i'm'W :j t v jgjp how vague a knowledge the general reader or hearer has of his own /it wonderful mechanism. Though many talk familiarly of the organs upon whose constant action life itself depends, though they may be reasonably intelligent as to the promotion and maintenance of general health, there is a remarkable lack of information with reference, not only to the structure and offices of the parts of the human economy, but also to their general appearance, and even their location. The authors of the present work, conscious of the proneness of writers to presume too much upon the reader’s knowledge of subjects so familiar to themselves, will take pains, by description and illustration, to present a clear picture of the several parts of the body before advancing to the treatment of their diseases. Experience has shown that it is much easier to induce a patient to take needed treatment when he can see rational physio- logical reasons therefor, than when he is to act under the bare direction of a physician. The imparting of a clear outline of the main facts of anatomy and physiology is an important step toward the successful treatment of a patient. It is therefore sincerely hoped that this part of the book will be of great service to the profession, as well as in self-treatment. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. 4. The Muscles. CHAPTER II SIGNS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE. mO get a rational view of the treatment of the diseases which we are now approaching, it is necessary to know something of the normal /t| j-'y’ condition of the body, and to be able to recognize the signs which indicate a departure from the same. The symptoms of disease are of two kinds, those" which are known to the sufferer, consisting of pain and distress, and those which are seen by the observer, such as physical changes in the patient, or .the functions of the body. The latter field is the more important to the general reader, and comes within the special domain of domestic medicine. It is through these manifestations that we are able to form a clear idea of the ailments of young children and animals in particular, and to successfully treat their many disorders. The most important points in detecting different morbid conditions are the color of the skin, the general appearance of the face, the temperature of the body, the condition of the tongue and eyes, the pulse, the breathing, thirst, appetite, and the excretions from the bladder and bowels. THE FACE. The color of the face is often quite an important sign, and aids much in detecting and locating disease. Unusual redness indicates an inflammatory condition, and is noticeable in inflammations of the brain, apoplexy, certain eruptive diseases, and vari- ous fevers. When the redness is circumscribed, presenting a circular red spot on the cheek, it indicates a lung complication. In inflammation of the lungs, this spot is on the cheek corresponding to the side affected; in hectic fever, occurring during consumption or other exhausting diseases, on one or both cheeks. Extreme paleness is due to loss of blood, dropsy, or a scrofulous state of the system, and is present in various low fevers. In some diseases of the heart, apoplexy, congestion of the lungs, and the last stage of cholera, the face becomes livid. MAN SIGNS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE. Diseases of the liver, or obstructions in its various ducts, give a yellow or brown appearance to the skin. THE TEMPERATURE. The temperature of the skin and body is of great value as a sign of disease. Nature has so adapted the various functions of the animal economy that the temperature of each species is the same in all portions of the globe. The Greenlander has the same temperature as the man at the equator. In man, the mean or average heat of the body is placed at 982° F., or what is known as blood heat, and any considerable change from this stand- ard is an indication of some disorder of the system. The temperature is higher in all acute inflammatory diseases and fevers. It is lower than normal in many chronic diseases, and then indicates debility and a low state of the system. The lower temperature is also found in certain brain dis- orders and the collapse of cholera. The best instrument for determining the temperature of the body is the clinical or fever thermometer. Since this valuable instrument has been in common use, it has done much toward the early and correct detection and location of disease. Sometimes the surface of the body feels cool to the touch, from imperfect circulation in the part, or from a low state of the system, as in consumption, and there is no evidence of fever except in the palms of the hands, or on the soles of the feet; but when the thermometer is held under the tongue, a marked elevation above the normal is noticed at once. This is a very important sign in consumption especially, and many times we are able to detect the deposit of tubercular matter in the lungs long before there is any evidence of this disease in the loss of flesh or cough. In well-ordered households thermometers are used for the regula- tion of the temperature of the air. It is of scarcely less importance that one of the clinical thermometers be in the house. Its use can be easily ac- quired, and will often be an invaluable aid. The temperature is usually highest in the eruptive fevers, scarlet fever producing the greatest rise; if it should rise to 105°, it would indicate a severe form of the disease, and if 108° should be reached, a fatal termina- tion would likely ensue. Sometimes nervous diseases present indications of severe cerebral con- gestions, and when the thermometer is applied the temperature is found to be normal. On the other hand, hysterical patients may have severe conges- tion of the brain, and if the thermometer be not applied, and the increase of temperature noticed, the disorder may be mistaken for hysteria, and a fatal result follow. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. the figure on its scale at the surface is 1000. The denser the fluid to be tested, the higher will be the figure which reaches the surface, and thus the specific gravity of a fluid can be accurately found. In Bright’s Disease, the specific gravity is generally lower than normal, below 1015; but some- times it is very high in certain stages, reaching even 1094. In the latter instance, if boiled, it curdles up like milk and the addition of drops of dilute nitric acid will cause a deposit In the bottom of a test-tube, of a gray- ish-white substance like the white of an egg cooked. In diabetes, the urine has a specific gravity ranging from 1025 to 1040, is found in large quantities, sometimes several quarts in twenty-four hours, foams when voided, and has a sweetish smell. When one is passing a large quantity of urine, accompanied with great thirst, dryness of the skin and loss of flesh, he should consult a physician at once, detailing these symptoms. In jaundice, gall-stones, or other disorders of the liver, the urine is of a dark-yellow or saffron color. In fever, it is red, or high-colored, and scanty. In children with worms, it is milky, and passed quite often in small quantities. It may be bloody and red, or dark, in hemor- rhage of the kidneys or bladder; and slimy in catarrhal or other diseases of these organs. In hysteria, it is copious, clear, colorless, and with a specific gravity of 1007, It is dark or black, with foul smell, in putridity. In old age, it is dark-colored, with rank smell. In rheumatic fever, it is strongly acid, turning blue litmus paper bright red. There may be frequent desire to pass urine, with burn- ing, scalding feeling and many other symptoms, all sug- gesting inflammation. A small stream, passed with effort, indicates stricture of the canal leading from the bladder. Irritation and pain over the bladder, if accompanied with heat and fever, are marks of inflammation of that organ. 8. Urinometer. THE BOWELS. Excretions of the bowels vary much during health, in color, quantity and consistence, so that they are not of so much importance as the urine, unless they are considered in connection with obvious diseases of the system. Yet there are some characteristics in them that can be studied with profit. Constipation results from inflammation, muscular debility, inaction of the lower intestines, general debility of the system, or deficient bile in the discharges. When it results from inflammation, there are severe pain, stiff feeling of the abdomen, and heat; when from muscular debility, there is a loss of expulsive power; in inaction of the intestines, there is a loss of the COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. A—Cerebrum. B—Cerebellum. CHAPTER 111. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. ?TT is fitting that we should first give the structure and treatment of the m nervous system, because its condition, as we shall soon learn, has such a tj marked influence upon all other parts of the body. There is also a peculiar interest in its study, because it is the medium for the wonderful phenomena of thought, feeling, and volition, whose possession and exercise give man the first place among created beings. The substance of the whole nervous system is composed of two elements, distinguishable with the miscroscope : First, nerve-Jibers, the white sub- stance, which are delicate white filaments, the smallest of which are but i-ioooo of an inch in diameter. These are arranged in parallel order, and combine to form the nerves, whose branches and trunks average about 1-2000 of an inch in diameter. Second, nerve-cells, the gray tis- sues, a grayish, granular substance composed of minute cells, from 1-4000 to 1-300 of an inch in diam- eter. A collection or group of this substance is called a nervous center or ganglion, and, wherever it is found, is intermingled with nerve- fibers. Many of the cells have little branches which unite with the fibers. It is the office of the nerve-cells to generate nervous power at their centers, like a galvanic battery; the nerve-fibers, through their delicate lines, transmit this power. It is of the greatest importance that the distinction between the two elements just named, and that between their offices, be clearly maintained. io. Magnified Nerve-Ganglion, from a cat. MAN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. vice versa. A like crossing takes place in the motor fibers when they reach the medulla oblongata. This will explain the singular fact that when one side of the brain is affected, as bv paralysis, for example, the opposite side of the body suffers. Besides the nerves which pass up to the brain, there are others which terminate in the spinal cord. If a foot or wing of a bird be pressed im- mediately after the head has been taken off, the limb will be drawn back, indicating the presence of some form of sensation. This must be uncon- scious, since the brain is removed ; and it has been shown to have its seat in the spinal cord. This part of the nervous system thus exercises a general protection over the body, frequently making a defense before the brain has become cognizant of the presence of harm, as when one snatches his hand 14. Section of the Brain, with Cranial Nerves. F F,—Cerebrum. D.—Cerebellum, divided vertically and show.ng the deep furrows as branches (the “ arbor vitse ”). //.—Medulla Oblongata, merging into the Spinal Cord, A. G.—The Eye. />, C, 1, 2, etc.—Cranial Nerves. from a hot or cold surface before he has felt the pain, or had any thought of it. There are many instances of such action of the involuntary muscles which might be adduced. The Cranial Nerves, because of their locality, cannot he so well studied, and a description of these here can be of little practical value, ex. cept as it refers to the pneumogastric. Of the others, it may be said in general, that they are involved in smell, taste, sight and hearing, in muscu- lar movements about the head and face, in the facial expression and complexion. The pneumogastric, so-called from its close connection with the lungs and stomach, is very complicated, and of the highest importance. Fila- MAN—THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. SEA-SICKNESS. This distressing disorder, caused by the motion of a vessel, is due to a disturbed state of the system in which the brain receives a deficient supply of blood. Those of delicate and sensitive organisms, with weak heart-action, quick pulse, and tendency to palpitation, are more often attacked, and such may be affected by the motion of steam or horse cars, carriages or swings. The following rules, from Dr. Barker’s excellent work, are so com- mendable and trustworthy, that they are deserving of mention, as applying to those who are certain or fearful of an attack. They are not, of course designed for those who are proof against sea-sickness. 1. Do not go on the steamer in a nervous or exhausted condition; have every preparation made at least twenty-four hours before starting. This direction is particularly important for ladies. 2. Eat a good hearty meal three hours before sailing, of wholesome food. 3. Select a berth as near the center of the vessel as possible. In go- ing to Europe it is better to be on the starboard side, and in returning on the port side, which will be the sunny side. 4. Go on board sufficiently early to arrange such things as may be wanted for the first day or two, so that they may be easy of access; then undress and go to bed before the vessel gets under way. The neglect of this by those who are liable to sea-sickness is sure to be regretted. If sub- ject to nausea, retain the horizontal position the entire passage if necessary. 5. Eat regularly and as heartily as you can (and there is nothing that can be taken better than light chicken-broth), but without raising the head for at least one or two days. In this way the habit of digestion is kept up, the strength is preserved, while the system becomes accustomed to the constant change of equilibrium. 6. On the first night out take some mild laxative medicine, and be care- ful to keep the bowels open for the remainder of the voyage. Constipa- tion not only results from sea-sickness, but in turn aggravates it. 7. After having become so far habituated to the sea as to be able to take your meals at the table and go on deck, never think of rising in the morning until you have eaten something, as a plate of oatmeal, or a cup of coffee or tea, with biscuit. The Edinburgh biscuit can be taken by the most delicate. If subsequently during the voyage the sea should become unusu- ally rough, go to bed before getting sick. It is foolish to dare anything when there is no glory to be won, and something to be lost. 8. Do not make the mistake of trying to keep on deck—it is a mistake to suppose that sea-sickness is beneficial to any one,—it is often permanently injurious, and has sometimes resulted fatally. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. STUTTERING AND STAMMERING. Though these two terms are used interchangeably, they denote differ- ent affections of the vocal organs. Hunt says stuttering “is a vicious ut- terance, manifested by frequent repetitions of initial or other elementary sounds, and always more or less attended with muscular contortions.” The same writer says of stammering that it “is characterized by an in- ability or difficulty of properly enunciating some or many of the elementary speech sounds, either when they occur at the beginning or the middle of a word, accompanied or not, as the case may be, by a slow, hesitating, more or less indistinct delivery, but unattended with frequent repetitions of the initial sounds, and consequent convulsive efforts to surmount the difficulty,” Either or both may attend St. Vitus’ dance, and then treatment is to be directed to the latter. They also arise from deformities of the lips, tongue, teeth, or palate (when they are either incurable or need surgical measures), from enlarged tonsils, or from diseases of the nervous system. It is because they are so often of a nervous origin that they are mentioned in this chapter. Stammering is often developed in children by the family using “ baby .talk”—a practice which should be avoided. Speak plainly to a child when he is learning to talk, and teach him to enunciate words distinctly as he ac- quires the ability to do so. Great or sudden excitement, loss of sleep, nervous exhaustion, the ex- cessive use of narcotics, and other debilitating influences may produce either of these, though more often only temporarily. Treatment.—From what has been said, it is obvious that the treat- ment is generally to be directed to some disorder of which stuttering or stammering is a symptom. When a case has become established, it is best to put the patient under the care of some one who is skilled in this particu- lar field, for a minute and patient discipline of the organs of speech is neces- sary, and sometimes involves weeks or months of care. Assistance may be given if the family will not notice the patient when he is in a paroxysm, never imitate or laugh at him, and never excite him. The patient should not try to speak unless his lungs have been well filled. If he will, when in a paroxysm, pinch his clothing, move his feet or other part of the body, or resort to other similar means to divert the attention from his difficulty, his speech will be more likely to flow freely and naturally for the moment. If a case has not become confirmed, friends may break it up by training the patient to control his speech as far as he can. They must encourage him to speak slowly, stop him when he begins to stutter or stammer (doing this gently and without affected sympathy, never with a start), and have COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. the neuralgia occurs in over-worked patients, are essential. Sometimes a change of habits and climate is necessary to effect a cure. DELIRIUM TREMENS. Delirium tremens is a direct result of the use of alcoholic stimulants. The principal symptoms are sleeplessness; mental derangement, the mind being constantly disturbed by frightful visions; “the serpent in the cup stinging like an adder ” presents, in its dreadful contortions, a terrible picture. The symptoms are much like those in inflammation of the brain, but the previous'habits of the patient will be sufficient to distinguish the one from the other. The disorder usually comes on when the patient has been deprived of a powerful stimulant to which the nervous system has become accustomed by constant use. If the stomach becomes unable to retain such stimulant after it has been long continued, the same effects may follow. Treatment.—The best remedies in the earliest; stages are nux vomica and kali bromidum, the latter especially being freely used. Have the patient take copious drinks of a strong decoction of Cayenne pepper. A teaspoonful of the extract of red Peruvian bark has proved beneficial in both relieving the patient in an attack, and removing the desire for stimu- lants. Total abstinence is, however, the only sure preventive of succeeding attacks. [I have controlled delirium tremens better with Jamaica dogwood (30 drops every hour) than with any other remedy.—Hale.] LOCK-JAW.—TETAN US. Tetanus is a general spasm of the body, the muscles sometimes assum- ing such a rigid state that the heels and head are drawn back together. Usually, however, it is confined to the face, closing the jaws so firmly as to prevent any separation whatever; whence the name “lock-jaw.” It may arise from a disorder of the blood or nervous system, or from an injury, an amputation, a punctured wound, as a nail in the foot, a burn, the extraction of a tooth, and the like. Treatment.—Arnica, applied to the wound, and taken internally, often relieves. Belladonna, aconite, or mix vomica may be found useful. Sometimes surgical measures are necessary. It is not within the province of domestic treatment, and should receive skilled attendance at the first indication. Do not put confidence in the many silly newspaper specifics for the treatment of this really dangerous ailment, for you may be responsible for serious results. MAN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. ANAJMIA. NERVOUS EXHAUSTION. 1. Watery condition of blood, with marked paleness, especially on lips. 2. Small, weak, soft pulse, and continued disturbance of circulation; cold extremi- ties. 3. Sleeplessness not frequent; often ab- normal ability to sleep. 4. Fatigue from slight exertion; physical labor always more exhausting than men- tal. 1. Healthful blood and color, sometimes redness of face. 2. Full or normal pulse, at times very slow or very rapid; circulation normal or irregularly disturbed. 3. Sleeplessness very frequent and stub- born. 4. Fatigue sometimes from slight exertion, sometimes not from a great deal; mental labor (especially in brain exhaustion) more wearing than physical. 5. Consecutive thought and strained men- tal activity at times impossible, memory often temporarily weak, and mental de- pression almost universal. 6. Has no natural or essential connection with disease in organs outside of nervous system. 7. Occurs mainly between ages of sixteen and sixty; rather less often in females than in males. 8. Benefited little or none by remedies for the blood, but by those for nervous sys- tem, such as are given under “Treat- ment” below. 9. Recovery almost surely gradual, and under combination treatment. 5. Perhaps, and generally, no disturbance of mental faculties, and no mental de- pression. 