Chapter VII (6)

When a mass of food, such as a piece of meat, potato, or other substance, lodges in the fauces, or the base of the tongue, if in sight, but too far for the fingers to reach, it should be immediately grasped with a pair of pincers, or, what is better, a pair of curling tongs, and dragged out. If neither are at hand, and as time is precious, press down the tongue with the fingers, and tickle all the surrounding parts with a feather, so as to induce heaving or vomiting, Nature by that action often getting rid of its obstruction. If, however, none of these means present a chance of relief, use the point of the curling tongs as a probe, and push the obstruction into the gullet. However quickly these operations may have been carried on, the sufferer may have died before the obstacle has been displaced, or become so apparently lifeless as seemingly to render all further steps useless; this, however, is not the case, cold water must be dashed on the face and chest, ammonia applied to the nostrils, and the lungs inflated with air. When the lodgement has been lower down and taken place in the gullet proper—a fact that can be ascertained by an examination of the mouth, and also by the mute indication of the sufferer’s fingers—the impediment to its descent to the stomach proceeds from some spasmodic action into which some of the muscular fibres are thrown, causing them to grip the body in its descent and retain it in that position, while its bulk pressing forward on the windpipe, causes the danger to life that results from the accident. Two or three sudden or sharp slaps between the shoulders, or water dashed abruptly in the face, will often, by producing a sudden gasp, release the spasm and cause the descent of the object; if not, a probe, flexible tube, or a quill, must be employed, and the substance pushed past the constriction; when, however, the bulk is too large to be moved by such simple means, and while a messenger is sent for a surgeon to bring the proper instrument, endeavours should be made to keep up a partial supply of air in the lungs, by means of the bellows.

POISONS.

Those substances which, when taken into the body, or applied externally, always produce such an effect or disturbance in the animal economy, as to induce disease, or a chain of symptoms that if uncorrected would eventuate in serious mischief to the health of the body, or even induce death. Or, to simplify the explanation: a poison is any agent capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or dangerous effect upon anything endowed with life. All poisons are _common_ or _relative_: by the first, is understood those substances which produce morbid or dangerous symptoms on all conditions of animal life, on man as well as on the brute, on the fish as well as the fowl. By _relative_ poisons is understood those agents which are only poisonous to man, or some particular species of animals; thus aloes, which is a useful medicine to man, is poisonous to dogs and wolves; and others which are deadly to the horse, form a nutritious food to the ox. As an instance of the _common_ poisonous agent, affecting all animals in the same manner, may be advanced arsenic and corrosive sublimate. Agents or substances are poisonous only in regard to their dose, the part of the body they are applied to, and the subject on which they are applied.

To illustrate these facts, it is sufficient to say that both arsenic and corrosive sublimate are valuable medicines in certain modified doses, while in excess, they are deadly; secondly, a poison to the stomach may be innocuous to the lungs, or what would be fatal to the integrity of the system, applied to one part of the body, is harmless when administered to another; thus the carbonic acid gas which we imbibe with exhilarating satisfaction with our malt-liquor, soda-water, and champagne, is a deadly poison if instead of going down the gullet, it should descend the windpipe, and enter the lungs. There are only _four_ ways by which a poison can enter the system, and prove injurious or fatal to life; of these the most common is by the mouth into the stomach, by the air passages into the lungs, by absorption through the skin, either in its natural state, or from an abrasion or scratch; and lastly by the bowels, from an enema. But whichever way they enter the system, they only re-act upon it in _two_ forms of action; that is, that they are either absorbed into the blood, and conveyed by the circulation to the part or parts affected, or they produce an immediate influence on the nerves of the part with which the poison first comes in contact; and by a sympathetic action affect the whole nervous system. Poisons may belong to either of the three kingdoms, the _animal_, _mineral_, or the _vegetable_, but as the symptoms produced are sometimes nearly the same, from whichever class or kingdom they may be derived, it has become the custom to arrange the several poisons according to the most characteristic effect they produce on the animal economy, and to divide them into the IRRITANT POISONS, the NARCOTIC POISONS, and the NARCOTIC-ACRID POISONS, thus embracing all deleterious substances under one or other of the above classes.

IRRITANT POISONS

Are those that excite inflammation in some part, or the whole of the alimentary canal.

Nitric Acid
Muriatic Acid
Sulphuric Acid
Phosphorus
Sulphur
Chlorine
Iodine
Hydriodate of Potass
Bromine
Oxalic Acid
The fixed Alkalis
Nitre
Alkaline and Earthy Chlorides
Lime
Ammonia and its Salts
Alkaline Sulphurets
Baryta
Euphorbia
Castor Oil seeds
Croton
Bryony
Colocynth
Elaterium
Ranunculus
Anemone
Clematis
Mezereon
Cuckoo-Pint
Gamboge
Savin
Cattha
Poisonous Fish
Compounds of Arsenic
Compounds of Mercury
Ditto of Antimony
Ditto of Tin, Zinc, Silver, Bismuth, and Chrome
Compounds of Lead
Ditto of Copper
Venomous Serpents and Insects
Daffodil
Jalap
Cantharides
Decayed Animal Matter
Mechanical Irritants.

NARCOTIC POISONS

Are those poisons that produce an immediate and continued disorder of the nervous system.

Opium
Lactuca
Solanum
Nitric Oxide Gas
Chlorine Gas
Ammoniacal Gas
Sulphuretted Hydrogen
Carbonic Acid
Cyanogen
Hyoscyamus
Hydrocyanic Acid, and all vegetables producing it, as bitter almonds,
cherry laurel, peach, and mountain ash, carbonic oxide, and oxygen.

NARCOTIC-ACRID POISONS.

The poisons of this class produce a double action, that of a local irritation, and a secondary, or after effect on the nervous system.

