W\77\ \ «T~«tt. */£«: ' -. :<-<&> % <~ cf.5^ ^ /VcC^^ Y~S^ — -*■"'*'' ** ^f^* <' 7 a •»oV' Mfej < ..j/tG ;^}-QQOsQ.O'^7" (i1 Surgeon General'* Office ^ y ,l3Ut & J© ^ *&&-■ ■•>£ *> ^ ® 11 mm ^zZltZy PRESENTED BY i% T^P tifrr- ^O-QtXQOOO^ i • THE n^-» INDIAN PRACTIctT of f *^t *v 4^ cm BEING A TREATISE, DIVESTED OF PROFESSIONAL TERMS, ON THE NATURE, CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENT OF THE DISEASES OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN; WITH APPROPRIATE PRESCRIPTOINS, IN ENGLISH. BY BENJAMIN B. WALKER, M. D., STUDENT OF DOCTOR RICHARD CARTER, JR., OF KENTUCKY. LOUISVILLE:. JOHN C. NOBLE.-FOURTH STREET PRINTING ROOMS. 1847. . '4MMC District Court of the United Stated y For the District of Indiana, SS. > Be it reiiiuin' ered that on the twenty-eighth day of June, in the year 2ightee», hundred and forty-seven, Benjamin B. Walker, M. D., of said District, ceoosiK-n in this office the title of a book. The title of which is in tbe words and figure* following, to-wit: "The Indian Practice of Medicine, being a Treatise divested of Professional Terms, on the Nature, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of the Diseases of Men, Woman, and Children, with appropriate prescriptions in Eng lisii. By Benjamin B. Walker, M. D., student of Dr. Richard Carter, Jr., of Ken- tucky. Louisville, John C. Noble, Fourth street Printing Rooms, 1847." The right whereof he claims as author, in conformity with an act of Congress entitled "An Act, to amend the several acts respecting copy-rights." A. BA.SSETT, Clerk of said District. t, Horace Bassett, Clerk of said Court, do certify the foregoing to be a true and correct copy from the Entry Book now in my office. Iii testimony whcri-of. I have hereto set my hand and ;itlixr-it Ui-- Seal of «a id Court, at Indianapolis, this 24th da> .f lulv. lStT II. BASSETT. Clerk. PREFACE. The preservation of health is beyond all doubt a matter of general importance, and although its rules, scientifically considered, belong to the profession of medicine, yet, as they are level to the understand- ing and experience of every man of reflection and reading, the subject may with great propriety be con- sidered as nearly universal. Viewing it in this light, I was induced to compose this work, now submitted to the public. Throughout the whole of this work it has been my endeavor to convey useful and practical informa- tion in plain language, and as much as possible to avoid the introduction of professional terms; but when such have unavoidably occurred, an explanation accompanies them. This work contains a full and correct history of the secret practical knowledge of Richard Carter, Jr., of Kentucky, as made known to the author when a student of his. Having determined to quit practice, the author feels it his duty to make it known to the world, that it may prove a benefit and -blessing to all of those that may take interest in it. Having practised this system for the lost twelve years, the author can recommend it with 4 PREFACE. safety, knowing that it is able to perform all that it promises to perform. It has promised to cure the most inveterate cases of chronic diseases, and it has done it, [see certificates at the latter part of this work,] as well as diseases of every class and order, which time and space would not allow in so small a work as this; nevertheless, the remedies are all here in the form of a receipt. Objection to the work may probably be started by some professional men; a few of them influenced by selfish motives, and others from an apprehension that persons who become pos- sessed of it, may be induced to place too great confi- dence in their ability to discriminate between dis- eases, and by neglecting proper and regular assis- tance at the commencement, either confirm or exas- perate them. I am ready to admit that this may now and then be the case, but I am nevertheless of opin- ion, that the casual evil is greatly overbalanced by the instruction which it affords to those that are too poor to procure medical attention; and, also, to those that are afflicted with complaints of a chronic nature, that cannot be cured by the regular practice. It will also enable the heads of families, in the case of any sudden attack of an acute disoider in their own families, to administer an appropriate medicine in- stantly, so as to relieve the sufferings of the patient until the arrival of his medical attendant. In all such cases his assistance should be obtained as speedily as possible; for medicine is a science the proper knowledge of which is only to be acquired by much study in the library and an attentive ob- servation at the bedside of patients. BENJAMIN B. WALKER Jeffersonville, Indiana. THE INDIAN PRACTICE OF MEDICINE. OF THE SCROFULA, OR KING'S EVIL. The characteristic signs of this disease, are swell ings of the lymphatic glands, chiefly in the neck, a thick upper lip, smooth skin, florid complexion, most usually enlargement of the belly, and obstinate ulcers. It generally arises between the third and seventh year, yet sometimes later, and even at the age of pu- berity, particularly in persons of a relaxed habit, of an irritable fibre, and fine skin. Sijmptoms.—-When it makes its appearance it is at- tended with hard, unequal, or knotty tumors in the glands about the neck and under the jaws; in the eyes it creates inflamation; on the eye-lids a soreness and small ulcerations. Sometimes the humor does not show itself externally, but settles on the interior parts, such as the lungs, producing tubercles, a cough, 1* 6 OF THE SCROFULA, OR KING^S EVIL. hectic fever, wasting of the flesh and strength, with other symptoms of pulmonary consumption. Causes:—Scrofula is a disease nearly confined to cold and variable climates, and its attacks seem greatly influenced by the seasons of the year; for they usually come on in the winter and spring, and are much amended in summer and autumn. It is very frequently the effect of an hereditary predisposition, and is excited into action by living in a low, damp, and cold situation; by crude indigestible food, bad water, neglect of due cleanliness, &c. Treatment:—If you wish to be successful in the cure of Scrofula, you must attend strictly to the fol- . lowing rules: 1st. Prepare your medicine as herein directed. 2d. Continue the use of it as long as you believe it is a benefit to you. Cleanse your stomach and bowels well at first with an emetic, say: 1 gr. of tarter comb-ined with 15 grs. of ipecac, mixed in a half cup of milk-warm water; take a half table-spoonful every ten minutes, until it operates. Work it off with gruel or chicken soup; then get one half bushel of poke-berries, mashthem fine, squeeze out all the juice, and boil it down to the consistency of molas- ses. Then take it out and bottle it. To every quart of this syrup add a half pint of good old whiskey. You will take one table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. Dose for a child under five years old, half the quantity, given in the same way. Or, get mullen roots, sassafras roots, sarsaparilla roots, pine tops, sumach roots, crowfoot leaves, star root, angelica roots, spicewood buds, inside of spanish-oak of the scrofula, or king's evil. 7 bark, running-briar root, comfrey root, may-apple roots, of each one gallon; put them into a large ket- tle, cover the roots with water, boil it down to one gallon, strain it well, bottle it, add one gill of tur- pentine, one pound of loaf-sugar, one pound of salts, and shake it up well before using it. Dose for an adult. one table-spoonful; children under five years old, two tea-spoonsful, to be given one hour before meals. You must abstain from bacon, sweet milk, cider, and spirits. Live on any light diet that agrees with you. For an application to the sores, take one handful of common table salt, the same of corn- meal, mix it together as if to bake bread, and keep it on as a regular poultice. As the sores mend, put in less of the salt, changing it once a day; or ta|te one pound of china roots, one half pound of lignum vitae, one peck of burdock roots, the same of sassa- fras roots, put in ten gallons of water, and boil to one. Strain it, add an ounce of beaver castor, and one gal- lon of rum. Dose, from a tea to a table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals; with the same restrictions in diet as in the above prescriptions. In applying the salt-dough, as herein directed, it will draw the humor to the surface, which is known by numerous little pimples coming out all around the former sore, which is all for the better. It becomes sound then from the interior to the surface. I have frequently used, in my practice, nitric acid to the glands; where there was considerable enlargement, some physicians have recommended iodine in the form of an ointment. I cannot say anything in fa- S OF the scrofula, or kings evil. vor or against this remedy, as I have never used it in my practice. While using all those remedies, you should refrain from exposure of every kind, and con- tinue the use of the medicine at least three months after the disease has subsided to all appearance In doing this, you will not fail of success in more than one case out of fifty, if at all. OF THE DROPSY. Dropsy consists in an effusion and preternatural collection of the watery parts of the blood in the whole of the body, or some part of it, and essentially interfering with the functions of life. Among pro- fessional men, it bears different names, according to the different parts in which it is deposited. Where it is effused in the cellular membrane, it is called anasarca; when in the cavity of the head or brain, hydrocephalus; when in the chest, hydrothorax; when in the belly, ascites. In some instances the fluid is contained in cysts or bag, as in the vaginal coat of the testicle, when it bears the name of hy- drocele; and in others it is lodged in the ovaries, ap- pendages to the womb. Symptoms:—Anasarca, or Dropsy of the cellular membrane, usually commences in the lower extremi- ties, and first shows itself with a swelling of the feet and ancles, towards evening; which by degrees as- cends and occupies the thighs and trunk of the body. The swelling is soft and inelastic, retaining for a 10 OF THE DROPSY. time the pressure of the finger. The color of the skin is paler than usual, and in the more advanced stage of the disorder, now and then exhibits more or less of a livid hue. When the effusion has become very general, the cellular membrane of the lungs par- takes of the affection; the breathing becomes difficult, and is accompanied by frequent coughing and the ex- pectoration of a watery fluid. The urine is scanty in quantity, very high colored, and generally depos - ites a redish or pinky sedament, although in a few instances it is of a pale whey color. The ascites (where the fluid is lodged in the cavity of the belly) often comes on with loss of appetite, inactivity, slug- gishness, dryness of the skin, oppression at the chest, cough, diminished secretion of urine, and costiveness; soon after which, an enlargement and protuberance is perceived in the belly, and then gradually extending, at length occasions it to become very tense and much swelled. Hydrothorax or Dropsy of the chest, is at- tended with great difficulty of breathing, which is much increased upon any exertion, and most consid- erable during the night. When the body is in a re- cumbent position, there is a distressing sense of weight and oppression at the chest, great thirst, a scanty discharge of urine, and a swelling of the ex- tremities, from a fluid effused in their cellular mem- brane. Causes:—Every species of Dropsy is occasioned by an exposure to a moist and unwholsome atmos- phere, crude and indigestible aliment, drinking large quantities of watery fluid, an abuse of spirituous and OF THE DROPSY. 11 other intoxicating liquors, certain organic diseases, producing an obstruction to the free circulation of the blood, as Jaundice, enlargement and induration of the liver and spleen. If the patient be strong and vigorous, and the disease a primary one, appearing suddenly, arising from cold or any other recent cause; and if, during the progress of the disease, the thirst diminishes, the skin becomes moist, the urine in- creases in quantity, the respiration is free, the appe- tite good, the constitution of the patient previously unimpaired, we are to regard these as favorable symp- toms, and with proper care and management, may hope to be able to effect a cure. But if the disease is attended with very great thirst, teverish heat, a small quick pulse, great emaciation, much drowsiness, erysipelas, inflammation, purple spots, hemorrhage, intense local pain, and occurs in a shattered constitution, or has arisen from concomi- tant organic affection or obstruction in the liver, spleen, &c, there will be strong grounds for our sup- posing that the case will be a fatal one. Treatment and Diet:--The diet of a dropsical per- son should consist chiefly of meats that are easy of digestion, either roasted, boiled or stewed; soups, vegetables of a pungent and aromatic nature, as horseradish, water-crese, onions, shalots, garlic, mus- tard, spices, &c. Regular exercise is of great im- portance in this disease, either on horse-back or on foot. If he is capable of walking, he ought to con- tinue to do so as long as he can. There are two very important points to attend to in the cure of Dropsy; 12 OF THE DROPSY. first, to extract the water; second, to prevent its re- turn. In the first place, to expel the water, take 20 grs. of squills, 30 grs. of nitre or saltpetre, 60 grs of the carbonate of iron, mix them together, divide them in- to 10 equal powders—take one night and morning for five nights, in sugar and water, one hour before meals. If this should not succeed in expelling all the water, you will then take the following mixture: Brown egg-shells in an oven, as you would coffee, pulverize them very fine, search them through a fine cloth, and mix half a pint with the same quantity of cream of tartar, the same of jalap; stir them well together—take from a tea-spoonful to a table-spoonful three times a day in a little warm water. If this course should expel the water too fast, decrease the dose or increase as the case may be. Or mix well equal parts of jalap and the cream of tartar—this preparation is good to start the water when the above has failed; given in the same way as the former powders. Or take one ounce of the carbonate of iron, as much rue as you can hold between your finger and thumb, the same of wormwood, six of the inside skins of chick- en's gizzards. You must dry the rue, wormwood and gizzards in the shade. When they come to be per- fectly dry, add all of it together, beat it to a fine pow- der; give one tea-spoonful three times a day in water, one hour before meals. After the swelling begins to go down, fever is apt to rise; when that is the case give one tea-spoonful of the spirits of nitre in some water, every four hours, until the fever cools down. OF THE DROPSY. 13 If sickness of the stomach should prevail daring the expulsion of the water, give ten drops of the elixir- vitriol in some water, three times a day, until it subsides. Now, after you have tried the above rem- edies, and they have not had the desired effect, get one quart of Maderia wine, as much of elder bark as you can hold between your finger and thumb, the same of sarsaparilla, the same of elder roots, one half ounce of iron rust; put in the wine, let it stand five days; then it is fit for use. Take half table-spoonful three times a day, half hour before meals. Or get a handful of horseradish roots, a handful of black snake roots, a handful of horse mint, a handful of golden rod, a handful of pennyroyal, a handful of sum- mer grape-vine roots; to this add two gallons of hard cider and fifty rusty nails; boil it down to one quart, and strain it. Take a table-spoonful three times a day. This receipt is good to expel the water, but the best method is to give this medicine when the water is nearly expelled, to prevent the return of the com- plaint and to brace up the system, as well as to in- crease the appetite. The dose may be increased or decreased as the strength of the patient will permit. I have found the following medicine a most excellent remedy in this disease: Get four gallons of cider, one peck of pine tops, a large double-handful of pen- nyroyal, the same of sarsaparilla, ten pounds of rusty iron; put it all together in an iron pot, simmer it down to one gallon and a half, strain it out and bot- tle it. To every quart of this medicine, add one tea- spoonful of nitre. This is also good for all weak 2 14 OF THE DROPSY. and debilitated persons; it is also good for worms, first stage of consumption, cachexia, nervous cholic, female complaints from cold. Where their menstru- al discharge is not regular, they should refrain from bacon, sweet milk, cider, spirits, and over heating themselves in any way. Dose, from a tea to a table- spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. This is the course pursued by Dr. Carter in this dis- ease, and by which he cured many cases of Dropsy after being given out by the very best doctors in the land. I have used this practice for the last twelve years without having failed in the first case. If you expect to receive benefit from it, you. must continue the use of the medicine for several months after all the symptoms have disappeared, in order to prevent the return of the complaint. In this way you eradi- cate it from the system, and in no other. OF THE RHEUMATISM. This is a very painful disease, which affects the muscles and joints in different parts of the body. In many cases it so nearly resembles the gout, as to be distinguished from it with difficulty. It makes its attacks in all seasons of the year when the atmos- phere is moist and variable, but is more met with in the autumn and spring. It is sometimes accompa- nied with fever, and sometimes there is none; in the former instance it is known under the name of acute rheumatism; in the latter it is called chronic rheu- matism. Symptoms.