-^/(^ 1f €' H# ^^ ■^%. S5.tt,\ V iS-f. 5* '^yl- "^^^ fi^i^r m -:^c ■ft'' 1~ >^Vi^4^ "^h^' ^W-^ ■^' c ^ ^>k^ ■'fe 3*iit \k/ -^i^k^'^ tJ^y icr^^^^^i^^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/humphreyshomeopaOOhump_0 I Y(> tdc^xoJ^ HUMPHREYS HOMEOPATHIC MEITOR OR FAMILY ADVISER IN THE USE OF SPECIFIC HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE. BY F. HUMPHREYS, M. D. Formerly Profossor of Institutes of Homeopathy, Patholoj^y and Medical Practice in the liomeoputlnc Medical College of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia; Author of Dysentery and its Homeopathic Treatment; Cholera and its Ho- meopathic Treatment; and Prover of Apis Mellifica, Plantago Major, etc., etc. REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. Tnig Book is also Published in f'RENCH, GERMAN, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE. New York: HUMPHREYS' HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE CO., Cor. William <Sc John Streets. 1906 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by HUMPHREYS' SPECIFIC HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE COMPANY, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Co//, B^- Parties using HUMPHEEYS' HOMEOPATHIC SPECIFICS IN QUANTITIES, WILL FIND IT ECONOMICAL TO ORDER FLASKS. See last page for CUT. 14 PREFACE. It is now over thirty years since I commenced the experi- mentation and use of Specific or Combined Medicines, the results of which, in a popular, practical form, I present in this work. I waited long, perhaps too long, that I might not be accused of rashly offering crude or immature Specifics; and yet, remembering how little comparatively, one man can do in so wide a field, in even so long a period, I could wish the time longer, and the experience more ample. If it shall lead to greater precision in the use of medicine, and a more complete control over human disease and suffering, my labor will have been amply rewarded. The snatches of time for its production, taken from the exactions of large professional and business cares, must apologize for any want of unity or defects of style that may appear in its composition. The theme is new. Old-school medicines have been com- pounded or combined for centuries, and Polypharmacy has been the rule, as well as the opprobrium of its practitioners. The rule of Hahnemann was exact and rigorous — one medi- cine, in its highest attenuation, given once, and permitted undisturbed, to expend its action —formed the ideal of his Homeopathic practice. To this rule, the professor and the amateur, the adept and the sateUite, were expected to con- form. The choice of the medicine was to be made, not so much according to the physiological or pathological law of ^ure, as according to some keynote^ or fantastic aberratio*v. II PREFACE. alike of medicine and disease, the study of which seemed to some minds a psychological phantasmagoria. But practical men and practical medicine, with too liitle, perhaps, of faith and too Httle, certainly, of result, unwilling to attribute all failure to the bluntness of their own pen ep- tions, hesitating to follow the shadow of the master, when their footsteps so often fell on dead men's bones, turned aside to seek more substantial footing in larger doses, frequent repetitions and alternation of remedies. The success became as sure, the labor less, and the way plainer. But what then becomes of the ideal philosophic rule — the one medicine, the one dose, and undisturbed action ? It is buried, in a sea, so deep, as to be practically fathomless. But what becomes of the simiUa, the law of cure, when modes so different, paths e^o apparently divergent, lead to the same goal ? Simply this : The Law of Cure is wider THAN WE KNOW. Not to SO uarrow channels as we have believed, are the waters of this Bethesda confined. Simple and childhke may his faith be, who believes that in his method alone is the cup of healing; a deeper knowledge and wider experience would have placed it in the hands of others as well. From alternated to combined medicines (Specifics) the transition is easy. The old rule of faith and practice is gone. A wider field is opened and we are invited to enter. Shall the similia in one, or the similia in several be accepted ; shall the similia be the occasional aberration, or the physiological counterpart ? So we seek out the law of combination, and adapt our Specific similia to the Pathological individuality. With all progress, and every improvement, there comes the wail of dissatisfaction and x-eproach. These they say are avoiders of honest toil, scalers of Heaven's walls without PREFACE. ni needful faith or purity, who seek by a broader road the Divine way to mystei-ies of hfe ; indolent ones who, while they neither toil nor spin, yet assume the gorgeous array of Solomon. But what is progress but a lessening of human toil ! From the beginning, every improvement diniinished somebody's work ; made some hours of toil superfluous, so that this reproach becomes a praise. If it gives increased certainty of result, all the better. That some obscurity should overshadow the pathway that leads from disease out into the highway of healths seems inevitable. To reduce this obscurity to its minimum, should be the tireless aim of scientific effort. Should there be but one dim path, we should seek to render it plainer, less devious, and less obstructed. Should there be many, we will reverently uncover our heads, and be thankful. Multitudes having gone along in the simple, open path of Specific medicine, have been led to the Kllysium of health, and with gratitude acknowledge the blessing. It is to afford additional light to the thousands yet in the path, that these pages are written. Additional observation and experience will doubtless suggest improvements, giving simplicity to the direction, and certainty to the result, yet such as it is, it is offered in confidence that it will afford substantial aid to thousands. As this work is designed for the use of the People, its most conspicuous feature should be its entire adaptation to their wants. It must give such counsel and advice as they need in their quest, not merely for the recovery of lost health, but for the preservation and improvement of health. The latter — the preserving of health — may be really more important than the former, though it be an often overlooked and some- times thankless task, for, " who thanks you for what you prevent ? " IV PREFACE. So in these pages much space is given to the study of hygiene — air, water, food, drainage, the nutritive vakie of different foods, and the best manner of cooking and serving them. The use of baths, stimulants, beverages; the nursing and care of children, of the sick, the invalid, the aged and infirm. To these there is added in their appropriate chapters and under proper headings a simple description of the various diseases most commonly met and most likely to be success- fully treated either at their beginning or throughout their course by domestic practice. Then there follows such plain and simple directions for nursing, food, and the use of the Specifics, as are most readily followed and most likely to result favorably. The whole intent is to make the way so plain that even the most inexperienced of intelligent persons may follow it without confusion or error. One prominent feature of this work should not be over- looked, namely, the use of prophylactic or preventive Speci- fics. Though the idea may provoke a smile of incredulity among the uninitiated, yet the thousands who have thus escaped Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Measles, Whooping- Cough, Intermittent Fever, and other forms of disease by this simple procedure, realize that what seems to others a joke has been to them a blessed reality. This method could only have been made so plain by the use of these Specifics. In no other way could the liability or danger of perplexity and error have been avoided. There is no seeking among many medicines for the right one ; no devious or intricate mode of preparation, before administer- ing ; all is prepared as wanted, and the one requirement is to simply follow the simple directions. .^. HUMPHREYS, M. D. July, 1889. INTRODUCTION. Life — Health — Disease. Medicine can only have to do with living bodies. So soon as the vital principle has departed, it only remains that the body be cast off, and returned by dissolution, to its original elements. AM living bodies exist by virtue of an inherent vital prin- ciple, tln-ough which they are enabled to appropriate for their growth and development, the elements necessary for that pui'pose. Through this vital principle they take up, and combine in new relations and forms, and for new offices or uses, the surrounding particles in earth, water, air, Hght and heat; all that may be necessary for their growth, development, and perfection. Thus all nature is constantly undergoing change, by virtue of the vital prin- ciple appropriate to each hving body. With each individual there is the power of forming itself after its like, and, of necessity, of appropriating those particles from surround- ing nature which are requisite for this pxupose. 2 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. Thus the acorn has in itself a germinal life, by virtue of which it first appropriates the nutriment of the nut for the development of its first shoot and rudimentary leaves, and then throwing down its spongioles or roots, begins to take up from earth and absorb from air, light and moisture the elements, from which, in a century, the monarch of the forest is produced. Every particle of aU that immense tree, from rootlet to leaf, and from the outer bark to the core, the form and color, taste and odor of every leaf and twig, of every branch and bud, is determined by virtue of this inherent vital energy, which has appropriated from its environment the particles necessary for that purpose. If circumstances are favorable, if the plant or germ i& not weak in its germinal existence, and if surrounded by favoring circumstances in earth, air, light or heat^ we may expect the full and entire development of the plant or tree, according to its order. But should these conditions be wanting, there will be variations in growth, development, or perfection, according to the degree in which the wanting substance is necessary, which may vary from the slightest deviation, down through aU stages of morbid or stunted growth and imperfection, to the entire cessation of life. The entire habit of a tree may even be changed by a systematic perversion of the laws of its life. What is true in regard to vegetable life, growth and development, holds in perhaps a higher sense in regard to animal life. In the foiiner, vitality, by the Chemico-vital Jiiws of its existence only, simply appropriates that within its reach and needful for its growth. But in animal Hfo these functions become compHcated or more or less in- LIFE. d fluenced by the psychological or mental organization of the individual. The sensible organization of man begins with a simple cyst, too small to be visible to the unassisted eye. This cyst, so diminutive and formless, without body or partem is endowed with wonderful vital powers, by virtue of which it draws from the blood of the mother all that is necessary for the perfection of its embryo or foetal life, until, this form of existence having been perfected, it is ushered into the world. Thenceforward a new mode of Hfe takes place. Through food and di'ink, light and aii', heat and moisture, every thing required for the sustenance, growth and devel- opment of the body is apj)ropriated to its proper office and use, until, man, the highest development of animal life, becomes a microcosm, having in his own body, certainly all the more common, and probably every primary element in existence. Thus we have carbon and oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen, sulphur and iron, phosphorus and Hme, ammonia and albumen, silica and silver, and even gold and arsenic. It is not probable that there is a single essential element in nature that is not, in a more or less perfected condition, found in the body of man. The bones are mostly phos- phate and carbonate of lime. Sulphiu' prevails largely in the skin, hair and nails ; phosphorus in the bones and brain; silicn forms the enamel of the teeth and the white of the eye, and through all this wonderful structure, each element plays its essential part, and not only sustains that part, but sei'\'es to maintain the integrity of the whole. It is not to be supposed that these chemical elements exist within us in their gross or crude forms. In some cases they exist in considerable quantities, but always progressed, or in a 4 HOMEOPATHIC MEKTOR. degree of refinement, far beyond what is observed in their usual or gross forms. In many cases they exist in forms so minute, and proportions so diminutive as only to be de- tected by the most delicate appUances of science. Nay; the condition, in which they often exist is, if possible, in finitely more refined or attenuated than the most extended Homeopathic potence of the same element. Each of these particles is appropriated or ehminated from the material taken, and each is progressed or perfected, and then placed in its proper organ, tissue or part, giving form, color, strength or other quahty to the part by, virtue solely of this vital principle called into action in the original germ. Whenever it is found that the elementary parficles, necessary for the perfection of a particular tissue, part or organ, are wanting, not having been either supplied at all, or in- sufficiently, or in improper condition; or when the organism has failed to ehminate them fi'om the elements presented, defect and disease must be the result, and this may be grave or trifling, in proportion as the wanting elements are essential to the integrity of the part or whole. Not merely are new particles taken up and appropriated to the growth and maintenance of each organ or tissue, but throughout the entire body the process of renovation is constantly going an; old, efi'ete and waste particles are being removed and cast off, while new and fresh ones are constantly being deposited. What we observe of the growth of the haii' and nails is but an exhibition of what is going on in every part of the system. The bones change slowly, while the soft parts fill up or shrink away, sometimes in a few hours, but each is constantly undergoing change uj) to the fin/il iiour of dissolution. Thus the entire body is a vaat Chemico-vital laboratory, constantly taking up new elements and forming new combinations, while eliminating and dis- solving and casting off old and effete particles. What has been observed thus far in regard to the growth and maintainance of man has reference to his unconscious existence. The heart beats, the blood is changed, the food is digested and bile secreted, whether we wake or sleep, or will or nill. Foiiunately these vital functions are not placed under the control of our conscious volition. Thus far we have considered the body only with reference to its vital powers and physical organization, leaving out of view the higher plane of our existence, the psychological or mental. But with sentient beings there is not merely a vegetative or animal hfe, but a higher plane of spiritual life, including our entire conscious existence, all that thinks and reflects, wills and remembers, hopes and fears, and which cons4itutes our true seK; and to the maintainance of which in this hfe, the entire body is but the organ or temple. The spiritual or psychological existence is so intimately connected with the material form through which it manifests itself, that the growth and development of the one and the happiness and peace of the other are inse2:)arable, and the dissolution of the one is the cessatior of the visible manifestation of the other. Neither the body nor its parts can suffer or undergo destructive change in any degree without the manifestation of uneasi- ness, pain or suffering in the spiritual plane of its existence; and the shghtest psychological change produces conespond- ing changes in the body. AJ] our iDassions, our hopes or 6 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. fears, our joys and sorrows are reflected upon the physicai organism with which we are connected. A pleasant sur- prise causes the blood to mantle the cheek with blushes, while fear not merely blanches the cheek and sends the blood to the vitals, but sometimes whitens the hair in a night. Thinking brings the blood to the brain, joy causes the heart to palpitate, grief or chagrin arrests the digestion, while despondency or fear tends to typhus. Habits of Hving, thought, or reflection, stamp themselves upon the organism, so that the lines of the face eventually show the settled habit of thought. The " goodness of the heart causeth the face to shine." The benevolent man carries his heart in his countenance, while envy or hate, avarice or treachery ultimately betray themselves in the lines of the face. Thus every passion or emotion of our sentient life has its corresponding influence upon our vegetative existence, while in turn the perfection of owi animal life has much, nay, almost everything to do with the peace and happiness of our higher existence. Thousands of children are cross and fi^etful, simply because they are ill, and multitudes of men are sour, morose and disagreeable from indigestion, and not a few become felons and outlaws from a faulty or ill-balanced material organization. While vitality has the power of appropriating from the elements presented what may be necessary for the develop- ment and sustenance of the body, it has also a power, witliin certain limits, of discrimination and rejection of that which is hurtful or inimical to its integrity or existence. In this sense life has been termed a force of resistance. No sooner are inimical or hurtful substances taken into the LIFE. system, than the vital powers set up a process tending to their expulsion. In some cases the opposition is so forcible and sudden as to call up the most extraordinary manifesta- tions, while in others it seems necessary that a longer and more tedious series of means should be adopted for this end. The first is most clearly seen in the action of the system against those substances which are so j^i'^judicial, as to have obtained the name of poisons. In such cases the most revulsive efi'orts are manifested and the system seeks by vomiting, purging, fever, sweating, or other means, to rid itself of substances injurious or inimical to its peace and integrity. So when aiiicles improper in quantity or quahty have been taken, an action is set up, more or less violent or determined, with a view of throwing off the offending substance. Such action, though it tends to re- estabhsh the equihbrium of the system, is, nevertheless, morbid and is properly termed disease. In some cases the offendinf]f matter is at once thi'own off' and the svstem promptly rights itseK, while in others it is only after a long coui'se of depression, violent febrile action and prostration, that the system finally raUies; or, exhausted, sinks under its excessive efforts. Substances appropriate for our gro\\i:h and sustenance in proper quantities, become prejudicial if taken when deteriorated in quality or ex cessive in quantity. Some articles of food can only be taken with impunity in small quantities, while others may be taken safelv in anv amount and at almost any time. IS or can all persons, even when in good health, take the same articles or quantities, with equal satisfaction or impunity; nay, there are some to whom eggs are almost pois/^nous, 8 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. while to others, onions, or lobsters, or even roses or honey are substances of their constant fear or dread; and these articles, usually innocent or harmless to others, act upon them with the violence of poisons, inflicting not only great suffering, but serious and even lasting sickness. The reason would seem to be that vitality in these various cases, has no need in her economy of these peculiar elements, or combi- nations of them that are presented in these examples, and hence revolts against them as against other noxia or poisons. Not merely these antipathies, but also the longings so common among certain persons, may be referred to the same instinctive source. It is said that animals instinctively seek and eat plants or substances known to be beneficial for their particular diseases. Cattle afflicted with what is termed bone disease — a peculiar softening of the bones — seek and gnaw with avidity, bones which contain phosphate 3f lime, the particular element wanting in their system. Deer, it is said, bury their horns as they fall off in the spring, and again resort to them from time to time, and by devouring them, refurnish the material for the immense and rapid growth of the new antlers. The longing for water, and cooling, acidulated drinks in fevers, is as natural as it is during the heat of summer, arising in either case from the excessive evaporation in the form of sweat or insensible perspiration, resulting in the rapid drain of moisture from the blood and soft parts, and hence vitality calling in these longings for the needed supply. The desire of children or girls of a certain age for chalk, clay, slate or similar substances, may doubtless be referred to some LIFE. 9 cKemical want of the system, of which this longing is the expression. It will be observed that these longings mostly occur during some particular state or condition of the system, when it is about to establish some change or evolu- tion, and hence, some extraordinary expenditure is required Hence, females when about to estabhsh the menstruation or during the process of maternity, when the elements for a new organization are to be eliminated, are most subject to them. In some organizations there may be primary defi- ciencies which are never fully suppHed, and hence these manifestation or longings or eccentricities of appetite or want, are rarely or never absent. We have seen that vitahty has the power of selecting and appropriating whatever is necessary to perfect itself after its own material and form, and has also a wonderful power of overcoming obstacles and adapting itseK to circumstances. True, the perfection of the organism must arise from the ample and appropriate nature of the material afforded, yet a modified and seemingly healthy condition is often found under very adverse circumstances. An oak may be systema- tically dwarfed to a yard in height, and yet manifest its complete identity. So Animal Life is found in a thousand instances, thriving and striving against influences the most injurious or inimical. The potato grows in a dark cellarj 3ven though the light can give no color to its vine, and eyeless fish swim in the waters of Mammoth Cave. AVhole races of men live almost exclusively upon rice and fruits, while others Uve as exclusively upon the fat of the whale or seal. The secretion of the salivary glands is supposed to be quite beneficial to health, but millions, by the systematic 10 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. use of tobacco, deprive themselves of saliva. Grood air, cleanliness and wholesome food are considered indispen- sable to health, yet the thousands of children playing in the gutters of our large cities, reeking with foiil odors and covered with dirt, and yet comparatively tough and heart}, show that vitahty may maintain its integiity, even against these mahgn influences; nay, there are those who habitually take ardent spirits, tobacco, opium, and even arsenic, for years, or even half a hfe time, and yet poor depressed vitahty succeeds in affording them a modified health, not- withstanding. That men live in apparent health, under these malign influences, proves, not that the influences themselves are harmless, but that vitality, at least for a time, possesses a power of self-sustentation, which over- rides their destructive tendencies. Similar to this is the faculty possessed by the organism, and its several parts, of adaptation to circumstances, in order to accompUsh what may be required of it. The limits of human endurance or accomplishment are almost beyond comprehension, and things are every day done which at first sight seem impossible. So soon as a demand is made upon the system or an organ, vitahty sets in operation the means to meet that demand. If the re- sources are properly husbanded and the end 2)ersever- ingly sought, vitality will sooner or later, more or less perfectly, according to the circumstances, respond to that recjuirement. The eye of the watch-maker becomes wonder- fully acute in the perception of small objects, while that of the pilot discovers objects at distances impossible to othera The touch of the blind enables him to read, while LIFE. 11 the eye 'jf the deaf detects the words of another from the motion of the lips. Sometimes an organ or faculty becomes so changed from education or habit, as to become pei^^erted, or an entire new faculty may be called into existence. The millei awakes when the mill stops, and the night-watchman sleeps best in the day time. Those who have long followed the proving of di'ugs upon themselves, and hence have long and constant occasion to analyze their own sensations and functions, find an entirely new faculty called into existence, of which before they had been ignorant. In the effort of vitality to adapt itself to cii'cumstances (to exist even if not according to its original type) new forms or modifi- cations are constantly manifested. The following out of these new forms under the same or similar circumstances, give rise to permanently new varieties. Thus domestic animals or fowls exhibit almost every variety of color or even shape, while the wild are unvarying in color and form. The wild goose or pigeon are always the same, while domestic ones, limited in their supplies, and subjected to arbitrary crossings, exhibit great variety of form and color. Deviations in the flowering of plants, or in the production of fi'uit or grain, are traceable originally to the same source. True, all nature tends to perfection. But, in order to perfection there must be varieties, so that the most beneficial of these may be propagated while the im- perfect are permitted to perish. The great law of organic, life the survival of the fittest, finds its response and its exemplification here as elsewhere in the domain oi nature. Y 12 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR, -A.I-1T When the influence of vitahty is undisturbed, and the organism is supplied with its necessar}^ pabulum or nour- ishment, health is the result. In this condition the play of the vital forces through the organism and the ministrations of the organism, in return, to the higher behests of our being, are in harmony; the performance of every function and indeed every action is attended with pleasurable sensa- tions, and there is a happiness in mere existence. The ceaseless twitter or song of the birds, the gambol of fishes or the humming or dancing of insects in the sun, all betray the happiness realized in mere healthy existence. The digestion of the food, the circulation of the blood or the thousand sensations going on in every portion of our complex organism, are all sources of enjoymen>h; while the attainment of knowledge, the performance of benevolent actions, or of the higher offices of our being, are attended with the highest sense of enjoyment to the individual. The sense of this enjoyment in health calls into exercise the highest activities of our being, and it is only when they are over taxed, illy adjusted, or perverted, that tbeii' per- formance ceases to afford gratification. To this gratification we owe the ceaseless energy that illuminates the higher achievements of oiu' race. Modified health is not incompatible with deviations in form or even with mutilation or loss of parts. Doubtless the highest health is found connected with the most per feet type and symmetrical form ; but Nature, in the case of de- viations, deformities, or even mutilations, adapts herseli to HEALTH. 13 Circumstances and still maintains her integrity, as far as the conditions will admit. The leg of the dancer or the arm of the smith, increased beyond their natural size, from long continued exercise, cannot be considered unhealthy; nor yet the diminished muscle of the professional man, whose non-use has failed to call out its full development In this effort of Nature, under this law of our being, to adapt each part to its requirements, we notice constant deviations from what might be considered the most complete order or symmetry, so that breeds of animals or races of men assume forms or changes of structure or proportion that are very striking. In the progress of the human race there is an age of muscle, and then an age of brains; and vitality adapting each to its want and training, fashions the race accordingly. That undoubtedly is most nearly perfect which is best adapted to its use. The heart of one man may be twice the size of that of another and yet be perfectly healthy, having a corresponding arterial and nervous system ; while in some delicate individuals it may be very small, with a pulse like that of a bii^d, yet both are healthy. One person has an exceedingly delicate nei'vous organization, while another has so little nervous development as to be almost insensible to pain or even to pleasure. One feels exquisitely every passing emotion or passion, while to another they scarcely exist. Yet none of these can properly be called deviations from the standard of health. Each may be healthy accord- ing to its standard. The inherent vitaHty of the individual has much to do with his power of preserving health. We inlierit from oui ancestors, not merely the type and form, the complexioii 14 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. and habits of body, the temperament and tendencies of the organism, but also about so many years of existence. Other things being equal, the son will live about as many years as did his father, and the daughter as did her mother. Tem- perance and observance of the laws of life w^ill add a few years to the thread, or evil habits and dissipation will shorten it somewhat, but in the average a man may expect to live to about the age of his father, while all are of course liable to be cut off by accidents or acute diseases. With some the hold on life is much stronger than in others, and they will not only live longer but withstand influences to which others speedily succumb. A rat often outlives the most teiTible mutilations, while a rabbit may be killed by the slightest blow. Some persons survive the mo^'t terrible ravages of disease, while others die before they are sup- posed to be in danger. Some persons are so constituted that every passing influence affects them. They have all the diseases incident to childhood, and during adult life every passing influence, dysentery, influenza, cholera, diphtheria or other epidemic, finds an arena in their system; while there are others whose vitality rides safely through all such malign influences. Nay, there are even those who seem proof against small-pox, syphilis, or yellow fever. It would seem that vitality in these cases holds the organism so per- fectly under its control as to render it proof against in- fluences which are frequently fatal to others. As health is the harmonious action of the vital force and of the various functions of the organism, it follows that the more complex or delicate the structure or organism, the more iittble it becomes to fall into disorder or disease. HEALTH. 15 Every additional element that enters into the organization, is an additional influence whose action must be in union with every paii, and with the whole, in order to its healthy action. Vegetable Hfe may only suffer from the quahty or quantity of the material which makes up the stinicture. Animal life may still further suffer fi'om the sentient system vvhich forms a part of its organism, while in intelligent beings, the whole is still further comphcated by that immense sway of psychological phenomena, that thinking and willing, hoping and fearing, whose ebb and flow is more or less re- flected upon every plane of the being below it. Hence, the more refined, delicate and sensitive the organism becomes, the more nicely and dehcately are its balances adjusted, the more exquisite are its perceptions and enjoyments, the keener its grief or depressions and the more liable it is to become ill-adjusted and to fall into disorder. Time was, in the history of the race, when diseases were few and pro- poiiionately fatal; but, with the j^i'ogress and development of man, they have increased a hundred fold, because there are a hundred more influences in play, all of which must be in harmony in order to perfect result. This is seen in the difference between wild and domestic animals. Wild birds or animals are subject to few or no diseases, and not until after many generations of domestication do they become subject to them, while the thorough-bred horse or dog must be treated as tenderly as a child. The Indian has but few diseases, and those of an acute character and generally fatal, while the fully cultured and developed mac or woman is the subject of almost numberless morbid in- fluences. 16 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. rsE^A^SE- When the organism, or any of its parts, falls into dis- ordered action, it is said to be diseased. The first mani- festations of disease are usually upon the highest planes of the organism. Not until after these have been invaded and their action modified by the morbid process, does it descend to the lower or more material planes of the organism. Thus it is first the psychological or moral, then the sensational, then the functional, and last of all the material plane of our being that is invaded. The first perceptions of diseased action are sensations of depression, melancholy or misanthropy; or, they may assume a more 'violent or positive form of sadness, ill humor or mental disquietude in various forms or degrees. In some instances ihe morbid process does not extend to the lower planes, but expends its force in the first arena of its action, and the result may be hypochondria, insanity, or some similar form of mental alienation. But, in the usual course, the next plane of the organism, the sensational, is invaded, and there are then manifestations of pain, uneasiness, aching or weariness. Some morbid conditions, such as neuralgia, are characterized almost exclusively by these manifestations. Next, the functions of the body become disordered, the appetite fails, taste becomes impaired, tongue coated, secretions obstructed, and some or all ot the functions of the body are perverted, or more or less impaired or arrested. In some cases the principal sphere of the morbid process is the perversion of a function, as in diarrhoea or diabetes. Lastly, we come to alterations of structure — the localization DISEASE. 