A piece of lint or cotton wool soaked in the tincture of the
perchloride of iron or tincture of matico may be pressed down
into the wound in contact with the bleeding vessel. Or, the
vessel should be lightly and rapidly touched with a piece of
iron ware heated red hot. This is, perhaps, the most effective
way of checking the bleeding, and is by no means so painful
as it might seem. Another plan is to touch the orifice of the
bleeding vessel with a stick of nitrate of silver.
Leech Bites. — The bleeding from these is often very
troublesonie more especially when the leeches have been inacl*
384 MEDICINAL.
vertently applied at some part of the body where, from the ab-
sence of bone, there is a difficulty in applying firm pressure.
For this reason leeches, when applied, should always be placed
over some bone or other hard part upon which the necessary
pressure can be applied and continued for some minutes. If
pressure cannot, for the reason above stated, be applied, the
bites may be touched with the point of a camel's hair brush
steeped in tincture of the perchloride of iron, or they may be
touched with a stick of nitrate of silver, and, as this is generally
at hand, it is a convenient means. A ready method is to cut a
small piece of glazed visiting card, and, having pressed with a
dry handkerchief for a short time on the bites, then quickly,
before the blood comes again, press the glazed surface of the
card on the bite, and fasten it there with plaster or a bandage.
Matico, and Tincture of Matico. — A valuable styptic
may be kept readily at hand by steeping a few matico leaves in
a phial with gin, brandy or proof spirit. A piece of lint soaked
in this will stay the bleeding of slight cuts. Matico leaf itself
laid on a bleeding surface, or a slight cut, or a leech bite, will
also stanch the bleeding. j
Fainting. — The faintness that often occurs in cases of
bleeding, from whatever cause, favors the stanching of the
blood. All that is required is to place the patient on his back
with his head low, and administer some slight stimulant.
Worms, Intestinal. — Symptoms. — Variable and vitiated
appetite, foetid breath, feverishness, grinding of teeth, picking
at the nose, itching at the seat, disordered bowels, and pains in
the stomach. There are three varieties of worms voided from
the intestines, viz.: ist, the round worm, resembling the common
earthworm; 2d, the threadworm — some short white worms,
some of a larger variety; 3d, tapeworm, the length of which
extends to many feet, and which consists of small square joints.
Treatment. — The first two of these varieties may be ex-
pelled by doses of calomel and scammony, or of santonine.
The third (tapeworm) requires either the oil of male fern (one
drachm in an ounce of water), taken fasting early in the morn-
ing; or: Castor oil, one-half ounce; spirits of turpentine, one-
half ounce; cinnamon water or peppermint water, 2 ounces.
Mixed, and taken fasting.
It is seldom necessary to repeat this dose. The tapeworm
when voided should be carefully examined in order to ascer-
tain that the head is expelled, since, if this be not the case the
worm quickly grows again. The head may be recognized by
means of a common pocket lens. It is very minute, but is
rounded, on a narrow neck, and presents on its surface sucking
discs, by which it attaches itself to the inner surface of the
bowel.
MEDICINAL. 385
Page 283
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
A piece of lint or cotton wool soaked in the tincture of the perchloride of iron or tincture of matico may be pressed down into the wound in contact with the bleeding vessel. Or, the vessel should be lightly and rapidly touched with a piece of iron ware heated red hot. This is, perhaps, the most effective way of checking the bleeding, and is by no means so painful as it might seem. Another plan is to touch the orifice of the bleeding vessel with a stick of nitrate of silver.
Leech Bites. — The bleeding from these is often very troublesonie more especially when the leeches have been inadvertently applied at some part of the body where, from the absence of bone, there is a difficulty in applying firm pressure. For this reason leeches, when applied, should always be placed over some bone or other hard part upon which the necessary pressure can be applied and continued for some minutes. If pressure cannot, for the reason above stated, be applied, the bites may be touched with the point of a camel's hair brush steeped in tincture of the perchloride of iron, or they may be touched with a stick of nitrate of silver, and, as this is generally at hand, it is a convenient means. A ready method is to cut a small piece of glazed visiting card, and, having pressed with a dry handkerchief for a short time on the bites, then quickly, before the blood comes again, press the glazed surface of the card on the bite, and fasten it there with plaster or a bandage.
Matico, and Tincture of Matico. — A valuable styptic may be kept readily at hand by steeping a few matico leaves in a phial with gin, brandy or proof spirit. A piece of lint soaked in this will stay the bleeding of slight cuts. Matico leaf itself laid on a bleeding surface, or a slight cut, or a leech bite, will also stanch the bleeding.
Fainting. — The faintness that often occurs in cases of bleeding, from whatever cause, favors the stanching of the blood. All that is required is to place the patient on his back with his head low, and administer some slight stimulant.
Worms, Intestinal. — Symptoms. — Variable and vitiated appetite, foetid breath, feverishness, grinding of teeth, picking at the nose, itching at the seat, disordered bowels, and pains in the stomach. There are three varieties of worms voided from the intestines, viz.: ist, the round worm, resembling the common earthworm; 2d, the threadworm — some short white worms, some of a larger variety; 3d, tapeworm, the length of which extends to many feet, and which consists of small square joints.
Treatment. — The first two of these varieties may be expelled by doses of calomel and scammony, or of santonine. The third (tapeworm) requires either the oil of male fern (one drachm in an ounce of water), taken fasting early in the morning; or: Castor oil, one-half ounce; spirits of turpentine, onehalf ounce; cinnamon water or peppermint water, 2 ounces. Mixed, and taken fasting.
It is seldom necessary to repeat this dose. The tapeworm when voided should be carefully examined in order to ascertain that the head is expelled, since, if this be not the case the worm quickly grows again. The head may be recognized by means of a common pocket lens. It is very minute, but is rounded, on a narrow neck, and presents on its surface sucking discs, by which it attaches itself to the inner surface of the bowel.