Part 8
It is also beneficial in curing the fluor albus, or whites, in weakly females. The root of comfrey is good for all fluxes, and a bad smell in urine. Take four ounces comfrey, and one ounce tormentil root, boil them in two quarts and a half water, ten minutes; then strain, and add a gill of best brandy and half pound loaf sugar. A gill or a common teacup full may be taken by an adult, night and morning, or as often as necessary; a child may take a tablespoonful, as often as required.
SALT RHEUM.--Take a large handful plain or white clover, red clover, and common plantain; put them in two quarts of urine and one quart of beef brine, for six hours--let them be only warm, not hot; then squeeze them well, strain and put up for use. Wash the parts affected night and day, with a clean linen rag; drink freely of fishes mouth, or what is called balmony, and take, twice a week, one teaspoonful of powdered mandrake root, at bed time.
EPILEPTIC FITS, OR HYSTERICAL AFFECTIONS.--Take ladies’ smock, dry the leaves, and keep them in a bottle; when wanted, take a teaspoonful of the leaves, and steep in a half teacup boiling water. Give, when required, as often as necessary.
AFTER PAINS IN CHILD BIRTH.--To relieve them, take a tablespoonful of Epsom salts, and put it in half a pint hot water; take half of it, and in the course of two hours take the remainder, if the patient is very costive, if not, take less; then take a teaspoonful of devil’s bit (otherwise called blazing star root), in a little weak tanzy tea; if faint, put in it some gin or brandy. You can administer this dose every three hours, if required. It seldom fails of giving instant relief and is an excellent gargle for a sore mouth, sore throat, or scrofula.
PREGNANT LADIES.--Take one quart of butternuts, when green and so soft that you can run a needle into them, one ounce ginger root, and three pints molasses; boil them at least half an hour, slowly. Take one three times a week, and drink frequently of slippery elm bark, steeped in water. If this is unpleasant, put in a few sumach berries, a little black birch bark, or a small quantity of tanzy, merely to give a flavor.
TO REMOVE A FILM ON THE EYE.--Take equal quantities fresh celendine and ground ivy juice, and set it on warm ashes, in a tin vessel, for an hour; strain the sediment from the clear juice; take a gill of this, and put in half a teaspoonful of best loaf sugar; bottle it, and wet the spot several times a day.
ANOTHER.--Take the gall of an eel, and drop a little in the eye three times a week; then put in one drop of olive oil, to heal the eye. It has cured, when all other remedies had failed.
WILD CUCUMBER.--This is a forest tree, similar to the poplar; you will often find them from seventy to eighty feet high. There are other species of the cucumber which are evergreen, but the leaves of this are deciduous, oval, acuminate, and pubescent beneath. It produces a fruit bearing some resemblance, while green, to a small cucumber; in August, the fruit turns to a deep red color, and opens; the seeds are red, and the size of a kernel of corn; they have a bitter taste, and are quite pungent.
I have used them extensively, and consider them very valuable in certain forms of diseases, especially where there is a phlegmatic temperament, or a general relaxed state of the system. In dropsical affections, I have found the cucumber to be a superior remedy. The bark of the trunk and root, is also very valuable; it is somewhat similar to the poplar, yet it is more diuretic and stimulating; it is good in dyspepsia, or where we want a remedy to increase the tone of the stomach. I have known and cured many cases of anasarca, and yellow fever.
Make a tincture of the seeds or bark, and take half a wine glass full mornings, before dinner, and at bed time. This will cure the chronic rheumatism. I can safely say it is a very valuable medicine in all families, as it possesses tonic, stimulant, and diuretic properties.
FOR DROPSICAL PATIENTS--a teaspoonful of the powdered bark or seeds, mixed with honey, and taken mornings and at bed time, will produce a cure. Drink plentifully of dwarf elder bark tea, as a common beverage.