—The acute rheumatism generally com- mences with weariness and shivering, succeeded by heat, thirst, restlessness, anxiety, a hard, full, and quick pulse, and all the symptoms of inflammatory fever; after a short lapse of time, acute pain is felt by the patient in one or more of the large joints of the body, and those are followed by a tension and swel- ling of the parts affected; the pain is apt to be transi- tory and shift from one joint to another, leaving the 16 OF THE RHEUMATISM. part it occupied red, swollen, and very tender to the touch; the tongue is white; the bowels obstinately costive; in general the urine is high colored; the pulse full and hard; the blood when drawn from a vein exhibits a thick buffy coat on its surface, as in pleurisy, and sometimes there is a profuse sweating, unattended however by any relief. When the pa- tient is in bed, the pains are usually increased, and he cannot bear the least motion without their being greatly aggravated. The chronic form of rheuma- tism may either be a consequence of the termination of the acute, or it may be independent of it. In the first case, the parts which are affected with inflamma- tion are left rigid, weak, and in some instances puff- ed up, and the pain not being moveable, is now con- fined to particular parts; sometimes, however, it shifts from one joint to another, but without being accompanied with inflammation or fever. In the lat- ter case, where it has arisen from an exposure to cold and sudden vicisitudes of the weather, pains seize the head, shoulders, knees, loins, wrists, and other parts, and often continue for a considerable time, and then go off, leaving the seat they occupied in a state of debility. Causes.-Obstructed perspiration, occasioned either by laying in damp linen, or damp, unventilated rooms, wearing wet clothes, or being exposed to cold air after having been much heated by exercise or other ways, maybe considered the chief and most frequent causes of rheumatism. Treatment mid Diet.*--The first and great object in OF THE RHEUMATISM. 17 acute rheumatism, is to lesson the inflammatory ac tion, and lower the fever; for which purpose it will be advisable to draw blood from the arm; and if the patient is an adult, from ten to twelve ounces may be taken away, if he is of a robust and full habit. Should the person be of a spare and delicate frame of body, it would be best to refrain from bleeding altogether. The next proper step to be taken, is to open the bowels freely with salts or oil; after the fever has somewhat abated, use a linament composed of equal parts of hartshorn, sweetoil, and laudanum, to the parts affected, twice a day, morning and night, giving the tincture of gum guaiacum at the same time, in doses sufficient to produce a gentle moisture on the surface of the body. The patient's diet should be very light during the inflammatory stage of the complaint. As space and time will not permit me to comment on the acute form of any disease in this small work, I shall confine my treatment principally to the chronic or lingering form of disease. The chronic rheumatism differs from the acute, in its not being attended with fever or much inflamma tion, and the pain being usually confined to some particular part of the body, as the shoulders, arms, or loins; but it is apt to occupy those joints which are surrounded by muscles, and particularly such muscles as are employed in the most constant and vigorous exertions. When it affects those of the loins, it is called lumbago; when seated in the hip joint, it is known by the name of sciatica. In all cases of chronic rheumatism, it will be advisable to 2* 18 OF THE RHEUMATISM. adopt the following treatment: Take of the tincture of cayenne pepper, [this is made by putting one half pound of pepper to one half gallon of whiskey, let- ting it stand three days, then it is fit for use;] take of this tincture, two ounces, two ounces of sweet oil, two ounces of hartshorn, one half ounce of the oil of sassa- fras, one half ounce of pennyroyal oil, one half ounce of turpentine, one half ounce of laudanum, mix it all together in a phial, shake it up well; rub the parts affected twice a day, morning and night, warm be- fore the fire; at the same time taking either of the following medicines: one handful of prickly ash roots, and a double handful of dry poke-berries, the same of sawdust out of fat pine knots, one half pound of dry seneca snake roots, one ounce of nitre,, two ounces of lignumvitae, two ounces of the flour of sul- phur, one handful of hoarhound, two ounces of guaia- cum; put all those articles in two gallons of whiskey; let it stand about five days, it is then fit for use, and may be given from a tea to a table-spoonful three times a day. You should just take enough to keep up a gentle perspiration. You must take particular care, not to expose yourself in any way whatever. This medicine is also good for king's evil, and weak nerves, and is good in first stages of consumption, pleurisy, biles, surfeit, tetters, and almost any disease of the blood. Or you may take an ounce of blood- root, pulverised, put in one quart of whiskey, take as much of it as your stomach will bear three times a, day. If the above prescriptions should not relieve you after a fair trial, ta^ of the following compound OF THE RHEUMATISM. 19 tincture: Roast as much poke-root as you can hold between your finger and thumb, beat it well, put it into one quart of good old whiskey, take one table- spoonful three times a day, an hour before meals. This I have known to cure when everything else had failed. This is also good for nervous cholic or wind in the blood, king's evil, surfeit on the skin, and in most all diseases attended with pain. There are a great many more remedies for this complaint that will be given in the form of recipes in the latter part of this work. After what has already been said above, I need scarcely dwell on the propriety of examining the spi- nal column, in chronic pains of a rheumatic charac- ter. When any portion of it is found unusually tender to pressure, cups or blisters should immediately be applied over the tender part. If the disease be the consequence of spinal irritation it will frequently disappear under the use of these local remedies. OF A SCIRRHUS, OR CANCER. Symptoms.—-The disease manifests itself at first with a small swelling in the gland or part affected, unaccompanied, however, by any discoloration or pain. The humor increases gradually in size and hardness, becomes knotty and hard, and in process of time is attended with darting pains of an excruci- ating nature, as if pierced with a sharp instrument; there is likewise an uneasy sensation in the neigh- boring parts, and enlargement in the veins thereof, as if they were unusually distended with blood. The tumor sometimes remains in this occult state for a length of time without much alteration, but if it be irritated by pressure or improper treatment of any kind, or there is accrimony in the constitution, it then extends itself to the neighboring parts, as it were in small roots, or branches. The colour of the skin begins to change from a red to a purple or livid, and becomes at last very dark, and the patient com plains of heat, with a burning and shooting pain, OF A 8CIRRHUS, OR CANCER. 21 the skin soon afterwards breaks, and a thin accrimo- nious and not nnfrequently bloody discharge takes place, which falling on the neighboring parts, cor- rodes them, and so forms a large ill-conditioaed and unsightly ulcer. Treatment and Diet.—The patient on being threat- ened with an attack of scirrhus or cancer in any part of the body, should pay a strict attention to his mode of living, and carefully avoid every species of irregu- larity, as also all kinds of external injury, particu- larly of the parts affected, which ought therefore to be defended from any pressure, and even from the external air, by covering it with soft flannel or fur; the diet should be light and nutritive, and abstinence from all high seasoned or salted provisions, and from all strong liquors; moderate exercise may be taken daily, but should not be carried to the extent of pro- ducing fatigue. As soon as a scirrhus tumor is dis- covered, be it seated where it may, burn it severely with a hot piece of iron, then apply some simple salve to take the fire out, and the patient will be well in a few days; but if it has run on for some length of time, you must use the following medicines: Get of red clover blossoms, red sage, of robin's plantain, of bloodroot, of beech drops, of each one double-handful, put in one quart of tar, stew it down until all the strength is out of the roots and herbs, strain it well, use a plaster of this once or twice a day. After the cancer is killed apply some healing salve to cure up the sore. The following remedy is said by Dr. Richard Car- 22 OF A SCIRRHUS, OR CANCER. ter to cure ulcers and cancers of all kinds: Take of red oak bark, of whiteoak bark, blackhaw bark, blackberry briar root, persimmon bark, poke root, of each one double handful, one ounce of cinnamon bark, put in five gallons of water, boil down to one half gallon, strain it out well, clean the pot, put back the syrup in the pot, add one half ounce of borax, one half ounce of alum, four ounces of the juice of sheep sorrel, then boil it down to a salve; don't burn it; stew it down slowly; take it off, put it in a cool place; apply this salve once a day until the cancer is killed, at the same time keeping it washed out clean with castile-soapsuds; now if the cancer is killed, use a salve composed of equal parts of beeswax, sheep suet, crude turpentine, and sweetgum wax, all stewed together. This salve will finish the cure of cancer or obstinate sores of any kind. DYSPEPSIA. This disordered state of the stomach is marked by flatulency in a high degree, acidity, and not unfre- quently heartburn, defective appetite, costiveness, giddiness in the head, ringing in the ears, and palpi- tations of the heart; the mind in such cases is fre- quently disponding and irritable, and a peculiar de- gree of anxiety is perceptible in the countenance. During the night the patient is restless, he moans in his sleep, has frightful dreams, with startings, and does not feel refreshed in the morning by any rest he may have had; slight exercise produces considerable fatigue; his spirits are depressed by distensions of the stomach and bowels, together with a rumbling noise in the latter, the obvious effects of wind. In some cases where the complaint has been of long standing, there is severe pain in the stomach, and oc- casionally there is a discharge from the mouth of a 24 DYSPEPSIA. watery fluid; in disordered states of the stomach, there is usually a foul or furred tongue, its cuticle becomes perfectly white, and loses its natural color; there is a disagreeable taste in the mouth every morning, and notwithstanding the greatest care, the breath frequently acquires an unpleasant smell. In some cases of disordered digestion, although the ap- petite is not greatly impaired, and the patient can take his meals readily, still he does it without much gratification or relish for his food. Causes.—Intense study, inactivity of body, unea- siness of mind, grief, love of an absent object, pro- fuse evacuations, a poor, vapid diet, excess in sexual gratifications, haid drinking, particularly of spiritous liquors, great irregularity of life, late hours, an im- moderate use of tea, coffee, tobacco, or opium; fre- quent over-distension of the stomach by food*, a de- ficiency in the secretion of bile, or the gastrie and pancreatic juices; a diseased state of the liver or spleen; Other diseases, such as the hysteric and hypo- chondriac; chronic weakness; scirrhus of the lower or upper orifice of the stomach, &c, may be con- sidered as the most usual exciting eauses of indiges- tion or dyspepsia. Treatment and Diet.—The indications to be at. tended to in all cases of dyspeptic affections, are to avoid and remove the exciting causes of the com- plaint, to obviate the symptoms which contribute to keep up or aggravate it, and to restore due ene?gy to the stomach, so as to enahre it to-perform the eifice DYSPEPSIA. 25 of digestion properly, and with due effect. If the patient, therefore, has given way to a life of intem- perance, he must relinquish this; he must shun late hours, luxurious tables, forsake the haunts of dissi pation, become temperate in all his habits, rise early, use moderate exercise, court the pure air of the coun- try, pleasing occupations, and the society of a few select friends, for the purpose of correcting the mor- bid acidity in the stomach, and also flatulency. [t will be advisable, when the patient is distressed by these, to obviate them by some appropriate medi- cine, such as rhubarb and magnesia combined, two or three times a day, in doses sufficient to keep the bowels modeiately open; when indigestion is owing to defective biliary secretions, or is combined with a disordered state of the spleen, liver, or biliary ducts, which may be known by the stools being without a due mixture of bile in them, and having a clay colored appearance, the best medicine to ad- minister will be the icterus powders, in tea-spoonful doses, every third night, in new milk, or the white of an egg, for several nights, with the view of strength- ening the stomach and bowels, and consequently re- moving the dyspeptic symptoms. The patient should be put under a course of the following bitters: Take yellow poplar bark, golden seal, sarsaparilla, ginger, peach kernals dried and pulverised, equal quanti- ties; one ounce of the powders to three gills of water, one' gill of Maderia wine, and one gill of honey; take one table-spoonful three times a day, morning, 3 26 DYSPEPSIA. noon, and night, taking at the same time two of the dyspeptic pills every night, to keep the bowels open. If you find it necessary to change the purgative, take one table-spoonful of gumfoley, three times a day. one hour before meals. This medicine will act freely on the liver and spleen. You must increase or de- crease the dose as the case may require; OF JAUNDICE Symptoms:-—This disease is strongly marked by a yellowness of the eyes and skin, white or clay color- ed stools, urine highly colored and tinging linen yel low, whilst at the same time there is universal lan- gor and lassitude, with costiveness. As it advances in its progress, then, in addition to these symptoms, the stomach and bowels become affected with ascid- ities and flatulency; there is a loathing of food, with frequent nausea and vomiting, a dull, obtuse pain felt in the right side of the lower part of the belly, which, when pressed upon with the hand, occasions an ag. gravation of the uneasy sensation; the yellowness of the eyes, as well as that of the whole surface of the body is much increased; obstinate costiveness or a purging is present, the stools being still of a clay color; there is a dryness and febrile heat of the skin, and generally the pulse is slow, yet sometimes, es pecially where the pain is acute, it becomes quick and hard. Should the disease be long protracted, the 28 OF JAUNDICE. skin, from being before yellow, turns brown or livid; small purple spots now and then appear qn different parts of the body, or perhaps passive hemorrhages and ulcerations break out. In some instances the disease has assumed the form of scurvy. Causes:—Jaundice is occasioned sometimes by passions of the mind, as anger, grief, &c. But it is more generally produced by inspissated bile or con- cretions thereof in the gall bladder or ducts, through which it flows in its natural state into the intestines; by collections of hardened, feculent matter in the bowels; by tumors of the neghboring parts, such as the liver, spleen, stomach, mesenteric glands, &c; by a morbid redundence of bile; by pregnancy; by the bite of poisonous animals, as the viper, adder, &c; by attacks of the hysteric or bilious cholic; by taking cold or the stoppage of some accustomed evacua- tions, and by obstinate agues, which have occasioned a derangement in the biliary system. In infants it is apt to arise from the meconium, that green excre- mentitious substance which is found in the intestines of the foetus, not being sufficiently purged off soon after birth. Treatment and Diet:-—In the cure of Jaundice, our attention must be directed to the removal of any ob- structions to the proper passage of the bile into the upper portion of the intestinal tube, and afterwards to the palliation of those symptoms that present them- selves as deserving of notice. Dr. Carter's plan of treatment in this disease, is to open the bowels freely by giving one tea-spoonful of OF JAUNDICE. 