Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts Volume Ii Part 68

=NESTS, EDIBLE.= These dietetic curiosities, which are esteemed as great gastronomic luxuries by the Chinese, are formed by several species of swallows frequenting the Indian Seas. The so-called nests chiefly abound in Java, Borneo, and the Celebes, being found in the caverns both inland and on the sea-sh.o.r.es of those islands.

They are not in reality birds' nests, but merely supports, by which the bird is enabled to sustain and also to attach its nest to the rock. The nests themselves consist of gra.s.s, leaves, and seaweed; the latter of which substances it was for a long time erroneously considered formed the esculent; whereas it is the support which exclusively const.i.tutes this Eastern table luxury.

This, in great part, consists of a peculiar mucus, of a gelatinous nature, which it has been ascertained the bird secretes and discharges from its mouth in large quant.i.ties. The Chinese mostly use it in the form of soup, and believe it to be possessed of considerable nutrient power. As many as 8,400,000 of edible nests are said to be annually imported into Canton.

"The finest and whitest kind sells for 5 or 6 the lb.; but it requires about fifty nests to make up one pound. The brackets or supports are moved three times, the best being obtained in July and August."[44]

[Footnote 44: Church.]

=NET'TLE RASH.= See RASH.

=NEURAL'GIA.= Literally, pain in a nerve. "Various parts of the body are liable to be affected with excruciating pain, which is quite independent of any inflammation of the part, and which may often be traced in the course of the nerves." These affections const.i.tute neuralgia. One of the most distressing forms of this disease is FACIAL NEURALGIA or TIC DOULOUREUX (NEURALGIA FACIALIS), which, when it a.s.sumes a marked intermittent character, is popularly known as 'FACE AGUE,' Sometimes it attacks the nerves of the female breast; or those of the hand, feet, hip, or loins, in which cases it is often confounded with acute rheumatism of those parts, occurring towards the inner extremity of the eyebrow and extending over the forehead, it is known as "Brow-ague."

The treatment, when neuralgia is symptomatic of any other affection, must be directed to the primary disease. When it is idiopathic, or an independent affection, powerful tonic medicines and powerful local counter-irritation are generally found the most successful remedies. Of tonics, carbonates of iron and bark (both in very large doses) are generally preferred; the last more particularly when the affection is of an intermittent kind. As a counter-irritant, caustic ammonia has been much relied on. When all other means fail, a current of mild streaming electricity through the part will often give immediate relief. In the present day quinine in large doses is much depended on, although the affection should not present the intermittent type.

_Plain Advice to the Neuralgic by a Family Doctor._[45]--Here, reader, are two facts, which are patent to every thinking medical man: first, this agonising complaint, called neuralgia, is very much more common or prevalent in our day than it was in the days of our forefathers; and secondly, those among us who are most apt to suffer from it are they who live in luxury, or who live too fast, and neglect to keep their bodies up to the proper health-pitch. The poor, too, are often afflicted in the same way, and those who are much confined in workshops, and badly ventilated factories. From this it is not difficult to perceive a lesson may be learned.

[Footnote 45: The article ent.i.tled "Plain Advice to the Neuralgic," which appeared in 'Ca.s.sell's Family Magazine,' is so good that we reprint it verbatim.]

Little need is there to describe the symptoms of neuralgia, whether it takes the form of tic douloureux or faceache, hemicrania or half headache (sometimes, but wrongly, called sun-pain), or sciatica, in which the pain follows the course of a nerve running down the back of the leg, even at times as far as the toes. The pain when fully established is of a terribly acute kind, and indescribable burning and shooting--torture, in fact. It generally comes on without any warning at all, in one sharp twinge, which soon recurs and keeps on increasing, till the poor patient is half distracted, and his pale anxious face is beaded with perspiration.