FAMILY PILLS.--Take four ounces black root, and half an ounce each cayenne and mandrake root, pulverized; make an extract of these together by moderate warmth, straining during the time of preparing, and bring the substance to the consistency of tar; then add equal parts of pulverized gum gamboge, and natural extract of lobelia--one tenth as much as there is of the above compound extract. Previous to making into pills, work into the mass seven drops of oil of spearmint; then form your pills with magnesia, to the size of a pea. Take from one to four or five, night and morning. It would be well to take them nine days in succession, beginning with less, and increasing if necessary. They can be relied on, and are excellent to take in the spring and autumn.
ST. ANTHONY’S FIRE, OR CANKER SORE THROAT.--Take eight ounces of beech drops, put them into four quarts cold water, boil down to two quarts and sweeten with loaf sugar; after proper evacuations, patients subject to the rose or erysipelas, may take a teacup full of this, four times a day; apply clean linen rags, wet with the decoction not sweetened, over the inflamed parts, until perfectly well. Do not take the above when your courses are flowing, or when you expect them. The above is an excellent wash for children that are chafed, either in the neck or groins; wash the parts affected as often as necessary, using a clean cloth; the cleaner the cloth you wash any sore with, the sooner it will heal; never use the same cloth on any sore twice; it ought to be instantly washed in clean water, before using the second time.
CARBUNCLES.--Take equal parts beth root and blood root, powdered fine and mixed with honey; bind it over the carbuncle, and renew it every two hours. Make a purge of the following: take a handful each of thoroughwort, tanzy, and tamarack bark, one ounce culver root, half ounce mandrake, ten grains sassafras bark, and half ounce angelica seed; put all together in three quarts cold water; boil seven minutes, and keep hot nine hours. Take from half a wine glass full to a whole one, three times a day. Drink, as a common beverage, a strong tea of princes pine, or red ozier.
EMETIC.--Take a large handful leaves and blows of thoroughwort, (called by some boneset,) put them into one quart boiling water, and let them stand near the fire three hours; then stir, and strain off. Give the patient one gill, as hot as it can be drank, and if it does not operate in half an hour, give another, or half the quantity; drink every morning, a wine glass of the remainder cold, as it is a tonic in all cases of general debility.
DEAFNESS.--Take a beaver’s tail, roast it, squeeze out the oil and apply on cotton. Or, roast a turnip in ashes, squeeze out the juice, and put four drops, twice a week, into the ear. Take cleansing syrup daily.
CATHARTIC FOR FEVERS.--Take half ounce American ipecacuanha, three ounces culver root, three ounces snake root, sliced and bruised, and one quart good old rum; keep them in a covered earthen vessel by the fire, for five days, and then strain the tincture for use. Dose--a tablespoonful twice a day.
As a diaphoretic, in low stages of fever, and in confluent small pox, when sores appear gangrene, and the powers of life seem sunk, take the following mixture: four drachms of bruised snake root, one pint boiling water, two drachms tincture snake root, four drachms syrup of ginger. Dose--two tablespoonsful, to be taken every three hours, in the above complaint.
LUMBAGO.--Take one pound of fresh brake root, or female fern, one ounce sumach root, cut fine, half ounce culver root, half ounce mandrake root, and half ounce angelica seed; boil them in two quarts whiskey, until they become slimy; then dip cloths in and bind on. Take a tablespoonful nights, inwardly, and half a wine glass full mornings. Repeat the application on the spine, very frequently.
RICKETS IN CHILDREN.--Take one ounce of brake root, or female fern, cut fine, and pour one quart of boiling water on it; sweeten it, and give the child a teacup full four times a day; if the child is too young to take this dose, give less, according to age. At the same time, use the decoction in rum, for bathing the spine and limbs of the child; it would be well to bathe the child in a spring, every morning in summer.
SCROFULOUS SWELLINGS.--Take the inner bark of bayberry bush, pound it soft, and apply it over the swellings and sores, nights and mornings. Drink a strong tea made of bayberry leaves--a teacup full four times a day.