29 the Icterus powders, every night, in new milk or the white of an egg, drinking plentifully of dandelion tea, made of a pleasant taste with honey or sugar. And if the case required the purgative to be changed, he Erave from two to five of the cathartic pills every night; giving at the same time a composition made thus: Take one half pound of castile-soap, one pound of wild cherry-tree bark dryed, one pound of tansey roots, one ounce of saffron blooms—put all of this into a copper vessel, add two gallons of sherry wine or bounce—put it on a slow fire, simmer it for four hours, strain it out and bottle it. The dose is one table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. Forbiding the use of bacon, milk, cider, or spirits. Confining the patient to a vegetable diet CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER Symptoms:—When this disease makes its appear ance, the patient complains of a soreness in the breast, weakness in his stomach; his stomach appears to be swelled from a collection of wind; sometimes pain under the short ribs; bowels generally costive; soreness in the flesh, accompanied with a kind of twitching in the nerves, something similar to that of a beef when the butcher is skinning it. He complains of acid on the stomach, soreness between the should- ers and under the left shoulder-blade bone, accom panied with a dead numbing pain, and stiffness in his neck, like he had lain with his neck very crook ed; a dull, sleepy, heavy feeling; bad taste in the mouth when he first gets up in &e morning; a weak- ness in the eyes, a throbing in the ears, a soreness between the flesh and skin on the breast; burning in the urethra, with sometimes cider colored urine; a weakness in the small of the back and kidneys; the reins sometimes appear to be swelled, and other CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. 31 times sunk and blue. Eating sometimes relieves th* patient's stomach from the gnawing uneasy feelihg to which it is subject, but at other times it makes it weaker. If he fast long, it will produce flatulence in the stomach and bowels; sometimes a cough, ow ing to a depressed state of the lungs, from enlarge ment of the liver pressing against the diaphjaigm, &c, and frequently terminates in consumption. Causes:—Sudden changes from heat to cold, as well as taking hearty draughts of cold water when the system is very hot; lying on the cold ground, excessive fatigue in very hot weather, excessive use of spirituous liquors, falls, over strains, over loading the stomach and lying down too soon afterwards.— All of the above mentioned circumstances are liable to produce nervous diseases and complaints of the liver. Treatment and Diet:—The method of eure is, in tiie first place, to eleanse and renew the blood; live on light diet; eat but little at a time, and often, if re- quired; guard against heats and colds; wear flannel next to your skin in the winter; abstain from the use of spirituous liquors; avoid the use of harsh purga- tives, over heats, anger and strife; and keep your feet warm, body clean, head cool and bowels open, and you will live till you die, without an accident. Take 20 grs. of blue mass, 10 grs. of rhubarb, extract of colocynth, 10 grs. ,Mix them well together, then roll it out into pills about as large as Cook's pills; take one night and morning until you produce a healthy action in the secretions, which you will know by the 32 CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVEE. stools becoming highly bilious; then stop taking this medicine, and take one tea-spoonful of the Icterus powders in new milk or the white of an egg every third night. If this quantity should operate too free- ly, decrease the dose, taking at the same time one half table-spoonful of gumfoley, three times a day, one hour before meals. After the symptoms begin to abate, you will take angeliea roots, spignard roots, dandelion and liverwort, equal quantities, put them in a pot to three gallons of water; boil it down to one quart, strain it out and sweeten it with loaf sugar. Dose, one table-spoonful three times a day, morning, noon and night; still continuing the powders as di rected, so as to keep up a gentle action on the bow els. There are a great many more remedies for this disease, which will be named hereafter in the vari ous recipes in this book, which are highly important in the cure of this disease; and if any of these rem- edies should disagree with the patient, he should lay them aside and take up another of them, and so on, until he finds one that will agree with him. DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. Symptoms.—This disease comes on with cold shiverings, succeeded by heat and other febrile symp- toms; at others the local affection is first perceived. There is unusual flatulence in the bowels, costiveness, severe griping pains, a frequent inclination to go to stool, without ability of voiding any feculent matter, except in the form of small hard lumps; loss of ap- petite, sickness at the stomach and vomiting, fre- quency of the pulse and febrile heat; there is also a frequent discharge of a peculiarly foetid matter from the fundament, varying in appearance, consist- ing sometimes of pure mucous, or mucous mixed with blood; and at others, of pure blood, or of a thin pu- trid matter, proceeding from ulcerated parts, accom- panied with a sense of burning or intolerable bear- ing down of the parts, known by the appellation of tenesmus. If the disease is very severe or continues long, then great emaciation ensues, the pulse becomes quick and weak, hiccups arise, and not unfrequently a fatal termination ensues. 34 DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. Causes.—Great moisture, quickly succeeded by heat, unwholesome and putrid food, noxious vapors and exhalations, exposure to cold or wet, occasion- ing an obstruction of the perspiration, may now and then give rise to dysentery. Dysentery may, I think, be considered as sometimes contagious, and some- times not so, according to circumstances; it is con tagious when found in crowded hospitals, prisons, and ships, where strict cleanliness is not attended to. The disease is most prevalent in the autumn and spring, and in marshy countries, where it is apt to become epidemic when hot days are succeeded by cold nights. Spasmodic constriction and ulceration of the large intestines, known by the name of the colon, is the immediate effect of the complaint. During the rainy seasons of the year in this country, that is in the months of August, September, and Oc- tober, dysentery is more apt to break out. The dis- ease which most nearly resembles dysentery, is that known under the name of diarrhoea or purging, but it may readily be distinguished from this by the* ap- pearance of blood in the stools, and the presence of tenesmus and fever, none of which are to be met with in the latter. Treatment and Diet.—In the first stage of this disease, if fever runs high, and the patient is of a full habit of body, blood-letting will be of great service, to lessen the momentum of the circulation, and thereby prevent inflammation to a certain extent; the next step to be taken is to give the patient an emetic of ipecac, to dense the stomach and bowels of all DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. 36 offending matter, as well as to produce a termination to the surface, which is a very important step to be taken in this disease. After the fever has somewhat abated, you will take an ounce of logwood, add to it one half pint of French brandy, let it stand three days; take of this tincture and of linseed oil equal parts, and to every half pint of this mixture add one table-spoonful of laudanum; shake it up well, and give the patient one tea-spoonful every three hours; if this quantity should not restrain the bowels to a pretty considerable extent, increase the dose, giving the patient slippery-elm water, to drink freely all the while, with now and then a tea-spoonful of charcoal in water. If the above remedies should fail, give injections, composed of a solution of gum- arabic and laudanum, say one half pint of the for- mer, with one hundred drops of the latter, to be re- peated every operation, until the bowels are re- strained; the diet, at the same time, should consist of one table-spoonful of milk that has had red oak bark boiled in it. You should give the patient castor-oil every other day, to act on the stomach and upper bowels. Now, if this disease should run into a chronic form, as is sometimes the case, and there re- mains a soreness in the bowels, you must apply a large blister-plaster over that region, giving at the same time a pill composed of one grain of opium, two ?rains of bluemass, and two grains of ipecac, every operation the patient has from the bowels, until the stools become of a proper consistency. I have cured this disease by giving one tea-spoonful of 3*5 DYSENTERY, OR BLOODY FLUX. gumfoley every three hours, and would recommend it in preference to almost any other medicine. In bowel complaints of every description, I have treat- ed upwards of fifty cases within the last three years with the above remedies, and that not without suc- cess in every case; in treating children for this dis- ease, all of these remedies should be proportioned asrreeably to the age and constitution of the child. OF INTERMITTENT FEVER, OR AGUE AND FEVER. This disease is so well known, that a slight de- scription of it is all that is necessary. These fevers consist of attacks, or paroxysms, in which there are three stages, viz.: A cold, hot, and sweating stage, succeeded after a time by a perfect intermission from febrile symptoms. Intermittent fevers have been divided into the quotidian, the tertian, and the quartan. In the quotidian, the attack takes place daily, there being an interval of freedom from fever of twenty-four hours; in the tertian, the paroxysm comes on every other day, having an interval of forty- eight hours; and in the quartan, the fit occurs on the nrst and fourth days; the two intervening ones be- ing free, and therefore having an interval of seventy- two hours. Symptoms.—The cold fit of intermittents, is ush- ered in with languor, and a sense of debility, listless- 4 38 INTERMITTENT FEVER, ness, yawning, and stretching, together with an aver sion to motion; the face and extremities become pale; the skin of the whole body appears constricted, as if cold had been applied to it; the secretions and excretions are diminished; the pulse is small, fre- quent, and irregular; the respiration short and anx- ious; and rigours succeed, which terminate in an universal and convulsive shaking. These symptoms after an hour or two, are succeeded by a degree of heat, at first irregular, by transcient flushes, but which soon becomes oppressive and burning, rising much above the natural standard; the sensibility, which in the cold stage was diminished, now be- comes preternaturally acute; pains arise in the head, with a throbing in the temples; the tongue is white; there is considerable thirst; the urine is high colored; and the pulse quick, strong, and hard. Such are the characteristics of the hot stage. After a time the heat abates, the pulse is diminished in frequency, and becomes free and full; respiration is easy and natural; the urine deposits a sediment; a gentle mois- ture is observed to break out upon the face and neck, which extending, soon becomes a universal and equable perspiration, termed the sweating stage The whole paroxysm generally occupies from six to eight hours; and after a specific interval, it again re turns, commencing as has just been described. The cause of this disease is not as yet fully understood. It is the opinion of a large majority of the best physi cians, that it is brought on by the effluvia or va- pours arising from stagnant waters or marshy ground OR AGUE AND FEVER. 39 impregnated with vegetable matter in a state of pu- trefactive decomposition, as the most usual "exciting cause of this species of fever. Treatment and Diet.—-When we take a survey of the great number of medicines which have been re- sorted to for the cure of ague and fever, we shall find, numerous as they are, that they may all be classed under two general heads: 1st. Those which are of a stimulant, relaxent, and sedative character; and tonics, or strengthening medicines. The first class are prescribed to weaken and shorten the par- oxysm when it has come on. The second class, to prevent a return of the paroxysm altogether. Treatment of the Cold Stage.—Here the impor- tant point is to get through the cold stage as quick as possible and to bring on the hot stage. The following means are to be resorted to, to effect this object: All kinds of artificial warmth judiciously applied, as bathing the feet in warm water, as warm as it can be borne; hot rocks to the feet; the warm bath all over; warm teas, such as pennyroyal, sage, balm, and hoarhound; to be drank plentifully. Brandy or whiskey toddy, mint-julips, and cordials of any kind. Where the cold stage is long continued, and the de- pression of the vital powers great, camphor and opi urn should be used; also, ether; or whiskey or brandy; and mustard plasters between the shoulders and on the extremities. Hot Stage.— When the hot stage has come on, the next object is to bring on the sweating stage; here the warm teas are to be continued, and nitre (salt 40 INTERMITTENT FEVER, petre,) is to be added; if the stomach is oppressed. a vomit of ipecac, or of ipecac and tartar combined. If the fever runs high, and the head aches violently, or the chest, or side, or back, should be greatly piin- ed, blood letting should be employed in proportion to the strength, the degree of fever, and the violence of the pain. Here, also, blisters come in some- times, and when circumstances do n)t allow us to get the full benefit o blood-letting, blisters should be resorted to extensively, and the excitement thrown to the skin; this, when effected, secures the vital or- gans within. The hot stage being commanded, passes into the sweating stage, and the patient gradually be- comes com ortable, and the material functions re- sume their action. Having got the patient now through the whole paroxysm, the next object is to prevent its return, which is to be accomplished by the following means: By barks and wine, by sul- phate of quinine; and bitters or a decoction of dog- wood bark, drank plentifully through the day; a de- coction of willow bark, used in the same way; red oak and yellow poplar bark, boiled together, is also good; the burdock tea, made strong, is very valuable, and will sometimes check the paroxysm when noth- ing else will. A vomit, taken be ore the expected paroxysm, has often prevented it altogether. The ex- pressed juice of hoarhound, taken of a morning, is an excellent remedy. In all cases where the inter- nal organs are obstructed, mercury should be judi- ciously employed. Take ten grains of blue mass, five grains of the extract of colocynth, ten grains of OR AGUE AND FEVER. 41 rhubarb, combined together; roll it out into common sized pills; take one night and morning until it pro- duces a healthy action in the secretions, which is known by the dark billious appearance of the dis- < hirges or stools. If the patient is averse to taking mercury, take of the icterus powders in the ordi- nary way, or of gumfoley as directed therein. And if the above remedies fail, put two ounces of barks to one quart of French brandy, and take a table-spoonful three times a day. Or you may prepare the follow- ing bitters: Take one ounce of cherry tree bark, the same of sarsaparilla roots, the same of bervine roots, the same of cloves, the same of blacksnake roots, the same of aloes, put in two quarts of whis- key or brandy, let it stand five days, and take one ta- ble-spoonful three times a day. Your diet should be light and of easy digestion. Keep your bowels regular. Expose yourself as little as possible. And continue the use of the medicine as long as you feel the least symptom of the complaint, and I will guarantee a cure in all cases that can be cured at all. All the above remedies should be proportioned agreeably to the age, constitution, and habit of the patient. If the case is a severe one, it will require more of the medicine at a time. As it was my in tention at the outset,to give the reader all the infor- mation I could in a work so small as this, I will proceed to give you a farther list of the various pre natations in the cure of this loathsome and trouble- le disease, called chill* and fevers. Take twenty .rains quinine, put in a two ounce phial of water, 5 4* 42 INTBRMITTBNT FEVER, add half tea-spoonful of elixir vitriol, take one tea spoonful every two hours. This is an excellent prepa- ration of quinine; a dose for a child is half the quan- tity. Or take twenty grains of quinine, ten grains of blue mass, ten grains of aloes, mix and roll out into common size pills; take one three times a day. This is an excellent pill to act on the liver and spleen, and should be given in all cases where there is a de- ficiency in the biliary organs, which is known by the stools being of a clay color. Take a large double handful of willow bark, the same of boneset, boil them in water till all the strength is out, strain it well, boil it down to a candy; take it out; let it cool; add about one table-spoonful of cayenne pepper; roll it out into pills; give from four to five every foui hours, until you give some fifteen or twenty of them; stop some ten hours, and resume them again in the same way. Or take ten grains of the oil of black pepper, ten grains of the oil of sassafras, six grains of the oil of cloves, thirty grains of the extract of barks, put into a four ounce phial, add two ounces of alcohol, fill up the phial with molasses, shake it up well, and take one tea-spoonful every two hours until you take about six doses. Then stop and take no more until the next day, and so on until the chills stop. This is an excellent medicine to take to pre- vent the return of the disease. I have used all of these remedies, as laid down in this work, for chills and fevers, and that with unlimited success. The patient, in all cases, should dense the stomach and bowels previous to taking any of the above reme- OR AGUE AND FEVER. 