PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Pleurisy

Categories: Respiratory Diseases

1. Home Remedy. The patient must go
to bed and remain there. It is a good thing to get the patient in a sweat.

For this purpose you can use the corn sweat described under treatment of

la grippe. This will ease the patient and may shorten the attack.



I have great faith in this remedy in most inflammatory diseases. I had a

patient sick with pleurisy; she did not get along fast enough to suit me,

her color was a ye low-green. I advised the corn sweat and she improved

fast from that time. Her night dress was green in color after the sweat. I

have saved pneumonia cases in the same way. Of course, some cases may be

too weak to stand it.







2. Other Home Remedies. Another way to produce sweating is by placing

fruit cans filled with hot water about the patient. This will stop the

chilly cold feeling and also will relieve the pain. If you have a rubber

water bottle, put hot water in that and place it near the sorest spot. It

may hurt the patient by its weight; if so, use less water, at the same

time you can give hot drinks freely. Almost any kind will do. If the

stomach feels bad, ginger or peppermint is best. Hoarhound tea is

especially good for chest trouble.



3. Fomentations. Of hops or wormwood or smartweed, or catnip applied

frequently and hot to the affected side often bring relief. They must

always be hot, and you must be careful not to get the night robes or

covers wet.



4. Camphorated Oil for. Rub the side with camphorated oil and cover over

with a cotton jacket. This is good unless it makes the patient too warm.



5. Adhesive Plaster Zinc Oxide. Use a roll two or two and one-half inches

wide. Commence at the backbone and cross directly over the ribs to the

further side of the breastbone. The first strip should be at the lower

part of the chest. In putting on the succeeding strips make them lap

one-half inch over the next lower. Bandage almost up to the arm-pit. It

may take eight strips for an adult. After you have the strips on, place a

piece at each end, part on the flesh and part on the plasters, to keep

them from giving any. The patient should have his arms over his head when

you are putting on the strips. This strapping will hold that side of the

chest quieter. The breathing will be less full and consequently less

motion and pain.



6. Tincture of aconite in doses of one-tenth to one drop can be given

everyone to three hours at the beginning, if there is much fever, dry hot

skin, and full bounding pulse. Dover's powder can be given at night.



7. A hypodermic of morphine is frequently given when the pain is intense.