WIND, OR CHOLIC.--Take one ounce of bayberry berries, bruise them well, and half ounce masterwort seed, well pulverized or bruised; infuse them in three pints of best cogniac brandy for a week, and shake the bottle frequently. Take a half wine glass full in the same quantity warm water, twice a day, on an empty stomach; if necessary, take it three times a day.
INDIAN REMEDY FOR FEVERS.--I find the Indians more incident to fevers, than any other disease, and they rarely fail to cure themselves, by sweating, and then plunging themselves into cold water, which, they say, is the only way not to catch cold. I once saw an instance of this kind. Being in search of a particular root, at the Lake of the Two Mountains, about thirty miles from Montreal, I called on an Indian chief, and found him ill of a fever; his head and limbs were apparently much affected with pain; his wife was preparing a bagnio, or bath, for him. The bagnio resembled a large oven, into which he crept by a door; on the side opposite the door was a hole, in which she put hot stones. She fastened the hole up as closely as possible, to prevent the least air entering therein. While he was sweating in his bagnio, his wife was preparing his road to the lake. This was in August, 1835--a very cold season; in less than half an hour, he was in so great a sweat that when he came out, he was as wet as if he had come out of a river, and the steam from his body was so thick, that it was hard to discern his form or face, although I stood near him. In this condition, naked, a body cloth only excepted, he ran to the river, about thirty paces distant, ducked himself two or three times, and returned, passing through his bagnio, to mitigate the severe shock of the cold, to his own house, perhaps twenty paces further, and, wrapping himself in his woolen mantle, lay down at full length near a long, but gentle fire in the middle of his wigwam--turning himself several times, till dry; he then arose, and began getting dinner ready for us, seeming to be as easy and as well as either of us.
The squaws wash their new-born babes in cold water, as soon as they are delivered, often repeating the same healthy operation. I have recommended cold water to a number of weak females, during pregnancy, and they have borne up with a vigor scarcely less wonderful than that of the Indian woman.
HARDIHOOD OF INDIAN WOMEN.--The great power of endurance which the Indian woman of the forest, uncontaminated by the blighting influence which civilization often introduces among them, many have noticed. Every one has read the account of their remarkable health, during pregnancy and child-birth. Washington Irving, in his “Astoria,” in giving an account of a journey, through the dreary deserts lying between the Snake and Columbia Rivers, says:
“And here we cannot but notice the wonderful patience, perseverance, and hardihood of the Indian woman, as exemplified in the conduct of the poor squaw of the interpreter. She was now far advanced in pregnancy, and had two children to take care of--one four, and the other two years of age. The latter, of course, she frequently had to carry on her back, in addition to the burdens usually imposed upon the squaw; yet she had borne all her hardships without a murmur, and throughout this weary and painful journey, had kept pace with the best pedestrians. Indeed, on various occasions, in the course of this enterprise, she displayed a force of character that won the respect and applause of the white man.”
PHYSIOLOGY.
TO MY BELOVED SEX:—
SEEING so many of you daily imposed upon by those who profess to be acquainted with prolapsus uteri, or falling of the womb, and knowing that two-thirds of the married ladies are very ignorant, as regards the structure of their own bodies, and therefore the more easily imposed upon, I will endeavor to give a full description and explanation of the living animal, which we call physiology. It is a beautiful study, and we read of King David’s admiration, after viewing the structure of his own body; he exclaims in rapture, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” I am sorry this important study is excluded from our schools. The reader may ask--what are the component parts of the living animal, the heart, brain, eyes, ears, muscles, bones, and the many other parts--how do they act, and what are their uses?
FORMATION OF THE CHEST.
The chest is formed by the back bone behind, the breast bone in front, and the ribs, which go from the back bone to the breast bone. Seven of the ribs are long, and five short; the five lower are the short ribs, and they are united to the breast bone by an elastic cartilage; by this construction, the chest is made flexible.
Now that I have explained the formation of the lungs, we will look in and see what it contains--the lungs and heart.
