Chapter 3 of 20 · 3980 words · ~20 min read

Part 3

typhus (prison fever, ship fever, typhus fever.) Infectious diseases caused by rickettsia bacteria, especially those transmitted by fleas, lice, or mites. Symptoms are severe headache, sustained high fever, depression, delirium, and the eruption of red rashes on the skin.

ulster Loose, long overcoat made of rugged fabric.

umbrage Offense; resentment. Affording shade. Vague or indistinct indication; a hint.

Uva Ursi Common bearberry; a procumbent (trailing along the ground but not rooting) evergreen shrub 10-30 cm high with red berries.

Valerianate (Valerianic) One of three metameric acids; the typical one (called also inactive valeric acid), C4H9CO2H, is from valerian root and other sources; it is a corrosive, oily liquid, with a strong acid taste, and the odor of old cheese.

valvular Resembling or functioning as a valve. Relating to a valve, especially of the heart.

varioloid Mild form of smallpox occurring in people previously vaccinated or who previously had the disease.

vegetable marrow Squash plants with elongated fruit and smooth dark green skin and whitish flesh.

veratrum Poisonous alkaloid from the root hellebore (Veratrum) and from sabadilla seeds. Used externally to treat neuralgia and rheumatism.

verdigris Blue or green powder, basic cupric acetate used as a paint pigment and fungicide. A green patina of copper sulfate or copper chloride on copper, brass, and bronze exposed to air or seawater.

vermifuge Medicine that expels intestinal worms.

vervain (verbena) New World plants of the genus Verbena, especially those with showy spikes of variously colored flowers.

Vichy water Sparkling mineral water from springs at Vichy, France or water similar to it.

vis-a-vis One that is face to face with or opposite to another.

vitiate Reduce the value; impair the quality; corrupt morally; debase; make ineffective; invalidate.

voile Light, plain-weave, sheer fabric of cotton, rayon, silk, or wool used for dresses and curtains.

wahoo Shrubby North American tree of the genus Euonymus (E. atropurpureus) having a root bark with cathartic properties.

Waldorf salad Diced raw apples, celery, and walnuts mixed with mayonnaise.

wen Harmless cyst, usually on the scalp or face, containing the fatty secretion of a sebaceous gland.

whortleberry Two deciduous shrubs, Vaccinium myrtillus, of Eurasia, or V. corymbosum, of eastern North America, having edible blackish berries.

wontedness Being accustomed.

yarrow Plants of the genus Achillea, especially A. millefolium, native to Eurasia. Also called achillea, milfoil.

yellow fever (yellow jack) Infectious tropical disease caused by an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes of the genera Aedes, especially A. aegypti, and Haemagogus; it causes high fever, jaundice, and gastrointestinal hemorrhaging.

yerba reuma A low California undershrub (Frankenia grandifolia).

Zingiber Tropical Asiatic and Polynesian perennial plants: ginger.

zwieback Sweetened bread baked as a loaf and then sliced and toasted.

The following table is copied from page 636.

20 grains equal 1 scruple 3 scruples " 1 dram 8 drams " 1 ounce 12 ounces " 1 pound

The pound is the same as the pound Troy. Medicines are bought and sold in quantities by Avoirdupois Weight.

1 grain equals 1 drop or 1 minim 60 grains or drops " 1 teaspoonful 1 teaspoonful " 1 fluid dram 8 drams (or 8 teaspoonfuls) make " 1 fluid ounce 2 tablespoonfuls make " 1 fluid ounce 1/2 fluid ounce is a " tablespoonful 2 fluid ounces is a " wineglassful 4 fluid ounces is a " teacupful 6 fluid ounces is a " coffee cup 16 ounces (dry or solid) is a " pound 20 fluid ounces is a " pint