Nightshade
Hemlock
Tobacco
Water Hemlock
Monkshood
Squills
Ipecacuanha
Meadow Saffron
Foxglove
Nux Vomica
Camphor
Cocculus Indicus
Upas
Secale Cornutum
Darnel Grass
Alcohol
Ether
Thom-Apple
Fool’s-Parsley
Hellebore, Black
Hellebore, White
Strychnia
False Angustura
Poisonous Fungi
Mouldy Bread
Seeds of the Laburnum, and some empyreumatic oils.

Though chemistry has of late years made great progress in the science of analysis, vegetable poisons are so soon eliminated from the body, as to leave hardly any trace for the chemist’s tests to re-act upon, and the mineral poisons may be regarded as almost the only class on which science can operate with invariable certainty. The first duty of any one called to act in a case of poison, is to administer an antidote, of which there are supposed to be two; one, which given immediately, will chemically destroy the virulence of the poison—as in the case of a person who has swallowed a powerful acid, the exhibition of chalk will destroy the potency of the acid, by forming a new and harmless compound—and antidotes or drugs in many instances of a problematical effect, which are supposed to have the power of neutralizing the effect produced on the system, by the agency of the poison, and restoring the disorganised body to a pure and pristine health. Of this class of drugs once implicitly believed in, science has found few if any to bear the test of a rigid experience. To leave theory, and come at once to the practical, the first care of any one, when an individual has voluntarily, or by accident taken a poison, or any known or suspected deleterious substance, is to procure its instant evacuation from the system by _vomiting_. In many cases, either the drug itself, or the over-dose of it, excites this remedial step, and if so, the attendant should encourage the action of the stomach by all the means immediately procurable; or if the vomiting has not set in, to excite it at once, either by warm water in frequent draughts, or should that not be present, by a draught of mustard and water, or a few spoonfuls of common salt dissolved in water; or should neither of these be in readiness, and while the water is heating, and medical aid or other means is being sought, give copious draughts of cold water, and by the feathery part of a quill, tickle the fauces, or with the handle of a spoon press down the root of the tongue; when the contents of the stomach must be ejected. This process may be repeated; and even without further means, the poison may in this way be ejected from the stomach. In cases where vegetable, or what are called narcotic, poisons have been taken, it is sometimes extremely difficult if not impossible, to produce vomiting, though attempted with proper emetics; in all such, in fact in all vegetable poisons, the stomach pump becomes imperative, and the most valuable of agents, as it not only fills the stomach with water, but immediately after relieves it of that, and whatever poisonous matters it may hold in suspension or solution. This process of filling the stomach with tepid water, and again expelling it, must be continued till all apprehension that more poison remains, is removed from the mind of the operator. In cases of poisoning by narcotic and vegetable substances, to empty the stomach is the first, last, and most important duty, and till the chief agent, the stomach pump, can be procured, some of the means already advised should be adopted, but where more perfect remedies are at hand they should be employed; of such the best emetics for a vegetable poison are the minerals, especially the white vitriol or sulphate of zinc, twenty or thirty grains of which, dissolved in half a tumbler of warm water, will be found to act almost instantly. To rouse the energies after the ejection of the poison, electricity should, when possible, be applied; stimulants such as ammonia, hot coffee, or camphor administered; and when necessary, aspersions of cold water, and the patient constantly kept moving. In other cases blisters or hot mustard plasters must be applied to the spine, thighs, feet, or stomach; according to the nature and potency of the poison. In irritant or corrosive poisons, concurrent with the vomiting, which, when not induced by the poison itself, should be at once excited, agents to neutralize the virulence of the poison must be administered, and again repeated after each vomiting, to be in turn ejected, again taken, and again discharged. In all poisonings of this class, proceeding from the mineral acids or corrosive compounds, when proper emetics are at hand the vegetable, such as the ipecacuanha, is the most efficacious, twenty or twenty-five grains of which, dissolved in warm water will be found an effective dose; while as a corrective to the corroding nature of the poison, draughts of tepid water, in which shavings of brown soap have been scraped, must be drunk frequently, or half tumblers of water, in which half a tea-spoonful of soda, either the common or carbonate, or the same quantity of ordinary potass; frequent draughts of milk or mucilage, treacle, honey and water; or should none of these articles be at hand, spoonfuls of chalk and water, and in still more extreme cases, when no other aid is at hand to relieve the burning agony induced by the poison, the plaster from the wall or ceiling should be broken down, mixed in water, and given to the patient to neutralize the activity of the poison. Such are the general means adopted to eject the poison from the system; special poisons, however, require particular and special notice.

ARSENIC, in addition to the vomiting, should be treated with the white of eggs mixed in water, and administered every ten minutes; or honey, treacle, sugar and water, or milk.

OXALIC ACID.—New milk must be given in frequent draughts after each fit of vomiting, or chalk and water.

CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE AND VERDIGRIS are treated nearly in the same manner as arsenic; the chief antidotes being white of eggs, milk, and sugar and water; though for verdigris, iron filings dissolved in vinegar, and mixed with mucilage, are generally preferred for this rarely employed poison.

NITRATE OF SILVER, OR LUNAR CAUSTIC.—The best antidote, concurrent with the emetic, is common table-salt, dissolved in water, and taken frequently. A tea-spoonful of salt in a wine-glass of water is to be given every half hour.

SULPHURIC, MURIATIC, OR NITRIC ACID, or what is called the MINERAL ACIDS, require, like oxalic acid, milk, but especially, magnesia, chalk, and soap or mucilage, but primarily magnesia.

HYDROCYANIC ACID, OR PRUSSIC ACID.—Where this drug is not immediately fatal, and has only been taken in moderate quantity, the only antidotes are powerful stimulants of brandy, ammonia, and ether; and as emetics are valueless in this poison, sudden effusions of cold water must be adopted with stimulants to the stomach.