17 of disease upon the material plane. Here wc may have redness, swelling and heat, as in inflammations, or lesions of parts, as in ulcers, or changes in the structure of the part, or even its ultimate molecules, as in case of cancer or scirrhus. In particular instances the invasion of the organism may be so sudden that its successive steps or stages may not be marked, and the entire system may seem to be affected at once, or some of its stages may seem to have been glided over and scarcely assailed, or in so sKght a manner as to have been unnoticed; or the morbid mani- festation may be so positive or decided in some one parti- cular field as to give the impression of that being the only plane of the morbid process. Yet before any of these changes of structure could have occurred it is evident there must have been also changes in the vital being, to which only by degrees the change of structure was eventually made to correspond. The recuperative or healthward manifestations of the system proceed in the same order. The first perception of relief is in the moral sphere — the patient feels more cheer- ful, less depression, gloom, or irritability; then relief from pain and uneasiness, sleep and expression more natural; then, the functions are improved, circulation, taste, appetite, and secretions more regular and natural, and finally the conditions of structure, if there has been organic lesions, gradually assume a more natural and healthy character. Often, during the height of a malady, a single appropriate dose of the required remedy is given, and the patient at once becomes more calm and quiet, and sleep comes on, giving most indubitable evidence that vitality has been 18 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. relieved and a healthward process established. Thus, the curative process is seen to commence in the highest sphere and to descend to the lower and more material plane. In case of wounds, injuries, or lesions of parts, the first injirr}^ may oe in the material structure, yet the perceptions of the morbid process and the curative manifestations of the system are first indicated in the higher and more immaterial planes of the organism. In some instances a morbid process may be so remote from the seat of life, and so httle affect its normal functions, as to call its sympathetic action but very slightly into play; and such cases have been erroneously termed local diseases; such as indolent ulcers, tumors, or adventitious growths. The genesis of disease presents some interesting con- siderations. Unquestionably the early progenitors of the race were not subject to aU the diseases which are now common. The advent of many are well known. AVhen an individual or community has for a long period violated the laws of life or health, the violation seems to ultimate itself in the form of a particular corresponding malady or disease, which having once manifested itself in that particular form, assumes a type, and hence, constantly tends to reproduce itself in new subjects. Thus the cholera was first known during the early part of the present century. Among the crowded and iU-fed masses of India, exposed to j^estilential miasm from sluggish rivers, among swamps and rice fields, there was developed a peculiar form of disease, which first rioted in its own home, sweeping off hundreds of thousands of the wretched inhabitants, until after a few years, it stretched out first along the water courses and great Hnes DISEASE. 19 of travel; and at length overleaping all sanitary cordons, it visited in turn all the great cities of Europe and America, and finally became known as the cholera in almost every paii of the habitable globe. So the plague, doubtless engendered by the peculiar habits and endemic influences of the Levant, at times stretches out its malignant folds and involves London, Paris and other distant and "suahy exempt cities. The yellow fever is usually confined W the low miasmatic coasts of the Southern portion of ^^is country and semi-tropical regions; but, at times it has beei: known to travel inland and visit places hundreds of miles L»e"ond its original locality. Syphilis was unknown until about the year 1405, when it first appeared at Naples, and has since extended to every part of the habitable world. The advent of many diseases of modern date are well known and easily marked. In the course of many years the character and peculiarities of a disease may become changed or modified; or it may entirely disappear, w^hile other diseases, or new manifestations may take their place. New diseases or new forms of familiar ones, are constantly coming forward, and will be likely to do so as long as the habits of the race and surrounding influences are subjects of corresponding changes. It is not strange that diseases run in similar channels, or that a type constantly tends to reproduce itself. The human organization being always mainly the same, a morbid influence acting upon it elicits mainly the same response or symptoms. The shadings may be varied by the peculiarities of the subject and potency of the exciting cause, but the essential features will be similar. In some :^0 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. cases t&e inbrbid infiueiice is so positive that it always elicits the same symptoms, only varied in their degree or intensity; and these have obtained the name of diseases of fixed character. Small-pox and measles have far less variety than scarlet fever, owing doubtless to the varying degree of inteLLsity in the morbid cause. All epidemics are observed to have their rise, acme and dechnation, as well as to vary in their character and degree of intensity from year to year. From these considerations it will be seen that disease is not to be considered as a material, something which has got into the system, and hence is to be expelled from it; but as primarily a deviation from the normal standard in the play of the immaterial vital forces that govern and control the material organism. These deviations, which we term disease, arise in a large majority of cases from causes which are as immaterial as the vital being itself. In some cases the causes may indeed be material — poisons, bad food, excesseis, wounds, etc., which, acting through the material organism, upon the immaterial forces within it, derange the play of the entire organism; but, often, they are of the most immaterial character. The cholera swept off its thousands and even decimated the population of some large cities and communities; yet there was no rational solution for its presence found in air, earth or water, or even yet in the surrounding electrical conditions of the atmosphere *. Nor is it easy to detect the presence of scarlet fever, diphtheria, or typhus in any material form aside from their manifest- * Recent investigations seem to have given a minute, or micros- copical, baais to diphtheria, typhus, and some similar or zymotic diseases. DISEASE. 21 a^wons. The most delicate tests applied to an atmosphere reeking with fever and ague, yellow fever, or small-r)ox, fail to detect a difference between them and that of the most salubrious mountain region. Yet an atmosphere apparently innocuous may be so charged with malaria or contagion as to destroy a large proportion of all susceptible persons who come within its reach. In inflammation, fever, rheumatism, a mere check of perspiration or sudden exposure, gives rise to all the phenomena of the disease, without the possibility of any material cause havinnf contributed Lo the disorder. t, CD When changes in the structure of the pai-t have occurred, such changes are not to be considered the cause of disease, but the result or consequence of morbid action. Usually quite a period of time is required, and a series of immaterial changes or evolutic^ns of the organism are necessaiy before any material alteration of structure can occur. This is very manifest in cases of cancer, tumor, or similar lesions of stinicture. HOW IVIEDICINES CuER All crude medicines are, in their nature, poisons or health- disturbing agencies. By virtue of their ability to derange lieaith, they have, under certain circumstances, the power fco restore it. But it is not necessary, in order to restore health, that medicines be used in cj[uantities sufficient tc disturb or destroy it. Homeopathy has fortunately shown the world how medicines can be used so as to restore, without the possibility of injuring; and how to develop the curative powers of medicines, while their poisonous properties are destroyed 22 HOMEOPATHIO MENTOR. It has been common to use emetics, cathartics, sudorifica or expectorants, with a view of promoting the excretions of the body, that thereby disease might be expelled and health recovered; and it is not doubted that, after the operation of a brisk cathartic or emetic, the patient has frequently been restored. But, as during the operation of the medicine it may in many cases be shown that every grain of the drug administered, except an immaterial Homeopathic portion, has been ejected from the system, it becomes a question whether the large quantity which has been thrown off, or the immaterial small quantity (Homeopathic) which remained, has been the curative agent. Surely the mechan- ical effort of vomiting or purging has no more curative action than the wiping of one's nose has in curing the catarrh; and the fact that Homeopaths do cure with the small portion, confirms the impression that all the large dose and revulsive operation was at least misapplied. In very few cases will these mechanical manipulations cure disease. No fact is better settled than that Homeopathic medicines euro. The method of their operation has been variously explained. Even should it not be susceptible of explanation at aU, or upon any generally accepted principle or hypothe- sis, yet this would not invalidate the fact of such cures; or should any of the usual explanations prove to be incorrect, yet the fact still stands; only, the supposed rationale has proved fallacious. Homeopathic cures, if not all cures by medicine, seem to be upon the principle of substitution. To substitute a similar medicinal action for a morbid one, is to extinguish disease. In some cases this may be easy. DISEASK 2;^ in others difficult, or again impossible, as every art ot necessity has its limits. This cure by substitution, or Homeopathy, is not new; the truth flashed from tne im- mortal poet Avhen he sung — "Tut man, one fire burns out another's burning, Turn giddy, and be helped by backward turning, Take some new infection to thine eye, And the rank poison of the old will die." Applying snow to the frost-bitten parts, and heating applications to burns, are familiar examples. But the cure of syphihtic diseases by mercurials, or of fever and ague by quinine, or sore throat by cayenne pepper, are as truly Homeopathic as the former, and all truly specific or cura- tive medicines will be found to range themselves under this principle of action — the Homeopathic. All prevention of disease is also, upon this (Homeopathic), principle Vaccination, with the kine-pock, prevents the small-pox, because the mode of action and the essential phenomenon of the two diseases are similar in the course they run, the symptoms they produce, the local swelling and scar they leave behind; and being thus similar the one acts as a substitute for the other. The kine-pock as truly 2:)rotects the system as does the small-pox itself from a second attack. Minute doses of quinine prevent fever and ague and other malarious fevers, and belladonna prevents scarlet fever upon the same principle. In Homeopathy, we first ascertain by proving or trials of medicines upon the healthy, the organs or tissues upon which such drugs act, by observing the symptoms or disturbances in the system which they produce. Having 24 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. thus, by repeated trials, learned the affinities of medicines, we are enabled to apply them with great certainty in disease. Because; if a disease or morbid condition produces certain symptoms, and a medicine produces the same or similar symj)toms, it is certain it must do so by acting upon the same organs and tissues, and in the same manner; and thus to give the same, we substitute, if it is possible, the one medicinal for the other morbid action, and thus sub- stituting, ciu^e it. And here our use of minute doses finds explanation. Few diseases produce the symptoms of large material doses; or if they do, such large doses assault the system so violently, as to call up a revulsive action, which convulses, torments and poisons, while it does not cure. But Homeopathic doses acting upon a higher plane of the organism, that upon w^hich disease begins, gradually and sometimes immediately, substitute their action for that of disease, and thus modify, soften and extinguish it. The dose or amount of medicine given must be in harmony with the condition of the vital forces when it is given. It often happens that a very minute dose will act curatively, when a larger one will not so act at all; and it is a very gross, but common error, to suppose that if a little medicine will do some good, a larger quantity will do more good. It is often quite the contrary. As medicines have special affinities for different organs or tissues; as for instance, belladonna for the eye and brain, mercury for tlie glands and sulj^hur for the skin, etc. ; the rationale of this action must be the affinity of the medicine for homogeneous molecules of the same element in tho human system. As the human body is a microcosm, having DISEASE. 25 in itself the known primary elements, it follows that every one of these elements, or its combinations, may become a medicine; and by its influence serve to modify and control the action of the organism through its influence upon homogeneous particles of the same element in the human system. These elements, as they exist in the human body, are in a condition infinitely more refined and progressed than the condition in which they are found elsewhere. Hence it is that in order to act curatively, as medicines, and in the most speedy and efficient manner, they mast be reduced, triturated, refined and attenuated, so as at least to approximate to the condition in which they exist in the human body. Thus refined, attenuated and progressed they are no longer poisons or health-disturbing agents, but on the contrary are life-sustainers, vital pabulums, in every way conserying and sustaining the health and vigor of the body; not only curing disease when rightly applied, but protecting and preventing disease and decay. In this con- dition the poisonous properties of medicine are destroyed and their curatiye or conservative ones are developed. And therein Ave have an answer to that stale and crude fallacy urged by the thoughtless, that because a child might eat a bottle full of Homeopathic medicine and not be poisoned, hence, such medicine could have no power to cure the sick. Specific Homeopathy especially recognizes this fundamental principle — that medicines act curatively through their affinities with homogeneous particles of the same elements in the system. Hence, in the formation of our specifics, we seek, not merely to give a simple, which may act in a certain direction, or upon a certain organ or tissue, but to 26 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. unite in a specific medicine, elements, which having the same direction or symptoms, yet act upon fundamentally different elements or tissues in the body. This is done by combining medicines of widely varying constituent prin- ciples or elements; and, while each of these is Homeopatliic to the disease, they sustain the system differently by acting upon different organs, tissues, nerve centres, or organic elements. Thus, while one may serve as pabulum for the blood, another may perform the same office for the bones; while a third may directly act upon the nervous system, and aU may conduce to a general result. Vegetable poisons, animal poisons, chemicals, minerals and metals, as classes, each act differently upon the human system, and each per- form offices which can not well be performed by others; and the great advantage of Specific Homeopathy is that specifics are formed that unite in one Homeopathic preparation the virtues of these several classes of medicines. Results are by this means attained, not only in the simplicity of the appUcation, but also in the certainty and value of the results, especially in the cure of obstinate and long-standing diseases, which are not realized by any other method. Numerous morbid conditions arise from the deprivation of some element essential to the integrity of the system — as the want of iron in the blood, or of phosphate and carbonate of lime in the bones. These substances administered, not in crude, but in refined or Homeopathic forms, are found to act like enchantment in supplying the wanting sub- stance ; not so much perhaps in giving the quantity required as by setting in action the inchoate particles of the same elements already present. When it is remembered that DISEASE. 27 these elementary particles, as they exist in our blood, our organs, our tissues and bones, are usually in particles, so exceedingly minute and refined, as at times only to be detected by the most delicate tests which chemistry has discovered, it will be comprehended that, in order to act affinitively upon such particles, the element given as a medicine must be attenuated or reduced to a similar condi- tion, or one approximating it. True, the mortar and pestle, with sugar of milk, will never reduce sulphur to the condi- tion of that which plays so essential a part in the human system. But this mode of preparation is the nearest to perfection and has attained the highest results yet known in the experience of man. And it may be alao admitted that by this mode of ]ireparation there is imparted to the medicine, not merely a fineness in its form, but also some portion of the vital electricity or power of the individual performing the manipulation or making the medicine. As the condition of an electrical current is modified in passing from the machine through the organism of another indi- vidual to the patient, so the direct Homeopathic mani- pulation of a medicine by a healthy and well-disposed person, is not without its influence in sustaining and restoring the sick For the permanent restoration of the sick, especially in long standing or chronic diseases, time is required. Often such diseases are of many years standing, and have by degrees involved the entire organism, producing disturb- ances of function and sensation, and even changes in the structure or tissues of the body itself. When it is realized that all these must be changed, renovated or even renewed 28 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. by efforts of the immaterial vital forces, assisted by th^ kindly influence of medicine appropriate in quality, quan- tity, form and repetition, and sustained by appropriate nutrition, it will be seen that health, in such circum- stances, can not be the work of a day or week; and the patient should be content even if months or years are required for permanent and entire recovery. In some marvelous cases the power of disease may be broken at once, and the change produced be so great that the patient believes himself well. In almost aU cases wher^ a cure is possible, the appropriate medicine produces an improve- ment at once, or in a very few days, but in most cases experience has abundantly shown that time, repeated doses, and a persistent use of appropriate medicine, are required for the cure of serious and long-standing diseases. In many instances the medicinal influence is soon extin- guished or lost, so that repeated doses are required for a cure; while in others, a single dose, permitted to expend its action undisturbed, has produced the most important changes and even anniliilated a long-standing and obstinate disease. It is yet an open question, whether, the Hahne- mannian method, of one dose carefuUy given and permitted fully to expend its action before repetition; or whether doses frequently repeated, produce the most satisfactory results. Each method has its advocates and adherents. Some diseases run their course rapidly, and their cure may be as rapidly effected, while others are months or even years working out a morbid process, and often require a similar range of time for their permanent annihilation and cure. UISEASE. 29 CAUSES OF DISEASE. HEREDITARY TRANSMISSION. It is not unfrequently observed that several members of a family are subject to some peculiar disease or morbid con- dition, and that father and son, or mother and daughter, in turn, are subject to the same disease. Sometimes nearly a whole family die in the course of a few years from con- sumption; sons are afflicted with gout, scrofula, salt rheum or rheumatism, as their father was before them; daughters inherit cancer from mothers or grandmothers. The im^ jDression hence generally prevails that these diseases are inherited. The fact of disease frequently appearing under such ciixumstances is undisputed. However difficult it may be to conceive that the vital principle, in forming for itself a body, does, fi^om some inherited germ or principle, form it of materials, which at a certain period of life are subject fc ) disease or dissolution in a certain form ; it is quite certain that as each parent impairs to its offspring its own type and peculiarities, its tendency to be lean or corpulent, large or small, dehcate or stout, so with this bodily organi- zation taere may be a tendency to assume or take on diseased action in a certain form. It is not usually difficult to arrest such tendencies in the bud, by the appropriate use of Homeopathic medicines; and they only require to be understood and guarded against by proper habits and medication, in order to ward off danger from such sources. The medicines and measures of preven- tion against such diseases will be indicated in their appro- priate sections. ^0 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. MIASMS.— MALAEIA. Often, over extensive sections of country, and sometimes successively ovef vast regions, people are afflicted with some peculiar form of disease, such as influenza, cholera, scarlet fever, etc. The influence which causes such diseases is but imperfectly known. They are observed to have their beginning, reach a certain degree of intensity, and then to decline. During its presence all susceptible persons are more or less affected by it, yet '^nly a portion of the entire population are attacked with the disease. Other diseases, during its continuance, are variously modified and made to wear the Hvery of the prevailing epidemic. All patients will not have the same symptoms, only the more important or peculiar ones, showing the unity of the miasmatic in- fluence. While all, wherever it extends, are doubtless within its influence, yet, the miasm or disease-producing agency is more intense in the immediate vicinity of those w^ho have the disease, and to this extent it may be considered con- tagious. A susceptible person coming into the immediate presence of those who are laboring under the disease, is doubtless more exposed than elsewhere, as the morbid in- fluence is there more intense. Fear, or an apprehensive state of mind, renders the person more susceptible than otherwise, while a calm, quiet and determined state of mind is not without its influence as a protective. Not unfrequently the epidemic influence seems to change its mode of manifestation, and one disease is found to follow another. Thus the cholera has been very commonly preceded by the influenza, the diphtheria by scaiiet fevei; and dysentery by intermittent fever. i>IS£ASE. 31 ENDEMIC CAUSES. Diseases are frequently engendered by local or endemic influences. Thus, the neighborhood of swamps and marshes, or the drainage of ponds, almost invariably causes some grade of remittent or intermittent fevers, known under the name of malaria. Persons, residing in such localities are subject to malarial diseases; and new countries where largj portions of land are being cleared and hence drained, are almost invariably subject to these fevers. So, the digging of canals or extensive drains is for a time observed to be followed by similar results. Wlien stagnant water remains in a cellar for any considerable time, the family or some of those residing over it, will rarely escaj)e some form of fever, especially if sleeping on the lower floor. There arc also some diseases that seem to be peculiar to certain localities or sections of country, among which may be mentioned the PHca Polonica, or plaited-hair disease or Poland, and the Goitre or Derby-shire Neck, which, in its peculiar form, is observed in certain locahties; and certain forms of Cretinism, observed among the deep valleys of the Alps. DEPRIVATION. There are numerous cases of disease produced by the want or deprivation of some substance essential to the integrity of the system. As the organism takes up and eliminates from surrounding nature the elements essential to its perfection and integrity, ilo follows that if these organic elements are absent in that which is received, or found only 32 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. in such form that it cannot ultimate them within itself, or, if by any fault of the organism, this conversion cannot be accomplished, disease must of necessity follow. At times the organism makes the most extraordinary efforts to supply these deficiencies, and may for a time succeed; but finally help must be afforded or the system succumbs. Mariners, on long voyages, or shut up in the icy regions of the North and deprived of the acid found in vegetables and fruit, for many months maintain a degree of health, but scurvy, ere long, makes its sad ravages, unless fruits or vege- tables are obtained. Emigrants from Europe, confined for many weeks upon ship-board, pining from home-sickness, unable to eat or digest their food from sea-sickness, and exposed to uncleanliness and foul air, in over-crowded and ill-ventilated ships, suffer terribly from ship fever. Deprivation of light and air soon blanch the cheeks and give the inmates of our prisons that pale appearance, so common to old convicts. Children not unfrequently fail to receive in the milk of the nurse all the elements necessary to the healthy forma- tion of bone, or their systems are not in condition to eliminate and deposit, from the aliment received, the proper amount of ossific matter; as a consequence the bones are formed slowly and with apparent suffering to the system, the teeth are produced slowly and irregularly, the fontanel does not close, the long bones are crooked, with large wrists and ankles, and the children are tottering, slow in learning to walk, or walk only with difficulty. The result is not only a defective ossseous system, but a general innervation of the entii'e organism, manifested DISEASE. 33 by stnnteJ growth, imperfect development and generaS weakness. In many instances there is a marked disproportior: between the mental and physical expenditure of the systemj and its nourishment. This is especially liable to occur during the years of development, or the evolutions of the system. Hence the period of puberty is so frequently critical; and if, during that period, the mental activity is over-taxed, by study or mental effort, while the system is insufficiently nourished, this impoverishment of the system is liable to result in the deposition of tubercles or other serious disease. Thousands die annually of consumption engendered at school, or fall an easy prey to typhus fever and other diseases, because the vital forces have been ex- Jiausted by studies or mental overwork, while the organism has been insufficiently sustained by food and nourishment. The early period of nursing is fi'equently critical for a similar reason. The great demand made upon the system for the lacteal fluid at a period of great debility from child- bed may find the system inadequate to the supply; and hence exhaustion, successive deposition of tubercles and rapid decline is the result, unless the system be adequately sustained. Even admitting these diseases to have had an innoculation from morbid, infectuous, or contagious matter yet the debility and weakening of the system renders the victim an easy pray to an influence which a sound OI rigorous vitality would have successfully resisted. 34 H0Mi!X3PATHI0 MENTOB. EXHAUSTION.— ATONIA. Olosely allied to the above condition, and similai- in its consequence, is that arising from the exhaustion of the system. This may be brought about in a yariety of ways; and in this very busy and enterprising age, often occurs before the victim is aware of his danger. Multitudes of < cases of paralysis, either partial or entire, in some portion of the body, are caused by long continued mental overwork; the brain ultimately becoming exhausted and its power so far destroyed, that the muscle no longer responds to the efforts of the will Frequency of paralysis in late years, is doubtless to be attributed to the excessive mental effort engendered but too frequently among the business com- munity. Excessive venery exhausts its thousands; and while it . impairs the mental powers, so far reduces the vital forces, that other causes the more readily undermine the organism. Multitudes of mothers are enfeebled in producing and nursing their offspring. True, Nature usually guards this most important of her designs with jealous care, but if to the debility of pregnancy and nursing, there be added a loss of appetite or derangement of the digestion, so that the ^system is insufficiently suppHed with nutriment, the con- sequence must be weakness, deposition of tubercles and ultimate disease unless aid be afforded* Medical Hygiene consists essentially in the prevention of disease by the removal of its avoidable causes. It embraces \^arious influences operating upon the physical condition of individuals and communities, either by promoting theii material good, or by preventing their deterioration. It has, therefore, for its object, the preservation of health, by means which contribute to the most perfect development of the body, and which are best calculated to render Life more vigorous, decay less rapid, and Death more distant. While our observations on Hygiene are necessarily fragmentary and restricted, they are still very important^ and their adoption by those who refer to these pages cannot fail to be fraught with advantage. The rudiments of Medi- cal Hygiene should be taught and rendered attractive in schools, until, as a result of the education of the masses, a solid groundwork is laid for the promotion of the Public Health By means of this general education, as well ae. bj the help of the public press, and popular medical worts, the general knowledge of the causes of disease may be so augmented, as to prevent much existing suffering, and to diminish unnecessary waste of human life. The importance of this science of Medical Hygiene will be appreciated when we state that it embraces, among f 36 HOiOEOPATHIC MENTOK. others, tlie following subjects, all of whicli have direct and indubitable relation to Health and Life, viz: I. Food. V. Sunlight. il. Bevekage& VL Healthy Dwellings. i IL Wateb. Vii. Exercise. tV". Air. Vm. Clothing. IX. Bathing. , .X« The Influence of Occupation upon healv^ FOOD. 1. The circumstances regulating its use, 2. The Nutritious Values of different kinds of Food, 3. The methods of' preparing it. For what do we require food? For two chief purposes, VI i: — to produce and maintain the various tissues of the body while fulfilling their respective vital functions; and, to generate heat, without which life would cease. For these ends difierent forms of food are required. This has been very happily illustrated by a comparison between the steam- engine and the human body. Just as, in a steam-engine (1) the metal framework and (2) the coals which heat the water into steam which sets the metal machine into motion; so bhere are, in the body, (1) the tissues and (2) the fuel. The bony framework, the skeleton, is moved by muscles^ wliici) in term are set in action by the nei-ves. These coiTcspond to the metallic portions of the engine, which are not them- selves consumed, but wear out and need repair. The fuel of the body, like that of the steam-engine, is hydrocarbon- aceous; i. e., it consists of hydi^ogen and carbon, which HYGIENE. ^FOOD. 37 readily unite with oxygen. And, like the coals or fuel which, though inanimate, still gives motion to the engine; so the Vegetable World, practically without motion, yet stores up the material which renders motion in animaLg possible. For, while animalb, as the result of the com- bustion of their food, produce carbonic acid gas; vegetables deoxidize, or eliminate, this carbonic acid — which is very necessary for their own life — and store up carbonaceous material, and give off free oxygen, upon a supply of of which animal life is absolutely dependent. Thus the Vegetable and the Animal Worlds live side by side; each necessary to the other. The Animal could exert no force without oxygen, which he obtains fi'om the Vegetable world; the Vegetable would perish without carbonic acid which is produced for it by the xVnimal World. Then, again, just as the plant takes the carbonic acid, and retiu'ns an equivalent in oxygen — so it, also, takes from water a supply of hydrogen, and gives back a supply of oxygen. Thus, from these two — carbon and hydrogen — are built up starch, sugar and fat — the hydro-carbonaceous elements which essentiaUy constitute our food — the equivalent of the coal in the steam-engine. Now, as to the tissues of the body — which corresiDond ta [he metal framework and working-parts of the steam engine — they all contain an essential element known as nitrogen. And nitrogen has this peculiarity, that, when combined with carbon and hydrogen, they do not as readily combine with oxygen, as they would do if nitrogen was absent. It is due to tliis quality of nitrogen, that the tissues 88 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. of the body, being themselves riitrogenized, are not con- sumed by the heat of oxidizing processes going on within them. The metal-work of the engine is not consumed by fire from the oxidizing coal; and, in a state of health, the tissues of the body are not consumed by the heat produced by the oxidizing hydro-carbonaceous food. It is well that the reader should grasp this broad law fully; for this division of foods is the basis of all that we know about what a dietary should consist of. It should contain hydro-carbonaceous material for the working of the body; and a sufficiency of nitrogenized material for the growth and repair of the tissues. Besides this, phosj)horus, for the nervous system, iron for the blood, hydrochloric acid for the gastric juice; and alkalies for the liver, are requisite in hmited quantities. From the salt (Chloride of Sodium) of our food we get at once the flavoring agent acceptable to the palate; and the hydrochloric acid for the gastric juice, and the soda for the formation of bile-salt in the liver. For health, various salts, of potash, soda and lime are needed, which are furnished in the different articles of our dietary — and, without which we should seriously suffer in health, as, for example, in scurvy, caused by a deiirivation of vege- tables, and cured by vegetable diet with magic celerity. In addition to the foregoing, also, we must not overlook spices and condiments which, aside from being agreeable to the palate, serve to excite and sustain the appetite and prevent too much disengagement of gas in the alimentary canal during the process of digestion and assimilation. Such are the chief constituents of our food. It is interesting, now, to see, what becomes of these HYGIENE. FOOD. 39 different elements of food, in the process of digestion — and to what uses they are severally put by the body. Hydro- carbons are quickly disposed of; a certain surplusage being stored up, in the form of fat, on which the body can Hve in times of starv^ation; and the average amount of this garnered store is found to be equal to about ten days' combustion — ^ or, in other words, the body can — if deprived of food — hve upon itself for ten days. Starchy by the action of the saliva and pancreas ("sweet-bread") juice, is converted into sugar; and is stored up, in the hver, from each meal, as glycogen^ which is given off again from the liver, gradually, as the body requires it, and is oxidized, or burnt to maintain the heat of the body, and to generate force. Starch, sugar and fat, then, as we have before said are the hydro-carbonaceoui elements of our food. In addition to these, must be remembered also, the nitro- genized, or albuminoid elements of food — equally requisite for tissue gro^\i:h and repair; and also producing in their oxidization a certain amount of heat. Albumen — a complex substance chemically — contains carbon, hydi'ogen, some oxygen, and its essential characteristic nitrogen, with a Uttle sulphur —and is largely found in the Vegetable World. All seeds contain it. The white of all eggs (birds, reptiles or fishes) is very pure albumen. It is found, as caneine, in • milk, cheese and the leguminous plants; and as the muscular portions of the animal body, the viscera and skin : and when swallowed, is digested mainly in the stomach, and passes into the blood, from whence it reach the tissues. The nitro- gen-element of albuminoids, however, prevents their ready oxidization. Their waste and surplusage is burnt up by the 40 HOMEOPAl'HIC MENTOR, liver— the results being the bile acids, and tlie solids (lithates and urea) of the urine. Now if the liver does its work well — all goes well^; but, if it oxidizes, or bui-ns, these albuminoids insufficiently, then the blood becomes sur-charged with bile-saltsj and biliousness and gout result. Therefore it is, that, in the treatment of these diseases, the patient should be restricted in the use of the albuminoid elements of food, to the lowest point consistent with tissue- wants. For, with a large number of persons, it is a matter of the greatest importance to avoid these albuminous elements in their food. Moreover, the amount of albiuninoid matter required for the repair of the tissues of the body, to meet its daily wear and tear, is really very small. Physiologists assure us that it does not call for an^i^hing like the amount of meat which is usually consumed by most persons. Where the system has been much reduced by acute disease, as in fever, a Hberal dietary is required for rebuilding the tissues — the appetite is then ravenous and the digestion good. Just as children, while rapidly growing, require a dietary in which meat forms a large part; so the convalescent fi'om fever must have a diet hst rich in albuminoids, in order to repair the wasted frame. But, aside fi'om these exceptions, our food is rich in albuminoids beyond our absolute wants — a fact to be borne in mind in the choice of food, either for those in health or in disease. Health may even be restored by the use of proper food, as sickness is often induced from the want of it. While it is impossible to specify for each individual case ; yet general principles may be laid down; and indications given for the kinds of food best adapted to the several classes mentioned. HYGIENE.