Changing Treatment
Sources: Papers On HealthTo wisely alter and arrange the treatment in any
case is of the utmost importance. Treatment which at first gives great
relief will often become ineffective or even painful. Then some other
way of cure must be tried. Sometimes cold applications will become
painfully cold. Heating for a time is then effective, and cooling can
again be given after the heating. Soapy lather on an inflamed part will
do delightful service f
may then be used instead. When this becomes irritant, a return to the
soap will cure. Or the hot bathing of a sore knee may be most effective
for a while, and then may give rise to sore pain. In such a case, cease
the bathing, and for a time apply the soapy lather. Do not despair
because a thing "loses its effect." Its apparent loss of power only
indicates a needed change of treatment. Common sense will guide in
this, and the true healer and nurse will be able to judge what is best
to do.
We have a case in which, after long rubbing with acetic acid, the skin
seemed to become so used to it that little or no effect was produced.
For a few days an alkali, in the simple form of "hartshorn" (ammonia)
was rubbed on instead of the acid. The acid rubbing was then resumed,
and produced its usual effect. Such plans will occur to all who are
thoughtful, and do not just blindly follow instructions.
Cold-water cloths have got in certain circles to be fashionable, so
that they are used exclusively in all cases. A knee joint has got
wrong, and it is deemed the right thing to wear a cold bandage
constantly round it. But this fails to have the desired effect. It may
not fail entirely, so long as there is some vital energy on which to
"come and go," as we say, the effect of the reaction will be to give a
measure of relief. But in very many cases this vital energy is
deficient. If in such a case the person advising it has only thought
enough to have recourse to an hour's hot fomentation once or twice a
day, the effect desired may not be long delayed. Supposing something
like inflammation of the lungs has to be dealt with. Cold is applied on
the chest, as it is often most successfully applied, when there is
still a good deal of energy to be drawn upon. But in this case there is
not sufficient energy. Well pack the feet and legs in a thoroughly hot
fomentation, such as will renew a full supply of heat all over the
body. Then you will find the cooling of the chest thoroughly effectual.
In a very considerable correspondence we meet often with this resolve:
"We shall continue to do as you direct till we hear from you again." We
remember telling a young man to put a hot bran poultice between his
shoulders for a troublesome cough. We saw him no more for months, but
when we did meet him he apologised for not continuing the application.
He said, "I poulticed my shoulders for three weeks, and they began to
get soft, so I stopped doing it." We certainly thought his head had
been soft to begin with! Why should not sensible men and women get a
little independent thought of their own?
It may be well to remark that the cessation of all treatment is a
change, and often a very beneficial one too. If you do not know what to
do when any treatment is "losing its effect," or having the opposite
effect to that which it had, just cease to do anything till you see
manifestly what is needed. The rest of a week, or even two, may be just
the thing wanted. If it is, it will ease the pain; if it does not, you
will see that probably the opposite of what you had been doing will
suit.
More
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Bowels Inflammation Of
This (called medically Peritonitis) is an inflammation of the membrane covering the bowels. It results from chill or strain, and sometimes, in the case of child-birth, from dirt introduced into the parts by handling with unwashed hands. In such cases... Bowels Lax
A teaspoonful of lemon juice (freshly expressed), along with hot water and sugar, will often relieve where the bowels are acting excessively. For infants in diarrhoea a mixture of honey and lemon juice is an excellent cure, and has been most successfu... Bowels Locking Of
Sometimes when one part of the bowels is much more active than another, it passes into that other, and they become locked, like a stocking half turned inside out. This causes dreadful pain, and if not soon relieved is fatal. Purgatives are of no use, ... Bowels Reversed
See Bowels, Locking of, above. ... Brain Exercise
Proper exercise for the brain is most important. But this is not to be found in that kind of severe mental labour which is sometimes mistaken for it. Children at play have genuine brain exercise. So has a man at what is called a "hobby," such as phot... Brain Inflammation Of
This arises often from over-schooling of young boys and girls. Care should ever be taken to avoid this. Obstinate constipation in the bowels, chills and exposure, are also fruitful sources. Much worry and anxiety also bring on this serious illness. Al... Brain Rest
The need for this is often indicated by irritability of temper. This coming on is generally a warning that a period of rest must be taken. An overheated brow is also another indication. If this shows itself in a child during or after school, together ... Bran Poultice
