Chapter VIII: Part 8

ix. Dirty windows speak to the passer-by of the negligence of
the inmates.

x. In cold weather a leg of mutton improves by being hung
three, four, or five weeks.

xi. When meat is hanging, change its position frequently, to
equally distribute the juices.

xii. There is much more injury done by admitting visitors to
invalids than is generally supposed.

xiii. Matches, out of the reach of children, should be kept in
every bedroom. They are cheap enough.

xiv. Apple and suet dumplings are lighter when boiled in a net
than a cloth. Skim the pot well.

xv. When sheets or chamber towels get thin in the middle, cut
them in two, sew the selvedges together, and hem the sides.

xvi. When you are particular in wishing to have precisely what
you want from a butcher, go and buy it yourself.

xvii. A flannel petticoat will wear as nearly as long again, if
turned hind part before, when the front begins to wear thin.

xviii. People in general are not aware how very essential to the
health of the inmates is the free admission of light into
their houses.

xix. When you dry salt for the table, do not place it in the salt
cellars until it is cold, otherwise it will harden into a
lump.

xx. Never put away plate, knives and forks, &c., uncleaned, or
great inconvenience will arise when the articles are wanted.

xxi. Feather beds should be opened every third year, the ticking
well dusted, soaped, and waxed, the feathers dressed and
returned.

xxii. Persons of defective sight, when threading a needle, should
hold it over something white, by which the sight will be
assisted.

xxiii. In mending sheets and shirts, put in pieces sufficiently
large, or in the first washing the thin parts give way, and
the work done is of no avail.

xxiv. When reading by candle-light, place the candle behind you,
that the rays may pass over your shoulder on to the book.
This will relieve the eyes.

xxv. A wire fire-guard, for each fire-place in a house, costs
little, and greatly diminishes the risk to life and
property. Fix them before going to bed.

xxvi. In winter, get the work forward by daylight, to prevent
running about at night with candles. Thus you escape grease
spots, and risks of fire.

xxvii. Be at much pains to keep your children's feet dry and warm.
Don't bury their bodies in heavy flannels and wools, and
leave their arms and legs naked.

xxviii. Apples and pears, cut into quarters and stripped of the
rind, baked with a little water and sugar, and eaten with
boiled rice, are capital food for children.

xxix. A leather strap, with a buckle to fasten, is much more
commodious than a cord for a box in general use for short
distances; cording and uncording is a tedious job.

xxx. After washing, overlook linen, and stitch on buttons, hooks
and eyes, &c.; for this purpose keep a "house-wife's
friend," full of miscellaneous threads, cottons, buttons:
hooks, &c.

xxxi. For ventilation open your windows both at top and bottom.
The fresh air rushed in one way, while the foul escapes the
other. This is letting in your friend and expelling your
enemy.

xxxii. There is not any real economy in purchasing cheap calico for
night-shirts. Cheap calico soon wears into holes, and
becomes discoloured in washing.

xxxiii. Sitting to sew by candle-light at a table with a dark cloth
on it is injurious to the eyesight. When no other remedy
presents itself, put a sheel of white paper before you.

xxxiv. Persons very commonly complain of indigestion; how can it be
wondered at, when they seem, by their habit of swallowing
their food wholesale, to forget for what purpose they are
provided with teeth.

xxxv. Never allow your servants to put wiped knives on your table,
for, generally speaking, you may see that that have been
wiped with a dirty cloth. If a knife is brightly cleaned,
they are compelled to use a clean cloth.

xxxvi. There is not anything gained in economy by having very young
and inexperienced servants at low wages; the cost of what
they break, waste, and destroy, is more than an equivalent
for higher wages, setting aside comfort and respectability.

xxxvii. No article in dress tarnishes so readily as black crape
trimmings, and few things injure it more than damp;
therefore, to preserve its beauty on bonnets, a lady in nice
mourning should in her evening walks, at all seasons of the
year, take as her companion an old parasol to shade her
crape.

[GUARD THE FOOT, AND THE HEAD WILL SELDOM HARM.]

475. Domestic Pharmacopoeia.

In compiling this part of our hints, we have endeavoured to supply
that kind of information which is so often wanted in the time of need,
and cannot be obtained when a medical man or a druggist is not near.
The doses are all fixed for adults, unless otherwise specified. The
various remedies are arranged in sections, according to their uses, as
being more easy for reference,

476. Collyria, or Eye Washes

477. Alum.

Dissolve half a drachm of alum in eight ounces (half a pint) of water.
_Use_ as astringent wash. When twice as much alum and only half the
quantity of water are used, it acts as a discutient, but not as an
eye-water.

_Note_ that this and the following washes are for _outward
application_ only.

478. Common.

Add half an ounce of diluted acetic acid to three ounces of decoction
of poppy heads.

_Use_ as anodyne wash.

479. Compound Alum.

Dissolve alum and white vitriol, of each one drachm, in one pint of
water, and filter through paper.

_Use_ as astringent wash.

480. Zinc and Lead.

Dissolve white vitriol and acetate of lead, of each seven grains, in
four ounces of elder-flower water; add one drachm of laudanum
(tincture of opium), and the same quantity of spirit of camphor, then
strain.

_Use_ as detergent wash.

481. Acetate of Zinc.

Dissolve half a drachm of white vitriol in five ounces of water.
Dissolve two scruples of acetate of lead in five ounces of water. Mix
these solutions, then set aside for a short time, and afterwards
filter.

_Use_ as astringent wash; this forms a most valuable collyrium.

482. Sulphate of Zinc.

Dissolve twenty grains of white vitriol in a pint of water or rose
water.

_Use_ for weak eyes.

483. Zinc and Camphor.

Dissolve a scruple of white vitriol in ten ounces of water; add one
drachm of spirit of camphor, and strain.

_Use_ as a stimulant.

484. Compound Zinc.

Dissolve fifteen grains of white vitriol in eight ounces of camphor
water (_Mistura camphoræ_), and the same quantity of decoction of
poppy heads.

_Use_ as anodyne and detergent wash: it is useful for weak eyes.

485. Confections and Electuaries.

486. Purpose.

_Confections_ are used as vehicles for the administration of more
active medicines, and _Electuaries_ are made for the purpose of
rendering some remedies palatable. Both should be kept in closely
covered jars.

487. Almond Confection.

Remove the outer coat from an ounce of sweet almonds, and beat them
well in a mortar with one drachm of powdered gum arabic, and half an
ounce of white sugar.