43 dies, either by vomits or purgatives, and continue the use of the medicine. About the time you look for the complaint to return, and every disagreeable change of the weather from heat to cold, or from dry to a damp atmosphere, change your clothing agreea bly to the changes of the weather. Live light, and never crowd your stomach with more food than it is able to digest; avoid eating hearty suppers and lay- ing down too soon afterwards OF THE REMITTENT FEVER. The symptoms will vary according to the situation and constitution of the patient. They usually begin with yawning and stretching, a sensation of cold, nausea or billious vomiting; to these succeed thirst, pain in the head, back, and stomach, restlessness, difficulty of breathing or oppression in the chest, extreme heat over the whole body; the pulse is sel- dom full, but frequent and hard, the tongue is white and moist, with a yellowness very perceptible in the whites of the eyes and occasionally over the whole body. After a time the symptoms abate considera- bly, and a gentle moisture is diffused over the whole body. But there is no complete interval or perfect freedom from fever, and perhaps in a few hours it returns with the same violence as before, or under a more aggravated form. Treatment and Diet.—If the fever runs high, the head aches, the chest or back, side or loins, are vio- THE REMITTENT FEVER. 45 lently pained. If the patient is of a robust, sanguine temperament, blood letting should be employed to relieve these symptoms. Afterwards, if the stomach is foul, a gentle vomit of ipecac and tartar combined should be taken in the ordinary way, and worked- off with a little water-gruel, or balm or sage tea; if the vomit should not purge, then senna and salts are to be given; if the patient passes bile, let the same medicine be given, or a dose of black snap. But should the passages be white, or of a pale yellow, in- dicating a deficiency of bile, let ten grains of calo- mel be administered to an adult. The skin kept moist; occasional doses of nitre, or broken doses of tartar and ipecac, say one grain of the former and two grains of the latter, every fifteen or twenty min- utes, just so as to keep the stomach sick. And as soon as you get a general moisture diffused all over the surface, give from five to eight grains of quinine every five hours, until you give some three or iour doses. If the patient should complain of a burning pain in the stomach or bowels, give two grains of calomel, one grain of opium, and two grains of ipe- cac, combined, every two hours, or oflener if the bowels are sluicing. And after you break the fever, give either of the preparations of quinine, as laid down under the head of intermittents. And in all cases where inflammation comes on, either in the stomach or bowels, bleed, more particularly when the patient is of a full habit, for the relief of the pain in the stomach and bowels. The smallness of the pulse should never be objected to in this case. If the 46 THE REMITTENT FEVER. bowels are costive, give senna tea plentiful, and use mild injections. The stomach is highly irritated in case of inflammation, and should be allayed by giv- ing charcoal and prepared chalk every ten or fif teen minutes, drinking at the same time slipery-elin water for your constant drink. If the urine should > be obstructed, as is sometimes the case, give flax- seed tea, or spignard tea, or of uvaursi. If the bowels are too active, they must be restrained by giving injections of gruel and laudanum combined. If this does not give relief, a large blister plaster must be applied all over the stomach and bowels, and kept running for several days. The diet of the patient should be of the lightest kind, and he should not be allowed to eat more than two or three mouth- fuls at a time for several days; as the patient gains strength, he can be allowed a little more. OF BILLIOUS CONGESTIVE FEVER. This disease is characterised by a very protracted cold stage, deep seated pain in the head, vertigo, fainting, a sense of weight or oppression in the breast, coma, a small and weak pulse, a sense of in. ternal heat, sometimes a billious vomiting, coldness of the extremities. Treatment.—I? we are called in at the first stage of the disease, when the extremities are still slightly warm, and the deep seated pains are not yet violent, we should at once apply mustard plasters to every part of the system on which they can be put, the more of them the better, and let them remain on as long as the patient can bear them—drinking at the same time French brandy toddy. And if the de- pression is great, give one half grain of opium com- bined with from five to fifteen grains of camphor to an adult; to children in proportion to the age. The dose of camphor must be regulated by the degree of 43 BILLIOUS CONGESTIVE FEVER. depression; and after the mustard plasters have per- formed their proper functions, they should be taken off and the patient put into a warm bath; after he remains in there a few minutes, take him out, wipe him dry, wrap him in warm blankets. Now the pa- tient becomes warm and a reaction takes place, at- tended with violent pains in the vital organs; blood letting should be had recourse to, the extent of which is to be determined by the violence of the reaction. As soon as this is done, blisters should be put on in the place of the mustard plasters on the stomach and the bowels. After the excitement has been brought to the surface by the mustard plasters, the blisters will make it permanent. Keep the feet and legs warm by rubbing them now and then with pep- per and whiskey. Keep the bowels open with the cathartic pills. Quinine should be used very exten- sively in this disease, as well as in intermittents of every grade, which prevents them from sinking back into the cold stage, as is sometimes the case in this kind of fever. OF SCARLET FEVER. This fever takes its name from the scarlet efflores- cence that appears on the skin of nearly the whole body, which does not rise however over the surface, but is attended with heat, dryness, and itching. It happens at all seasons of the year, but is most pre- dominant towards the end of summer or autumn. At which time it frequently shows itself as the prevail- ing epidemic, chiefly attacking children and young persons; and afterwards extending through whole families. There appears to be two species of this disease, viz: First, the simple scarlet fever, which is of a mild nature. And, secondly, the scarlet fe- ver, accompanied by ulcerations in the throat and malignant or putrid symptoms. We seem however to have just grounds for presuming that the different species of scarlet fever proceed from the same source, because under the same roof, in large fami- lies, some individuals have the disease in one form, 5 50 SCARLET FBVER. others in another. The difference may arise from constitutional circumstances, and not from a differ- ence in the contagion. Symptoms.—The first species is produced by cold- ness and shiverings, to which succeed a considerable degree of febrile heat, thirst, and a quickened pulse. About the fourth day the face begins to swell, and patches of a florid red color appear scattered over the skin in various parts of the body, which at length run into each other, and put on the appearance of a red colored suffusion, rather than of distinct spots. After three days these disappear—the cuticle or scarf skin falling off in branny scales. It is no unu- sual occurrence for the patient to show a disposition to dropsy, or effusion of lymph in the cellular mem brane of the body shortly afterwards. The second species of scarlet fever is marked by previous lasi- tude, dejection of mind, pain in the head, followed by soreness and a sense of stiffness in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, shiverings, and other fe- brile symptoms. On the second day or so, the pa- tient perceives nausia, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, difficulty of swallowing, and a hurried re- spiration, interrupted by frequent sighs; the skin is red, hot, and dry; the breath burning to the lips; there is great thirst; a quick., weak, and sometimes a hard pulse; and darting pains are felt in different parts, as if occasioned by the point of a needle or pin. On or about the third day, there is a redder appearance about the face, neck, and breast; scarlet patches are noticed about the nose and mouth; the glands be- SCARLET FEVER. 51 neath the lower jaw are painful to the touch, and en larged; and the palate, tonsils, and inside of the throat partake of the general redness; specks and collec- tions of thick mucous are frequently observed, simi lar to the sloughs which are seen in the malignant sore throat; in a few hours the redness becomes uni versal over the whole body, and increases to a great degree of intensity; upon pressure with the fingers it disappears, and is perfectly smooth to the touch; nor is there the least appearance of pimples or pustules. About the fifth or sixth day the intense redness abates gradually, and a brown color succeeds, when the skin, becoming rough, peals off in small scales like bran, and the patient is gradually restored to his usual health. It not unfrequently happens, however, that after a few day's amendment, unaccountable langour and debility are felt, and these are followed by stiff ness in the limbs, disturbed sleep, disrellish for food, and accelerated pulse, scarcity of urine, and dropsi cal swellings. This second species of scarlet fever is apt also to be attended in many cases with putrid and malignant symptoms; and when these present themselves, there will be fresh danger; in addition to chilliness, langour, sickness, and oppression, there are great heat, nausea, and vomiting, with a small quick pulse, and a frequent and laborious breathing; ulcerations appear on the tonsils and adjoining parts. covered with dark sloughs, and surrounded by a livid base. The efflorescence appears about the third day, but without any relief, it assumes a dark or livid co- lor, and between the patches purple spots are inter- 52 SCARLET FEVER. mixed. This malignant form of the disease very closely resembles the putrid or ulcerous sore-throat, and by many is supposed to be the same. Causes.—The scarlet fever is occasioned by a pe- culiar contagion, and is highly infectious; it some- times prevails epidemically, owing probably to a pe- culiar state of the atmosphere. The diseases which most nearly resemble the scarlet fever are the mea- sles and malignant sore throat; it is to be distin- guished from the measles by the appearance of the eruptions, its greater extent, its not being elevated into pimples, by the affection of the throat, and by the absence of much cough, sneezing, or discharge of a limpid acrid fluid from the eyes and nose. The scarlet fever is to be distinguished from the malig- nant sore throat, by the first being more inflamma- tory, whilst the latter is accompanied by a fever of the typhous type; moreover by the absence in gene- ral of sloughs or ulcers in the former, and by their presence in the latter. Scarlet fever for the most part prevails towards the end of summer and in au- tumn, and attacks the most vigorous and robust. Whereas the malignant sore throat is more frequently met with in the spring and winter; and it usually at- tacks the delicate and weakly. In scarlet fever the skin is of a bright red, smooth, and always dry and hot. In the malignant sore throat it is red and pim- ply, the pimples being redder than the intervening spaces. Scarlet fever terminates upon the third, fifth, eighth, or eleventh days, whereas the termina- tion of the malignant sore throat is irregular. The SCARLET FEVER. 53 favorable circumstances in scarlet fever are the at- tendant fever being purely inflammatory, a remission of the febrile symptoms and of the affections of the throat, ensuing upon the coming out of the eruption. the eruptions appearing late; and if any hemorrhage takes place from the nose, it being of a florid red color. The following symptoms are to be regarded in an unfavorable light: the eruption being preceded by great anxiety, nausea and vomiting, the mouth and throat being of a dark red or purple color, with- out swelling, but beset with ash colored or grey specks, which soon become ulcerated, there being great loss of strength, delirium or stupor; the erup tion coming out as early as the second day; its ap- pearing in patches, with purple spots intervening: glandular swellings arising, there being much diffi- culty of breathing, and a peculiarly stridulous voice: shivering; an extension of the disease to the wind- pipe and lungs, a discharge of a very acrid matter from the nose, highly fceted breath, purging ensuing, or discharges of blood from the nose, mouth, or other outlets of the body taking place. Treatment and Diet.—Simple scarlet fever is usu- ally of so mild a nature as to require little aid from medicine; and in general all that is necessary is to confine the patient to a low diet, and to avoid cold air, and if the thirst is considerable, some cooling acidulated liquor, such as barley water, with a pro. per proportion of lemon or orange juice squeezed into it, may be employed for ordinary drink. When 5* ">1 SCARLET FEVER. there is much nausea or a disposition to vomit at the commencement of the disease, a gentle emetic should be given, composed of ipecac, or ipecac and !obelia. I have frequently cut short the disease by emetics alone in the commencement of the disease, at the same time keeping up a gentle action on the bowels. If the fever runs high and the skin is dry and hot, you may give one tea-spoonful of the spirits of nitre in a little ground-ivy tea every hour in the day, until the fever abates or goes off, bathing the feet and legs in warm water every night. In that spe- cies of the disease where there is ulceration of the throat, we must, in addition to the means already oointed out, have recourse to frequent gargling, as well as the outward application of some stimulant, embrocation, or linament; as a gargle we say use the forty-eighth receipt, to be used several times a day. If the patient should be averse or unable to wash his mouth in this way, it may be done by throwing the fluid into the mouth by means of a small syringe; as an external application, the throat may be well rub- bed morning and night with the rheumatic ointment, after which a piece of flannel should be applied around it; inhaling the steam arising from warm wa- ter with an equal quantity of vinegar, will afford con- siderable relief in this form of the disease. It is snuch the practice to apply a blister plaster to the :hroat, which should never be done. If you blister m this disease, apply them on each shoulder or col- 'ar-bone, or on the lower part of the breastbone, so SCARLET FEVER. 55 as to draw the disease from the throat as quick as possible; keep the patient tolerably warm all the time. Camphor is a medicine much used in thi- species of scarlet fever, and often with good effect, particularly when conjoined with the subcarbonate of ammonia, about ten grains of the latter to four grains of camphor mixed in water, and may be given in the form of a draught every four or six hours. In those cases where the pulse is low or the efflores cence suddenly disappears, this will be the more ne- cessary, and to add to its effects, a warm bath, with the use of wine in a moderate quantity, may also be recommended. At a very early stage of the disease, and where the heat of the body is considerably above the natural degree, some have recommended applica- tion of cold water and vinegar, with very singular advantage. It is to be borne in mind that through out the whole course of the disease, the state of the bowels are to be carefully attended to. If they are confined, a few grains of rhubarb with one or two grains of calomel may be given to dislodge their feculent contents, but if on the contrary a purging arises, recourse must be had to the thirty-ninth re- ceipt, to put a stop to it; if that should fail, give from fifteen to twenty drops of laudanum. Where a pu- trescent tendency is obvious, the only remedies to be employed with any hope of relief are cordials, such as wine in considerable quantities, Peruvian barks, and mineral acids. At the same time we should employ the stimulant and auceptic gargles as before directed. At the decline of severe cases of scarlet JO SCARLET FEVER. fever, a generous diet, with the Peruvian bark, or sul- phate of quinine joined with mineral acids and sto- mach bitters should be taken, the good effects of which may be assisted by gentle exercise taken daily. OF THE NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. The characteristics of this fever are, great depres- sion of strength, quickly coming on, the animal func- tions much disturbed, considerable stupor, the urine but little changed, the heat of the body not greatly increased at first, the pulse being weak and small, but in general quick, the bowels rather confined, and the disease contagious, particularly where cleanliness and a free admission of air are neglected. Symptoms.