In all cases of poisoning by vegetable matter, whether acrid or narcotic, the first duty is to encourage the sickness, if set in, by warm water, and where the power of the stomach has been paralysed by an excessive dose, instantly to promote vomiting by a full dose of sulphate of zinc or white vitriol, in a dose varying from 20 to 30 grains, or else 10 or 15 grains of sulphate of copper or blue stone; but neither antimony nor ipecacuanha. When the stomach has been well evacuated, strong infusions of coffee, or draughts of vinegar and water are to be given occasionally. In all cases of corrosive or acrid poisons, when the lower bowels are affected, it becomes necessary to employ enemas of a soothing and corrective nature. All that the non-professional person can do in any case of poisoning, till the arrival of medical advice, is to empty the stomach of the hurtful matter by the quickest and readiest aids; and when emetics are not at hand, such natural and domestic means are to be resorted to as can be the easiest obtained; warm water, mustard, salt, tickling the gullet with a feather, or pressing down the tongue with a spoon, as already advised. It should be borne in mind, that for mineral poisons _vegetable_ emetics are to be used, and for vegetable poisons _mineral_ emetics: that in cases of poisoning from the mineral acids, it is useless to give emetics, and dangerous to administer water alone; in such cases, such articles are to be given as will counteract the corrosive virulence of the acid, and convert it into an inert compound, such as magnesia, soda, chalk, soap, or in extremity of means, the plaster from the walls: that where prussic acid has been taken, emetics are equally valueless; the prostrated powers are to be raised by powerful stimulants, and the means already indicated. For the poisons that are applied externally, and prove hurtful by absorption, such as the bite or sting of venomous reptiles, the first duty of an assistant is to tie a garter, tape, or some ligature tightly round the limb, a few inches above the wound, next to wash it immediately with warm water, and then, if there are no cracks in the lips or gums, fearlessly to apply the mouth to the bitten part, and slowly and steadily suck it; washing the mouth with cold water every time there is a rest, and the contents are spit out. When cupping glasses are at hand, they should be applied instead of the mouth; in either case, the part, after being sucked or cupped, is to be well rubbed over with lunar caustic, a warm poultice laid upon the place, the limb kept at rest, and, a few hours after the bandage or ligature removed. For the poisonous sting of gnats, bees, wasps, and other insects, a piece of lint, wetted in the pure extract of lead, is all that is necessary to cure one or the other. For the sickness, lassitude, and fainting, that often follow the sting of reptiles, it is requisite to administer ether, brandy, and ammonia, and sometimes opium.

MEDICAL AND HOUSEHOLD RECEIPTS.

Those receipts with initials and recommendations attached to them have been tried, and are recommended by intelligent Correspondents. It must not be supposed, however, that where such a signature or recommendation is absent, the receipt cannot be relied upon. They are all of the first class.

The following recipes for various aperient medicines have been drawn up at our request, by a Medical Gentleman, in consequence of the expression of a want felt by heads of families of simple and safe laxatives, without the cost of an application to an apothecary, or the risk attendant upon taking quack medicines:—

SPRING APERIENTS.—For children, nothing is better than:—1. Brimstone and treacle; to each tea-cupful of this, when mixed, add a tea-spoonful of cream of tartar. As this sometimes produces sickness, the following may be used:—2. Take of tartrate of soda one drachm and a half, powdered jalap and powdered rhubarb each fifteen grains, ginger two grains. Mix. Dose for a child above five years, one _small_ tea-spoonful; above ten years, a _large_ tea-spoonful; above fifteen, half the whole, or two tea-spoonfuls; and for a person above twenty, three tea-spoonfuls, or the whole, as may be required by the habit of the person. This medicine may be dissolved in warm water, common or mint tea. This powder can be kept for use in a wide-mouthed bottle, and be in readiness for any emergency. The druggist may be directed to treble or quadruple the quantities as convenient.

TONIC APERIENT.—3. Take of Epsom salts one ounce, diluted sulphuric acid one drachm, infusion of quassia chips half an _imperial_ pint, compound tincture of rhubarb two drachms. Half a wine-glassful for a dose twice a day.

APERIENT PILLS.—To some adults all liquid medicines produce such nausea that pills are the only form in which laxative medicines can be exhibited; the following is a useful formula:—4. Take of compound rhubarb pill a drachm and one scruple, of powdered ipecacuanha six grains, and of extract of hyoscyamus one scruple. Mix and beat into a mass, and divide into twenty-four pills. Take one, or two, or if of a very costive habit, _three_ at bed-time.—5. For persons requiring a more powerful purge, the same formula, with ten grains of compound extract of colocynth, will form a good purgative pill. The mass receiving this addition, must be divided into thirty, instead of twenty-four pills.

BLACK DRAUGHT.—6. The common aperient medicine known as black draught is made in the following manner:—Take of senna leaves six drachms, bruised ginger half a drachm, sliced liquorice root four drachms, boiling water half an imperial pint. Keep this standing on the hob, or near the fire, for three hours, then strain, and after allowing it to grow cool, add of sal volatile one drachm and a half, of tincture of senna, and of tincture of cardamoms, each half an ounce. (This mixture will keep a long time in a cool place.) Dose: a wine-glassful for an adult; two table-spoonfuls for young persons above fifteen years of age. It is not a suitable medicine for children.

INFANTS’ APERIENT.—7. Take of rhubarb five grains, magnesia three grains, white sugar a scruple, manna five grains; mix. Dose, varying from a piece _half_ the size of a sweet pea to a piece the size of an ordinary pea.—8. A useful laxative for children is composed of calomel two grains, and sugar a scruple, made into five powders; half of one of these for a child from birth to one year and a half, and a whole one from that age to five years.

