sore, especially in front.

CHOLERA MORBUS.—The onset is usually sudden with nausea, vomiting, and cramp-like bowel pains; vomits at first the stomach contents. Purging follows; vomiting and purging with severe cramps in abdomen and legs.

CROUP.—Child wakes up suddenly, perhaps at midnight, with a harsh barking cough, with difficulty of breathing, and it looks as if it could not get another breath. Then there is an easy spell and soon the spasm recurs.

CANCER OF THE STOMACH.—There is anemia and a gradual loss of weight. A peculiar color of the skin (cachexia), irregular vomiting, some bleeding of "coffee-ground" color. Progressive loss of weight. Dragging or burning in the region of the stomach.

CHICKEN POX.—Slight fever, chilly feelings. In twenty-four hours the eruption appears upon the body, face and forehead often only a few separate red pimples which soon become rounded vesicles; however, there may be few or many.

DIABETES.—The onset is gradual, glucose (sugar) is persistently in the urine. Great quantity of urine passed; six to forty pints in twenty-four hours. Thirst is great. Large quantities of water is taken. Loss of strength and weight, mouth is dry, tongue is red and glazed, skin is dry and wrinkled.

DIPHTHERIA.—This disease begins gradually, as a rule, with chilly feelings, pain in the back and limbs, pulse is faster, with a general redness of the throat before the formation of the membrane; with such symptoms there are great weakness, paleness, and a bad smelling breath. Soon a spot or spots may be seen on the tonsils, uvula or soft palate, but in a day or two a dirty white patch is seen on the tonsils and this may spread, and with it there is increased weakness, pallor, loss of appetite and fever. When the membrane is taken off of the tonsils there is left a raw surface, and the membrane rapidly reforms.

DYSENTERY.—The onset may be marked by diarrhea, followed by a severe, cramp-like bowel pain, with frequent small stools containing blood and mucus and accompanied by much straining (tenesmus).

DYSPEPSIA, ACUTE. (Acute Gastritis, Acute Indigestion).—Distress in the stomach, headache, thirst, nausea, vomiting, tongue heavily coated, foul breath, distaste for food, tender stomach.

[3 MOTHERS' DIAGNOSIS]

ERYSIPELAS.—The onset is sudden, high fever, and a local redness with a sharply defined margin between it and a healthy skin. It frequently appears upon the nose and spreads over one cheek or both. It may show only a smooth raised skin, or there may be vesicles.

EARACHE.—This is very common in children. It comes frequently as an extension through the eustachian canal of a cold. The ache is only an evidence of congestion or inflammation in the ear. The child bursts out crying violently and nothing seems to make it stop. It may cry for some time then stop. When it is very young it is restless, and wants to move constantly, and refuses to be comforted by the soothing embraces of its mother. It is quiet only a few moments at a time and again renews its cries and restlessness. The cries are moaning and seem like hopeless cries. A child or infant that cries that way and will not be quieted, should be suspected of having earache, and hot applications of dry or wet heat should be applied to the ear. If such symptoms are neglected, in a few days you are likely to have a discharge running from the external canal (meatus) and perhaps permanent injury may be done to the drum membrane by ulceration. Warm water poured in the ear frequently relieves common earache.

GALL STONES.—Sudden agonizing pain in the right upper abdomen in the region of the liver, with vomiting, prostration, tenderness in that region. Pain generally comes at intervals in paroxysms. There may be pains in the stomach during the weeks when the attack is absent and the patient may think the stomach is the seat of the trouble.

IRITIS.—Pain is severe and worse at night, the iris looks cloudy, muddy, the pupil is small. There is congestion around the iris (ciliary congestion).

KIDNEY STONES.—Pain goes from the kidneys down through the ureter into the bladder and into the scrotum. There may be sand in the urine that makes it look like blood.

LA GRIPPE—The onset is usually sudden, with a chill, and all of the symptoms of an active fever, headache, bone-ache, a general ache all over. A feeling of extreme weakness; feels miserable and sick.