— GENERAL DIETAR'k. 41 Each period of life has its most appropriate food, so has each season of the year and each habit of constitution or body, and that which is proper for one is often quite im- proper, and sometimes even injuiious to another. The distinction is based upon chemico- vital wants of the system, at different periods of life, and under varying or varied conditions of the Uving body. To be more pariicular: Supplementary Diet of Infants. — The best and most natural food is the milk of the mother. Even if this only in part supphes the want of the child, it is better to retain it, as in case of sickness of the infant, it furnishes a j)recious reserve to be supplied in no other way. Cows milk is the most usual substitute, ax^d should at first be diluted by adding one-thiixl of water, and slightly sweet- ened. If milk is to remain some time during warm weather, it should be first heated to prevent too rapid change. Great care should be taken that the mu'sing bottle be jjerfedly clean and sweet; and food which has been standing, or is in danger of having been deteriorated, must on no account be given. Better make that which you know to be sweet and fresh, than to assume a nsk. After some weeks the milk may be given without water, and as the first teeth appear, about the fourth or sixth month, the diet should become more varied and hberal; a well made panada, diluted milk, sweetened and thickened with a smaU quantity of arrow- root^ sago or rusk, may be given with advantage. So barley- water, well-boiled gruel, weak chicken-tea or beef-tea, may be resorted to, taking care to give that on which the child seems to thrive best. Gradually, as the teeth appear, the child may be given the usual food from the table, in such 42 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. quantities, and in such form, as the organism seems to require. The food op young children should contain all the elements, out of which the entire system is to be developed. Jhere must be material for making every separate tissue of die entire man, and that in a condition to be as readily assimilated as possible. Milk from the cow meets all these conditions, having in itself all the elements required for the human body, and in their best proportions and condition. To this may be added barley, in its various forms, as of gruel, or in pap or cakes, in proportion to its age and devel- opment of teeth, the soup or flesh of beef or mutton. If the child is fat, heavy or stupid, it requires food containing more nitrates and phosphates — oat-meal, barley cakes, bean or pea soup, etc. If too lean and thin, it may be indulged in the more fattening carbonates, as fat meat, fine flour, butter, sugar, or puddings, etc. Thus the food may be varied as the needs of the child demand. Food for laboring men should in part be adapted to the nature of their labor, and to the season or temperature. But in general, as there is a large expenditure of muscular effort, the supply should be equal to the drain. Hence, beef, mutton, a proportion of pork, with vegetables, breads butter, ale or beer and cider, coffee and tea, all come ii) play and serve to restore the waste of tissue, and sustain the vigor of the body. Professional men, thinkers and students, whose expen- diture is chiefly of the brain, and whose bodily activity is necessarily limited, require such a supply of nutriment as win measurably compensate for this waste. Hence, only a HYGIENE. GENERAL DIETARY. 43 moderate supply of beef, mutton, lamb, ale or beer, but a larger proportion of fish, venison, wild or tame fowl, oysters, fruits, nuts, raisins or figs; and of the fish, trout, blue-fish, Spanish mackerel, or other game fish, are best; oat-meal in its various forms, wheaten grits, and coarse wheat breads .ibould form the staple of diet. Food for fat, corpulent people. — In many famihes the tendency to corpulence and even obesity is constant. To many individuals it is the bane and dread of life. Yet such persons often use a diet directly tending to induce and aggravate the evil, while a proper diet always limits, and often removes the entire difficulty ; for adipose tissue is only produced by certain fat-making articles of food. If these be avoided, the system may at the same time be nourished, and this accumulation of fat be prevented. The thanks of the world are due to Mr. Banting, an English gentleman, for having so clearly and forcibly elucidated this point in his pamphlet * on the subject, to which I refer those more particularly interested. I have had occasion to verify his observations in repeated instances. The fat-making articles are particularly butter, sugar, pork, milk, bread, potatoes, all sweet fruits, etc. Hence, the patient may eat all kinds of meat except pork — all kinds of fish except salmon, all the fruits except those containing sugar in large proportion, and nearly aU kinds of vegetables except potatoes. Now by choosing a diet containing largely the articles allowed, and only a very little of well-baked or toasted bread or potatoes, to which sour wine and tea and coffee may b^ * Banting, on Corpulent* 44 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. added in moderation, and no butter, milk, or sugar, the , most corpulent may reduce their weight several pounds per month, while improving their general health, strength and mental vigor. And this may be continued to any reason able limit. Very lean, spare people, by pursuing the opposite course^ may increase their weight and embonpoint as well as theii comfort. They should use sugar, milk, butter, bread, potatoes, pork, fat meat, oysters and fruits, figs, grapes and fish. These heat and fat-producing elements will, unless the assimulation be very faulty, soon produce a change for the better, which may be extended at the pleasui'e of the individual In cold weather, when people are exposed to low tem peratures, the more fat and heat-producing articles are required. Of these, pork, buckwheat, Indian com, wheat- bread, butter, milk, sugar, beer or ale, beans, peas, meat poultry, etc., are among the more prominent. In warm weather the more cooling, less heat-producing articles are appropriate. The quantity of meat of any kind should be moderate, and that principally the lean of beef, lamb, veal or poultry, and well-ripened fiTiits of all kinds, and of vegetables in their seasons, with a due proportion ol well-baked wheaten bread. CooHng drinks, acidulated with fruits, are in order and are very grateful and healthy. I am convinced that a far more liberal use of fruits, in their seasons, would largely conduce to the health and welfai'e of our people. The diet of the aged should suit their individual con- dition. If fat, heavy and sleepy, inclined to sit and slumber. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 45 let them avoid fat meats, butter, sugar and fat-creating elements of food; and, instead, eat of lean meat, brown bread, fish, nuts, vegetables and fruits, with the usual quan- tities of tea or coffee. Butter-milk is one of the most desir- able articles of habitual food for old people, as it prevent* the transformation of the cartilaginous tissue, which enters into the formation of tendons, arteries, etc. — into bone, thus largely reheving the stiffness to which old age is liable, as well as ameliorating its infirmities in other ways. On the contrary, if they are lean, irritable, querulous or sleepless, let them eat of fat meat, bread and butter, buck- wheat cakes, rice, milk, butter-milk, potatoes, etc., and the better nourishment of the system will manifest itself in im- proved sleep and disposition. 2. The nutritive values of different kinds of food. In discussing this subject, we have to take into consider- ation not only the absolute amount of nutrition to be found in such kind of food; but, also, its ease of mastication and of digestion; and its favor, which has so great an influence in determining its use, either in health, or in cases of illness. Animal Food. The structure of animal food is identical with that of the human body; hence nothing is required in addition to it in order to maintain life. Its chief charact- eristic, i. e. its large proportion of nitrogenous material has been already noticed on page 37. Undue importance is given by some persons to animal food, as if that alone really nourished the system, and supplied what is required for work and recovery of strength. No doubt it 46 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. appeases hunger more thoroughly than vegetable diet, and satisfies longer, because it is concentrated nourishment, and the stomach retains this kind of food for a longer time than vegetable food. It is also easily cooked, and by some is more easily digested than vegetable ; it increases the amount of fibrin, phosphates and other salts, and the number of red corpuscles in the blood; it produces firmness of muscle, it increases the urinary secretion both in quantity and in amount of effete nitrogenous matter, thus necessitating the consumption of an increased quantity of fluid. Vegetable food has a tendency to increase the deposition of fat. IVIr. Banting found that by lessening the amount of vegetable diet he was enabled to reduce his corpulence. Physiological considerations and experience teach us that a mixed diet is 'best adapted to the requirements of the body; and that the pro- portion of animal food should be one-fourth, or rather more, of the total supply. Animal food comprises: 1. the different parts of animals, i. e. meat; 2. eggs; 3. milk and its products. The flesh of young animals is more tender than that of old, but it is not so easily digested. The flesh of old animals, though nutritive, is often very tough. Young and quickly-fed animals have more water and fat in their flesh, whilst older and well-fed animals have flesh of a firmer touch and fuller flavor, and are richer in nitrogen. The former may be more delicate, the latter are more nutritious; animals of middle age, therefore, afford the most digestible and fullest flavored food. The larger the animal, the coarser the meat. The flesh of the female is ?nore finely grained and delicate than that of the male. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. <k'i During the breeding season flesh is unsuitable for food. The flesh of wild animals has less fat than that of well-fed domestic animals, but it has more flavor. The character and flavor of the meat are much affected by the food eaten. The violent exercise taken before death makes the flesh of animals killed in the chase very tender. The removal of blood in slaughter, while it involves waste of nutritive ma- terial, improves the flavor of the flesh, and renders it more easy of preservation. Hanging the meat improves its tenderness, if it be kept after the rigor mortis has passed away. But the best meat may be rendered unwholesome by decomposition. Good meat, according to Dr. Letheby, has the following characteristics : — 1. It is neither of a pale pink color nor of a deep purple tint; for the former is a sign of disease, and the latter indicates that the animal has not been slaughtered, but had died with the blood in it, or had suffered from acute fever. 2. It has a marbled appearance, from the ramifications ot little veins of fat among the muscles. 3. It should be firm and elastic to the touch, and should scarcely moisten the fingers — bad meat being wet, and sodden, and flabby, with the fat looking Hke jelly or wet parchment. 4. It should have Uttle or no odor, and the odor should not be disagreeable, for diseased meat has a sickly, cadaver- ous smell, and sometimes a smell of physic. This is very apparent when the meat is chopped up and drenched with warm water. 5. It should not liquefy or become very wet on standing for a day or so, but should, on the contrary, remain dry upon the surface. 48 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 6. When diied at a temperature of 212° or thereabout, it should not lose more than from seventy to seventy-four per cent of its weight, whereas bad meat will often lose as much as eighty per cent. 7. It should not shrink or waste much in cooking. And, in determining the values of different kinds of meat, it is essential to distinguish between fat and lean, since the liutritive elements of both, in a given joint or whole animal, will be proportionate to the combination of fat and lean. It may be well to state here the respective elements of fat and lean meat. Fat, deprived of water, consists of three elements only, viz: carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. When the fat is decomposed in the body these elements unite so that the carbon takes a part of the oxygen and becomes car- bonic acid, whilst the hydrogen takes another portion of the oxygen and becomes water — any deficiency in the quantity of oxygen for this purpose being supplied by the inspired air. Lean meat, entirely deprived of fat, consists of four ele- ments, viz: nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Be- sides the combination of the three latter elements (as already described in reference to fat) the nitrogen unites with the hydrogen in the formation of urea, and other compounds, which are thrown out of the system, by means of the kid- neys, etc., and ultimately are transformed into ammonia. Heat being generated by every chemical combination, it is evident that both fat and lean meat are heat-generators — but as it is the lean meat which contains nitrogen, it is the lean meat and not the fat, which is the flesh-forimer. StiU we cannot say that no fat is found in lean meat oven, lor a HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 49 proportion of fat moving in the circulation must enter into and pass tln^ough the tissues of muscles, as of other parts of the body. Beef is popularly regarded, all the world over, as th« most nutritive kind of meat — and this is in so far true that in the carcass of the ox there is a larger proportion of flesh or flesh-forming materials than in that of the sheep or hog. Being of closer texture than some other meats, there is — if bulk be the measure, — more nutritive value in a given quan- tity of beef. It is also the fullest of red-blood juices, so that Byron, seeing Moore eating an underdone beef-steak, asked if he were not afraid of committing murder after such a meal. Mareschal's analysis (in 100 parts) conclusively shows this: Ox Fowl Fig Sheep Calf Muscular fibre free from fat 25.0 24.9 24.3 23.4 22.7 Fat 2.5 1.4 6.0 3.0 2.9 Water 72.5 73.7 69.7 73.7 74.4 The flavor of beef, moreover, is fuUer and richer than that of other meats, so that a greater enjoyment, and sense of satisfaction is obtained from a less volume of that kind of flesh. The loss of weight in cooking beef is less than that of mutton, by reason of the greater solidity of the flesh and the smaller proportion of fat. The solid matter derived from a pound of meat wdthout bone, boiled in the usual way, will average, (per cent) 28.4 on lean, 57.6 on fat beet and 34.3 on muttoiL The legs and shins are richer in gelatin than any other joint of the body, whilst the largest proportion of oily fat, or of fat having the least degree of consistence, is found in 50 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. the flesh of the face. Hence, both of these parts are bspt;- cially fitted for the making of soup. Ten grains of raw lean beef, when burnt in the body, produce heat sufficient to raise 3.66 lbs. of water one degree, Fah., which is equal to raising 2.829 lbs. one foot high. Dr. Beaumont's experiments proved that the digestion oi « beef requires 2^|, to 3 hours. In many cases of illness, if properly cooked, it may be eaten with impunity ; but in Enteric fever, and other diseases where the bowels are inflamed and tender, it produces, in its ordinary form, either as steak or as a cut from a joint, injurious effects. Even in the form of beef-tea it often in- creases the irritation, keeps up the fever, and aggravates the diarrhoea; consequently in such cases it should, for the most part, be excluded from the diet Hst. As beef requires considerable effort on the part of the stomach to convert it into chyme, it is contra-indicated in acute maladies until convalescence has commenced, when by allowing the patient to extract the juice at first, and then swallow a few shreds of the meat, daily increasing the amount swallowed, the digestive organs will be finally won back to their norma] condition and capability. Nevertheless, there is a form, in which beef has been most beneficial. Administered in a raw state, when finely divided and reduced to a pulp^ it is very useful in some derangements of tlie stomach. Although iiot very palatable at first, a taste for it is soon acquired In this form it has proved very valuable in Cholera infantum and Dysentery, when everything else failed. It should be prepared by scraping with a (silver) spoon, and seasoning with a little salt. HYGIENE. -NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES- 5}. Veal. The delicacy, nutritive value and digost'bility oi calf's flesh depends very much upon the age at which the animal is killed, and the method of killing adopted, ^eal is popularly known to be difficult of digestion, which fact is due to the difficulty of masticating it; not that its fibre i^ harder, but because it eludes the teeth. It is much easiex of mastication when well-roasted or broiled, than whep boiled, and when very young and well-fed; but it is not, after all said in its favor — a meat to be frequently indulged in. The time required for its digestion is about the sam^ as for pork, and may extend to 5 hours, or more. Veal-broth is generally prepared fi^om the fleshy part oJ the knuckle. It is not very palatable; and as it does not contain the nutritious qualities of beef-tea or mutton-broth^ it is scarcely advisable to introduce it into the sick-room, except for the sake of occasional variety. The lean of a lamb chop cut from the loin is often a morsel which tempts the flagging appetite. The bones of the calf at the early period of life contain but little eaiihy matter, and therefore yield a larger pro- portion of gelatine, etc., while the flavor of the juice is very delicate, and almost entirely free from fat. Hence the reason for selecting calves' feet for the making of jeUy and the value of this kind of food to invalids. The *' sweet-bread " (pan- creas) of the calf is the most expensive part of any ruminating animal ordinarily eaten by man, far more so than its nutritive value or even its flavor warrants; but, after all, it is — whether boiled or fried — undoubtedly the most deli- cately flavored meat in use. Mutton, is popularly and correctly regarded as a lighter 52 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. food than beef, and it has doubtless a more delicate flavor, less red-blood juices, a looser texture, and a larger propor- tion of fat. Although an agreeable and valuable food, it is not so well fitted as beef to sustain great exertion, but is i-'ather adapted to those of sedentary habits, and quiet lives, including women and the sick. The actor Kean, who had a fancy of adapting the meat which he ate to the part which he was about to play, selected mutton for lovers, beef for murderers, and pork for tyrants. Mutton or mutton-broth is much to be preferred for delicate persons. Mutton-broth has less nutritive value than the broth of beef, but having a delicate flavor it is pre- ferred by many persons. It is, however, too rich in fat to be easily digested, unless a large portion of that substance be first removed. Lean mutton^ then, should be selected for making broth; the scrag of the neck is a suitable joint. When a patient is so far convalescent as to require solids, a mutton chop, properly cooked, is generally most suitable. Broiling should be preferred to frying, and to cook mutton chops nicely a clear fire is absolutely necessary. The chops should be sprinkled with salt and pepper, and placed over the fire for six or seven minutes. They should not be pricked, but should be frequently turned to insui'e their being thoroughly cooked. The most solid and leanest meat of the sheep is the leg; and the least solid and fattest portions are the loins, neck and breast. The loss on cooking mutton is greater than that on beef — l^ut this varies much with the breed, and with the food of the sheej:), being least when they are fed on cake or dry food. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 53 Mutton requires from 3 to 3| hours for its digestion. Lamb, like mutton, varies in its nutritive, chemical and digestive qualities, in proportion to its age, breed and deeding Its meat is deficient in strength; though it maj be of more delicate flavor; it possesses more water and less nitrogenous matter. The time required for its digestion is less than that of the flesh of a grown shee23 — viz, 2| hours. Pork differs from beef and mutton, not in flavor only, but in the larger propoi'tion of fat to lean flesh — and, owing to this great preponderance of fat, cannot be regarded as equal to beef or mutton in nourishing the system of those who make much muscular exertion. The greater hardness of its muscular fibre, also, renders its mastication so difficult that much of iii is apt to be swallowed in pieces too large for immediate nolution in the juices of the stomach. This is paiiicularly *rue of those persons who habitually chew quickly, or bave defective masticating powers, or who are '^'.areless in performing the act of mastication — classes em- bracing the old, and the young, and no inconsiderable proportion of those of intermediate ages. Five and a quaiier hours is required for the digestion of roast pork (varying materially with the proportion of fat and lean, the age, breeding and condition of the pig, etc.) — but young pickled pork will probably be digested in about 3 hours. There is, however, a greater danger in the use of pork than of any other kind of meat, since, so far as is known, it is more frequently diseased — and the nature of the disease is such as to be very injurious to man. "Measly" pork is known to have produced fatal results to those who have in- 54 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. cautiously eaten it, and although the characteristics of the disease may be recognized by those who understand it, they are neither known to, nor observed by the great majority of >the poorer classes. The terrible pest of the small Trichina ^spiralis worm, which penetrates the whole muscular system * — upwards of 50,000 having been computed to the square inch in the flesh of those who had died from eating the pork which harbored it — causing great suifering and death, is another possibility which needs to be kept in mind by the lovers of pork. This diseased state may not be evident to the naked eye, so that, as a precaution, all pork should he well cooked. The instances of the disease which have occurred, have almost uniformly been after eating uncooked sausages, or ham — a habit not confined to Germany. The loss on cooking American pork is estimated at 50 per cent, whilst on Dutch and Irish pork it is from 25 to 30 per cent; the difference being due to the nature of the animals' food in the respective countries. Bacon (that is, the sides of the pig which have been prepared by the removal of some of the lean flesh and ribs, and preserved by means of salt and salpetre) and Ham are not without a certain nutritious value, and require less time than pork, for their digestion, according to their degrees and cooking. Three houi's will sufiice for their digestion. They occupy an exceptional position in relation to fat and cured meats. Fat bacon, taken with any substances that are rich in nitrogen, is very nourishing. It increases the nutritive value of eggs, poultry, peas, and beans. Venison is lean, dark-colored, and savory, having more the character of gamo than of butcher's meat. It is very HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 55 easily digested, and is therefore suitable to the dyspeptic and convalescent; its rich flavor may, however, constitute an objection to it, and if it has been kept too long before being cooked, it is very apt to produce dian'hoea. The Offal of animals, such as the skin, feet, tail, horns, head; lungs, liver, spleen, omentum, pancreas and heart, intestines and other internal organs, (forming, generally \ of the weight of animals killed for food, and not sold for meat) — still furnishes much good, nutritious alimentation for man. It possesses a greater proportion of the nitrogenous elements than the carcass, (though in a less nutritious form than in flesh, since it largely consists of gelatine and chondrine) ; but less of fat. The Skin, so far as it is useful as food, is consumed in the form of gelatine, and is probably the greatest source of that article. Gelatine, which forms the basis of soup, is the nitrogenous principle of bones. They contain a considerable quantity of nutritive matter; but for its extraction they should be broken into small pieces and boiled for many hours, if possible in a "digester." Although investigators have found that gelatine fails to nourish animals when given by itself, it is now a well-established fact that in combination with other substances it can be turned to account in the system as a force-producing element, thus acting as a protein compound. In the form of jelly, with or without wine, when not tough, it is readily digested, and serves to allay the feeling of emptiness and hunger when more nutri- tious food cannot be well taken. Being demulcent, and possessing no irritating qualities, it proves very useful in inflammatory afiections of the bowels. As i^ is soothing 56 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOK. and grateful it may be allowed where diarrhoea is not to be feared. In the preparation of gelatine jelly it is very essential to soak the gelatine, as procured in the shops, in cold water for some time. The tongue of all animals used as food is in request and regarded as a delicacy. Fat or lean, and eaten hot or cold^ it forms a most agreeable food. Sheep's head boiled or grilled, among the poorer classes; calves' head, among the richer, have each their value; while ox head (having about 30 per cent of rich meat and some solid fat) is much used as meat and in the form of soup — a convenient dish for the poor man's family, since it yields good and cheap soup for the children, while the adults eat the solid meat. The pig's head gives a much greater proportion of meat to bone than in the heads of other animals, because the pig lays up much fat about the jaws. The liver of the pig is a favorite dish with the poor; that of lamb, calf, or Strasburgh goose {pate- de-fois-gras) by the rich, and, although not equal to flesh as a food, furnishes a considerable proportion of nutritive ele- ments. It is not, however, suitable for those whose digestive powers are feeble. The hver of aU animals is said to in- fected by a parasite, which, however, is sufficiently evident to the naked eye, to be avoided — as it may be b}^ cutting it in slices, examining it carefuUy and seeing that it is tho- roughly cooked — frying being the best method. The lungsj or as they are vulgarly termed "lights", are eaten as a part of the "pluck", or "fry" (omentum, pancreas and heart); and being composed almost exclusively of membranes and vessels, contain a high proportion of albumen and other nitrogenous matter. They are not, however, very easily HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOL .'ALUES. 57 masticated or digested, and should be well cleaned, and any diseased portions removed. The omentum (consisting partly of membranes and vessels and partly of fat) is an agreeable addition to the otherwise lean fry. That from an old animal is not so tender or so readily masticated as from a young one, and it is desirable to masticate it well. A part of it is eaten as tripe. The pancreas (which, with the thyroid and sublingual glands, passes by the name of "sweetbread") commands a very high price; contains a considerable pro- portion of water and some fat, and has a delicious flavor when properly prepared. That of the calf is the most esteemed, though that of the lamb is not infrequently substituted for it. The intestines are used as food by man in the preparation of sausages and " black puddings ", and as ti^ipe. Tripe is prepared from the stomach and intestines, with the fatty structures attached thereto, of the ox and cow, and consists of two parts, viz. the walls of those organs and the enclosed fat. It is prepared simply by thorouglily cleansing the organs from every adherent substance, and from the flavorsf of bile, or other disagreeable matters, and then gently boiling them in clean water for about an hour. A\^ien thus prepared, it is of somewhat delicate flavor, and very easy ol mastication and digestion. Its chemical constitution is 3uch that it affords considerable nutriment, thougli not very satisfying — for it fully digests in about one hour — leaving the stomach in need of a new supply of food. Its nitro- genous compounds, also, being those rather of gelatine than of albumen, are somewhat less valuable than might be expected. Though the ease and rapidity with which it is 68 . HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. digested seem to indicate it as a proper food for the sick* yet, in practice, its absence of pronounced flavor, and, per- haps, the unusual nature of the food, prevents its selection by the sick generally. From the feet of animals, we get two chief chemical ele ments of food — oil and gelatine; hence we have neat's-fool oil and calf's-foot jelly. Figs' feet. Dr. Beaumont found to be digested in about one hour — and cow-heels would pro- bably require the same time, except such tendinous parts as are masticated with difficulty and may be only partially digested after the lapse of several hours. " Collared pork ", made from the gelatinous parts of the pig — such as ears, face and feet, was in use in the 14 th Century. Sausages are of two kinds, those made from fresh meat, and those made from preserved meat, and both are placed in pieces of intestine. The first named, composed of meat, bread and condiments, if made of proper kind, quality and quantity of meat, and used while fresh, are agreeable and valuable food. Those made of preserved meat, and designed to be kept for use, have a much greater nutritive value than fresh sausages, since the meat is very dry; they are composed of meat only; and, in the average, they are equal to 3 times their weight of fresh meat — and are particularly adai:)ted to the use of travellers, soldiers and laborers who cannot cool; their meat. The Prussian sausage (which obtained a ver^^ wide use during the recent war with France) consisted of a mixture of bacon, pea-flour, onions, salt and condiments — the pea-flour being a patented preparation which did not sour. The daily ration per man was 1 lb., and it HYGIENE. ^NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 59 only required boiling in water for a short time before eating. Black puddings, prepared with blood (chiefly of pigs) to which gi'oats and various herbs, with lumps of fat, are added, — the whole enclosed in a piece of pig's intestine and boiled — is, in some parts, gaining ground in large com- munities, where the frequency of slaughting animals renders its daily preparation possible. They usually receive an additional cooking, before eating, by being fried, with or without being previously warmed by immersion in hot water. They should not be kept too long. Blood pontains so many valuable nutritive elements as to render it, as a food, only inferior to the flesh, which is made from it* and * Composition of fresh blood in 1000 parts : Water 779.00 Fibrin 2.20 Fatty matter 1.60 SeroHn 0.02 Phosphorised fat - - - - 0.49 Cholesterin ... - - 0.09 Saponified fat - - - - . 