—It comes on with lasitude and general languor, loss of apetite, dejection of spirits, dullness and confusion of thought, and alternate chilliness and flushing. As the disease advances, these are suc- ceeded in a few days by a short anxious respiration, giddiness and pain in the head, aching pains over the whole body, nausea and vomiting, and a frequent, weak and often intermitting pulse; the tongue from being at first moist is now covered with a white mu- cous, but afterwards becomes dry, of a dark brown 58 NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. color, and is tremulous; the thirst is not great, the urine is pale and watery, the bowels are rather con- fined or costive, sweats break out on the forehead and backs of the hands, whilst at the same time the palms are dry and glow with heat; the nervous sys- tem is much afflicted with tremorous twitchings, and the patient keeps constantly picking at the bedclothes with his fingers, and mutters to himself. It seldom happens in this species of typhous that the delirium is violent or furious. The disease preceding the heat, frequently becomes intense, with great thirst; the tongue is very dry, brown furred, and is often chap- ped; the teeth are slightly incmsted with a dark mu- cous of the same nature; there is great restlessness and uneasiness, with flushing in the face, redness in the eyes, and an increase of the incoherency and delirium; the urine is scanty and of a high color; at first the pulse is weak, quick and unequal; the heats and chills are very fluctuating and irregular; for sometime there is a sudden glow and florid color in the cheeks, while the tip of the nose and the ears will be cold, and forehead perhaps in a dewy sweat; sometimes the extremities are cold, while the blood is determined to the head, and there is great sensi- bility to light and noise; all the symptoms generally increase towards the approach of night. Causes.—Those which predispose to an attack of this fever, are a weak and delicate habit of body, ac companied by a morbid sensibility and irritability, poor living, and a defect of a proper nutritive food, too free an indulgence in enervating liquors, excess NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. 59 in venery, profuse evacuations, depressing passions of the mind, and a studious sedentary life. The causes which bring the disease into action, are ex posure to cold air united with moisture, intemper ance, anxiety, grief, impure air, and contagion. This species of fever is to be distinguished from typhous of a malignant and virulent nature, by the attack be ing more gradual, and the symtoms milder than in the latter; in the progress of the disease, by the ab. sence of those, of putrescency and malignancy enu- merated under the latter head, and by its being ac- companied with less heat and thirst, less frequency of the pulse, and little or no vomiting of billious matter. Mild typhous fever has no regular critical days, nor is it often that anything completely critical occurs. About the seventh day there is generally an increase of the symptoms. If the patient dies, it is usually on or before the fourteenth day; if he can be supported to the twentieth or thereabouts, he com- monly escapes. But this fever runs on for a month or more, and so completely exhausts the patient, that he dies from weakness or debility alone. Occasion- ally it degenerates into the malignant and putrid type. The symptoms which denote a favorable termina- tion, are about the seventh, fourteenth, or twenty-first day; the tongue becoming moist, first at its edges, afterwards on the surface, a gentle moisture breaking out all over the body, the pulse being fuller and slow- er than at first, the urine increasing in quantity, be ing turbial, and then depositing a sediment; the 60 NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. sleep more natural, the appetite returning, the ap- pearance of scaly eruptions about the lips, or an in- flammatory tumour making its appearance in some part of the body, or a gentle diarrhoea ensuing. A continued state of insensibility or confusion of in- tellect, or low muttering, delirium, extreme debility, the presence of convulsive twitchings and startings, a tremulous motion of the lips, tongue and other parts; impeded power of swallowing, deafness, in- voluntary evacuations, a small, rapid and intermit- ting pulse, great anguish or anxiety in the counte- nance, picking at the bed-clothes, catching at ima- ginary objects in the air, and hiccups, are to be look- ed upon as very unfavorable symptoms, and point out that the life of the patient will be sacrificed to the severity of the disease. Treatment and Diet.—The low nervous fever, or mild typhous, attacks a person with some mildness at first, and two or three days perhaps elapse before the certainty of the disease can be ascertained, but when once established it usually runs its course in defiance of medicine, and whether it terminates fa- tally or otherwise, will depend greatly on the natural constitution of the patient, the attention that may be paid to the urgent symptoms which arise in the course of the disease, and supporting the strength by a proper and nutritive diet. When debility becomes obvious, it is of great importance to check the dis- ease at the outset, and with this view we should ad- vise a gentle emetic composed of tarter and ipecac in the usual way. As soon as the patient finds him- NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. 61 self considerably indisposed, particularly if nausea and sickness at the stomach are present. The opera- tion of the emetic being over, the contents of the bowels should be freely evacuated by some active purgative of either the cathartic or purgative pills. These re- medies, although they probably may fail in removing the disease, will generally succeed in abating the vi- olence of the symptoms. In the majority of cases of this species of typhous, it will not be necessary to have recourse to the lancet, but now and then cases do occur where the drawing blood from the arm may be requisite, as for instance where the disease attacks a person of a full habit, and there is evident ly a great determination of blood to the head, giving rise to redness of the eyes, violent flushing in the the face, and much intellectual affection. In no other case will it be proper to bleed, nor will the operation be advisable in any case where the disease has past its first stage. Beyond the second or third day after the fever is perfectly formed, bleeding should never be attempted. When the head is occupied after this period with much pain, suffusion of the countenance, stupor, low mutterings, or delirium, you should ap- ply cold water or ice to the head, by filling bladders with ice or weting cloths in cold water, taking care to re-wet them every four minutes. This is more ap- propriate than bleeding from the arm. If the affec- tion of the head should not be relieved by this, you must apply a large blister on the back of the neck; to assist the effects of the blister, the feet may be put in warm water at night. If the heat of the body is 6 S2 NERVOUS* OR TYPHOUS FEVER. steadily and considerably above the natural standard, without any sense of chilliness being present, or there being any general or profuse perspiration, we may employ effusions of cold water over the whole body. These remedies* if judiciously used, will rouse the dormant susceptibility, so as to induce a new action as it were of the nervous system, removing spas- modic contraction of the extreme vessels, and carry a large portion of morbid heat by evaporation, and the remainder by insensible perspiration. They are, however, only applicable and safe at an early period of the fever. I attended an old gentleman who had all the symptoms of this fever as above stated; the first thing I gave him was an emetic, which opera- ted well both ways, upwards and downwards. This seemed to relieve him in a certain degree, but still complained of his head, for which I applied cold wa- ter freely; at length he became perfectly stupid and speechless for four days; I continued the above ap- plication for three days longer without effect; at length I changed my treatment to that of blistering and giving tonics with wine; in the first place I put a very large blister plaster on the back of the neck, one on each wrist, and one on each ancle, and one on his stomach, all of which drew very well, giving him at the same time from five to ten grains of qui- nine every three hours in wine through the night. Next morndng he was perfectly at himself, and with the aid of tonics and mineral acids and light diet he was restored in a few weeks to his usual health. You should keep the bowels regular in this fever under NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. 63 all circumstances; if too loose, restrain them by giv- ing opium or laudanum, if costive, open them slight- ly with calomel and rhubarb, so as to procure one operation a day, and no more if it can be avoided. If the patient sweats too freely, as is sometimes the case in the latter stage of this fever, give him fresh air, covered lightly with a thin sheet; giving at the same time cooling drinks, properly acidulated with lemon or orange juice. If startings of the ten- dons or convulsions arise in the course of the dis- ease, the most appropriate medicines to relieve and remove them, will be opium, camphor, and musk, agreeably to the following formula: Take of camphor five grains, tincture of opium fifteen drops, tincture of castor thirty drops; mix them: and take this draught twice or three times a day. Or take of musk fifteen grains; dissolve it in cin- namon water ten drachms, and add sulphuric ether twenty-five drops, tincture of opium fifteen drops. This draught may be given in spasmodic complaints two or three times a day. If the extremities should become cold, as is some- times the case, you must keep them warm with mus- tard plasters. If inflammation of the stomach and bowels should arise at any time during this disease, from any cause whatever, you must give charcoal and slippery-elm water freely; you should also give two grains of calomel and one grain of opium, com bined, every three hours, unless it produces two much sleepiness; if so, give it more seldom. This 64 NERVOUS, OR TYPHOUS FEVER. treatment is highly necessary in all cases attended with inflammation of the stomach and bowels, and should never be neglected. All the above remedies are prepared in doses sufficient for an adult; when giv- en to children, should be proportioned agreeably to the age and constitution of the child. SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION When menstruation has taken place with propei regularity, and has continued for some months, and then becomes obstructed or suppressed, the disease in question may then be said to exist. Symptoms.—Those which attend it are pains in the head, back and loins, coldness of the feet and legs, costiveness, indigestion, hysteric affections, hemorrhages from the nose, stomach, lungs, and oth- er parts of the body, and colic pains at times; some inflammatory symptoms present themselves, and then the pulse is hard and frequent, and the skin hot. Causes.—Defective or suppressed menstruation may arise from an exposure to cold in various ways, particularly wet (eet; from fear, or any emotion sud- denly excited; from a poorness of the blood, or a de- bility of the system, causing a weakened action of the vessels of the parts; and perhaps not unfrequent- U too free a use of vinegar and other acids for the 6* 66 SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION. purpose of preventing obesity, which at length im- pair the due action of the stomach and other diges- tive organs. When menstruation becomes suppres- sed suddenly, by exposure to cold in any way, it may in general be again restored by a pursuance of pro- per means; but when the suppression is of long standing, and the whites have appeared as a substi tute, the disease usually proves very difficult to re- move. The opinion we are to form as to the result, must be governed by the cause which has given rise to it, the state of the woman's health in other re- spects, and the length of time that the suppression has existed. Treatment and Diet.—Every attentive observer must be aware, that if there be a cause of obstruc- tion or suppressed menstruation, when the fluid is tardily secreted from local or general debility, there are many other cases where an opposite state of the frame becomes the cause of their production. It will therefore be highly necessary in the treatment of these complaints, that the morbid peculiarities and habit of life of the patient be taken into considera- tion. Let the sanguine have her mass of fatness dimin- ished; let the debilitated have her powers augmented; in short, the constitution be strengthened, and the functions of health will in all probability be restored, To treat the disease judiciously and with advantage, therefore, it will be highly necessary to discriminate whether it proceeds from an over-fulness of habit, or the blood being thin and defective. If it proceeds from a viscid state of the blood, or if the woman be SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION. 67 of a robust habit, the effects of fullness in the vessels produced thereby, is to be obviated by abstemious. ness, with an increase of exercise, assisted by mod- erate bleeding, and laxative medicines, composed of aloes and rhubarb, equal portions, made into pills; take one pill three times a day. Warm fomentations may also be applied over the region of the womb; the feet bathed in warm water; and slight diet be enjoined. When there are spasmodic pains in the bot- tom of the belly, an emolient clyster of thin gruel with thirty drops of the tincture of opium may be administered. I was called in great haste to see a young lady, about nine years ago, with obstruction of the menses. I found her in the following condition: with high fever, pains in the loins, aching in the legs and thighs, pains in the head, with redness of the eyes, hard and frequent pulse. She was a girl of a full habit of body. In the first place, I had her feet and legs bathed in hot water; corded her arm and bled her, somewhat to the relief of these symptoms. In the next place I rubed her back well with the rhumatic ointment, which relieved her very much. In the next place I gave her four pills of the sixth receipt, which operated very well. And when she complained of pains in the lower part of the belly, I used warm fo- mentations to that region. After the fever abated, I left her one pint of receipt the fortieth, to be ta- ken as therein directed, still using the pills and the ointment as before; the pills to keep hei bowels regular. And in this way she was restored to her 68 SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION. usual health in a few weeks. Her disease was brought on by cleaning out a very cold spring in the month of June, while her monthly periods were on her. Case the Second.—Was a young lady about twenty years of age, of a weekly constitution. She had been sick about nine months previous to my seeing her, three of which she was bedfast; she complained of a great deal of weakness, with pains in the legs and thighs; pain in the loins; pain and bearing down in the lower part of the abdomen or belly, with a slight fever; diziness in the head; she had not en joyed a good night's rest for several weeks; she was troubled with a very bad cough, with great debility, so much so that she could not be raised up in the bed without fainting. In the first place I gave her three powders, composed of nitre, squills, opium, and calomel, prepared as follows: take two grains of opi. um, six grains of squills, ten grains of nitre, and ten grains of calomel, mixed well together, divide into three equal parts; she must take one of these pow ders every four hours, .in some sugar and water; and under the influence of these powders she rested well The day following she took two pills of the sixth re ceipt, morning and night, which operated very well, In the next place I gave her a composition made thus: get three gallons of good apple cider, one peck of pine tops, one double-handful of pennyroyal, one double-handful of sarsaparilla, ten pounds of rusty iron, add all of this together, boil or simmer this down to one gallon, strain it off, bottle it, add one SUPPRESSED MENSTRUATION. 69 tea-spoonful of saltpetre to every quart of this medi- cine. She took one table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. She continued this medicine for about two weaks, still using the pills as before, to keep the bowels open. Under this treat- ment she mended very fast, so much so, she could go about the house. I changed the treatment; gave her five grains of calomel, and five grains of aloes, com- bined, which operated very well; worked it off with chicken soup. After it was done operating, I gave her one table-spoonful of receipt the fortieth, three times a day, one hour before meals, forbidding the use of bacon, sweet milk, cider, &c, but to live on light diet; and under this treatment her monthly pe- riods returned as usual, and has remained in good health ever since. In this way I have cured hun- dreds in a similar condition. It may not be amiss to say that this young lady was attended by an emi- nent physician of Greenville, Kentucky, and was given out by him when I was called to see her. PNEUMONIA, OR WINTER FEVER. This disease is usually ushered in with shiverings, succeeded by fever, dry cough, pain in the breast, side, and sometimes the head is considerably affect- ed in this disease. Great thirst, difficulty of breath- ing, with great oppression in the chest; ratling in the lungs; flushing of the face, sometimes one cheek and then the other; quick and hard pulse; scarcity of urine, and what is voided is of a very high color; tongue coated with a white fur at first, afterwards changing to that of a yellow or dark brown color. When the head is affected, there is great delirium and muttering, with startings and jirking of the ten- dons, with great thirst and dry skin. Causes.