The remaining tables are copied from contemporary (circa 2005) sources

Measurement Unit Conversion

From Multiply by To get inches 25.4 millimeters inches 2.54 centimeters feet 30.48 centimeters yards 0.91 meters miles 1.61 kilometers teaspoons 4.93 milliliters tablespoons 14.79 milliliters fluid ounces 29.57 milliliters cups 0.24 liters pints 0.47 liters quarts 0.95 liters gallons 3.79 liters cubic feet 0.028 cubic meters cubic yards 0.76 cubic meters ounces 28.35 grams pounds 0.45 kilograms short tons (2,000 lbs) 0.91 metric tons square inches 6.45 square centimeters square feet 0.09 square meters square yards 0.84 square meters square miles 2.60 square kilometers acres 0.40 hectacres

millimeters 0.04 inches centimeters 0.39 inches meters 3.28 feet meters 1.09 yards kilometers 0.62 miles milliliters 0.20 teaspoons milliliters 0.06 tablespoons milliliters 0.03 fluid ounces liters 1.06 quarts liters 0.26 gallons liters 4.23 cups liters 2.12 pints cubic meters 35.32 cubic feet cubic meters 1.35 cubic yards grams 0.035 ounces kilograms 2.21 pounds metric ton (1,000 kg) 1.10 short ton square centimeters 0.16 square inches square meters 1.20 square yards square kilometers 0.39 square miles hectacres 2.47 acres

Temperature Conversion Between Celsius and Fahrenheit

C = (F - 32) / 1.8 F = (C x 1.8) + 32

Condition Fahrenheit Celsius Boiling point of water 212 100 A very hot day 104 40 Normal body temperature 98.6 37 A warm day 86 30 A mild day 68 20 A cool day 50 10 Freezing point of water 32 0 Lowest temperature by mixing salt and ice 0 -17.8

U.S. Length

Unit Equal to Metric Equivalent inch 1/12 foot 2.54 centimeters foot 12 inches or 1/3 yard 0.3048 meter yard 36 inches or 3 feet 0.9144 meter rod 16 1/2 feet or 5 1/2 yards 5.0292 meters furlong 220 yards or 1/8 mile 0.2012 kilometer mile (statute) 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards 1.6093 kilometers mile (nautical) 2,025 yards 1.852 kilometers

U.S. Liquid Volume or Capacity

Unit Equal to Metric Equivalent minim 1/60 of a fluid dram 0.0616 milliliters ounce 1/16 pint 29.574 milliliters wineglassful 2 ounces .0591 liter gill 4 ounces 0.1183 liter pint 16 ounces 0.4732 liter quart 2 pints or 1/4 gallon 0.9463 liter gallon 128 ounces or 8 pints 3.7853 liters

barrel (wine) 31 1/2 gallons 119.24 liters (beer) 36 gallons 136.27 liters (oil) 42 gallons 158.98 liters

U.S. Dry Volume or Capacity

Unit Equal to Metric Equivalent pint 1/2 quart 0.5506 liter quart 2 pints 1.1012 liters peck 8 quarts or 1/4 bushel 8.8098 liters bucket 2 pecks 17.620 liters bushel 2 buckets or 4 pecks 35.239 liters

U.S. Weight

Unit Equal to Metric Equivalent grain 1/7000 pound 64.799 milligrams dram 1/16 ounce 1.7718 grams ounce 16 drams 28.350 grams pound 16 ounces 453.6 grams ton (short) 2,000 pounds 907.18 kilograms ton (long) 2,240 pounds 1,016.0 kilograms

U.S. Geographic Area

Unit Equal to Metric Equivalent acre 4,840 square yards 4,047 square meters

Cooking Measures

Unit Equal to Metric Units drop 1/76 teaspoon 0.0649 milliliter teaspoon 76 drops or 1/3 tablespoon 4.9288 milliliters tablespoon 3 teaspoons 14.786 milliliters cup 16 tablespoons or 1/2 pint 0.2366 liter pint 2 cups 0.4732 quart 4 cups or 2 pints 0.9463