1.00 Albumen 69.40 Blood corpuscles - - - - 141.10 Extractive matters and Salts - 6.80 Chloride of sodium - - - - 3.10 Other soluble salts - - - 2.60 Earthy phosphates - - - - 0.33 Iron 0 57 Also sugar The salts in blood perform an important part in nutrition^ and it may be well to indicate their nature in the pig, sheep and ox, whose blood is used as food. The following is the quantity, per cent, o# Mch salt: Pig Sheep Ox. Phosphoric Acid 36.5 14.8 14.04 Alkalies 49.8 55.79 60. Alkaline Earths 3.8 4.87 3.64 Mineral Acids and ) ^^ 24.54 22.32 Oxide of Iron ) 60 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. any fear of diseased germs existing in it, may be set aside by the consideration that a temperatui'e at and above 212**, if fully applied, will destroy all known elements of disease ; and that blood, when fresh and so cooked, may be eaten with perfect safety. In the discussion of meat food we are led to consider the subject of Extracts of Meat and Fluid Meats, of which many varieties are in the market, and extensively used in the sick room. They are prepared (in two forms, viz. in a thi2k semi-fluid state, and as solids) by boiling down the flesh of animals, so that 32 lbs. of flesh are said to be required to prepare one pound of Liebig's Extract. Lean cattle being necessarily selected for this purpose — and the net flesh (lean meat) weight of the animal being averaged at 300 lbs., one animal only yields about 10 lbs. of the extract. During this process, all the fat and as much of the gelatine and albumen as can be extracted, are removed from the solution of flesh, whilst the fibrin, being insoluble, is necessarily left behind. Hence there remain water, salts, osmazome, the flavoring matters and the salts of meat — thus leaving out all that is popularly regarded as nutritious. It is evident, therefore, that but little is left in the beef extract to nourish the body; and the elements which it really possesses are salts which may be otherwise obtained at an infinitely less cost, and the flavor of the meat which disguises the real poverty of the extract. A good deal of that which is sold as extract is only solidified soup, with gelatire added. Good extract is slightly acid, of pale yellowish-brown color, with *\ agreeable meat-like odor, feeef-tea Extract then, is a stimulant rather than a food. HYGIENE. ^NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. [61 A person may be hungered to death on it — and, if relied upon as a principal article of food for the sick, it will prove a broken staff, except to those extremely feeble persons who can take very Httle food, and are favorably influenced by very slight causes. Liebig himself has stated that "it is not nutriment in the ordinary sense." In the preparation of ordinary soup and beef-tea, it may be added to the stock to increase the flavor, or it may be mixed with white oi eggj gelatine, bread and other cooked farinaceous sub- stances, or with a teaspoonful of cream. But it should be remembered that it is properly to be classed with such ner^^ous stimulants as tea and coffee, which supply little or no nutriment, yet modify assimilation and nutrition. Used alone for beef-tea it is a delusion. The solid preparations of meat, contain a considerable proportion of gelatine and do not putrefy because the gelatine has been dried. A much larger quantity of these solids than of the semi-fluid extracts, must be used, to obtain the same amount of meat-flavor and salts — but, in the same ratio, is the gelatine (nutriment) increased. In as much as they represent different qualities and uses, the solid and the semi-fluid extract preparations of meat may both be used together with advantage. — The solid foods are made, also, from the meat of other animals than the beef, and therefore offer a variety and delicacy of flavor to th© invalid, which the extracts do not. There are in the market, also, Jluid preparations (such as Stephen Daily's) of lean meat, which retain the fibrin, gelatine and coagulable albumen — made by a process as nearly as possible rejDresenting the natural process of 62 HOMEOPATHIC MENTu.... digestion in the stomach, and by which one pound of fluid meat is obtained from 4 lbs. of lean flesh. Assuming that all the nitrogenous elements, as well as the salts, are properly retained by it, it should prove a superior article of food to either the fluid extracts, or the solid preparation of meat. Albumen, (familiarly represented by the white of the egg) is, by far, the most important single element of food, inas- much as it contains nutritive matter in a compact and easily digestible form; and being almost without flavor, can be used in the preparation of food, very diverse in other respects, while it is adapted to every variety of taste. Its composition, in the egg, is identical with that contained in the blood and tissues of man and animals — and it has been demonstrated that ten grains of solid albumen, when burned, produce heat sufiicient to raise 12.85 lbs. of water l"" Fahr., which is equal to lifting 9.920 lbs. to a height of one foot. Gelatine, differing from albumen in appearance, is similar in chemical composition. It is found in the tendons, skin and bones of the body, in the stomach of the sturgeon, in the juices of plants, in seaweed, moss, and birds' nests, etc. — is almost destitute of flavor, and requires wine, &c., to render it palatable. Its flavor, readiness of mastication and digestion, and nutritive elements, make it for food almost as valuable as albumen. Eggs. The almost entirely albuminoid character of eggs, renders them a most valuable article of diet. Indeed, if the shell be included, an egg contains everything that is necessary for the formation and maintenance of the body. It is popularly supposed that an egg in the raw state is HYGIENE. ^NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 63 more easily digested than one that is cooked, but this may doubted, if the egg be not overcooked. It has been found thai the yolk is more digestible when hard-boiled, while the white is least so. If the albumen be coagulated by the heat of cooking it becomes heavy and difficult of digestion, and sometimes produces constipation and irritation of the bowels. It should therefore be parti- cularly avoided by dyspeptics, and by persons recovering from iUness, before the full powers of digestion have been regained. If the insoluble portions of hard-boiled eggs are delayed in the stomach and intestines, they putiify, and the sulphuretted hydrogen and ammonia evolved become instating to the intestinal canal. But fresh uncooked eggs are almost wholly free fi'om these objections. A fi^esh raw egg, thoroughly stiri'ed into about half a pint of milk, forms, to most j^ersons, a palatable and nourishing article of diet. One gi'eat advantage this preparation has over other food is that all the component parts are retained in their natural state, are more completely dissolved, and consequently make less demands upon weak digestive powers, than when the egg is eaten in its solidified form. If patients object to the taste of raw eggs, a little sugar ma;) be added; or if this be not sufficient, some simple flavoring extract may be used. Wine or spirits are often employed, but they are usually 3bjectionable, and should be dispensed with if possible. Eggs seem to be particularly useful in lung diseases, and in cases of exhaustive cough soothe the irritable mucous membrane. Artificial fibrin, so called, has been found available when Qo other food could be taken. It is thus prepared : — The 64 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. white of an egg is poured into cold water and allowed to remain for twelve or more hours, during which time it undergoes a chemical change, becoming solid and insoluble, assuming an opaque, snow-white appearance. This and the liquid in which it is immersed are heated to the boiling- point, and the fibrin is ready for use. It is very easy to digest, and to many is quite a deHcacy. It is said that the stomach will retain this in many cases when everything else is promptly rejected, its presence creating a craving for more food, and thus promoting instead of diminishing di^ gestion. Egg, with milk and sugar, forms a plain custard, which is often allowable and very grateful. The mixture of egg with milk, is very nutritious — but, if the milk be new and good, it is possible that such a combination might hinder rather than promote digestion and nutrition. In the cooked form of pudding, egg and milk are more digestiblco Eggs undergo change by being kept. The porous shell allows the evaporation of water and the infiltration of air; certain organic changes also occur when the shell is rendered non-porous. To test the freshness of an egg an ounce of salt may be added to ten ounces or half a jiint of water; in this solution a fresh egg will just sink, one that has been kept for several days will float. A bad egg ia often sufficiently light to float in pure water. Fresh eggs may also be known by holding them up to the light, Avhen they will appear clear; if stale they will appear cloudy. Fresh eggs are most translucent in ihe centre, stale ones at the end. In order to i)reserve the fi'eshness of eggs various HYGIENE. — NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 65 plans have been adopted to render the shells non-porous or to exclude air; such as boiling them for half a minute, keeping them in lime water, bran or salt, or covering them with a coating of wax, oil, butter, gum, or varnish; but with only variable success. No fusty egg is good for food, even when put into puddings; it should be banished from the house if there be the slightest smell of old straw about it. Ducks' eggs are larger and have a stronger flavor than hens' eggs; the solid matter and the oil in a duck's egg exceeds that of a hen's by as much as one-fourth. They are not often introduced into the sick-room, but there is no reason why they should be excluded if the flavor be agree- able to the patient. The poached egg, as prepared in France, Mexico, and Eastern lands, is very delicious. A pottery dish is used instead of an iron pan, and the heat kept moderate by using charcoal fires. The dish is very thick, so that it must be placed upon the fire for a Httle time to become well warmed through, after which butter, with pepper and salt are placed in it, by which the surface is well lubricated and a savory mixture prepared to receive the eggy which is then broken and dropped into it, and in a short time turned so that both sides may be sHghtly browned, but without breaking the yelk bag. AMien cooked it is served on the same dish and in the hottest state possible and its flavor is very deli- cate— being often appetizing to the invalid when, in other forms of cooking, it would be rejected. Egg takes about as long as mutton to digest — viz., 3 to 4 hours. Its chemical composition is (per cent), dry matter 66 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 30.0; mineral matter 1.4; dry fat 11.0; nitrogen 2.0; carbon 17.52; or carbon and nitrogen reckoned as carbon 20.56. Poultry and Game. The flesh of birds differs from that of animals, in the relative quantity of fat; and, in the quality of juices. The fat of birds is laid up in various parts of the interior of the body as well as under the skin, but is very sparingly formed in the fibres or the juices of the flesh; and its flavor is not regarded as agreeable. The juices are deficient in red-blood. The flesh of fowl is quite as rich in nitrogenous elements, but relatively poorer in fat and salts than that of animals — and is regarded as light food, better suited to invalids than to strong men or as an adjunct to flesh rather than as a food to sustain man. In the flesh of fowl, there are very appreciable differences, dependant upon the nature, breed, food and feeding of the bird The flavor of wild birds is fuller and stronger than that of domesticated birds, and the flesh richer in nitro- genous, as it is generally poorer in carbonaceous material. The structure is closer and firmer, and in the fresh state hard and tough, so that wild fowl are always better after being kept a while, to allow of the beginning of separation and softening of the fibres, through decomposition. Hence, while a domestic fowl is eaten when quite fresh, a wild fowl is kept many days, or for weeks, before it is cooked. Sex- less birds, as the capon and pullet, grow larger, fatten better, and are more tender and delicate than ordinary poultry. Ducks and geese are not so well adapted as poultry for the sick room, for their flesh is harder, richer, and more highly flavored. HYGIENE. — NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 67 Pigeon and smaller birds are usually tender and relishing, and may be eaten with safety by the convalescent. The blood of the common fowl is inferior to that of red- blooded animals in the matter of the salts of iron, but superior to it in phosphates, (said to play so important a part in regenerating the nervous tissue) which are three times more abundant in the J^itter than the former. The average chemical composition of poultry-flesh, when fat for the market, in 100 parts, is, water 74; nitrogenous 21; fat 3.8; salts 1.2. Babbits' flesh in general and nutritive character closely assembles that of the hen, and its delicate flavor and di- gestibility render it more acceptable to the invalid than that of the /lare, which is food rather for the healthy than the sick. Hanging the harems flesh for a considerable time before cooking, improves its flavor, ease of mastication and digestion. The flesh of the squirrel is very dense, gelatin- ous, luscious and satisfying. Fish is an exceedingly valuable food, if eaten as soon as possible after capture. The popular belief in its lack of nutritive value arises probably from the fact that it does not easily satisfy hunger, and is quickly digested, so that the appetite soon returns. Nor is it desirable that fish should form the sole, or even the greater part, of nitrogenous animal food eaten by any people; for, even should milk and eggs be added to it, the vigor of such a people will not be equal to that of flesh-eating peoples. At the same time, the value of fish as a part of a dietary is indicated by the larger proportion of phosphorus which it contains, and whicb renders it especially fitted for the use of those who perform 68 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. much brain work, or who are the victims of nervous ex- haustion or of much mental anxiety and distress. Fish are out of condition in the spawning season, and are then less fit, or even unfit, for food; young fish can always be eaten. Fish caught from the deep seas are better than those from shallow bays; and fresh water fish from deep, clear water with stony bottom, than those from muddy shallows. As with animals, whether beast or bird, domestic or wild, their quality depends upon feed, its kind and quantity, etc. A sign of the freshness of fish is its firmness and rigidity, which is due to the rigor mortis, which passes off after awhile. For the invalid, fish should always be boiled, or » broiled in oil; the fat added in frying it renders it less di- gestible. Dried, salted, smoked or pickled fish should not be offered to invalids; but a little fresh fish, well boiled, served with bread and butter, without sauces and season- ings, may frequently tempt the fastidious appetite. For food purposes, we are accustomed to divide fish into two classes — viz., into white-blooded and red-blooded, of which cod represents the former, and salmon the latter. The flavor varies, also, in proportion to the amount of oil in the flesh of the respective kinds of fish — white fish con- taining, as a rule, far less oil than red fish. The nutritive value of white fish, is much less than that of the flesh of animals; less than that of poultry, but greater than that of eggs; but the nutritive value of the flesh of a red-blood fish (salmon, for instance), is almost equal to that of the flesh of oilier red-blood animals. Fresh herring offers the largest amount of nutriment, for a given sum of money, of HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 69 any kind of animal food, and is therefore pre-eminently, ''the poor man's fish." Salmon stands pre-eminent as a delicacy, and more nearly resembles the moat of animals than that of other fish; fat is intermixed with the muscular fibre, and underlies the skin^ particularly of the abdomen; it is therefore rich — too rich for invalids. Mackerel, Herring, Bullhead, and Eel are also fatty in their composition; and, therefore, less suitable than white fish for those whose powers of digestion are feeble. Amongst white fish are Shad, Halibut, Brook- Trout, Pike, Perch, Bass, Sunfish, Haddock, Flounder, Cod, etc., whose flesh contains little fat, except in the liver. Whitefish, the chicken of fish, is the most delicate and easy of digestion. Cod is close, firm, tough, and indigestible for a weak stomach.. Fried Cod is like veal cutlet, but drier. Hallibui has richer flavor, but does not stand high as food for invalids. Fish-broth contains ne rly the same component j^aiis as meat-broth, and in some countries fish-soups are as much esteemed as those of meat. Isinglass, which is obtained from the air-bladder of the sturgeon, is a useful vehicle for the administration of other ingredients of food, surpassing gelatine in value. Shell-fish, loith the exception of oysters, are less nutritive than other kinds of fish, less digestible, and more likely to disagree with weak stomachs than most kinds of animal food. In some persons they produce gastric iiTitation and diarrhoea, and in others nettle-rash and similar eruptions. Indeed, so marked is this effect on some constitutions, that it is necessary to forbid shell-fish altogether* 70 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. Lobster and Grab, though very agreeable to many persons, are not suitable for those whose digestive organs are weak, and consequently should not be introduced into the sick- room. Indeed, some persons in ordinary health cannot take them, because they are not easily digested, even when stimulants of the gastric juice are added in the form of vinegar and pepper. Turtle-soup, and clam-soup though somewhat rich, when given in small quantities at a time, are often very restorative to invalids. Oysters are nutritious, and readily digested even by deli- cate stomachs. From recent researches it appears that they contain sufficient pepsine to be self-digestive. By invalids they should be taken without the fringe or beard (gills), and without the hard muscle by which the fish is attached to the shell; they should also be taken raw, and masticated before they are swallowed. To eat them with vinegar is to commit a dietetic mistake. It is a good plan to keep them alive for a day or two by placing them in a shallow dish of clear brine, feeding them with meal and changing the water, so that they may lie bare for a while, and then be washed again twice a day, in imitation of the tide. They are in best condition from September to May. As a means of con- veying phosphates they are invaluable. Fresh oysters are most grateful in chronic dyspepsia; where nausea is present; in the case of consumptives; for the trouble of morning sickness; in chronic diarrhoea; they can be eaten with advantage by the nursing mother, who will in this way not only strengthen her own system, but also that of the child at her breast. Convalescents from fever will find in the oyster a delicate and nourishing food. HYGIENE. — ^NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 71 Oysfer-deiv, prepared plain or witli milk; or oyster-essence made by slowly simmering oysters in their liquor or a little water until they swell, seasoning wdth salt, straining the liquor, and serving with dry toast or plain biscuits, are ex- cellent methods of giving oysters. Milk. — Pure milk contains in solution, like eggs, all the elements required for the growth and sustenance of the body. This is especially true in relation to a child. Indeed, it may be regarded as the typical alimentary substance, for it combines nitrogenous, fatty, saccharine, and mineral matters, and water, in such proportions as are required by the animal economy, and in such a state of mixture and liquefaction as to be easily assimilated. In fact, it requires no digestion, and it is this excellence which renders milk a most important and convenient article under many circum- stances. It is already digested and prepared for absorption. In cases of fever, pure milk as the main article of diet is fai superior to anything else, especially in Enteric and other fevers, with derangement of the stomach and bowels. Beef-tea, w^hich is commonly used, is often irritating; but milk, on the contrary, is soothing, cooling, and at the same time nourishing and strengthening. In chronic disorders of the stomach and bowels a milk diet is a most valuable accessory to medical treatment. It allows the stomach to have almost absolute rest, which in many cases is the main- thing required. And this condition can be prolonged almost indefinitely, since an adult can be sustained for days or even weeks on milk alone. It should, however, be ob- served that milk would not be suitable diet for adults in health, as the nitrogenous matter is in considerable excess 72 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. in relation to the carbonaceous. It is suited to young per- sons who have to grow, and who in order to grow must appropriate an excess of what is nitrogenous to form a daily addition to the body. On the other hand, it is not so suit- able for full-grown persons, who have not so much to form tissue as to develop heat^ or other force, by the combustion of carbon. It must not be overlooked that the several elements or constituents of milk vary in quantity and propoii^ion in different animals, and under different circumstances in the same animal. Variations are exhibited in the folloAving table, which should be regarded as showing average rather than actual proportions, inasmuch as the milk of each animal is not alike. Woman Cow Goat Sheep Ass Mare. Nitrogenous matter and insoluble salts 3.35 4.55 4.50 7.00 1.70 1.62 Butter 3.34 3.70 4.10 6.50 1.40 0.20 Lactine and soluble salts 3.77 5.35 5.80 4.50 6.40 8.75 Water 89.54 86.40 85.60 82.00 90.50 89.43 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 The "nitrogenous matter" is chiefly caseine, which forms curd and cheese; the "lactine" is a form of sugar. Woman's milk is, of course, the standard. Cow's milk more nearly approximates to it than that of any other animal, and hence is most generally used ; contains consider- ably more caseine, less sugar and a little more butter than woman's milk. If therefore a mixture be made of | cow's milk and \ of warm water, to which half an ounce of sugar of milk be added to the pint, we shall obtain a composition HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 73 Tery similar to that of the mother's milk. If sugar of milk be not obtainable, its place may be supplied by some- what more than half tlie quantity of refined cane sugar. Goat's milk is richer than cow's; sheep's milk still richer. Ass's or mare's milk is much poorer, but much sw^eeterc Indeed, so large is the proportion of sugar of milk in the last that it is fermented and converted into a spirituous liquor, known by the name of koumias, and successfully administered in many cases of Consumption, chronic Bron- chitis, and chronic Diarrhoea. Koumiss, which is fermented mare's or cow's milk, has been found very useful in some cases of consumption. The Russian plan of making it is as follows: — Two teacupfuls of wheat-flour are mixed with one spoonful of honey, one of good beer yeast, and sufficient milk to fonii a not too thin paste; the whole is j^ut in a moderately warm place to fer- ment. AMien fermentation takes place the ferment is put Lq a linen bag, and hung in a jar or keg containing sixteen pounds of fresh mare's milk, covered and allowed to stand till the milk has acquii'ed a pleasant, acidulous taste (about 16 to 24 hours, according to the temperature). The butter and cheese paiiicles which float about are now skimmed oif, the liquid is poured into another keg and shaken for one houi', after which time it is poured into bottles, corked, and put into the cellar. A "cure" requii'es twelve to fifteen pounds of milk daily, the produce of two mares; the best season for it is from May to July. The koumiss is taken early in the morning, every hour (a teacupful to a tumblerful at a time), and plenty of exercise must follow. Cow's milk varies very much in quality. After parturition 74 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. takes place in any animal the first fluid secreted differs considerably from ordinary milk, and is termed colostrum; consequently cow's milk, for tliree or four weeks after calving, is not fit for food; it has a somewhat sickly smell, and acts as a purgative. The milk of the Alderney cow is characterized by its richness in butter, that of the long-horns by its richness in caseine. The product of young cows is preferable to that of old ones, and as a food for infants the age of the secretion should be less than that of the baby; that is to say a cow with a calf two months old may do very weU to feed a child of four months. The milk first drawn fi'om the cow contains less cream than that which is last drawn; indeed (especially if some time has elapsed between the time of milking), the amount of cream in the latter may be two or three times as much as in the former. The milk of the afternoon is richer both in caseine and butter than that of the morning. The food on which the cow is fed consider- ably affects the quality of the milk; poor diet impoverishes it; strong vegetables, such as turnips, cabbages, and onions, flavor it; decayed leaves make it disagreeable; poisonous plants render it injurious; nothing is equal to the fresh pasture of country fields for securing good milk. Its quality may be tested by the amount of cream it pro- duces, by its weight, and by its specific gravity. The larger the proportion of cream, the better the milk. A quart oi new milk, cooled, should weight about 2 lb. 2 J oz. if it is of fair average quality. The sp. gr. of good genuine milk ranges from 1.026 to 1.030 at a temperature of GO''. The addition of water or an excess of cream lowers the sp. gr. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 75 But whether or not the milk be diluted with water, it is not unfrequently rendered unwholesome by being put into vessels that have not been cleansed by thorough washing out with soda. On stale milk, even in minute quantities, a small blue fungus, or mould, very speedily forms, which soon spreads to fi'esh milk and causes it to tiu'n sour; hence Colic, Diarrhoea, and Thrush are occasioned in those who partake of it. Fifteen grains of bicarbonate of soda to a quart of milk prevents it from turning sour, and also renders it more digestible. Milk, though nourishing, does not agree with every one. If diluted with one-third lime-water, it will rarely cause biliousness or indigestion, and if taken regularly will so strengthen the system as to banish these disorders. It may be taken with acid of some kind when it does not easily digest. The idea that milk must not be eaten with pickles is not an intelligent one, as milk curdles as soon as it is swaUow^ed. When milk is constipating a little salt sprinkled in each glassful will avert the difficulty. When it has an opposite effect, a few drops of brandy in each tumbler of milk will obviate purgation. After finishing a meal a tumbler of pure milk may be drunk, and half a pin!; taken at bedtime with a biscuit makes a light supper. Ten grains of new milk when consumed in the body produces sufficient heat to raise 1.7 lb. of water 10 F., which is equal to lifting 1.24G lbs. one foot high. The milk of all animals is more easily digested when eaten warm, especially by those who have the impression that it does not agree with them, and by invalids. This is not, 76 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. however, due to any marked ebemical change effected in the milk by heat, for the only effect is to coagulate the albumen and to raise it as a scum upon the surface, but to the stimulating effect of heat, both on the palate and stomach. In cases of fever, in exhausted conditions dependent on loss of blood, and in summer diarrhoea and other inflam- matory affections of the alimentary tract, it may be given scalded with excellent results; it is a sheet-anchor in Enteric fever. Owing to outbreaks of fever which were traced to infected milk, many persons adopted the pre- caution of boiling aU milk before using it, and thus the disease-germs which it may have contained were rendered innocuous. This is a good plan for persons resident in towns. But when used as a substitute for mother's milk, cow's milk should not be boiled, but only raised to the temperature of breast milk by the addition of warm water. Cream is composed of the fatty constituent of milk, which, on account of its Hghtness, rises to the surface when the milk is allowed to stand. It forms the basis of butter. It can often be taken freely when nothing else will remain on the stomach, notwithstanding the abundance of fatty matter. It should always be fresh, and may be diluted with water or given pure if desired. Clotted cream is pro- duced by heating milk just to the point of simmering, which causes a scum to form with the fatty matter and give it more consistence. Skmi'Viilk is that from which the cream has been re- moved, and being consequently less rich than ordinary milk, it can frequently be taken by invalids when the latter cannot. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 77 Butter-milk is what is left after the extraction of butter. It of course contains less fatty matter than skim-milk, but it retains the nitrogenous, saccharine, and saline matter, and is therefore very nourishing and useful as an article of diet. Unless very fresh it is generally a little acid. It is one of the most refreshing summer drinks that can be taken, and is almost always allowable in sickness, especially in fevers with gastric symptoms. It arouses a gentle activity of the liver and kidneys, particularly of the latter organs; and is (See page 45) especially valuable for old people. Curds are the caseine and fat of milk combined by coa- gulation of the milk. They form the basis of cheese. The addition of an acid to the milk sets free the caseine which is held in solution by an alkali, and causes coagulation. Whey is the residuary liquid after the curd has been re- moved, containing a httle of the caseine and fat, but aU the sugar, acids, and salts of milk. The caseine and fat being absent, there is no fear of curdling in the stomach, thus causing pain or Diarrhoea. Whey can, therefore, be taken by many persons with whom milk disagrees. It is not very valuable as nutriment, but it is very digestible, is easily ^ absorbed, and is a refreshing drink in the sick-room espe- cially in inflammatory disorders. A slight flavor of nutmeg makes it very palatable. There is a prevailing opinion that whey is sudorific; hence wine-whey, alum-whey, tamarind- whey, etc., when the milk has been curdled by these sub- stances, are recommended. The method of preparation is given in a succeeding chapter. In Switzerland whey is supposed to have medicinal 78 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. virtues, particularly for the relief of chronic disorders of the abdominal organs; the treatment, which is known as the Molken-Kur, has a fashionable rej^utation. Condensed milk is milk preserved by the evaporation of a large proportion of its water, and the addition of cane sugar. It is sold in hermetically-sealed tins, in which it can be kept for several years; when the tins are opened it is found in the form of syrup, which will remain good for several days. It is very useful for the diet of invalids in making of light puddings, or other food into which milk largely enters. It requires the addition of a considerable quantity of soft water (three parts water to one part milk) to replace what has been evaporated. Being already sweetened, it needs no addition of sugar. Its sweetness renders it very agreeable to infants, who take it readily, grow j)lump, and apparently thrive well upon it. But it is an error to assume that r. given quantity, when dissolved in water, will yield new milk or be as useful as new milk in feeding infants and young children, and it should rarely be used as a substitute in such cases when new milk can be obtained. Butter is the fatty portion of milk, obtained by churning the cream or the entire milk. This operation causes the rupture of the envelopes of the fat globules, which then coalesce and become incorporated into a solid mass. Milk yields on an average 5| per cent, of butter. Though butter is generally churned from cream, it would be produced in greater quantity from entire milk; but as the churning of milk would necessitate more labor and the use of larger vessels, it has not been generally adopted. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 79 The churning of cream is beet performed at a temperature varying fi'om 50" to SS"", and the temperature may be regulated by placing hot or cold water, according to the season, in the outer vessel. Milk requires a temperature of GO". When the butter is formed it should be kneaded and washed with water to remove the caseine, fatty acids, and other ingredients which would prevent its keeping sweet and fresh. Salt is added to preserve it. If syiiij) be added instead of salt, or sugar with which is mixed a little salt, butter is said to keep better When pure and fresh, butter is more easily assimilated by delicate stomachs than most other fats. It is also the form of separate fat which is less fi'equently disliked by consumptive people and invalids generally; but it should not be too bountifuDy supplied. Butter that has become stale or rancid, or been exposed to heat (as for buttered toast), is very likely to disagree with dyspeptics and other invalids, and cause Diarrhoea. Indeed, as a rule, all kinds of decomposing fats disagree with the stomach. There are ready means of detection through the senses of sight, taste, and smell, when butter is adulterated. Pure butter should be of a uniform rich yellow ap2)earance ; when a streaky look is imparted by quickly passing over it a clean knife the presence of adulterants is always to be suspected. When melted it should yield a clear-looking oil, with but slight deposit of water or other substances. When placed on the tongue it melts quickly and leaves the tongue perfectly smooth; while, on the contrary, there will be a sense of roughness, a granular taste, and the peculiar flavor of the adulterant, as the result of this test, when butter is adulter- 80 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. ated. The odor of butter is very persistent, and tlierefore does not so well mark its purity or the reverse. The value of Cheese as an article of diet has not been entirely established. If we consider its chemical compo- sition we find it very rich, richer than any other known food, in (nitrogenous) nutritive elements, provided we select a good specimen: but this varies with the conditions of its manufacture. The poorer the cheese the greater the pro- portion of the casein* (curd) or nitrogenous element; while the richer the cheese the greater is the proportion of fat or butter which it contains; but, in either case, the proportion of nitrogenous matter in a given weight far exceeds that of meat. One pound of cheese has been estimated as equi- valent to 3| lbs. of lean beef. Taken with bread or other vegetable diet it is very nutritive to persons of active habits; and, as a relish, or condiment it stimulates digestion. There is, however, a long-standing belief that cheese is not easily digested; and also, that in spite of this want of di- gestibility, it promotes the digestion of other foods. Scien- tific experiment has, indeed, shown that there is good reason to consider both of these beliefs as well founded; and that, while it may be proper to eat a small poriion of cheese, both for the nutrition which it supplies and for the promotion of digestion, it is not j^roj^er to eat a large quan- tity, or to make it a principal article of food and a substitute for meat. It is not at all improbable that cheese may pro- duce different effects on different persons; that its effect will * This is the sole source of the nitrogen in which cheese so abounds, and when pure consists of the following elements in 100 parts: Carbon 53.83; Oxygen 22.52; Hydrogen 7.15; Nitrogen 15.G5. HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALIjES. 81 bear some relation to the desire which the individual has for it; and that its customary use from childhood may modify its appreciable deleterious effects. The time requii'ed for its digestion varies with its age and according to the amount of fat it contains, but — with a fairly good medium-aged cheese, is fi'om 3^ to 4 hours New cheese and poor cheese also require a longer time for digestion, since they are chewed with greater difficulty. Old poor cheese also requires a longer time, for its hard- ness delays its solution in the gastric juices; and, if a good cheese be old and greatly decayed it plays the part of an irritant in the stomach which may cause a form of in- digestion, and be itself humed thi'ough the stomach into the intestines so rapidly as almost to prevent its digestion. Toaded cheese, as ordinarily prepared, is one of the most indigestible articles that can be eaten, but if it is new and lightly cooked with cream and butter, it can be rendered digestible by a healthy stomach. Ten grains of good cheese when consumed in the body produce sufficient heat to raise 11.2 lbs. of water 10 Fahr., which is equal to lifting 8.649 lbs. one foot high. Cream cheese (fresh curd moderately pressed) must be eaten fresh; and is more digestible than ordinary cheese (2 to 3 hours) because it is softer, more easily masticated and has less casein. To many invalids it will prove a pleasant variation with other diet. Dripjying, from roasting joints, if not burned, is one of the most nutritious forms of fat and very agreeable; its flavor depending somewhat upon the degree of roasting to which the flesh is subjected. It may sometimes prove a welcome 8i HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. alternative to butter in the sickroom. Salt should be eaten with it; but it must be taken in moderation, and its action watched, or it will disorder the stomach and heighten fever. Vegetable products enter largely into the food of man, in the form of seeds, roots, leaves, herbs, and preparations ol different kinds. Farinaceous seeds form the largest portion of our vege- table food, and are the most extensively used; they are of great nutritive value, of easy digestion, plentifully yielded, and universally grown. Cereals hold the first place. Their general composition is very similar, but on account of the differences that exist in the proportions of their component elements they have different nutritive values. Even the various kinds of wheat are not exactly alike, especially in the relative proportions of nitrogenous matter and starch. On an average, wheat contains more nitrogenous matter than other grains. Oats come nearest to wheat in this respect, and are of equal value to many wheats; they also contain a large proportion of fats and salts. Maize (Indian Corn) is rich in fatty matter, moderately so in nitrogenous, but poor in salts. Rice is very rich in starch, but poor in other constituents. The constituents of Wheat more nearly correspond with the requirements of the human system under ordinary cir- cumstances than any other grain; and life and health can be maintained on wheat alone for an indefinite period, provided there be an adequate supply of good water and air. Hence it is one of the most widely cultivated of the cereals. HYGIENE. ^NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUESL 83 As ordinarily used, however, it is deprived of mucli of its nutritive value, for the portion which contains the largest amount of nitrogenous matter is removed in order to meet the demand for whiteness in the bread. Each grain, after being thrashed out of the straw and winnowed from the husks, is composed of a hard, thin outer coat, or bran; a soft, friable intermediate layer of cells; and a central white substance chiefly composed of starch. The outer coat ie woody, indigestible, useless for nutrition, and irritating to the alimentary canal. In some cases it may therefore be advisable to retain it to act mechanically to stimulate the action of the intestines in constipation; but when used by persons who take active exercise it is too stimulating, for it causes the food to pass hurriedly through the canal before the process of disintegration and assimilation is completed. For invalids, and persons whose digestive organs are in a state of susceptibility, it is too irritating. The inner coat is of most value. It is usually removed with the outer coat in dressing the flour. But it is the richest part of the grain in nitrogenous matter, fats, and salts, the part which con- tains food for muscles, bones, and brains; and the more thoroughly this is removed, the finer the flour is dressed, the whiter the bread produced, the less valuable is the bread for nutrition. The central white material of the grain is chiefly composed of starch, but it comprises also a pro- portion of the more nourishing elements, though the pro- portion is so small that the utility of the grain is sacrified to the appearance of the bread. Many writers — notably Liebig — have pointed out the waste of nutritive material, and the unwisdom of preferring white bread to that which 84 . HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. contains the nitrogenous portion. Pavj, however, reminds us that bread is not our only food; that what is rejected in the bread is taken in other forms; and that through animal diet we receive the very elements which have been elimin- ated from the flour. Certainly, to most persons, the white bread is more palatable, and has a more attractive ap- pearance, than the more nutritious bread; but the taste is probably a matter of habit. If it were not that it gave a dark color and a soft consistence to br^ad, a very important soluble nitrogenous matter called cerealine might be utilised by soaking the bran in warm water for some time, and using the water in the preparation of the doagh for bread. Tt would be better to sacrifice the appearance and cultivate another taste, if thereby more nutriment could be obtained. Young and growing children are great but unconscious sufferers from the common custom. Many are weak fi'om mal-nutrition, grow up with defective teeth and bones, weak tissues, inadequate muscular development, and are suscept- ible to diseases which they have not constitutional strength enough to combat and resist. Stale bread is preferable to new, especially in any weakness of the digestive organs, since it is firm and more fi'iable under the action of the teeth, and more easily penetrated by the digestive juices, than new bread. New bread in the stomach often ferments afresh, and even in persons of good digestion produces heartburn. The toasting of bread greatly increases its digestibility, provided it be properly done. The slice should be toasted brown, not burnt, so that it may be crisp and firm through- out. It then constitutes the best form in which starchy food HYGIENE. ^NUTRITIVE FOOD VALUES. 8S can he given; for much of the starch is changed into glucose by the heat; and in wheat bread there is some Uttle gluten, which partly supplies the place of albumen. If toast is buttered, the butter should be applied as the toast is eaten, so that it may not become soaked with the butter. By some it is much enjoyed without butter, and is then more readily digested. Toasi-icater, when properly prepared, forms an almost indisi^ensable aiiicle in the sick-room. If good stale bread or biscuits are nicely toasted, not burnt, and then placed in a dish or pitcher, and hot water poured on and allowed to cool, the drink may, while more nourish- ing, be more palatable than water alone. Biscuits which contain but little water, are, bulk for bulk, more nutritious than bread, three quarters of a pound being about equal to a pound of bread. Wheaten biscuits, either sweet or plain, are most suitable for those who suffer from Dyspepsia and Constipation. Sponge cakes are also light, and often tempting. They may be soaked in hot milk; as also may rusks. Muffins are very indigestible. Gingerbread, when dry, crisp, and light, is acceptable to many dyspeptics. Macaroni and Vermicelli are very nutritious, but not easily digested. Oats, when ground, form a flour which is not so white as wheaten flour, and when made into bread has a peculiar taste, half sweet, half bitter. Unlike the wheat, the muscle^ making material of the oat is not connected with its hull, and is not therefore removed in making fine flour. Oat- meal and unbolted wheat-meal contain about the same amount of heat-producing material, but one pint of oat- meal-gruel contains as much muscle-making material an 86 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. five gills of unbolted meal gruel, or as in three quarts of fine flour-gruel. The Scotch oatmeal is generally preferred for flavor and nutritive qualities. Porridge is a hasty pudding of boiled oatmeal. The oatmeal should be mixed, at first very thin, in boiling water or milk; while boiling the meal should be sprinkled slowly on the surface and stirred in; when enough is added, the whole should simmer for half an hour or longer, with an occasional stir. If, however, the oatmeal be imperfectly boiled, as when prepared in haste, it is extremely indigestible, and pro- duces obstinate pyrosis and flatulence; but if well boiled, and eaten slowly so as to become thorouglily mixed with saliva, it is most wholesome. Oat-meal Gruel is a similar preparation, in a more liquid form. It should be boiled until every particle of the meal is cooked. It may be made with milk instead of water; or part water and part milk, and is generally better if strained, as the straining removes the instating husks of the grain. Oatmeal in all its forms is somewhat laxative, and often causes initation of the bowels, especially if not sufiiciently cooked. There are some persons who cannot take it on account of the acidity and eructation which it causes. Barley^ though less employed than formerly in the form of bread, is peculiarly rich in phosphates (more than twice the amount contained in meat) ; and, as it is also stimulant and laxative to the bowels, might be made useful to literary men of sedative habits, who need an increased action both of bowels and of brain. Such persons might use it either in the form of cakes, or porridge. Barleij-ivater, made from pearl barley, forms a sli^jjhtly nutritive, bland, and de- ., HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 87 Xnulcent drink for invalids. It is made by taking about two ounces of pearl barley which has been well washed in cold water, and boiling it in a pint and a half of water for half an hour. Rye, next to wheat, especially for bread-making, is the best of the cereals; containing more of the heat-producing, but less of the muscle and brain-feeding elements than wheat. As it contains more w^aste materials than w^heat, it is more stimulating or laxative to the bowels, and therefore may be useful in constipation. Buckwheat is inferior to wheat in nutritive elements, but is an excellent heater; and eaten, as it is generally and extensively, in the form of cakes for breakfast, with ham, sausage, beefsteak, or fish, it serves to keep uj) the heat for a winter's day. An eminent judge of the U. S. Supreme Court used to say that a breakfast of buckwheat-cakes, enabled him to do a longer and better day's-work, than anything else. It is a favorite breakfast food all over the United States. Indian Corn is not adapted for the manufacture of bread on account of its deficiency in gluten, unless wheat or rye flour be mixed with it. Corn meal is very nutritious, more fattening and containing a larger proportion of oily material than wheat, with greater production of animal heat. Made in the form of bread or cakes either wet up with water, milk, or with the addition of suet or molasses, it forms a hearty nutritious and healthy food, which is extensively used and prized in every part of our country; and, indeed, in some parts, forms the main staple of vegetable diet. Hominy, which is the grain cracked into two or three 88 HOMEOPATHIC ]ME]ST01i. pieces, is excellent food, especially if made from southern corn; and, as it contains a full share of muscle-making material, is peculiarly adapted to laboring men. Its largo proportion of life-essentials, also adapts it to those who follow sedentary and literary occupations. The "smal] hominy ", of New England, is generally made from the flint corn; and containing less of muscle and brain-food, and more of the heaters, is best for use in cold weather. Hulled com, also, has all the elements of the corn, except those contained in the hull; and, the oil being removed by being soaked in some alkali, is very excellent for summer use. Green corn, or " com in the milk," boiled in fair water in the ear, is a nutritious delicacy and though quite laxative is widely used and prized by all classes of the people Grated from the cob and made into a batter with milk, and fried, it forms the most delicious of cakes. Bice is said to be the food of nearly one-third of the human race. The best comes from the Carolinas. It is useful as an article of diet, whether whole or ground into flour; but its deficiency in the muscle, brain and nerve- supporting elements, and its preponderance of starch, renders it one of the poorest of foods for promoting mental or muscular strength. One pound of beans would support life, in action, as long as four pounds of rice. It, there- fore, requu'es the addition of some fat to make up iot its deficiency in this ingredient. It should be thoroughly cooked, whether the grains be ground or remain wliole. Boiled, or baked with milk and eggs, as rice-pudding, it forms a substantial meal, and is especially suitable HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALDES. 89 tor invalids, as it does not make great demand on the digestive powers. Eice boiled five or six houi^s forms, on cooling, and after the water has been strained off, a jelly which is soluble in warm milk, and makes a pleasant change of diet. Rice-water is made by washing an ounce of good rice in cold water, then macerating it for three hours in a quart of water kept at a tepid heat, and afterwards boiling it slowly for an hour. It is very useful as a drink in all irrit- able states of the alimentary tract, as in Dysentery and Diarrhoea; and, for young infants, and children suffering from Diarrhoea, Indigestion, Constipation, Flatulence, Atrophy, or Aphthae, corn flour and similar preparations are very un- suitable. In all cases, foods which contain traces of bran, and also gluten, gum, sugar, cellulose, and saline matter, especially the phosphates, in proportion to the starch, are to be preferred. Beans are rich in nutritive materials, and well adapted to strong healthy persons with good digestive powers. Two pounds of beans will enable one to do more muscular work than thi'ee of wheat, and more brain-work than three and a half. But, as they are deficient in heating powers, they are best eaten with fat pork, or some other heat-making food. They are also eaten green, when the starch is not formed; but as, in that state, they lack the nutritious element, thej require butter or some other heat-giving material. French Beans and Scarlet Runners are eaten with the pods before they are ripe. In Europe the seeds of the dwarf bean are allowed to ripen, and, when stripped from the pods, aj'e sold as haricot beans. Small White Beans boiled and then baked with salt pork, form the celebrated "Boeton 90 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOU. Baked Beans," so widely known and justly prized by all New England people. Peas^ contain very nearly the same elements, in the same proportions, as beans, but are more easily digested. Young, green peas, without their pods, are very delicate and nutritious. Old peas should be treated as dried peas — soaked, stewed, and crushed — if they are to be rendered palatable and digestible. Dried peas, split peas, without skins, if well boiled, are excellent food for healthy persons. Nuts. — Walnuts, Filberts, Almonds, Pecan-nuts, Peanuts, Butternuts, etc., are of value as relishes to be eaten after a meal. They contain a large proportion of oil and so may be rather too heavy for persons of weak digestion; but are of value for the phosphates which they so largely contain. They should be taken in moderation, at a time when the stomach has had some rest and can employ its powers for their digestion; they should be thoroughly masticated, so that the saliva may act freely throughout the mass; they may then be taken by those whose digestion is good, but should be avoided by invalids. They are, to some persons, more enjoyable if used with a trifle of salt. Chestnuts are more indigestible and can rarely be eaten without having been roasted, or boiled, or made into a flour and baked. Almonds are of two kinds. The hitter almond contains elements which, when brought into contact with water, develops poisonous products, and consequently when em- ployed for flavouring puddings, cakes, and liqueurs, has proved injurious, and even fatal. The sweet almond is in- nocuous; but on account of its initating qualities the skin should be removed, by soaking the nut in warai water; HYGIENE. NUTKITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 91 and, if the nut be baked for a little while it may be easily broken and pulverised, and thus rendered mor^ digestible. Starch, as an article of diet, is usefiil in the formation of fat and force ; but is devoid of nitrogen. It has this recom- mendation, that it allays the sense of emptiness and hunger when other food cannot be taken. But its granules are covered with a hard envelope which renders them difficult of digestion; and if they be eaten uncooked they pass through the canal without yielding up their nutritive properties. If, boiled, the envelopes are ruptured, and the contents are easily transformed, either by the saliva or the intestinal juices, into sugar, and are thus easily assimilated. All pre- parations of starch should therefore be cooked before they are eaten, by stirring them into boiling water or boiling milk, and then letting them simmer for a few minutes. If prepared with milk instead of water, wine should not be added. Sago, prepared from the pith of a species of palm, is use- ful for thickening soups, and making light puddings, which with the addition of milk form a light and easily digested diet for the invalid. Tapioca, prepared from the root of the cassava, is similarly employed and similarly useful. Tapioca jelly is an allowable and pleasant dish. The tapioca should be soaked in cold water for several hours, and then cooked until perfectly clear, adding more water if necessary. When done, sweeten to taste, and flavor with lemon, or wine; and when cold eat plain or with cream. Arrowroot possesses little nutritive value and little sustaining power; its chief merit is that it is bland and easily taken; but some other 92 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. alimentar} substance should be added to it. The true arrowroots (Bermuda, Jamaica, and West Indian) are to be preferred for the sick-room, for they will often remain on the stomach of an invalid when the others will be rejected. "We come now to a class of vegetable products containing a large proportion of water, which makes them succulent; of these the potato takes the lead in importance and dietetic value. Potatoes are an agreeable and wholesome article of food, easily cultivated, kept, and cooked, not always easily digested. They also have the recommendation of being, anti-scorbutic. In this quality cabbages take the first place, and all succulent vegetables share, but potatoes have been proved repeatedly to produce a most beneficial effect in the prevention and cure of scurvy. The proportion of starchy constituents is large, and of nitrogenous elements small, so that it is desirable to eat with them some other food to supply the deficiency in nitrogen, such as meat, fish, bacon, buttermilk, etc., in order that a fully nutritious diet may be supplied. When cooked, the heat employed coagulates the albumen, the starch granules absorb the watery particles, swell, and burst their cells, and thus the mass is broken down into a loose, floury, or mealy condition. If, however, the absorption is incom- plete, and the rupture of cells imperfect, the mass remains coherent, firm, and waxy. In the former state the potato may be easily digested; in the latter it is difficult of di- gestion. Young potatoes being close and firm are very indigestible, but old ivaxy potatoes are more so. Preparation for the Table, — The best method of cooking HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 93 potatoes, is by steaming them in the skin; by this process heat penetrates everywhere, and there is no loss of material and salts. For this purpose a saucepan, one-fourth full of boiling water, is required, into which a closely fitting steamer is j^laced, containing the potatoes, the latter being so packed as to allow a free passage for the steam. If the potatoes are boiled, the skins should not be previously removed, or a large amount of salts will pass out.* The addition of common table salt to the water is advantageous, for it helps to retain the natural salts. The boiling should be thorough, otherwise the starchy grains are undigested. From twenty-five to thirty-five minutes is the time usually required, according to the kind of potato boiled. Potatoes should be served up immediately they are cooked, and not, as is too frequently the case, placed over the fire at half-past eleven or twelve for one o'clock dinner. Towards the end of the season, old potatoes are improved by being peeled overnight and put into cold water, by which process they regain, in a measure, their natural color and consistency. Potatoes are rendered more digestible by being finally mashed, and mixed with a little red gravy as it runs from the cut surface of a joint. Roasted potatoes are more nutritious than boiled, and Potato soup is a better food by the addition of peas. Choice of Potatoes. — They should be large and firm to the touch, should present no evidence of disease or fungi, should not have been exposed to frost; neither should they * Dr. Letheby estimates the waste when the skins ar© removed at 14 per cent., when not removed at only 3 per cent. 94 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. be germinating or growing, for then the starch is under- going a saccharine metamorphosis. Further, when cooked they should not be close, watery, or waxy; but floury or me&ly. Carrots make a pleasant change in one's vegetable fare, but are apt in some cases to produce flatulence. The less they have of the central yeUow part, and the more of the outer red part, the better. The Farsnip possesses the same general characters as the carrot. Being sweet, it is well adapted for children's use, but should be avoided when old and stringy. The Turnip contains a very large proportion of water (91 per cent, according to Dr. Letheby), and hence is of little nutritive value, and is more difficult of digestion than carrots or parsnips. Radishes are somewhat Hke the turnijD, but being usually eaten raw, are often indigestible. We now turn to another class of vegetables. The leaves, shoots, and stems of some plants are valuable for food, chiefly on account of the salts they contain, and because they give variety to the diet. They should generally be grown quickly, in order that woody fibre may be less abundantly formed; and without much light, that the characteristic properties may not be unduly developed. If the chlorophyl, which gives the green color to vegetables, be abundant, it is apt to produce purging — indeed, green vegetables are always more or less relaxing. They are con- sequently useful when the bowels are constipated, and must be altogether avoided when Diarrhoea or Dysentery is present. They possess a high anti-scorbutic value. In all cases they should he eaten as fresh as possible, for every hour's delay after they have ceased to grow renders them less digestible HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE F00D-VAL13ES. 95 Cabbages^, Savoys, Sprouts, Cauliflower, etc., are of the same general character; but as the proportion of water in their composition is very large, they are not very nutritive. Moreover, they are not easy of digestion, and therefore not suitable for dyspeptics; while the large pro- portion of sulphur they contain causes disagreeable flatul- ence of carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen. Cabbage, however, is a most valuable anti-scorbutic, but if ferment- ation has begun its virtue is destroyed. Bleeding of the gums and Purpura are benefited by it. The best sorts of cabbage are the old white garden variety and the summer cauliflower. They should be soft but crisp before being cooked. Spinach is wholesome, and somewhat laxative. Rhubarb is eaten as a fruit rather than as vegetable, and requires to be well sweetened to make it palatable. As it contains oxalate of lime, it should be avoided by those who are subject to Calculus. Celery is indigestible when eaten raw. If so eaten, it should be with a light lunch of bread and cheese, not after a full meal. Stewed in beef gravy it makes a delicious and wholesome soup. The Asjmragus should be eaten as soon as possible after being cut. The greenest heads are to be preferred, as they contain the largest amount of the peculiar principles of the plant. There need be no fear that they will prove injurious to the kidneys, as some persons suppose. Slight cases of Rheumatism have been cured by eating freely of this plant; and chronic cases of rheumatic gout and gravel much relieved. Onions are very wholesome vegetables, whether eaten raw, or stewed, or roasted; they are too strong, however. 96 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. for invalids when they have not been cooked, as they possess strongly irritant and stimulating properties. Leeks should be white, and have httle smell; they are then soft and good^ and very digestible. Lettuce is agreeable, cooling, and digestible as a salad; the juice is mildly soporific. Water- cress and Mustard-and- Cress form wholesome salad. Cu- cumber, eaten raw and quite fresh, may be taken with bread and cheese as a hght lunch, but should not follow a more substantial meal, for it is indigestible, and apt to disagree with many persons. Stewed, it is hght and wholesome. Mushrooms, which are generally eaten after being stewed, to most persons are not injurious; though by dyspep- tics they are best avoided, for sometimes they cause colic, vomiting, and purging. Those grown in open pastures are by far the best. It is not always easy to distinguish mush- rooms from poisonous fungi, so that some caution is desir- able in gathering and preparing them for food. " A meadow mushroom should peel easily, and it should be of a clean pink color inside, like a baby's hand, and have a frill or 'curtain' (as botanists, call it) attached to the stalk. When the gills are brown they are growing old and dry, and losing their nutritive qualities." — Chambers. Vegetable Broths, made of any of the ordinary market Vegetables, in season, by boiHng and straining, are useful as substitutes for animal foods when the latter are not allowed. Out of season, dried vegetables may sometimes answer the purpose. In preparation of these, and in all other cookery for the sick, so far as possible, non-metallic surfaces only should be allowed to come in contact with the materials emi;)loyed. A simple method is to put them into an ordin- I HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD- VALUES. 