Get a sufficient quantity of good bran in an ordinary washhand basin. Heat the basin before beginning operations. Have also a boiling kettle at hand. Pour the boiling water by little and little into the bran, and mix and stir it up until it is all a m... Bread Wheaten
In some cases the bran in whole wheaten bread and Saltcoats biscuits is found to irritate the stomach and bowels. As diet for those able to digest the bran, nothing is better. Where it cannot be digested, ordinary bakers' bread boiled in water to soft... Breast Sore Nipples On
Take a little warm vinegar or weak acid (see Acetic Acid). Bathe the sore nipple with this, avoiding pain, for about ten minutes. Every two minutes dry, and anoint gently with warm olive oil. We have seen one application cure a bad nipple; but apply ... Breast Swelling In
A blow on the breast, or the drain of nursing a child, along with a chill, often produces swelling, sometimes hard and painful. This, if left uncured, may even develop into an ABSCESS (see). As it sometimes arises from dirt being left on the nipples, ... Breast With Corded Muscles
Often a slight hardness shows itself in a woman's breast, when the muscular tissue becomes what is called "corded." It is well, first of all, in all cases of breast trouble to avoid alarming the patient. Great anxiety is often endured through fear of... Breath And Blood
Often difficulty of breathing, especially in close air, mistaken even for asthma, is due simply to the quality of blood supplied to the lungs. Sometimes giving up the use of sugar effects a cure, for sugar produces an excess of carbon in the blood, wh... Breath And Muscles
Sometimes difficulty of breathing is due, not to anything wrong with lungs or windpipe, but to failure in the diaphragm (or large muscular "floor" of the chest), and the other chest muscles, which work the lungs. A feeling of sinking and weakness roun... Breath And Nerve
Difficult breathing, especially in ascending a hill, is often due simply to the lack of the nerve power by which the breathing muscles work. A teacupful of hot water half-an-hour before each meal, by helping digestion, will often remove the difficulty... Breath And The Heart
Stout people are usually more or less "scant of breath." Accumulations of fatty material, or changing of muscle into fat, cause this, especially if about the chest and heart. To reduce the fat, and grow healthy muscle instead, will perfectly cure the ... Breath And The Skin
The organs of breathing remove much waste from the system, but the skin also removes a very large part. If either fails, the other has more work thrown upon it, as we see in the severe "night sweats" which accompany chest and lung failure. In such cas... Breath Hot
This may be felt either because the breath is actually hot, or because the membranes of the tongue and mouth are unusually tender, and feel the breath hot in consequence when it is not really so. This latter case is usually accompanied by a sore tongu... Breathing And Bronchia
The bronchia are the branching small tubes which lead from the windpipe to all parts of the lungs. Two different states of these often pass as bronchitis. In one of these the tubes are swelled, congested, and full of fiery heat. The whole body is also... Breathing Correct Method Of
The capacity of an ordinary pair of lungs is about 250 cubic inches. In ordinary breathing, however, we only take in from 20 to 30 cubic inches. Hence the necessity for practising correct deep breathing. Correct breathing requires cultivation and e... Breathing In Going Uphill
See Breath, and Nerve. British Cholera is to a certain extent epidemic--that is, it affects a large number of people in a particular place, being, it is believed, conveyed mainly by the common house flies. War should be waged against these, and g... Bronchitis
This frequent and severe trouble results most usually from chill to the skin throwing overwork on the lungs and bronchial tubes. These last become inflamed and swollen. A fiery heat and pain in the chest follows, the whole system becomes fevered, and ... Brow The Weary
Sometimes in the case of a child at school, the result of overwork shows itself in a weariness and weight in the brow. Often parents are glorying in the school successes of their children, when these are having their brains destroyed. Careful watching... Bruises
For slight bruises, such as children frequently get by falling, a little butter or vaseline, applied immediately, is an excellent remedy. For more serious injuries, such as bruised nails of the fingers or toes, or such as result from violent knocks on... Burns
For slight burns, immerse the injured part in cold water, and keep there till the pain abates. This is where only redness of skin is produced. In case of a blister forming, do not break or cut it, but perseveringly cool with cold water, and leave the ... Buttermilk
Where we prescribe this, either for drinking or for external use in poultices or bathing, it is very important it should be pure and fresh. If kept too long, it causes often terrible pain when applied to eruptive sores. There must be no "watering" or ... Buttermilk Poultice