The lungs are wedge-shaped--the small ends being up under the collar bone, while the base, or larger part, is at the bottom, turned down heavily in the midriff. The lungs are attached to the wind-pipe, and larger air vessels and blood vessels, these likewise being connected to the back bone with cartilages. The lungs float downward into the midriff, and against the ribs or the side of the chest, every time the air is drawn into the chest. They are divided into two parts, on each side of the chest, something like a sponge, full of cells; the most correct resemblance of these cells, or vacancies, would be, in my opinion, a thick branch of some shrub, very full of the minutest berries you can conceive of, and without leaves; you must imagine the shrub as hollow, through all its branches and twigs, until quite into the cells; then cut the extremity of all the twigs, until you bring it to a wedge shape, and weave something like a spider web, to cover the cells, so that nothing but the air or blood can pass through, to be renewed.
The heart is in front, between the two tubes of the lungs. It is likewise wedge-shaped, the base, or larger end being up, while the small end points downward, slanting into the left chest; it occupies one-third more room in the left chest than in the right, measuring from the centre of the breast bone, under which the heart is placed, towards the middle of the breast bone.
This important organ is little known, and I wish to explain its offices and revolutions, in a comprehensive manner, that all may understand it.
We have three different kinds of blood vessels; the largest vein is called vena cavæ; the smaller veins are called capillaries and arteries; every time you prick yourself, you open a capillary vein. On the right side is the vena cavæ, one part descending and the other ascending, but both meeting on the right side; this brings all the contaminated blood from all parts of the body; from thence it empties into the right ventricle, then to the right auricle, pushes on to the pulmonary artery, through the lungs, to be purified, returns with velocity to the left auricle, and then to the left ventricle. There are thousands and tens of thousands little arteries, that carry the blood to all parts of the body.
I will quote a report from Dr. Edwards. He had been speaking of the wonderful distribution of the blood, in the little arteries, when he added:
“Along on the lines of these little tubes or canals, (the arteries,) through which the blood with all its treasures flows, God has provided a vast multitude of little organs, or waiters, whose office is each one to take out of the blood, as it comes along, that kind and quantity of nourishment which it needs, for its own support, and also for the support of that part of the body which is committed particularly to its care. And, although exceedingly minute and delicate, they are endowed by their Creator with the wonderful power of doing this, and also of abstaining from, or of expelling and throwing back into the common mass, what is unsuitable, or what they do not want, to be carried to some other place where it may be needed; or, if it is not needed anywhere, and is good for nothing, to be thrown out of the body as a nuisance.
“Now let us follow these little organs, as they fly upward, to carry support to the hair, to make it grow. But, as they proceed upward, the ears will want serum--the eyes will want something for the eye-balls, and the organs about the eye will take that and work it up into the eyes, and cause them to grow; then proceed on to your joints, and along the bones, muscles and nerves; the joints want strength--it is a fluid called synovia, in physiology; then proceed to your finger nails.”
So you see the whole system is supported by the blood; all these vessels or supports go to every organ in the body, and are called secretions; if these secretions are obstructed by disease, they cannot perform their regular routine, or office, and the parts will gradually become infirm. The blood carries little atoms, or particles, to make all parts of the body grow, and which, you may perceive, are necessary to replace the atoms which are worn off by friction, in our motion, as there is a constant waste in every part of the body, or system.
Now let me return to the heart. It is not larger than a man’s fist, and is strong and muscular. It is, as I said before, situated slanting, or obliquely; both sides of the heart fill in the same instant, and then contract, shrink, and compresses, with as much force as a strong man could press it with his hand. Such is the admirable circulation of the blood, that this revolution goes regular, one hundred thousand times in twenty-four hours.
