Part 26

In these cases, the oil of kreosote will be found a most valuable remedy. It is given in doses of from half a drop to one drop. This medicine, however, ought not to be used without the sanction of a medical man.

Footnote 21:

Besides the morning sickness, the period of pregnancy is often attended with another distressing symptom, described as a sinking at the pit of the stomach: the patient complains, to use a common expression, that she feels all gone. This feeling I have often relieved by the free use of soda water. Another remedy which I have often used, and which is by no means disagreeable, is a fresh egg, beaten up with a tumbler of milk, and sweetened.

Footnote 22:

The Red mixture, prepared by suspending equal parts of pulverized rhubarb and magnesia in mint water, is a favorite prescription with many.

Footnote 23:

In these cases medicine is not always necessary. Much benefit may be derived from the use of a laxative diet. Brown bread, mush, or hasty pudding made from rye or Indian meal, and eaten with molasses, the free use of the dried laxative fruits, as figs, dates, stewed prunes, and our native fruits when ripe, will often enable the patient to dispense with medicine.

Footnote 24:

Mild lavements or enemata are here highly serviceable. Where the excrementitious matter is hardened or compacted, the distension of the bowels by from a quart to three pints of starch water, followed by weak soap suds, is a very efficient remedy.

Footnote 25:

In many parts of New England, the moccasin root is much used to allay the motions of the child. One tumblerful of the infusion of this root is the usual quantity.

Footnote 26:

This decoction is made by taking four ounces of poppy-heads, breaking them up, putting them into a vessel, pouring upon them four pints of boiling water, boiling the whole for fifteen minutes, and then straining off the liquor.

Footnote 27:

There are one or two complaints to which the pregnant female is subject, upon which a few remarks seem advisable. Speaking of headache, Mr. Fox remarks:—

“Headache, independent of accidents, may be a sympathetic affection arising from disorders of the digestive, or other organs. It may be the consequence of a feeble, or disturbed state of the nervous system: or it may be the effect of the vessels of the head being distended with too much blood; or even of a deficiency of blood in the head.

“Where headache arises from a disordered condition of the digestive organs there will generally be an inactive, or irritable, state of the stomach or bowels, which will frequently be accompanied by giddiness, imperfect vision, or by specks floating a short distance from the eyes, by loss of appetite, sickness, acidity of the contents of the stomach, and by flatulence.

“If the stomach be loaded with undigested, or irritating food, it is to be relieved by a gentle emetic. Having drunk a pint of warm chamomile tea, or common tea from one ounce to one ounce and a half of ipecacuanha wine should be taken, after which vomiting will ensue almost immediately, and without any straining, or painful effort. If ipecacuanha wine is not at hand, two or three teaspoonfuls of powdered mustard, mixed in a little water, may be used in its stead.

“In almost every case, it will be found necessary to administer mild aperients every four or five hours, till the bowels are emptied. The aperients may be, rhubarb and Castile soap, of each one drachm, oil of cloves six drops, mixed with a simple syrup, and divided into thirty pills, of which from three to six are to be taken every four or five hours, till the bowels act. Where no disposition to pills exists, from one to two table spoonfuls of compound decoction of aloes may be taken every four or five hours, till the bowels are relieved freely. Where much acidity in the stomach is present, from fifteen to twenty grains of magnesia, combined with six grains of powdered rhubarb, and the same quantity of ginger, may be substituted for the above aperients, and repeated in a similar manner.

“If the pain in the head continues to be severe, after an emetic has operated, or before the aperients begin to act, it will be often greatly mitigated by taking a moderate dose of some opiate; this, however, should not be employed where attacks are frequent, as a habit of taking opiates is productive of much injury.

“There are persons who do not experience relief from opiates, but on the contrary, have the pain aggravated by their use. Strong green tea, or hop tea, will occasionally give relief in mild attacks, or where decided opiates are not productive of benefit.

“Where a feeble, or disturbed state of the nervous system gives rise to headache, aperients are to be taken as recommended above; and stimulants are to be employed, as camphor, ammonia, compound tincture of valerian, æther, &c.

“Four grains of carbonate of ammonia, or fifteen or twenty drops of spirit of hartshorn, are to be mixed in a wineglassful of camphor julep.

“One or two teaspoonfuls of compound tincture of valerian are to be added to a wineglassful of water, or camphor julep.

“From twenty to forty drops of æther are to be mixed in a wineglassful of water or camphor julep.

“Any of the foregoing forms may be taken several times during every twenty-four hours, if necessary.

“If the head is hot, linen wet with vinegar and water, or eau de Cologne and water, is to be repeatedly applied to the temples and forehead; or those parts may be occasionally moistened with æther, the evaporation of which will cause the head to become cool.

“Where reducing the temperature of the head does not diminish the pain, it will be well to try the effect of heat, which may be accomplished in the following manner: pour a little æther into the palm of the hand, and apply it to the forehead, or temples. The heat will be kept up so long as the hand is pressed to the part, and any of the æther remains.