TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 355 



or feeding bottle, as the quantity can be thus better regulated. Great attentioa 

 must be paid to the bowels, and also to the temperature of the air breathed by 

 the little sufferer. A blister on the chest, about as big as a large copper cent, 

 may be sometimes applied with advantage if the hot bran does not give the 

 desired relief. 



Winter coughs, catarrh, and asthma are very commonly but forms of 

 chronic bronchitis. For the troublesome coughs which almost invariably 

 attend confirmed bronchitis, and especially in the aged, opium is the most 

 effectual remedy. The best form of administration is perhaps the compound 

 tincture of camphor taken with ipecacuanha or antimonial wine — say 3^ dr. of 

 the former, with 10 grs. of either of the latter, in a little sugar and water or 

 flaxseed tea, or use Dr. Chase's Cough Syrup. If there are febrile symptoms, 

 add 15 minims of sweet spirits of nitre to each dose. 



It is especially during the spring months, and when there is a prevalence 

 of east wind, that bronchitis attacks young and old, often hurrying the former 

 to a premature grave, and making the downward course of the latter more 

 quick and painful. With aged people, in such cases, there is commonly a great 

 accumulation of mucus in the bronchial tubes, which causes continued and 

 violent coughing in the efforts to expel it, which efforts are often unsuccessful. 

 Thus the respiration is impeded; the blood, from want of proper oxygeniza- 

 tion, becomes unfit for the purposes of vitality, and death, often unexpectedly 

 sudden, is the consequence Such bronchitic patients must be carefully treated 

 — no lowering measures will do for them, but warm and generous diet; opium 

 can not safely be ventured on. Warm flannel next the skin, a genial atmos- 

 phere, inhalation of steam — ii medicated with horehound, or some demulcent 

 plants, so much the better — a couple of compound squill pills at night, and 

 during the day a mixture, composed of camphor mixture, 6 ozs. ; tincture of 

 squills, wine of ipecacuanha, and aromatic spirits of ammonia, each 2 drs. ; 

 with perhaps 2 drs. of tincture of hops. Take a table-spoonful every 3 or 4 

 hours. 



Another Treatment. — To properly introduce the treatment, we will 

 suppose a case, similar to which I have had many a one, — a man (for men have 

 these inflammatory diseases 10 times to women once) comes home at night, with 

 a cough, sore throat, etc., indicating that he has taken cold, and that it has set- 

 tled upon the throat and broncJiial tubes — take no supper, but go right to work, 

 as for common colds, and get up a perspiration, by soaking the feet in water 

 as hot as it can be borne, and pouring in more hot, from time to time, to keep 

 it hot, for 20 to 30 minutes, and if you have one of the alcohol lamps for sweat- 

 ing purposes, set it to work at the same time, and take some hot teas to help the 

 work, and if there are no sweating herbs in the house, of course there is some 

 whiskey or other liquor, make about a pint of hot stew, using 1 gill of whiskey, 

 writh sugar and hot water; and drink one or two good draughts of this while 

 the feet are in the water, and the rest of it after you get into bed, covering up 

 w^arm so as to continue the sweating for an hour or two, with hot irons, bricka 

 or stones at the feet, as your conveniences will allow; then, when the family go 



