THE HOME PHTSICIAJr. 411 



Toothju-he— (1) Bi-carbonate of soda aa a remedy for toothache, has 

 been used very successfoUy. It waa drat introduced to the public by Dr. 

 Duckworth, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, who resorted to it when 

 chloroform, carbolic acid, and everything elat. had failed. His recipe ia to 

 soak small pieces of cotton in a solution of thirty grains of bi-carbonate of 

 soda to one fluid ounce of water, and insert the cotton in the tooth. Dr. 

 Duckworth is of the opinion that very frequently the pain ia due to the con- 

 tact of acid saliva with the decayed tooth; and therefore, it is important, in 

 cases of toothache, first to determine whether the saUva had an acid reaction. 

 If this be the case, then a simple alkaline application, aa above st&tad, is 

 the most efficacious means of cure, 



(2) The worst toothache, or neuralgia cotning from the teeth, may be 

 epeedHy ended by the application of a smaU bit of clean cotton saturated in 

 a strong solution of ammonia to the defective tooth. Sometimes the applica- 

 tion causes nervous laughter, but the pain haa disappeared. 



(3) If the tooth contains a cavity which can bo easily reached, fill it with 

 sugar of lead. Allow it to remain a few minutes, then wash it out with warm 

 water, being careful to remove all of it This ia the moat prompt reUef for 

 toothache — save the forceps- with which we are familiar. 



H) Put a piece of quicklime, as big aa a walnut, in a pint of water in a 

 bottle. Clean the teeth with a little of it every morning, rinsing the mouth 

 with clean water afterward. If the teeth are good, it will preserve them, 

 and keep away the toothache; if the teeth are gone, it will harden the gtuna, 

 so that they will maaticate crusts and all. 



(5) Take alum, reduce to an impalpable powder, 2 drachms; nitrous spir- 

 its of ether, 7 drachms. Mix and apply them to the tooth. This ia said to 

 be an infalUble cure for all kinds of toothache (unless the disease is con- 

 nected with rheumatism). 



(6) Steep a piece of coarse brown paper in cold vinegar, then grate ginger 

 on it, and apply to the side of the face affected; the application to be made 

 at bedtime, and kept on during the whole of the night, 



(7) One ounce alcohol, two drachms cayenne pepper, one oudc« kerosene 

 oil; mix, and let stand twenty-four hours — a sure cure. 



AVounds. — (1) A wotmd produced by a sharp cutting ioetrument will 

 heal without trouble when the edges are nicely brought together, and left 

 so, ^vithout putting o» any salve, provided the access of air is shut off and 

 the person possesses • good constitution. If the wound is produced by a 

 rusty nail, or a similar cause, so as to be jagged, it will soon become very 

 inflamed, and in extcb a case it ia recommended to amoke such a wound with 

 burning wool or woolen cloth. Twenty minutes in the smoke of wool will 

 take the pain out of Uie worst wound, and if repeated once or twice will allay 

 the worst case of indamniation arising from a wound. 



(2) The beatsimple remedy for surface wotmds, such aa cnta, abrasion of 

 the skin, etc., is charcoal. Take a large coal fivm the fire, pulverize it, ap- 

 ply it to the wound, and cover the whole with a rag. The charcoal absorbs 

 the fluid secreted by the wound, anci lays the foundation of the scab; it also 

 prevents the rag from irritating the flesh, and is an antiseptic. 



(3) Without waiting for it to stop bleeding, press the edges of the lacerated 

 flesh together, and apply immediately a plaster made of soot and cream, 

 binding it firmly on, not to be removed till healed, without cleanliness re- 

 quires it. Then put another of the same on, without delay, not allowinf; 

 exposure to the air any more than poawbl© to prevent. 