British Liquid Volume or Capacity

Unit British Units U.S. Units Metric Units minim 1/20 of a scruple 0.0592 milliliters pint 1/2 quart 1.201 pints 0.5683 liter quart 2 pints or 1/4 gallon 1.201 quarts 1.137 liters gallon 8 pints or 4 quarts 1.201 gallons 4.546 liters

British Dry Volume or Capacity

Unit British Units U.S. Units Metric Units peck 1/4 bushel 1.0314 pecks 9.087 liters bushel 4 pecks 1.0320 bushels 36.369 liters

Apothecary Weights

Unit Apothecary Units U.S. Units Metric Units grain 160 dram or 1/5760 pound 1 grain 64.799 milligrams dram 60 grains or 1/8 ounce 2.1943 drams 3.8879 grams ounce 8 drams 1.0971 ounces 31.1035 grams pound 12 ounces or 96 drams 0.8232 pound 373.242 grams

[End Transcriber's Notes]

MOTHER'S' REMEDIES Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada.

Also Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, Diet, Nursing, Treatments, Etc., of Every Known Disease. Poisons, Accidents, Medicinal Herbs and Special Departments on Women, Children and Infants,

by DR. T. J. RITTER Formerly connected with Medical Faculty of University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich.

REVISED with INTRODUCTION by DR. W. E. ZIEGENFUSS

PUBLISHED BY G.H. FOOTE PUB. CO. DETROIT MICH 1921

RIVERSIDE PRINTING COMPANY PORT HURON MICHIGAN

PREFACE. [iii]

Medicine is not an exact science, and it is reasonable to presume that even Time, with all its qualifying influences, will fail in its effects on this one branch of science. As the millions of faces seem each to present some differentiating feature, so each human system seems to require special study of its individual temperament.

So physicians find it necessary to have more than one remedy for a given ill; they still find truth in the old adage, "What is one man's meat is another's poison." But Mother finds a variety of remedies necessary for another reason. Her medicine-chest is usually lacking the full quota of drugs required to meet the many emergencies, and she must turn to the "remedy at hand."

Necessity has again proved its influence and with the years thousands of simple home concoctions have found their way to the relief of the daily demands on Mother's ingenuity. These mothers' remedies have become a valuable asset to the raising of a family, and have become a recognized essential in a Mother's general equipment for home-making.

For fifteen years the Publisher has handled so-called home medical works; during that time he has had occasion to examine practically all the home medical works published. He has been impressed with the utter uselessness of many, perhaps most, of these books because the simple home remedies were lacking.

A few years ago he conceived the idea of gathering together the "Mothers' Remedies" of the world. This one feature of this book he claims as distinctly his own. Letters were sent by him to Mothers in every state and territory of the United States, and to Canada and other countries, asking for tried and tested "Mothers' Remedies." The appeal was met with prompt replies, and between one thousand and two thousand valuable remedies were collected in this way.

Through courtesy to these Mothers who helped to make this book possible, the book was named "MOTHERS' REMEDIES."

Dr. T. J. Ritter, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, a graduate of the regular School of Medicine at the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and later one of the medical staff of the University, consented to furnish the necessary material to complete the Medical Department. Dr. Ritter, in over thirty years of actual practice, has met with all the exigencies of both city and country practice which have brought to him the ripe experience of what would be called a "physician's life-time." His success has been, in part, due to his honesty, kindliness and conscientiousness, as well as to his thorough training and natural adaptability to the profession.

Besides writing the Causes, Symptoms, Preventives, Nursing, Diet, Physicians' Treatment, etc., he has examined each and every one of the Mothers' Remedies and added, when possible, the reason why that remedy is valuable. In short, he supplied in his remarks following each Mother's Remedy the Medical virtue or active principle of the ingredients. This lifts each Mother's Remedy into the realm of science,--in fact, to the level of a Doctor's Prescription.

