Mother's Remedies Part 73

Dose for adults, one and one-half or two tablespoonfuls night and morning." In severe cases take three times a day. This is a thoroughly tried remedy and is a very successful one.

[ CONSt.i.tUTIONAL DISEASES 327]

11. Rheumatism, Good Liniment for.--

"Alcohol 1 ounce Oil of Wintergreen 1 dram Chloroform 5 drams Gum Camphor 1/2 ounce Sulphuric Ether 3/4 ounce Oil of Cloves 1/2 dram Oil of Lavender 1 dram

Mix and apply externally for rheumatism and you will find it a very beneficial remedy."

12. Rheumatism, Camphor and Alcohol for.--"Soak cotton batting in alcohol and camphor and apply on part." Application to the affected parts will frequently give relief in some rheumatic patients, when in others no relief is obtained by this method, it being necessary to take something internally.

13. Rheumatism, Sweet Fern Tea Excellent for.--"Sweet fern tea taken three times a day. Dose, one cupful. Father has used this successfully himself."

14. Rheumatism, Well-known Celery Remedy for.--"Celery tea several times a day with plenty of celery cooked or raw as a regular table food. Cut the celery in pieces, boil until soft in water and let the patient drink the tea, then make a stew of the remaining bits. If fresh celery cannot be obtained, celery preparations can be found at the drug store.

15. Rheumatism, Flowers of Sulphur Relieves.--"Rheumatism is effectually removed by enveloping the limb one night with flowers of sulphur." The flowers of sulphur can be purchased at any drug store, and will give great relief, especially in severe cases.

16. Rheumatism, Poultice for.--"Apply belladonna ointment to seat of pain, poultices applied very hot. Sulphur applied to painful part is very effective, after which the parts should be enveloped in flannel." The belladonna ointment acts like a fly blister, but not quite so severe. The ointment can remain on for some time without blistering. This treatment relieves by removing the inflammation from the sore parts.

17. Rheumatism, Novel Relief for.--"The best remedy is electricity. It cured me; I used medical battery." Electricity has been known to help in a great many cases, but should be applied by a competent person.

18. Rheumatism, Snake Root and Lemons Good for.--"Make use of lemon juice freely. Use decoction of black snake root, one ounce to pint of boiling water; a tablespoonful four times a day. Wet compress renewed every two hours applied to painful joints."

The black snake root is a remedy that was used by the early settlers for this trouble. The wet compresses are very soothing, but care should be taken not to wet the bed clothing, as the patient would then take cold.

[328 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

19. Rheumatism, Another Good Liniment for.--

Alcohol 5 ounces Amber 30 drops Tincture of Pinoum 30 drops Hemlock Oil 30 drops Tincture of Iron 30 drops Aconite 30 drops

DIABETES MELLITUS.--A disorder of nutrition in which sugar acc.u.mulates in the blood and is excreted in the urine, the daily amount of which is greatly increased.

Causes.--Hereditary influences play an important role and cases are on record of its occurrence in many members of the same family. Men are more frequently affected than women, the ratio being about three to two.

Persons of a nervous temperament are often affected. It is a disease of the higher cla.s.ses. Hebrews seem especially p.r.o.ne to it. The disease is comparatively rare in the colored race; women more than men in the negro,- nine to six. In a considerable proportion of the cases of diabetes the patients have been very fat at the beginning of or prior to the onset of the disease. It is more common in cities than in country districts. The combination of intense application to business, over-indulgence in food and drink, with a sedentary life, seem particularly p.r.o.ne to induce the disease. Injury to or disease of the spinal cord or brain has been followed by diabetes. It is much more frequent in European countries than here. Acute and chronic forms are recognized in the former.

Symptoms.--The only difference is that the patients are younger in acute forms, the course is more rapid and the wasting away is more marked. The onset of the disease is gradual and either frequent pa.s.sing of urine (six to forty pints in twenty-four hours) or inordinate thirst attracts attention. When it is fully established, there is great thirst, the pa.s.sage of large quant.i.ties of sugar urine, a terrible appet.i.te, and, as a rule, progressive emaciation. The thirst is one of the most distressing symptoms. Large quant.i.ties of water are required to keep the sugar in solution and for its excretion in the urine. Some cases do not have the excessive thirst; but in such case the amount of urine pa.s.sed is never large. The thirst is most intense an hour or two after meals. The digestion is generally good, but the appet.i.te is inordinate. Pain in the back is common. The tongue is usually dry, red and glazed, and the saliva is scanty. The gums may become swollen. Constipation is the rule. The skin is dry and harsh and sweating rarely occurs. The temperature is under normal. In spite of the enormous amount of food eaten a patient may become rapidly emaciated. Patients past middle life may have the disease for years without much disturbance of the health; on the other hand I have seen them die after that age. Progress is more rapid the younger the person. Death usually occurs from coma of diabetes. This is most common in young patients.