Boiled potatoes beaten up with fresh buttermilk make an excellent poultice for all eruptive sores, scabbed heads, and heated skin affections. After these always apply soap lather (see Lather). If buttermilk cannot be had, use acetic acid or vinegar, a... Cancer
Swellings in the breast often arouse fear of cancer, but are generally very simple affairs and easily yield to treatment as in article Breast, Swelling in. If not, we should chill the diseased growth so as to arrest it. Now this, as we have proved, ma... Cancer In Face
Treat as far as possible as recommended for breast cancer. ... Cancer In Foot
We have noted one case in which "Cancerous Gangrene" in the foot, pronounced incurable by the medical attendant, was cured by our instructions in the following simple manner. Buttermilk poultices (see) were used over the whole foot to thoroughly clean... Cane Syrup
In the original edition, good treacle was recommended as a laxative. This treacle, which was prepared from cane sugar, we understand is now not to be had--what is sold as treacle being largely mixed with glucose. We therefore recommend instead the use... Carbolic
Readily identified by smell of tar or carbolic. Wash mouth well with oil. Give an emetic. ... Carbuncle
See Boil. ... Catarrh
Is simply an inflammation due to impurity of the blood. These impurities arise from bad air or wrong food, and remain in the body till a chill of some kind or other forces the blood and the impurities with the blood to some part, resulting in inflamma... Cauliflower Growths
These begin like warts, and in the earlier stages poulticing and soaking with weak acid almost invariably cure. After some months the growth looks like the head of a cauliflower, and becomes dangerous if on a vital region. It is not really a parasite,... Cayenne And Mustard
Mustard spread on a cold towel and applied to the spine or lumbar region of the back is often an effective aid to the cold treatment. If such applications have to be made more than once, cayenne pepper is preferable to the mustard, and equally powerfu... Changing Treatment
To wisely alter and arrange the treatment in any case is of the utmost importance. Treatment which at first gives great relief will often become ineffective or even painful. Then some other way of cure must be tried. Sometimes cold applications will b... Chapped Hands
Our idea is that this is caused by the soda in the soap used. At any rate, we have never known any one to suffer from chapped hands who used M'Clinton's soap only. It is made from the ash of plants, which gives it a mildness not approached by even ... Chest Pains
See Angina Pectoris. ... Chest Protectors
These are often piled on the front of the body, while the far more important back is left exposed. In many cases of delicacy and cough, particularly with women, it is far more effective to protect the upper back with warm extra flannel than to place ... Chilblains
These occur in hands and feet where the circulative power is feeble, either from weakness or from tight pressure of boots or gloves. The cold has power, owing to lack of circulation, to partly kill the skin, which thus becomes painfully inflamed, and ... Child-bearing
Simple remedies such as we advocate are found of immense service in mitigating both the pains of child-birth and the troubles coming before and after it. To see that the medical man is one thoroughly competent is the first duty of those responsible... Children And Teachers
Children are of the utmost value to society; through any one of them the divine light may shine which will bless many generations. They are very easily hurt by unwise treatment and teaching. We would have the teacher and parent impressed with the pre... Children In Fever
Fevered children, whether in any actual fever, as scarlet, typhoid, or any other, or merely heated from some minor ailment, should be treated as under Fever. Have two small towels, wring them tightly out of cold water, fold one gently round the head. ... Children's Clothing
An infant's clothing should be soft, warm, and light in weight, covering all parts of the body with equal warmth. Tight bands and long, heavy skirts should never be used, the dress and petticoat being just long enough to keep the feet covered and warm... Children's Dangers
Avoidance of the causes of disease requires some idea of the dangers to which children are exposed in the usual upbringing. For instance, sitting on damp ground, cold stones, or even a cool window-sill, is a fruitful cause of bowel trouble. The remedy... Children's Deformed Feet
See Club Foot. ... Children's Healthy Growth
Often either the whole system or some part fails to grow properly. In this way the spine or legs may become curved, or generally the child is small and feeble. Growth depends largely on the organic nerve centres. Lack of power there causes even defor... Children's Limbs
Frequently a failure of some kind shows itself in the limbs of some children. Usually it appears as either bending or inability to walk at the proper age, or both together. To use "steel boots" and kindred appliances is to ignore the true nature of th... Children's Nerves