Of the three kinds of neuralgia, the most common by far is tic, or faceache. This pain seems to 'come out,' as I have heard patients describe it, from a spot between the ear and temple, and spread itself over one side of the face, adown the jaws along one side of the nose, and into the eye itself. The fits of pain seem at times induced by the most trifling causes, such as a sudden start, a loud, quick sound, as the slamming of a door, or the slightest draught of cold air, a mouthful of hot tea or cold water. Sometimes the patient will get ease if he keeps in bed, with the face entirely buried in warm soft flannel, but contact with the pillow will at once induce a paroxysm. Sleep banishes the pain entirely for the time, or perhaps altogether, if the slumber has been natural, and not induced by weakening, enervating narcotics.

Now let us see for a moment what are the usual causes of neuralgia. If we know these, it will a.s.sist us materially in laying down rules for the general treatment of the complaint. And here let me premise that some cases are incurable, because they depend upon pressure by tumours of some kind at the root of the nerve, maybe a bit of bone growing into it. For remember the nerves are extremely sensitive if pressed upon directly. A kinder-hearted man than Professor L--, of Aberdeen, or 'Sandie' as he was familiarly termed, never lived; but he used to tell us students, "Gentlemen, in cutting down upon an artery, in one of the extremities, you will often find the artery, the vein, and the corresponding nerve lying in juxtaposition. You can easily tell the vein, but you may be puzzled to know which is nerve and which artery; give one of them, then, a slight pinch with the forceps--if it is the former, oh! won't the patient holloa!

but if he doesn't holloa, go on, tie away."

And I have often seen this put in practice with the very happiest results, so far as the operator was concerned. I merely mention this to prove to you that pressure on the root of a nerve may cause an incurable form of neuralgia. But do not think that I wish to frighten you! I therefore hasten to tell the perhaps afflicted reader, that these cases are very rare indeed, and that the large majority of those who suffer from the malady may be cured for the time, and the disease even prevented from returning.

I said that very often neuralgia gave no warning, but came on suddenly, but it more often comes on gradually, and is preceded by some derangement of the general health, such as indigestion. From this fact, again, the wise may take a hint.

I do not say that strong men with robust const.i.tutions never take neuralgia, but all my experience, and that I believe of nearly all medical men, go to prove that it is more frequently an accompaniment of a weakened frame of body, with a nervous system below par. This may have been occasioned by bodily fatigue combined with want of sleep, anxiety of mind, worry, &c., or from debility from whatever cause. But I must not forget to say that indigestion is a frequent cause, and excess in eating and drinking combined with late hours in hot rooms. Another hint, please, reader. Foul air, especially living in malarious districts, will also bring on neuralgia, and in this case the attacks are generally of a periodical kind. The great majority, however, of the cases of neuralgia which come under the notice of the pract.i.tioner, are caused by decayed teeth. And this fact gives us hint number three.

Sciatica cases are at times exceedingly distressing. I shall just mention one, which I cured not long since; and we may learn something from it because the cure was so simple. A gentleman, thirty-two years of age he was, spare but wiry; from errors in diet, I elicited, he had become troubled with indigestion and heartburn, which lasted for months; and, moreover, he had quite his own share of that heart-eating canker, care.

For the heartburn he was in the habit of swallowing large quant.i.ties of the bicarbonate of soda. Now it is well known that antacids, although they may palliate fits of indigestion, cannot cure them; and, moreover, the constant use of an antacid like soda never fails to bring on a state of debility and poverty of blood. In the present case the pains in the limb were almost constant, combined with stiffness of the muscles, which necessitated the use of a staff in walking. At about three or four o'clock every morning there were paroxysms of the most terrible agony, during which the patient would leave his bed because, he said, "it wasn't level,"

and, rolled in a rug, lie at full length on the floor, bathed in pain-induced perspiration. It was no wonder he was glad to take that dangerous narcotic, hydrate of chloral, to give him quiet nights. But this only reduced his system more and more, and gave the enemy a stronger hold thereon. When I saw him he had been suffering thus for two months, and was indeed in a pitiable plight. But giving up both the chloral and the soda, going for change of air, using some simple tonic, and being careful in his diet, worked wonders for him. The sciatica left him in one week, and in six weeks he was well and hearty.