CHOLERA AND BOWEL COMPLAINTS.—Some years ago I received from the late Dr. Beddome, of Tooley Street (the original inventor of Beddome’s Powders), a recipe for bowel complaints, which I have found so uniformly successful in relieving those disorders, and perhaps warding off cholera, that I enclose it for the benefit of your numerous readers.—ROBERT BROWN, Cheapside.—Rhubarb powder, half a drachm; calcined magnesia, one drachm; paregoric elixir, one ounce; peppermint water, half a pint. Mix and shake up, and take two table-spoonfuls every three hours till relieved.—The following is a better prescription for the same purpose:—Take of chalk mixture, eight ounces; aromatic confection, one drachm; compound tincture of camphor, three drachms; oil of carraway, three or four drops. Mix. Take two table-spoonfuls every three hours, or oftener, if the pain and purging are urgent. A tea-spoonful is a dose for young children, and one table-spoonful for those of ten or twelve years of age.

RELIEF FOR ASTHMA.—The following mixture is recommended as a relief for the asthmatic:—Two ounces of the best honey, and one ounce of castor oil mixed. A tea-spoonful to be taken night and morning.—I have tried the foregoing with the best effect.—J. D.

FOR A COUGH.—Quarter of a pound of linseed; quarter of a pound of raisins; two ounces of stick liquorice; two quarts of soft water, to be boiled until reduced to half the quantity. When strained, add a quarter of a pound of brown candy, pounded; one table-spoonful of good old rum, one table-spoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar. A cupful to be taken on going to bed, and more frequently if required. To be warmed.—Used for years, and approved.—A. C. B.

FOR COLDS AND COUGHS.—Take spermaceti powder, half an ounce; powdered gum arabic, half an ounce; elixir paregoric, three drachms; clarified honey, a table-spoonful; mix and make an electuary; of which a tea-spoonful is to be dissolved in the mouth, and swallowed slowly whenever the cough is troublesome, or the hoarseness great.—B. B.

FOR HOOPING-COUGH.—Dissolve a scruple of salt of tartar in a quarter-pint of water; add to it ten grains of cochineal; sweeten it with sugar. Give to an infant the fourth part of a table-spoonful four times a day; two years old, half a spoonful; from four years, a table-spoonful.—E. J. D.—[This has been a very successful mixture.]

TO MAKE TOFFEE FOR HOOPING-COUGH.—Take one pound of treacle; half a pound of moist sugar; a piece of butter, the size of a walnut; a tea-spoonful of ginger or lemon-peel, or oil of peppermint; and half a tea-spoonful of jalap. Boil them together till it will set firm in a basin of cold water. It requires stirring while boiling, and takes a long time to boil.—J. G. B.

AN EXCELLENT AND CHEAP COUGH MIXTURE.—Paregoric elixir one pennyworth, and six drops of laudanum. Mix a little treacle with three or four ounces of vinegar, and put it on the fire till nearly boiling; then add it to the other ingredients. Put it in a bottle, shake it, and it will be ready for use. When the cough is troublesome, take a spoonful.

HOARSENESS.—A piece of flannel, dipped in brandy, and applied to the chest, and covered with a dry flannel, is to be worn all night.—Four or six small onions, boiled, and put on buttered toast, and eaten for supper, are likewise good for colds on the chest.

TO CURE HICCOUGH OR HICCUP.—This spasm is caused by flatulency, indigestion, and acidity. It may be relieved generally by a sudden fright or surprise, or any sudden application of cold, also by swallowing two or three mouthfuls of cold water, by eating a small piece of ice, taking a pinch of snuff, or anything that excites coughing.

FOR SHORTNESS OF BREATH, OR DIFFICULT BREATHING.—Vitriolated spirits of ether, one ounce, camphor twelve grains. Make a solution, of which take a tea-spoonful during the paroxysm. This is usually found to afford instantaneous relief in difficulty of breathing, depending on internal diseases, and other causes, where the patient, from a very quick and laborious breathing, is obliged to be in an erect posture.

CONSUMPTION.—Watercresses, eaten plentifully at every meal, are excellent for this complaint. They should also be pounded in a mortar, and the juice thus obtained be drunk by the patient. This simple remedy has completely cured some, and relieved many sufferers from consumption. For the relaxed bowels common in this disease, the following is excellent:—Take fine flour, and tie it up tight in a cloth, and boil it for a day (the longer the better). Let the patient take as much of the dry flour in the inside as will lie on a sixpence, daily, or oftener, if requisite.

COLD, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES.—The white of an egg mixed with a few bread crumbs (to give it substance), and put into a muslin bag, and applied as a poultice to the eye, will afford great relief in a few minutes, or generally a cure in a day or two. The poultice is best applied at night, or when lying down; when removed, the eye should be well bathed with warm water, using a bit of muslin, NOT a sponge.

EXCELLENT MEDICINE FOR INDIGESTION.—Carbonate of magnesia, one ounce; carbonate of soda, one ounce; powdered ginger, one drachm; best Turkey rhubarb, half a drachm. Well mix in a mortar, and to be kept in a bottle with a glass stopper. The dose for an adult is half a tea-spoonful.

EXCELLENT MEDICINE FOR RHEUMATISM.—Powdered gum guaiacum, eight grains; flour of sulphur, two drachms; powdered rhubarb, fifteen grains; cream of tartar, one drachm; powdered ginger, thirty grains; powdered nutmeg, eight grains. To be made into an electuary, with two ounces of clarified honey; a tea-spoonful to be taken night and morning.

QUININE DRAUGHT.—The following draught, as ordered by Dr. Copland, was of the greatest service in a case of _dyspepsia_, accompanied by derangement of the liver:—Sulphate of quinine, two grains; diluted sulphuric acid, two drops; spirit of nutmegs, one drachm; distilled water, ten drachms. Mix. To be taken daily at mid-day.

SEDATIVE OINTMENT.—The violent local irritation which often follows the application of blisters to the surface of children, is a serious objection to their use, and requires that particular care be taken to lessen the liability of sloughing, &c. Should, however, the ulcer be very irritable, the following ointment thickly spread on lint will be found serviceable:—Lime water, oil of almonds, of each half an ounce; mix well together, then add prepared lard, one ounce.