The nervous system of children is often damaged by shock or fright, sometimes very seriously, so that paralysis or hysterical affections come on. Blindness, deafness, loss of speech, every possible loss of function may follow a violent shock to a c... Children's Sleep
This most important matter of good sleep for the child depends not only on health of body but on ease of the infant's mind. It is wrong to treat the child otherwise than through the understanding, where he is afraid, or in a strange place. Waking up, ... Children's Strength
The question often arises as to the ability of children to bear certain kinds of treatment. It must ever be remembered, both in hot and cold applications, that the infant should be gently dealt with. Violent cold and burning heat must alike be avoide... Children's Swellings
Sometimes these occur as merely relaxed tissue full of blood. In this case everything about the part seems right and healthy except the swelling. The skin is right and the temperature also. Treatment such as restores nerve energy will usually cure the... Children's Teething
See Teething. ... Children's Treatment
This should always be managed so as to soothe and not excite the little patients. They are very sensitive to heat and cold. When these are applied the child often cries, so that the "treatment" is condemned and given up. What should be condemned is th... Chills
(1) Nerve or imaginary chills. These are feelings of cold, where there is no real chilling; the back feels as if cold water were poured down it, or even the whole body feels chilled, when an examination will show that there is no real chill whatever. ... Chloral
Emetic; warm coffee, and even an enema of coffee. Artificial respiration (see Drowning) may be necessary if breathing gets very low. ... Chloroform
See Child-bearing. ... Chloroform Or Ether (inhaled)
Fresh air. Pull tongue forward, and begin artificial respiration. If heart has stopped, strike chest two or three times over region of heart. ... Chloroform Or Ether (swallowed)
Emetic; enema of hot coffee; keep awake. If necessary, artificial respiration. ... Circulation Of The Blood
Nothing is more important for the health or healing of any organ or part of the body than a good supply of arterial blood. Venous blood, collected by the veins after it has done its work all over the body, or blood stagnating in congested organs, is u... Climate And Soil
The soil on which one lives is a matter of primary importance; it may be a matter of life or death for a weakly person, but it is important for every one. First, as regards the subsoil on which a house is built. If this be clay, or impervious rock, th... Clothing
Clothing should be light yet warm, and sufficiently free so as not to interfere with bodily movements. The clothing next the skin should, we think, be linen, as being more porous and absorbent than wool (see Underwear). No woman who values her health ... Club Foot
Children are not unfrequently born with this deformity in one or other of its various shapes. The cause is to be sought in such a defective state of the nervous system as hinders the proper growth of these parts. If the nerves are treated rightly, the... Cold Cloths
See Towels, Cold Wet. ... Cold In The Head
Infants often are prevented sucking by this form of cold closing up the nostrils. In such a case have a small cap of cotton to fit the head. Wring this out of cold water, and fit it on the child's head. Put on over it a rather larger and thicker cap o... Cold Settled
A cold is often easily overcome. At other times it "sits down," as country people say, and refuses to be cured, a hard dry cough continuing for a long time, and causing sleeplessness and general weakness. In such a case first try to secure an increase... Cold Taking
Where cold is easily "taken," it is the skin which is defective in its action. The cure must therefore deal with it. Even spasmodic asthma can be traced to the failure of the skin to throw off waste sufficiently. Men exposed to great heats and chills,... Constipation
This trouble is often only aggravated and made chronic by the use of purgatives. Some simple change of diet, such as a ripe uncooked apple, eaten before breakfast, or a fruit diet for a day or two may put all right. So also with the use of wheaten mea... Consumption Prevention Of
This most insidious and deadly disease is caused by a tiny vegetable growth derived from persons or animals already suffering from tuberculosis. The spit of consumptive patients swarms with such germs, and when it dries and becomes dust the germs may... Consumption Treatment Of
Turning now to the case when consumption has actually shown itself, the above treatment is exactly the course to be pursued. But we would emphasise the fact that unlimited fresh air and good nourishing foods are the only cure. If the patient can affor... Contraction Of Sinews
This often occurs at the knee, bending the joint so that the patient cannot stretch his limb or walk properly. The injury in such a case is usually at the ends of the sinews, where they are inserted into the bone. If the limb be straightened and put u...