Hardly without a doctor's advice, if
that can be procured, ought any one to take
strong sleep-compelling doses, such as hy-
drate of chloral y laudanum, or solution of
viorphia. Lactucariuni, which is obtained
from the garden lettuce, used for salad, is
much milder than opium ; and camphor
water will, when mere nervous restlessness is
the matter, often compose so as to allow of
sleep. Hoffmajin'' s Anodyne\s similar in its
effect, and tincture of hops, or a tea made of
hops, is very quieting. Even a hop-pillow ,
made by sprinkling hop-leaves with alcohol
and binding them in a pillow-case, will
sometimes bring the tossing head to rest.
Purgative fledicines.
A large number of drugs act upon the
bowels ; cathartics is a technical name for
these. Only a few of them need to be con-
sidered in connection with our present plan.
Rhubarb is adapted to a greater variety
of cases than any other medicine for the
simple purpose of relieving constipation.
Simple syrup of rhubarb is very good for this
use with babies. Younger yet, however
(under a year) , siveet oil (olive oil) is mildest
of all, unless it be ma7ina or glycerine Fluid
extract of senna, with one drop oi oil of aniseed
or oil of fennel in a teaspoonful of it, is also
a good infantile laxative. Castor oil comes
488
next, when a more active purge is wanted ;
or, when there is sourness of stomach, mag-
nesia .
At any age, magnesia is the best antacid
laxative. Castor oil is to be preferred when
colic or irritation of the bowels is present.
[Give it in twice as much spiced syrup of
rhitbarb, well mixed up.]
Sai^inb purgatives are useful generally
at an early time of attacks of sickness with
fever. Take citrate of magnesium or Tar-
rant's Apeident. Seidlitz powders are of
similar cooling effect ; and the same is true
of Rochclle salt and cream of tartar. Pullna
and Hunyadi mineral waters please the taste
of some.
At the beginning of acute attacks of dis-
ease with fever, the use of some purgative
medicine, especially of the saline kind, is
very serviceable and important. This is true,
as a rule, oi7neasles, scarlet fever, whooping-
cough, small-pox, and varioloid ; and, with
more discrimination of cases and modera-
tion in doses, also of diphtheria and typhus
fever. Typhoid fever has diarrhwa as an
early symptom generally. If, in it, the
bowels are exceptionally costive, only a tea-
spoonful of castor oil had better be ventured
upon to relieve the bowels. In measles the
bowels sometimes incline to be too free ;
but this should not prevent our making sure
of their full movement during the first two
or three days. When, after that, they be-
come too loose, a weakening excess of purg-
ing may be checked by suitable means,
such as will be presently mentioned.
For habitual costiveness , either chewing at
bedtime a small piece of Turkey rhubarb
root (as big as a pea), or taking at that time
a rhubarb pill, will be the best thing to be-
gin with. If that fails, take another piece,
or another pill, also before breakfast.
Co7npou7id rhubarb pills are stronger ;
they will, with most people, purge rather
actively. Compound cathartic pills, of the
United States list, are too strong to use ex-
cept when a very decided purgation is needed.
Page 149
Presented as published in 1901. 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
Hardly without a doctor's advice, if that can be procured, ought any one to take strong sleep-compelling doses, such as hydrate of chloral y laudanum, or solution of morphia. Lactucarium, which is obtained from the garden lettuce, used for salad, is much milder than opium ; and camphor water will, when mere nervous restlessness is the matter, often compose so as to allow of sleep. Hoffmann's s Anodyne\s similar in its effect, and tincture of hops, or a tea made of hops, is very quieting. Even a hop-pillow , made by sprinkling hop-leaves with alcohol and binding them in a pillow-case, will sometimes bring the tossing head to rest.
Purgative fledicines.
A large number of drugs act upon the bowels ; cathartics is a technical name for these. Only a few of them need to be considered in connection with our present plan.
Rhubarb is adapted to a greater variety of cases than any other medicine for the simple purpose of relieving constipation. Simple syrup of rhubarb is very good for this use with babies. Younger yet, however (under a year) , siveet oil (olive oil) is mildest of all, unless it be manna or glycerine Fluid extract of senna, with one drop oi oil of aniseed or oil of fennel in a teaspoonful of it, is also a good infantile laxative. Castor oil comes
next, when a more active purge is wanted ; or, when there is sourness of stomach, magnesia .
At any age, magnesia is the best antacid laxative. Castor oil is to be preferred when colic or irritation of the bowels is present. [Give it in twice as much spiced syrup of rhubarb, well mixed up.]
Saline purgatives are useful generally at an early time of attacks of sickness with fever. Take citrate of magnesium or Tarrant's Apeident. Seidlitz powders are of similar cooling effect ; and the same is true of Rochelle salt and cream of tartar. Pullna and Hunyadi mineral waters please the taste of some.
At the beginning of acute attacks of disease with fever, the use of some purgative medicine, especially of the saline kind, is very serviceable and important. This is true, as a rule, of measles, scarlet fever, whoopingcough, small-pox, and varioloid ; and, with more discrimination of cases and moderation in doses, also of diphtheria and typhus fever. Typhoid fever has diarrhwa as an early symptom generally. If, in it, the bowels are exceptionally costive, only a teaspoonful of castor oil had better be ventured upon to relieve the bowels. In measles the bowels sometimes incline to be too free ; but this should not prevent our making sure of their full movement during the first two or three days. When, after that, they become too loose, a weakening excess of purging may be checked by suitable means, such as will be presently mentioned.
For habitual costiveness , either chewing at bedtime a small piece of Turkey rhubarb root (as big as a pea), or taking at that time a rhubarb pill, will be the best thing to begin with. If that fails, take another piece, or another pill, also before breakfast.
Co7npou7id rhubarb pills are stronger ; they will, with most people, purge rather actively. Compound cathartic pills, of the United States list, are too strong to use except when a very decided purgation is needed.