In writing his part, Dr. Ritter consulted, personally or through their works, considerably over one hundred of the acknowledged Medical Specialists of the world. Thus he has brought to you the latest discoveries of modern science,--the Medical knowledge of the world's great specialists.

Dr. Ritter, therefore, wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to the following: On the subject of Theory and Practice, to Dr. Wm. Osler, Oxford University, England; Dr. James M. Andres, Ph. D., Medico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. Hughes Dayton, Vanderbilt Clinic-College of Physicians and Surgeons; Dr. Hobart A. Hare, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. Temple S. Hoyne, Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. A. E. Small, Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. C. G. Raue, Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. John King, Eclectic Medical Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio. On the subject of Materia Medica to Dr. John Shoemaker, Medico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. Hobart A. Hare; Drs. Hemple and Arndt, Homeopathic, and others. On the subject of Obstetrics, to Dr. W. P. Manton, Detroit Medical College, and others. On the subject of Surgery, to the American Text Book on Surgery, edited by Drs. Keen and White, of Philadelphia, and many contributors. On the subject of Nervous Diseases, to Dr. Joseph D. Nagel and others. On the subject of the Eye, to Dr. Arthur N. Alling, of Yale University. On the subject of the Ear, to Dr. Albert H. Buck, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; Dr. O. A. Griffin, University of Michigan and others. On the Nose and Throat, to Dr. James B. Ball, London, England. On the Skin, to Dr. James N. Hyde, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. Alfred Schalek, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Ill. On the Rectum and Anus, to Dr. Samuel G. Gant, Ph. D., Post-graduate College, New York City. On the Diseases of Children, to Dr. L. Emmett Holt, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City; Dr. Koplik, New York City; Dr. Charles Douglas, Detroit College of Medicine; Dr. Henry E. Tuley, University of Kentucky; Dr. Tooker, Chicago. On the subject of Nursing, to Isabel Hampton Robb, and on Dietetics, to Dr. Julius Friedenwald, College Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, Md. On the Baby to Drs. Holt, Douglas, Tooker, Koplik and Coolidge. On Insanity, to Dr. Selden Talcott, formerly superintendent of the Middleton State Hospital for the Insane, New York State. Besides the above a great many other physicians and their works might be mentioned, and to all appreciation is gratefully acknowledged.

Mrs. Elizabeth Johnstone, who writes the department on "Manners and Social Customs," is the only daughter of the late Francis Gardiner, one of the early settlers of Washtenaw County, Michigan. She was educated at the State Normal School, now the Normal College at Ypsilanti, and taught for several years after graduation. In 1880 she married the late Robert Ferguson Johnstone, editor of the Michigan Farmer, and after his death became editor of the Household Department of that paper. In 1895, the Farmer having passed into other ownership, she became a member of the Editorial Staff of the Detroit Free Press, where,--continuing to write under the pseudonym of "Beatrix" she has become widely known through the vast circulation of that paper.

Years of experience have enabled her to write on topics of interest to women with comprehension of their needs, and to answer social inquiries with exactness.

Miss Edna Gertrude Thompson, who supplies the chapter on Domestic Science, is a graduate of the Northern State Normal of Michigan. She was for a time a teacher in the Public Schools of Michigan and New York State. Miss Thompson later graduated from and is now the director of the Domestic Science Department of the Thomas Normal Training School of Detroit, Michigan.

Miss Thompson has won an enviable reputation in Domestic Science work. She has avoided all of the quackery, self-exploitation and money schemes, which have proved a temptation to many in the work, and which have tended to brand the science as an advertising scheme, and confined herself to study, teaching and the legitimate development of the science. Her work in the Normal and in giving lectures on Domestic Science brings her in touch with large numbers of intelligent and practical women who realize that housekeeping and cookery must be reduced to a science. Luxuries of fifty years ago are necessities today. The increase in the cost of living without a corresponding advance in wages has made it imperative that method and system he installed in the home.