TO PREVENT GALLING IN PERSONS CONFINED TO THEIR BEDS.—(Most valuable.)—The white of an egg, beaten to a strong froth, then drop in gradually, whilst you are beating, two tea-spoonfuls of spirits of wine, put it into a bottle, and apply occasionally with a feather.

A CURE FOR BLISTERED FEET.—Rub the feet, at going to bed, with spirits mixed with tallow, dropped from a lighted candle into the palm of the hand. On the following morning no blisters will exist.

DRAUGHT FOR PALPITATION OF THE HEART, WITH GREAT NERVOUS IRRITABILITY.—Tincture of foxglove, ten drops; camphor mixture, one ounce; tincture of columba, one drachm. This draught may be taken twice a day.

FOR HEARTBURN.—Carbonate of magnesia, ten grains; carbonate of soda, five grains; ginger in powder, five grains; liquorice in powder, fifteen grains. Take as a powder two or three times during the day.

FOR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES.—Brandy, one tea-spoonful; white-wine vinegar, one tea-spoonful; soft water, nine tea-spoonfuls. Mix—and to be used frequently.

USEFUL MIXTURE FOR DIARRHŒA IN INFANTS.—Carbonate of magnesia, half a drachm; rhubarb, in powder, twenty grains; dill water, three ounces; aromatic spirit of ammonia, thirty drops; sugar a tea-spoonful. Mix. Two tea-spoonfuls may be given two or three times a day.

MIXTURE FOR CHILDREN TEETHING WHEN THE BOWELS ARE DISORDERED.—Chalk mixture, fifteen drachms; tincture of cinnamon, one drachm. Mix together. Two tea-spoonfuls to be given three or four times a day as required.

ELECTUARY FOR SCORBUTIC ERUPTIONS.—Peruvian bark, powdered, half an ounce; aromatic confection, half an ounce; syrup of oranges, a sufficient quantity to mix the bark and confection; and take a piece the size of a nutmeg, three times a day, in a glass of seidlitz or soda-water.

DRAUGHT FOR HYSTERIC PATIENTS.—Camphor mixture, one ounce; fœtid spirit of ammonia, two drachms.

FEVER DRAUGHT.—Almond mixture, one ounce; carbonate of potass, twenty grains; syrup of poppies, one drachm. Pour into this a table-spoonful of lemon-juice, and drink while effervescing.

APERIENT ELECTUARY.—A very useful family medicine, particularly good for those who are troubled with asthma or rheumatism. One ounce of senna powder; half an ounce of flour of sulphur; two drachms of powdered ginger; half a drachm of saffron powder; four ounces of honey. The size of a nutmeg to be taken night and morning.

APERIENT FOR CHILDREN.—Gingerbread, made with oatmeal instead of flour, is a very useful aperient for children.—J. D.—[Good.]

DEAFNESS FROM DEFICIENT SECRETION OF WAX.—Take oil of turpentine, half a drachm; olive oil, two drachms. Mix. Two drops to be introduced into the ear at bed-time.

REMEDY FOR DEAFNESS.—Oil of almonds, half a pound; garlic, bruised, one ounce; alkanet root, a quarter of an ounce; infuse and strain. In deafness, a little to be poured into the ear.

ZINC OINTMENT is made by rubbing well together one ounce of oxide of zinc, and six ounces of hog’s lard. This ointment is useful for chilblains; it is also commonly used for dressing the sores remaining after scalds and burns, to absorb the great discharge which generally follows; and it is a very good application to cracked skin, from which a watery fluid oozes and irritates the neighbouring skin.

FOR THE CURE OF CHILBLAINS.—Put the hands and feet once a week into hot water, in which two or three handfuls of common salt have been thrown; this is a certain cure.—Z.

METHOD OF PREVENTING COLD FEET AT BED-TIME.—Draw off your stockings just before undressing, and rub your ankles and feet well with your hand, as hard as you can bear the pressure, for five or ten minutes, and you will never have to complain of cold feet in bed. It is hardly conceivable what a pleasurable glow this diffuses. Frequent washing of the feet, and rubbing them thoroughly dry with a linen cloth or flannel, is very useful.—J. R., _Warwick_.

CURE OF CORNS.—Place the feet for half an hour, two or three nights successively, in a pretty strong solution of common soda. The alkali dissolves the indurated cuticle, and the corn falls out spontaneously, leaving a small excavation, which soon fills up.—E. J.—[Certain.]

ANOTHER.—Soak some young ivy leaves in vinegar for a few hours; then tie one of the leaves on the corn with a piece of thread. It should be changed each night and morning, and in a few days the corn can be taken out without any pain. Six friends have tried this with great success. After the corn has been taken out, the leaves should be continued for a day or two, in order to remove any little hardness that may remain.

ANOTHER.—Cut a piece of the soap cerate plaster, spread on calico, of the size required, and apply to the corn.—One application has cured mine.—E. C., _Bridlington Quay_.

TO REMOVE CORNS.—Get four ounces of white diachylon plaster, four ounces of shoemaker’s wax, and sixty drops of muriatic acid or spirits of salt. Boil them for a few minutes in an earthen pipkin, and when cold, roll the mass between the hands and apply a little on a piece of white leather.

A CERTAIN CURE FOR SOFT CORNS.—Dip a piece of soft linen rag in turpentine, and wrap it round the toe on which the soft corn is, night and morning; in a few days the corn will disappear; but the relief is instantaneous. I have tried this with the greatest success.—S. H., _Hull_.

SORE THROAT.—I have been subject to sore throat, and have invariably found the following preparation (simple and cheap) highly efficacious when used in the early stage: Pour a pint of _boiling_ water upon twenty-five or thirty leaves of common sage; let the infusion stand for half an hour. Add vinegar sufficient to make it moderately acid, and honey according to the taste. This combination of the astringent and the emollient principle seldom fails to produce the desired effect. The infusion must be used as a gargle several times a day. It has this advantage over many gargles—it is pleasant to the taste, and may be swallowed occasionally, not only without danger, but with advantage.—G. M.