_Use_ to make a demulcent mixture known as "almond emulsion."

488. Alum Confection.

Mix two scruples of powdered alum with four scruples of treacle.

_Dose_, half a drachm.

_Use_ as astringent in sore throat, relaxed uvula, and ulcerations of
mouth.

489. Orange Confection.

Take one ounce of the freshly rasped rind of orange, and mix it with
three ounces of white sugar, and beat together till perfectly
incorporated.

_Dose_, from one drachm to one ounce.

_Use_ as a gentle stomachic and tonic, and as a vehicle for
administering tonic powders.

490. Black Pepper Confection.

Take of black pepper and elecampane root, each one ounce; fennel
seeds, three ounces; honey and sugar, of each two ounces. Rub the dry
ingredient to a fine powder, and when the confection is wanted, add
the honey, and mix well.

_Dose_, from one to two drachms.

_Use_ in haemorrhoids, or piles.

[BETTER PAY THE COOK THAN THE DOCTOR.]

491. Cowhage.

Mix in treacle as much of the fine hairs or spiculæ of cowhage as the
treacle will take up.

_Dose_, a teaspoonful every morning and evening.

_Use_ as an anthelmintic.

492. Senna Confection. No. 1.

Take of senna, powdered, four ounces; figs, half a pound, viassia
pulp, tamarind pulp, and the pulp of prunes, each four ounces;
coriander seeds, powdered, two ounces; liquorice root, one ounce and a
half; sugar, one pound and a quarter; water, one pint and a half. Rub
the senna with the coriander, and separate, by sifting, five ounces of
the mixture. Boil the water, with the figs and liquorice added, until
it is reduced to one half; then press out and strain the liquor.
Evaporate the strained liquor in a jar by boiling until twelve fluid
ounces remain; then add the sugar, and make a syrup. Now mix the pulps
with the syrup, add the sifted powder, and mix well.

_Use_ as a purgative.

493. Senna Confection. No. 2.

A more simple confection, but equally efficacious, may be made in the
following manner. Infuse an ounce of senna leaves in a pint of boiling
water, pouring the water on the leaves in a covered mug or jug, or
even an old earthenware teapot. Let the infusion stand till it is
cold, then strain off the liquor, and place it in a saucepan or
stewpan, adding to it one pound of prunes. Let the prunes stew gently
by the side of the fire till the liquor is entirely absorbed.

_Use_ as a purgative or laxative, giving half a teaspoonful to little
children and a teaspoonful to children over ten years of age.

494. Castor Oil and Senna Confection.

Take one drachm of powdered gum arabic, and two ounces of confection
of senna, and mix, by gradually rubbing together in a mortar, with
half an ounce of castor oil.

_Dose_, from half an ounce to an ounce.

_Use_ as a purgative.

495. Sulphur and Senna Confection.

Take of sulphur and sulphate of potash, each half an ounce; confection
of senna, two ounces; oil of aniseed, twenty minims; mix well.

_Dose_, from one to two drachms.

_Use_ as a purgative.

496. Cream of Tartar Confection.

Take one ounce of cream of tartar, one drachm of jalap, and half a
drachm of powdered ginger; mix into a thick paste with treacle.

_Dose_, two drachms.

_Use_ as a purgative.

497. Antispasmodic Electuary.

Take six drachms of powdered valerian and orange leaves, mixed and
made into an electuary, with a sufficient quantity of syrup of
wormwood.

_Dose_, from one to two drachms, to be taken two or
three times a day.

498. Decoctions.

These should only be made as they are wanted; pipkins or tin saucepans
should be used for the purpose; and no decoction should be boiled
longer than ten minutes.

499. Chimaphila.

Take one ounce of pyrola (chimaphila, or winter-green), and boil it in
a pint and a half of water until the water is reduced to one pint;
then strain.

_Dose_, from one to two ounces, four times a day.

_Use_ in dropsies, as a diuretic.

500. Logwood.

Boil one ounce and a half of bruised logwood in two pints of water
until the water is reduced to one pint; then add one drachm of bruised
cassia, and strain.

_Dose_, from one to two ounces.

_Use_ as an astringent.

501. Dandelion.

Take two ounces of the freshly-sliced root, and boil in a quart of
water until it comes to a pint.

_Dose_, from two to four ounces, that is to say, from an eighth of a
pint to a quarter of a pint.

_Use_ for sluggish state of the liver.

502. Embrocations and Liniments.

These remedies are used externally as local stimulants, to relieve
deep seated inflammations when other means cannot he employed, as they
are more easily applied locally.

503. Anodyne and Discutient.

Take two drachms of scraped white soap, half a drachm of extract of
henbane, and dissolve them by a gentle heat in six ounces of olive
oil.

_Use_ for glandular enlargements which are painful and stubborn, about
half an ounce to be well rubbed into the part twice a day.

504. Strong Ammoniated.

Add one ounce of strong liquid ammonia to two ounces of olive oil,
shake well together until properly mixed.

_Use_ as a stimulant in rheumatic pains, paralytic numbnesses, chronic
glandular enlargements, lumbago, sciatica, &c.

_Note_ that this embrocation must be used with care, and only employed
in very obstinate cases.

505. Compound Ammoniated.

Add six drachms of oil of turpentine to the strong ammoniated liniment
above.

_Use_ for the diseases mentioned in the preceding paragraph and
chronic affections of the knee and ankle joints.

506. Lime and Oil.

Take equal parts of common linseed oil and lime water and shake well.

_Use_ for burns, scalds, sun peelings, &c.

507. Camphorated.

Take half an ounce of camphor and dissolve it in two ounces of olive
oil.

_Use_ as a stimulating and soothing application for stubborn breasts,
glandular enlargements, dropsy of the belly, and rheumatic pains.

508. Soap Liniment with Spanish Flies.

Take three ounces and a half of soap liniment, and half an ounce of
tincture of Spanish flies, mix and shake well.

_Use_ as stimulant to chronic bruises, sprains, rheumatic pains,
and indolent swellings.

509. Turpentine.

Take two ounces and a half of resin cerate, and melt it by standing
the vessel in hot water, then add one ounce and a half of oil of
turpentine, and mix.

_Use_ as stimulant to ulcers, burns, scalds, &c.

510. Enemas.

These are a peculiar kind of medicines, administered by injecting them
into the rectum or outlet of the body. The intention is either to
empty the bowels, kill worms, protect the lining membrane of the
intestines from injury, restrain copious discharges, allay spasms in
the bowels, or to nourish the body. These clysters, or glysters, are
administered by means of bladders and pipes, or a proper apparatus.