—Great or sudden vicissitudes of the at- mosphere, obstructed perspiration, from cold wet cloths, or lying in damp sheets, &c, violent exercise of the body, great and continual exertions in speak ing, singing, or the blowing of wind instruments, PNEUMONIA, OR WINTER FEVER. 71 an improper use of fermented and spiritous liquors. Winter and spring are the seasons of the year when this disease most frequently occurs. Treatment and Diet.—In the first stage of this disease, if the fever runs high, with pain in the head, with great depression of the lungs, and the patient is of a robust habit, and of a good constitution, blood- letting should be resorted to until it produces a con- siderable impression on the pulse. If the pulse should rise during the operation of blood-letting, you may know that it is practised with safety; but if they sink, you should stop immediately, and give an ac- tive purgative; if the extremities become cold, apply mustard plasters. After the medicine is done ope- rating, apply a large blister plaster over the breast and side. Let it remain on until it performs its of- fice properly; then take it off, clip and dress the blis- ters in the ordinary way, and if they should heal be- fore the pains subside, apply it again in the same way. If the head suffers much uneasiness, keep wet cloths or bladders of ice constantly applied to the relief of these symptoms. If this application should not give relief, in addition to the cold application apply a blister plaster to the back of the neck. This should be kept running as long as possible, dressing it with fly ointment once a day. When the patient craves water, give him seneca snake-root tea, or flax- seed tea, adding from one to five grains of tarter emetic every fifteen or twenty minutes, with five or six drops of laudanum to the tea. The tarter should be regulated so as to keep up a slight sickness at the 72 PNEUMONIA, OR WINTER FEVER. stomach; this will throw out a gentle moisture on the surface. When this is effected, you must give from five to ten grains of quinine every three hours, until you give some three or four doses. You must keep the bowels open, but if a purging should arise towards the middle or latter stage of this disease, and should produce much debility or weakness, this should be checked by giving opium or laudanum. I have frequently used calomel and Dover's powders in this disease with,happy effects in putting a stop to the fever, more particularly if the stools are of a clay color. This medicine, if continued, will produce a healthy action in the secretions, an effect greatly desired in this disease. When this is done expecto- ration goes on freely. The syrup of squills is an ex- cellent remedy in all stages of this complaint. I have used receipt the third in this fever with the hap- piest effects, and it should be given in all cases that require the use of expectorants. Quinine should be used extensively in every stage of this disease, where there is the least moisture on the surface of the body. Notwithstanding I have used it in the height of fever, and would prefer it at all times for my own part, yet I am well aware that there are a number of physicians who are opposed to its being given in this way. All that I have to say to them is to try it, and if you do not succeed, then condemn it. But you will say it will make the patient deaf, or it will effect his eyes. Well, I will admit this takes place, perhaps in one case out of a thousand. If so is it not better than that the patient should linger PNEUMONIA, OR WINTER FEVER. 73 ger for months under the influence of calomel and other poisonous medicines, and have his jaws, tongue, and gums, carried away, and finally have his mouth, eyes, and ears, closed from time and sense, for the want of quinine, judiciously employed at the com- mencement of the attack. This medicine when giv- en in large doses in fever, with one half grain of morphine, acts like a charm. I have used it for a considerable length of time, and that not without success. In every case it is highly necessary to cleanse the stomach and bowels, previous to admin- istering this great and wonderful medicine, quinine 7 WORMS IN CHILDREN. Parents, if you have good reasons to believe that your children have worms, give either of the follow- ing remedies: Give ten drops of the oil of turpen- tine for three nights in succession; next morning give oil or salts to work it off; or give wormseed oil, from one to ten drops, in proportion to the age of the child, every night, for three nights, and work it off in the same way as before. If this should not suc- ceed, give of North Carolina pink root tea, made strong, from a half to a tea-cupful, for three morn- ings, and work it off as before. Worm-wood and beefs-gall, made in the form of a poultice, and bound to the navel of a child, is an excellent remedy to ex- pel worms. Or you may give from two to five grains of calomel, three or four times a day, and work it off with salts or oil. Salts alone is an excellent remedy to expel worms, given before breakfast in the morn- ing. If all these remedies should fail, give of re WORMS IN CHILDREN. 75 ceipt the twentieth, as therein directed; feeding the child on a light watery diet. When you try one of these remedies and it fails, try another, and so on until you try the whole of them, for it is often the case that the medicine which will succeed in destroy ing one class of worms, will have no effect on anoth- er; therefore our treatment has to differ in the differ ent class of worms, showing very plainly that there is no general vermifuge that will expel them at all times and in all cases. \ PUKING AND PURGING IN CHILDREN. This complaint is frequently produced by loading the stomach with indigestable food. When this is the case, you must evacuate the offending matter by giving a gentle emetic of ipecac, and afterwards to exhibit a mild purge of rhubarb and magnesia; this may be repeated every third or fourth morning, ac- cording to the strength of the patient and other cir- cumstances of the case. On the intermediate days, the disease is to be mitigated by the use of some ab- sorbent medicine, such as the chalk mixture: take of prepared chalk ten grains; rhubarb ten grains; cinna- mon water one ounce; common water one ounce; mix, and give one tea spoonful three times a day. Should the purging not be considered checked by this medicine, some other of .an astringent nature must be substituted, as in the following form: take compound powder of cinnamon three grains; pre pared chalk eight grains; powdered catechu thre e PUKING AND PURGING IN CHILDREN. ( ( grains; mix them well, and let this powder be given to the child twice or thrice in the course of twenty- four hours. Or take of cinnamon water two ounces; compound powder of chalk fifteen grains; tincture of kino one drachm; mix them, and let the dose be a tea-spoonful, morning, noon, and night. If much griping attends or precedes the stools, or these still continue to be frequent, from one to ten drops of the tincture of opium may be added, to one dose of either of the astringents, taken daily; a preference should be given to the dose administered in the eve ning. 7* OF CONVULSIVE FITS. These spasmodic affections frequently attack chil- dren during the process of teething; but they may also be occasioned by worms, by acrid matter in the stomach and bowels, over-eating; producing too great a distension of the stomach, by the accession of some constitutional disease, such as the small-pox, scarlet fever, or the sudden repulsion of any eruptive com- plaint or rash. Treatment.—It is of the utmost importance in the convulsions of young children to discover the cause which has given rise to them. When they appear to be occasioned by indigestion or improper food, a gen- tle emetic of a few grains of ipecac or a weak solu- tion of antimony may be administered to dislodge the offending matter. Cause.—If supposed to arise from irritating mat- ter of any kind in the bowels, it should be removed by some gentle aperient medicine, such as a couple CONVULSIVE FITS. 79 of grains of calomel conjoined with five or six of rhubarb or jalap, assisted if necessary by a laxative clyster. If from flatulency and gripings in the how- els, take ginger tea, or the spirits of laudanum, Bait- men's drops, or Godfrey's cordial, until this subsides; but if occasioned by teething, scarifications ought to be made with the edge of a lancet immediately over the parts where the tooth appears to be seated, and the operation may be repeated from day to day until the convulsive fits cease, and the tooth appears through the gum. When from the symptoms which present themselves, there is reason to suspect that the convulsions have been occasioned by worms, the remedies recommended under that head should be given. If the sudden disappearance of rash, or the drying up of any discharge behind the ears or else- where, has given rise to the fits, its reappearance ought to be promoted by putting the child into a warm bath, giving it some cordial, saffron tea, or warm teas of any kind, and if necessary apply a blis ter plaster to the parts where the discharge originally proceeded from. If from fever after a chill, denot- ing a determination of blood to the brain, or inflam- mation of the same, apply cold water or ice con- stantly to the head, at the same time using mustard plasters to the ancles and wrists, giving some mild purgative medicine to open the bowels. There is one very important point that I wish the reader to bear in mind, that in every disease where there is any defect about the head from fever or any other 80 CONVULSIVE FITS. disease, producing pain, redness of the face and eyes, you must make cold applications to the head, and warm applications to the feet, whether in the absence or presence of your attending physician, if you have one called in. OF THE CROUP, OR HIVES. This disease consists of a violent inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the windpipe or trachea, which throws out a kind of exudition of lymph, that afterwards becomes inspissated, and thereby so im- pedes the passage of air into the lungs, as to interfere very greatly with respiration. It is characterized by a peculiar sonorous inspiration, compared by some to the crowing of a young cock; a similar stridulous sound in speaking and coughing; great difficulty in breathing; thirst, and others febrile symptoms. It is principally met with among children, and has there- fore been inserted among the diseases incident chief- ly to them; and the little patient is liable to a return of the disease on the slightest exposure to cold. It is most common in low, marshy countries. The croup usually creeps on imperceptibly, beginning with a hoarseness and wheezing, and also an obtuse pain about the upper part of the windpipe; a short, 82 CROUP, OR HIVES. dry cough, and sometimes a rattling in the throat, when asleep; there is considerable difficulty of breath- ing, which at length increases much; the face is flush- ed, and the veins of the neck distended with blood; the voice, in speaking and coughing, acquires a shrill and peculiar sound. Causes.—The croup may be induced by any of the usual causes of inflammation, but exposure to cold, in various ways, is the one which mostly gives rise to it; hence it prevails most in wet and cold seasons. It frequently attacks children in the night, after hav- ing been exposed to damp air and cold easterly winds through the day. We should ever consider an attack of croup to be attended with danger, and therefore never delay prompt and active measures at its com- mencement. Great difficulty of breathing, no expectoration, vast anxiety, violent fever, and the sound of the voice be- coming more shrill, are to be looked upon as very unfavorable symptoms. On the contrary, an early and copious expectoration, the breathing not much impeded, the voice little altered from what is natural, and the febrile symptoms being moderate, are to be regarded in a favorable light. Treatment and Diet.—Before I proceed to these subjects, I beg leave to observe that it will be advi- sable to pay the most scrupulous attention to the state of the organs of respiration, whenever the least change is perceived in the voice of children Al- though the change may appear to be the result of an infection different from the croup, from the highly CROUP, OR HIVES. 83 dangerous nature of this disease and the situation of the parts occupied by the inflammation, it will be ne- cessary to resort to immediate and very active means. On the first appearance or attack, blood should be drawn from the arm in quantity proportioned to the age and strength of the child. The next thing is to give an emetic of lobelia or ipecac. After it is done vomiting, carry it down with an active purgative of either salts, oil, or jalap. Then put the child in a warm bath; take it out and apply a snuff plaster high upon the breast; let it remain on until it produces a copious sweat over the whole surface, then take it off. After the active symptoms are subdued, take of the forty-ninth receipt, as therein directed. Keep the bowels open for several days, with some mild laxa- tive. Some have recommended blistering the throat, cupping, and leaching. This is an excellent remedy, but I have always succeeded with the above remedies without it. The snuff plaster is made by spreading tallow on a rag and sprinkling Scotch snuff on it tol- erably thick. After the patient gets out of danger, give a light nourishing diet, of easy digestion. Keep it out of the cold, change its clothing in proportion to the change of the weather. A CASE OF BILLIOUS VOMITING, OR MILK-SICKNESS. I was called to see a young man some two years ago, with the above disease. He was vomiting in- cessantly, with some fever. His bowels very costive. so much so that nothing had passed off from them for eight days; pains in the stomach, great thirst. A steam doctor had attended him for several days with- out any effect only for the worse. His stomach was very irritable, for which I gave him charcoal and flour by the tea-spoonful, combined, for two or three hours, which greatly allayed the irritation. The next thing I gave him was castor-oil, spirits of turpentine, and spirits of lavender, combined in the following way: Take of caster oil one ounce, turpentine one table- spoonful, lavender one table-spoonful, mixed well to- gether, and gave one tea-spoonful every ten minutes until it operated, which was in about three hours. This relieved him very much indeed. I repeated the BILLIOUS VOMITING, OR MILK-SICKNESS. 85 use of the charcoal the next day, with the use of the cathartic pills to keep his bowels open. If this had not relieved him, I should have given him injections of castor-oil, slippery-elm water, turpentine and gruel, while using the above remedies; but I succeeded without the use of the injection, as he was somewhat averse to this treatment, owing to the steam doctor's using it so frequently on him without success. The main object in this disease, is to get an operation on the bowels and keep them regular, and to coun- teract inflammation, and I know nothing better than charcoal and flour, slippery-elm water, soda powders, and if fever runs high, bleed freely and take of receipt thirty-two, as therein directed. These remedies you can use with safety until you can procure medical aid, which is highly necessary in bad cases, provided he understands the treatment of this disease; and if he does not, I would advise you to let him alone and adopt the treatment as laid down above. I have used the black-snap in this disease with unlimited success. 8 THE NETTLE RASH AND PRICKLY HEAT. The first of this* disease is characterized by an eruption over different parts of the body, resembling that produced by the stinging of nettles, whence its name is derived. It not unfrequently happens that a considerable swelling accompanies the eruption; and now and then long weals, as if the part had been struck with a whip, are to be observed. The only thing necessary in this disease, is to open the bowels freely with salts or black snap, and bleed tolerably freely at the commencement of the attack. OF THE ERYSIPELAS, OR ST. ANTHONY'S FIRE. This eruptive disease is accompanied by a super- ficial inflammation, confined sometimes to a particu lar part of the body, and at others more generally diffused; not unfrequently occupying the head and face, and being then accompanied by a high degree of fever and delirium. Infants are liable to a partic ular species of this inflammatory affection. Erysipe- las is usually preceded by cold shiverings and other febrile symptoms, such as pains in the head and back, restlessness, loss of strength, thirst, nausea, vomiting, a quick, hard, strong, or small pulse, ac cording as the fever may incline to the inflammatory or typhous kind. About the second or third day, the skin of the affected part becomes inflamed, be it the foot, breast, or face; soon after which, an efflores cence appears, of a florid red colour and shining ap- pearance, being at first of no great size, but spreading gradually, and at length occupying a considerable ex tent of surface. There is a peculiarly acrid heat in S8 ERYSIPELAS, OR ST. ANTHONy's FIRE. the inflamed parts, with much swelling. When it attacks the face, this swells, appears very red, the eye-lids are frequently puffed up and closed, the whole scalp of the head becomes affected, and there is a confusion of ideas and not unfrequently some delirium. Now and then there is a difficulty of breathing. After a time blisters of a larger or small- er size commonly appear, containing a clear watery fluid, of so acrid a nature as to inflame the skin of the part over which it is discharged. The surface of the skin in the blistered places is sometimes of a dark or livid colour. Treatment.