Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/2074

1866 be painless, with water in it, or it maybe inflamed, and develop into an abscess. The latter is the easier to cure, as the opening of the abscess will cure the condition. The former may require a surgical operation to get rid of it. Painting with iodine is useful.

Ingrowing Toe-nail.—Generally the result of small boots. Cotton wool dusted with iodoform and pressed between the nail and the soft parts will relieve the pain, but the best method is to cut a groove down the centre of the nail with a small file or a penknife, which practically divides the nail and removes the pressure. Larger boots should be worn.

Itch is due to direct infection by a small parasite called Acarus. The irritation is most intense at night. Examination will show small elevated pimples, generally with the heads scratched off, all over the body, but especially in the angles between the fingers. The face is not attacked.

Treatment.—A warm bath at night followed by rubbing sulphur ointment all over the affected parts. The patient should sleep in the underclothing worn on the previous day. Another warm bath should be taken in the morning, and clean underclothing put on. The soiled underclothing should be disinfected. This treatment repeated for two or three nights will effect a cure.

Internal Hæmorrhage.—Give a little ice to be sucked. Keep the patient at complete rest. The liquid extract, of ergot, in doses of 10 to 15 drops every 2 hours in water, will be found useful. 10 grains of gallic acid with 10 drops of tincture of opium, and 15 drops of aromatic sulphuric acid, may be given every 3 hours in bleeding from the lungs. The ergot extract may be given for this, and for bleeding from the stomach as well.

Nettlerash, or Urticaria, consists of white wheals and red blotches, intensely irritating, coming and going, first in one and then in another part of the body. The cause is usually some article of food which has been ingested, and has disagreed. Shell-fish, pork, canned meats, and some fruits will bring on an attack.

Treatment.—An emetic, if the offending article of diet has recently been swallowed, followed by a dose of castor-oil. A light diet, and a few doses of fluid magnesia will complete the cure.

Neuralgia.—Give quinine and iron 2 grains of the former and 10 drops of the latter (as steel-drops) 3 times a day in water. Menthol may be applied externally, also ether spray. Decayed teeth or stumps should be removed, and ear discharge or defective sight attended to. If the attack comes on at the same hour every day, a dose of the quinine taken half an hour before the period may ward it off. Hot fomentations or camphorated oil containing some laudanum, will often relieve the pain during an attack.

Nightmare.—Give, 20 grains of bromide of potassium in water at bedtime.