6. Generally connected with some organic disease outside of the nervous system. 7. Occurs at any period from birth to old age; much oftener in females than in males. 8. Benefited by remedies for the blood, such as iron. 9. Recovery may be rapid upon removal of the organic disease, and enriching of the blood. Treatment.—Professor Beard, whose inquiries into this disease have been most valuable and of the highest order, speaks thus of this and kindred nervous diseases: “Although they are not directly fatal and so do not ap- pear in the mortality tables; although, on the contrary, they may tend to prolong life and protect the system against febrile and inflammatory diseases, yet the amount of suffering that they cause is enormous. Volumes are written on typhoid and other fevers; but in this country these neuroses, al- though not fatal, cause more distress and annoyance than all forms of fevers combined, excepting perhaps those of a malarious origin. Fevers kill, it is true; but to many death is by no means the most disagreeable of the many symptoms of disease.” From these words the patient may draw the conso- lation that, though his case is Worse than uncharitable neighbors have sup- posed, it is not one of imminent danger. It will be of the highest import- ance in the treatment if the patient cultivates a spirit of hope by learning that his chances of long life are rather above the average, and that, if proper treatment be continued with patience for the required time, a cure is MAN THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. It is not easy to overrate the importance of chewing, and the mixture of the saliva. Unlike the other steps in digestion, these are under the con- trol of the will, and great care should be taken to allow ample time for a thorough preparation of the food for swallowing. Rapid eating will almost surely be attended with an excessive use of drinks in place of the requisite saliva. By such haste again, hard pieces of food pass to the stomach and induce indigestion or other painful disorders. THE (ESOPHAGUS AND STOMACH. The gullet, or oesophagus, is a strong, cartilaginous tube, eight or nine inches long, capable of complicated, worm-like movements, by which the food is swallowed, or carried down into the stomach. The stomach is oblong or pear- shaped, thin, and easily distended, with an average capacity of about three pints in the adult. When food enters it, its lining membrane becomes a deep red, from an underlying network of minute blood-vessels, and furnishes a clear, acid fluid, called gastric juice. This mingles with the food and effects changes in some of its elements, making part of 23. Organs of Digestion. 0. —Upper Part of (Esophagus. S.—Stomach. L. —Liver. M. —Lower Opening of the Stomach. 1. —Small intestine. C.—Large Intestine. P.—Pancreas. A.—Spleen. G— Gall-Bladder. them ready to pass into the circulation, the stomach meanwhile keeping up continual movements, during the presence of the food, to insure a complete mixture. Some parts of the food are absorbed at this point by the blood- vessels, and pass up into the right side of the heart, whence they are carried as nutriment to all parts of the body by the circulation. 22. Salivary Gland. MAN THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. secreted by a copious suppty of glands, which corrects the results of any imperfect action of the juices previously mentioned. Though digestion proper is completed with the formation of the chyle, this is not the end. The intestines, especially the small one, are even more copiously supplied with blood-vessels than the stomach, and these absorb the chyle with wonderful activity. Their lining membrane is also supplied with innumerable elevations, or villi, which reach out and absorb the chyle, their blood-vessels carrying it up to the heart. In the small intestine are still other minute vessels, called lacteals, starting in the villi and running along by the side of the blood-vessels. These unite to form one canal, the 25. Mucous Membrane and Villi of the Intestines (highly magnified). 1. —Outer Cellular Layer. 3. —Under Layer of Fiber 2. —Vein. 4. Villi. 5. —Section of Villus, with outer layer, blood-vessels and lacteals. 6. —Villus with part of outer layer removed. V-—Villus wholly stripped. B.—Lacteals. 10, 11 and 12.—Glands between the Villi. g.—Mouth of Gland. 13.—Capillaries surrounding the same. thoracic duct, through which they carry their contents, which they absorb from the food in the intestines, up into the heart, whence they are driven, mingled with the blood, into the circulation for the nourishment of the body. It will be seen from the foregoing that digestion is the process by which food is wrought up into suitable form for the repair of the waste in the body. It prepares the material and surrenders it to the blood, the archi- tect of the body, whose functions are set forth in the next chapter. It will be readily inferred, from the number of the digestive organs and their com- plex functions, that any disturbance in one will be readily felt in the others. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. THE GUMS. The gums are subject to various disorders, mostly of a sympathetic nature, and thus connected with diseases of other parts. Among the varied causes is a lack of their proper care, in consequence of a want of knowledge of the measures requisite to keep them in health. There may also be a dis- eased state of the system which prevents or retards a radical cure, such as blood taints, scurvy, or the abuse of mercurial preparations. Injlamniation of the gums often arises during teething, and is due to a feverish or othenvise deranged state of the system. The pernicious habit of cutting the gums before the tooth has developed causes this and other disorders, without giving relief to the child, or hastening the protrusion of the tooth. Inflammation also arises from abscess of the teeth or gums in toothache, from canker of the mouth, and from taking cold. Scurvy of the gums is caused by a salt-meat diet, lack of vegetables, and starvation, being often found in camps, in sailors, and among poverty- stricken people. Spongy, soft gums, with ragged edges, and loose on the teeth, are pro- duced by a collection of tartar, deranged stomach, dosing with mercury, want of cleanliness, and decayed teeth. Gum-Boils, or abscesses of the gums, arise from taking cold, inflam- mation of the gums, extraction and abscess of the teeth. They usually commence in the sockets of the teeth as a result of inflammation of the roots. They are accompanied with great pain, swelling of the gum and cheek, and finally burst through the gum, and sometimes externally through the cheek. The last issue is to be prevented if possible, as it leaves an un- sightly scar, and in children may lead to caries of the jaw. Salivation is usually caused by the abuse of mercurv, but sometimes comes on as the result of taking cold. It also accompanies attacks of fevers and disorders of the stomach. It is marked by swelling of the glands in the throat, profuse discharge of saliva and inflammation or ulceration of the gums; the teeth become loose, and when the disorder is caused by mercury, can often be picked out with the fingers. Bleeding may occur in any of the above disorders of the gums, but especially in scurvy, and is due to a general unhealthy condition of the parts, the removal of which will relieve the trouble. Treatment.—Since the cure of the various diseases of the gums is conditioned upon a healthy state of the stomach, all articles of diet which tend to derange that organ should be studiously avoided, and only plain, nourishing food be used. In the severer forms of inflammation and ulcera- tion, the diet should consist of broths, gruels, milk-and-water, crackers MAN—THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. cation of taste, compel the stomach to perform unusual and unnecessary labor, and tend to derange its functions. As a result, that organ, on which so largely depend life and happiness, becomes very often the seat of misery. It is not the purpose to give an elaborate description of the different forms, but rather a general outline of the most prominent ones, with the best methods of preventing the disorder, and of treating it when it has come on. The general symptoms are quite well known to all under the common term “indigestion,” the more conspicuous being impaired appetite;flatulence; nausea; belching of bitter or acid fluids; furred tongue, often large and flabby and showing impressions of the teeth on its sides; foul breath; heart burn; pain in the stomach; sensation of weight or fullness after eating, however small the amount; depression of spirits; palpitation of the heart; various affections of other organs, as constipation and diarrhoea. Treatment.—Treatment depends largely on Iwgienic measures, and the strict observance of several fixed rules. The first thing of importance is the proper selection of food, and, as a rule, fresh animal food, cooked so as to retain all its juices, is received the most kindly, being more easily digested, and causing less flatulence, than the use of vegetables. Hard-dried, cured meats, ham, tongue and sausages are especially to be avoided; also veal, pork, meats that have been cooked more than once, salmon, lobster, crabs, salads, cucumbers, raw vegetables, cheese, new baked bread, coffee, and particularly any food or drink that occasions distress after eating. Stimulants, malt liquors, spirits, or wines, are to be avoided under all circumstances, even if their use does give temporary relief. The taking of alcoholic preparations is productive of the most serious derangements of digestion, and the seeming benefit, whether derived from the extensively advertised “bittei's,” or liquor in its clear state and purest form, is the result of deadened sensibility, and the trouble is still going on, growing worse each day. Fluids should be used moderately, unless the food is taken in that form. Cocoa or black tea will be received kindly. VVater, against which some have a prejudice, is often one of the best means of preventing or curing dyspepsia. This should be used with caution, and but a small quantity be taken at meals, as it cools the stomach and checks the flow of gastric juice. A cup of hot water, taken before meals, increases the gastric juice and aids digestion. The food should be well masticated; therefore plenty of time should be allowed for the meal. To accomplish this part of digestion, the teeth should be in good order, and if the natural teeth are decayed or lost, their place should be filled by a skillful dentist. A cheerful frame of mind and pleasant, but moderate, conversation MAN THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. slow digestion from deficiency of gastric juice. The following prescription is invaluable in many cases: ]£ Pepsin, .... i drachm. Dilute muriatic acid, ~ A “ Subnitrate of bismuth, 2 “ Glycerine, - - ~ A ounce. Water, - - - $y2 “ Mix.—Give a teaspoonful before or after meals.—Hale.J HEARTBURN. The above term signifies a sensation of acrid heat in the region of the stomach, rising up into the throat. It is due to some irritating cause in the stomach, as spices, strong stimulants, tea, sharp acids, smoking, or presence of bile. It has no connection with trouble in the heart, as its name would imply. Hiccough is a frequent accompaniment, which in infants may be corrected by a little milk or water. Treatment.—Chamomilla is the principal remedy, and, if taken oc- casionally, will prevent its return if the special cause is removed. Carbo vegetabilis.—Acid or acrid belchings, with flatulence and con- stipation. Chronic cases will yield to nux vomica, bryonia or pulsatilla. In obslinate cases, Krukncburg’s prescription is often followed by ad- mirable results, namely, “When the patient is hungry, let him eat butter- milk, and when thirsty, let him drink buttermilk.” [Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia is the best palliative Known for acid eruc- tations and acid changes in the food, even when causing diarrhoea and colic in children. A teaspoonful taken an hour or two after meals immediately relieves this distressing condition.—Hale.] VOMITING.—SICKNESS. Vomiting is usually a symptom of some disorder of the digestive or- gans, or, through sympathetic irritation, of disease of organs more remote. The causes are quite numerous; among the principal ones we have indiges- tion; pregnancy; disease of the brain, kidneys or uterus; obstruction of the intestinal canal; cancer or ulcer of the stomach; morbid states of the blood; eruptive fevers. If the conditions preceding vomiting are relieved by it, then it may be considered a favorable symptom; if the}' are not relieved, but are ircreased, or if the vomiting is the result of brain disease, epileps}, and the like, the condition is of an alarming form. MAN THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. Iris versicolor.—Severe, flatulent colic, with diarrhoea, sometimes yields to this remedy when all others fail. Warm fomentations should be applied to the abdomen, and if the bow- els are constipated, a copious injection of warm water be used at once. This alone often gives immediate relief. Care should be taken in the diet, and flatulent food, especially vegetables, and all other articles known to disagree, should be avoided. Medical aid should be summoned if relief does not soon follow the means recommended above. CONSTIPATION. Constipation is a retarded action of the bowels by which the contents become hardened and pressed in the rectum, where they are retained for a longer or a shorter time. It is not always a symptom of disease, and the practice of using cathartics when the bowels do not move once or twice a dav is a pernicious one, and always attended with bad results. Purgatives during sickness are extremely injurious, and while they afford a temporary relief, the irritation of the delicate mucous membrane of the intestinal tract is followed by weakness, a chronic catarrh is induced, and the condition sought to be removed is aggravated to a large extent. The Londo7t Lancet, a leading medical journal of Europe, in a promi- nent article in October, 1870, after strongly denouncing the prevalent cus- tom of indiscriminate purgation, makes the following observations upon what cathartics can not accomplish, and the pernicious results in those cases in which their use is customary: ‘(1) Purgatives can not eliminate or throw off mot-bid poiso7is. They have no power, except for evil, in the eruptive fevers, including typhus and enteric (typhoid). “(2) Phey ca7i 7iot 7‘C7nove a clot on or in the hr aim. Apoplexy is known now to depend on degeneration of the blood-vessels, which purga- tives might damage, but could not possibly benefit. “(3) Purgatives can not overcome a 7nechanicat obstruction of the bowels. ‘‘(4) Phey are un7iecessary in the case of lying-i7t wo7nen. The tendency of purgatives is to weaken the patient, lessen the amount of milk, and retard the restoration of the parts by disturbance.” This is good teaching, and, in fact, a constipated condition of the bow- els of lying-in women is one of the best indications of progress to health and strength. Daily evacuations of the bowels, which are usual in early or middle life, are often in excess in advanced life, when three or four times a week are MAN—THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. sunken appearance of the face, with failure of the heart’s action. The dose is one to five drops of the strong tincture, according to age, given every ten to fifteen minutes until circulation is restored. Complete rest in the recumbent posture should be secured, with warm applications to the abdomen, and the heat of the body be maintained by hot bottles and other means. Ice and ice-water may be given freely. The diet should be non-irritating. CHOLERA INFANTUM Of all the diseases which strike terror to the mother’s heart, this is per- haps the most appalling. Its progress is so rapid, and its results so fatal, that we do not wonder at the dread with which it is viewed. The neces- sity for prompt action when far from medical aid impels us to give full notes here, with the assurance also that the means recommended are often an anchor of safety when others fail; but it is sincerely hoped that no one, while following these directions, will delay a moment in securing the best physician that can be found. Cholera infantum is peculiarly a disease of large cities. While country towns and farming communities may suffer from it, they are not attacked with that virulence which manifests itself in more thickly populated sec- tions. Its chief causes are exposure to extreme heat, foul-air from unclean streets, poor food, and nervous irritation in teething. It more often attacks children who are fed on artificial food and cow’s milk than those who are at the mother’s breast. It comes on between the fourth and twentieth months and its characteristics correspond to those of cholera morbus. Its symptoms are severe vomiting; great pain in the bowels; cold extremities; purging, and very rapid prostration; bloating of the abdomen; tongue red and dry, or moist, and covered with a thick fur; head hot; eyes sunken, dull or glassy, and the lids heavy; the child is restless, moans constantly, and turns from side to side; great thirst; feeble pulse; the heart’s action irregular; the loss of fluids is very rapid, and the kidneys consequently cease to secrete the urine. The blood thus becomes poisoned with urea, as indicated by delirium; rolling of the head; sharp or plaintive cries; squint- ing of the eyes; stupor; convulsions; and death, if not relieved. This disease should not be confounded with catarrh of the intestines, though often accompanying it, and though children who are affected with the latter, and are subjected to the necessary conditions, sometimes contract cholera infantum. Intestinal catarrh, or summer complaint, may be dis- tinguished by a comparison of its symptoms, given under Diarrhoea, with the above. It is strictly an inflammatory disorder, and does not entail that MAN THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION. Veratrum album, for vomiting and diarrhoea; cool skin; sunken feat- ures; small, weak pulse; great thirst; anxiety. Arsenicum, in a later stage, for sudden sinking of the strength; ex- tremities cold and covered with a clammy sweat; intense thirst, with small drinks at a time; persistent vomiting; burning sensation in the bowels; symptoms all worse at night. Hot fomentations will relieve the pain. Cold applications are some- times more agreeable, and may then be used. Bran or linseed-meal poul- tices are often productive of good. When the tongue is red and dry, the abdomen much distended, the urine scanty and passed with difficulty and burning pain, applications of turpentine will be of much value; use it by putting one tablespoonful of turpentine in a pint of boiling water, and lay- ing on the abdomen cloths wet in this solution. The flax-seed and mustard poultice recommended for inflammation of the bowels is also valuable. The diet should be very light, consisting of milk, water-gruel, and like articles. Water should be taken quite frequently, but in small quanti- ties. When the inflammation subsides and convalescence begins, a more strengthening diet may be provided, but solid food and meat should not be included until the patient has quite recovered. WORMS. Of the several varieties of parasites which infest the human body, there are three kinds which are usually known under the appellation of worms. To these many of the disorders of childhood are ascribed, and though the best evidence of their presence is their having been seen, this is not always considered. Many times a stomach that is weakened by disease or improper food, is still further deranged by nauseous drugs, under the name of vermifuge. The patentee grows rich, but the poor child suffers from the false impression that all children have a “ patent right ” on worms. The most common of these parasites is the thread or pin worm. They usually occupy the lower portion of the large intestine, and may be conveyed from one person to another by contact. After the patient is warm in bed, they may be seen around the anus, sometimes in masses of considerable size, like a ball; they will migrate from the bowel to the vagina, and when attached to the folds of the bowel or vagina, produce intense itching and annoyance. It is believed, and there is little doubt of its truth, that the larvte are de- posited on the outside, where they hatch and then enter the bowel ready to propagate again. In addition to the itching, the symptoms of their pres- ence are irregular appetite; offensive breath; picking the nose; straining at stool; disturbed sleep, and restlessness. CHAPTER V THE ORGANS OF CIRCULATION. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. p JHE circulation of the blood is the most active and most evident WW p® manifestation of life, as it is one of the most wonderful. Indeed, the /jj tT blood in motion we are accustomed to speak of as life itself, since we know that death speedily ensues upon the cessation of its circulation. Again, it is often remarked that the body grows by the food which is A. —Right Ventricle. B. —Left Ventricle. C. —Right Auricle. D. —Left Auricle. K, F.—Openings into the Ventricles. G. —Artery to the Lungs. H. —Aorta. 27. Chambers of the Heart. 26. The Heart and Blood-Vessels. A.