One of the most distressing things in connection with neuralgia is the length of time it sometimes lasts, and its habit of returning periodically, without giving, perhaps, any warning of its approach. The depression, too, of the nervous system which it effects is very great; even the mind to some extent suffers; the patient becomes timid and irritable, while at times even the muscles waste. The sufferer, if the complaint continues long, seems positively to age under it. That he soon recovers strength and spirits when the enemy has been driven from his stronghold, is only a proof of the recuperative power of nature in our systems, so long as youth or middle age is on our side.

Some ancient physician has said that no one thinks of taking care of his health until death stares him in the face. There is one exception, however: people very rarely die directly from neuralgia, unless it be that dreadful form of it called angina pectoris, or heart-cramp; but so great is the pain and torture from tic douloureux or sciatica, that sufferers therefrom are glad and willing to do anything that may present some hopes of relief.

The patient, then, who wishes to recover from this disease must first try to find out the cause of it, in his or her particular case. Is the digestion good? are the teeth good? is the health below par? are the spirits buoyant or the reverse? is the kind of life led that which seems to conduce to health and longevity?--these are questions which he had better put to himself and think well over before commencing any treatment except the simple means of local relief which I shall presently mention; for, depend upon it, whatsoever tends to place the system below par opens the door for the cruel foe's entrance. And the converse is likewise true.

If you, then, suffer from tic douloureux, see, first and foremost, that it does not arise from caries of the teeth. Only a dentist can find this out for you, for a tooth may be sound enough to appearance, and yet decayed within. Often the removal of one or two teeth will effect, in an hour, the complete cure of a case that has been going on for months.

The treatment for neuralgia may be fitly divided into the topical, or that which gives relief at once, without reference to permanent cure, and the const.i.tutional, or that which tends to remove the cause and prevent any recurrence. I shall mention the former of these first. Probably that which gives the greatest relief is the subcutaneous injection of morphia; but as this tiny but comforting operation can only be performed by some one with skill, I pa.s.s it by, and tell you of the great good that may be done by twice a day smearing the track of the nerve with the aconitine ointment; only remember, it must not be applied to an abraded surface. When it can be borne, alternate douches of hot and cold water sometimes give relief, and rubbing or shampooing the parts for some length of time may result in good.

But if the pain is at its worst, and immediate relief is needed, the inhalation of or smelling at a vial of chloroform will act like a charm.

Take first a little good Scotch whiskey, with from 20 to 40 drops of the spirit of ether in it; then have, not one sniff, but two or three good sniffs at the vial of chloroform. It will not make you insensible, but it will scare away the pain. I often do good by administering one large dose of quinine. I am rather chary of advising you, however, to try it, because ten or fifteen grains of this invaluable medicine may work injury if either head or heart is easily affected.

People often complain of what they call rheumatism in the jaw, where probably the whole of the teeth in one side, not one more than another, are affected. Now the drug called sal ammoniac (chloride of ammonium) is almost a specific for this kind of faceache. It strikes me I have recommended this before--probably in my paper on the teeth--however, it will bear repeating. The dose is half a dram three or four times a day, but if it doesn't do good after the fourth or fifth dose, it may be stopped. It is well worth a trial, and is safe.

Neuralgia and rheumatism are at times mysteriously allied, and, did s.p.a.ce permit, I could tell you of some very strange cures effected by the use of the dumb-bells--first, I think, recommended by Dr Arnott. When the pain comes on, the patient has recourse to these; and whether it is the indomitable power of will or the effect on the circulation I know not--all I know is, it often scares the tic away, and that is something.