—In the first place, open the bowels freely with calomel, salts, oil, jalap, or the cream of tartar, or pills of receipt the forty-fourth, using tar water freely internally, and externally to the parts affected three or four times a day, using at the same time a poultice of beech and sugar tree bark every night. Take it off in the morning, and wash the parts with a weak solution of the sugar of lead. If this should not succeed, wash the parts with a wash as follows: Take two ounces of water, dissolve two grains of the nitrate of silver in it, and wash with this twice a day, still using the poultice as before. If it should run into a typhoid form, treat it as you would that form of fever, with quinine, barks, and acids of various kinds. In this way I cured a case last win- ter, which had been under the care of a physician for two weeks without relief. The patient should be very particular in his diet, live light, use no diet that will inflame the blood. PHLEGMASIA DOLENS, OR MILK-LEG. This singular affection is almost exclusively con- fined to females in the puerperal state, and is char- acterised by a pale, tense, and extremely tendei swelling of one of the lower extremities, communi- cating to the touch a feeling of numerous indurated nodules and ridges under the skin, and attended with more or less fever of the hectic character, as has just been stated. Phlegmasia dolens is almost exclusive- ly a puerperal affection, and it appears from general observation that the most common period of its at- tack varies between the fifth and ninth day after child birth. Treatment.—If the patient is of a full habit of body, you should draw blood freely at the commence- ment of the disease, afterwards poulticing the limb with red oak and beech bark for three or four days, or longer if the case requires it, changing the poul- tice twice a day, morning and night. Every time 8* 90 PHLEGMASIA DOLENS, OR MlLk-LEG. you change the poultice, bathe the limb well with the rheumatic ointment, keeping the bowels open with salts, cream of tartar, or magnesia. After you sub due the active symptoms in this way, inward fever is apt to remain. To relieve this, give the patient from five to ten grains of quinine, morning and night. If she complains of much pain, add a half grain of opium or an eighth of a grain of morphine to the quinine. This will produce a gentle moisture on the surface, a circumstance greatly desired in this disease. I cured a case last winter, that was given out by all who saw her, with the above treatment, and would recommend it to all women afflicted in this way. RECEIPTS. 1.— TO MAKE GUMFOLEY. Take of the tincture of assafoetida, aloes, rhubarb, o-um guaiacum, silk-weed root, of each an equal quan- tity, and mix it together. Now you have gumfoley, This is a wonderful medicine in all complaints which have their origin in the liver, such as dyspepsia, con- sumption, jaundice, chills and fever, cholics of every description, dysentery, inflammation or enlargement of the spleen, pain in the back, sore legs, rheumatism, gout, &c. Dose—from a tea to a table-spoonful, three times a day, one hour before meals, while the patient abstains from the use of bacon, sweet milk, cider, and cabbage, but may live on any light diet that agrees with him. This medicine should be taken so as to keep up a gentle action on the bowels, say from two to three stools a day will be sufficient. 2.—TO MAKE ICTERUS POWDERS. Take of rhubarb, gum guaiacum, and charcoal, one ounce each; pulverize them separately in a mortar, search them through a fine cloth, and mix them to- gether. This is given in dyspepsia, liver complaint, faundice, &c. Dose, one tea-spoonful every third night, in new milk or the white of an egg. 92 RECEIPTS. 3.—FOR COLD ON THE LUNGS. Get an ounce of squills, put it in eight ounces of vinegar, in an earthen vessel, put it over a slow fire, simmer all the strength out of them, and strain out the liquor. Take a double-handful of sage, the same of hoarhound, put in a gallon of water, boil it down to a pint, strain it out, add a half pound of loaf-sugar, three ounces of sweet-oil, a quarter of an ounce of sperm tallow, four ounces of flax-seed oil, and mix the squill syrup and this together. Shake it well. The dose is from a tea to a table-spoonful every four hours. This is a wonderful medicine for coughs, colds, whooping cough, croup, pneumonia, and in all diseases of the lungs. The patient should live very- light, and not expose himself in any way. 4.—FOR A WEAK BREAST. Take a half table-spoonful of the essence of pep- permint, one table-spoonful of rhubarb, two table- spoonsful of the carbonate of soda, and one quart of water; shake it well; take a table-spoonful three times a day. This is good to correct the acid on the stomach. 5.—FOR FITS. Take three pounds of the bark of sassafras roots, two pounds of angelica roots, a quarter of a pound of cinnamon bark, an ounce of beaver castor, put into three gallons of whiskey; put it into a small still, run off a half gallon, and bottle it. The dose is one tea- spoonful three times a day, morning, noon and night. 6—TO MAKE DYSPEPTIC PILLS. Take one bushel of hoarhound, put it into a kettle, add enough water to cover the hoarhound, boil it down to one quart, pour it off in a vessel, fill it up RECEIPTS. 93 again, boil it down in the same way, and pour it off with the same syrup. Now clean your kettle, and strain your syrup back into it. Boil it down to a candy; take it out and add pulverized aloes until you get it of a proper consistency to make pills; roll them out about the size of Cook's pills. The dose is from two to four every night, or two of them three times a day. These pills are given in dyspepsia, coughs, colds, consumption, liver complaint, chills and fever, billious fever, and is the best pill in female com- plaints from cold I ever gave in my life. I have used them in my practice for twelve years, and have found them to do good in every case in which I have ever given them. 7.—TO MAKE PILE OINTMENT. Get five pounds of hogs lard, one half bushel of Jamestown weed leaves, beat them well, put them in the lard, simmer all the strength out of the leaves; then strain them out, and after it gets cold, add one drachm of mercurial ointment to every pound of the ointment. You will rub the parts affected twice a day. This is also good for sores of every description. 8.—Get a half bushel of burdock roots, same of sarsaperilla roots, same of running briar roots, put them in a large kettle, add water enough to cover the roots, boil it down to a half gallon, pour it off; fill up the kettle again, and boil it down in the same man- ner; clean your kettle, strain your syrup back into it, boil it down to one quart, and add one pound sugar. Take a table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before moals. This medicine is given in all diseases that are occasioned by an impure state of the blood, such as tetters, scald-head, scrofula, itch, yaws, sur- feit of the skin, and syphilis. By a continuation of this medicine five or six months, I will ensure it to 94 RECEIPTS. cure any of the above named diseases. When given for tetters, use a small portion of receipt the tenth on the surface every night before going to bed. 9.—Take half a pound of sarsaparilla roots, same of rhubarb, same of burdock roots, add two gallons of water, boil it down to one pint, strain it well Irom the roots, and add a quart of molasses. Dose, one half table-spoonful three times a day. This medicine is given in dyspepsia. 10.—Get a half gallon of narrow dock roots, beat them very fine, add three pounds of lard, simmer on a slow fire until all the strength is out of the roots, strain it out, and when cold add four ounces of the flour of sulphur; mix it well together. This is used in tetters, scald-head, and surfeit of the skin. The pa- tient should guard against getting wet while using this medicine. Rub the parts affected, at night before going to bed. 11.—FOR THE GLEET. Take flour of sulphur, pulverized cloves, cream of tartar, and peruvian bark, a table-spoonful of each, mix it all together. Dose, from one to two tea- spoonsful every hour through the day, in water. 12.-TO STOP AND CURE DISCHARGES OF BLOOD FROM THE LUNGS. Take a half ounce of gum kino, three ounces of blood root, a half ounce of beech tree leaves, one ounce of annis seed, put in cherry bounce, let it stand four days, and strain it off. Dose, a wine-glassful three times a day, one hour before meals. 13.—Take a quart of holland gin, roast as much RECEIPTS. 95 poke root as you can hold between your finger and thumb, put in the gin, let it stand four days, and then it is fit for use. Dose, a wine-glassful thiee times a day. This is a sure cure for gleet, gonorrhea, rheu- matism, nervous colic, chronic affection of the kid- neys, &c. 14—FOR GONORRHOEA, OR CLAP. Take an oz. of laudanum, two ozs. of balsam co- paiva, four ounces of the spirits nitre, four ounces of lavender, the white of an egg, mix it all together, and take from-a tea to a table-spoonful every four hours. Abstain from bacon, butter, sweet milk, spirits, and salted diet of every kind, and do not over-heat your- self in any way. 15.—Take a double-handful of elder roots, the same of white walnut bark both of the tree and of the root, a gallon of rose blossoms, put in a pot to five gallons of water, boil to two gallons, strain it out, add elderberry juice enough to give a molasses taste, add an ounce of ginger, a pint of fennel seed, a half pint of coriander seed, a half pint of angelica seed, a half pound of raisons, and an ounce of ipecac. It is good for soreness in the stomach, costiveness, liv- er complaint, dyspepsia, king's evil, dropsy, con- sumption, cholic, &c. 16.—Take a peck of ground mustard seed, four pound of glauber salts, a half bushel of horse-radish roots, a half bushel of elecampane roots, beat fine, add two pounds of saltpetre, a gallon of grapevine roots, a half bushel of comfrey roots, two gallons of elderberry juice, all to be put in thirty gallons of cider. This medicine is called abstraction, and by it we take mercury out of the system. It is good in sciatica, or pain in the hip joint, and for pain in the 96 RECEIPTS. head, shoulders and back. It relieves sour stomach, helps digestion, green-sickness, palsy, convulsions, surfeit, king's-evil, scurvy, tetters, dropsy, scald-head, fits, gravel, suppression of urine, suppression of the menses in women of a full habit. Dose, a table- spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. Use any light diet that agrees with you. When this medicine is given for fits, you must give a tea-spoon- ful of the compound angelica a half hour afterwards. When it is given for gravel, give of the compound horse-mint a half hour afterwards. 17.—COMPOUND ANGELICA. Take a gallon of alcohol, two ounces of angelica oil, a quarter of an ounce of cinnamon oil, same of sassafras oil, an ounce of castor. Dose, a tea-spoon- ful three times a day, in warm water. This is, with- out exception, the best medicine for the cholic I ever used in my practice. When given for cholic, give one tea-spoonful every fifteen minutes, in warm wa- ter sweetened, until you get relief. It is good for fits, or convulsions, spasms of the stomach and bow- els, &c. 18.—TO MAKE GUMFOLEY PILLS. Put a half pint of whiskey to a half pound of assa- foetida, let it stand until the assafceetida is well dis- solved, strain out all the particles through a fine cloth, then get may apple roots, dry them well, pul- verize them to a powder, pulverize aloes in the same way, add about equal quantities of the aloes and may apple powders to the assafoetida, until it becomes of a proper consistency to roll out into pills; make them of common size. These pills are given for cholics, scrofula, female obstruction, hysterics in women, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and in all constipated habits of the body. Dose, from two to four every night. RECEIPTS. 97 19.—Take equal quantities of black cohush, may apple roots and blood root, dry them in the shade and pulverize. Take a half tea-spoonful every fifteen minutes, in cold water, until it produces salivation. This medicine is given to cure the venereal disease, and is an excellent remedy for gonorrhoea. 20.—WORM POWDERS. Take two scruples of iron rust, forty grains of very fine iron dust, two scruples of gamboge, one scruple of tin dust, two scruples of calomel, mix together, and give from twenty to thirty grains twice a day on an empty stomach, in some sugar or honey. Con- tinue the use of them about two days, and then give a dose of salts before breakfast to carry them off. 21.—TO CURE THE GONORRHOEA. Sassafras bark two ounces, two ounces of gum guaiacum, three ounces of sarsaparilla, one ounce of red sanders, one ounce of yellow sanders, put into a bottle, fill it up with the spirits of wine, and let it stand for ten days. Dose, a half table-spoonful three times a day; the patient to live light. 22.—TO CURE FITS. Take one quart of whiskey, one quart of rum, two quarts of abstraction, one ounce of beaver castor, two ounces of cinnamon bark, six ounces of angelica roots; mix the whiskey, rum, and abstraction togeth- er, and put all of those roots and bark into it. Let it digest for twelve hours. Dose, a table-spoonful three times a day, a half hour before meals. 23.—COMPOUND SPIGNARD ESSENCE. Take one quart alcohol, as much spignard oil as the alcohol will take up, one quarter of an ounce of 9 98 RECEIPTS. camphor, one ounce of benson, one-quarter of an ounce of opium. Dose from five to twenty drops three times a day. This medicine is given for coughs, colds, consumption, asthma, inflammation of the kid- neys, pneumonia, pleurisy, &c. 24.—POX, OR LUES. Take sarsaparilla roots, the bark of sassafras roots, burdock, rhubarb, altogether a half pound, put to a half gallon of water and boiled to a half pint; add one grain of the muriate of gold. Dose, one tea-spoonful three times a day. Eat no meat and drink no cold water while taking this medicine. 25.—FIRST CHRONIC. Take one peck of sawdust of fat pine, one half bushel of dried poke-berries, three pounds of sulphur, three pounds of saltpetre, two pounds of gum guaia- cum, one peck of dried hoarhound, a half bushel of prickly ash, a half pound of seneca snake roots, put into thirty gallons of whiskey, and let it stand about ten days; it is then fit for use, and may be given from a tea to a table-spoonful three times a day. If it is the rheumatism, you should just take enough to pro- duce and keep up a gentle perspiration; but you should take particular care that you do not take cold by exposing yourself to wet or damp air, or heating yourself, or taking heavy draughts of cold water. This medicine is good for the rheumatism, sciatic pains, king's evil, weak nerves, and is good in the first stage of consumption, pleurisy, biles, surfeit, nightmare, tetter, scald-head, and almost any diseases of the blood. 26.—LIQUORISH OLD. Take a bushel of the outside of pignut bark, put it RECEIPTS. 99 into ten gallons of water, boil it down to one gallon, and strain it out. Clean your kettle, put in one bushel of life-everlasting, add ten gallons of water, and boil it down to two gallons. Clean your kettle, take ten gallons of elderberry juice and boil it to a thick molasses. Clean your kettle, and put in one bushel of sarsaparilla, add ten gallons of water, boil it down to two gallons, and strain it off with the other syrup. Take one bushel of sycamore chips, add ten gallons of water, boil it down to one gallon, and strain it off with the other syrup. Take five gal- lons of white plantain, put in five gallons of water, boil to one half gallon, strain it out; put in one half bushel of sarsaparilla roots to five gallons of water, boil it down to one half gallon, strain it off; take one bushel of elecampane, add ten gallons of water, boil it down to one gallon, strain it off; take one bushel of comfrey, add ten gallons of water, boil it down to a half gallon, and strain it off; take one bushel of spignard, add ten gallons of water, boil it down to one half. Put all of this medicine into a thirty-five gal- lon keg, add a half pound of genson, a half pound of Colombo, one gallon of whiskey, one pound of salt- petre, one gallon of honey, one gallon of the elixir vitriol; fill up the barrel with boiled cider. Dose, one table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. This medicine is given in colds, coughs, whooping-cough, measles, consumption, rheumatism, asthma, pneumonia, &c. 27.—PIPSISIVA. Take one gallon of crude turpentine, one bushel of wild rat's bane, a bushel of service bark, a bushel of elder berries, a double-handful of red century, two pounds of china roots, a peck of sarsaparilla roots, and put in thirty gallons of whiskey. Dose, a table 100 RECEIPTS. spoonful three times a day. It is good for breast complaints, whites or fluor albus, flooding, obstruc- tion of the urine, dyspepsia, rheumatism, gout, chron- ic affection of the kidneys, &c. The patient must not expose himself in any way whatever. Live very light while using this medicine. 28—GALLILEE. Take a gallon of vervine roots, a double-handful of sweet modley, half a gallon of camomile flowers, a gallon of elder berries, a handful of blazing-star root, put in five gallons of whiskey, let it stand five days, and it is then fit for use. It is wonderful in the cure of fluor albus, obstruction of the menses, billious fe- ver, ague and fever, dropsy, and a corrupt state of the blood, child bed fever, where the patient has caught cold in child bed. Dose, a table spoonful three times a day, an hour before meals. 29.