9? ary basin or bowl, placing this in a saucepan of water and covering the basin with a saucer. The water in the sauce- pan is made to boil, and thereby the food is duly cooked. Fruits are agreeable and refreshing; but as their pro- portion of water is high and of nitrogenous matter low, they are of little nutritive value. When taken in moderation they are very wholesome, counteracting the unhealthy con- dition which attends a diet of dried and salted provisions, and promoting a somewhat relaxed state of the bowels. Fruit is best eaten in the morning or at lunch. When consumed in large quantities fruit may be injurious; parti- cularly if it be unripe or over-ripe, — in the former case by the action of the fruit-acids, in the latter by fermentation and decomposition. Fruit is very beneficial to gouty and rheumatic subjects, because the alkaline vegetable salts be<3ome decomposed in the system and diminish the acidity of the urine. But patients should avoid acid fruits, if Diarrhoea, or Dysentery, is present. The seeds of all fruits and vegetables, excepting grapes, if swallowed, may prove more or less irritating to the intestines, and in inflamed or ulcerated conditions may do irreparable mischief. Apples are perhaps the most uni\ersally valuable of fruits. Eaten before or after meals as a dessert, or as an agreeable relish between times, if ripe and in proper condition, they are a healthy and nutritious article of food. Stewed or baked and eaten as a dessert or during the meal, they are at once agreeable, nourishing, and easy of digestion. In- valids can often take stewed or roasted apples when almost everything else is rejected or too heavy. They are decidedly beneficial in all cases of Rheumatism or Gout, and are only 98 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. to be avoided in cases of Diarrhoea and Dysentery. Roasted apples are somewhat laxative, and may be eaten to counter- act Constipation. Dried apples are prepared for use by being stewed. Pears, when ripe, are more digestible than apDles; but as they decay sooner, they are more likely to produce derangements of the bowels. When sound, juicy, and soluble, they may generally be taken without danger. The Orange is one of the most agreeable and useful fruits for the sick-room; it is exceedingly grateful and refreshing, and is less likely to cause disorder than most other finiits. A heavy orange, with a fine thin rind, is usually the most juicy and the best adapted for the invalid. But the pulp should be carefully excluded. The Lemon is too acid to be eaten alone, except that its juice is grateful, refreshing, and beneficial in rheumatic affections; but in the form of lemonade it makes a cooling and wholesome drink for all occasions. Lemon-juice is very valuable as an anti-scor- butic; so also is /tme-juice. Lemon is elsewhere recom- mended as an addition to tea. Plums are less wholesome than most other fruits, unless cooked. They produce Cohc and Diarrhoea, and are em- ployed occasionally to promote relaxation in cases of Con- stipation of the bowels. Cherries also, when unripe or over- ripe, disorder the bowels. Peaches, and Apricots, when quite ripe, yield a deUcious food for the invalid, but should be most carefully avoided in Dysentery and Diarrhoea; the skin should be rejected. Grapes are most refreshing, whole- some, and nutritious in the sick-room, when ripe, the skins and pips being rejected. Raisins, (dried grapes) contain dore sugar and less iicid than ripe grapes; they are con- HYGIENE. ^NUTEITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 99 sequently more nutritious. If eaten too freely, especially if the skins or pips be swallowed, they are apt to disorder the stomach. Gooseberries and Currants (red, black, and white) are wholesome, cooling, refreshing and laxative in the sick- room; but generally interdicted in acute diseases. The Cranberry is too acid to be eaten raw, but makes an agree- able and wholesome sauce, or jelly. The Strawberry is one of the most delicate, luscious, and refreshing of summer fruits; and may, as a rule, be taken by invalids, except when Diarrhcea is present. The Raspberry, too, is agreeable and wholesome. So also is the Blackberry, which is credited with an astringent, or binding effect upon the bowels — especially in the form of blackberry-wine. Melons not un- frequently disagree with those whose digestive powers are weak. The Water-melon, forms a most agreeable and re- freshing luxury, not of much nutritive value, but cooling, appetising and a stimulant of the kidneys. During the heats of summer it forms at once a delightful adjunct to any meal — and a cheerful solace to a weary system. It should only be avoided in Diarrhoea and Dysentery. Musk-Melons, Cantelopes, Green-fleshed Melons are sw^eeter, often with a grateful musky odor, and contain a larger proportion of nutriment than the water-melon. They too may be eaten freely in their season, as the dessert to a repast, or alone — the only condition against their use being a relaxed stiite of the bowels. The Pine-ajyple should not be eaten by invalids; the pulp should be rejected if the juice be taken. The Fig is sweet and nourishing; its pulp may be eaten by invalids, but if eaten too freely will irritate and disorder the bowels; the skin is rather indigestible. Olive oil is the 100 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. most digestible of fatty foods, even more so than fresh butter; it should, however, be thoroughly good, pale, clear, and free from rancid smell, to justify this estimate. Gum arable, which flows from the acacia in Arabia, Egypt, 3tc., is usually employed in the preparation of drinks. The clear gum should be selected, washed, and slowly dissolved in cold water. When made of the powdered article or with hot water the flavor is less agreeable. When flavored with a little sugar it is a refreshing and nourishing bever- age for invalids. Mucilage differs from gum water in containing a larger proportion of the gum. It is ad- mirably adapted for use in inflammation of the mucous membranes generally, as in catarrh, bronchitis, etc. Sugar, an important alimentary product, chiefly found in the vegetable kingdom, also exists in the animal economy, and is there known as the sugar-of-milk. The vegetable sugar exists in two varieties — cane-sugar and grape-sugar. Cane-sugar is very sweet, and crystallizes easily; and though usually extracted from the cane, is also obtained from the beet-root, and is found in other vegetable forms. Grape sugar, or glucose, is inferior in sweetness and crystallizing* power, and abounds in grapes and other fruits and vege- tables. It may also be obtained, by chemical change, from cane-sugar, starch, gum, etc. It is chiefly used to adulterate cane-sugar. Sugar is valuable from a dietetic point of view not only as rendering more palatable many articles of food; but also as productive of fat and force. As it is readily dissolved and diffused, it requires no preliminary digestion in order that it may be absorbs d through the mucous mem- branes. In ordinary cases it does not, therefore, occasion HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 101 any gastric derangement; but when taken in excess, or by some dyspeptics, it is liable to undergo acid fermentation, and occasion acidity and flatulence. Sugar-of-milk, how- ever, does not undergo this change. Coarse brown sugar always contains dirt, sand, and occasionally mites. Loaf sugar is the most free from adulteration. It should be borne in mind that sweetened food is apt soon to cloy the appetite of invalids, and that attention must be directed to what is savory to secure agreeable chan^ jp Sugar is circulated in the sap of trees anr' piants just be- fore the unfolding of the buds; and in some species, as in the birch and maple, is found in such abundance as to be collected and manufactured in large quantities. In the northern part of New-England, and in New York State, sugar making from the sugar-maple is a large branch of industry: the sugar being a most wholesome confection, while in the form of s}Tup, it furnishes the most delicate accompaniment to buckwheat, rice, or wheat cakes. Treacle^ or Molasses is the uncrystallized residue drained from brown raw sugar before it is purified, and is not objectionable as carbonaceous nutriment. The different forms of Syrujos in the market are simply treacle purified by being re-boiled and filtered through animal charcoal. If largely taken these products are laxative. They are appropriately taken with all kinds of farinaceous food, such as bread-pudding, porridge, etc. Honey is of the same dietetic value as sugar, is slightly laxative, and is often used in the sick-room as a demulcent and emollient. Such condiments as vinegar ^ salt, and pepper are of real dietetic value, as they make the food more tempting to the .02 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. palate, stimulate a flagging appetite, assist digestion by promoting the flow of secretions and the movements of the alimentary canal, and counteract the action of injuiious ingredients of food. Their excessive use, however, pro- motes indigestion, and they are of less value in the sick- room, salt excepted. The constant presence of this mineral in the secretions, and the necessity for it in due propoiiions in the blood, indicate the importance of a proper supply with the food. This is evident in the instinctive desire of animals, and in our ow^n craving for it when it is not supplied in sufficient quantity. It is essential to the maintenance of health, and must not be forgotten in the diet of the invalid. Of the spice-condiments, such as cinnamon, cassia, clove, nutmeg, allspice, capsicum, vanilla, etc., it may be said in regard to their use, first, that they should not be used at all with food that can be relished without their addition; second, that that spice only should be used which best agrees with the natural taste; third, that the smallest quan- tity should be used that will satisfy the uniDeiTeiied taste, and the quantity should never be increased. A healthy taste and appetite should not demand them at all: and, moreover, they each possess medicinal powers, which may develope themselves if taken too freely by healthy persons; or which may interfere with the proper curative effects of medicines taken (homeopathically) by the sick. Ginger, however, we consider as less objectionable; and, indeed, as a generally allowable condiment. Vegetable acids, found in almost all fruits and vegetables, render an important service to the human system; but HYGIENE. NUTRITIVE FOOD-VALUES. 10& Vinegar should not be regarded as an acid naturally adapted to the reqmrements of the system; and should only be used when the acid fruits and succulent vegetables cannot be procured. Vinegar helps the stomach to digest both animal and vegetable food, particularly if the fibre is somewhat harvi and difficult to break up. It is, therefore, the fitting accessory to such animal food as invahds should banish from their table ; but can be made use of by those of weak digestion, when they wish to vary theii' diet with a cool salad. In this country the best vinegar is that obtained from apple-cider, as made by farmers; and its use is not only safe; but, also, if not taken too freely, beneficial. As to the manufactured vinegars so largely consumed in city and town use, w^e believe them to be generally so " doctored " with acids, etc., as to be highly objectionable and dangerous. Both cayenne and black pepper, by stimulating the flow of gastric juice, are valuable aids to digestion, when used with discretion. We have said enough already to prove that the subject of food is one necessarily demanding the attention of all who have to do with the treatment of disease. By a suitable dietary. Medical Science has sho^na us that many maladieft may be cured, and many troubles, such as indigestion, biliousness, gout, and diabetes, avoided. That the attention now paid to our food is not a mere passing fashion, is sufficiently evidenced by the fact that our best dietaries are becoming more truly scientific, and are engaging the attention of our most eminent minds. The food-combin- .104 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOE. ations of the present day indicate an advancing knowledge of the wants of the human organism, the requirements of its tissues, and of the effects of modern life upon the viscera. The Healing Art, which in its earlier days, conducted its operations with mystery, now invites the People to become its allies in the prevention and cure of disease — and, by popularizing the accumulated knowledge of centuries, secures for the People a greater degree of safety, comfort, and longevity than has obtained in any previous age. In nothing is this more evident than in the greater care which the medical profession now inculcate and encourage among their patients, and the public generally, in regard to the preparation of food, ^ And it may not be amiss to offer, in this place, a few suggestions as to the different METHODS OF PEEPAEING FOOD. The cooking of food subserves several important purposes and demands more intelligent consideration than is usually given to it. Good food may be wasted, or spoiled; and both the healthy and the diseased may thus be deprived of the anticipated flavor and nourishment which it should afford them. Cooking removes some things that might prove injurious, destroying any parasitic germs that may exist. It renders food more pleasant to the eye, agreeable to the palate, and digestible by the stomach. It softens connective tissue, relaxes muscular fibre, coagulates albumen and solidifies fibrin, thus making the whole substance less cohesive and more easily masticated, dissolved and assimil- HYGIENE. PREPARATION OF FOODS. 105 ated. Previous beating and bruising facilitates the process, and renders the flesh more tender. The warmth of the food also aids digestion. In cooking animal food, the following processes are in ordinary use; Boiling, Boasting, Broiling, Baking, Frying, Stewing. Speaking generally, about one-fourth of the weight is lost by cooking; the loss varying with the quality of the meat, and the process employed.* A few practical hints as to these several processes of cooking are herewith given. * Dr. Letheby*s estimate of the percentage of this loss, is as follows: Boiling Baking Roasting Beef, generally 20 29 31 Mutton, generally 20 31 35 *• Legs 20 32 33 •• Shoulders 24 32 U " Loins 30 33 36 - Neck 25 32 34 Average 23 31 34 This loss arises chieflj^ from the evaporation of water, the escape of fat and nutritive juices, and the destructive action of heat: and, accord- ing to Dr. L., is least in boiling, greatest in roasting, because in the former process there is no evaporation of water. The perfection of cooking is to retain, as much as possible of the constituent elements of the meat; and this is accomplished, in the different methods adopted, by subjecting the meat at first to a strong, quick heat, which contracts the fibres, coagulates the albumen at the surface, and thus closes up the pores by which the nutritious juices would otherwise escape. A lower and less rapidly acting heat will then suffice; for, thereafter, the cooking goes on through the agency of the natural moisture of the flesh. Converted into vapor by the heat, a steaming takes ])lace, so that, whether In the oven, or in the midst of boiling water, the meat is in reality cooked by its own steam. Thus prepared, the meat will be full of its own juice, which will flow forth as rich gravy, at the first cut. 106 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. Boiling. — The cut should be put suddenly into boiling water, and remain at boiling temperature for five or ten minutes, cold water should then be added to bring it down to about IBS'", at which it should be kept for the whole period of cooking. By the contraction and coagulation of albumen caused by the first plunge, the internal juice of the meat is prevented from escaping into the surrounding water, or from being diluted by the entrance of water through the pores. Mutton and fish should be boiled in hard water, water to which salt has been added — or in sea- water. The scum which rises to the top of the water, during the boiling of meat, being always useless and un- wholesome should be removed as completely as possible. Boiling is the best form of cooking for vegetables', carrots and cabbages can hardly be boiled too long. Soft watei is essential for vegetables; they should be thoroughlj cooked, so as to become soft, then strained in a cullenderj and served as free from water as possible. Steaming is simply a form of boiling them in soft water. Roasting is esteemed to be the best method of preparing animal food. To retain the nutritive juices, the joint should be placed close to a clear, strong fire, for five minutes, at first, and then removed to a greater distance until the last five minutes, when it should be brought near the fire again. The albumen and extractive matters are thus hardened into a case, which keeps together the valuable fibrinous particles until they have undergone the desired changes by slow heat; while objectionable oils generated by the charring of the surface, are carried off. The dripping is wholesome for the healthy; but indigestible HYGIENE. PREPAKATION OF FOODS. 107 (especially if burned) when the stomach is at all weak From a joint thus thoroughly roasted, the retained gravy will flow out freely at the first incision; and the meat^ while yet red, will have lost all its purple color, even to the bone. The time required for roasting meat, depends upon the kind of meat, and, also, upon the size and weight of the joint. For beef, mutton and goose, fifteen minutes for each pound; for veal and pork, an additional five minutes; for poultry and game less. Lamb, veal, pork and chicken, and all young flesh is better when roasted, since the large proportion of albumen and gelatine con- tained in them, are subjected to less loss than when boiled. Stewing is midway between roasting and boiling, and is by far the best process for digestion. The meat should be just covered with cold water, then heated up and kepfc simmering, not boiling, till thoroughly done. The nutri- tive materials are diffused through the soHd and liquid, which are then served up together. Hashing is the same process with meat previously cooked. But hashed, or otherwise, twice cooked meat is unwholesome. There is another excellent method — by which the meat is ( stewed in its own vapour alone. It is placed in a covered jar; the jar put into water in a saucepan and the water made to simmer — when a sufficient time has elapsed, the meat will be found to be quite tender and adapted to the invalid's use. Soups, Broths, etc. — If, however, it is desirable to extract the nutriment so that it may be given in a liquid form, the meat should be chopped or minced, put into cold water, and 108 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. after maceration for a short time, gradually heated to a simmering temperature, at which it should be kept for half an hour if broth be required. But if soup be wanted the heating should go on to boiling point, and be maintained there, in order that the gelatine may be extracted to solidif^^ the soup. Bones yield abundant gelatine, but require long boiling. Minced meat should be put into cold water for a time, never iiato boiling water at first. The leanest meat is the best for 80up-making; the least particle of fat renders it unwholesome as well as nauseous. Bones which require long boUing yield abundant gelatine. Broiling is simply roasting applied to small portions of meat. A beef-steak, or mutton-chop should be done quickly on a gridiron over a clear, hot fire, free from smoke, so as to retain the juices; it should not, therefore, be pricked with a fork. Fish are best when broiled. Baking meat is but an imperfect method of roasting) im- perfect, because it usually takes place in an oven, which generally allows no escape for the volatile fatty acids which are generated. Baked meat, therefore, being richer and stronger than when roasted before the open fire, is less adapted for easy digestion. Wlien, however, it is enclosed in a thick pie-dish, or some sort of a crust (like the Cornish pie) and slowly baked — no charring occurs; but the fat and gravy oozing out, assist the cooking and the result is delicious. Vegetables should be slowly baked. Eggs should be spar- ingly used in baked dishes, as prolonged cooking solidifies their albumen and renders it more indigestible. Frying is a method of cooking not much esteemed, either HYGIENE. PREPARATION OF FOODS. 109 by physicians, or by persons of refined culinary tastes. The fat in which the meat is cooked produces an excess of volatile acids; and, when, as often happens, it is burnt, it causes flatulence and heartburn. Still, food can be fried so as to be wholesome. A perfectly clean frying-pan; a clear smokeless fire ; good pure, clean fat or clarified dripping, or a small quantity of oil, or genuine fresh butter — are essentials. Then the frying should be done quickly, lightly, and evenly, and with constant motion, so that the oil or fat is not allowed to burn. The fat should actually boil and the meat, fish, or vegetables be turned around in it till they are lightly cooked without being scorched; — then drain the oil away, and serve hot. Meat, by being salted, is made less nutritious, and more difficult of solution by the digestive secretions — and, though soaking it in water often softens it and removes the salt (''freshens it") it does not restore the nutritive value. Drying is less prejudicial to the meat. Meat preserved in cans is too much cooked to be very digestible — and is best eaten, when only warmed up, not cooked again, and served with vegetables, etc. Scrupulous cleanliness in the preparation of food, is ab- solutely necessary for the comfort of the invalid. A dis- agreeable flavor remaining in a dish from some previous use; or even from materials used to cleanse it, may suffice to spoil the taste of something intended to tempt the appe- tite, or satisfy the fastidious digestion of an invalid. Food should be cooked at such a distance, and with such precautions that no odor from it can reach the sick-room; and the bed-room itself is the very last place in the world ilO HOINIEOPATHIC MENTOR. where food should be prepared. If prepared, too, without the knowledge of the patient, it will generally be relished more keenly than if he is at first consulted as to what he is to have, and how it is to be cooked. If too great a quantity is prepared at once, it destroys the patient's appetite; while that which is left grows stale and unfit for use. Invahds should always have their food supplied in such quantity as will be a little short of what they can eat. If any remain over, it should be immediately removed to a cool place, away from the sick-room. Food, milk, fruit, jeUy, etc., allowed to stand in a sick-room, does not become more appetising by being looked at; it deteriorates in quality; and acquires a taint from the atmosphere of the room. Re- member— that perfect cleanliness alone can give food an appetising appearance, and that ignorance and carelessness in a sick-room is very objectionable, even when combined with any amount of family affection. n. BEVERAGES. A man requires, including what he takes with his meals, from two to three pints of fluid daily. This includes, also, what is taken in the form of fruits, these being largely composed of water. Melons, grapes, berries, etc., being from 90 to 98 per cent of water, may largely supply its place in our foods. Drinks should be taken chiefly with the meals; a moderate amount favors digestion, but a lai'ge amount hinders it. Of course, water is the first, milk the second, and fruit the third great provision made by nature for the slaking of man's thirst; of the two latter we have HYGIENE. BEVERAGiiiS. Ill already spoken (pages 71 and 97), of the former we shall hereafter speak. There are, however, other non-intoxicating beverages, such as tea, coffee, cocoa, etc., which are so uni- versally used in every part of the world, as to claim our attention as foods, and in their dietetic relations to disease. Tea cannot be regarded as a nutriment, in the sense of supplying material to maintain structure, or generate heat by its own decomposition; but it is, nevertheless, a very valuable article of diet, as shown by experience, and also by direct experiments on the vital functions, as its especial office is to prevent tissue waste. Both experience and direct experiments prove that it is an excitor of vital action, and stimulates respiration. Though it suiDplies very Httle nutritive material, it aids the assimil- ation and transformation of other foods, increases cheer- fulness and activity of mind, clears and quickens the brain, stimulates the energies and lessens the disposition for sleep. Its restorative action on the nervous system renders it a boon to weary, anxious, studious, or exhausted persons; and it is far preferable to alcoholic stimulants after fatigue. Against heat or cold; in nervous exhaustion occasioned by bodily exercise, and followed by shortness of breath, especially in hot climates, it is also efficacious. While a pro- moter of digestion in healthy, well-fed persons, it is beLt taken after a meal, when the process of assimilation needs quickening; and, if much used with an insufficient amount of soHd food, as frequently in the case of the poor, is in- jurious— since it promotes the transformation of food with- out supplying nourishment, and increases the loss of heat without supplying food. The young and the feeble should 112 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. y. not use it; nor should it be used too strong or too freq^lent\ as it is liable to cause Dyspepsia, — especially that form which is accompanied by flatulence. When it causes loss of appetite, palpitation of the heart, mental excitement, depression of mind and sleeplessness, obviously its use should be discontinued. Children should never have it. In the preparation of tea three principles are extracted; one aromatic (oil), another nitrogenous ftheinej, the other astringent and bitter (tannin). The last, the cause of gastric disorder, is only given off after prolonged infusion; whereas the aromatic oil and theine are completely extracted in about two minutes. Hence to make tea, especially for the dyspeptic, it should be made by pouring hoiling water (not water that has boiled) on the leaves, and allowing it to stand for two minutes. It may then be poured off into a heated teapot, so as to separate it from the leaves. Thus prepared, tea is not so likely to cause flatulence; but it is less econ- omic than the ordinary method, much more tea being required to give flavor. If the tea be good the infusion will be fragrant, not very deep in color; not harsh nor bitter to the taste. The leaves should not be boiled, otherwise the peculiar volatile aromatic principle is dissipated; nor, for the same reason, should the infusion stand long; in this case also too much roughness and bitterness are added to the flavor by the extraction of tannin. This tannin, though it makes the tea look strong, is worse than useless, inas- much as it renders the food taken with the tea insoluble and indigestible. The finest teas color the water the least. In an ordinary infusion the first cup of tea is also the best, having more of the choice fl$<vor and aroma, and less of the HYGIENE. BEVERAGES. 11^ astringency and color. Kiver water makes the best tea; soft water is to be preferred to hard; but soda should not be used, for it only extracts the astringent tannin. The water should only boil once, immediately before using it, and not for hours, as is sometimes the case; the teapot should be quite dry, as well as hot, when the leaves are put into it, and the infusion, as before stated, not allowed to exceed two minutes. Teapots that retain the heat are better than those that allow it to pass off readily; hence unglazed earthenware teapots should not be used ; but well-glazed earthenware, or porcelain, are suitable; and brightly polished silver teapots are the best, for they radiate much less heat than any other material. The Chinese drink their tea without any admixture; the Russians add lemon-juice; the English, sugar and cream or milk. The use of sugar in tea. — Except in small quantity, tea should be given up by persons who have a tendency to become corpulent. According to some tastes, the flavor of tea is improved by substituting lemon for cream or milk, — pouring the hot tea over a slice of lemon cut with the rind upon it. Besides being more palatable, the lemon- juice more effectually allays thirst, and is especially valuable at those seasons of the year when fruits and fresh vegetables are not generally to be obtained. Teas are divided into three great classes. Green, Black and Scented. Gunpowder, Hyson, young Hyson, Imperial, Japan and Java, both colored and uncolored, are Green teas. Among Black teas, we have Congou, Souchong, Oolong, Orange- 114 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. Pekoe, Canton. The Blach are the allowable Teas in Homoeo- pathic practice, as all others are supposed to be artificially colored, and thus may have medical or antidotal properties. There is a good deal of mystification in the popular mind about teas, and their varieties and respective values. There is, however, but one kind of plant from which tea is made, wherever it is found, although by cultivation it may have produced varieties; and the whole principle involved in the process of manufacture is not that of any important mechan- ical change, but simply the drying of the leaf for pre- servation and for future use with the least possible injury. All teas possess approximately the same amont of theine; and, for dietetic purposes, are all equal, whatever their price. But nearly all persons go further than mere utility, and seek for luxury in the flavor of tea. Fortunately, the lowest priced genuine tea has sufficient flavor to satisfy the desires of ordinary consumers. Coffee contains the same principle as tea, and hence has an analogous influence upon the system. It is, however, more heating and stimulating, heavier and more oppressive to the digestive organs, and decidedly increases the force and frequency of the pulse; while its quickening effect upon the mental faculties is not so marked as that of tea It is especially valuable to persons engaged in out-of-doorwork; it invigorates without producing subsequent collapse; and, taken hot, is an antidote almost equally to heat and cold; in both cases beneficially stimulating the nervous system. In fatigue, privation, and under ordinary circumstances, coffee is preferable to alcoholic beverages. It is useful when weary from travel in the heat, ivith deprivation of food. HYGIENE. BEVERAGES. 115 It economises other nourishment by lessening v/aste. It is often serviceable in the headache of nervousness and ex- haustion, or in cases of Diarrhoea caused by overwork, with too much care, A strong infusion helps persons poisoned by opium; and allays the effects of the immoderate use oi wine and spirits. Its excessive use by nervous persons in- duces sleeplessness, mental excitement, palpitation and indigestion; and, when such results are produced, it should be avoided. The making of good coffee depends largely upon the quantity used. The minimum rule is IJ oz. to a pint of water; soft water being preferable. The French cafe noir contains a larger proportion than this. Cafe au lait consists of a decoction of strong coffee, to which an equal quantity of hot milk is added. It should be remembered that the full qualities of coffee are not obtained if water is used at a temperature lower than that of the boiling-point. Particles of ground coffee are often found suspended in the liquid, and isinglass, or white of egg, is sometimes used to refine it. Nothing, however, is required beyond pouring a cupful out and returning it to the pot, to effect the necessary cleaning. The addition of boiling milk, in the proportion of one-fourth part, adds greatly to the flavor and virtue of coffee. "When taken daily, it should be prepared in an enamelled saucepan. The best coffee is Mocha, which is best purchased in the form of whole beans, which are to be then roasted, ground, and chicory added to taste. The roasting is a matter on which the delicacy of the coffee greatly depends. If too little roasted, the oil and empyreu- matic elements are not developed; if too much roasted, they 116 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. may be destroyed, Coflfee beans, when roasted, may be Bither reddish-brown, chestnut-brown or dark-brown — the latter being probably the best. Coffee should be quickly ground after roasting, and in a mill, or mortar not used for other purposes, as it easily absorbs odors; and when ground it should be speedily used, lest it lose its volatile oil. It should be kept in an accurately stopped bottle. Cocoa and Chocolate are valuable foods, since they are not only allied to tea and coffee as respiratory excitants, but possess a large quantity of fat and other food materials.* Their peculiar active principle, theobromine, resembles the theine of tea and the caffeine of coffee, but is less exciting than either of these to the nervous system. Chocolate is the cocoa beans ground, mixed with sugar; and cocoa-nibs are the inside of the beans, roughly broken, and which of course are the freest from adulteration of any form of cocoa pre- paration; but they need to be boiled many hours in water; whereas the prepared cocoa or chocolate is soluble in boiling water. The large amount of fatty substance in cocoa renders it heavy and oppressive to a weak stomach, and thus unsuitable to the dyspeptic or bilious. But, with this exception, cocoa is a valuable article of diet for strengthning the frame in conditions of debility, and sustaining it under prolonged or excessive exertion. During nursing it is most useful, tending, probably more than any other beverage, to maintain an excellent supply or TQaternal milk — which is somewhat resembles in the com- bination of its nourishing properties. * Of fat about 50 per cent; of albuminoid substances about 20 per cent HYGIEN E. — BEVERAGES. 117 The following is the receipt for making chocolate? furnished by Miss Evarts, of Washington, whose prepar- ation of this delicious drink, at the receptions given by her father, the late Secretary of State, assumed the character of a veritable "Society sensation"; viz.: Break up the choco- late and place in a warm spot to melt. Put it in a farina kettle and pour on boiling milk, stirring all the while, and constantly during the cooking. Let it boil some minutes and serve with whipped cream. Use Maillard's chocolate, already sweetened. Alcohols. This class of substances usually regarded as foods, comprises Spirits (Whisky, Brandy, Gin, Rum, etc.). Wine, Beer, Porter, Ale, and other fermented drinks, all having the one element, alcohol, in common. But they are not, therefore, ahke in their effects upon the system. Still, we do not propose, in this place, to discuss their special points of difference; nor is it necessary that we should, in this connection, enter into the moral questions involved in the use of liquors. Physiological science directly proves, 1. that Alcohol is a narcotic, which yearly kills its thousands, slowly, indirectly, and by painful disease; 2. that it does not, in any sense, supply vital heat, as is so commonly supposed; and that it does not prevent the loss of heat as those imagine "who take just a drop to keep out the cold" — in fact, that death by cold is hastened by its use; 3. that, while it gives what is called " a happy fillip to the heart," still this increase of action is unquestionably injurious to the heart and to the body at large, since it subjects both the heart, and the body in all its parts, to irregularity of blood-supply; and weakens 118 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR* and degrades both ; * 4. that the so-called stimulation of the system by alcohol is, in fact, a relaxation — we might as well say, a paralysis of one of the most important mechanisms in the animal body, viz. — ^the minute, resisting, compensating circulation; that the temporary excitement it produces is at the expense of the animal force, and is in truth wasted force ' — the running down of the animal mechanism before it has served out its time of motion; 5. that. the brilliancy which it gives to the mental powers is but transient; and that to the muscular force the very slightest excess of alcoholic in- fluence is injurious — both mental and physical j)Owers being ultimately worse for its use; 6. that, even in the case of long- lived steady drinkers it still works its destined end; for, while all the organs of the body are being slowly brought into a state of adaptation to receive and dispose of it, — in that very preparation they are themselves undergoing physical changes tending to the destruction of their function, and the perversion of their structure — as revealed in post-mortem examination, by evidences of alcoholic phthisis; of cirrhosis of the liver; of degeneration of kidney; of disease of brain-membranes; of disease of the substance of the brain and spinal cord; of degeneration of the heart, ciiC, ei-c. * While alcohol stimulates the hearts-action and blood-supply, both bhrough the large vessels and the capillaries or extreme small vessels; tobacco, acts in a diametrically opposite direction, by diminishing the force and volume of the heart's-action and the capacity of the vessels, and so these two mischievous agents, play directly into each other's hands; alcohol calling for the tobacco, and the tobacco answer- ing by calling for the alcohol, to raise the system from its depressing Influence.