Domestic Science is still in the embryo, but let us hope it will, in a measure at least, prove a panacea for modern domestic ills and receive the encouragement and speedy endorsement that it deserves.

TABLE OF CONTENTS [vii]

Beginning on Page MEDICAL DEPARTMENT 1 Mother's Diagnosis 1 Respiratory Diseases 6 Animal Parasites, Diseases Caused by 44 Skin, Diseases of 52 Digestive Organs, Diseases of 97 Kidney and Bladder, Diseases of 152 Infectious Diseases 166 Blood and Ductless Glands, Diseases of 249 Nervous System, Diseases of 261 Constitutional Diseases 314 Circulatory System, Diseases of 337 Eye and Ear, Diseases of 346 Deformities 369 Intoxicants and Sunstrokes 371 Accidents, Emergencies and Poisons 376 Herb Department 408 Homeopathy 448 Patent Medicines and Secret Formula, 465

Woman's Department Diseases of Women 489 Obstetrics or Midwifery 515 All About Baby 544 Nursing Department 623 Schools of Medicine, Leading 669 Operations 662 Hot Springs of Arkansas 666 Common Household Articles, Medical Uses of 668 Mothers' Remedies, Unclassified 674

MANNERS AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS 683 BEAUTY AND THE TOILET 790 NURSERY HINTS AND FIRESIDE GEMS 800 DOMESTIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENT 817 CANNING, PICKLING, PRESERVING, ETC 831 CANDY DEPARTMENT 848 MISCELLANEOUS, GENERAL 856 DICTIONARY, MEDICAL 893

INDEX Medical 909 Manners and Social Customs 944 Miscellaneous 946

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS [viii]

ADENOIDS Opposite Page 8 APPENDIX, VERMIFORM (Showing Different Types) 116 APPENDIX, VERMIFORM (When Affected by Inflammation and Gangrene, Necessitating an Operation) 116 ARDIS (Baby Photo) 544 BANDAGING, HOSPITAL METHOD 384 BRONCHIAL TUBES AND LUNGS Opposite Page 6 CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Opposite Page 337 DIPHTHERIA Opposite Page 184 DROWNING (Schaefer Method of Resuscitating) Opposite Page 399 EYE BANDAGE, PLAN OF BORSCH'S Page 386 HAND ARTERIES Opposite Page 392 HAND NERVES Opposite Page 292 HEART, STOMACH AND APPENDIX Opposite Page 97 HERB PLATES: Bearberry Opposite Page 411 Blood Root Opposite Page 413 Boneset Opposite Page 414 Canada Fleabane Opposite Page 430 Chamomile, True Opposite Page 417 Elder Flowers Opposite Page 422 Elecampane Opposite Page 446 Ginseng Opposite Page 424 Indian Tobacco or Lobelia Opposite Page 417 Mandrake or May-apple Opposite Page 429 Marigold, Marsh Opposite Page 430 Mustard Opposite Page 432 Partridge Berry Opposite Page 432 Pleurisy Root Opposite Page 434 Rock Rose Opposite Page 431 St. John's Wort Opposite Page 443 Scouring Rush Opposite Page 414 Seneca Snake Root Opposite Page 438 Snake Head Opposite Page 408 Tansy Opposite Page 437 Wahoo Opposite Page 445 Wormsted, American Opposite Page 446 Wormwood Opposite Page 443

KIDNEYS, URETERS AND BLADDER Page 153 MUSCULAR SYSTEM Opposite Page 323 NERVOUS SYSTEM Page 262 OBLIQUE BANDAGE OF THE JAW 380 RITTER, DR. T. J. (Photo) Opposite Title Page SCIATIC NERVE Opposite Page 266 SKELETON Opposite Page 369 SKIAGRAPH (X-RAY PHOTOGRAPH) OF THE HAND 316 SPIRAL BANDAGE OF THE FINGER 384 SPIRAL BANDAGE OF THE FOOT 384 SPIRAL REVERSED BANDAGE OF THE JAW 386 TASTE BUDS 308 THYROID GLAND (Goitre) Opposite Page 258

PHYSICIAN'S INTRODUCTION [x]

"Of the things which man can do or make here below, by far the most momentous, wonderful, and worthy, are the things we call Books." --CARLYLE.