—Right Ventricle. B.—Left Ventricle. C.—Right Auricle. D.—Left Auricle. E.—Aorta. F.—Artery to the Lungs. taken into the stomach; but by reference to the description of the exceed- ingly interesting process of digestion, as given in the anatomy and physiol- COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. ogy of Chapter IV, we learn that these organs only prepare the nutriment, and then discharge it into the blood for distribution. It is now in order to describe those organs, with their functions, which receive this nutri- ment and use it in building the body. THE HEART. The heart, the busy little en- gine of life within us, is conical in form, and lies between the two lungs, obliquely across the chest. The point, or apex, comes out to the wall of the chest under the nipple of the left breast. The upper part, or base of the cone, passes upward and backward toward the right shoulder, and is securely fastened to the walls of the chest, while the lower part is left to vibrate freely. 28. Section of the Right Auricle and Ventricle, The Valve leading into the Ventricle is open; that leading- to the Artery is closed. Around the whole heart is a peculiar sac, consisting of two layers, between which the walls are ex- ceedingly smooth and lubricated by a secretion of their own. This sac is called the pericardium. Internally, the heart has two parts, with a wall between them which completely cuts off direct connection, there being no pas- sage from one side to the other except through the arteries, cap- illaries and veins described below. An accompanying illustration shows that there are four cavities, two auricles above, and two ven- tricles below. Between the auricle and ventricle on either side is a valve which permits the blood to pass downward, but not upward. A peculiarity of these cavities is their power of forcibly contracting and so driving out their con- tents, as noticed further on. 29. Section of the Right Auricle and Ventricle. The Valve leading into the Ventricle is closed; that leading to the Artery is open. MAN THE ORGANS OF CIRCULATION. accumulates in a wound when it is first made; and a like balancing is effected when the body is deprived of food by sickness or other cause, the lymphatics taking up the fat and conveying it to the parts which more urgently need it. Because of this process it has been truthfully said that, in the rapid loss of the flesh by people who are sick or in a famine, and by 34. Lymphatics. animals which spend the whole winter in their dens without food, the body lives on its own flesh. In their course the lymphatics pass through numerous enlargements, from the size of a pin-head to that of an almond, which are known as lym- phatic glands. In consequence of colds and other disorders, these glands become inflamed, swollen and clogged, thus entailing inconvenience and pain, if not very serious results. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. THE CARE OF THE HEART. The importance of the heart in the economy of the physical organism, of which a hint has been given in the pages immediately preceding, and the belief that the public should know more about its functions, with the means of preventing or modifying the dangers to which it is exposed, make a sufficient reason for devoting a considerable space to the care of this organ. The remarkable indefiniteness with which the term “ nervous- ness ” is used, has already been noted, and a like remark applies to “ heart- disease.” Nearly all people have at times some fancied affection of the heart, though they are generally troubled only with a disturbance which is a symptom of another disease. The dread of “ heart-disease ” in the pub- lic mind will be measurably relieved by a reading of what is here to be said, and many anxious patients will find the means of curing themselves. What is offered upon this topic is chiefly condensed from the little work entitled “ The Heart and Howto Take Care of It,” by the editor-in- chief. A grateful acknowledgment is made of the generous courtesy manifested by the publishers, the A. L. Chatterton Publishing' Company, of New York, in permitting such use of the same. The reader is respect- fully referred to that work for a fuller consideration of the subject. Every one supposes that he, of course, knows just where the heart is located; but the great majority of readers will be surprised, upon carefully noting the location as given under the anatomy and physiology of this chapter, to find that it is not so low as they had supposed, nor Iving so much on the left side. It is a laughable fact that actors and actresses, who are supposed to be technically exact in all the details of their parts, in re- ferring to the heart oftener place the hand on the pit of the stomach than over the organ which they are in the act of apostrophizing. It is presumed that the reader has already studied the structure of the heart and its functions, as given in the first pages of this chapter. He has there gained a sufficient knowledge of this organ as the central figure in the circulation, and it only remains to speak briefly of its muscular structure and nervous organism. The heart consists of seven layers of muscular fibers; the central fibers of the muscular wall are circular, and go around the heart, while the fibers toward both outer and inner surfaces pass rather from base to apex, twisting spirally in their course. The outer and inner fibers continue into or con- nect with each other. Thus the heart may be described as a coiled spring of muscular fiber. Some of the great anatomists have unwound these LOCATION AND STRUCTURE. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. that the health of other organs is impaired, and should be attended to, for even if the cardiac irritation is purely reflex, if it continues a long time it will result in a disorder of the heart itself, and remain fixed there. HOW CAN WE TAKE CARE OF THE HEART? To this broad question the general answer may be, by avoiding all those influences which tend to derange its action, or cause disease to flx itself thereupon. And right here I must warn you against going to the extreme of solicitude. It is neither prudent nor safe to watch the heart with too much constancy. I have known many cases of supposed heart-disorder to be caused by watching the heart’s action and the pulse, or rather from watching for evidences of heart-disorder where none existed. Many persons become monomaniacs on this subject, and annoy their medical attendants very much by insisting that they have some affection of the heart, and doubt persistently the assertions of the physician after careful examinations that no actual disorder of that organ exists. Sometimes it is utterly useless for us to assure and reassure such patients. The best method I have ever adopted in such cases is to direct their attention to other organs as the source of complaint. INFLUENCE OF THE WILL AND IMAGINATION. We should keep well in mind the fact that, although the heart is made of involuntary muscular fibers, which are supposed to act independently of the will, it receives its supply of nerve-force from nerves which originate in the brain. Wo know, too, that mental emotions directly affect the heart, which they must do through these nerves. Why should not the brain, act- ing to enforce will, send its mandates to the heart? Some remarkable cases are on record to show that such may be the case. Physicians know that the action of the heart may be quickened by the mere centering of the consciousness upon it, without any emotion or anxiety. We all observe that when we begin to feel the pulse, it is always hurried if the patient fixes his consciousness on the act. In making examinations of healthy men for life insurance, I have often observed that the healthiest hearts will beat hur- riedly and unnaturally, because the candidate was conscious that I was listening for disease. It is related of a gentleman, resident of Baltimore, a Col. Townsend, that, by an effort of the will, he could at any time cause an apparent cessation of all the vital functions, so that the heart's action could not be perceived, nor any respiratory movements be observed. It is possible that we possess some will-power on the heart, and that this influ- ence might be increased by cultivation. I can imagine cases where it could be exercised with benefit. MAN THE ORGANS OF CIRCULATION. who have already some organic disease of the heart. The latter class should always be careful in their exercise. The organically diseased heart will pump the blood into all its various channels with sufficient force to carry on the functions of life, so long as its work is regular and uniform, but it may fail the moment it is taxed with any unusual labor. THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN Are peculiarly delicate, and easily deranged. I imagine you asking the question: “Do children have heart-disease ? ” I answer yes, and very often. Quite a large percentage of children are born with some organic disease of the heart. These diseases arise from two causes, namely: (i) Arrest of development; (3) Ante-natal inflammation. Some of you may have seen cases which belong to the first class. Among the most common is that disease known as “cyanosis,” or the “blue disease,” in which the child assumes, soon after birth, a blue or purplish color, and it soon dies—few live to mature years. I ought to say here, that it is recommended that children born with such a disease be placed on their right side, with the head and shoulders elevated as high as 45 degrees, or nearly half erect. This allows the heart to work more easily, and some- times prevents the arterial blood from mixing with the venous. It is this mixing of the two kinds of blood which causes the blue color that gives the disease its name. Cases have come under my care in which this position of the child had to be constantly maintained for days and weeks, or until the heart became able to carry on its work, or the malformation had been remedied. The child would breathe easily, sleep well, and have a good color so long as it was kept in the position I have described; but any change caused blueness, difficult breathing, and other symptoms. There are certain diseases of children which may result fatally unless great care is taken that the heart is not overtaxed. Among these, rheuma- tism, diphtheria, scarlet fever and pneumonia are most prominent. Rheuma- tism usually leaves such injury to the valves that any violent motion excites the heart so much that the incompetent valves do not allow the blood to flow properly through the heart. Diphtheria is more dangerous to the heart than any other malady. You have heard of cases in which the child passed through an attack of this disease, and was supposed to be out of all danger. It would be allowed to sit up or walk about the room, when, to the astonish- ment of all, it has fallen down suddenly dead. Such cases are common. The child dies from paralysis of the heart, which has been poisoned by the virus of this fearful disease, just as the heart is poisoned by the venom of a serpent. After an attack of diphtheria or pneumonia children should be watched carefully, lest they make some sudden motion. They should be COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. TABLE OF THE CHIEF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORGANIC AND FUNC- TIONAL DISEASES OF THE HEART. 1. Palpitation usually comes on slowly and insidiously. 2. Palpitation or distressed action, though more marked at one time than another, is constant. 3. Percussion elicits increased extent and degree of dullness in the region of the heart, 4 Lividity of the lips and cheeks, con- gested countenance, and dropsical appear- ance of the lower extremities, are often present. 5. The action of the heart is not necessa- rily quickened. 6. Palpitation often not much complained of by the patient, but occasionally attended with severe pain extending to the left shoulder and arm. (See Angina Pectoris.) 7. Palpitation is increased by exorcise, stim- ulants and tonics, but is relieved by rest. ORGANIC. 1. Palpitation generally sets in suddenly. 2. Palpitation is not constant, having per- fect intermissions. 3. Dullness in the region of the heart is not extended beyond the natural limits. 4. There is no lividity of the lips and cheeks, countenance often greenish, and, except in extreme cases, there is no dropsical appearance. 5. The action of the heart is generally quickened. 6. Palpitation much complained of by the patient, often with pain in the left side. FUNCTIONAL. 7. Palpitation is increased by sedentary occupations, but relieved by moderate ex- ercise. 8. Is more common in the female than the male. 8. Is more common in the male than the female. While such affections of the heart as we have named are usually not attended directly with bad results, there are cases in which death has taken place, as in angina pectoris and neuralgia. People who suffer from disturbances of the heart can rarely tell the nature of the trouble, and only in those cases in which some condition or habit of the body is known to be the direct cause can one tell whether the disorder is functional or organic. It is, therefore, of the utmost import- ance that, in all cases where there is a*doubt as to the real condition, a physician be consulted. People are generally more anxious and alarmed about a nervous dis- order of the heart than if it were organic. Its constant or paroxysmal dis- ordered action worries and annoys them, and they cannot help thinking of the heart; and the more one fixes the mind upon that organ, fearing it is diseased, the worse it acts. There is a marked correspondence between functional disorder of the heart and the same condition of the lungs. In both, the sufferer is anxious and loses hope. If, on the contrary, the heart or lungs be structurally dis- . eased, the patient is calm and hopeful, and never seems to appreciate his COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. Arnica, if the disorder results from an injury, may be alternated with aconite. Belladonna is indicated by delirium; dark-red and slimy surface; red, dry tongue. [Hamamelis is a specific for this disease.—Hale.] The diet in the beginning should be light and unstimulating. When suppuration takes place, highly-nourishing food is needed. ENLARGED VEINS.—VARICOSIS. When the coats of the veins become weakened by lack of nutrition, by pressure from obstructed flow of blood, and like means, they become di- lated to such an extent that the valves fail to support the blood on its way to the heart. From this, the vessels become distended, and in many cases burst and form a fine network, giving a blue appearance to the tissue sur- rounding them. The difficulty is mainly confined to the lower extremities, except when it takes the form of piles. The affected veins are tortuous, knotted, of a dull-leaden hue, often discoloring the parts, and producing considerable swelling of the limb. When the horizontal position is maintained for any considerable time, the blood flows out of the veins, and they are greatly diminished in size. Anything which obstructs the circulation of the blood induces this dis- order, as tight shoes or stays, a tumor, pregnancy (the most common cause), stubborn constipation, and hereditary predisposition. This condition causes some aching pain upon walking any distance, or upon long standing, and may be attended with bleeding from bursting of the veins, or with ulcers from imperfect circulation and want of nutrition of the skin. Treatment.—The best means of relief is from moderate compres- sion, by means of a closely-fitting bandage, or the elastic stocking. The pressure should be quite gentle and uniform, be applied in the morning, before the patient puts the foot to the floor, and be continued through the day. Where a single vein or a small portion of it is affected, a strip of adhesive plaster applied firmly over that portion will afford prompt relief. The limb should be bathed every morning, and rubbed dry before applying the bandage. Hamamelis.—This remedy should be given internally, and also applied externally in the form of a lotion, one part of the strong tincture, or of Pond’s Extract, to two parts water. Wrap the parts in a compress wet in the lotion and cover with oil-silk, placing a bandage over all. This should be worn during the night. If any portion of the surface about the varicose veins should become MAN—THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. the pure air taken in by respiration, draws off oxygen, the life-giving ele- ment, gives off poisonous carbonic acid and worn-out tissues, and, in its purified state, goes to the left side of the heart, whence it is driven on to rebuild the waste in all parts of the body. Impure fluids of the body are also expelled by respiration, through the breath. The purification of the blood and expulsion of worn-out and deleterious matters are the offices of respiration. COUGH. Cough, being a symptom rather than a disease, may accompany a variety of diseases, and arises from many conditions. Oftentimes its character indi- cates the condition which produces it, and, as such, affords many signs to guide one in distinguishing the disease. When cough is the result of irregularity in the digestive functions, from chronic derangement of the lining membrane of the stomach, from the presence of some irritating matter in the bowels, or from intestinal worms, these conditions should first be removed; and if the trouble still continues from having engendered positive irritation of the respiratory tract, then treatment should be directed to these parts. If cough attends some evident trouble in the respiratory tract, it may arise from congestion, inflammation, catarrh or cold, the deposit of tuber- cular matter in the air-cells, or nervous irritation, causing spasmodic con- traction of the air-tubes. A short dry cough is an evidence of some acute inflammatory affec- tion, and when accompanied with sneezing, watery and inflamed eyes, fever, and nausea, it usually indicates measles. Painful, hacking cough, with stitching pain in the chest, accompanied with short, quick, difficult breathing, and fever, points to inflammation of the lungs. A loose, rattling cough, with inability to raise anything, with constant titillation, is an evidence of inflammation of the back part of the throat, upper portion of the windpipe, or bronchi, and is usually of a catarrhal character. Foreign bodies in the throat, as a hair, fish-bone, tumor, or enlarged palate, may produce cough, usually accompanied with an effort to swallow the offending substance. A tendency to cough during or after an}' exertion, rapid motion, speak- ing, laughing, excitement of whatever nature, or derangements of the sys- tem in general, denotes a lung-affection, and usually one of an organic character. Chronic dry cough, with difficult breathing, and induced by the least COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. exertion, accompanied with stitching in the chest, and an increased tem- perature ot the body during the day, or at some special time thereof, is an evidence of tubercular deposit in the lungs; and when this increase of tem- perature is persistent, with loss of flesh, it is positive proof that such condi- tion exists. Never neglect a cough of any kind. NASAL CATARRH, OR COLD IN THE HEAD. The common affection known by the above terms consists in an inflam- mation of the mucous membrane lining the air-passages of the head. The membrane, at first dry, afterward gives out a watery discharge, usually attended with general lassitude, slight shiverings, weight in the head, sneezing, and watery eyes. There may be thirst, more or less fever, pain in the limbs, and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, the discharge becomes thicker, yellowish or grayish, and with this the symptoms soon sub- side under a vigorous condition of the system or judicious treatment. The affection may extend to the throat, bronchial tubes, or to the lungs, causing sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, and the like, or may result in croup, erysipelas, toothache, neuralgia, diarrhoea, and either of many other diseases, a description of which will be given hereafter. Catarrh may, from repeated attacks or neglect, become chronic, and is at times very persistent, and sometimes serious. Treatment.—This consists in both local and internal medication, the disease being one of those in which the patient’s own endeavors are relied upon to a great extent. Persistence and patience, especially in the chronic form, are necessary, and through them only, in many cases, is a cure effected. An essential auxiliary in this course is cleanliness. The folds of the mucous membrane furnish receptacles for the deposit of the secretion which, from its acrid and irritating character, causes a continuation of the inflammation. This should be thoroughly removed by some simple wash which will change the character of the secretions, and be so used as to avoid any irritation from the application. The snuffs, medicines, douches, inhalers and the multitude of other appliances which are guaranteed to cure, should be avoided, and, in cases which have become chronic, a physician who has both skill and time should be consulted. A cure is to be resolutely sought, for statistics show that seventy-five out of a hundred cases of con- sumption arise from neglected or improperly treated colds. The best instrument for making local applications to the nose and back part of the mouth and throat, and for cleansing the parts, is an atomizer. In selecting one, pains should be taken to secure that which is most easily managed and has the indorsement of a competent judge. Such an instru- MAN THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. Treatment.