EAR-ACHE.—Sometimes ear-ache is connected with chronic ulceration in the external and internal part of the ear, when injections of warm water and soap are advisable. In this case, there is sometimes a constant fœtid discharge, for which the following mixture has been recommended by Dr. Hugh Smith:—Take of ox-gall, three drachms; balsam of Peru, one drachm. Mix. A drop or two to be put into the ear with a little cotton.

CURE FOR TOOTH-ACHE (OUTWARD APPLICATION), CHILBLAINS, ETC.—Take of solution of ammonia, two drachms; camphorated spirit, six drachms; essence of bergamot, ten drops, and mix.—I have tried it, and found it very efficacious.—E. C., _Bridlington Quay_.

TOOTH-ACHE.—Dr. Blake recommends two drachms of alum, to be dissolved in seven drachms of sweet spirits of nitre; a piece of lint or a small piece of sponge to be dipped in the solution and applied to the tooth.

A VALUABLE RECEIPT FOR THE TIC-DOULOUREUX.—I was dreadfully afflicted with it, and the receipt has cured me and many others; it is simple, as follows:—Take half a pint of rose-water, add two tea-spoonfuls of white vinegar, to form a lotion. Apply it to the part affected three or four times a day. It requires fresh linen and lotion each application; this will, in two or three days, gradually take the pain away. The above receipt I feel desirous of being made known to the public, as I have before mentioned the relief I have experienced, and others, whose names I could give.—J. T.

TO CURE WARTS.—Take a cake of dry pipe-clay, and scrape a little from it, then rub the wart or warts well with it four or six times a day till they disappear. I had one on my forehead above twelve months, which pained me very much in putting on or taking off my hat. I tried the above receipt, by rubbing it well about four times a day; and in the course of a fortnight it was gone, leaving only a mark behind. I can feel nothing of it now, even by rubbing it with my finger.—A. M.

TO ERADICATE WARTS.—Dissolve as much common washing soda as the water will take up; repeatedly wash with this for a minute or two, and let the warts dry without wiping.

A CERTAIN CURE FOR WARTS.—Take the inner rind of a lemon, steep it twenty-four hours in vinegar, and apply it to the wart. The lemon must not remain on the part above three hours, and must then be applied fresh every day.—F. E. W.—[This is only another mode of applying acetic acid. The application with a camel-hair brush is the best method.]

ANOTHER METHOD.—Get a little bullock’s gall, keep it in a bottle, and rub a little on the wart two or three times a day.

REMEDY FOR RHEUMATISM, LUMBAGO, SPRAINS, BRUISES, CHILBLAINS (BEFORE THEY ARE BROKEN), AND BITES OF INSECTS.—One raw egg well beaten, half a pint of vinegar, one ounce of spirits of turpentine, a quarter of an ounce of spirits of wine, a quarter of an ounce of camphor. These ingredients to be beaten well together, then put in a bottle and shaken for ten minutes, after which, to be corked down tightly to exclude the air. In half an hour it is fit for use. Directions:—To be well rubbed in, two, three, or four times a day. For rheumatism in the head, to be rubbed at the back of the neck and behind the ears. This liniment can be made at home for 9d.; if not made at home, the chemist should be told to follow the prescription exactly.—J. H. D.

A CERTAIN REMEDY FOR SPASMS.—Take three-pennyworth of balsam of sulphur, and three-pennyworth of oil of aniseed; put these together, and let them stand in a warm place for twenty-four hours, and at the same time take two-pennyworth of spirits of wine, and two-pennyworth of spirits of turpentine, put these together, and let them stand as the above; then, after twenty-four hours, mix the whole well together. Take seven or eight drops on a piece of loaf sugar when the pain is troublesome, and it will give instant relief. Observe, a little tea or coffee may be taken afterwards, to rinse the mouth.—W. W.

SIMPLE REMEDY FOR A PAIN IN THE SIDE.—At bed-time take a fresh cabbage-leaf, hold it near the fire till quite warm, and then apply it to the part affected, binding it tight with a cloth round the body; let it remain for twelve hours or more, when it will generally be found to have removed the pain. If not entirely removed, it will be well to repeat the application of a fresh leaf, allowing it to remain on the same time as the first. This will very seldom fail.—I have forwarded the above three very simple, yet, at the same time, efficacious prescriptions, with the intention that they may be of service to some of the numerous readers of your volume, as well as in the district in which I reside.—A. L.

FOR SPRAINS AND BRUISES.—Especially where the parts are discoloured with blood underneath the skin, and for rheumatic swelling of the joints: Vinegar, one pint; distilled water, half a pint; rectified spirits, one and a half pint; camphor, two ounces. Mix the vinegar and water, dissolve the camphor in the spirits of wine, and then put them all together. For sprains, bruises, and other injuries, when the skin is not broken: Carbonate of ammonia, two ounces; vinegar, two pints; proof spirit, three pints. Mix the ammonia with the vinegar; when the effervescence ceases, add the spirit. In inflammation of the joints of some standing, this is mixed with linseed meal, and applied as a poultice, twice a day.

PRIMROSE OINTMENT FOR BURNS AND ULCERS.—Bruise one pound of the leaves of this well-known plant in a mortar, along with half a pound of the flowers; simmer these in an equal quantity of hog’s lard, without salt, until the primroses become crisp; after which, the ointment, whilst fluid, must be strained through a coarse sieve. This is an excellent application for obstinate ulcers or burns.

AN EXCELLENT REMEDY FOR SPRAINS.—Put the white of an egg into a saucer, keep stirring it with a piece of alum about the size of a walnut until it becomes a thick jelly; apply a portion of it on a piece of lint or tow large enough to cover the sprain, changing it for a fresh one as often as it feels warm or dry: the limb is to be kept in a horizontal position by placing it on a chair.—B. B.