511. Laxative.

Take two ounces of Epsom salts, and dissolve in three quarters of a
pint of gruel, or thin broth, with an ounce of olive oil.

512. Nutritive.

Take twelve ounces of strong beef tea, and thicken with hartshorn
shavings or arrowroot.

513. Turpentine.

Take half an ounce of oil of turpentine, the yolk of one egg, and half
a pint of gruel. Mix the turpentine and egg, and then add the gruel.

_Use_ as an anthelmintic.

514. Common.

Dissolve one ounce of salt in twelve ounces of gruel.

515. Castor Oil.

Mix two ounces of castor oil with one drachm of starch, then rub them
together, and add fourteen ounces of thin gruel.

_Use_ as a purgative.

516. Opium.

Rub three grains of opium with two ounces of starch, then add two
ounces of warm water.

_Use_ as an anodyne in colic, spasms, &c.

517. Oil.

Mix four ounces of olive oil with half an ounce of mucilage and half a
pint of warm water.

_Use_ as a demulcent.

518. Asafoetida.

Mix one drachm of the tincture of asafoetida in a pint of barley
water.

_Use_ as an anthelmintic, or in convulsions from teething.

519. Gargles.

These are remedies used to stimulate chronic sore throats, or a
relaxed state of the swallow, or uvula.

520. Acidulated.

Mix one part of white vinegar with three parts of honey of roses, and
twenty-four of barley water.

_Use_ in chronic inflammation of the throat, malignant sore
throat, &c.

521. Astringent.

Take two drachms of roses and mix with eight ounces of boiling water,
infuse for one hour, strain, and add one drachm of alum and one ounce
of honey of roses.

_Use_ for severe sore throat, relaxed uvula, &c.

[VIOLENT PASSIONS LEAD TO GREAT DEPRESSIONS.]

522. For Salivation.

Mix from one to four drachms of bruised gall-nuts with a pint of
boiling water, and infuse for two hours, then strain and sweeten.

523. Tonic and Stimulant.

Mix six ounces of decoction of bark with two ounces of tincture of
myrrh, and half a drachm of diluted sulphuric acid.

_Use_ in scorbutic affections.

524. Alum.

Dissolve one drachm of alum in fifteen ounces of water, then add half
an ounce of treacle, and one drachm of diluted sulphuric acid.

_Use_ as an astringent.

525. Myrrh.

Add six drachms of tincture of myrrh to seven ounces of infusion of
linseed, and then add one drachm of diluted sulphuric acid.

_Use_ as a detergent.

526. For Slight Inflammation of the Throat.

Add one drachm of sulphuric ether to half an ounce of syrup of
marsh-mallows, and six ounces of barley water. This may be used
frequently.

527. Lotions.

Lotions are usually applied to the parts required by means of a piece
of linen rag or piline, wetted with them, or by wetting the bandage
itself.

They are for _outward application only_.

528. Emollient.

Use decoction of marsh-mallow or linseed.

529. Elder Flowers.

Add two drachms and a half of elder flowers to one quart of boiling
water, infuse for one hour, and strain.

_Use_ as a discutient.

530. Sedative.

Dissolve one drachm of extract of henbane in twenty-four drachms of
water.

531. Opium.

Mix two drachms of bruised opium with haif a pint of boiling water.

_Use_, when cold, for painful ulcers, bruises, &c.

532. Stimulant.

Dissolve one drachm of caustic potash in one pint of water, and then
gradually pour it upon twenty-four grains of camphor and one drachm of
sugar, previously bruised together in a mortar.

_Use_ for fungoid and flabby ulcers.

533. Ordinary.

Mix one drachm of salt with eight ounces of water.

_Use_ for foul ulcers and flabby wounds.

534. Cold Evaporating.

Add two drachms of Goulard's extract, and the same quantity of
sulphuric ether to a pint of cold water.

_Use_ as lotion for contusions, sprains, inflamed parts, &c.

535. Hydrochlorate of Ammonia.

Dissolve two drachms of sal ammoniac in six ounces of water, then add
an ounce of distilled vinegar and the same quantity of rectified
spirit.

_Use_ as a refrigerant.

536. Yellow Lotion.

Dissolve one grain of corrosive sublimate in an ounce of lime water,
taking care to bruise the crystals of the salt in order to assist its
solution.

_Use_ as a detergent.

_Note_, that corrosive sublimate is a _violent and deadly poison_.

537. Black Wash.

Add half a drachm of calomel to four ounces of lime water, or eight
grains to an ounce of lime water; shake well.

_Use_ as a detergent.

538. Acetate of Lead with Opium

Take twenty grains of acetate of lead, and a drachm of powdered opium,
mix, and add an ounce of vinegar and four ounces of warm water, set
aside for an hour, then filter.

_Use_ as an astringent.

539. Creosote.

Add a drachm of creosote to a pint of water, and mix by shaking.

_Use_ as an application in cutaneous diseases.

540. Galls.

Boil one drachm of bruised galls in twelve ounces of water until only
half a pint remains, then strain, and add one ounce of laudanum.

_Use_ as an astringent and sedative.

541. Ointments and Cerates

These remedies are used as local applications to parts, generally
ulcers. They are usually spread upon linen or other materials.

542. Camphorated.

Mix half an ounce of camphor with one ounce of lard, having, of
course, previously powdered the camphor, by adding a few drops of
spirits of wine.

_Use_ as a discutient and stimulant in indolent tumours.

543. Chalk.

Mix as much prepared chalk as you can into some lard, so as to form a
thick ointment.

_Use_ as an application to burns and scalds.

544. For Itch.

Mix four drachms of sublimed sulphur, two ounces of lard, and half a
drachm of diluted sulphuric acid together.

_Use_ as an ointment to be rubbed into the body.

545. For Scrofulous Ulcerations.

Mix one drachm of ioduret of zinc and one ounce of lard together.

_Use_ twice a day to the ulcerations.

546. Catechu.

Mix one ounce of powdered catechu, two drachms and a half of powdered
alum, one ounce of powdered white resin, and two ounces and a half of
olive oil, together.

Use for flabby and indolent ulcerations.

547. Tartar Emetic.

Mix twenty grains of tartar emetic and ten grains of white sugar with
one drachm and a half of lard.

_Use_ as a counter-irritant in white swellings, &c.

548. Pills.

549. Strong Purgative.

Take of powdered aloes, scammony, and gamboge, each fifteen grains,
mix, and add sufficient Venice turpentine to make into a mass, then
divide into twelve pills.