—The treatment was formerly surgical, in the main, the removal of the tonsil being deemed the best method of cure. Happily this pernicious and unnecessary practice has given place to a wiser and better method. The first step is a resort to measures for toning up the body to render it less susceptible to atmospheric changes, which are one of the prin- cipal exciting causes. Other conditions favorable to the development of the affection need also to be corrected by a general or special regimen, as de- ranged digestion, taking cold, and frequent attacks of quinsy, or acute inflam- mation of the tonsils. The vigor of the body is promoted by outdoor exer- cise, cool salt-water bathing and nutritious diet, the patient meanwhile guard- ing against colds and indigestion. Baryta carbonica is useful for children of a pale waxy skin, who are affected with the enlargement, and are disposed to frequent attacks of acute inflammation of the tonsils. Hepar is also adapted to persons disposed to the acute affection, and to those who are of a scrofulous tendency and subject to catarrh of the nose and throat. These remedies should be given once or twice a day and may be continued for several months. Patience will doubt- less be requisite. Cod-liver oil, a food rather than a medicine, will be found a valuable adjunct in most cases, and there are few who will not be benefited by it. Care should, however, be taken not to administer it when the stomach fails to properly assimilate it. It is best borne when given in small quanti- ties, a teaspoonful or less after the morning and noon meals. The local treatment consists in making direct applications of lotions and washes to the tonsils. Though this, as well as the internal treatment, is best done by a physician, it is given here because this ailment is not often under such care. One of the best local remedies is made as follows: Tincture of iodine, i drachm. Glycerine, ounce. Mix. Make use of this lotion to paint the tonsils once a day, by means of a camel’s- hair brush. Another good application, to be used in the same way, is made of one drachm of tannic acid to one ounce of glycerine, well mixed. Spray- ing the throat with a steam or other atomizer is very beneficial. Hydras- tia may be used in this way once or twice daily, a half-teaspoonful of fluid hydrastia being put into an atomizer half-full of warm water. Five grains of the crystal bichromate of potassa in an atomizer half-full of water, used as directed for hydrastia, will be serviceable. A persistent use of these measures, with a careful observance of laws for the promotion of the gen- eral health, will render the knife unnecessary in this common and trouble- some disorder. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. chemist, but for other cases, a very fair article can be made by any one pos- sessing a good supply of fresh, sweet milk, and a nroper place to preserve it. To make it, take 1 Bottle old koumiss. 5 Quarts new milk. 1 Quart water. y2 Pound loaf sugar. 1 Tablespoonful brewer’s yeast. Dissolve me sugar in the water and add the milk, then the koumiss, and then the yeast; stir all together in an earthen jar and place in a temperature of yo° to 750 F. When fermentation has been thoroughly established (which will be indicated by the surface being thickly covered with hubbies), put into strong bottles and thoroughly cork, tying the corks firmly. After this, place the bottles on the side in a temperature of 40° to 50° F., and in twenty-four or forty-eight hours it is ready for use. The only way in which it can be successfully drawn from the bottles is by using a cham- pagne faucet. By this means, it will remain sparkling until all is used, and there is no danger of wasting it. Shake the bottle if there should be any lumps preventing its free egress from the faucet. The extract of malt is highly recommended as a very nutritious tonic, and there are many preparations of it which will jmove beneficial in the treatment of this disease and others of a kindred nature. Trommer’s Ex- tract is the best at the present writing, and, combined with cod-liver oil, or pepsin, makes a desirable and efficacious remedy. It should be taken three times a day, a tablespoonful for an adult, half the quantity for a child. Hypophosphites.—The syrup, or solution, of hvpophosphites of lime and soda, after the formula of the celebrated Dr. Churchill, has met with grand results in the treatment of consumption, scrofula, and other exhausting diseases. Its use, however, should be under the observation of skilled aid and great care should be exercised in the amount taken, since harm has re- sulted from drenching the system with too large a quantity. The dose for an adult is one to three teaspoonfuls each day, children a less quantity ac- cording to age. Clothing.—Special attention should be given to the clothing, as con- sumptive people are very susceptible to changes in the temperature, and are liable to take cold. Underclothing of flannel, lamb’s-wool or silk should be worn the year round, care being taken in the summer that it is not too warm, as it may cause much perspiration. In the winter, the addition of a vest made from chamois-skin may be worn outside the flannel. Too much care cannot be taken to prevent exposure to extreme cold, and those who are predisposed to or suffering from this disease should always he prepared CHAPTER VII. THE SKIN. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. fHE skin forms a thin but strong and elastic covering for the whole body. It is firmly joined to the underlying flesh, and, when viewed under the microscope, is seen to be composed of a multitude of lit- tle cells and fibers. It has two layers, known as the cuticle, or scarf-skin, and the true skin, a brief study of which will reveal an interesting and somewhat complex structure. The scarf-skin consists of innumerable scales, visible when sufficiently magnified, which are simply rounded cells that are flat- tened as they reach the surface. These cells are not more than 1-25000 of an inch in diameter. They are subject to constant waste and renewal, like other portions of the body, and are cast off in the form of dry, bran- ny scales. This layer of the skin has no blood-vessels or nerves of its own, and no sense of touch. Its deeper part, where it unites with the under layer, is called the rete mucosum and contains the pigment which gives the black, 40. Magnified Section of the Skin. C, Cuticle. D, Papillae. E, Fat- Cells of the True Skin. A, a Pore, Sweat-Tube, and coiled Sweat- Gland. B, a Hair, with two Oil- Glands, and with a Muscle attached to the root. 4i. The Root of a Hair. In figure a, layers of the Skin are indi- cated by i, 2,3. 4, An Oil-Gland. 5, The Hair-Sac. bis the lower part of a more magnified, c, is a Vertical Section of a Hair. MAN THE SKIN. copper and other colors to the different races. This coloring matter is less abundant in the white races, and is nearly or entirely absent in the albinos. The true skin is composed of cells, nerves, blood-vessels, lymph-ves- sels and glands, and is very sensitive. At its place of union with the scarf- skin are little projections, called papilla, in which the nerves of touch end. Deeper down, at the bottom of the true skin, are oil-cells, or sebaceous glands, which constitute what we call fat and serve as a protective pad- ding against external harm or cold. These glands generally terminate in the tubes from which the hair grows. In addition to nourishing the hair with the oily substance which they extract from the blood, they lubricate the scarf-skin, prevent it from drying and scaling off too rapidly, and keep the skin soft. Over the whole surface of the body are what are popularly known as “pores.” These are little tubes which are closed at the deeper end, and terminate at the other end in tubes coiled into bundles, called sweat-glands. It has been estimated that there are more than twenty-eight hundred of these to the square inch, or seven million in an average-sized man, equiva- lent to twenty-eight miles of the tubing. It is evident that an enormous amount of fluids can be filtered off from the blood by the extensive surface of these tubes. FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN. 1. The skin forms a protective and supporting cover for the whole surface of the body. 2. It is the seat of the sense of touch, the nerves of that sense being very copiously distributed in it. 3. It possesses the power of absorbing matters brought into contact with it, with more or less activity according to the nature of the substance and the condition of the skin. The true skin will absorb very rapidly and indiscriminately. 4. It is an aid to the lungs, taking in oxygen from the air and giving out a small portion of carbonic acid, with a great deal of the vapor of water. Compare the functions of breathing in the anatomy and physiology of Chapter VI. 5. It is a great regulator of the temperature of the body. 6. It is one of the main channels for the purification of the body, by throwing off the used-up or waste materials, the accumulation of which in the system is followed by most injurious results. From foregoing remarks the reader has learned that the skin is a most important part of his organism, and that a derangement of its functions must bring serious consequences. Between it and the internal organs there COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. ligature. Cautery may be used. Mercurius corrosivus, two grains to a half ounce each of water and alcohol, or of water and tincture of thuja, ap- plied two or three times a day, will sometimes remove them without re- sorting to the harsher methods. After cutting off the tops, one or two ap- plications of carbolic acid will remove them. [The application of the chlo- ride of ammonia has been found curative.—Hale.] CORN. A corn is usually a small, horny formation deeply seated in the skin, and painful on pressure. It is caused by ill-fitting shoes or boots. Treatment.—Easily-fitting shoes or boots must be worn, in order to either give relief or effect a cure. The corn must be taken out, and this is best done after poulticing. Either the knife or a caustic may be used. If it is much inflamed or painful, a lotion of arnica tincture or tincture of veratrum viride, one part to ten of water, may be applied. BUNION. This is an inflammation of the large joint of the great or little toe, and is caused by the pressure of tight-fitting or narrow-toed shoes, which throw the toes together, one over the other, thus producing a sharp angle at the joint. It is attended with pain, redness and swelling, and if the cause continues, terminates in deformity of the foot, enlarging the joints by deposits which hold it permanently in this position. The discomfort attending it is so great that every means should be used to cure it in the start, for a bunion once formed is permanent, and inflammatory symptoms are liable to occur at any time. Treatment.—To relieve the first inflammation and prevent the for- mation of a bunion, the exciting cause should be removed, the foot and toe be placed in as natural a position as possible, and a lotion of arnica be ap- plied, one ounce of the tincture to four of water, or a lotion of veratrum viride, equal parts of the tincture and water. If pus forms, a poultice of linseed meal and poppy leaves may be applied. BOIL. So common is this disorder, and so varied and yet simple its general treatment, that little can be said with which all are not familiar. A boil is simply a circumscribed inflammation of the skin, usually resulting in sup- puration and the formation and expulsion of a “ core.” It is attended with severe pain, generally of a throbbing nature, and increasing in intensitv COMPENDIUM OP" HEALTH. 42. The Urinary Organs. C, C, Kidneys. D, D, Ureters. P", Bladder. A, Spine. 4, Aorta, with two branches supplying the Kidneys. 2, 2, Diaphragm. I, I, Mucous Lining' of the Abdomen, turned back. MAN THE URINARY ORGANS. place the patient in the bed, enveloped in the blanket and covered with several other thicknesses. Perspiration will usually be profuse. If the patient seems weak after this, a small quantity of stimulants of some kind may be given. Vapor baths are also beneficial, and are applied as follows:—Envelop the patient in a sheet wrung out in warm water, then wrap three or four thicknesses of dry blankets closely around him. Let him remain thus for twenty minutes to a half-hour, and then quickly dry him with towels and wrap him in blankets. Cold sponging and friction with a bath-towel are highly useful. Rub- bing with a dry salted towel is also good. Dip a towel in a solution of water and the sea-salt which can be obtained at a drug-store; let it dry, shake off any grains of salt that may adhere to it, and rub the body briskly and thoroughly. The diet is important, and vegetable food is the best. The milk-cure, however, has produced wonderful results, and consists of milk exclusively. Give it cold or tepid, a half-pint every two or three hours. Such a course has been efficacious in some cases when all other treatment has failed. The patient should have considerable outdoor exercise—as much as his temperament and strength shall dictate. A change of climate is sometimes necessary. [Much experience and observation have convinced me that the indis- criminate use of mineral waters, particularly those of this country, so highly vaunted for the cure of this disease, oftener results in injury than in benefit. If drank at all, they should be used on the advice of a competent plwsician. The fact is that those waters which contain no mineral constit- uents are most beneficial in this disease.—Hale.] THE GENITAL ORGANS. Having treated of the disorders of the urinary organs, we shall perhaps be expected by some to pass on to the diseases of the genitals; but the writer will respect the public taste and feeling, and omit the details in troubles which are not topics of general conversation, and whose treatment is not appropriate here. Some general words of caution, however, will not come amiss. Of the special books devoted to this subject there Is occasionally one which is commendable in most features, and creditably fills its professed place. As some disorders in these parts may arise under the most legitimate condi- tions, just as in any other organs of the body, it is well that the family have COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. much prostration; coldness of the extremities; loose, watery diarrhoea, with greenish stools; chronic cases. The symptoms for ipecac are chills in- creased by external warmth; nausea; entire absence of thirst; thick,yellow coat on the tongue, which is moist and sticky; cold hands and feet. Give quinine for yellowish complexion; sinking, faint feeling at the stomach, without hunger; enlargement of the liver and spleen; slimy, bilious diar- rhoea; sensibility to currents of air; depression and irritability. This remedy is especially adapted to recent cases, occurring in malarious districts. It should be used with caution, and only in cases in which it is clearly indicated. The best form for administering it is the following: Sulphate of quinine, 10 grains. Sulphuric acid, 2 drops. Water, 2 ounces. Mix. The dose for an adult is two teaspoonfuls every two hours during the in- terval between the paroxysms. [lt should be remembered by all who take or give quinine that it should not be used when the tongue is coated. Do not be in a hurry to break the chills, but give doses of mercurius, podophyllin, or euonymin, till the tongue is clean and moist; then take quinine in any form, one grain every hour or two during the intermissions. If the ague is broken up in this way, it rarely returns.—Hale.] Sometimes the patient has a ravenous appetite during the intermission. This should be governed, and a light diet of gruel and broth be used. Ani- mal food especially should be taken sparingly, a moderate quantity of vege- tables, with plenty of fruit and water, being the most desirable. Patients living in a malarious district would receive great benefit by a change to a more healthy locality. When this is impracticable, they should not go out in the evening air, and should sleep in an upper room, excluding the outside air as much.as possible. Exercise during the day in the sun- light and open air is highly beneficial. YELLOW FEVER This fearful disease expends its violence mainly 'in the lower latitudes of the United States, in Central America, and the neighboring islands, but has visited Canada, New England, and other Northern States, and has also invaded the western countries of Europe and different parts of South America. It is due to a specific poison, not well understood, which is gen- erated outside of the body, is favored by animal and vegetable decomposi- tion in a high degree of heat, and is carried from one person or locality to THE INTERNAL ORGANS. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. the least acting as a protection against scarlet fever. In fact, these diseases may prevail at the same time, and the same person be attacked by one, soon followed by the other. Again, diphtheria has been considered an aggravated form of mem- branous croup. As these two, when occurring in or implicating the wind- pipe, are quite liable to be confounded, a tabulated showing of both is here appended: DIPHTHERIA. MEMBRANOUS CROUP. 1. Is a constitutional blood-disease, and de- pends for its existence upon a specific poison generated in the system. 2. The local manifestation in the throat is preceded by or accompanied with consti- tutional disturbance, as fever and general derangement of the system. 3. The exudation commences in the throat, on the tonsils, and reaches the windpipe only by extending from those parts. 4. The pain and uneasiness are first con- nected with the parts used in swallow- ing. 5. It attacks adults as well as children. 1. Is a specific local inflammation, and the result of taking cold. 2. The local manifestation is not pre- ceded by constitutional disturbance, the hoarse cough being the first symptom of the trouble. 3. The exudation is the result of the in- flammation, is always found first in the windpipe and never extends above it, un- less other parts are inflamed. 4. The pain and uneasiness are connected with the windpipe, causing trouble in breathing, not in swallowing. 5. Attacks children only, and rarely after ten years of age. 6. Is not attended with prostration; chil- dren often die in full strength, by suffo- cation, in a few hours after an attack. 6. It is attended with great prostration and loss of strength; in adults is fatal from failure of the vital forces, and in children often by the added obstruction of the larynx, causing suffocation or paralysis. 7. The exudation is a dirty, grayish-white or yellowish color; is easily detached, the surface underneath being red but not ulcerated, and liable to bleed profusely. 7. The exudation is white or yellow, fibrin, ous, and cannot be detached until the disease has run its course, when it may be thrown off, in a complete cast of the tube, without bleeding. 8. The exudation is ropy, not foul, and the breath is rarely changed. 8. From between the false and true mem- branes there exudes an offensive, some- times bloody, discharge which imparts to the patient’s breath a foul and sickening odor. 9. The glands in the throat are always en- larged, with stiffness and soreness of the neck. 10. The difficulty may extend to the nose, mouth, stomach, windpipe and the air- tubes of the lungs. 11. Is infectious and may attack whole families, or become epidemic and extend over large sections of country. 9. The glands in the throat are not swol- len, and there is no obstruction to the free movement of the head and neck. 10. The difficulty never extends to the nose, mouth or stomach. 11. Is not infectious, never epidemic, and is always due to exposure to cold or changes in the atmosphere. MAN GENERAL DISEASES. tion of disease-germs than any other known means. It acts with prompt- ness and often prevents putridity and excessive accumulation of the mem- branous deposit. Take one part of pure alcohol to two of water, and either use as a gargle or apply a spray with an atomizer. Hydrastia is excellent in mild cases. Add one part of fluid hydrastia to six of water, mix well, and use freely as a gargle, having the patient swallow a few drops at the same time. For both allaying the pain and lessening the swelling and amount of deposit, much relief may be obtained from various inhalations and vapors. The vapor of iodine is useful, and is best applied with an inhaler. If one Child’s Crib with a Vapor-Tent. is not at hand, however, it can be used in an open vessel or tea-pot as fol- lows: Put a half-teaspoonful of the tincture of iodine in a pint of boiling water, hold the mouth over the vessel and inhale the steam—through the spout, if a tea-pot is used. The open vessel will be more convenient for use in administration to children. Lime-vapor is also good. Make a tent or other close covering over the bed, or simply over the patient. Put into it several pieces of unslaked lime in a pan or open kettle, and pour on a sufficient amount of hot water to create a good supply of vapor for the patient to inhale, adding water or lime as needed. 