Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million: Containing Four Thousand Five Hundred and Forty-five Receipts, Facts, Directions, etc. in the Useful, Ornamental, and Domestic Arts
John Stuart Mill · en
841. _Sore Eyes_ frequently occur on the second or third day after
the birth, occasioned by too early an exposure of the child to a
cold atmosphere: the eyelids swell, become closed, and discharge a
purulent matter. It may be relieved by fomenting the eyelids with
equal parts of lime water and elder-flower water. Dip some fine old
linen cloth into this mixture, moderately warmed, and apply it to
the eyelids. This is a mild astringent application: if the swellings
should not be reduced by it, the following, which is more astringent,
will probably succeed: Take of white vitriol, two grains; rose-water,
two ounces; mix them together. Should it be necessary, the quantity
of white vitriol may be increased.
842. _Sore Ears._--Excoriations of the skin frequently happen either
behind the ears, in the folds of the skin, on the neck, in the
groins, or wherever the folds of the skin, come in contact. Wash the
skin morning and evening with cold water, make it perfectly dry with
a fine linen cloth, then shake on lightly the following powder: Take
white ceruse, one part; wheaten starch, in flour, three parts; mix
them together. Or, take Goulard's extract, French brandy, of each,
one drachm; rose-water, four ounces. Mix them together, and apply it
with soft linen cloth to the excoriations of the skin.
The following liniment may be relied on: Take acetate of lead, one
scruple; rose-water, half an ounce; melted beef marrow, one ounce.
Rub the acetate of lead in the rose-water, until they are intimately
mixed, then melt the marrow over a gentle heat; afterwards pour the
mixture upon the marrow by little and little, taking care that each
addition be incorporated with the marrow, so as to form an uniform
mass. This may be applied with a camels'-hair pencil.
843. _Sore Head._--This complaint appears first on the forehead, in
large white spots or scabs, which, if neglected, soon spread over
the whole surface of the head. It is sometimes dry, at others moist,
with a thin, watery discharge. It is named the crusta lactea, or
milky crust. There are two methods of treating it. Nurses encourage
the discharge by applying cabbage leaves, oil-cloth, &c.; this is by
no means necessary; it makes the head offensive, and the appearance
of the child disgusting. It is much better to cure it as soon as
possible, by washing the scabs night and morning with equal parts of
brandy and water; then lay on the following ointment: Take, olive
oil, five drachms; white wax, two drachms; calcined zinc, one drachm.
Melt the oil and wax together, then add the zinc by degrees, and keep
stirring it until they are intimately mixed.
844. _Scald Head_ is totally unlike the preceding disease:
brown-colored scabs appear on the crown of the head, which discharge
a glutinous matter, and unite the hairs, so as to prevent their being
separated with a comb: these scabs continue to spread until they
occupy the whole of the scalp.