_Dose_, one or two occasionally.

550. Milder Purgative.

Take four grains of powdered scammony and the same quantity of
compound extract of colocynth, and two grains of calomel; mix well,
and add two drops of oil of cloves, or thin gum-water, to enable the
ingredients to combine properly, and divide into two pills.

_Dose_, one or two when necessary.

551. Common Purgative.

Take of powdered jalap and compound extract of colocynth each four
grains, of calomel two grains, mix as usual, and divide into two
pills.

_Dose_, one or two occasionally.

552. Tonic.

Mix twenty-four grains of extract of gentian and the same of purified
green vitriol (_sulphate of iron_) together, and divide into twelve
pills.

_Dose_, one or two when necessary. Use in debility.

553. Cough.

Mix one drachm of compound powder of ipecacuanha with one scruple of
gum ammoniacum and one of dried squill bulb in powder. Make into a
mass with mucilage, and divide into twenty pills.

_Dose_, one, three times a day.

554. Astringent.

Mix sixteen grains of acetate of lead (_sugar of lead_) with four
grains of opium, and make into a mass with extract of dandelion, so as
to make eight pills.

_Dose_, from one to two. Use as an astringent in obstinate diarrhoea,
dysentery, and spitting of blood.

555. Mixtures.

556. Fever, Simple.

Add three ounces of spirit of mindererus (_Liquor ammonia acetatis_),
three drachms of spirits of sweet nitre, four drachms of antimonial
wine, and a drachm of syrup of saffron, to four ounces of water, or
medicated water, such as cinnamon, aniseed, &c.

_Dose_, for an adult, one or two tablespoonfuls every three hours. Use
as a diaphoretic.

557. Aromatic.

Mix two drachms of aromatic confection with two drachms of compound
tincture of cardamoms, and eight ounces of peppermint water.

_Dose_, from one ounce to one and a half. Use in flatulent colic and
spasms of the bowels.

558. Cathartic.

Dissolve two ounces of Epsom salts in six ounces of compound infusion
of senna, then add two ounces of peppermint water.

_Dose_, from one and a half to two ounces. Use as a warm and active
cathartic.

559. Diuretic.

Dissolve one drachm of powdered nitre in three ounces of camphor
mixture; add five ounces of the decoction of broom, with six drachms
of sweet spirits of nitre, and three drachms of tincture of squills;
mix.

_Dose_, one teaspoonful every two hours, or two tablespoonfuls every
three hours. Use, excellent in dropsies

560. Cough.

Dissolve three grains of tartar emetic and fifteen grains of opium in
one pint of boiling water, then add four ounces of treacle, two ounces
of vinegar, and one pint more of boiling water.

_Dose_, from two teaspoonfuls to two tablespoonfuls, according to
circumstances, every three hours, or three times a day. Use in common
catarrh, bronchitis, and irritable cough.

561. Cough (for Children).

Mix three drachms of ipecacuanha wine with half an ounce of oxymel of
squills, the same quantity of spirits of tolu, one ounce of mucilage,
and two ounces of water.

_Dose_, one teaspoonful for children under one year, two teaspoonfuls
from one to five years, and a tablespoonful from five years, every
time the cough is troublesome.

562. Antispasmodic.

Dissolve fifty grains of camphor in two drachms of chloroform, and
then add two drachms of compound tincture of lavender, six drachms of
mucilage of gum arabic, eight ounces of aniseed, cinnamon, or some
other aromatic water, and two ounces of distilled water; mix well.

_Dose_, one tablespoonful every half hour if necessary. Use in cholera
in the cold stage, when cramps are severe, or exhaustion very great;
and as a general antispasmodic in doses of one dessert spoonful when
the spasms are severe.

563. Tonic and Stimulant.

Dissolve one drachm of extract of bark, and half a drachm of powdered
gum arabic, in six ounces of water, and then add one ounce of syrup of
marshmallow, and the same quantity of syrup of tolu.

_Dose_, one tablespoonful every three hours. Use after fevers and
catarrhs.

564. Stomachic.

Take twenty grains of powdered rhubarb, and rub it down in three
ounces and a half of peppermint water, then add sal volatile and
compound tincture of gentian, each one drachm and a half; mix.

_Dose_, from one to one ounce and a half. Use this mixture as a tonic,
stimulant, and stomachic.

565. Drinks.

566. Tamarind. (1)

Boil two ounces of the pulp of tamarinds in two pints of milk, then
strain. Use as cooling drink.

567. Tamarind. (2)

Boil two ounces of the pulp in two pints of warm water, and allow it
to get cold, then strain. Use as cooling drink.

568. Powders.

569. Compound Soda.

Mix twenty-four grains of calomel, thirty-six grains of
sesquicarbonate of soda, and one drachm of compound chalk powder,
together. Divide into twelve powders. One of the powders to be given
for a dose when required. Use as a mild purgative for children during
teething.

570. Tonic.

Mix one drachm of powdered rhubarb with the same quantity of dried
carbonate of soda, then add two drachms of powdered calumba root.

_Dose_, from ten to twenty grains as a tonic after fevers, in all
cases of debility, and dyspepsia attended with acidity.

571. Rhubarb and Magnesia.

Mix one drachm of powdered rhubarb with two drachms of carbonate of
magnesia, and half a drachm of ginger.

_Dose_, from fifteen grains to one drachm. Use as a purgative for
children.

572. Sulphur and Potash.

Mix one drachm of sulphur with four scruples of bicarbonate of potash,
and two scruples of nitre.

_Dose_, from half a drachm to one drachm. Use as a purgative,
diuretic, and refrigerant.

573. Anti-Diarrhoeal.

Mix one grain of powdered ipecacuanha, and one grain of powdered
opium, with the same quantity of camphor.

_Dose_, one of these powders to be given in jam, treacle, &c., once or
twice a day; but to adults only.

574. Antispasmodic.

Mix four grains of subnitrate of bismuth, forty-eight grains of
carbonate of magnesia, and the same quantity of white sugar, and then
divide in four equal parts.

_Dose_, one-fourth part. Use in obstinate pain in the stomach with
cramps, unattended by inflammation.

575. Antipertussal, or against Whooping-Cough.

Mix one drachm of powdered belladonna root, and two ounces of white
sugar, together.

_Dose_, six grains morning and evening for children under one year;
nine grains for those under two and three years of age; fifteen grains
for those between five and ten; and thirty grains for adults.

