430 
Hay  Fever  and  Sneezing. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pharm . 
\    Sept.  1, 1874. 
public  any  reasonable  suggestion  for  their  relief.    I  have,  therefore, 
much  pleasure  in  being  able  to  bring  forward  a  little  contrivance  and 
a  prescription,  by  the  combined  use  of  which  immense  comfort  may 
be  given  to  many  sufferers. 
The  prescription  is  as  follows  : 
Chloral  Hydrate  and  Camphor  (of  each),  16  grains, 
Carbolic  Acid,  .  .  .  .20  grains. 
Pure  Morphia,       ....  13  grains. 
Oleic  Acid  (enough  to  dissolve  the  morphia),    20  grains. 
Castor  Oil  (the  clearest  and  finest),  .       7  drachms. 
Rub  well  together  to  make  a  lotion.* 
The  "contrivance"  is  for  the  efficient  application  of  the  above  remedy 
and  consists  of  a  minature  bottle  contained  in  a  little  box-wood  case,  so 
that  it  can  be  carried  easily  in  the  pocket.  To  the  lid  of  the  box  is 
attached  the  cork  of  the  bottle,  and  to  the  cork,  in  the  same  fashion  as 
the  spoon  of  a  cayenne-pepper  cruet,  is  fixed  a  little  club-shaped  rod  of 
polished  ivory,  long  enough  to  reach  to  the  bottom  of  the  bottle,  and 
also  to  the  upper  extremity  of  the  nostril.  The  little  bottle  is  kept 
half  full  of  the  lotion  above  prescribed,  and  the  little  rod  immersed 
in  it.  Directly  the  patient  feels  the  tickle  or  other  signal  of  a  coming 
sneeze,  he  uncorks  his  bottle,  withdraws  the  ivory  club,  wet  with  the 
oleaginous  lotion,  and  gently  pushes  it  up  the  nostril  till  it  reaches 
the  seat  of  the  sneeze-signal ;  there  it  should  be  gently  pressed,  so 
as  to  apply  the  lotion  to  the  part.  After  this  the  club  is  withdrawn 
and  returned  to  its  little  bottle  of  fluid,  where  it  becomes  at  once- 
charged  for  a  fresh  application.  As  often  as  the  sneeze  threatens 
the  operation  should  be  repeated.  Very  often  one  application  will 
keep  off  a  threatened  fit  of  sneezing  altogether,  even  though  its  first 
effect  may  be  to  excite  a  sneeze. 
I  have  requested  Messrs.  Savory  and  Moore  to  keep  this  little 
appliance  ready-made  and  charged  with  the  lotion,  so  that  it  can  be 
sent  by  post  without  difficulty  or  delay.  It  has  been  of  so  much 
comfort  in  cases  within  my  own  practice,  that  I  am  sure  it  is  worth 
while  for  one  who  has  not  yet  found  a  remedy  to  give  it  a  trial. 
In  cases  accompanied  by  much  throat  irritation,  it  is  advisable  to 
combine  with  this  treatment  the  use  of  the  "  Lozenges  for  Postnasal 
*  As  different  perfumes  affect  different  patients  peculiarly,  no  scent  is  added 
in  this  formula  ;  but  any  one  who  prefers  it  may  have  it  scented  by  the  addition 
of  whatever  perfume  is  known  to  suit  best. 