Nothing probably gives more certain relief in cases of sciatica than a small blister, not bigger than a penny-piece, just over the spot where the nerve seems to come out, _i. e._ where the pain begins, and afterwards dusting not more than half a grain of morphia on the raw surface. And now for const.i.tutional remedies. I will not allow any patient of mine to cuddle and fondle himself and his neuralgia over the fire or in bed one hour longer than is necessary. The mind has a wonderful effect on nervous ailments, and by letting it dwell on them you a.s.suredly increase them; besides, the body is under par, exercise is needed, and pure air and many things besides; and therefore I prescribe activity, to begin with, not senseless walk-taking, but healthy exercise-with-a-purpose.

Medicine must not be neglected; but I a.s.sure you, unless you not only take plenty of exercise, regulate your diet, and in some way alter for the better your usual mode of life, it will just be as well, if not better, to pour the medicine down the nearest rat's hole. That may be a plain way of putting it, but it is very true notwithstanding. Now, I think in most cases an occasional mild purgative will do good, for tonics should never be taken unless the bowels are regular; and as the liver is at times just a _little_ to blame, a claret-gla.s.sful of Friedrichshall water may be taken twice a week with benefit. Your tonic, unless there be great fulness of blood, had better be an iron one, combined with quinine, which any chemist will compound you. Tell him you want the tincture of iron, and a little dilute hydrochloric acid, in a quinine mixture. Probably he will say the citrate of iron and quinine is better (it is more easily compounded), and then it will be for you to consider whether you will be advised by him or by your 'Family Doctor.' Here is a beautiful wee mixture, which you can compound for yourself, and the dose of which is a teaspoonful in a little water 3 times a day:--Take 2 oz. of tincture of quinine, 1/2 oz. of tincture of ginger, and the same quant.i.ty of pure glycerin, and mix. The following is a capital tonic to be taken after an attack of neuralgia and continued some weeks:--Liquor a.r.s.enicalis hydrochlorici, 100 drops; quinine, 30 gr.; elixir of vitriol, 2 dr.; ginger syrup, 3 oz.; mix. And the dose is a teaspoonful after every meal in a drop of water. When mentioning sal ammoniac, I ought to have said that in those cases where good is done--and they are very many--whenever the pain is gone, you should reduce the dose to 10 or 15 gr. thrice a day for a week. In some cases of sciatica, where the subject is a gouty or rheumatic one, good is done by a course of iodide of pota.s.sium in combination with tonics.

As for food, the more nouris.h.i.+ng it is the better--good meat, plenty of eggs and milk, &c., and perhaps a little brandy and Apollinaris water.

Give up tea and coffee for a time, and use cocoa; the less oily kind is the best. My advice for the prevention of the return of neuralgia may be summed up in a few substantives--air, exercise, regularity, temperance, tonics, cocoa, and cod-liver oil.

=NEUTRALISA'TION.= The admixtures of an alkali or base with an acid in such proportions that neither shall predominate. A neutral compound neither turns red litmus paper blue, nor blue litmus paper red.

=NEUTRALISING PROPORTIONS, Table of.=

_Table of the Neutralising Proportions of some of the Acids and Alkaline Carbonates omitting minute fractions. The best commercial preparations must be used._

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bicarb. of Carbonate Sesqui- Bi- Tartaric Citric Lemon Cr. Carb. Soda and Bicarb. of of carbonate carbonate Acid. Acid. Juice. of Soda. Carb. of Potash. Magnesia. of of Potash. Ammonia. Ammonia.

--------+-------+------++---------+----------+----------+---------+----------+--------- Grs. Grs. ? Grs. Grs. Grs. Grs. Grs. Grs.