_Caution_, this should be prepared by a chemist, as the belladonna is
a poison, and occasional doses of castor oil should be given while it
is being taken.

576. Purgative (Common).

Mix ten grains of calomel, with one drachm of powdered jalap, and
twenty grains of sugar.

_Dose_, one-half of the whole for adults.

577. Sudorific.

Mix six grains of compound antimonial powder, two grains of
ipecacuanha, and two grains of sugar together.

_Dose_, as mixed, to be taken at bed-time. Use in catarrh and fever.

578. Miscellaneous.

579. Anthelmintic, or Vermifuge.

For ridding the bowels of tape-worms, an excellent medicine exists in the male fern--_Aspidium felix mas_. A decoction may be made of the fresh roots, or the root may be dried and powdered.

_Dose_, of the powdered root, from ten to thirty grains; of the decoction, from a tablespoonful to a wineglassful, according to age. Use to kill tape-worm.

580. Another Anthelmintic.

For thread-worms, which infest the rectum and especially the lower
portion, near the orifice of the body, an injection of salt and water,
in the proportion of one ounce and a half of salt to a pint, or twenty
ounces of water, or of quassia chips, will generally prove effectual,
and obviate the necessity of administering medicine.

581. Emulsion, Laxative.

Rub down an ounce of castor oil in two drachms of mucilage of gum
arabic, add three ounces of dill water, and a drachm of tincture of
jalap, gradually.

_Dose_, as prepared, the whole to be taken while fasting in the
morning.

582. Emulsion, Purgative.

Rub down six grains of scammony with six drachms of white sugar in a
mortar, and gradually add four ounces of almond emulsion, and two
drops of oil of cloves.

_Dose_, as prepared, early in the morning.

583. To Prevent Pitting after Small Pox.

Spread a sheet of thin leather with the ointment of ammoniacum with
mercury, and cut out a place for the mouth, eyes, and nostrils. This
forms what is called a mask, and, after anointing the eyelids with a
little blue ointment, it should be applied to the face, and allowed to
remain for three days for the distinct kind, and four days for the
running variety. _Apply before_ the spots fill with matter, although
it will answer sometimes even after they have become pustulous. It may
be applied to any part in the same way.

584. Another Method,

and one more reliable, is that of touching every pustule, or poc, on
the face or bosom with a camel-hair pencil dipped in a weak solution
of lunar caustic (_nitrate of silver_), made in the proportion of two
grains of nitrate of silver to one ounce of distilled water. The time
for application is about the seventh day, while each pustule is filled
with a limpid fluid, or before suppuration takes place, the lotion
arresting that action, and by preventing the formation of matter,
saving the skin from being pitted; a result that follows from the
conversion of the adipose tissue into pus.

585. A Third Method

of effecting the same purpose is by passing a fine needle through each
poc, when fully distended with lymph; the escape of the fluid
averting, as in the other mode, the suppuration which would otherwise
ensue.

[A FOOL OR A PHYSICIAN AT FORTY.]

586. Another Method.

A fourth and much more simple method of preventing pitting from
small-pox is to lightly touch every part of the face with a feather
dipped in sweet oil. It also tends to prevent this disfigurement to
cause the light in the patient's apartment by day to assume a yellow
tinge or colour, which may be easily managed by fitting the room with
yellow or brownish yellow linen blinds.

587. Mucilage of Gum Arabic.

Rub one ounce of gum arabic in a mortar, with four ounces of warm
water. Use for coughs, &c.

588. Mucilage of Starch.

Rub one drachm of starch with a little water, and gradually add five
ounces of water, then boil until it forms a mucilage. Use for enemas,
topical applications, and demulcents.

589. Diseases.

_For the proper Remedies and their Doses see "Prescriptions"_ (_par._
650).

590. Seek Medical Advice.

It should be clearly understood, that in all cases of disease, the
advice of a skilful physician is of the first importance. It is not,
therefore, intended by the following information to supersede fhe
important and necessary practice of the medical man; but rather, by
exhibiting the treatment required, to show in what degree his aid is
imperative. In cases, however, where the disorder may be simple and
transient, or in which remote residence, or other circumstances, may
deny the privilege of medical attendance, the following particulars
will be found of the utmost value. Moreover, the hints given upon what
should be AVOIDED will be of great service to the patient, since the
_physiological_ is no less important than the _medical_ treatment of
disease.

591. Apoplexy.

Immediate and large bleeding from the arm, cupping at the back of the
neck, leeches to the temples, aperients Nos. 1 and 7, one or two drops
of croton oil rubbed or dropped on the tongue. Avoid excesses,
intemperance, animal food.

592. Bile, Bilious, or Liver Complaints.

Abstinence from malt liquors, cool homoeopathic cocoa for drink, no
tea or coffee, few vegetables, no broths or soups; lean juicy meat not
over-cooked for dinner, with stale bread occasionally and a slice of
toasted bacon for breakfast. Nos. 44 and 45.

593. Chicken Pox.

Mild aperients, No. 4, succeeded by No. 7, and No. 8, if much fever
accompany the eruption.

594. Chilblains.

Warm, dry woollen clothing to exposed parts in cold weather, as a
preventive. In the first stage, friction with No. 48, used cold. When
ulcers form they should be poulticed with bread and water for a day or
two, and then dressed with calamine cerate. Or, chilblains in every
stage, whether of simple inflammation or open ulcer, may always he
successfully treated by Goulard's extract, used pure or applied on
lint twice a day.

595. Common Continued Fever.

Aperients in the commencement, No. 1, followed by No. 7, then
diaphoretics, No. 8, and afterwards tonics, No. 13, in the stage of
weakness. Avoid all excesses.

596. Common Cough.

The linctus, No. 42 or No. 43, abstinence from malt liquor, and
protection from cold damp air. Avoid cold, damp, and draughts.

597. Constipation.

The observance of a regular period of evacuating the bowels, which is
most proper in the morning after breakfast. The use of mild aperients,
No. 47, and brown bread instead of white. There should be an entire
change in the dietary for a few days while taking opening medicine.

598. Consumption.

The disease may be complicated with various morbid conditions of the
lungs and heart, which require appropriate treatment. To allay the
cough, No. 42 is an admirable remedy. Avoid cold, damp, excitement,
and over exertion.

599. Convulsions (Children).

If during teething, free lancing of the gums, the warm bath, cold
applications to the head, leeches to the temples, an emetic, and a
laxative clyster, No. 20.