- -See, also, tobacco, 7«ige 120. HYGIENE. BEYER AG ES. 1 1 [] We admit that there seem to be moments in the life oi man when the use of alcoholic stimulants appears to lii'i oppression from the heart, lets flow a brisker currant of blood into the flagging organs, aids nutritive changes, and is of temporary service to man. If its use could be limited to this one action, this one purpose, it would be one of Nature's best gift to manl{:ind. Unhappily, however, the border-line between this use and the abuse of it; the temptation to extend beyond the use ; the habit to apply the use when it is not wanted, as readily as when it is wanted, far overbalances the temporary value that attaches to alcohol as a physiological agent. Hence, it is a di^ngerous thing even in the hands of the strong and wise; it is a murderous thing in the hands of the foolish and weak. Healthy persons — as well as invalids — should, therefore, accustom themselves to do without stimulants, excepting in the rare instances when their use is thought to be necessary by their medical advisers; and then, like other medicines, they should be the best and purest of their kind — and should only be taken — if at all — , with food, or at meaUtimes. Digestion, itself, is not — as is popularly supposed- -aided by their use. Even a moderate quantity of stimulants seems to delay and protract the digestive process — from their causing congestion of the gastric glands, whose secretory power is thereby lessened or arrested. In othef cases, they interfere with the solvent chemical action of the gastric juice, if they do not actually decompose it; and, if taken in any quantity, they seem to act as a sort of pickle or preservative to the food, preventing its ready solution. They, also, have a marked tendency to produce an inflamm- 120 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. ation of the mucous lining of the stomach, kidaevs, livet. spleen, bladder, etc. Tobacco only requires to be mentioned to deplore its very extensive use; to particularize some of the peculiarities, of its action, and to council its avoidence. Its especia) physiological action is upon the circulatory system, causing, through its effects upon the inhibitory nerves governing the action of the heart and large vessels, a v^eakened impulse of the heart, and diminished caliber of the circulation. This is seen in the pallor of the skin, and nausea, from the arrest of capillary circulation, in its first action upon persons un- accustomed to its influence. This diminished circulation and consequent impau^ed nutrition, is very manifest in its effects upon the young, causing imperfect development, smaller stature, nervousness, impaired circulation and, often, disease of the heart as well as other disorders. But, more than this, the constant limiting of the heart's-a.ction and diminished blood-supply, teUs upon the nutrition, by causing a desire or want for something that will unlock the circulation and give an impulse to the heart's-action. This is best supplied by alcoholic drinks, and so the use of tobacco and whiskey, goes hand in hand; thus tobacco is a vast provocation of intemperance and vice. The ex- pense of tobacco is more than the expense of clothing to its average user; while it amounts to more, in a life time, than the average savings of the adult man, taking the average of the entire United States, as shown by the statistics. It is a dirty, degrading habit, every way objectionable and without a single redeeming recommen- dation. ' HYGIENE. WATER. 12J ni. WATEE. Water enters into tlie composition of the tissues of the body, forms a necessary part of its structure, and performs such imjDortant j^urposes in the animal economy, as to be absolutely indispensable for life and health. It gives fluidity to the blood, holding in suspension, or solution, the red globules, fibrine, albumen, and other substances which enter into the different structures; the whole body being formed from the blood. Not only the soft parts of the body, but even the bones, or the materials of which they are composed, have at one time flowed in the current of the blood. A human body, weighing 154 lbs., contains 111 lbs. of water; a fact w^hich suggests the importance of obtaining pure water for drinking and cooking purposes. Water should be clear, transparent, and free from sus- pended "narticles; and should be entirely without smell; some colored waters, however, are fairly w^holesome when the coloring matter is iron, clay or peat; while some clear waters are unwholesome from containing organic (decaying vegetable-) or animal-matter. Spring-, river-, sea-, surface-, well-, and mineral-water, all contain various substances dissolved in them, which may render them, without distill- ation or filtration, unsuitable for drinking, or even to be used in the preparation of articles of diet. Even for cooking purposes and bathing, the purer the water is the better. The purest water is obtained from deep wells, bored through the earth and clay down to tne lower strata of gravel or rock {Artesian Wells), It is most impoi-tant that the receptacles lor water — tanks 122 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. and cisterns — should be carefully examined and tliorougni}* cleansed at regular seasons, especially after a time of drought and before the approach of winter. Disease is often induced, by allowing cisterns to fill up after they have been dry, or the water in them low; the quantity of sediment and filth is often very gTeat, and, if not carefully washed out, becomes mingled with every fresh influx of water, and thus Diphtheria, Enteric Fever, and other blood diseases may be set up. They should also be provided with a cover to exclude dust and other foreign matter. It is a fallacy to suppose that surface-well water is purer than that obtained from deep wells, because it is more sparkling, and often cooler and clearer. The sparkling of these waters is due to the presence of carbonic acid gas, derived from the decomposition of animal and vegetable substances. This matter of the purity of water is of vital importance to every family in the land, whether living in the country or town. In cases of suspected impurity of water-supply, careful and extended search should be made for every possible cause of impurity; and, in order to form a proper opinion, a chemical and microscopical examination of the water is frequently necessary. A rough, and easily available iest, however, may be applied; half fill a clean stoppered bottle with the suspected water, replace the stopper and let it stand in a warm place for five days, when there will be a disagreeable putrid smell if it contains organic^ matter. If water is bad, either from containing organic matter, or from being too "hard," that used for drinking, cooking, and washing dishes should first be boiled and then HiijIENE. ^WATER. 123 filtered. Boiling throws down most of the Baits wliicL causu *-,emporary Lardness and crusts in kettles, leaving the water much softer; and, after standing a day, or bein^ poured from vessel to vessel several times to get back the air expelled by heat, (for water needs air to vivify it) it is also more palatable. Boiling also destroys some of the organic matter, and in most ca^es renders the remainder innocuous by destroying the disease-germs. "When practicable, water used for domestic purposes should be filtered. This removes the grosser impurities, destroys some of the organic matter; and, if the material used be spongy iron, or vegetable charcoal, it will for q time remove some of the salts in solution. Whatever the filtering-material used, it should be renewed every three to twelve weeks, according to the quality and quantity of the water passed through it; and filters which claim to last for ever, or to be self-cleansing, should be avoided. When a filter ceases to do good, it begins to do harm. Com- pressed charcoal block-filters are cheap and good; one can easily be made, in any fapaily.* * Filter. — Get a 12- inch flower-pot; cover the hole in the bottom with a piece of perforated zinc, and fill in the pot with some well- washed gravel, (with the larger pieces below), to a depth of 3 inches; above the gravel put 3 inches thick of white sand which haj? been veil-washed; above tiiis sand place 4 inches thick of good charcoa. (about ^ lbs. weight) which has been washed in a jug by pouring boiling water over it, and when the charcoal has settled, the watei poured off and more poured on until it has been washed four times. When the filter is finished pour the water to be filtered into the flower-pot, and let it run through the hole into a glass-bottle, or receptacle, below. If the charcoal gets clogged from continual use, scrape some off the top, boil it two or three times, dry it before the fire, and it is greatly benefited. 124 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. If driiiking water is kept in the house, it should be in glazed earthenware or stone jars, with covers, which should occasionally be emptied and wiped with a clean cloth. <" IV. AIE. A proper supply of pure, fresh, air is essential to the pre- servation, as well as to the enjoyment, of life and health. Although life may not be destroyed suddenly by breathing an impure atmosphere, still the vital energies are thereby slowly but surely impaired; especially in the case of gi'owing children and persons suffering from disease. Air may be rendered impure in many wa^^s; by gases and matters held in suspension; by particles of carbon, hairs, fibres of cotton or woolen fabrics; by minute seeds, or spores, germs, pollen or other light vegetable bodies; vapors arising from decomposing animal and vegetable matter; and, also, by the specific virus of contagious diseases. In the process of breathing, also, the air loses a third part of its oxygen, and receives in exchange carbonic acid gas, a gas not only incapable of supporting animal life, but actually destructive to it. Such is the change effected by a solitary act of breathing; and, if this process goes on in an ill-ventilated room, where several human beings are gathered together, the carbonic acid gas accumulates, usurps the place of the oxygen consumed, and so renders the air less and less fit for the renewal of life. Efficient ventilation cannot well be secured unless space be made for the egress, from the upper part of a room, of the impure air: and provision made, in the lower part, for HYGIENE. ^AIR. 125 access of fresh air from the surrounding atmosphere. Pro- vision should be made for this process of ventilation in all well-constructed houses; and, more especially, in all sleeping- apartments. This latter is one of the most important require- ments of life, both in* health and disease. Bed-rooms are generally too small, and badly ventilated. The doors, windows, and even chimneys, are often closed; and every aperture closed so as to exclude fresh air. In consequence, the atmosphere of the whole apartment becomes highly injurious, from the consumption of its oxygen, the formation of carbonic acid, and bodily exhalations. In such an atmo- sphere, the sleep is heavy and unrefreshing, partaking more of the character of insensibility. If provision were made for the admission of fresh air, and the escape of impure au*, the sleep would be lighter, shorter, and more invigorating. In nearly every instance, the door of the bedroom may be left open, and the upper pai-t of the window let down a few inches — a greater or less extent according to the .state of the weather — with perfect safety. A current of air may be prevented from playing on the face of the occupant by placing the bed in a proper situation, or by suspending a single cuii:ain from the ceiling. During thick fogs or severe winds, the apertures directly communicating with the ex- ternal air may be closed, and ventilation secured from the adjoining stair-landing. The sanitary arrangments of schools are often exceedingly defective. Children, being even more sensitive than grown persons to the evil effects of bad air, it becomes of the ut- most importance that the rooms, in which they spend so much of their daily lives, should be abundantly supplied 126 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. with fresh air. The school-rooni should be elevated, witn a suf5&cient ventilation near the ceiling; and the windoAvs should reach to near the ceiling, with facilities for dropping them from the top. What is true of school-rooms applies to churches and to all law-courts, public-halls, and places where many people are, from time to time, assembled. In such a vitiated atmo- sphere, also, whether in a public building, or private house, the risk of contagion from Scarlet Fever, Measles, Small- Pox, Hooping Cough, or Typhus, is greatly intensified. V. SUNLIGHT. *^ Where light is not permitted to enter, the physician will have to go " is a well-known Italian proverb. Sunlight is as necessary for the health, growth and development of human beings, as for plants. Especially is this true of children — particularly those who are feeble and delicate. Houses are only fit to be used as sleeping-apartments by night, when they have been well-aired by day. Rickets, deviations and enlargments of the bones, spinal curvatures and other deformities are far more liable to occur among those living in the shade, or deprived of their due proportion of sunlight. Even Cholera, Typhus or other epidemic diseases are more frequent and severe on the shady than on the sunny sides of the streets. The sun-lit sides of hospitals afford twice the number of recoveries, to the shady sides, even under the same hygienic and medical treatment. Whether your home be large or small, give it light. Children, even at an early age should not be excluded. HYGIENE. SUNLIGHT. DWELLINGS. 127 particularly during the warm periods of the year, from the genial and cheering influence of the sun. The sanitary efiect of the light can easily be made available even during the winter months (in rooms properly ventilated and heated) with little or no danger. Great benefit would accrue to then Health by giving children "solar-air-baths"; that is permitting them to lie naked upon the bed, or floor, free from the incumbrance of swaddling clothes, so that their bodies may be thoroughly brought under the influence, for some period of the day, of good air and bright sunlight. Except in severe inflammatory diseases of the eyes or brain, the very common practice of darkeniyig the sick-room is a very objectionable one in many respects. VI. HEALTHY D^^ELLINGS. The especial point for a healthy dwelhng should be dry- ness; particularly as to the foundation-^vall and roof. The site should be dry, from which the water will run; and, if not uj^on a natural slope, the aiiificial drainage should be perfect. The aspect should be southerly; and the wind should have free access to every side. The sleeping-rooms should, if possible, face the sun; and the house be above the mists or vapors which arise from water, or marshy ground, after sun-set. The house should not be too closely surrounded by trees^ or in thick woods, which only serve to attract and retain moisture, exclude sunlight, and prevent the free circu- lation of air. A cheerful situation, with sunlight, green ti'ees, fields, shrubs, etc., is always beneficial. If in town. 1^8 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. the house should face a park, square, or other open j)lacG^ or at least be in a wide, airy street, with a favorable aspect. In old houses, particularly, we sometimes find that great carelessness has been shown in the original planning; so that cesspools, and wells for drinking and cooking are in close proximity to each other. This affords a source of ex^ treme danger to health. It may be laid down, as an absolute rule, that all water-closets, as well as all sinks and washmg-places, whether for the person or for clothing, should be placed as far as possible from the dwelling part of the house; and so arranged that any emanations from them will not be Ukely to be carried to the latter, by currents of air. Water- Dlosets should drain into properly constructed, deep, and thoroughly-walled vaults, quite separate from the house. Into this vaiilt house-drainage of all sorts should flow, and well-trapped water-closets should discharge. This vaults and the pipes leading thereto should be placed as far as possiUe from the water-supply pipes. These closets, also, whether in- side or outside of a house, should always be ventilated, by shafts for the purpose, leading directly to the open air.. If foul odors are, at any time, noticed, their source should be promptly enquired into, and the leak or other defect reme- died; kitchen-sinks and stationary wash-stands (when these latter nuisances exist) shoidd empty their foul contents by a separate outfall from that of the water-closets. As a general rule, however weU-arranged a system of sewerage a town possesses, it is jafer to have the drainage of each house provided for separately; and not in common with that of the adjoining house or houses. Cellars should, also, be kept clean and freely ventilated. HYGIENE.- — EXEKCISE. 129 especially when — as in country-houses — quantities of vege- tables are stored in them for months together. Many a case of typhoid-fever has arisen from impure air, engendered by a mass of decaying, fermenting vegetable-matter in the cellar, f^or the same reason, refrigerators should be frequently - cleaned and aired. Especially should the bed-room, in which one third, at least, of the whole life is spent, be particularly well aired and cared lor. It should be so planned that never less than 400 cubic reet of space should be given to each occupant, how- ever i^ood the ventilation may be. The walls should be kalsomined, or painted; so that they can be washed three or four times a year. The windows should have nothing more than a blind, and a half muslin curtain. The floors should be well made of hard wood, smooth and well-joined: and provided with carpets, or rugs, only around the beds; without valances fi'om i\\e beds. The furniture should be as simple and scanty as j^ossible; chairs free from all stuff- ing or covers to catch and hold dust. And especially should the room be kept free from all articles of clothing not in use. From time to time, a fire should be made in every bed-room, that a free current of air may sweep tlirough it from open doors and windows. Dry scrubbing is the best method of floor-cleansing. Maintain an equal temperature of about 60" Fahr., and a free access of dry air. Vn. EXERCISE. Exercise strengthens and invigorates every function of the body, and is essential to health and long life. All em- ployed in sedentary occupations should endeavor to have 130 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. at least one hour in the day in the open air, walking, riding, gardening, etc., — or, if this cannot be accomplished, thcii the use of the light dumb-bells, or gymnastic practice may be substituted. Any action which quickens the breathing and pulse is exercise; the object being to eliminate the waste products from the blood, by means of the lungs. Where too much food and too little exercise are taken, part of the carbon which ought to have been burnt off from the lungs as carbonic acid, is stored up as fat — and often in the wrong place and to the detriment of the individual. The walk for health should be diversified, and if possible include ascents and descents, and varying scenery; and be alternated, when circumstances admit of it, with riding on horseback, active gardening, or similar pursuits. Athletic sports and manly exercises should form a part of the edu- cation of youth, nor should they be neglected in after life, especially by persons of sedentary pursuits. Many aches and pains would rapidly vanish if the circulation weie quickened by a judicious and regular use of the muscles.* * Every one has in his own room the means of exercising every muscle of his body. By standing erect, uneiicumhered with any clothing which shall embarrass the action, and making the motions of rapid walking without advancing, at the same time extending the arms, expanding the chest, and lifting up and letting down the jhoulder-blades, we bring into action nearly all the voluntary muscles of the body; and then, to give tension and strength to the muscles, we may lift some article of furniture, according to the strength, as the end of the sofa, the bureau, or the foot or head of the bed, and thus get every practical benefit that can be had from the most com- plicated gymnastic apparatus. If the exercise has been neglected till the chest has become contracted and the lungs compressed, we may need the assistance of some pulleys on the wall, attached to weights HYGIENE. — EXERCISE. 131 The proper periods for exercise are when the system is not depressed by fasting or fatigue, or oppressed by the process of digestion. The robust may take exercise before breakfast; but delicate persons, had better defer it till fi'om one to three hours after breakfast. After severe and long- continued bodily exci'tions the next meal should be Hght and digestible; and when subjected to continuous exertion for many hours together, light digestible food should be given every two hours, to keep a continuous stream of chyle pouring into the blood like the fuel into the furnace of a steam-boiler. In very severe exertion the nervous energy is exhausted so far that there is not enough left for proper digestion; or springs, so that by placing the back to them, and taking hold and pulling forward with the hands over the shoulders, the chest is ex- panded, and for a time, till we have acquired sufficient tension and strength of muscle, we may derive advantage from raising, in a proper position, graduated weights; but having acquired the necessary tension and power for ordinary purposes of life and health, nothing is gained by bringing the muscles into fuller power or activity. All the in- structions which any man of common sense needs, Ccan be given in five minutes; indeed they are all included in the hints given above. An intelligent mother, therefore, in her own house, can develop the form of her daughter much better ih:\n a professional gymnast; and, if mothers, when their daughters are beginnirm to develop into womanhood, and to feel the restraints of societv. would just regard these hints, and insist, as a matter of duty, that they should exercise every muscle of the body every day, and conform in other resi:>ects to the hygienic laws elsewhere described. Nature will do for them all else that is necessary to develop perfect forms and perfect health. If this is neglected, it is folly to expect that a few months of tuition at a gym- nasium will do much for them. At most it can only prepare the way for domestic exercise in such as have w^aked up to a sense of duty when the health of their daughters has already suffered from neglect, and then be of use only as oxercise is afterwards continued. — Bellows. 132 HOMECPATHIC MENTOR. thus, if exercise is taken shortly before eating, the sudden de- mand for nervous energy stops digestion; or, if taken soon after, the want of nervous energy prevents digestion, and the food lies fermenting in the stomach, causing irritation, and laying the foundation of dyspepsia. Many nervous diseases are cured, or vastly ameliorated, by careful and regular exercise, and occupation. Invalids should always be moderate in their exercise; take only short walks, avoid fatigue, and not stand in the open air. The best time for them is in the forenoon, arranged so that they can rest for half an hour before dinner. They should never take exercise immediately before a meal, or going to bed. In the case of very feeble and infirm persons, carriage exercise, if such it may be called, and frictions, by means of bath-sheets and gloves, over the surface of the body and ex- tremities, are the best substitutes for active exertion. Vin. CLOTHING. Clothing serves the threefold purpose of regulating the temperature of the body; of protection, and of ornament. It has no power of generating heat, but only restrains its escape from the person. Approximately, the human body, \yhen clothed, resembles a jacketed steam-pipe; the clothing forms the outer cover, between which and the body there is a layer of steam and heat constantly ascending. The place where this current of hot air and steam passes out into the atmosphere is the narrow ring between the neck and shirt- collar. This opening, therefore, plays an important part in HYGIENE. CLOTHING. 133 maintaining the temperature of the human body. If it is enlarged, the heat and steam escape more rapidly, and the skin is soon cooled; if, on the contrary, it is wholly or partly closed by being closely buttoned, or by a muffler, then the loss of steam is stopped^ and the temperatui'e of the skin raised. It is for this reason, that the constant wearing of a muffler is so objectionable, because it imj^edes the evaporation of matter whitjh ought to pass out of the skin; though, for the same reason, it is of great value in case of cold. The neck opening should be ample, so as not to compress or impede the circulation from the head. AVhile the dampness of the atmosphere affects the evapor- ation which takes place, through the lungs as well as the skin, clothing, by night as by day, regulates that of the latter. All covering which impedes this natural process of evaporation acts injuriously. Though no material is quite faultless in this respect, there is still a great difference in their structures. The more impervious they are, the more are they to be avoided. India-ruhher is the worst material, since it does not allow of the passage of any moisture, (as for example, — the sweating of the feet when cased in india- rubber shoes) ; leather is next; liven next; cotton is better, being porous to a certain extent; hwiicoolen material is, by far, the best for w^ear. A flannel shirt is healthier than a. cotton one; a woolen blanket at night than a linen sheet. Moreover, as the skin's proper action dej^ends upon the circulation of the blood under its surface ; and, as the latter is promoted by friction, it is evident that a clothing-material which induces some friction is also healthier — thus the rougher materials for underclothing, such as w^oolen or 134 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. coarse ootton, is preferable to the softer, but more enerv- ating, linen, or silk. Still, there are cases, in which (owing to its more delicate nature and texture, as well as to its being a non-conductor of electricity) silk is preferable for underclothing, in rheumatism, etc. Inasmuch, also, as warmth tends to keep open the pores of the skin, and open pores are an essential of healthy action of the skin and circulation — woolen clothing best secures this object — as we have seen that it best secures fiiction and warmth. Besides the material of clothing — its cut also is of much importance. In warm climates, where clothing is less of a necessity, the loosest garments are the best; but, in those latitudes where a certain amount of warmth has to be fur- nished by clothing, the garments must be worn more closely fitting. "VVe have already likened the human body to a steam-pipe jacketed, where this steam is constantly in an ascendant motion; the faster this circulation takes place, the more the skin is cooled; and it, therefore, follows that the most regular and constant evaporation is maintained bj close fitting garments. Flannel^ worn next the skin, should not he used to sleep in, but it is suited to the needs of those who labor out of doors during great extremes of temjDerature. Light- colored clothes are better for both winter and summer; retaining the heat in winter, and protecting from it in summer; they also protect better against contagion in the sick-room, or the miasms of unhealthy neighborhoods. Clothing should be frequently changed and cleansed, and dark-colored clothing should be even more care- HYGIENE. BATHING. 135 fully examined, from its liability to conceal dirt or other excreta. Summer clothing should not be put on too sooi: ; or winter clothing too late. Thin-soled, or high-heeled boots and shoes are often destructive to health. High-heeled boots should only be mentioned in execration. They produce troublesome corns, bunions, inflammation of the ligaments of the ankle-joint, and of their sheaths, and even dislocation of this joint; beside a change of the inclination of the pelves, and a consequent unnatural gait. Tight-lacing is now, for- tunately, only practiced by the w^eak-minded. The clothing of children, w^hose feeble frames are less able to resist cold than those of adults, is generally insuf- ficient. When a baby is divested of its long clothes, it is in danger of being insufficiently clad; the danger increasing when it can run alone, and is more exposed to atmospheric influences. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon those who have the charge of children, that the practice of leaving those parts exposed which when grown up w^e find it necessary to clothe warmly, esj)ecially the arms, lower limbs and abdomen, is a frequent cause of retarded growth. mesenteric disease. Consumption, etc. Insufficient warmth of body, whether in children or adults, renders the person more susceptible to the invasion of disease. IX. BATHING. It is an error to insist upon a daily bath for all persons. But few have such an amount of vitality as to be able to endure the shock of a daily cold bath, for years, without detriment of health, and shortening of days; and most per- 136 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. sons will find it better to discriminate in the use of the bath. A daily bath, to persons in health, in warm weather, is desirable. But, for most persons, a bath three times a week is better, and fully meets the demands of the system in (keeping the joores of the skin open and the capillary system in a healthy condition. In warm weather, baths may be taken at the natural temjoerature of the water; and in cooler weather the chill should be taken off, and the bath itself should be of shorter dui'ation. In general the temperature should range between 60'' and 70"" Fahrenheit. Cold bathing should not be practiced when the body lE cold or cooling, or exhausted by exertion or fatigue, or if the system is naturally too weak; or when the skin feels chilly. A bath should not be taken too soon after a meal, nor should the time spent in the bath be too long; from 5 to 10 minutes being the usual limit. Unless there be a gloiv of reaction, and hence, no subsequent chilliness and dulness, no benefit will result, but the contrary. To j)i'o- mote this ready reaction and returning glow of the s^^stem, the friction of coarse towels may be employed with ad- vantage. Cold bathing is especially hazardous to patients, who are extremely weak, or who have any organic diseases, particularly of heart or lungs; there may, also, be some idio- ^yncracy of condition of the constitution peculiar to the individual which renders frequent cold bathing undesiraljlc. Caution is more particularly necessary in infancy, and old age. The adaptation of the cold bath to individual cases may often be determined by the following criterion: — If, after a bath, the patient remains chilly, languid, and de- jected, or suffers headache, it had better be discontinued, HYGIENE. BATHING. 137 and only gradually adopted; but, if the sense of cold rapidly passes off, and a glow of warmth and animation of spirits succeed and continue for some time, the cold bath is likely to be productive of good. The warm bath is a great luxury, and to the feeble ax>(3 exhausted frame is often very beneficial. The temperatu^t may be varied according to the sensations of the patient, but as a rule should be that of the temperature of the blood — 96" to 98'; if higher than 98", the bath maybe followed by a profuse perspiration, which weakens the system. Sea-bathing is of the greatest value to convalescents from acute diseases, to those whose health has been injured by excessive work, town residence with sedentary occupation, excesses of various kinds, and in many chronic illnesses, when debility is not excessive. It should not be indis- criminate. The projn'iety of it dej^ends on the health of the bather, the temperature of the water, and the motion of the sea. Adults in robust health mav remain from live to ei^lit minutes; or, if they are accustomed to bathe, they may re- main so long as they feel warm. If the water is very cold or the sea is strong, less time should be allowed. Delicate persons should choose a smooth sea. Strong persons may bathe before breakfast; others onlv in the forenoon. Sea- bathing is j^jrejudicial when the body is exhausted, or over- heated, or cold, or rapidly cooling. Stout, plethoric per- sons, liable to rushes of blood, palpitation, giddiness, etc., should bathe very cautiously. Aged j^ersons should regard themselves in this matter as invalids. Persons in feeble health and old age should only plunge into the sea, remain a minute or two, then leave it. Infants, feeble children. 138 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. raid timid children are scarcely strong enougli for tlie open sea. Injury is done to the feeble by a disregard of their imperfect reactionary power, and to the timid by disregard of the strain upon their nervous system. Warm glow and oxhilaration of spirits after the bath indicate its beneficial pwction. On the contrary, chilliness and depression are. indications of harm. X. THE INFLUENCE OF OCCUPATION ON HEALTH. Sunlight and ventilation are of the greatest importance in workshops and offices, particularly where the young are employed, as we have already remarked (p. 126). Patients make better and more rapid recoveries in well-lighted hospitals; and very serious cases are generally placed on the sunny side of such buildings. If, therefore, persons «.re more likely to regain health in such apartments, we may fairly conclude that health will be better preserved in a large, well-lighted workshop, or office. Spacious, airy, and well-lighted offices and work-rooms for clerks, compositors, tailors, dressmakers, and others, would prevent a large amount of chronic disease. The sedentary occupations followed by book-keepers, milliners, sempstresses, tailors, shoemakers, and others, are often most unfavorable to health, because the sitting posture is generally combined with an inclination forwards, so as to compress the client and stomach. Abundance of healthful recreation in the open air is the best corrective of the injurious crNnsequencee of sedentary employments. HYGIENE. INFLUENCE OF OCCUPATION. 139 Tlic. following list, from authentic sources, gives the general average of life among certain classes: D£ 100 Clergymen 42 attained the age of 70 years and upwards. a Farmers 40 i( ec (( Commercial Men 35 « 1 (.