RESIN OINTMENT, OR YELLOW BASILICON, is composed of two ounces of yellow wax, five ounces of white resin, and seven ounces of hog’s lard; these must be slowly melted together, and stirred constantly with a stick, till completely mixed. This ointment is sometimes used in treating scalds and burns; also for dressing blisters, when it is wished to keep up a discharge from them for a few days. This is a stimulating ointment.

LIME LINIMENT FOR BURNS, SCALDS, ETC.—Linseed or common olive oil, and lime water equal parts; to be shaken up together every time of use, for scrofula and syphilitic sores, and still more for burns and scalds.

TO PREVENT THE SKIN FROM DISCOLOURING AFTER A BLOW OR A FALL.—Take a little dry starch or arrow-root, and merely moisten it with cold water, and lay it on the injured part; this must be done immediately, so as to prevent the action of the air upon the skin; however, it may be applied some hours afterwards with effect. I learnt this when resident in France; it may already be known here, but I have met with none amongst my own acquaintances who seem to have heard of it. Raw meat is not always at hand, and some children have an insurmountable repugnance to let it be applied. I always make use of the above when my children meet with an accident, and find that it keeps down swelling, and cleanses, and facilitates the healing of scratches, when they happen to fall on the gravel in the garden.—J. M. A. M.

PAINS AFTER EXERTION.—It is not generally known to pedestrians that the pains in the knees and legs, which usually follow after a long excursion, and which continue with some persons for two or three days after, may be prevented or considerably lessened, by bathing the parts affected in cold spring water, immediately before going to bed. Care should be taken, if the feet be dipped in the water, afterwards to dry them thoroughly with a rough towel; and persons of weak constitution, or liable to cramp, _ought not to dip their feet at all_. Those who reside at the sea-side, if of sound strong constitutions, will find great relief in the summer months, by bathing in the sea, but this practice ought not to be adopted without great caution. In my own case, and that of two of my brothers, it has proved invaluable for restoring vigour and energy to the system, after a long and tiring walk.—F. J. L., _Margate_.

TO HEAL BURNS.—Steep the bark of sumach-root, and boil it away until it is very strong; then add hog’s lard, and boil it until the water has all evaporated. A little of this applied to a burn will check the inflammation instantly. It has been known to cure dangerous scalds when physicians’ remedies have failed.—S.

CERTAIN CURE FOR CRAMP IN THE LEGS.—Stretch out the heel of the leg as far as possible, at the same time drawing up the toes as far as possible. This will often stop a fit of the cramp after it has commenced. I have never known this fail.—E. J.

CALAMINE OINTMENT, OR TURNER’S CERATE, consists of half a pound of yellow wax, and a pint of olive oil, which are to be melted together; this being done, half a pound of calamine powder is to be sifted in, and stirred till the whole be completely mixed. This is an excellent ointment for stimulating sluggish wounds or sores.

BLEEDING AT THE NOSE.—To stop this malady, which is sometimes alarming, it is recommended by Dr. Negrier (who has extensively tried it) simply to _elevate the patient’s arm_. The explanation is based upon physiological grounds: the greater force required to propel the blood through the vessels of the arm when elevated, causes the pressure upon the vessels of the head to be diminished by the increased action which takes place in the course of the brachial arteries (the arteries of the arms). If the theory be sound, _both_ arms should be elevated.

HYDROPHOBIA.—No kennel should be without this medicine:—Six ounces filings of pewter, six ounces rue, four ounces garlic, four ounces mithridate or Venice treacle. Cut the rue and garlic small; mix them with three quarts of strong beer, or white wine, in an earthen vessel that can be stopped close; put it into a pot of water with hay tied about it, to prevent it from being broken against the sides of the pot when the water is boiling; let it simmer over a slow fire three or four hours, then squeeze the liquor from the herbs, bottle it for use, and seal the cork. How to apply it:—For a dog, one table-spoonful the first day, two the second, three the third, four the fourth, and five the fifth; continue to give five for four mornings more; nine mornings in all. The same quantity to man or woman, making allowances for robust or less vigorous frames. To a child, half the quantity.

POISON.—When you have reason to suppose that you have accidentally swallowed a poisonous substance, and proper medical advice is not at hand, take an emetic. This may be done almost instantaneously by swallowing a cupful of warm water mixed with a tea-spoonful of mustard. If you have not dry mustard in the house, you are almost sure to have a mustard-pot, and a quantity from that put into the water will very quickly empty the stomach. As mustard may thus prove of so much use, it should never be wanting in any house; but even should there be no mustard at hand, warm water by itself forms a tolerably efficacious emetic.

A HINT TO INVALIDS.—It may not be generally known to persons in delicate health that new milk put into a vessel, and let stand until it becomes of a pleasant sourish taste, is much more wholesome and nutritious than sweet milk; it is more cooling and strengthening, and agrees with many stomachs with which new milk will not.—H. C.

A FUMIGATION FOR INFECTED AIR.—Take muriatic acid, and nitrous acid, of each half an ounce; put them into a quart bottle; add of manganese an ounce and a half; carry this about the room for a few minutes; a powerful smell will then be perceived, which will be sufficient; then let the bottle be closely stopped till the air begins to be offensive, when the same method must be repeated. This will last for months.

TO PREVENT INFECTION FROM TYPHUS FEVER.—Six drachms of powdered saltpetre, six ounces oil of vitriol; mix them in a tea-cup by adding one drachm of the oil at a time. The cup to be placed during the preparation on the hearth, and to be stirred with a tobacco-pipe. The cup to be placed in different parts of the room.—F. E. W.

TO REMOVE THE SMELL OF HOUSE SEWAGE.—Mix gypsum (sulphate of lime), with the sewage, which is called “deodorising,” and it will partially answer the purpose; but peat charcoal will be found a more effective addition.

