Nitrate of Potassium is a sedative, cool-
ing medicine, not now very largely used by
physicians. Digitalis was once considered
a sedative ; now it is called a tonic to the
heart. Ergot has great popularity in the
medical profession at the present time, in
the treatment of subacute inflammatory
troubles, particularly of the spinal marrow.
None of these last — nitrate of potassium,
digitalis, or ergot — can be advantageously
used without aiedical advice.
The nerve-centres have much influence
over the movements of the blood, and some
nervous sedatives are important in their sec-
ondary effects upon inflammation.
Aconite is one of these. It is a strong
poison in any but very small doses, and must
be used only with the greatest care. Tinc-
ture of acojiite is the common preparation.
Its dose is from half a drop to one or two
drops, in water, every one, two, or three
hours. Some ph3'sicians of experience give
it in almost all cases of inflammation of the
lungs, pleura, etc., even ni children. If it
is kept in the family medicine-chest, it
should be distinctly marked poison.
Opium has obtained a very large place in
the treatment of one dangerous inflammation ,
that of the peritoneum (peritonitis) , which
lines the whole interior of the abdomen.
Opium tends to constipate the bowels, and
powerfully affects the brain. It also tends
to diminish secretion in the air-passages,
and therefore it does not appear to be suita-
ble, at least at an early stage, in inflamma-
tion of the bowels, brain, or lungs, or in
ac?(te bronchitis. After tlie excitement has
subsided, in dysentery and in bronchitis, per-
haps sometimes in pneumoiiia^ it may aid in
493
30
THE FAMIL Y DOCTOR
allaying pain and. checking excessive dis-
charges.
Counter-irritation is a term which
explains itself. Endeavor is made to draw
blood and nervous excitement from an in-
flamed part by a harmless irritation or in-
flammation somewhere else. Blisters are
strong means of this kind. A blister is
raised by leaving on the skin for a time a
plaster made of ointment of cantharides ; or
painting the part with cantharidal collodion,
and covering it, while moist, with a piece of
oiled silk. With a child, an hour or two
will generally be enough to allow the can-
tharides (Spanish fly) to act. In a grown
person, it may require three, four, or more
hours. There should always be a piece of
gauze between the skin and the blistering
plaster, so that it can be entirely removed at
the proper time. When it is taken off, the
scarf-skin (cuticle) being raised in watery
swellings, these maybe pricked with a point
of any kind, to let the water out. Then
there should be placed over the sore surface
a piece of muslin or lint thickly spread with
simple cerate, to heal it up in two or three
days.
The time for blistering (which is only
called for in rather bad attacks of internal
inflammation) is not at the beginning of the
case, but after the excitement of the circula-
tion has ceased. The disorders, in the
course of which, at such a stage, a blister is
most likely to do good, are inflammatioji of
the brain, pyieumonia, pleurisy and nienibra-
710US cro2cp.
Other modes of counter-irritation are,
painting the skin with tincture of iodine ;
rubbing over a small surface a drop or two of
croton oil ; or a little tartar emetic ointinent.
Painting with iodine is a milder measure
Page 156
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
Nitrate of Potassium is a sedative, cooling medicine, not now very largely used by physicians. Digitalis was once considered a sedative ; now it is called a tonic to the heart. Ergot has great popularity in the medical profession at the present time, in the treatment of subacute inflammatory troubles, particularly of the spinal marrow. None of these last — nitrate of potassium, digitalis, or ergot — can be advantageously used without medical advice.
The nerve-centres have much influence over the movements of the blood, and some nervous sedatives are important in their secondary effects upon inflammation.
Aconite is one of these. It is a strong poison in any but very small doses, and must be used only with the greatest care. Tincture of aconite is the common preparation. Its dose is from half a drop to one or two drops, in water, every one, two, or three hours. Some ph3'sicians of experience give it in almost all cases of inflammation of the lungs, pleura, etc., even ni children. If it is kept in the family medicine-chest, it should be distinctly marked poison.
Opium has obtained a very large place in the treatment of one dangerous inflammation , that of the peritoneum (peritonitis) , which lines the whole interior of the abdomen. Opium tends to constipate the bowels, and powerfully affects the brain. It also tends to diminish secretion in the air-passages, and therefore it does not appear to be suitable, at least at an early stage, in inflammation of the bowels, brain, or lungs, or in acute bronchitis. After tlie excitement has subsided, in dysentery and in bronchitis, perhaps sometimes in pneumonia, it may aid in
allaying pain and. checking excessive discharges.
Counter-irritation is a term which explains itself. Endeavor is made to draw blood and nervous excitement from an inflamed part by a harmless irritation or inflammation somewhere else. Blisters are strong means of this kind. A blister is raised by leaving on the skin for a time a plaster made of ointment of cantharides ; or painting the part with cantharidal collodion, and covering it, while moist, with a piece of oiled silk. With a child, an hour or two will generally be enough to allow the cantharides (Spanish fly) to act. In a grown person, it may require three, four, or more hours. There should always be a piece of gauze between the skin and the blistering plaster, so that it can be entirely removed at the proper time. When it is taken off, the scarf-skin (cuticle) being raised in watery swellings, these maybe pricked with a point of any kind, to let the water out. Then there should be placed over the sore surface a piece of muslin or lint thickly spread with simple cerate, to heal it up in two or three days.
The time for blistering (which is only called for in rather bad attacks of internal inflammation) is not at the beginning of the case, but after the excitement of the circulation has ceased. The disorders, in the course of which, at such a stage, a blister is most likely to do good, are inflammation of the brain, pneumonia, pleurisy and membranous croup.
Other modes of counter-irritation are, painting the skin with tincture of iodine ; rubbing over a small surface a drop or two of croton oil ; or a little tartar emetic ointinent.
Painting with iodine is a milder measure