600. Croup.

Leeches to the throat, with hot fomentations as long as the attack
lasts; the emetic, No. 16, afterwards the aperient, No. 5. Avoid cold
and damp.

[DESPISE SCHOOL AND REMAIN A FOOL.]

601. Dropsy.

Evacuate the water by means of No. 10, and by rubbing camphorated oil
into the body night and morning.

602. Epilepsy.

If accompanied or produced by fulness of the vessels of the head,
leeches to the temples, blisters, and No. 1 and No. 7. If from
debility or confirmed epilepsy, the mixture, No. 18. Avoid drinking
and excitement.

603. Eruptions on the Face.

The powder, No. 30, internally, sponging the face with the lotion, No.
31. Avoid excesses in diet.

604. Erysipelas.

Aperients, if the patient be strong, No. 1, followed by No. 7, then
tonics, No. 27. No. 27 may be used from the commencement for weak
subjects.

605. Faintness.

Effusion of cold water on the face, stimulants to the nostrils, pure
air, and the recumbent position; afterwards, avoidance of the exciting
cause. Avoid excitement.

606. Frost-Bite and Frozen Limbs.

No heating or stimulating liquors must be given. Rub the parts
affected with ice, cold, or snow water, and lay the patient on a cold
bed.

607. Gout.

The aperients No. 1, followed by No. 24, bathing the parts with
gin-and-water; for drink, weak tea or coffee. Warmth by flannels.
Abstain from wines, spirits, and animal food.

608. Gravel.

No. 5, followed by No. 7, the free use of magnesia as an aperient. The
pill No. 22. Abstain from fermented drinks and hard water. Another
form of gravel must be treated by mineral acids, given three times a
day.

609. Whooping Cough.

Wooping cough may be complicated with congestion or inflammation of
the lungs, or convulsions, and then becomes a serious disease. If
uncomplicated, No. 43.

610. Hysterics.

The fit may be prevented by the administration of thirty drops of
laudanum, and as many of ether. When it has taken place open the
windows, loosen the tight parts of the dress, sprinkle cold water on
the face, &c. A glass of wine or cold water when the patient can
swallow. Avoid excitement and tight lacing.

611. Indigestion.

The pills No. 2, with the mixture No. 18, at the same time abstinence
from veal, pork, mackerel, salmon, pastry, and beer; for drink,
homoeopathic cocoa, a glass of cold spring water the first thing every
morning. Avoid excesses.

612. Inflammation of the Bladder.

Bleeding, aperients No. 5 and No. 7, the warm bath, afterwards opium;
the pill No. 11, three times a day till relieved. Avoid fermented
liquors, &c.

613. Inflammation of the Bowels.

Leeches, blisters, fomentations, hot baths, iced drinks, the pills No.
19; move the bowels with clysters, if necessary, No. 20. Avoid cold,
indigestible food, &c.

614. Inflammation of the Brain.

Application of cold to the head, bleeding from the temples or back of
the neck by leeches or cupping; aperients No. 1, followed by No. 7;
mercury to salivation, No. 15. Avoid excitement, study, intemperance.

615. Inflammation of the Kidneys.

Bleeding from the arm, leeches over the seat of pain, aperients No. 5,
followed by No. 49, the warm bath. Avoid violent exercise, rich living.

616. Inflammation of the Liver.

Leeches over the right side, the seat of pain, blisters, aperients No.
1, followed by No. 7, afterwards the pills No. 19, till the gums are
slightly tender. Avoid cold, damp, intemperance, and anxiety.

617. Inflammation of the Lungs.

Bleeding from the arm or over the painful part of the chest by
leeches, succeeded by a blister; the demulcent mixture, No. 14, to
allay the cough, with the powders No. 15. Avoid cold, damp, and
draughts.

618. Inflammation of the Stomach.

Leeches to the pit of the stomach, followed by fomentations, cold iced
water for drink, bowels to be evacuated by clysters; abstinence from
all food except cold gruel, milk and water, or tea. Avoid excesses,
and condiments.

619. Inflammatory Sore Throat.

Leeches and blisters externally, aperients No. 1, followed by No. 7,
gargle to clear the throat, No. 17. Avoid cold, damp, and draughts.

620. Inflamed Eyes.

The bowels to be regulated by No. 5, a small blister behind the ear or
on the nape of the neck--the eye to be bathed with No. 35.

621. Influenza.

No 4 as an aperient and diaphoretic. No. 14 to allay fever and cough.
No. 27 as a tonic, when weakness only remains. Avoid cold and damp,
use clothing suited to the change of temperature.

622. Intermittent Fever, or Ague.

Take No. 13 during the intermission of the paroxysm of the fever;
keeping the bowels free with a wine-glass of No. 7. Avoid bad air,
stagnant pools, &c.

623. Itch.

The ointment of No. 28, or lotion No. 29.

624. Jaundice.

The pills No. 1, afterwards the mixture No. 7, drinking freely of
dandelion tea.

625. Looseness of the Bowels (English Cholera).

One pill No. 19, repeated if necessary; afterwards the mixture No. 21.
Avoid unripe fruits, acid drinks, ginger beer; wrap flannel around the
abdomen.

626. Measles.

A well-ventilated room, aperients No. 4, with No. 14 to allay the
cough and fever.

627. Menstruation (Excessive).

No. 40 during the attack, with rest in the recumbent position; in the
intervals, No. 39.

628. Menstruation (Scanty).

In Strong patients, cupping the loins, exercise in the open air, No.
40, the feet in warm water before the expected period, the pills No.
38; in weak subjects, No. 39. Gentle and regular exercise. Avoid hot
rooms, and too much sleep. In cases of this description it is
desirable to apply to a medical man for advice. It may be useful to
many to point out that pennyroyal tea is a simple and useful medicine
for inducing the desired result.

629. Menstruation (Painful).

No. 41 during the attack; in the intervals, No. 38 twice a week, with
No. 39. Avoid cold, mental excitement, &c.

630. Mumps.

Fomentation with a decoction of camomiles and poppy heads; No. 4 as an
aperient, and No. 9 during the stage of fever. Avoid cold and attend
to the regularity of the bowels.

631. Nervousness.

Cheerful society, early rising, exercise in the open air, particularly
on horseback, and No. 12. Avoid excitement, study, and late meals.

632. Palpitation of the Heart.

The pills No 2, with, the mixture No. 12.

633. Piles.

The paste No. 34, at the same time a regulated diet. When the piles
are external, or can be reached, one or two applications of Goulard's
extract, with an occasional dose of lenitive electuary, will generally
succeed in curing them.