TO CURE THE STING OF A WASP.—Apply oil of tartar, or solution of potash, to the part affected, and it will give you instant ease.—F. E. W.

FLY WATER.—The following preparation, without endangering the lives of children, or other incautious persons, is not less fatal to flies than a solution of arsenic. Dissolve two drachms of the extract of quassia in half a pint of boiling water, add a little sugar or syrup, and put the mixture in plates.—F. E. W.

TO AVOID INJURY FROM BEES.—A wasp or bee swallowed may be killed before it can do harm, by taking a tea-spoonful of common salt dissolved in water. It kills the insect and cures the sting. Salt, at all times, is the best cure for external stings; sweet oil, pounded mallows, or onions, or powdered chalk made into a paste with water, are also efficacious.

EFFECTUAL METHOD OF CURING THE STINGS OF BEES AND WASPS.—The sting of a bee is generally more virulent than that of a wasp, and with some people attended with very violent effects. The sting of a bee is barbed at the end, and, consequently, always left in the wound: that of a wasp is pointed only, so that they can sting more than once, which a bee cannot do. When any person is stung by a bee, let the sting, in the first place, be instantly pulled out; for the longer it remains in the wound, the deeper it will pierce, owing to its peculiar form, and emit more of the poison. The sting is hollow, and the poison flows through it, which is the sole cause of the pain and inflammation. The pulling out of the sting should be done carefully, and with a steady hand; for if any part of it breaks in, all remedies then, in a great measure, will be ineffectual. When the sting is extracted, suck the wounded part, if possible, and very little inflammation, if any, will ensue. If hartshorn drops are immediately afterwards rubbed on the part, the cure will be more complete. All notions of the efficacy of sweet oil, bruised parsley, burnt tobacco, &c., appear, on various trials, to be totally groundless. On some people, the sting of bees and wasps has no effect, it is therefore of little consequence what remedy they apply to the wound. However, the effect of stings greatly depends on the habit of body a person is of; at one time a sting takes little or no effect, though no remedy is used, which at another time will be very virulent on the same person. I have had occasion to test this remedy several times, and I can safely avouch its efficacy. The exposure to which persons are subjected during the hot summer months, will no doubt render the advice very useful, its very simplicity making it more acceptable.—W. F. C., _Islington_.

DISINFECTING LIQUID.—In a wine-bottle of cold water, dissolve two ounces acetate of lead (sugar of lead); and then add two (fluid) ounces of strong nitric acid (aqua-fortis). Shake the mixture, and it will be ready for use.—A very small quantity of the liquid, in its strongest form, should be used for cleansing all kinds of chamber utensils.—For removing offensive odours, clean cloths thoroughly moistened with the liquid, diluted with eight or ten parts of water, should be suspended at various parts of the room.—In this case the offensive and deleterious gases are neutralized by chemical action. Fumigation in the usual way is only the substitution of one odour for another. In using the above, or any other disinfectant, let it never be forgotten that _fresh air_—and plenty of it—is cheaper and more effective than any other material.—O. N.

TOILETTE RECEIPTS.

HAIR DYE, No. 1.—I have operated upon my own cranium for at least a dozen years, and though I have heard it affirmed that dyeing the hair will produce insanity, I am happy to think I am, as yet, perfectly sane, and under no fear of becoming insane; at all events, I am wiser than I once was, when I paid five shillings for what I myself can now make for less than twopence!—but to the question:—I procure lime, which I speedily reduce to powder by throwing a little water upon it; then mix this with litharge (three-quarters lime and a quarter litharge), which I sift through a fine hair sieve; and then I have what is sold at a high price under the name of “Unique Powder,” and the most effectual hair dye that has yet been discovered. But the application of it is not very agreeable, though simple enough:—Put a quantity of it in a saucer, pour boiling water upon it, and mix it up with a knife like thick mustard; divide the hair into thin layers with a comb, and plaster the mixture thickly into the layers to the roots, and all over the hair. When it is all completely covered over with it, then lay all over it a covering of damp blue or brown paper, and bind over it closely a handkerchief, then put on a nightcap over all, and go to bed; in the morning, brush out the powder, wash thoroughly with soap and warm water, then dry, curl, oil, &c. I warrant that hair thus managed will be a permanent and beautiful black, which, I dare say, most people would prefer to either gray or red.—J. G.

HAIR DYE, No. 2.—Moisten the hair first with a solution of silver in nitric acid, and then with a weak solution of the hydro-sulphuret of ammonia. This is instantaneous in its effects. It is to be observed that it also stains the skin.

SUPERFLUOUS HAIR.—Seeing a general desire for a receipt to remove superfluous hairs, I send you one which I can recommend:—Lime, one ounce; carbonate of potash, two ounces; charcoal powder, one drachm; mix with warm water to a paste, and apply it to the hair. When dry, wash it off.—W. Ll. R.

FOR THICKENING AND STRENGTHENING THE HAIR.—Skim the fat from the top of calves’ feet while boiling; mix with a tea-spoonful of rum; shake together. Apply night and morning.

ECONOMICAL HAIR WASH.—Take one ounce of borax, half an ounce of camphor, powder these ingredients fine, and dissolve them in one quart of boiling water; when cool, the solution will be ready for use; damp the hair frequently. This wash not only effectually cleanses and beautifies, but strengthens the hair, preserves the colour, and prevents early baldness. The camphor will form into lumps, but the water will be sufficiently impregnated.

TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF HAIR.—Mix equal parts of olive oil and spirits of rosemary, and add a few drops of oil of nutmeg. If the hair be rubbed every night with this, and the proportion be very gradually increased, it will answer every purpose of increasing the growth of the hair. I have tried this, and recommended it to others, with the best effect.—E. J.

ERASMUS WILSON’S LOTION TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF HAIR.—Eau de Cologne, two ounces; tincture of cantharides, two drachms; oil of rosemary and oil of lavender, of each ten drops.