PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Colds
Categories:
Respiratory Diseases
Preventive. Avoid the known causes of
the trouble. A daily cold bath, if well borne, is held to be an effectual
prevention against taking cold. Have the adenoids removed if your
physician so recommends it. If seen early it can frequently be aborted.
Bathe the feet in hot mustard water, a small handful of mustard to a pail
half full of hot water. At the same time, drink hot teas, like hoarhound,
ginger, lemonade, etc. Then put
the patient to bed and place hot water
fruit jars around him. This treatment will produce a good sweat. After the
sweating has continued for some time and the patient feels uncomfortable
because of the sweat, bathe him with a towel dipped in warm water, and dry
the parts as you go along. Of course, all of this is done under cover.
After you have bathed and dried the patient, put on a clean and well-aired
night shirt and clean sheets, also well aired. This simple treatment will
abort most colds. The patient should keep in bed for at least twelve hours
after such a sweating. Plenty of cold water and lemonade can be given,
especially after the patient has become cooler. Plenty of water is good
for any cold; hot outside and cool for the inside. The bowels should be
opened with salts. A Dover's powder (ten grains) will produce sweating,
but why use it when sweating can be produced by the means first mentioned.
1. Camphor and Vaseline Mixed, or Camphor and Cream, rubbed in the nose is
good to stop the cold and soreness.
2. A few drops (two or three) of camphor taken internally every three
hours will abort some colds, especially if the nose is all the time
pouring out drops of water.
3. Aconite in small doses, one-tenth of a drop, every two hours is a
splendid remedy at the beginning. My experience has shown me that aconite
does better work in these small doses. Put one drop in ten teaspoonfuls of
water and give one teaspoonful at a dose.
4. The following is good for a thick discharge: in oil spray.
Menthol 6 grains
Chloroform 5 drops
Camphor 5 grains
Liquid Alboline 2 ounces
Mix and make into a solution. Use in an atomizer, every two hours.
To cleanse the nostrils wash out each nostril gently with a solution made
of one teaspoonful of listerine, or glyco-thymoline, or borolyptol, or
one-quarter teaspoonful of common salt in a half glass of warm water.
You can use a vaporizer and this solution:
Menthol 5 grains
Camphor 5 grains
Compound tincture benzoin 1 dram
Liquid Alboline 1 ounce
Mix and make solution and use frequently in a nebulizer.
Never snuff a solution into the nose, and do not blow the nose hard after
using. Some of the solution or nasal discharge may be forced into the
eustachian tube.
5. Lard or camphorated oil rubbed on the nose and throat twice a day is
good.
6. To Restore the Loss of the Voice.
Oil of wintergreen 2 drams
Lanolin or vaseline 1 ounce
Mix and rub on the throat at night and put on flannel until morning. This
will relieve the loss of voice very promptly.
7. Put a quart of boiling water in a pitcher; add from two to four drams
of the compound tincture of benzoin and inhale the hot vapor. Wrap both
head and pitcher in a towel. This is very good for sore throat also.
8. Herb Teas for. Ginger tea, catnip, hoarhound, pennyroyal, etc.; hot,
are all good to produce sweating and thus relieve cold.
9. From Dr. Ball, a London, England, Specialist.
Menthol 30 grains
Eucalyptol 30 drops
Carbolic acid 2 drams
Rectified spirits of wine 1 dram
Mix thoroughly; a teaspoonful to be put into a pint (or less) of hot water
and the steam to be inhaled through the nose for four or five minutes.
This is useful in acute colds, especially in the later stages, and in
chronic catarrh, etc.
10. When the stage is rather marked or prolonged spray or syringe out the
nose with tepid solution once or twice a day using the following:
Bicarbonate of soda 3 to 5 grains
Borax 3 to 5 grains
Tepid water 1 ounce
Use a spray, douche, or gargle in chronic catarrh and chronic pharyngitis.
When you wish to use a large quantity, mix an equal quantity each of soda
and borax and put a couple teaspoonfuls to each pint of warm water and
use.