43- Section of the Right Eye, (Highly Magnified). CHAPTER X. THE EYE AND EAR. F. H. FOSTER, M. D., Eye and Ear Surgeon, Chicago; Oculist to the Half-Orphan Asylum. SECTION X. THE EYE. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 'pppljpHE exercise of the senses of sight and hearing not only contributes (|pi SL) largely to our welfare and happiness, but becomes an actual /k [bp* necessity to mankind in the struggle for existence. The impair- > ment of either one to any considerable degree necessarily limits the sphere of usefulness of the person afflicted. It is therefore a matter of importance that every one understand something of the structure of the eye and ear, and of the care that should be bestowed upon them. THE EYEBALL. The eyeball is nearly spherical in shape, and measures about one inch in diameter. It consists of three coats or membranes, which surround and inclose certain transparent substances of different densities, generally known as the humors of the eye. Of the membranes, the external one is of a firm, unyielding nature, and is divided into two portions: The posterior four-fifths is called the sclerotic, or white of the eye. It serves as a support and protection to the other coats and more delicate contents of the globe, and also as a framework for the attachment of the muscles by which the eye is moved. The remaining anterior fifth of this outer covering is termed the cornea. It is a highly polished, perfectly clear and transparent membrane. It can better be seen COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. performed. The patient is directed to look downward while the operator seizes the central lashes of the upper lid and gently pulls it down and some- what away from the ball, making a slight pressure with the other hand by means of a probe, pencil-tip, or even with the finger, along the upper mar- gin of the lid. It is necessary that the patient look down during the whole procedure. When the lid is once Inverted, the foreign body can frequently be discovered as a minute speck lying on the red mucous surface, and can generally be easily wiped away with a soft handkerchief. Such a sub- stance, if sticking to the cornea, and not imbedded in the substance of that membrane, can frequently be removed in the same way. If, however, two or three attempts with the handkerchief fail to bring away the offending body, it is probably imbedded and firmly fixed in the wounded tissue. It then becomes necessary to resort to some instrumental measures, and the services of the physician become indispensable, for certainly none but a care- ful and trained hand should attempt to use any instrument about the eyes. In the case of children, owing to their crying and violent struggles, the administration of an anaesthetic often becomes necessary. A quite frequent occurrence in the harvest- field, and one often productive of the most disas- trous consequences, is the striking and lodging in the eye of minute particles from the beard of the grain. It is liable to be followed by a most destructive inflammation of the cornea in a very few days, and sometimes even hours, if the removal of the substance is neglected. Again, in some instances the eye seems to tolerate the presence of a foreign body for an indefinite time without much resentment. The writer recently i-e- -moved the seed of a sunflower from beneath the eyelid of a lady who was positive that three weeks had elapsed since the time of the accident. The seed bore evidences of having been in contact with a liquid for some time, being considerably swollen and softened. She had experienced no pain and scarcely any inconvenience, being only reminded of it at times by a feeling of something moving under the upper lid. Even after the removal of a foreign body from the eye, the same pain- ful sensations may remain for some time, owing to the tissue being wounded or abraded. If the symptoms of irritation are persistent, the eye should be frequently bathed in cold water, a handkerchief be carefully tied around it, and all usage of the organ be stopped until such symptoms have ceased. In case of a burn or scald of the eyes from hot liquids, a few drops of 4S. The Lid Inverted for the removal of Foreign Matter. szßaTTonsr xx. THE EAR. ANATOMY. SM&NATOMISTS make three divisions-of the ear, the external, middle jFIIItU i The external comprises the auricle and auditory canal. 11Itmvt The middle consists of the ear-drum, or tympanum, the Eustachian tube, and the mastoid cells which are located back of the drum. A membrane, commonly called the drum-head, separates the auditory A, Auricle. B, Auditory Canal. C, Half of the Drum-Head. E, Incus, or Anvil. M, Malleus, or Hammer. H, Cochlea, or Snail-Shell. G, Semi-circular Canals. I, Eustachian Tube. D, Small Muscle. Si. Section of an Ear. canal from the cavity of the drum. The internal ear is otherwise known as the labyrinth, from the complicated structure of its numerous membranes, chambers and passages. Its main part is a large central cavity, called the vestibule. Into the front of this cavity opens a spiral-shaped passage which MAN THE EYE AND EAR. diameter, and less than one two-hundredth of an inch in thickness. Though so delicate, it can be separated into three distinct layers. The outer layer, as noted above, is a continuation of the skin lining the auditory canal; the inner one is a like continuation of the mucous lining of the drum; the mid- dle layer is composed of fibrous tissues and forms a framework for the other two. The Ear-Drum.—This drum or cavity, called also the tympanum, is a little six-sided chamber measuring about a half inch from top to bottom, the same from front to back, and about one-sixth of an inch from within outward. Its roof consists of a thin plate of bone which separates this cavity from the one which incloses the brain; directly beneath its floor passes the jugular vein, one of the large blood-vessels coming from the brain; on the front wall of the cavity can be seen the opening into the THE MIDDLE EAR. !, 2, 3, Hammer viewed from different positions, 4, S, Anvil so dewed. 7, 9, Stirrup. 8, Foot-Plate of the Stirrup. 54. Bones of the Ear. 55. Articulated Bones of the Ear (four diameters.) f, g, h, i, j, Hammer, a, k, b, c, e, Anvil, d, 1, Stirrup. Eustachian tube described below; a large part of the back wall is taken up by the opening into the mastoid cells; the outer wall is made up mostly of the drum-head; the inner one is bone and forms the division between the drum-cavity and the internal ear, or labyrinth. In the bony partition just mentioned are two apertures, one oval, the other circular, both leading Into the labyrinth, the circular one being closed by a delicate membrane which is called the second drum-head; the office of the oval one is mentioned immediately below. Within the ear-drum, and stretching from its outer wall, or drum-head, to its inner wall of bone, is a little chain composed of three minute bones, known as the malleus, or hammer, the incus, or anvil, and the stapes, or stirrup, the names being derived from a resemblance respectively to the COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. implicated, though the severity of the sensations is less marked. The pre- dominating symptom is a persistent and obstinate itching, together with which there is ofte'n some pain, with a sensation of fullness and impairment of the hearing. The skin lining the ear is dry, red and thickened, and there is a notable absence of the ear-wax. The disease is often caused by digging or picking the ear with an ear-pick or hair-pin, or by dropping into it oils or some substance which is resorted to for the relief of toothache. Treatment.—This can hardly be undertaken by one other than the physician. In case of pain the ear can be syringed with warm water, and for the relief of the itching a small quantity of cosmoline can be smeared over the irritated and diseased surface; but for anything further competent medical advice should be sought. HARDENED OR ACCUMULATED WAX The ear-wax in a state of health is soft, of an oily nature, and yellow in its color. It is secreted in small quantities, and the natural tendency of the ear is to expel it without any external assistance. But it is sometimes secreted in such large quantities that nature cannot remove it in the ordinary manner. It is then abnormal in quality as well as quantity; instead of the yellow color, it appears dark-brown, sometimes quite black; and from a soft, yielding substance, it may become as hard as a stone. The changes come about gradually, and so long as the auditory canal is not entirely blocked or obstructed, one may be unaware that any trouble exists; but some morning he may find himself quite deaf. The condition is all the more unaccount- able because the night before the hearing was apparently perfect. But the plug of wax which has slowly been gathering and hardening has slipped or been pushed down on the drum-head, and, stopping the canal as well, has produced this sudden deafness. Together with the impairment of hear- ing, there will frequently be associated pain, noises in the ear, and dizziness. The peculiarity of the trouble is the sudden nature of the attack. It may come on after bathing and getting water in the ears, and is often brought about by cleaning the ears out with the twisted end of a towel. The patient nearly always refers the trouble to a cold, and as this is a disease of the ear that is usually quickly relieved, he realizes, after receiving help, that the hearing has not for a long time been what it should have been. Treatment.—Although the symptoms of this affection are well marked, it can be positively decided upon only by an inspection of the ear with the proper instruments, which must be done by the physician. After the diagnosis is once made, the removal of the obstruction is accomplished by the use of warm water and the syringe, or any other appliances adapted CHAPTER XL EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. IMPORTANT HINTS. bites, blows, sprains, burns, stings, poisoning, bleeding, fainting, choking, drowning, suffocation, fractures, dislocations, and other MlCy|i misfortunes come within the daily observation of almost everybody, but there is a deplorable lack of intelligence in meeting them, often in treating even the simplest and most common. Their frequency ought to convince every one that it is his duty to give to them some special study, particularly to the more urgent. An eminent German surgeon has said that he has very often lamented the fact that so few people know how to render the first aid to those who have met with sudden injuries, and further remarks that many die miser- able deaths every year who might have been saved by prompt service if those near them knew how to give it. Though the gravity of the subject demands for it special study and attention, it is far from the aim to dispense with the services of the physician by the use of the present work. On the other hand, the same urgency which calls for a universal knowledge of these matters should show the reader that immediate professional aid is imperative in many cases. It is hoped that one may here learn how to preserve presence of mind and give the right kind of help until the physi- cian arrives. 1. Be Ready for Accidents.—An emergency leaves little time to read directions for giving aid. By studying a few minutes now you can secure a preparation which will give you confidence and efficiency in many acci- dents of common occurrence. Read over this part of the book, especially what is said on Bleeding, Wounds, Bites, Fainting, Choking, Drowning, Suffocation, Poisons and Antidotes. One should read such directions repeatedly, that he may gain the greater familiarity. He will thus be more fully armed for emergencies. 2. Be Calm.—lf a case is urgent it certainly demands coolness. More good can be done in one minute with presence of mind than in ten without it. MAN—EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. Self-control in crises will be insured in great measure by an observance 01 the hint above on being ready for accidents. BLEEDING: HOW STOPPED. “It is a terrible position,” says Professor Esmarch, the surgeon alluded to above, “to stand in view of some accident, to see the red blood pouring unceasingly from the wound, to see death every moment approaching nearer and nearer, and not know how to avert the threatened calamity.” To gain a knowledge of this important subject the reader should first review the brief introduction on the circulation, Chapter V, noting especially “Cir- culation Described” and “The Pulse.” He will there learn the general dis- tribution of the veins and arteries, the serious nature of arterial or spurting hemorrhage, and see that a pulse-beat, wheresoever found, shows the pres- m ence of an artery. When small arteries or veins are cut or broken, the bleeding will gen- erally soon stop of its own accord by clotting. It is always well to aid this process by exposing the wound to the air. Further assistance may be given by applying cold water or cloths of pounded ice; and this expedient, since it contracts the blood-vessels and thus impedes circulation, is often alone suffi- cient. The pernicious practice of re- moving cloths when saturated with blood and then putting on others, or putting cloths on those already saturated, onty makes the case worse. Stoppage in even severe cases may be effected by simply pressing the lips of the wound together, and thus closing the severed vessel until the clot forms. The circulation is thus restored just as one may bring the ends of a severed rubber tube together in the fingers so that a liquid may pass through, with little or no leaking so long as the ends are kept together. This method will be sufficient in the great majority of slight cuts on the hands and other parts of the skin. For some of the simplest wounds, as those on the face from the razor in shaving, carefully wipe off the blood and thrust down into the opening the point of a sharpened piece of alum. This will stop the blood if repeated until the severed vessel has been touched. A tight girdle, garter, or other band will aggravate bleeding from a 57- Stoppage by Light Pressure. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. vein, if it is on the side of the wound next to the heart. All such should be removed at once when they obstruct the passage toward the heart. In serious bleeding, whether from an artery or vein, the above direc- tions are not applicable, and pressure is needed. Simple Experiments.—By proper searching and pressure with the fin- gers we detect pulse-beats, and thus learn of the existence of arteries, in the following locations:—i. On the wrist and forearm, back of the base of the thumb, between the shoulder and elbow, down between the two large mus- 58. Artery in the Arm and Shoulder. 59. Artery in the Leg. cles; and in the armpit. These points are all in the artery that supplies the arm and hand. 2. In the middle of the groin; down the middle of the in- side of the thigh; and on the inside of the ankle. These are points in the artery that supplies the leg and foot. 3. In the neck on either side of the windpipe; and on the temple. These are in arteries which supply the neck and head. 4. Just above the collar-bone, where the artery passes down be- hind that bone to supply the shoulder and armpit; this artery is continued by the one that goes down into the arm. It will be readily seen that 1 and 2 traverse the parts which are specially liable to injury in ordinary cuts. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. into bleeding wounds, both those got from the chemist, such as perchloride of iron, yellow charpies, etc., and more popular remedies, such as spider’s web. It is possible by such means to arrest trifling hemorrhages, but prop- erly applied pressure attains this-end much better. * * * * You find these styptics in some of the small packets used in giving‘first aid’, but from their presence you may know that such packets have been put together by inexperienced persons.” Elevate the Wound.—As an experiment, stand a moment with one arm lifted above the shoulder, the other being left to hang loosely at the side. Then quickly compare the palms and you will see that the one which has been held up has less blood in it, as indicated by the absence of the redness so noticeiable in the other. Thus we should, when stopping severe hemorrhage, keep the wound elevated so that the force of gravity may oppose circulation and thus materially lessen the pressure required to check the flow. If the wound be in the hand or arm, keep it up as high as a sling can conveniently hold it. If in the foot or leg, the patient should lie down and the limb be held up. If in the head or neck, he should re- main standing or sitting. In general, keep the patient and affected member in such a position as will, in point of gravity, be least favorable to a flow of blood toward the wound, and avoid exciting him. SPECIAL DIRECTIONS. Bleeding in the Hand or Foot.- To check arterial bleeding in a fin- ger, firmly apply pressure on each side, close to the hand, as shown in fig- ure 60; a like pressure should be applied near the foot for a wound in a toe. If the wound be in the hand above the fingers, apply pressure at the point indicated in figure 61, thus cutting off circulation in the hand. For a wound in the foot, put the pressure on the inside of the ankle. Bleeding in the Arm or Leg. For a wound above the wrist, or one above the ankle, apply pressure as shown in figures 62 and 63. For injuries in the upper part of the arm, pressure may be secured by placing a thick stick between the arm and chest, and binding the arm tightly to the body, as illus- trated in figure 64. Bleeding at the Armpit.—lf bleeding occurs in the armpit, or in the 60. Pressure on the Finger. MAN EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. 61. Pressure on the Wrist. 62. Pressure on the Upper Arm. 64. Pressure Under the Arm. 63. Pressure on the Thigh. 65. Pressure on the Neck. MAN EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. 2. Prevent Suppuration.—lf it is clear that the case may be treated without a physician, re?nove and keep out all impurities. Neglect of this precaution has led to suppui'ation and even death from slight injuries. No wound is so slight that it may be neglected. With the greatest pains remove all foreign substances and wash the wound in clean water, applied with a syringe or a piece of clean, soft linen, being sure that no lint and threads are left in the wound. It is well to mix some disinfectant with the water, such as carbolic, boracic or salicylic acid, or chloride of zinc. Even when waiting for a physician, it is best to keep over the wound a clean cloth soaked in such a solution. These disinfectants destroy the germs which may exist anywhere in the air, and which are supposed to produce decomposition and suppuration. 3, Guard against Poisoning.—Poisons of malignant kinds may enter the system through any wound, however slight the break in the skin. Such a result may be produced by contact of the injured part with mineral and vegetable poisons, with ulcers on men and beasts suffering from contagious diseases, with diseased and decaying animal matter, and with poisoned wounds in general. The best preventive, next to absolute absence of con- tact, is the washing of the hands or other parts exposed to contamination in a lotion of carbolic acid, or in strong alcohol. CUTS. Dressing.—When a wound is clean-cut, stop the blood, remove all foreign substances, neatly draw the edges together, and secure them thus with a bandage and pressure. This will be sufficient in nearly all the small cuts, as those inflicted with a penknife. If the bandage will not keep them accurately in place, an essential point, use plas- ters, but never completely cover a wound with them. Use narrow strips and as few as will preserve a perfect union, be- cause suppuration will almost surely en- sue if blood is confined in a cut by plas- ters. The adhesive plaster is the best, as it does not fall off when wet. Isinglass or court-plaster, or any sticking tab or stamp, if not poison or dirty, may be used, though none of these will be serviceable 60. Dressing with Plaster. MAN—EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. keep them wet as before. If blood or pus is found, remove it with a soft brush or sponge, carefully avoiding disturbance of the wound or straps. Should a strap be loose, remove it very gently, one end slowly at a time, keeping it soaked in warm water; if it adheres very closely at any point and further removal threatens to open the cut, clip it off and leave the remnant 67 A. Bandaged Hand and Wrist. 68. First Turn in Bandaging the Ankle, to come off at a later dressing; with soap and water sponge off the sticky residue left by the plaster, and apply a fresh strip. In all the dressings after the first, use only as much water as is necessary in removing the coverings and sponging off blood and matter (not lymph), without freely washing 69. Last Turn in Bandaging the Foot and Ankle. 