634. Quinsey.

A blister applied all round the throat: an emetic, No. 16, commonly
succeeds in breaking the abscess; afterwards the gargle No. 17. Avoid
cold and damp.

635. Rheumatism.

Bathe the affected parts with No. 23, and take internally No. 24, with
No. 25 at bedtime, to ease pain, &c. Avoid damp and cold, wear flannel.

636. Rickets.

The powder No. 33, a dry, pure atmosphere, a nourishing diet.

637. Ringworm.

The lotion No. 32, with the occasional use of the powder No. 5. Fresh
air and cleanliness.

638. Scarlet Fever.

Well-ventilated room, sponging the body when hot with cold or tepid
vinegar, or spirit and water; aperients, No 4; diaphoretics No. 8. If
dropsy succeed the disappearance of the eruption, frequent purging
with No. 5, succeeded by No. 7.

639. Scrofula.

Pure air, light but warm clothing, diet of fresh animal food; bowels
to be regulated by No. 6 and No. 26, taken regularly for a
considerable time.

640. Scurvy.

Fresh animal and vegetable food, and the free use of ripe fruits and
lemon juice. Avoid cold and damp.

641. Small Pox

A well-ventilated apartment, mild aperients; if fever be present, No.
7, succeeded by diaphoretics No. 8, and tonics No. 13 in the stage of
debility, or decline of the eruption.

642. St. Vitus's Dance.

The occasional use, in the commencement, of No. 5, followed by No. 7,
afterwards No. 46.

643. Thrush.

One of the powders No. 6 every other night; in the intervals a
dessertspoonful of the mixture No. 18 three times a day; white spots
to be dressed with the honey of borax.

644. Tic Doloreux.

Regulate the bowels with No. 3, and take in the intervals of pain, No.
27. Avoid cold, damp, and mental anxiety.

645. Toothache.

Continue the use of No. 3 for a few alternate days. Apply liquor
ammoniae to reduce the pain, and when that is accomplished, fill the
decayed spots with silver succedaneum without delay, or the pain will
return. A drop of creosote, or a few drops of chloroform on cotton,
applied to the tooth, or a few grains of camphor placed in the decayed
opening, or camphor moistened with turpentine, will often afford
instant relief.

646. Typhus Fever.

Sponging the body with cold or tepid water, a well-ventilated
apartment, cold applications to the head and temples. Aperients No.
4, with refrigerants No. 9, tonics No. 13 in the stage of debility.

647. Water on the Brain.

Local bleeding by means of leeches, blisters, aperients No. 5, and
mercurial medicines, No. 15.

648. Whites.

The mixture No. 36, with the injection No. 37. Clothing light but
warm, moderate exercise in the open air, country residence.

649. Worms in the Intestines.

The aperient No. 5, followed by No. 7, afterwards the free use of lime
water and milk in equal parts, a pint daily. Avoid unwholesome food.

650. Prescriptions.

_To be used in the Cases enumerated under the head "Diseases" (page
112)._

651. List of Prescriptions.

The following prescriptions, originally derived from various
prescribers' Pharmacopoeias, embody the favourite remedies employed by
the most eminent physicians:--

1. Take of powdered aloes, nine grains; extract of colocynth,
compound, eighteen grains; calomel, nine grains; tartrate of
antimony, two grains; mucilage, sufficient to make a mass, which is
to be divided into six pills; two to be taken every twenty-four
hours, till they act thoroughly on the bowels: in cases of
inflammation, apoplexy, &c.

2. Powdered rhubarb, Socotrine aloes, and gum mastic, each one
scruple; make into twelve pills: one before and one after dinner.

3. Compound extract of colocynth, extract of jalap, and Castile
soap, of each one scruple; make into twelve pills.

4. James's powder, five grains; calomel, three grains: in fevers,
for adults. For children, the following:--Powdered camphor, one
scruple; calomel and powdered scammony, of each nine grains; James's
powder, six grains; mix, and divide into six powders. Half of one
powder twice a day for an infant a year old; a whole powder for two
years: and for four years, the same three times a day.

5. James's powder, six grains; powdered jalap, ten grains; mix, and
divide into three or four powders, according to the child's age: in
one powder if for an adult.

6. Powdered rhubarb, four grains; mercury and chalk, three grains;
ginger in powder, one grain: an alterative aperient for children.

7. Dried sulphate of magnesia, six drachms; sulphate of soda, three
drachms; infusion of senna, seven ounces; tincture of jalap, and
compound tincture of cardamoms, each half an ounce: in acute
diseases generally; take two tablespoonfuls every four hours till it
operates freely.

8. Nitrate of potass, one drachm and a half; spirits of nitric
ether, half an ounce; camphor mixture, and the spirit of mindererus,
each four ounces: in fevers, &c.; two tablespoonfuls, three times a
day, and for children a dessertspoonful every four hours.

9. Spirit of nitric ether, three drachms; dilute nitric acid, two
drachms; syrup, three drachms; camphor mixture, seven ounces; in
fevers, &c., with debility; dose as in preceding prescription.

10. Decoction of broom, half a pint; cream of tartar, one ounce,
tincture of squills, two drachms: in dropsies; a third part three
times a day.

11. Pills of soap and opium, five grains for a dose, as directed.

12. Ammoniated tincture of valerian, six drachms; camphor mixture,
seven ounces; a fourth part three times a day; in spasmodic and
hysterical disorders.

13. Disulphate of quina, half a drachm; dilute sulphuric acid,
twenty drops; compound infusion of roses, eight ounces: two
tablespoonfuls every four hours, in intermittent and other fevers,
during the absence of the paroxysm.

14. Almond mixture seven ounces and a half; wine of antimony and
ipecacuanha, of each one drachm and a half: a tablespoonful every
four hours; in cough with fever, &c.

15. Calomel, one grain; powdered white sugar, two grains; to make a
powder to be placed on the tongue every two or three hours. Should
the calomel act on the bowels, powdered kino is to be substituted
for the sugar.

16. Antimony and ipecacuanha wines, of each an ounce; a teaspoonful
every ten minutes for a child till vomiting is produced; but for an
adult a large tablespoonful should be taken.

17. Compound infusion of roses, seven ounces; tincture of myrrh, one
ounce.

18. Infusion of orange peel, seven ounces; tincture of hops, half an
ounce; and a drachm of carbonate of soda: two tablespoonfuls twice a
day. Or, infusion of valerian, seven ounces; carbonate of ammonia,
two scruples; compound tincture of bark, six drachms; spirits of
ether, two drachms: one tablespoonful every twenty-four hours.

