Mother's Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and CanadaRitter, Thomas Jefferson
Science
Mother's Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada
Ritter, Thomas Jefferson
Etiquette; Formulas, recipes, etc.; Medicine, Popular
Causes.--Exposure to cold, etc. Onset may be gradual or sudden, with
chills fever and sharp stitches in the side near the arm pit or breast.
The patient lies on the affected side during the attack, the pain is made
worse by breathing, coughing or motion. The cough is dry and painful, with
difficult breathing. The temperature 102 to 103. Sometimes there is fluid
accumulated in the cavity. In about seven to ten days the fever and other
symptoms disappear. The fluid is absorbed quickly if it is scanty, often
very slowly if abundant. This fluid is contained in the cavity of the
pleura. The pleura covers the lungs. Its outer layer is attached to the
ribs and costal cartilages in front and ribs behind, goes around the foot
of the lungs underneath, then turns around under the side of the lungs and
comes in front, making a sac. The two layers in health touch each other,
but are separated when there is fluid in the cavity. The inner layer
covers the lungs and drops into the grooves of the lungs. You can thus
readily understand how easy it is for the pleura to be attacked. Also when
the lung is inflamed we have what we call pleura-pneumonia. Pleurisy is a
very painful disease. It hurts to move, breathe, or cough. The patient
holds his chest when he coughs. The fluid that forms is poured out from
the inflamed membrane, sometimes it is so great in quantity it must be
drawn off,--tapped; we then call this hydrothorax,--water in the chest.
Diet and Nursing--The patient should be kept quiet and in the easiest
position.
Milk diet is the best to use. There should not be much liquid diet, except
milk. The milk may be diluted with lime water if necessary. Malted milk,
Mellin's food, imperial granum, can be used when the milk cannot be taken.
PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Pleurisy.--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 yellow-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.
[RESPIRATORY DISEASES 43]
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.
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