[CONSt.i.tUTIONAL DISEASES 329]

1. There is a sudden onset after exertion of weakness, feeble pulse, stupor, coma, death in a few hours.

2. Sudden headache, coma, death in a few hours.

3. After nausea, vomiting or a lung complication, there are headache, delirium, abdominal pain, rapid labored breathing, sweetish odor of the breath, stupor, rapid feeble pulse, coma and death within a few days.

Recovery.--Instances of cure in true diabetes are rare.

Treatment. Preventive.--The use of starchy and sugary articles of diet should be restricted in families with a marked disposition to this disease. Sources of worry should be avoided and he should lead an even quiet life, if possible, in an equable climate. Flannel and silk should be worn next to the skin, and the greatest care should be taken to promote its action. A lukewarm and, if tolerably robust, a cold bath should be taken every day. An occasional Turkish bath is useful.

Diet.--Let the patients eat food of easy digestion, such as veal, mutton and the like, and abstain from all sorts of fruit and garden stuff. In Johns Hopkins' Hospital these patients are kept for three or four days on the ordinary ward diet, which contains a moderate amount of carbo-hydrates, in order to ascertain the amount of sugar excretions. For two days more the starches are gradually cut off. They are then placed on the following standard non-carbohydrate diet.

Breakfast: 7:30, six ounces of tea or coffee; four ounces of beefsteak, mutton chops without bone, or boiled ham; one or two eggs.

Lunch: 12:30, six ounces of cold roast beef; two ounces celery, fresh cuc.u.mbers or tomatoes with vinegar, olives, pepper and salt to taste, five drams of whisky with thirteen ounces of water, two ounces of coffee without milk or sugar.

Dinner: 6:00 P. M., six ounces of clear bouillon; seven and a half ounces of roast beef; one and one-half drams of b.u.t.ter; two ounces of green salad with two and a half drams of vinegar, five drams of olive oil, or three tablespoonfuls of some well-cooked green vegetable: three sardines; five drams of whisky with thirteen ounces of water.

Supper: 9:00 P. M., two eggs, raw or cooked, thirteen ounces of water .

The following is a list of articles which a diabetes patient may take as given by one of the best authorities in the world on diabetes:

Liquids: Soups.--Ox tail, turtle bouillon and other clear soups. Lemonade, coffee, tea, chocolate and cocoa; these to be taken without sugar, but they may be sweetened with saccharin. Potash or soda water and appollinaris, or the Saratoga-vichy and milk in moderation may be used.

[330 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

Animal Food.--Fish of all sorts, including crabs, oysters, salt and fresh butcher's meat (with the exception of liver), poultry and game, eggs, b.u.t.termilk, curds and cream cheese.

Bread.--Gluten and bran bread, almond and cocoanut biscuits.

Vegetables.--Lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, chickory, sorrel, radishes, asparagus, water-cress, mustard and cress, cuc.u.mber, celery and endives; pickles of various sorts.

Fruits.--Lemons and oranges, currants, plums, cherries, pears, apples (tart), melons, raspberries and strawberries may be taken in moderation.

Nuts, as a rule, allowable.

Must Not Take--

Thick Soups and Liver. Ordinary bread of all sorts (in quant.i.ty), rye, wheaten, brown or white. All farinaceous (starchy) preparations, such as hominy, rice, tapioca, arrowroot, sago and vermicelli.

Vegetables: Potatoes, turnips, parsnips, squashes, vegetable-marrows of all kinds, beets, common artichokes.

Liquids: Beer, sparkling wine of all sorts and the sweet aerated drinks.

Medicines. Codeine.--A patient may begin with one-half grain three times a day, which may be gradually increased to six or eight grains in the twenty-four hours (under the doctor's care); withdraw it gradually when sugar is absent or reduced as far as possible.

DIABETES INSIPIDUS.--A chronic affection characterized by the pa.s.sage of large quant.i.ties of normal urine of low specific gravity.

Causes.--It is most often found in young males and is probably of nervous origin. It may follow excitement or brain injury.

Symptoms.--The onset is usually gradual. The urine is pale; ten to twenty quarts a day. Thirst, dryness of the mouth and skin. Appet.i.te and general conditions are usually normal; sometimes there are feebleness and emaciation. Death usually occurs from some other disease.

Treatment.--There is no known cure. Keep the general health in good condition according to the advice of your family physician.

OBESITY.--An excessive development of fat; it may be hereditary. It occurs most frequently in women of middle age and in children. Its chief cause is excessive eating and drinking, especially of the starch and sugar foods and malt liquors, and lack of exercise. The increase of fat is in all the normal situations and the heart and liver are often large and fatty. The condition in general may be good or there may be inactivity of the mind and body. Disturbances of digestion and symptoms of a fatty heart. There is less power to resist disease. Death may occur from fatty infiltration of the heart, resulting in dilatation or rupture.