—CATHARTIC PILLS. Take thirty grains of aloes, thirty grains of jalap, fifteen of gamboge, ten of tartar, ten of ipecac, five of nitre, mixed in the juice of senna; roll it out into fifty pills of common size. From two to five is a dose, given at night. These are an excellent pill for billious complaints, costiveness, chills and fever, milk sickness, or billious vomiting, which is the same thing. 30.—Slice fine a double-handful of the roots- of summer grapevine, the same of the roots of horse' radish, also a handful of parsley roots, a double-hand- ful of ass-smart, a double-handful of water melon seed, the same of pumpkin seed, add all these to eight gallons of water, boil it down to a gallon, strain it out, put it back into a clean pot, and add a pint of RECEIPTS. 101 good madeira wine, a pint of good clean honey, and a table-spoonful of nitre; simmer this down to three pints, and it is then fit for use. A dose may be vari- ed from a table-spoonful to a wine-glassful, and should be given three times a day, morning, noon and night. This is designed for dropsical persons, where the urinary evacuations are depressed, and is very benefi- cial in severe spasms of the gravel. But if it is giv- en too freely, it will cause the urine to flow too freely. The patient may eat any light diet that agrees with him, 31.—TO CURE CORNS ON THE TOES. Pare them as close as you can, wash them in. a strong alkali wash; get fresh blood root, bruise it well, and bind it to the corn. Make this application twice a day, morning and night. In this way you will destroy those troublesome things you call corns on the toes. 32.—Burn oloWioe-leather to a coal, beat it fine, add the same quantity of sulphur, the same of Peru- vian bark. Dose, from half a tea-spoonful to a tea- spoonful every two hours. This is an excellent rem- edy for inflammation of the stomach and bowels, or to apply to an inflamed wound of any kind. 33.—Take half a bushel of sycamore chips, the same of yellow poplar chips, a peck of shell-bark hickory, the same of spignard roots, the same of the root of indian arrow wood, the same of elecampane roots, the same of angelica roots, the same of maid- en's hair, put them intcfa still, cover them with wa- ter, and run it off as you would in making whiskey. So long as there is any strength in it, cleanse your still, and put the proceeds back again and run it off, 9* 102 RECEIPTS. until you run about one gallon. To this add a half gallon of honey. Dose, trom a tea to a half a table- spoonful three times a day. Now you have as good a preparation as ever was given in consumption or any disease of the lungs, coughs, colds, asthma, bron- chitis. I have relieved persons with this medicine when every other remedy had failed. 34.—TO CURE CHILLS AND FEVER, OR AGUE AND FEVER. Take sixty-four grains of white arsenic, put it into a sweet oil flask, add a pint of proof spirits, stop it tight, and let it stand in the sun twenty-four hours; it is then fit for use. Dose, from three to seven drops three times a day. If the patient complains of a burning in the stomach, beat up the white of two eggs and give it immediately. This medicine never should be given where there is a dropsical habit of the body. 35.—THE ALL-HEALING SALVE. Take a quart of hog's lard, a handful of spignard roots beat fine, the same of elder roots, the same of white sumach root, the same of butterfly root, the # same rattlesnake's masterpiece, the same of devil's shoe string, put all of them in the lard and simmer all the strength out of the roots; strain it out, add four ounces of beeswax, four ounces of mutton tallow, take it off and set it by for use. This is to be appli- ed twice a day, and is a great remedy for weak back, sore legs, scrofulous sores, fresh cuts, chronic affec- tions of the kidneys. In applying it to a cut or sore, you must spread some of it on a linen rag, and apply it twice a day, morning and night. When it is used for weakfcacks, or pains of any kind, rub it on with your hand, twice a day, warm, before the fire. RECEIPTS. 103 36.—TO CURE THE CLAP. Take sarsaparilla roots, devil's shoe string roots, red oak bark, black ash bark, burdock roots, may ap- ple roots, sumach roots, running briar roots, silk weed roots, of each an equal quantity, put into a gal- lon of water, boil the strength well out, strain the syrup, and sweeten it with sugar. Dose, a table- spoonful three times a day, abstaining from high-sea- soned victuals of every kind. 37.—Take a bushel of cucumber roots, a half bush- el of the bark of the tree, a half bushel of the cucum- bers, a half bushel of pleurisy roots, a half gallon of star loots, a pound of ginseng roots, a peck of sarsa- parilla roots, put all of them in thirty gallons of whis- key, let it stand ten days, and it is then fit for use. The dose may be varied from a table-spoonful to a wine-glassful three times a day, morning, noon, and night, and is an excellent medicine in gout, rheuma- tism, palsy, to purify the blood, billious fever, yellow jaundice, king's evil, dropsy of the brain, humors in the spine, fistula, itch, female complaints, and to prepare a woman for conception. 38.—TO CURE THE POX, OR VENEREAL DISEASE. Take of green plantain a double-handful, the same of wild cherry tree bark, the same of ground ivy, the same of sarsaparilla, the same of sassafras, the same of burdock, the same of rose blossoms, put them in a pot and cover them with water, boil it down to a quart, strain it off, fill up the pot again with water, boil it down to a quart, strain it off with the other, fill it up again, boil down to a quart, and strain it off. Now clean your pot, pour the syrup in the pot, boil it down to a pint, add a quarter of a pound of sugar, 104 RECEIPTS. take it off and bottle it. Dose, a table-spoonful three times a day, morning, noon, and night. 39—Get a handful of the roots of high black-berry briar, the same of white oak twigs, a handful of the twigs of common cherry tree, a handful of the inside bark of the roots of black haw, put them all in a pot, boil them well in water, strain it, and boil it down until it becomes as thick as molasses. Dose, from half a table-spponful to a table-spoonful, which may be given from three to six times a day, agreeably to the nj|essity of the case. This medicine is to be administered in cases of floodings, dysentery, griping pltins, flux, &c. Diet should be light and cooling. 40.—Get two ounces of red puccoon root, a table spoonful of birch bark, the same of fennel seed, beat them, put in a quart of good old whiskey, and let it stand five or six days. I generally commence with half a table-spoonful of this medicine, and increase the dose slowly to a table-spoonful Aree times a day. If this quantity should produce sickness of the stom- ach, or vomiting, decrease the dose. This medicine I never knew to fail in cases of obstructed menstrua- tion, especially wl en there is a general debility of the system. Previous to taking it, the patient should take a dose of calomel and aloes combined, worked off well with chicken soup, or gruel. This medicine will act freely on the liver, and thereby produce a healthy action in the secretions, and is good for rheu- matism, pneumonia, and pleurisy. 41.—TO MAKE BLACK SNAP. Get a handful of the inside bark of the tree of white walnut, the same of the root, the same of the roots of elder, the same of the bark of the root of dog- RECEIPTS. 105 wood, boil them well together in water, strain the syrup through a flannel cloth, put it back in a clean vessel, boil it down slowly to the consistency Of mo- lasses, bottle it, and add half a table-spoonful of refin- ed nitre; shake it well together, and it is fit for use, and may be given from a tea to a table-spoonful three times a day, and should be worked off with gruel, or chicken soup; but if you cannot conveniently do this, you may use cold water. This medicine is called black snap, and will work a passage when all other means fail, and operates with no more severity nor griping than any other cathartics. It is excellent in a costive habit, and in all kinds of inflammatory fe- vers, because it cools the fevers and promotes perspi- ration. It is also an excellent remedy for milk-sick- ness or billious vomiting, liver complaints, chills and fever or ague and fever, and is a quick relief for all kinds of cramps and billious cholics. 42.—TO MAKE WETFIRE. Boil down the ley of ashes of red and black oak until it will cut a feather, and take it out and bottle it. This is used to cleanse old sores, as the sore heel. Weaken the wetfire and apply it twice a day. While using it, keep a plaster of the pile ointment to the sore. This is an excellent remedy and has cured many sore legs. 43.—COMPOUND HORSE MINT. Take a quart of alcohol and put in as much of the horse mint oil as the alcohol will take up. This is given for gravel and suppression of urine, chills and fever, &c. 44.—PURGATIVE PILLS. Take gamboge, aloes, extract of colycinth, rhubarb, 106 RECEIPTS. and cayenne pepper, twenty grains each, and castile soap ten grains; pulverize them well and mix togeth- er; add a sufficiency of black snap to foim them into a mass or bolus, and roll it out into pills of common size. We give from two to four at a dose, at night. These are an excellent pill in all kinds of fevers, chills and fever, billious fever, congestive fever, dys- pepsia, liver complaints, milk sickness, &c. 45.—TONIC PILLS. Take quinine, lupenlin, the extract of gentian, of each twenty grains, mix up with a small portion of the oil of black pepper, and roll it out into common size pills. Take from four to five every four hours until you take sixteen pills. These pills will stop the chills and cure the fever. Should the chills re- turn after taking this medicine, resume it again as before. If you will pursue this course, after the stomach and bowels have been cleansed with the purgative or cathartic pills, I will insure that you will have no use for patent chill medicine after you try this plan, which is plain and simple. After you break the chills, you can leave out the quinine, and take of the gentian alone, to brace the system and prevent their return. 46.—TO MAKE AN EXCELLENT EYE-WATER. Take twenty grains of the sulphate of zinc, burn it on a shovel until it gets hard, and pulverize it fine. Boil six hen eggs very hard, mash them up in a pint of rain water, add the sulphate of zinc; stir it with a red hot bar of steel as much as three different times. Let it settle, strain it off well and bottle. This is an excellent eye water, and has cured many sore eyes, by dropping two drops in each eye three or four times a day. RECEIPTS. 107 47.—Burn half a bushel of muscle shells well, beat them fine, steep it in water so as to make it as strong as possible, let it settle, pour off the pure water, mix it with sweet oil, and stir it until it becomes thick as butter. To a pint of this, add half a vial of opodel- doc, and mix it all together. This is an excellent ointment for burns, scalds, and sore legs. It will take out the fire of a burn or scald, as well as cleanse and heal any kind of sore. It is both drying and cooling. 48.—Take a table-spoonful of salt, half a tea-spoon- ful of cayenne pepper, half a pint of vinegar, steep it on the fire ten minutes, and let it cool. This is the best mouth wash that I have ever seen for sore throat. quinsey, &c. In sore throat, from scarlet fever, you should use a swab to wash the mouth and throat, or wrap a fine linen rag around your finger, and dip it in the mouth wash and rub the parts affected three or four times a day. 49.—Roast a large red onion well, squeeze the juice out, and sweeten it with honey until it becomes a thick syrup; then add two drops of the spirits of turpentine. This may be given to a child of six months or a year old, in the course of the day. Do not allow the child to go out in the wet or damp air. This is the greatest receipt yet discovered for me croup or hives, for I have relieved children with it that were apparently out of the reach of medicine. Its properties are, throwing the disease out to the surface, opening the lungs, and destructive to the complaint. 50.—TO CURE THE CONSUMPTION. Get half a bushel of flat mullen, boil it in water 108 RECEIPTS. until you get all of the strength out of it, then boil it down to a pint, and add a pint of molasses, an ounce of gum guaiacum. Dose, a wine-glassful three times a day, morning, noon, and night. 51.—A Syringe Wash, for King's Evil and White Swelling.—Put two grains of corrosive sublimate to two ounces of water. Use this wash twice a day, morning and night. 52.— To cure a Polypus in the Nose.—Dry blood root, pulverize it fine, and use it as a snuff twice a day, for several days, and finally it will die and drop out. 53.—A CURE FOR POISON. Get eight heads of green plantain, tops and all, the same of garlic, two table-spoonsful of salt, two ounces of sulphur, and put them into a quart of whiskey. Dose, a table-spoonful three times a day, one hour before meals. 54.—TO MAKE LAUDANUM. Put two ounces of opium to a quart of whiskey, let it stand four or five days, then pour it off and it is fit for use. 55.—THE ELIXIR OF VITRIOL. Get two pounds of alcohol and six ounces of sul- phuric acid or oil of vitriol. Drop the acid gradually into the alcohol. Next day add an ounce and a half of cinnamon and an ounce of ginger. Let it stand six or seven days, and it is fit for use. 56.—TINCTURE OF ASSAFCETIDA. Put two ounces of assafoetida to a quart of madeira wine; let it digest four days, and it is fit for use. RECEIPTS. 109 57.—TINCTURE OF ALOES. Put two ounces of finely pulverized aloes to a quart of madeira wine. Let it stand four days, and it is fit for use. 58.—The Tincture of Rhubarb, and the Tincture of Gum Guaiacum, are made in the same way as the Tincture of Aloes and Assafoetida. 59.—TINCTURE OF CAYENNE PEPPER. Put a half pound of cayenne pepper to a half gallon of whiskey. Let it stand five days, and it is then fit for use. 60.—TO MAKE RHEUMATIC OINTMENT. Get two ounces of the tincture of pepper, the same of hartshorn, the same of sweet oil, half an ounce of the spirits of turpentine, an ounce of laudanum, an ounce of the oil of sassafras, the same of pennyroyal oil, mix it all well together, and stop it tight. This medicine is used in all cases attended with pains, bruises, spasms, gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, pains in the limbs from inflammation of the liver, inflam- mation of the spleen, &c. I have relieved persons and cured them, who had lost the use of all their limbs, with an application of this ointment and the internal use of the abstraction, as laid down in the sixteenth receipt. 61.— To cure Snake or Spider Bites.—So soon as you are bitten by a snake, you should take the juice of cuckle burr weed inwardly, and apply it to the bite outwardly. If you cannot get this remedy, drink plentifully of whiskey and apply to the bite wet and dry powder, mixed together, and set fire to it. Do this until you burn it well and it will extract the poison. The poison can also be extracted by holding 10 110 RECEIPTS. fire as near the bite as the patient can bear it. Green plantain, hoarhound, and sweet milk, is an old reme- dy, and is no doubt a very good one. .The large size milk weed root, and elecampane, is an excellent rem- edy. If you are bitten by a spider, there is no better remedy than wild touch-me-not. Give the juice in- wardly, and apply the bruised leaves to the bite. 62.— To cure Fever from Dropsy, or Heat in the Abdomen from Weakness.—Get horse-radish roots, rue, wormwood, featherfew, and garlic roots, of each a handful, a half pint of grapevine ashes, fifty rusty nails, and a half gallon of apple cider. Slice the horse-radish fine, and put the whole together, and let it stand seven days, then strain it off. Dose, from a spoonful to a wine-glassful three times a day. Eat no bacon, and keep out of the damp air. 63.— To stop Bleeding.—Get two ounces brandy, two drachms of castile soap, one drachm of pearlash; scrape the soap fine and dissolve it in the brandy, then add the pearlash, and mix well together. Keep it close in a vial. When you apply it, let it be warm, and dip pieces of lint in it and apply them to the wound. The blood will immediately coagulate. 64.— To cure the Scald-head.—Get rosin, honey, and beeswax, two ounces each, four ounces of Venice turpentine, a pound and a half of hogslard, and two ounces of verdigris; melt the beeswax first, then the rosin, then add the honey, and let it stew awhile, then add the lard, and let it cool a little, then add the ver- digris, and stir it well. Simmer it down again, and strain it through a flannel cloth. Anoint the head once or twice a day, and then sprinkle fine beat char- coal or hickory ashes on the head. Before applying the ointment again, wash the head with soapsuds. Pages 111-118 missing INDEX. All Healing Salve, .... Page 102 Billious Congestive Fever, - . - 47 Billious Vomiting,.....84 Bitters, -......- 112 Chronic Inflammation of the Liver, - - 30 Corns on the Toes, - - - * - 101 Convulsive Fits,......" 78 Certificates,......114 Croup, or Hives,.....81 Cathartic Pills,......100 Dropsy,...... 9 Dyspepsia,.......£3 Dysentery, or Bloody Flux, ... 33 Eye Water, ------- 106 Erysipelas,.......87 Intermittent Fever, - - - - - 37 Jaundice,.....- - 27 120 INDEX. Nervous Fever, .... Nettle Rash, .... Puking and Purging, - Phlegmasia Dolens, or Milk Leg, Pneumonia, or Winter Fever, Purgative Pills, .... Pox, or Venereal Disease, - Polypus in the Nose, - Rheumatism, .... Rheumatic Ointment, - Remittent Fever,.... Receipts,—beginning at Scrofula,..... Scirrhus, or Cancer, Scarlet Fever, .... Spitting Blood, .... 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