70. Bandage for the Head. the 'wotmd. Greasing the surface will aid in removing sticky residue of the plaster. Arnica and aconite, in alternation, may be given for some hours if there are fever and throbbing of the parts. For much pain and swelling, with headache, give belladonna in alternation with aconite. Hepar is needed COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. this urgent caution is given, not because the presence of the instrument is attended with extraordinary danger. Indeed, needles have remained in the muscles for months and years, traversing different parts of the body without causing pain after their entrance. BITES: MAD DOGS AND OTHER ANIMALS. If there is no ground for suspecting that the animal is mad (for symp- toms of madness, see Hydrophobia in the part of this book devoted to the animal inflicting the bite), treat as for Punctures, Bruises, or Lacerations, according to the character of the wound produced. If the animal is mad, or in the least suspected, prevent the blood from flowing from the wound toward the heart, as far as practicable. This is best done by immediately removing the clothing, when necessary, grasping the flesh with the teeth so as to take in the full depth of the wound, then pressing and sucking with all of one’s might. Of course the spittle should be most carefully thrown from the mouth at once. Friends of the patient should abstain from this sucking if they have any break in the skin about the lips, or in the mucous membrane of the mouth, and should also prevent contact of the blood or other discharge from the bite with breaks in the skin on any part of their bodies. Such a precaution is not so imperative in the patient, since he has already been infected. In place of such a procedure, if friends can not suck the wound, or if the patient is alone and can not reach the point of trouble with the mouth, forcible pressure with the fingers may be resorted to. As soon as possible after the bite, a handkerchief or other ligature should be applied close up to the wound, as shown in figure 71, as an accessory means to the sucking and cauterization. This will check the flow of blood back into the system and thus materially lessen the chances of that infection which often lurks In the blood, keeps the patient in constant dread that hydrophobia will set in, and thus produces a mental unrest that is most prejudicial. After the above step has been taken, or when it is impracticable, thrust down into the wound some small iron or other metal, raised to a red (not black) heat, a white heat being still better, holding it there until the flesh all around and to the bottom of the wound has been thoroughly seared. A Ji. To Exclude Poison from the System. MAN EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. parts. If fever-symptoms come on, give aconite; belladonna, if there is much swelling or headache. Keep the body cool. BURNS AND SCALDS Caution.—So many serious injuries result from fire in clothes, cur- tains and other fabrics that we recommend that in washing them, especia ny the clothes of children, the last water used in the rinsing contain some alum. This is a simple, cheap and convenient precaution, renders the clothes less inflammable, and may be the means of avoiding the saddest of accidents. Unlike most wounds of the flesh, burns and scalds are serious in pro- portion to the extent of the sttrface affected, not to the depth. It is of much importance that this be known. If any tissues are destroyed, a scar will inevitably be formed, and according to the extent of its surface will “draw” the adjacent parts, producing disfigurement or even the greatest deformity, even though it be treated by a skillful physician. There is, therefore, a necessity for immediate attention, to keep down the scar as far as possible. In a burn, the first thing to do, of course, is to put out the fire. If it is in the clothing, the patient should not run about, since that will fan the flames, nor should he utter cries, for thereby flames or steam will be inhaled. By his own hands, or by friends who may be near, he should be quickly wrapped in a cloak, blanket, coat, rug, or other cover- ing, and be rolled about. If a bed is at hand, it furnishes a good means( though it may increase the danger of setting fire to the house. Mere roll- ing on the floor or ground may be sufficient, and should always be resorted to, whether covering is at hand or not. Dashing water on the flame is not as reliable as the smothering mentioned, and should never be resorted to for the purpose of putting out the flames in a lamp, or in any fire where oil or acids can be scattered by the water, for it will then only increase the fire. In extinguishing a fire and in cases of scalds, keep the flames and hot steam away from the mouth and nostrils, because their entrance into the lungs is attended with the gravest results. In addition to this precaution, the face, neck and hands should be protected as much as possible, because any subsequent disfigurement of these parts will be more conspicuous. After the flames have been quenched, pour water on any remaining embers 72. Extinguishing a Blaze. MAN—EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. 74- Inspiration. 7S- Expiration. 76. A Part of the Michigan Method. MAN EMERGENCIES AND DOMESTIC SURGERY. NAME. CLASS. Poke XXVI Poppy XXV Potash, Bichromate XIV Caustic XI Cyanide of XVII lodide of XIII Nitrate of XII Potato Balls and Sprouts XXV Potato Bug or Fly XXIV Prussic Acid XVII Pulsatilla XXVI NAME. CLASS. Spanish Fly XXIV Spigelia XXV Stramonium XXV Strychnine I Sumac XXVI Tansy, Oil of XXVI Tartar Emetic VIII Thorn Apple XXV Toadstools XXVII Tobacco XXV Toilet Powders VII Verdigris V Vermilion IV Quick-Silver IV Ratsbane II Realgar II Red Precipitate IV Rum XXII Wall-Paper II Wells, Gases from XXIII Whiskey XXII White Precipitate. IV White Vitriol IX Wild Cherries XXVI Wines XXII Wines ("Poisoned) 11l Wolfsbane XXV Saffron XXV Sal Ammoniac XI Saltpetre XII Sanguinaria XXV Savine, Oil of XXVI Scheele’s Green V Sea Onion XXV Silver, Nitrate of X Skunk’s Cabbage XXV Soda (Baking) XI Soothing Syrups XX Sorrel, Salt*of XIX Yellow Jessamine XXV Yew XXV Zinc, Chloride of IX Sulphate of IX I—STRYCHNINE.—NUX VO MIC A—D O G-B UTTO N Symptoms.—This is one of the most rapidly fatal poisons known. In a very short time after it has been swallowed, distress comes on, followed by convulsions; screams; locking of the jaws; livid face; head and heels turned back; muscles of the abdomen rigid; death. The mental faculties are retained to the last. Treatment.—Give an emetic at once until the stomach is thoroughly cleansed. Pour cold water on the head and make alternate hot and cold applications on the spine. Put over the heart cloths wet in hot water and apply friction to the surface. If breathing is feeble or has ceased, use Arti- ficial Breathing, Circulation, Warmth and Strength (see “Drowning”). Be- fore the jaws close in convulsions, put a cork or stick between the teeth, so that remedies may be artificially administered if necessary. Poisoning by strychnine Is similar to suffocation, and the artificial means for restoring res- piration may be efficacious some time after breathing has stopped. If con- vulsions have commenced before treatment has been begun, let the patient cautiously inhale chloroform. Large doses of veratrum viride are also very highly recommended for internal treatment. S3. MAIDENHOOD. CHAPTER XII. THE MAID AND THE WIFE. SEX. the same circumstances the childhood of one sex, if left to Jl|Mi nature unrestrained, does not greatly differ from that of the other, i) Up 1 It is a matter of frequent remark that the little boy and little girl engage with like zest in the same sports, and that, though a differ- ence is always perceptible, the habits of the two are strikingly alike. After a time, however, a radical change begins in both, causing a diver- gence in tastes, bodily form, features, manners and pui'suits. The separa- tion grows wider and wider each year until all those characteristics have been developed which distinguish the man from the woman. The playful, thoughtless and innocent familiarity of childhood’s days gradually gives place to the reserve which nature and propriety impose, and which perhaps makes the two upon reaching maturity little less than strangers to each other. This transformation is the outgrowth of an inherent difference which does not assert itself in the early years. The nature and importance of the transition should be understood by all, but the present subject does not lead us to speak of it as it manifests itself in the male sex. OVULATION AND MENSTRUATION. In woman, the basis of the change noticed above is found in the devel- opment and functions of two small, firm organs, called the ovaries, in size and shape resembling large almonds, which are located above and at the sides of the womb. Each is connected with the womb b)' a tube about four inches in length, known as the Fallopian tube. Within the ovaries are a great many diminutive vesicles which at their maturity contain eggs, or ova, one of which is necessary to the production of a new being. Every four weeks, with few exceptions, a vesicle bursts from its ovary and liberates the egg, thus effecting the function of ovulation. The egg thus set free traverses the Fallopian tube into the womb, and is thence ex- pelled and lost. This process is attended with an exudation of ordinary COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. venous blood through the mucous lining of the womb, known as menstrua- tion, the monthly flow, or the menses. The Mother's Advice.—ln the United States the average age at which menstruation begins is fourteen and a half years. In some it appears earlier or later, according to the general physical development. Girls who are stimulated by the influences of society, particularly in the cities, generally experience it earlier than those who live in the more quiet country. Warm climates and rapid growth also favor early menstruation. With some the period is delayed until the sixteenth or eighteenth year. Whatever the age, it marks the era of fertility, or puberty, and its approach should be a signal to every mother to teach her daughter to expect the change peculiar to her sex, so that she may be prepared to protect herself from unnecessary expos- ure to cold and fatigue, and thus insure her future good health. “Some girls, in their ignorance and false notions, look with disgust upon this function and designedly or carelessly use cold baths or other means for suppression, and they have a life-long invalidism as a conse- quence.” The recurrence of the menses at regular periods is one of the most important functions of the female organism, and it should not only never be interfered with but should always be most jealously guarded. However much good advice may be given in books of this kind to girls and young women, nothing can take the place of the mother’s kind instruction and advice in warding off the excitement incident to the first appearance of this function and in correcting subsequent imprudence. Details upon this mat- ter are omitted here so that mothers may be left with the full responsibil- ity of a duty which some are too prone to neglect. Besides, a sense of modesty makes the maiden shrink from having detailed directions upon her peculiar anatomy open to the eyes of all readers of a work of this nature, and a respect for that feeling has led the writer to pass over such details. Yet she would not thus ignore the urgency of her obtaining the needed knowledge of herself, but would insist that she secure a suitable book, upon the advice of a physician or other qualified counsel, that will treat the subject adequately and temperately. Duration of the Menses.—The duration of the monthly period varies in different individuals. Though it is generally about four days, in some it is six or eight. While the interval between the periods averages about twenty-eight days, it may vary mpderately in the same individual without causing any material disturbance. In exceptional cases, menstruation takes place every three weeks; in still other cases perhaps but once in six weeks; yet the girl or woman may enjoy good health. Cessation of the Menses.—Menstrual life, or the period of fertility, continues about thirty years. Its cessation, or, as it is commonly known, the THE MAID AND THE WIFE. “change of life,” is spoken of more particularly among the disorders con- sidered below. It is a critical time in a woman’s life. DELAYED MENSTRUATION. Though the period of the first menstruation may in some cases be delayed much beyond the average age, as noted above, often without induc- ing poor health or inconvenience, such delay becomes a subject for anxiety if it continues after all the external signs of womanhood have appeared. In the latter condition, there will be excessive languor, drowsiness, periodic sickness, irritability or frequent change of temper, pain in the head and along the spine, palpitation of the heart and shortness of the breath upon the slightest exertion, pain in the lower part of the bowels and between the thighs—all showing that nature is unsuccessfully trying to establish the menstrual function and is in need of some rational assistance. The cause of this derangement In the majority of cases is probably an original delicacy of constitution, or some long-standing chronic affection. Oftentimes it will be found that the disturbances supposed to be due to delayed menstruation really arise from deficient or innutritions food, or from sedentary habits. Tardy menstruation also occurs in girls who are predisposed to any form of consumption. Sometimes it is attended with an exudation of blood through the mucous surfaces of the respiratory passages, and the spitting or vomiting of blood naturally causes alarm. Treatment.—ln the treatment it is best to first ascertain whether there be any structural cause, any lack of development, or any deformity of the organs of generation. If the physician, upon an examination, finds no mechanical obstruction, remedies may be given as here directed. Iron in some form is a leading remedy when absence of men- struation is associated with debility, languor, palpitation, indigestion, and sickly complexion. Phosphorus is useful for persons of delicate constitu- tions and sensitive lungs, and for those in whom expectoration of blood in small quantities takes the place of the menstrual discharge, with cough and pains in the chest. Give iodine or iodide of potassa to scrofulous patients with enlarged glands and a lymphatic constitution. Calcarea carbon- ica is suited to constitutions similar to those needing iodine, but with chronic indigestion, heartburn and hysteria. Calcarea phosporica is an excellent remedy when the patient has a confirmed cough, with hectic hoarseness, emaciation and debility. Scrofulous patients troubled with leucorrhoea and itching of the genital organs are benefited by sulphur. Pulsatilla is indicated by delayed, suppressed, or irregular menstruation; pains in the abdomen and loins; hysterical symptoms; nausea; vomiting; palpitation of S3. THE MOTHER AND HER BABE, CHAPTER XIII. THE MOTHER AND HER BABE. SECTION X. THE MOTHER. MARRIAGE AND PARENTAGE. and woman are complementary to each other, mutually dependent for health, happiness and virtue. Marriage is nec- happy will lengthen life. One of the objects of the con- jugal union is the transmission of life, and it is a solemn duty to in- sure to the offspring as vigorous minds and bodies as can be secured by the most conscientious pains-taking. To be sure, the responsibility rests upon both the husband and the wife. If their growth or development is defective, there must be imperfection in the offspring. No organism should reproduce while it is itself incomplete, a remark which may be applied to early marriages. When the marital relations are assumed too early, the development of the prospective parents will be more or less arrested, and their offspring will have a heritage of proportionate feebleness. It is impos- sible to fix an age foi; all individuals at which marriage is advisable, because some arrive at the requisite maturity earlier than others. Though it is often said that the proper age for the woman is from twenty to twenty-three and that for the man from twenty-three to thirty-three, the figures seem quite arbitrary, and it is safer to say that both should attain to a healthy and sub- stantial maturity. Yet it is important that the development be both phys- ical and intellectual, for the two kinds are so far from alwavs co-existing that they often exhibit a marked contrast. Besides, the moral part of one’s being exerts such an influence upon the mind and body that on both phys- iological and higher grounds it must be admitted that the happiest issue of marriage can be experienced only when the moral sense of both husband and wife is pure and elevated. Though education and proper attention to THE MOTHER AND HER BABE. the laws of life and health may improve an imperfectly organized embryo or child, the fact remains that the quality of the germs furnished at the period of impregnation will influence the offspring throughout life. It is therefore a matter of serious moment that the expectant father and mother maintain the best possible health, with temperance in all things, the mind being cheerful and elastic, and the body active and vigorous, in short, with all possible essentials of good health. Parents who transmit disease or weakness to their offspring, causing it to decay before its full development or linger on in pain and debility, are certainly infringing upon the most sa- cred rights of posterity. We now speak more particularly of the mother. MATERNITY. From the beginning of the divergence of the two sexes which was spoken of in the last chapter, the girl gives more or less marked evidences of those instincts and affections which develop with her age, and are called maternal in her later years. These are a natural and inseparable part of her being, a spiritual element of her life, whose purity, strength and eleva- tion very largely determine the type of a woman that she is to be. When she becomes a wife, their intensity is heightened until the impulses to ma- ternity take rank among the strongest and noblest of the human breast. Conscious however that increased responsibilities are to be imposed upon her by maternity, with more or less anxiety and even pain, she very naturally wishes to know how to care for herself during the periods that precede and follow the birth of her babe. With such matters we are now concerned. SIGNS OF PREGNANCY. When a young married woman in good health ceases to menstruate she should know that she is probably pregnant. Absence, of the menses is the rule in pregnancy, though there are exceptional cases in which the discharge takes place regularly during the continuance of this condition. In most cases “morning sickness” occurs at an)’- time from two to six weeks after conception, and is one of the most annoying and disagreeable experiences of pregnancy. A sensation of fullness, with a throbbing, tingling pain in the breasts, accompanied with their enlargement, is one of the signs which are less evident to others though especially noticeable to the prospective mother. The delicate pink-colored circle around the nipples seen during maidenhood becomes several shades darker. This is more especially true of the first pregnancy, and the original color does not return. The presence of milk in the breasts is considered very conclusive evidence of pregnancy but it is often THE BABE: ITS CARE AND TREATMENT. SECTION XI. tafABLES of mortality present a pitiable spectacle of deaths among >4 infants and young children. Of ten thousand human beings born /{=l about one-third die before the fifth year, nearly one-half of this number coming into the world lifeless or dying on the birth-bed. Even after the crisis of the first day has passed, a distressingly large num- ber pass away before reaching the age of one year, and three-fourths as many die before the second year closes. The first year is a critical one and the babe who passes it in health will be fortified against many of the ills which subsequently ensue. The object of this chapter is to fill a great and conspicuous gap, left open by books of this character, by telling the young mother what general care and treatment she should bestow on her babe during the days when she knows that It often suffers without being able to make known its pains and wants in an intelligible way. It is a pleasure to acknowledge as the source of a great part of the suggestions a little work entitled “What Every Mother Ought to Know,” by Dr. Ellis,.whose wide experience in the treatment of children is a sufficient guarantee of the value of what is offered. The diseases which are incident to the first few days of the child’s life will be first considered, since their treatment more properly comes in close connection with that of such disorders as afflict the mother. Other diseases of childhood are treated in the earlier chapters of this book. PROTRUSION OF THE NAVEL. Carelessness, bad dressing of the navel, and sometimes a natural weak- ness of the muscles of the abdomen cause the navel to protrude. This condition ought not to be neglected. Treatment.—The navel should be gently worked back into place with the fingers and be held in place with a little pad made of a coin, con- vex button, or other body of like shape and weight, covered with several thick- nesses of cotton, the whole being secured by a band passed around the body. MAN THE MOTHER AND HER BABE. CRYING AND RESTLESSNESS. Infants often cry and are restless and sleepless without any apparent cause. Nervous irritability from atmospheric changes and deranged diges- tion are among the most common causes. Treatment.