How can we but admire the creation of such a beautiful machine! Then consider how much resistance this poor heart has to overcome, in sending blood to all parts of the body, and the many obstructions in its way, which causes it to stop its motion, or it will quiver and throb, according as it is repulsed by those obstructions. How many there are who say, “My heart is diseased--the physician says so.” Now, my friends, not in one case of ten is the heart diseased; but it is obstructed in its revolutions, by not being able to send the blood through these little vessels, to all parts of the body; they are crooked, and the least impediment must necessarily cause agitation, or stop this great propeller.
There is a strong partition between the right and left sides of the heart, so that the right auricle and right ventricle, with their blood, brought back from the veins, can have nothing to do with the blood in the left auricle and left ventricle; it is, indeed, as if there were two hearts, placed side by side, and pressed closely together. We know not how the heart is kept in motion, nor can the wisest anatomist or physiologist in the world tell us; we know that the lungs have something to do in the case, and, when once set a-going, we can form some idea of what keeps it in motion--but, after all, the real causes of the continued movement of either the heart or lungs, has ever been a great mystery, and may possibly always remain so.
Our bones, nerves, and muscles receive life and nourishment from the blood; then how necessary it should be pure and clean. As the blood is made from our food, we should be careful as to the quality and quantity, eating only what is conducive to health, which surely will promote happiness. Strong spices, hot bread, rich pies and cakes, salt pork and beef, are injurious eating at all hours of the day, especially at bed time, and is contrary to the laws of nature. Some may laugh, and say, “Why, I eat half a mince pie, and half a dozen pickles, every night, and yet I am well.” You may tantalize your digestive organs for a while, but remember, your gratifying your unnatural appetite, will be repaid by years of pain and distress. Be rational beings; eat to live, and not live to eat.
Mothers, as a general thing, feed their children too often; even if you nourish your child with the breast, it should be regular--not twenty times a day, and all night. This is very wrong; you bring your little ones up gluttons, and, as soon as they are weaned, they will be continually crying for something to eat--never satisfied. Always be regular in eating your own meals, and giving the same to your children, if you wish them to be healthy; as a general rule, give them food according to your own judgment--not too much. I think many a poor child has been murdered, by an over fond mother giving it all it wanted, and not using that judgment which was required, because the child cried. O! mothers, be firm, wise, and prudent, in raising those tender plants; remember, if the digestive organs are too weak, the child will fall into fits. Let a child eat mashed potatoes; all vegetables are better, and give more nourishment, than cakes and pies; a little lean meat, is healthy for a child. In our food, we all want a change; but let all be well cooked, well baked, and plainly seasoned.
Now let me go back, and say a little in regard to the nerves and bones. The nerves derive their support from the blood, but not entirely, for the nerves may be weakened by other causes; still they depend on the blood, in a measure, for support. For instance, a lady may fall and break her back bone, or spine; now this is the seat of the nerves; they all branch out from the spine, and, of course, all the nerves are affected; perhaps the pain would be most severe at the extremity of the nerves. Many able and eminent physicians have been baffled, in procuring ease to their patients, as there was no pain where the parts were injured, but at the extremity of the nerves.
The digestive organs depend entirely upon the nerves for support; therefore, never irritate the spine by blistering, as it injures every nerve. Everything that is applied to the spine--plasters, bathing, or drops, should be of a cooling nature, and at the same time strengthening, and never irritating, as it only makes you worse; I never saw any good effect derived from it. If you want to irritate, draw from the spine, by putting blisters on the thighs or legs, not to the spine or head; let your motive be, in all cases, to draw downward.
How do the joints derive support from the blood? It is the secretion we call in physiology, synovia. It serves the same purpose as the grease which men use for wheels, to prevent their making a noise; so, when this secretion is obstructed, or the circulation irregular, the ligaments and muscles find no support, and consequently they become stiff and inactive; call it rheumatism, if you like, or weak joints. Sometimes the bones become crooked and deformed, which is often caused by mercury, or by scrofula, which creates heat, and absorbs all the nourishment from them. Sometimes the muscles become stiff; in all such cases, cleanse the blood, and rub in hemlock tincture; you will find, in this book, very good bathing drops.
THE DIAPHRAGM.