10 9-1/4 2-1/6 19 11 13-1/2 6-1/2 8-1/4 10-1/2 10-3/4 10 2-1/3 20-1/2 12 14-1/2 7 8-1/2 11-1/2 13 12 2-4/5 25 14-1/2 17-1/2 8-1/4 10 13-1/2 15 14 3-1/4 29 17 20-1/3 9-1/2 12 16 15-1/2 14-1/2 3-1/3 30 17-1/4 21 10 12-1/4 16-1/2 18 17 4 34-1/2 20 24-1/4 11-1/2 14 19 20 18-1/2 4-1/3 38-1/2 22-1/3 27 12-3/4 15-1/2 21 20-1/2 19 4-1/2 40 23 27-1/2 13 16 21-1/2 26 24 5-1/2 50 29 35 16-1/2 18-1/4 27 27 25 5-5/6 52 30 36 17 21 28-1/2 32 30 7 61 36 43 20-1/2 25 33-1/2 36 33-1/2 7-5/6 69 40 48-1/2 23 28 38 47 44 10-1/4 90 52-1/2 63 30 37 49-1/2 52 48-1/2 11-1/3 100 58 70 33 41 55 62 58 13-1/2 120 69 84 40 49 65-1/2 73 68 15-5/6 140 82 98 46-1/2 57 77 75 70 16-1/4 144 84 101 48-1/2 59 79 90 84 19-1/2 172 101 121 57-1/2 71 94-1/2 92 86 20 177 103 124 59 72 97 100 93 21-2/3 192 112 134 64 78 105-1/2 108 100 23-1/3 206 120 145 69 84 113 180 168 39-1/5 344 202 242 115 141 190 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=NEW BERLIN SANITARY LIQUEUR--Gesundheits-Liqueur, neuer Berliner= (Apotheker Emil Trotz). An unpleasantly-tasting bitter spicey schnapps, containing 18 per cent. of sugar. Leaves an after-taste of aloes. (Hager.)

=NICK'EL.= Ni. _Syn._ NICKELIUM, L. A metal obtained from kupfernickel, a native a.r.s.enide of nickel found in Westphalia; also from nickel speiss, an impure a.r.s.enio-sulphide of nickel left after the manufacture of cobalt blue from its ores.

_Prep._ The powdered ore is roasted first by itself, and next with charcoal powder, until all the a.r.s.enic is expelled, and a garlic odour ceases to be evolved; the residuum is mixed with sulphur 3 parts, and pota.s.sium hydrate, 1 part, and the compound is melted in a crucible with a gentle heat; the fused ma.s.s when cold, is reduced to powder, edulcorated with water, dissolved in sulphuric acid mixed with a little nitric acid, and precipitated with pota.s.sium carbonate; the precipitate (nickelous carbonate) is washed, dried, mixed with powdered charcoal, and, lastly, reduced by the heat of a powerful furnace.

When nickel predominates in the ore, after the a.r.s.enic, iron, and copper have been separated, ammonia is digested in the mixed nickelous and cobaltous oxides, and the resulting blue solution, after dilution with boiled pure water, is treated with pota.s.sium hydrate until the colour disappears, when the whole is put into an air-tight vessel, and set it aside for some time. The powder (nickelous hydrate) which subsides, after edulcoration, is mixed with charcoal, and reduced by fusion in a crucible containing some crown gla.s.s.

On the small scale, for chemical purposes, pure nickel is best obtained by moderately heating nickelous oxalate in a covered crucible lined with charcoal.

_Prop._ White; hard; malleable; magnetic; capable of receiving the l.u.s.tre of silver; sp. gr., when hammered, about 882; fusibility between that of manganese and iron; it is not oxidised in the air; and is little attacked by dilute acids unless when nitric acid is present; this last acid dissolves it freely. With the acids, &c., it forms numerous compounds, most of which may be prepared by the direct solution of the carbonate. A specimen of the metal reduced from the pure oxide in a current of hydrogen was beautifully white and silvery; its sp. gr. was 8575, and it was almost as soft as copper.