—lf any treatment is undertaken, avoid all stock “ sooth- ing syrups” and cordials which annually kill so many children. (See other remarks on this topic on page 357 and in the following pages of this section.) A few drops of chamomilla will usually relieve all the trouble; it may be alternated with aconite if fever be present. The fault is often in the clothing, and their removal followed by gentle rubbing of the body will many times afford the desired relief. INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. Too sudden exposure to light, contact with the discharges of the mother at birth, uncleanliness and a sci'ofulous constitution are often the causes of this malady. The mucous membrane lining the lids, together with the glands within their edges, are the diseased parts, showing redness, agglutination of the lids, great sensitiveness to light, and a profuse dischai'ge of thick, yellow pus. Treatment.—Keep the eyes clean by washing them often with a fine sponge and tepid water. Use a camel’s-hair pencil to clean under the lids. A solution of ten drops of fluid hydrastia in an ounce of warm water may be rubbed on the eyes once or twice a day, and cloths wet in the same may be laid on if there is much inflammation. Many times the mother’s milk is all that is needed, a few drops being put in the eyes at each nursing. Cold tea and milk are good for lessening the heat and inflammation. “SNUFFLES.”—OBSTRUCTION OF THE NOSE. Nurses would call a slight catarrh by the truly suggestive name “snuffles.” Whatever be the name, the condition often seriously interferes with breathing and suckling, and is besides a common cause of deafness. Treatment.—Much relief will be afforded by smearing the inside of the nostrils with plain cosmoline or goose oil, applied with a camel’s-hair brush or a very soft feather. Promote the general health. VOMITING. Some infants vomit very easily, and generally after each probably because they have taken more than the stomach can digest; or CHAPTER XIV. HOME NURSING. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT. no remedy is applicable to all disorders, nor to all cases of t^ie same one, proper nursing is invariably helpful, often abso- y ' /fy M lutely essential. Poor nursing can counteract the virtues of the most wisely chosen medicines and frequently baffles the highest medical skill. In this essential part of treatment there is a lamentable lack in the exercise of common sense, and too often an exhibition of positive stupidity. The fondest affection is no guarantee that one will or can suit- ably nurse the sick of even his own household. In view of such a defect in information the present chapter has been prepared, with a confidence that it will be especially welcome and be a medium through which anxious friends may intelligently set about doing the best thing for their patients. These directions are designed entirely for the domestic nurse, and since the greater part of nursing at home falls upon the wife, mother and sister, the feminine pronoun is more commonly used in alluding to the nurse. It will be seen that the notes are applicable to cases of severe illness, and quite often to protracted ones. The nurse must exercise her judgment in adjusting them to minor ailments. In any case, she should keep ever in mind that the welfare of the patient depends in many cases quite as much upon her as upon the physician. This is too seldom heeded. AIR AND WARMTH. “The very first canon of nursing, the first and last thing upon which a nurse’s attention must be fixed, the first essential point to the patient, with- out which all the rest you can do for him is as nothing, with which, I had almost said, you may leave all the rest alone, is this: To keep the air HE BREATHES AS PURE AS THE EXTERNAL AIR, WITHOUT CHILLING HIM.” (.Nightingale). It is not always possible to observe this rule to perfection, but it is our business to act upon it as precisely as the circumstances will permit. The fear that the patient will take a cold very often leads the nurse HOME NURSING. to exclude all air coming directly from the outside; but let it be known that a condition often exists which is called a cold when it is really a clogging of the skin and lungs with the foul exhalations of a closely-shut room—a re- mai'k which applies in only less measure to the well. Proper clothing and bed-covering should be the precautionary means used against colds, while fresh air is let in through an open window or ventilator and circulates slowly in all parts of the room, around and under the bed. Two cautions are needed in securing- fresh air* First, it is sheer folly to admit air into a sick-room from another apartment, unless the latter has been thoroughly aired, for that is replacing impure air with impure. Second, the outdoor air may be polluted by a neighboring cesspool, privy vault, stagnant water, stables, decaying matter of any kind, kitchen slops, and the like. Nor is it enough that the nurse is not sensible of the contamination, for an enfeebled constitution is exquisitely susceptible to such influences. It is imperative that one guard against all taints, so far as possible. Equal cautions will also be taken against the admission of dust, smoke of all kinds, and the fumes and steam from the kitchen. Nor should towels, bedding, and the like be dried or aired in the room unless the vapors and effluvia escaping therefrom can be driven out at once. There is a remarkable dread of night-air; perhaps because patients more often take cold in the night, particularly toward morning when the nurse has neglected to supply the extra covers required by the fall in the temperature, or has, from sleepiness, failed to keep up the temperature of the body when it declines during sleep. Good air is needed at night as well as in the day, and that which one gets at night is often, particularly in large cities, better than that of the daytime. There can be no doubt that patients in small-pox and other infectious diseases are made worse, often fatally so, and that others of the household are stricken, from the practice of shutting the sufferer in a warm, closed room with heavy wraps. All such condi- tions insure an accumulation of the disease-germs which it is well-nigh im- possible to counteract. Indeed, unwholesome apartments are often the sole cause of these disorders, as well as of scarlet fever and diphtheria. Give all such patients an abundance of fresh air. Fresh air does not mean cold air. Observe this distinction and you may avoid many of the colds which are incident to improper ventilation. Keep the room at an even and suitable temperature, prevent cold air from falling directly upon the patient from a window before it has taken on the tem- perature of the room, and little fear need be felt. It is always best to have an open grate in the room, both as a ventilator and as a means of securing due warmth. No other warming apparatus equal to it has been found, and it is best, even in hot weather, to keep a slow fire in it. CHAPTER XV. HYGIENE. GENERAL REMARKS. subjects pertaining to our physical being hygiene is first in point imPortance* It is unfortunately true however that its study in practical life is generally second to that of disease in point of time. The closest students of health are the sick, to whom only the loss of a priceless possession has taught its value. The authors are convinced that this lamentable neglect results in great measure from the fact that works on hygiene are usually much lumbered with plausible theories which have innumerable logical rules and expedients, the greater number of which it is impossible to apply in connection with the daily duties of life and the sur- roundings of the average man. Upon this important theme therefore they will select from a long professional experience some simple rules and appli- ances whose observance is compatible with the cares of even a busy life. THE CARE OF THE SKIN. Few people have anything like an adequate conception of the great functions performed by the skin or of the serious diseases resulting from its neglect. It is of the highest importance in a study of its care that the reader have an intelligent idea of its anatomy and physiology. He is therefore re- ferred to that subject as set forth in chapter VII. The advantages of thorough personal cleanliness are not generally ap- preciated. Among the ancient Hindoos, Egyptians and Hebrews it was a religious rite, with the priest as physician. Under the Mosaic dispensation the regulations respecting ablutions were most minute. Among the Romans the bath was a fashionable and pleasurable resort. Among all civilized nations cleanliness has been observed in deference to society, though it has too often been rather for the sake of securing an attractive exterior than in obedience to the laws of health. If one were to say to the average man or woman, “You are not clean,” it is very certain that said average man or woman would be horrified and 100. I.A PORTE’S STRUCTURE AND PROPORTIONS. THE HORSE—SIGNS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE. EXPLANATIONS OF FIGURE 100. The figure on the opposite page exhibits a complete outline of a per- fect horse and indicates the measurements of the same. The whole is taken, by permission, from the Horse-Shoer and Hardware Journal: SKELETON AND OTHER PARTS. 1. Vertebrae of the Neck. 2. Breast-Bone. 3. Shoulder-Blade. 4. Bone of the Arm. 5. Radius. 6. Ulna. 7. Elbow. 8. Ribs. 9. Carpal Bones. 10. Metacarpal Bones. 11. Great Pastern. 12. Little Pastern. 13. Coffin Bone and Hoof. 14. Vertebrae of the Back. 15. Vertebrae of the Loins. 16. Bason Bone. 17. Thigh Bone. 18. Patella. 19. Tibia. 20. Fibula. 21. Bones in the Hock. 22. Metatarsal Bones. 23. Pastern Bones. 24. The Coffin Bone and Hoof. FAMILIAR TERMS. a. Crest. b. Withers. c. Throat. d. Shoulder Points. e. Arm. f. Knee. g. Fetlock (fore). li. Pastern (fore). i. Foot. i i. Coronet. k. Body. l. Quarter. m. Dock. «. Sheath. o. Hock. p. Shank. q. Fetlock (hind). r. Pastern (hind). s. Foot. t. Thigh. The Foot. 1. Toes. 2. Horn. 3. Sole. 4. Frog, 5. Heel. PROPORTIONS OF THE PERFECT HORSE. A A, line separating two rectangles which show the Depth of the Body as proportioned to the Length of the Legs. B and C, lines dividing off the fore and hind Quarters and the Body, and indicating their respective and comparative proportions. Length of Head, generally 1 10 Across Eyes o Across Nose o 7 From Eye to Cheek 80ne... o 8 Neck across Gullet 1 4 Middle of Neck 1 7 Across Neck at Body 2 o From Withers to Ground 5 2 From Crest of Loins to Ground., 5 1 From Elbow to Stifle 2 4 From Elbow to Knee 1 5 From Knee to Ground 1 7 From Withers to Chest 2 2 Ft. In. Across Arm o 6 Across Knee o 4^ Across Shank under Knee o 3^ Across Fetlock-Joint o 4 Across Pastern o 3 Across Coronary Bone. o 4y2 Highest Part of Hoof o 4^ Length of Hoof from Toe to Heel, o 5^ From Rump to Tail 1 1 From Hip to End of Quarters.... 1 9 Across Hock o Across Shank below Hock o 3%" Across Fetlock o 4yz Ft. In. 97. SKELETON OF THE HORSE. 1, Cranium. 2, Lower jaw. 3, Cervical vertebrae. 4, 4. Dorsal vertebrae. 5, 5. Lumbar vertebrae. 6, 6. Sacrum. 7, 7. Coccygeal vertebrae. 8, Sternum. 9, 9. True ribs. 10, 10. Cartilages of true ribs, n, 11, False ribs. 12, 12. Cartilages of false ribs. 13. Scapula. 14. Humerus. 15. Radius, 16. Elbow. 17. Os Pisiforme. 18. 19, ) 20, 21, >-Carpal bones. 22, 23. ) 24. Large metacarpal bone. 23. Outer small metacarpal bone. 26. Inner small metacarpal bone. 27, 28. Sesamoid bones. 29. Os suffraginis. 30. Crown bone. 31. Hoof. 32. Wing of pedal bone. 33. 34, 3S, 36. Os Innominatum. 37. Femur. 38. Tibia. 39. Os Calcis. 40. Astralagus. 41. 42, 43, 44. Tarsal bones. 45. Large metatarsal bone. 46. Outer small metatarsal bone. 47- Inner small metatarsal bone. Principal Points and Parts to be Examined for Defects, Injuries and Disease. 99- SKETCH OF THE HORSE. 1. Muzzle. 2. Place of Fistula from Teeth. 3. Place of Mumps. 4. Place of Poll-evil. 5. Angle of Jaw. 6. 6. Crest. 7. Place of Fistula from Vein. 8. Throttle, Thropple, or Wind- pipe. 9. Shoulder-point; place of Sores from Harness. 10. 10. Shoulder-blade. 11. Withers; sometimes the seat of Fistula: height of horses reckoned from the ground to the Withers. 12. Front of Chest or Breast. 13. 13. The True Arm. 14. Elbow; sometimes the seat of Tumors. 15. Arm, or Fore-arm. 16. Knee, or Wrist; sometimes swelled, having- a fungous growth; or the skin may have been broken. iy, 17. Back Sinew: place of Curb. 18. Place of Disease of Skin above the Coronet—Crown scab. 19,19. Fetlock, or Pastern, joint. 20. Coronet. 21, 21. Heel. 22. Contracted Hoof. 24. Mallenders; 24A, Sallenders. 25. Seat of Splint, or Exostosis, on side of Cannon-bone. 26, 26, 26. Seats of Bursal En- largements. 27. Back, or spine. 28. Place of Saddle-galls. 29, 29. Girth, or Circumference in Measurement. 30. Place of Injury from Pres- sure of Girth. 31. Barrel, or Middle-piece. 32. Loins. 33. Croup. 34. Haunch, 35. Flank. 36. Seat of Warts. 37. Sheath, or Prepuce. 38, 38. Gas-skin, or Lower Thigh. 39. Root of the Dock, or Tail. 40. Hip-joint—Round or Whirl- bone, 41. Rat tail. 42. The Quarters. 43. Point of the Hock: seat of Capped-hock. 44,44. Cannon-bone. 45. Place of Spavin. 40,46. Hoof. PART 11. THE HORSE AND HIS DISEASES. INTRODUCTION. LEROY F. CAGWIN, ESQ., JOLIET, ILL. THE PREHISTORIC HORSE. f OSSIE bones of the horse have been found in both hemispheres together with those of other animals which indicate an antiquity as great as any fossil quadruped. The relics found in Europe in the bone caves and drift deposits consist of innumerable skeletons as well as representations by drawing and carving on reindeer horn, bone and ivory, executed by their contemporary man countless ages before history began. Ecker says that the European horse of the fourth epoch probably gave birth to the small stunted breed with the large head, rounded forehead and short neck, which is found in fossil remains at Solutre and is still represented by the wild horses of the Rhone delta and the steppes of Russia; but he adds that this primitive breed was almost entirely supplanted by an Asiatic breed larger and more robust, and that our domestic horse is the result of a mixture of the two. The problem of the origin of the horse can no more be solved than that of man; unless we assume the unity of species, and that the Great Architect created each kind in a specific mould at the beginning, subject to the law of variation, limited by the power of reproduction each of its kind, that man, animals and plants had attained a degree of perfection in variety at some period or periods in the remote past, and that the process is now going on, slowly recovering from the great inundation which over- whelmed the earth during the glacial epoch. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. THE HORSE IN HISTORY. Traces of the horse have been found in nearly all ages and all countries since the flood, the period at which history seems to have dawned. From time to time as the exigencies have demanded varieties of the horse have been produced suitable for the purposes required of them. In following the march of civilization from the very first, the finer breeds appear to have been maintained by the introduction of the Arab stock. Egypt, the most ancient of civilized monarchies that have left monuments to tell their history, as we gather from Rawlinson’s “Ancient Egypt,” introduced horses, prob- ably from Arabia, under the eighteenth dynasty, and they seem not to have been known in the earlier times. They were regarded as too noble and perhaps too valuable for draught and agricultural purposes, like the ass and the ox, but were commonly either ridden or employed to draw curricles and chariots, chiefly by men of the upper classes. Great numbers were re- quired for the chariots and cavalry. A brisk trade was carried on with Syria and Palestine where they were in great request and commanded high prices. It appears that they were not allowed to graze in fields but were kept constantly in stalls and fed on straw and barley. They seem to have resembled the Arab stock, being light, agile and high-spirited, and were probably introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos. The same class of horses apparently figures on the monuments of the ruins of Nineveh, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, and other ancient oriental coun- tries, while later, toward the decline of the Persian Empire and the rise of the Grecian, and about the time that the horse was beginning to be cultivated in Europe, the cavalry and war horse was stouter, of heavier quarters and limbs, drooping more at the croup, and altogether of a stockier mould and darker color. Peering into the realms of fancy we can weave a picture which the insufficient light of history can not satisfactorily complete. We can perhaps see the relation and conclude that the parent Aryan stock of the Caucasian civilization was the original possessor of the fine breed of horses known to oriental countries as the Arab, the white albinoish color and the refinement and symmetry peculiar to both going far in evidence. The great epoch in the history of the horse is at the time of the rise of the Indo-Germanic nations. Spain before England was the nursery of the fine blooded horse. The northern countries supplied the ponderous horse used for war. The cavalry of the time, requiring the heavy armor for both rider and horse, created the necessity of a heavy animal, and to this fact we are indebted for the introduction of the modern draught horse about the time of the Norman conquest. From that time the variety of purposes to which the horse has been 98. EXTERNAL MARKS OF DISEASE. 1. Caries of the lower jaw. 2. Fistula of the parotid duct. 3. Bony excrescence or Exosto- sis of the lower jaw. 4. Swelling by pressure of the bridle. 5. Poil-evil. 6. Inflamed gland. 7. Inflamed jugular vein. 8. Fungus tumor, produced by pressure of the collar. 9. Fistula in the withers. 10. Saddle-gall. 11. Tumor of the elbow. 12. Induration of the knee. 13. Clap of the back sinews. 14. Malienders. ij. Splint. 16. Ring-bone. 17. A Tread upon the coronet. 18. Quittor. 19. Sandcrack. 20. Contracted or Ring foot of a foundered horse. 21. Capped hock. 22. Malienders. 23. Spavin. 24. Curb. 25. Swelled sinews. 26. Thick leg. 27. Grease. 28. A crack in front of the foot, called cow-crack. 29. Quarter-crack. 30. Ventral hernia. 31. Rat-Tail. CHAPTER I. SIGNS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. VER may be one’s opinion upon the great question of \/ v evo^ut*on» even a bttle observation will demonstrate to every one the Creator of the universe has maintained a marvelous I J unity of design and organistn throughout the various orders of animal life. While man is “ fearfully and wonderfully made,” the same wonder is aroused when we see that the several animals, particularly of the higher kinds, have substantially the same physiological organs and func- tions. He who has made a study of the human body has the material facts about the horse, ox and other domestic animals. It would evidently involve tiresome and unnecessary repetitions to give the general anatomy and physiology of these animals after the treatise which we have set forth on those subjects as related to man. The reader will find about all the information on these topics that he will have occasion to apply in the domes- tic treatment of his animals if he will refer to the introductory pages of the appropriate chapters in Part I. To be sure, the functions vary not a little and a few differences in organism exist, but these will be mentioned in the course of the following pages as the treatment will most properly demand. It is obvious, too, that after the horse has been fully treated, very much will have been said that is applicable to other animals, the cow, sheep, hog and dog in particular. Hence, the part of this book which is devoted to the Horse will not only give all needful information upon the compara- tively few disorders of the Ass and Mule, but will be frequently referred to in the parts devoted to other animals. In giving the Signs of Health and Disease of the Horse, we ask the reader to understand that he has before him very much that applies to other animals, and can gain the required facts by substituting the name of the one which he is studying in the context. Signs of Health.—The following are general signs of health: Smooth and bright coat, loose skin, medium warmth of all the parts, clear ENTERED FOR COPYRIGHT. ioi. MAUD S. DRAWN FROM LIFE BY L. F. CAQWIN. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. and bright eyes, natural but not excessive appetite which is not affected by ordinary work, regular and easy passages from the bowels and bladder, regular respiration from eight to ten times a minute, uniform heart-beats about forty-five per minute and a medium load of fat. If any of these are materially disturbed some derangement exists, and more or less disease is present if such disturbance is more than fitful. Signs of Disease.