LOCK-JAW (Tetanus).—History of a wound. The muscles of the jaw may be stiff and set. When there are spasms the muscles remain stiff and hard for some time.

MALARIAL FEVER.—Chill, fever, and sweat, or one stage may be absent. There may be only a slight chilly feeling with fever almost all day and then remission.

[4 MOTHERS' DIAGNOSIS]

MUMPS.—The swelling is in front and below and behind the ear. Hard to eat and the swallowing of vinegar is almost impossible.

MEASLES.—Comes on gradually. There is a feeling of tiredness and languor, headache followed shortly by sneezing, cold symptoms, running at the eyes, dry throat, cough, much like an ordinary cold in the head, but with a persistent, hard racking cough. The eruption appears first in the sides of the mouth, in the inner surface of the cheeks, lips, gums and soft palate, in size from that of a pin-head to that of a split pea. It appears then about the eyes and then on the face, chest and extremities. It is first in red spots and then gets blotchy. This is usually three to six days after the appearance of the cold (catarrh) symptoms.

MEASLES (German).—Chilliness, slight fever, pain in the back and legs, coryza. The eruption appears on the first or second day, on the face, then on the chest and in twenty-four hours over the whole body. The glands under the jaw enlarge.

OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM. (Inflammation of Eyes at Birth).—A severe conjunctivitis in the newly-born baby, swelling and redness usually of both eyes, occurring on the second or third day after birth; very soon there is a discharge and shortly it becomes creamy pus which runs from the eyes when the lids are parted.

PLEURISY.—The onset may be sudden or gradual. Sudden with a chill, fever, a severe sharp pain, stitch in the side, made worse by respiration, coughing or moving. The cough is dry. The pain is near the breast and sometimes it extends to the back.

PNEUMONIA.—It begins with a chill, fever, pain in the lungs, expectoration with cough, and the material spit up may be mixed with blood (rusty sputa). Then also rapid rise of temperature, "grunting" breathing, the nostrils dilate, and the cheeks are flushed.

RHEUMATIC FEVER OR INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATISM.—A number of joints become involved. It spreads from one joint to another, very painful joints; profuse sweating.

SMALLPOX.—The onset is sudden and ushered in by a chill, nausea and vomiting, headache, and severe pains in the back and legs, without grip symptoms. There is a rapid rise of temperature. Usually on the fourth day after the onset small red pimples appear on the forehead, along the line of the hair and on the wrists. The temperature falls with the appearance of the eruption.

SPOTTED FEVER.—Marked loss of appetite, chill, projectile vomiting, severe headache, pain and stiffness of the back and neck. Later head is drawn back, often the back is rigid. The muscles of the neck and back are very tender.

[5 MOTHERS' DIAGNOSIS]

SCARLET FEVER. (Scarlatina).—Comes on suddenly with loss of appetite, headache, sick stomach, perhaps vomiting, high fever, sore throat, vomiting may persist. The tongue is coated, edges are red; later it is red and rough; the so-called strawberry tongue. Usually within twenty-four hours an eruption appears, first upon the neck and chest which spreads rapidly over the face and the rest of the body. The eruption consists of red pimply elevations about the size of a pin-head, very close together, so that the body seems to be covered with a scarlet flush. If you look closely you can see these little pimply elevations.

TUBERCULOSIS OF THE LUNGS.—Irregular temperatures, respiration is more frequent than normal, pulse is rapid, cough, expectoration, night sweats, perhaps, and general failure of strength.

TONSILITIS. (Smooth and Follicular).—Commences with a chill, rapid rise of temperature, general aching in the back, and legs especially. The tonsils are large and red and spots may appear on them in a few hours. There may be no spots but a smooth; red, swollen tonsil, sometimes swollen to an enormous size. The spot and membrane, if any exists, are easily rubbed off and when this is done a glistening surface is seen, but not raw, as in diphtheria.

TYPHOID FEVER—There is a feeling