Constipation. — Costiveness of the bowels is a relative con-
dition— with most persons in health the daily evacuation of the
intestines is a habit, while others will allow several days to pass
without experiencing any discomfort from sluggishness of the
bowels. When this is prolonged beyond the ordinary period,
various functional derangements occur — e. g., headache, dys-
pepsia, nausea, flatulent distention, etc.
Treatment. — The graver cases of obstinate obstruction, if
they can be made out to be the result of neglected constipa-
tion, may be relieved sometimes by hot baths, with repeated
small doses of castor oil (a quarter or half an ounce every two
hours), or by a pill composed of two grains of extract of aloes
and two grains of hard soap, given also every two hours. At
the same time clysters of warm soap and water with castor oil
(two ounces of oil to a pint of warm soap and water) may be
thrown into the bowels every two or three hours. The sick-
ness meanwhile may be relieved by soda-water or champagne,
or by swallowing small pieces of ice. Tne pain should at the
same time be relieved by repeated small doses of laudanum
(fifteen or twenty drops). It is to be noted that opium should
not be given to infants or young children.
Consumption. — The approach of this disease is, as is well
known, often most insiduous and gradual, so that its real exist-
ence may be masked and overlooked in its early stage.
Symptoms. — The first symptom that will generally excite
fear is cough. If a young person, a member of a family where-
in consumption has been known to occur, has a dry, irritable,
ringing cough, or a short, moist cough every morning, and last-
ing for some time, suspicion should be excited. The cough
continuing, some " tightness " in breathing is expressed, and a
general derangement of the health follows, with some loss of
flesh and strength, disinclination to exertion, dyspepsia, costive-
ness. Irregular mensturation commonly attends the approach
of consumption. The cough occasionally, but not commonly
in this early stage, is accompanied with a slight expectoration
of blood, and with ^'stitches" in the side, or partial attacks of
pleurisy. These early symptoms may last a variable time, and
their .true import be overlooked until on some one occasion a
316 MEDICINAL.
profuse bleeding from the lungs, or "breaking a blood-vessel"
in popular language, occurs and draws attention to the real
cause of all the previous ill health. An attack of inflammation
of the lungs, or of pleurisy, may also occur. Or, as is the more
common course of the disease, the cough becomes more fre-
quent, and is attended with thick, copious expectorations; the
emaciation becomes more striking; the pulse increases in fre-
quency, and is more feeble; the patient suffers from chills, and
flushes of the face and hands.
As the disease advances these symptoms become more pro-
nounced as hectic fever; diarrhoea becomes a troublesome
symptom; there are profuse night sweats, and rapidly increas-
ing debility. In the face of all these signs of an approaching
fatal termination, the patient indulges himself with fales hopes
of recovery, and dies sometimes with projects and schemes for
the future on his lips.
Page 225
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Constipation. — Costiveness of the bowels is a relative condition— with most persons in health the daily evacuation of the intestines is a habit, while others will allow several days to pass without experiencing any discomfort from sluggishness of the bowels. When this is prolonged beyond the ordinary period, various functional derangements occur — e. g., headache, dyspepsia, nausea, flatulent distention, etc.
Treatment. — The graver cases of obstinate obstruction, if they can be made out to be the result of neglected constipation, may be relieved sometimes by hot baths, with repeated small doses of castor oil (a quarter or half an ounce every two hours), or by a pill composed of two grains of extract of aloes and two grains of hard soap, given also every two hours. At the same time clysters of warm soap and water with castor oil (two ounces of oil to a pint of warm soap and water) may be thrown into the bowels every two or three hours. The sickness meanwhile may be relieved by soda-water or champagne, or by swallowing small pieces of ice. The pain should at the same time be relieved by repeated small doses of laudanum (fifteen or twenty drops). It is to be noted that opium should not be given to infants or young children.
Consumption. — The approach of this disease is, as is well known, often most insiduous and gradual, so that its real existence may be masked and overlooked in its early stage.
Symptoms. — The first symptom that will generally excite fear is cough. If a young person, a member of a family wherein consumption has been known to occur, has a dry, irritable, ringing cough, or a short, moist cough every morning, and lasting for some time, suspicion should be excited. The cough continuing, some " tightness " in breathing is expressed, and a general derangement of the health follows, with some loss of flesh and strength, disinclination to exertion, dyspepsia, costiveness. Irregular mensturation commonly attends the approach of consumption. The cough occasionally, but not commonly in this early stage, is accompanied with a slight expectoration of blood, and with ^'stitches" in the side, or partial attacks of pleurisy. These early symptoms may last a variable time, and their .true import be overlooked until on some one occasion a
profuse bleeding from the lungs, or "breaking a blood-vessel" in popular language, occurs and draws attention to the real cause of all the previous ill health. An attack of inflammation of the lungs, or of pleurisy, may also occur. Or, as is the more common course of the disease, the cough becomes more frequent, and is attended with thick, copious expectorations; the emaciation becomes more striking; the pulse increases in frequency, and is more feeble; the patient suffers from chills, and flushes of the face and hands.
As the disease advances these symptoms become more pronounced as hectic fever; diarrhoea becomes a troublesome symptom; there are profuse night sweats, and rapidly increasing debility. In the face of all these signs of an approaching fatal termination, the patient indulges himself with fales hopes of recovery, and dies sometimes with projects and schemes for the future on his lips.