—The family physician is helpless unless he knows the symptoms of his patient, but these he can learn with more ease by ask- ing questions than one can determine the condition of a dumb animal. He who would treat the latter must wholly depend upon his observation. Indeed, the owner of such an animal can scarcely be deemed less than cruel if he is so careless as not to extend to it a reasonable attention to ascertain, whether it is in health. Any one can be reasonably certain whether his domestic animals are sick or well if he but be observing. Prominent signs of disorder are these: Failure to notice a sound or the approach of another animal or a person, heedless standing, hanging head, general dullness, with eyes and ears perfectly still or drooping. Such signs are to be seen whether the animal is tired, old, abused, sleepy or sick. If the skin is pimply, or cold and damp, or unusually hot, dry and harsh, or sticks closely to the flesh and bones; if the hair stands on end and is not bright and smooth; if the nose, ears and feet are unduly cold in moderate weather; if the animal paws his bedding, or shows an unusual disposition to lie down, or looks around at his sides, switches his tail in the absence of flies, or uneasily stands on different feet successively, then pain is most likely present, and certainly the animal is not well. A more detailed notice of some signs is now in order. The Pulse.—The pulse is the stroke felt at a point where an artery comes near the surface. In man, it is more commonly sought out on the wrist; in the domestic animals it is more easily found at the edge of the jaw. Passing the finger from the angle of the jaw along the lower edge, we will notice a slight depression or notch, and by pressing the finger into this we feel the pulsations of the artery. Whereas in man in adult life the heart beats, or the pulse, will be from 65 to 72, and may be increased a half or even doubled by excitement, those of the horse are much less, ranging about as follows: At birth, 100 to 120; at two weeks of age, 80 to 96; three months, 68 to 76; six months, 64 to 72; one year, 48 to 56; two years, 40 to 48; four yeai's, 38 to 48. The average after three years is about 45. These figures may be considered the standard of a healthy pulse, some allowance being made for variations of temperature. In health the pulse is regular, full, round and distinct, and when increased bv excitement it retains the same relative characteristics. It is ENTERED FOR COPYRIGHT. 102. JAY EYE SEE. (Record, 2:1054 j at 4 years, 2 19.) DRAWN FROM LIFE BY L. F. OAGWIN. CHAPTER 11. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. BRAIN FEVER.—INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. disorder affects the brain or its membranes, or both, and is caused fll vAs by over-exertion in warm weather or exposure to the sun on a hot J day; insufficiency of water; very stimulating food; hard blows on the head. It is not common among horses. At first the symp- toms are mild, including heavy eyes, with red membranes under the eyelids; loss of appetite; the head rests on some object or between the legs; sleep, 96. VIOLENT SYMPTOM OF BRAIN FEVER. followed by sudden waking, staring, and dozing again. In a day or two there will be delirium with convulsions and fits of excitement; heaving flanks; wild, red, staring, bloodshot eyes, wide open; nostrils stretched out; COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. the breathing has a snoring sound; constipation; scanty urine. Then may follow dullness, convulsions, loss of consciousness, and death; or the horse may grow more violent before death, plunging about, pawing, biting and striking at every one near, with eyes standing out from the sockets, breath- ing and pulse rapid, and mouth hot and dry; the horse dashes violently against any object by him, falls exhausted, foaming at the mouth, sweating, and then dying. Symptoms of colic may be confused with these, but in colic rolling is prominent, as it is not here, and consciousness is not lost. The symptoms of brain fever, or “mad-staggers,” should be carefully com- pared with those of apoplexy, or “sleepy staggers,” found in the next sec- tion. But those of stomach staggers (see section on that disease) are most likely to be confused with the indications of brain fever. Hence the fol- lowing distinctions made by Gamgee should be carefully noted: INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. Very rare; never epidemic. STOMACH STAGGERS WITH DELIRIUM. A common disease; often epidemic. History indicates the cause to be some local injury; sometimes due to disease of the ears. History indicates the cause to be repletion of the stomach. Originates and progresses slowly. Comes on suddenly. Marked signs of derangement of alimen- tary canal. Usually very slight functional disturb- ance of stomach and intestines, indicated by costiveness. High fever of a persistent type. Stupor, listlessness. No signs of colic, and rarely sweats. Febrile symptoms easily dispersed. Symptoms of severe pain. Colic, sweats, tremors. Paroxysmal derangement and severe de- lirium. Permanent uneasiness, ranging very slightly in intensity; delirium occasionally marked, but more frequently coma. Symptoms yield slowly and with diffi- culty to treatment. When evacuation of the stomach is ob- tained the delirium disappears, and the animal soon recovers. Consequences.—No tendency to ruptured stomach; suppuration often results, with marked symptoms of coma or blood-poi- soning. Consequences.—Death in a few hours in many cases; ruptured stomach, indicated by symptoms of vomiting. Treatment.—The most common treatment is free blood-letting, with powerful cathartics. While this may give temporary relief, the depletion, even if recovery takes place, will often produce a useless animal, a fine- spirited horse scarcely ever becoming more than a broken-down hack. A much better treatment consists in arterial sedatives which lessen the fever and allay the inflammation. Among the best of these we mention 103. JOHNSTON. (Pacing Record, 2:10.) ENTERED FOR COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER 111. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. THE TEETH. 'PpWHE general treatise on the digestive organs is found in Chapter ji |ig TV of Part I, but the importance of the teeth of the horse as an /iI index of age calls for a special notice and copious illustration. Points in determining the age are the following:—There are two sets of teeth, the temporary or milk-teeth, and the permanent, the same number being on each jaw. The temporaiy are twelve front teeth, or incisors, and twelve molars, or grinders. The 'permanent set has twelve incisors, twenty-four molars, and four canines or tushes in the male. At birth, or within about ten days afterward, the two central incisors are found, and about the same time three molars on each side of either jaw appear; at six months, four more middle incisors are seen; about the eighth month, two corner incisors on each jaw; at one year, there is the full temporaiy set. During the second year are cut two molars on either side of each jaw—eight in all—making twelve inci- sors and twenty molars, of which twenty-four are temporary and eight (molars) permanent. At two years and a half two permanent incisors displace the two temporary central ones, and arc distinguished by increased size and a dark mark in the center. Between three and four years the next incisors are displaced by permanent ones. Between four and five, the corner incisors are likewise changed, and about this time the twelve temporarv molars are replaced permanent teeth, to which are added the remaining molars of the mare's mouth. At about four and a half, the four canines or tushes of the horse are seen and become fully grown at five. At six the central incisors of the lower jaw lose the dark mark in the crown which appeared at about three, perhaps a little before. At seven, this mark dis- appears from the middle incisors, and at eight is worn from all of them. At ten, eleven and twelve, the mark disappears from the central, middle and corner incisors respectively of the upper jaw. We thus have a fair index to the age. The teeth becoming longer, their edges triangular (tushes round and blunt), dishonest men attempt to practice various impositions, by COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. changing their appearance—“bishoping” the teeth. For instance, a three- year old may be made to appear older by drawing the teeth which would soon drop out, thus allowing a more rapid growth to the permanent teeth; or a cavity is cut into the surface of the corner teeth and darkened with a hot iron or other means, to make a horse look younger. COLIC This should not be mistaken for inflammation of the bowels (enteritis), or for stomach staggers. The following table will aid one in distinguishing it from the former, as well as from other disorders. The attack comes on gradually; restless- ness and fever-symptoms being present five or six hours before the violent symptoms. ENTERITIS. The pain comes on suddenly, without any symptom, and is violent from the first. COLIC. Pain continuous, with but slight intervals of comparative ease. Pain comes on in paroxysms, with marked intervals of ease. Pressure on the abdomen gives pain. Pressure or friction on the abdomen gives relief. The pulse quick and full, or hard and thready; as the disease advances, rising to double the number of beats, or even more. The pulse not affected, except during the paroxysms of pain, or after the latter has continued sometime. It is thus variable; sometimes natural, at others small and feeble, then full and quick. The extremities cold. The extremities warm. Colic is of two kinds, the spasmodic and theJlatulent or windy, and the two kinds require separate description and treatment. SPASMODIC COLIC. This form is caused by impure air and irregular exercise, with dry, poor food and insufficient water. It is aggravated or excited by sudden chills, chiefly after hard work; free drinking of cold or mineral water; constipa- tion; gritty lumps in the intestines; violent purging; green food in undue quantities. Symptoms of Spasmodic Colic.—Severe pains in the abdomen coming on in paroxysms; the horse, in apparently previous good health, turns his nose toward the flanks with a frightened look, paws, and is uneasy. As yet the pulse is natural; an appearance of ease is now observed for a short period, then the symptoms return and are aggravated; the horse stamps PART 111. THE OX AND HIS DISEASES.* CHAPTER I. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. MAD STAGGERS AND BRAIN FEVER. AD staggers and brain fever are quite frequent among cattle, and wlMnlW: come on rapidly from exposure to a hot sun or sudden change of Itemperature; or may follow ill-usage, high feeding, excess of blood, over-driving, or a blow on the head. Symptoms.—Mad Staggers are marked by heaving flanks; wild, red, staring eyes; nostrils enlarged; furious delirium and frenzy; (the animal is unconscious, while in rabies it is not so—a distinction that should be care- fully noted); animal exhausted, and finally motionless. In Brain Fever, the general symptoms of mad staggers are present, and in addition a marked aversion to red bodies during the frenzy; frightful bellowing; incessant and furious galloping; arched tail; the skin adheres closely to the flesh; spine and adjacent parts very tender; the animal falls headlong, and lies in a stupor; from the first, vivid redness and prominence of th§ eyes; dullness and drowsiness; thick, heavy, difficult breathing. Treatment.—Give aconite for fever; delirium; red eyes; dry, hot skin. For great heat and swelling of the head, blood-shot eyes, delirium and frenzy, thirst, sensitiveness to light and noise, wild expression, give belladonna, which is also usually serviceable in the beginning, in alternation with aconite at intervals of from one to three hours according to the severity. For stupor, sudden starts, and involuntary passages of dung, give hyoscyamus. Bryonia is needed for stupor with delirium. Opium is demanded * See “ Signs of Health and Disease,” Chapter I, Part 11. COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. by stupor with giddiness, half-closed, glassy eyes, constipation, and slow, feeble pulse. Give arnica externally and internally once in an hour, or oftener in extreme cases, if the cause is some external injury. Gelseminum, a wine-glassful of a mixture of twenty drops of tincture in a pint of water, given every two hours, is valuable in cases resulting from exposure to the sun, with weakness of the muscles and enlarged pupils of the eyes. For further information, consult this disorder in the Horse. Keep the animal perfectly quiet. When the violence of the symptoms subsides, give soft food that is easily digested and readily taken. APOPLEXY. Apoplexy has causes similar to those of Brain Fever, but is much more rapid in its attack. For symptoms, treatment, and general care, consult the article on Brain Fever above, and on Apoplexy in the Horse. PARALYSIS. This is a loss of nervous power in the muscles, and may affect one muscle or many. It occurs mainly in old cattle in bleak countries, cold, un- healthy stables, or those exposed to cold after warm stabling. Symptoms.—Legs, generally the hind ones, cold and weak, then stiff, dragging and resting on the pasterns; then the animal becomes unable to stand and sits on its haunches. Treatment.—Keep the animal warm and well supplied with litter; change to nourishing food; turn the animal over two or three times a day. For further information, consult Pai'alysis in the Horse. HYDROPHOBIA. Hydrophobia occurs more frequently in the cow than in the horse, and results from the bite of a rabid animal. Sy?nptoms.—Loud and frequent hollow bellowing; stamping and but- ting; sometimes return of the food into the mouth about the third day; the secretion of milk diminishes; foaming at the mouth; paralysis; death in from four to seven days; consciousness throughout. Treatment.—Wash the wound well with warm water and some dis- infectant; then burn it with an iron, or apply strong nitric acid. Dress then with a strong carbolic acid lotion, or lime-water and oil. Belladonna and stramonium may afterward be used. When the case is fully developed medicine will generally be of little avail. CHAPTER 11. THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. pi'HE stomach of the ox, sheep and other ruminants is so peculiar as (|p| Sp to call for special mention. It consists of four so-called stomachs, /t) The first, known as the rumen, or paunch, is much the largest; its mucous membrane is rough, with elevations or papillae, and is pro- tected by a dense, scaly membrane. The second stomach, called the retic- ulum, or honey-comb, is the smallest of the four, and is connected with the 153. Stomach of the Ox. A, Rumen (left half). B, Rumen (right half). C, Lower end of the (Esophagus. D, Reticulum E, Omasum. F, Abomasum. front part of the paunch, with which it freely communicates. The third stomach is named the omasum, or maniplies, the latter term being derived from the many folds of the membranes; its numerous membranes are of COMPENDIUM OF HEALTH. difFeient sizes, and their surfaces are copiously supplied with papillse; its contents are dry. The fourth stomach, called the abomasum, or rennet, performs substantially the same functions as that of man, is larger than the second and third but smaller than the first, is covered with a thick, velvety coat that has ridges similar to those of the omasum, and secretes an acid that is necessary to digestion. The first three stomachs are involved m the process of rumination. Crushed food passes first into the rumen, or paunch, and is there heated in saliva, mucus and other secretions, its toughness determining the time it is to be so retained. The food next enters the reticulum, where the softening and dissolving are continued, being aided by a slow churning movement. Fluids that are swallowed pass directly into this organ without going to 155. Section of the Stomach of the Ox. 154. Stomach of the Ox, exposing parts of the interior. A, Left Sac of the Rumen. B, Front extremity of the same turned back on the Right Sac, its rear extremity being C. G, Section of the front Pillar of the Rumen, gg. Its two upper branches. H, Rear Pillar of the same, hhn, Its three lower branches. I, Cells of the Reticulum. J, Furrow of the (Esophagus. K, (Esophagus. L, Abomasum. a, (Esophagus. b, Rumen. c, Re- ticulum. d, Omasum. e, Abomasum. f, Duodenum. the paunch. In this stomach secretions ferment the food or produce other chemical changes, reducing the contents to a pulpy mass. In the next place the food passes back to the teeth and is thoroughly masticated, this process being known as rumination, or “chewing the cud.” The return of the food is easily detected, for one may see large masses pass up the gullet which is distended as in swallowing, though the movement is in the opposite direction. When the food passes into the mouth its liquid parts are immediately swallowed into the first three stomachs; and the solid food THE OX—THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. is slowly ground by the teeth a longer or shorter time according to its toughness. When sufficiently ground the food is again swallowed, some into the first two stomachs, but the greater part into the third, thence into the fourth where the digestion is completed. Because of the tendency of liquids to pass directly into the second or third stomach there is some dan- ger that in administering medicine by drenches or other mechanical means the desired results may be defeated, and even damage be incurred. Hence, in giving medicine to the ox or sheep it is always best when possible to induce the animal to swallow it voluntarily. HOOVE.—GRAIN OR CLOVER SICKNESS. This is a distension of the stomach caused by decomposition or fer- mentation of food, or by eating unusual articles of food. Rich grazing after poor or scanty food, wet grass in warm weather, fodder heated by being heaped up when wet, drinking cold water excessively, eating too much grain, bran, chaff, raw potatoes and oats, or boiled turnips, may cause the disorder. Symptoms.—These appear soon and suddenly; loss of appetite and cud; whole body swollen, especially at the flanks, which give forth a drum- like sound when struck; sour and noisy belchings; moans and distress; animal stands still; short, difficult breathing; nostrils spread; threatened suffocation; the pulse grows harder, fuller and quicker; mouth hot and full of frothy slobber; eyes glazed, fixed, and blood-shot; the tongue hangs; veins of the neck and chest swollen; back arched; legs drawn under the body; tail curved; protruding anus; cold sweat; the animal finally totters, falls,struggles, discharges sour fluid and solid food from the nose and mouth; suffocation or rupture of the stomach, leading to death. The distension of the stomach by gas may be distinguished from that arising from impacted food by a study of the table here used, which is taken from the excellent work of Lord and Rush. DISTENSION FROM GAS. DISTENSION FROM IMPACTED FOOD. The left flank, on pressure, feels soft, elastic, and yielding to the fingers. On percussion, sounds hollow and drum-like. The left flank, on pressure, feels solid; does not yield readily to the fingers on per- cussion ; on being struck, sounds dull. Frequent belching; the wind which es- capes has an offensive smell. No belching or eructation of wind. Respiration quick, short and puffing. Position; Standing; head stretched for- ward; unable to move; moans, and appears in great distress; eyes red and staring. Respiration not much interfered with. Position: Lying down, and is with diffi- culty induced to move; looking dull and listless. PART IV. THE SHEEP AND ITS DISEASES.* CHAPTER I. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. STAGGERS.—GIDDINESS. 'ppf is very dangerous, occurring most frequently in lambs, especially m in those not over six months old, seldom among sheep over two /tj 'f j-ears of age. It is caused by small insects in the head. It is said that these insects will produce tape-worm in a dog, that the joints of tape-worm from the dog will produce the insects in sheep, and hence, that the presence of dogs will induce this disease. A cold, wet season and low, damp localities favor the development of the disorder. Symptoms.—Stumbling; turning round often; head turned to one side, or held high up and forward; impaired appetite; indifference; wild look; eyes bluish, the pupils enlai'ged and the eyeballs prominent; then blindness, stupor, loss of flesh, exhaustion and death. Treatment.—Whether the bone be absorbed or not, a veterinary sur- geon may perform an operation to remove the insect. In any case, the treatment should be applied immediately upon the discovery of the disorder. Belladonna is the only medicine that has effected cures. It may be given every day at first, then every two days. INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN. Inflammation of the brain, in which the brain is engorged with blood, is caused by over-driving, high feeding, blows on the head, sunstroke, and the like. It is most common among lambs. * The reader should carefully note the remarks upon “ Signs of Health and Disease ” in Chapter I of Part 11. He will also readily infer that all requisite information upon the treatment of the few ailments of the Goat will be easily derived from the following directions upon the Sheep. 170. ROB ROY. (Owned by Arnold Burges.) PART VI. THE DOG AND HIS DISEASES. INTRODUCTION. ARNOLD BURGES, A. M., HILLSDALE, MICH., Late Editor of the “American Sportsman,” and Author of “The American Kennel and Sporting Field.” ORIGIN AND TRAITS. N the origin of the dog scientific men have differed /y widely. By some he has been declared a de- / 2■