19. Blue pill, four grains; opium, half a grain: to be taken three
times a day.

20. For a Clyster.--A pint and a half of gruel or fat broth, a
tablespoonful of castor oil, one of common salt, and a lump of
butter; mix, to be injected slowly. A third of this quantity is
enough for an infant.

21. Chalk mixture, seven ounces; aromatic and opiate confection, of
each one drachm; tincture of catechu, six drachms: two
tablespoonfuls every two hours.

22. Carbonate of soda, powdered rhubarb, and Castile soap, each one
drachm; make thirty-six pills; three twice a day.

23. Lotion.--Common salt, one ounce, distilled water, seven ounces;
spirit of wine, one ounce: mix.

24. Dried sulphate of magnesia, six drachms; heavy carbonate of
magnesia, two drachms; wine of colchicum, two drachms; water, eight
ounces: take two tablespoonfuls every four hours.

25. Compound powder of ipecacuanha, ten grains; powdered guaiacum,
four grains: in a powder at bedtime.

26. Brandish's solution of potash; thirty drops twice a day in a
wineglass of beer.

27. Disulphate of quina, half a drachm; dilute sulphuric acid, ten
drops; compound infusion of roses, eight ounces: two tablespoonfuls
every four hours, and as a tonic in the stage of weakness succeeding
fever.

28. Flowers of sulphur, two ounces; hog's lard, four ounces; white
hellebore powder, half an ounce: oil of lavender, sixty drops.

29. Hydriodate of potass, two drachms; distilled water, eight
ounces.

30. Flowers of sulphur, half a drachm; carbonate of soda, a scruple;
tartarized antimony, one-eighth of a grain: one powder, night and
morning, in eruptions of the skin or face.

31. Milk of bitter almonds, seven ounces; bichloride of mercury,
four grains; spirits of rosemary, one ounce: bathe the eruption with
this lotion three times a day.

32. Sulphate of zinc, two scruples; sugar of lead, fifteen grains;
distilled water, six ounces: the parts to be washed with the lotion
two or three times a day.

33. Carbonate of iron, six grains; powdered rhubarb, four grains:
one powder night and morning.

34. Elecampane powder, two ounces; sweet fennel-seed powder, three
ounces; black pepper powder, one ounce; purified honey, and brown
sugar, of each two ounces; the size of a nutmeg, two or three times
a day.

35. Sulphate of zinc, twelve grains; wine of opium, one drachm; rose
water, six ounces.

36. Sulphate of magnesia, six drachms; sulphate of iron, ten grains;
diluted sulphuric acid, forty drops; tincture of cardamoms
(compound), half an ounce; water, seven ounces: a fourth part night
and morning.

37. Decoction of oak bark, a pint; dried alum, half an ounce: for an
injection, a syringeful to be used night and morning.

38. Compound gamboge pill, and a pill of assafoetida and aloes, of
each half a drachm: make twelve pills; two twice or three times a
week.

39. Griffiths' mixture--one tablespoonful three times a day.

40. Ergot of rye, five grains; in a powder, to be taken every four
hours. This should only be taken under medical advice and sanction.

41. Powdered opium, half a grain; camphor, two grains in a pill; to
be taken every three or four hours whilst in pain.

42. Syrup of balsam of tolu, two ounces; the muriate of morphia, two
grains; muriatic acid, twenty drops: a teaspoonful twice a day.

43. Salts of tartar, two scruples, twenty grains of powdered
cochineal; 1/4 lb. of honey; water, half a pint; boil, and give a
tablespoonful three times a day.

44. Calomel, ten grains; Castile soap, extract of jalap, extract of
colocynth, of each one scruple; oil of juniper, five drops: make
into fifteen pills; one three times a day.

45. Infusion of orange peel, eight ounces; carbonate of soda, one
drachm; and compound tincture of cardamoms, half an ounce: take a
tablespoonful three times a day, succeeding the pills.

46. Carbonate of iron, three ounces; syrup of ginger, sufficient to
make an electuary: a teaspoonful three times a day.

47. Take of Castile soap, compound extract of colocynth, compound
rhubarb pill, and the extract of jalap, each one scruple; oil of
caraway, ten drops; make into twenty pills, and take one after
dinner every day whilst necessary.

48. Spirit of rosemary, five parts; spirit of wine, or spirit of
turpentine, one part.

49. Take of thick mucilage, one ounce; castor oil, twelve drachms;
make into an emulsion: add mint water, four ounces; spirit of nitre,
three drachms; laudanum, one drachm; mixture of squills, one drachm;
and syrup, seven drachms; mix; two tablespoonfuls every six hours.

652. Medicines (Aperient).

In the spring time of the year, the judicious use of aperient
medicines is much to be commended.

653. Spring Aperients.

For children, an excellent medicine is

i. Brimstone and treacle, prepared by mixing an ounce and a half of
sulphur, and half an ounce of cream of tartar, with eight ounces of
treacle; and, according to the age of the child, giving from a small
teaspoonful to a dessertspoonful, early in the morning, two or three
times a week.

As this sometimes produces sickness, the following may be used:

ii. Take of powdered Rochelle salts one drachm and a half, powdered
jalap and powdered rhubarb each fifteen grains, ginger two grains,
mix. _Dose_, for a child above five years, one _small_ teaspoonful;
above ten years, a _large_ teaspoonful; above fifteen, half the
whole, or two teaspoonfuls: and for a person above twenty, three
teaspoonfuls, or the whole, as may be required by the habit of the
person.

This medicine may be dissolved in warm water, mint, or common tea. The
powder can be kept for use in a wide-mouthed bottle, and be in
readiness for any emergency. The druggist may be directed to treble or
quadruple the quantities, as convenient.

654. Aperient Pills.

To some adults all liquid medicines produce such nausea that pills are
the only form in which aperients can be exhibited; the following is a
useful formula:

i. Take of compound rhubarb pill a drachm and one scruple, of
powdered ipecacuanha ten grains, and of extract of hyoscyamus one
scruple; mix, and beat into a mass, and divide into twenty-four
pills; take one or two, or if of a very costive habit, _three_ at
bedtime.

ii. For persons requiring a more powerful aperient, the same
formula, with twenty grains of compound extract of colocynth, will
form a good purgative pill. The mass receiving this addition must be
divided into thirty, instead of twenty-four pills.

655. Black Draught.