_Tests._ The salts of nickel in the anhydrous state are for the most part yellow; when hydrated, green,--and furnish solutions possessing a pale green colour. Solutions of its salts exhibit the following reactions:--Alkaline hydrates give a pale apple-green precipitate, insoluble in excess, but soluble in a solution of carbonate of ammonium, yielding a greenish-blue liquid. Ammonia gives a similar precipitate, soluble in excess, yielding a deep purplish-blue solution. The presence of ammonium salts or free acids interferes with this reaction. Cyanide of pota.s.sium produces a green precipitate, soluble in excess, forming an amber-coloured liquid, which is reprecipitated by hydrochloric acid. This last precipitate is scarcely soluble in excess of the acid in the cold, but readily so upon boiling the liquid. Ferrocyanide of pota.s.sium gives a greenish-white precipitate. Sulphuretted hydrogen occasions no change in solutions of nickel containing free mineral acid; but in alkaline solutions gives a black precipitate. Sulphide of ammonium in neutral solutions gives a black precipitate, soluble with difficulty in hydrochloric acid; but freely soluble in aqua regia.

_Estim._ Nickel may be thrown down from its ore in the form of either carbonate or hydrate, and after ignition may be weighed as oxide, each grain of which is equal to 7/8 gr. of pure nickel; or, more accurately, 7871 gr.

According to Rose, nickel may be separated from cobalt as follows:--The mixed metals are dissolved in considerable excess of hydrochloric acids, and the solution is diluted with a very large quant.i.ty of water; a current of chlorine is then pa.s.sed through the liquor for several hours, and the upper part of the flask is left filled with the gas after the current has ceased; barium carbonate is next added, in excess, the whole digested together, with frequent agitation for 15 or 18 hours, and then thrown on a filter. The filtrate yields pure nickelous oxide by precipitation with hydrate of pota.s.sium; whilst the residuum on the filter, after being washed in water, dissolved in hot hydrochloric acid, and the barium precipitated with sulphuric acid, furnishes, with hydrate of pota.s.sium, a precipitate of cobaltous hydrate, free from nickel, which, when washed and dried, is reduced in a platinum or porcelain crucible by hydrogen gas.

_Uses._ Nickel is chiefly employed in the manufacture of German silver.

Some of its salts have been recently introduced into medical practice, and appear likely to prove most valuable additions to the materia medica. It has also been recently used for deposition by electrolysis on other metals, forming a hard, brilliant, non-tarnis.h.i.+ng coating.

=Nickelic Oxide.= Ni_{2}O_{3}. _Syn._ SESQUIOXIDE OF NICKEL, PEROXIDE OF NICKEL. _Prep._ By pa.s.sing chlorine through water holding the hydrate in suspension; or by mixing a salt of nickel with bleaching powder. An insoluble, black powder, which is decomposed by heat.

=Nick'elous Ace'tate.= Ni(C_{2}H_{3}O_{2})_{2}. _Syn._ NICKELII ACETAS, L.

_Prep._ By neutralising acetic acid with nickelous carbonate, and gently concentrating by evaporation, so that crystals may form. Small green crystals, soluble in 6 parts of water.

=Nickelous Car'bonate.= NiCO_{3} _Syn._ NICKELII CARBONAS, L. _Prep._ This salt may be obtained in the manner described above in connection with the preparation of metallic nickel, or by simply adding carbonate of sodium to a solution of nickelous chloride of sulphate, but in this case some hydrate is precipitated along with it. The following is another formula which produces a nearly pure carbonate, but one which may still contain a little cobalt, the entire separation of which is a matter of extreme difficulty, and can best be effected in the manner recommended by Rose, described above:--

The mineral (crude speiss or kupfernickel) is broken into small fragments, mixed with from one fourth to one half its weight of iron filings, and the whole dissolved in aqua regia; the solution is gently evaporated to dryness, the residue treated with boiling water, and the insoluble ferrous a.r.s.eniate removed by filtration; the liquid is next acidulated with hydrochloric acid, treated with sulphuretted hydrogen, in excess, to precipitate the copper, and, after filtration, is boiled with a little nitric acid, to bring back the iron into ferric salts; to the cold and largely diluted liquid a solution of bicarbonate of sodium is gradually added, and the ferric oxide separated by filtration; lastly, the filtered solution is boiled with carbonate of sodium in excess, and the pale green precipitate of carbonate collected, washed, and dried.