"A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness." --S. SMILES.

Of making books there seems no end. Some are good, some bad, and many just an encumbrance upon the book-shelves, neither of much use nor particularly harmful. Some books are to be read for cheer and amusement; some for reproof and correction; others to be studied for useful information and profit.

The Ideal Book.

There is a wide felt need for a worthy book of sound hygienic and medical facts for the non-medical people. The Ideal Book for this mission should be compact in form, but large enough to give the salient facts, and give these in understandable language; it must not be "loaded" with obsolete and useless junk of odds and ends which have long ceased to be even interesting; it must carry with it the stamp of genuine reliability; it should treat all the ordinary and most common forms of ailments and accidents; it must be safe in its teachings; it needs to be free from objectionable language and illustrations, so that all of any family may study and use it with profit; it must frequently warn of dangers ahead and urge the summoning of professional skill promptly, for there are many cases requiring the services of experienced physicians and surgeons in their treatment; it should advise remedies readily obtainable, as well as those for which long journeys to a drug store are required; and finally the book should be reasonable in price that those who most need it can afford to own it.

Need of Brevity.

The facts of hygiene and therapeutic measures are widely scattered through medical literature, and extend over hundreds of years of time. Many volumes have been written on diseases of the eye, the heart, liver, and stomach, brain and other organs, to understand which requires special technical education. It would be the height of folly to present these discussions to the laity in their original form, hence the necessity for condensation and presentation of the needful facts in the language of the people in whose interests the book is printed. In a book of fiction there may be need for useless verbiage for the sake of "making pages," but facts of vital importance and usefulness in our daily welfare need to be well boiled down and put into shape for ready reference. This has been done in "Mothers' Remedies" and I think it quite fulfills the ideal I have outlined above.

The title is rather odd upon first seeing it, but the most plausible when you become acquainted with its import. It surely becomes the best friend of the whole family. "It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity," but cheerfully answers a thousand and one questions of vital importance to the household. In the hour of distress, when illness or accident befalls the dear ones, you may turn again and again to its pages without meeting disappointment.

Its Value. [x]

There are many books on household medicines, but in my opinion this is the most useful of them all, a very present help in time of need. You can go to it for helpful information without failing to find it. Is there serious illness in the house? It will tell you about it concisely and plainly, describing its symptoms, nature and course, and advise you to consult the family physician if of a serious nature before it is too late. In the chapters on accidents, emergencies and poisons, it tells you what to do at once while awaiting the doctor's arrival. He will be much pleased to see that you have made the proper effort to treat the case. Prompt treatment makes for prompt recovery.

The real value of any book, or what is sometimes called its intrinsic value, or utility, consists in what it avails to gratify some desire or want of our nature. It depends, then, wholly upon its qualities in relation to our desires. That which contributes in ever so small degree to the wellbeing of humanity is of greater value than silver or gold. This book contains hundreds of prescriptions, anyone of which will repay the small cost in money that it requires to possess it. In fact, the financial investment is so small when compared with the benefit derived from its pages that this feature need not be considered.

Examples.

In the stillness and loneliness of the night, away from medical help, there comes the hoarse barking cough of the child, perhaps, and a case of croup is upon the responsibility of the parents. The struggles and terror of the little patient throws the household into consternation, and all is excitement in a moment. If the mother ever knew what to do in such a case she is likely not able to recall the exact remedy at this time, the doctor is miles away, and the case is urgent.

A reference to the medical index of "Mothers' Remedies" under croup shows that on pages 27, 28 and 29, is a full description of the attack, and there are fifteen (15) home remedies given, many of which can be found in the house, and the spasm may be stopped by the use of one of them.