( Military Men 33 <6 M '< m « Lawyers 29 « 1 t( Artists 28 C« (6 (( Teachers 27 •e rt< (< Physicians 24 <« « The first half in the above list, with the exception of the clergymen, are necessarily much exposed to the air, and take physical evercise; but the other haK, with the exception of the physicians, are chiefly confined in-doors, engaged in sedentary occupations. Literary pursuits are generally favorable to longevity. Physicians are short-lived, from their irregular lives, frequent exposure and the excitements attendant upon their 2)ractice. The best possible condition favorable to longevity would be a certain number of hours devoted to study, and in-door work; and, an equal or larger time devoted to riding, or out-of-door exercise. The cir- cumstances which render occupations unhealthy are, de- ficiency of daylight and pure air; a bad posture of the body during employment; and the inhalation of poisonous sub- stances, or dust, producing irritation of the lungs. rii8 Nursing and Care of the Sick. THE SICK-ROOM. 1. The apartment should be tolerably large; and, if possible, with a southern exposure; neither apt to be un- duly heated by the rays of the sun, nor rendered dull from its absence. It should be cajDable of being icell-lighted and ventilated. Patients cannot always be cared for in rooms which answer all these requirements; but, whatever its de- fects, the ventilation of the sick-room, whether by window, door, or fireplace, mu3t be as thorough as possible — but no draughts! The room should have a fireplace with a good fire in cold weather, and open in warm weather to assist ventilation. During infectious diseases, besides diluting the poison with plenty of atmospheric air, dilute carbolic acid, may be freely used as a disinfectant;* and the room should '( * A solution should be frequently sprinkled about the floors, bed- clothes, handkerchief, etc., and be diffused through the room bj^ a spray-producer: it acts quickly as an efficient disinfectant. It may also be used for personal disinfection— a point often but indifferently carried out — by adding it to the water in which the patient is washed, and is a valuable substitute for aromatic vinegar. It also makes an excellent gargle, for fever patients, to sweeten the breath. It is also useful to visitors of the sick, to prevent the risk from infectious diseases; for this purpose, a few drops should be sprinkled o:. the NURSING 01 THE SICK. THE SICK-ROOM. 141 also be divested of all minecessaiT furniture, such as car- pets, window and bed-hangings, etc. 2. The room should be provided with an extra bed, or some convenient couch, to which the patient should, if possible, be removed for a short time at least once in the twentv-foiu' hours. This allows the bed to be thorou^hlv changed and aired; ensures a change of atmosphere around the patient's body; and is an agreeable ret^t to him. It is desirable, also, to have a small room in immediat-e con- nection with the sick-room, for the nurse to sleep in, and cany on the vai'ious little operations of preparing food and medicine, without risk of annoying the patient. The bed and bedding of the sick-room are of no small im- portance. The bed should not be too high; should be without valance, or curtains, to confine the aii* beneath it; and should stand at some little distance from the wall, so that the nurse can get at it fi'om evers' side. It should not be in a di'aught, as between door or window and lii'eplace; and it is better that the patient should be able to lie with his back to the window. A simple hair mattrass, or sacking-bottom is preferable ; but, if feathei's must be used, put one or two comfortables over the tick, with the linen over them, so as to make a fii-m, even surface. The linen of the bed, as weU as that of the patient should be changed, or, at least, aired and dried bv a hi'e, everv dav. This di'ying by the lire, dissipates the impui'e exhalations with handkerchief before entering the sick-room. The use of cologne, camphor, burnt rags, vinegar, etc., is not advisable. They merely add another smell to the one already existing, and the compound is not an improvement. 142 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. which it has previously become saturated by contact with the patient's body. It is wonderful to see how much ease and comfoi-t is afforded to the sick by a light, cool, bed, with its coverings frequently re-arranged and made agree- able. The feverish restlessness of patients is frequently entirely removed by attention to these little comforts. 3. The apartment should be dar^kened, when the patient sleeps, or wishes to sleep; not by excluding all light and air, by closed shutters, or closely-drawn bed-curtains, but by letting down the window-shades, so as to secure a sub- dued light; and, by protecting the patient's face from the direct glare of gas, lamps, etc. Light being a stimulant of the brain, fe^equently causes wakefulness, and excitability in the patient, when too freely admitted to the sick-room. 4. The sick-room should be quiet. Silk dresses and creaky boots, the rustling of newspapers, the putting of coals on the lire,* etc., often distresses invalids; the tones of the voice should be gentle and subdued, but whispering avoided; all unnecessary conversation and noise must be avoided. The sick should not be fatigued, or over-taxed by company, study, business or worry of any kind. If visitors call, they must not be allowed to tire and annoy the patient with long stories, uninteresting talk, discussion of the patient's disease, or narration of similar cases within their knowledge. A short, cheerful, call and pleasant face are al- ways welcome to the sick, and a kindly interest in their case is equally so. Religious conversation is always proper, * The very common difficulty of renewing coals upon a fire, or in a stove, while a patient is asleep, can be easily overcome by placing the coals in a paper-hag; which can then be laid noiselessly upon the fire. NUllSIlsG OF THE SICK. THE SICK-ROOM. 143 when conducted intelligently and in a proper spirit; though a sick-bed is far from being the best place for this most im- portant of the duties of life. Books may not be wholly interdicted, but the amount and character of reading should be proportioned to the strength or mental vigor of the patient. In reading to the sick, let it be done slowly and distinctly, so that it will not be fatiguing to them to follow the reader — so, also, of conversation. 5. The teviperature of the room should be regulated by a thermometer, suspended so as to be sheltered from currents of air, and from direct heat of the fire — and should be varied according to the nature of the patient's disease. In fevers. Inflammation of the Brain, etc., 55"" will be a proper warmth; in Inflammation of the Lungs, and in Bronchitis, a higher temperature — 60° to 70"", — is necessary. A warm and moist air, so as not to irritate the inflamed lining of the air-tubes, is needed in all inflammatory afiections of the chest. Cold air and too many bed-clothes are sure to in- crease the mischief. But, whatever may be the temperature — see that proper ventilation be maintained. 6. The sick-room should be made pleasant and cheerful, as well as comfortable. Do not suffer the sick to lay all day staring at blank walls, or at strange, unsympathizing faces; but remember that flowers, bright andy?^e.s'/i, pictures around the room; an occasional change, or re-arrangment, of fur- niture; or a seat or couch at the window, serve wonder- fully to cheer and invigorate a patient. In this connection, Miss Nightingale's suggestion as to the care of food and medicines in the sick-room, is worthy of repetition here. It is this — do not keep the food, drink, or 144 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. delicacies intended for the patient in the sick-room or within his sight. The air and temperature of the apartment are liable to hasten putrefactive decomposition, especially in hot weather, and the continuous sight of them to cause disgust. Rather take up to him, at the fitting time, and by way of surprise, two or three teaspoonfuls of jelly, or as many fresh grapes as he may consume at once, or the seg- ment of an orange. Or, if it be appropriate to his condition, a small cup of beef-tea, covered, with one or two narrow slips of toasted-bread, just from the fire; this is very much preferable to offering even a less quantity from a basinful that has been kept for many hours within reach of the patient's hand and eye. 7. The requirements of Contagious-dimase patients. Isolation. The sick-room for such patients should be in an upper story, to present the spread of infection to others; for infectious exhalations, being lighter than air, ascend. Precautions, Nurses, or mothers who, frequently go in and out of the room, should keep a loose wrapper or gown, of some smooth washable material (not woolen) hanging behind the door (outside), ready to slip on over their other dress whenever they enter, before waiting upon the infected patient, and to be taken off when leaving the room. Outside of, and hanging down over the sick-room door, should be suspended a sheet, moistened, from time to time, with carbolic-acid and water (two tablespoonsful of the acid to two quarts of water), or with Gondys Fluid, 1 to 50; or a solution of chlorahtm — the two latter being of less pungent odor than the carbolic-acid. This is to destroy any disease- germs which may pass through the door- way. NURSING OF THE SICK. DISINFECTION. 145 In infectious fevers, as Scarlet Fever, etc., w^hen the skin begins to peel, the whole body should be thinly anointed with carbolic oil (1 part to 40 of oil) which may be washed off and reapplied every day; the object being to clog the scales of skin and prevent them flying about and so be-/ coming a source of infection. When the skin ceases to peel, the oil may be finally washed off in a warm bath of carbolic-acid and water (1 to 240, or two ounces to thre© gallons of water). Disiiifecfion, of clothing and of room. Soiled linen should at once be put into carbolic-acid and water (1 to 40) till convenient to wash it. In cholera, typhoid fever, and yellow fever, all the discharges should be disinfected by putting some carbolic-acid into the bedpan before each time of using; and the stools, etc., after being disinfected, should be buried away from wells or running water, or mixed with a larger quantity of crude carbolic-acid, say three tablespoonsful, before being sent down the water-closet. The patient should spit into a vessel of carbolic-acid, and all dishes used by him should be disinfected either by boiling water or carbolic-acid. After the disease is over, the sick-room and contents must be thoroughly disinfected. All blankets, books, and small articles should be baked two hours, at a temperature of 250"" F. ; this may be done by putting them in a wooden box into an ordinary oven. The patient's linen, after being dis- infected, should be scalded, or boiled, and washed. White woolen articles can be baked for two hours at 250"" F. with- out any change except a slight discoloration like that pro- duced by washing new flannel. The strength of texture 146 HOMEOPATHIC :.IENTOK. and warmth of blankets are not affected. Cotton, silk, linen and paper are not affected by a considerably longer baking. At 300'' F. white woolen articles are singed, and colored wool loses its color, but its strength is little affected in appearance. When hair mattrasses are baked they should be allowed to stand for two days before making up again, so thai they may recover their natural moisture and not cause dust. The furniture and accessible parts of the room can be more thoroughly disinfected by disinfectants, in the shape of fluids; — such as carbolic-acid, permanganate of potash, chloride of zinc, chloralum and boiling water, which are the most common; — carbolic acid, however, being neutralized by most of the fluid disinfectants, should always be used by itself. Final Disinfection of the room itself Remove all bright steel or metal articles from the room : paste up all crevices and the chinks of windows, fireplaces, etc., with paper. Put a bucket of water in the middle of the room, and lay the tongs across it, and on the tongs an iron lid, or dish, with two pounds of sulphur in it, set fire to the sulphur, and shut the door for the night. Any disinfectant vapor so weak that it can be breathed even a single instant is of no use; hence it is useless to expose saucers of carbolic- acid or bleaching-powder in the sick-room; the vapors merely annoy the patient and do no good. Next day the floors should be washed and scoured or scalded, if practicable. The walls should be lime-washed — or, if varnished or "hard-finished," washed with soap and water. If papered, the room should be re-papered. Bed- stead and furniture should be scalded, or washed with car- NUBSING OF THE SICK. THE NURSE. 147 bolic-acid, soap and water. Finally, the door and windows should be left open for a couple of days. This done — and all danger of further infection is at an end. 8. The Nurse, The services of an intelligent, experiencec nurse form a most important part of the treatment o' disease. Goodness of heart, a kind and obliging disposition and good sense, are indispensable requirements in a nurse* Medicine — in some cases — can play but a secondary part in the cure of the sick; but good nursing, or care, always plays a prominent part. The object of narsing is to place the system of the patient in the best possible condition for the beneficial action of medicine. It can easily be understood, therefore, that a good nurse is the right arm of the phy- sician, and that a poor one may negative and defeat all his efforts. While the nurse should be all attention to the wants of the sick, yet she should avoid "fussiness" or wearying the patient with unnecessary trifles. She should go calmly and quietly about her business, doing cheerfully what is necessar}' to be done, while yet she does not make herself the conspicuous subject of the occasion. She should dress in quiet, neutral colors; bright colors are distressing to the eye, while black is depressing, and may be the tra- ditional "last straw.*' There is an evil which cannot be toe severely condemned. It is the rage to prescribe for the sick, possessed by almost every body, under every conceiv able varietv of circumstances. No matter how severe the disease, or how urgent the emergency, nine out of every ten persons who call, will tell precisely what will cure the patient, and the remaining person has a doctor just on hand to do the work. Usually, the more ignorant the l48 HOMEOPATHIC MENTClt. volunteer, the more positive they are of a cure. They who know much speak cautiously. Those who know little are very positive. Now, if a physician is in attendance, it is his business to prescribe and not that of others, and it is a very delicate piece of business, under any circumstances, to advise the use of a medicine or a change of treatment or medical attendant. ^Miilo a physician is in attendance, simple justice to him and the welfare of the sick, require that his directions should be followed, and his instructions obeyed. It must be a rare case, indeed, that justifies the interference of outsiders. In cases of very sick persons, it may be advisable to call in assistance of watchers, but it should be avoided if possible. Better, far, have some members of the family take turns in watching, and the one in charge near at hand to be called in case of emergency. In a majority of cases, those that are called in as night watchers are stupid, sleepy, ignorant of their duties, or the wants or peculiarities of the patient, and do far more harm than good. Avoid them if possible. In most cases it is better for the mother, hus- band, sister, or others of the family, to lie down in the room and sleep while the patient sleeps, than to have the house and patient kept awake with watchers. 9. Cleanliness, The mouth should be often wiped with a soft wet towel, when there is a crust on the lips and teeth. Fears are often expressed that in washing the surface of a patient's body, or even in changing his linen, any eruption or rash should be driven in, or that cold should be taken. If done properly, there is not the least ground for any such fear. The patient should be sponged over as completely as NURSING OF THE SICK. ACCESSORY MEASURES. 149 possible at least once a day with warm or cold water, as piay be most agreeable to his feelings, and then quickly, but carefully, dried with a soft towel. If the patient be much exhausted, a small portion only of the skin may be washed at a time, and then another, and so on; or, instead, first a damp and then a dry towel may be used under the bed- clothes, so as to disturb the patient as little as possible. When there is delirium or apathy, the bladder must be emptied, at least, twice in 24 hours, and the nurse must see that it is so emptied, lest mischief be done by the retained urine. ACCESSOEY CUEATIVE MEASUEES. There are certain expedients or curative measures, which may often be resorted to by nurse or invalid, which, while they can scarcely be called parts of medical treatment, yet are of so great value, nay, so very indispensable in some cases, as to demand particular attention in a treatise on domestic medicine. Among these are, especially, the use of warm baths, of 'poultices and fomentations, and of the in- jection-pipe. Warm baths. The ivarm bath (92" to 98° F.), and the hot bath (98'' to 112" F.), are remedial agents of great value in many affections.* They tend to equalize the general temperature of the body, to soothe the nervous system, to * For the correct or safe administration of warm baths, a bath- thermometer is indispensable. The hand is a very imj^erfect guide. In the absence of a thermometer, the nurse should uncover her arm to the elbow and immerse it in the vvater, as the skin of tlie elbow is thin and sensitive to any excessive degree of heat 150 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. control the action of the heart, to promote perspiration, to relax the muscular and cutaneous system, and, especially — by recalling to the surface disproportionate accumulations of blood in the internal organs — to equalize its distribution throughout the body. All severe inflammations and con- gestions are preceded by a cold chill or rigor, during which the hands and feet become cold, the head often hot, and a shivering chill extends, often with chattering teeth and blue nails, over the whole body, lasting from a few minutes to an hour or more, and is succeeded by heat and high fever. It is in this initial stage of disease that the judicious use of some form of warm bath averts the danger of local congestion, and by breaking the chill, breaks also the force of the disease. In the diseases of children — Convulsions, Spasmodic Croup, Measles, Scarlet Fever, etc., also in Scarlatinal Dro^^^y, and Fevers, the warm bath is of the greatest beiiefit. It also aids the cure in Injiammation of the kidiieys. bladder and uterus; at the grand climacteric of women, a general warm ♦jath, for forty or fifty minutes^ once a week, cures or prevents many of the ailments incident to the period, by j^romoting free action of the skin. In Spasmodic Stricture of the Urethra; in the pajssage of renal and biliary calculi; in Colic and many spasmodic affections of the bowels; in Tetanus, Prurigo, Diabetes, Bright's Disease, and in the Melancholy of Insanity, it is often of signal service. The following list of the permissable limits of temperatures of various kinds of baths, may bo of use : The cold bath 50« F. to 70° F. Vapor Baths. *• tepid " 85« F. ♦' 92« F 90^ F. to 100« F. *• warm " 92« F. " 98« F. 100« F. " 105« F. " hot " 98° F. '• 109'> ¥. ^5" F " 130" F. NURSING OF THE SICK. HOT BATHS. 151 Vapor baths are chiefly of use for Gouty Rheumatism, Skin- diseases and commencing colds. One may be extemporized by tying a tube over the spout of a kettle and fastening the other end in a small basket tied under a cane-bottomed ihair; the patient sits on the chair, and is covered, chair and all, with a couple of blankets pinned around the throat, and down the front to the floor. During the bath, one or two glasses of cold water may be sipped; and headache, if present, may be allayed by cold sponging, or a cold wet cloth laid upon the head. After perspiring for 10 or IS minutes, the patient may be quickly dried and got to bed The hot foot-bath is, perhaps, the most common and useful of hot baths, but some care and knowledge should be exer- cised in order to derive the greatest amount of benefit from it. The vessel should be large and deep enough to permit the water to come well up towards the knees. The temper- ature of the water should be such that the feet can be kept in it without inconvenience, and another vessel of hot water should be at hand, from which, as the water becomes cooled in the bath, the hot water should be, from time to time, supplied, so that the temperature may be gradually in- creased during the entire bath. This should be continued from ten to twenty minutes, according to the circumstances of the case, or until the patient is relieved, the chill broken, or a general perspiration appears, Then let the feet be taken from the bath, wiped rapidly dry, with warm cloths, and wrapped up comfortably, so as to retain the heat. This kind of bath promotes general perspiration, corrects or relieves Catarrh, feverj etc., in the incipient stage; is very useful in the sudden Suppression of the Menses during the 152 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOK. flow, from exposure to cold or wet; relieves HeadachCi Palpitation, hysteric choking. Files, etc. Sitz-haths may be administered in a tin bath, formed foi the purpose, with a back; or a very serviceable one may be made, by cutting down an ordinary barrel, with a board set in it for a back. The patient sits down in the tub, with water sufficient to come well up around the hijDS and over the lower abdomen, and is then covered from the neck down over the tub so as to retain the vapor, if desirable. The bath may be continued from ten to thirty minutes. In cases of congestion to the lower abdominal organs. Files and in some severe cases of Dysentery, these seat-baths will be found of great value. Foultices axe used to apply heat and moisture to the skin, when it and the underlying structures are inflamed. They effect this by relaxing the tension of the parts and promot- ing perspiration. Almost any soft substance which will retain heat and moisture, such as bran, bread, charcoal, lin- seed, mashed potatoes, etc.*, may be used for the making of * Linseed-Meal Poultices. — Boiling water should be poured into a heated bowl, and into this the meal quickly sprinkled with one hand, while the mixture is constantly stirred with a luiife or spatula with the other, till a thin smooth dough is formed. If the water be added to the meal, little knots are apt to collect. The dough should be quickly spread on warmed linen already cut to the required shape, or put into a bag, and applied. Linseed-meal retains heat and moisture for a long time, but is liable to irritate delicate or inflamed skin. Bread Poultices. — Put slices of bread into a banin, pour over them boiling water, and place by the fire for a few minutes, when the water should be poured off, replaced by fresh boiling water, and this again poured off, and the bread pressed, beaten with a fork, and made into a poultice. Bread poultices are valuable for their bland, uon^ irritating properties. NURSING OF TKE SICK. POULTICES. 153 a poultice — which ghould be quite smooth and free from lumps or hardness. Poultices are chiefly useful in the following complaints: — Pneumonia, Pleurisy, Bronchitis^ Pericarditis, Peritonitis, Acute Rheumatism, Lumbago, and to mature and facilitate the discharge of matter in Ab- scesses, Boils, etc. When used to mature Abscesses, or disperse inflam- mation, poultices should extend beyond the limits of the inflamed tissue ; but after the discharge, the poultices should be very little larger than the opening through which the matter is escaping. To retain heat for a long time^ they should be covered with oil-silk, or a layer of cotton wool — which is preferable to having a very thick poultice, which might by its weight cause inconvenience, or pain. In acute Luvibago, they must be applied thick, hot, large enough to cover the affected pai-t, and be renewed immediately they become cool. After continuing their use for from one to three hours, the skin should be wiped dry and covered with flannel, and this again with oil-silk. Fomentations, bv means of flannel wrunf? out of hot boil- ing water, are used for purposes similar to poultices, but Charcoal Poultices — Uniformly mix charcoal with bread poultice, and just before the application of the poultice sprinkle the surface with a layer of charcoal. Or charcoal may be sprinkled on a wound or ulcer, and a simple bread poultice applied over it. Charcoal poultices correct offeusive smells from foul sores, and favor a healthier action. Carrot Poultices. — Boil carrots quite soft, mash them with a fork, and apply in the ordinary way. They are said to make wounds cleaner and healthier. 154 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. are lighter and less likely to increase the pain of sensitive parts. The hot flannel is placed in stout towelling and twisted around, till as much water as possible is squeezed out; and, if weU wrung, can be applied very hot without danger of scalding. When it loses its heat, it should be quickly and deftly replaced with another hot one. In Inflammations, Spasms, and pains affecting deeply-seated structures, as in the chest or abdomen, and in sprains, etc., great relief is often gained by their use. Dry Fomentations, — ^When heat alone is required, and it is desirable to avoid the relaxation of tissues which moist- ure would occasion, dry heated substances — flannel, bran, chamomile flowers, salt, sand, etc. — are used. After thor- oughly heating the substance, it should be placed in a bag made for the purpose, and which has also been previously heated. Sometimes, as in Spasm and its accompanying pain, a thin piece of flat tile, or a plate, heated in an oven, and wrapped in warmed flannel, may be employed. For mere evanescent heat, flannel, strongly heated before the fire, may suffice. Injections. Most important — indeed, indispensable — for every family, is the use and knowledge of the injection-pipe. The best are of rubber, with flexible tube and bulb, con- taining the pumping apparatus in the centre, from which the suction tube extends a foot, or more, to the reservoir or dish containing the charge. The injection is usually luke- warm water. Sometimes, to a pint of water, a large spoon- ful of molasses is added; and, if a more active injection is yet required, a tablespoonful of salt may be supplied. Very generally simple tepid water is sufficient ^he end of the NURSING OF THE SICK. INJECTIONS. 155 # tube should be covered with oil, cerate, or lard, and then introduced, by gentle manipulation, into the rectum. If the object is to dislodge hardened feces, the pipe should be inserted, so as to place the water above the hardened mass. -The pumping should then be continued (slowly and steadily) until a pint, quart, or even double that quantity of fluid, has been thrown up. The patient should, if possible, lie down and retain the injection 10 or 15 minutes. Should one injection not succeed, it may be repeated after a half hour or more, until the object is obtained. In cases of obstinate constipation, a morning injection, with the use of the appropriative Specific, never fails. In violent and obstinate Colic, a large injection often fully relieves — also, in pains in bladder, ivomb and kidneys. Starch water, tepid, injections of the consistence of cream, and about two ounces in amount, are sometimes very efficacious in checking Diarrhea; also, in Dysentery, Consumption, and Choleraic diarrhea of Children. Salt injections, a dessert-spoonful to the pint or half pint of water, are excellent for dislodging thread- worms ■ — but, as in other cases, Specific treatment is necessary to correct the constitutional condition on which the disease depends. In all cases of fever and threatened convulsions in children, arising from hurtful or indigestible food — fruit, cake, raisins, oranges, etc., the proper use of the injection- pipe, in connection with the Specific medicines, will save the patient — is never hurtful, and is a far better expedient than the use of pills, cathartics, or even such laxatives as castor oil. Inhalation, is the act of drawing air, impregnated with 156 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOK. the -watery vapor of medicinal substances, into the air- passages. Quinsy y catarrhal and ulcerated Sore-throat, chronic Bronchitis, Phthisis, etc., may be more or less benefited b}^ inhalation. The method of inhaling is very simple, and is often done quite effectively, and with less effort, without a special inhaler. All that is required is a jug of hot water, over which the face may be held, and a towel so arranged that it covers the face below the eyes, and surrounds the top of the jug, so as to confine the vapor. A few drops of the drug to be inhaled being dropped into the hot water, the medicine finds ready access to the air-passages through both the mouth and the nose. This may be practised for five or ten minutes at bed-time; and, if necessary, and the patient has not to be exposed to cold air during the day, it may be repeated once, twice, or oftener in the day. In acute inflammatory diseases of the throat, simple or medi- cated vapor may be administered as frequently as the patient's strength and other circumstances permit. A portion of the drug thus administered reaches the lungs and enters the general circulation; but the chief action of the medicated vapor is on the throat and bronchial mucous surface. In grave, penetrating diseases. Diphtheria, Group, etc., where it is desired to keep the atmosphere of the room moist, vapor may be diffused through the apartment, by the steam from a large kettle with a long spout, kept constantly boil- ing; or, by forming a tent over the bed and covering it with blankets, and then bringing a pipe to convey the steam from the kettle under it. In urgent cases, where suffocation threatens, the room DIET OF THE SICK. 157 may be quickly filled with vapor, by hanging wet towels before a hot fire. In ordinary cases, simply keeping water boiling in the centre of the room will sufficiently moisten the atmosphere. DIET OF THE SICK. Homeopathy is not, as is so often asserted by its op- ponents, "a system of diet" — but of medical treatment, liemedies, chosen according to the homeopathic law, are but little affected by the food or beverages ordinarily taken; so that, beyond the prohibition of ceii^ain articles of diet which disagree with the patient, interfere with the bodily functions, or impose upon weak, or diseased, organs a task to which they are unequal, there is but little need to restrict the patient's food. The Regimen of the sick, under Homeopathic treatment, may, therefore, be reduced to two simple rules, 1. avoid all articles of drink or food that are medicinal, and those that are irritating, indigestible or injurious to the sick; and 2. to use only such as are light, easily digested and nourishing, and smtisfy the ajrypetite and thirst. Aliment allowed — Wheaten Bread, Graham Bread, Arrow Root, Sago, Tapioca, Farina, Corn Starch, Rice and Milk, Panada, Hominy, Mush, "Wheaten Grits, Custards, Beef,. Mutton or Lamb Chops, Lean part of Ham, Venison, Chickens, Poultry, Rabbits, and all Game, Calves' Foot Jelly, Chicken Broth, Fresh Eggs, Scale Fish, Fresh Oysters, Ripe Potatoes, Apples, Baked or Stewed, Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Ripe Sweet Apples. Drinks allowed — Water, Toast Water, Barley or Rice 158 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR, Water, Gum Water, Gruel, flavored or sweetened with Fruit Syrups, Milk, Cocoa, Chocolate, Weak Black Tea or Barley Coflfee, sweetened with Milk and Sugar if desired. Avoid — Coffee, Highly Spiced or Fat, Heavy, Indigestible Meats, Sausages, Mince Pies, Salt Fish, and Stimulants, unless allowed, by attending physician. These few hints, together with a careful reference to, and study of our chapter on "Nutritive Food Values" (pages 49 to 104) will sufficiently guide those who have charge of the sicL HOW TO INTEKPEET THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. The various evidences of an unhealthy action of the system, can only properly be estimated at their full value by the trained and skilful physician. Yet careful observ- ation and common-sense, applied to the examination of tongue, pulse, temperature, skin, urine, etc., will do much to assist even laymen in forming a tolerably accurate idea of the nature and severity of diseases which they may have to treat. To such the few following brief hints may be of value. 1. The Pui^e is the stroke or beat of an artery, caused by the wave of blood forced onwards from each beat of the heart. It is usually best felt on the radial artery, just above the iK)ot of the thumb and the joint of the wrist, by slightly pressing the first two fingers on the front of the wrist at that point. The natural pulse in the adult male is between 60 and 70 beats per minjLite. It is quicker in the morning THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. THE PULSE. 159 than at night, reaching its maximum about noon and its minimum about midnight; in old age the pulse becomes hard, owing to increased firmness or to structural change in the arterial coats. The average number of beats of the healthy pulse in the minute, at different ages, is as follows: -At birth, 130 to 140; during infancy, 120 to 130; three years old, 90 to 95 or 100; five years old about 88; ten to fifteen years old, about 78; above fifteen, 65 to 75; in old age, 65 to 70; decrepitude, 75 to 80. The pulse is influenced, however, by the following and other conditions, which should be considered in estimating the character of the pulse as a diagnostic sign. It is faster in the female than the male, by from six to fourteen beats; but this difference only occurs after about the eighth year. It is quickened by warmth and heat; by rapid breathing; by bodily exertion or mental excitement; it is more fre- quent in the morning, and after taking stimulants or food; it beats faster standing than sitting, and sitting than lying; but it is retarded by cold, sleep, fatigue, want of food, and by certain drugs. In examining the pulse, the points to be noticed are: 1. Frequency, or number of beats per minute; 2. Fulness, or volume; 3. Strength of beat; 4. regularity, or rhythm of beat; 5. Resistance to pressure of finger. A strong, quick pulse is suggestive of inflammation; a quick and weak one of fever or weakness; a slow and strong one of pressure on the brain; and a slow and weak one of shock, depression, jaundice, — but allowances must be made for those sudden irregularities which are often observable under transient excitement €>r temporary depression, especially of nervous persons. 160 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 2. The Temperature. In all cases of illness, it is as im- poi-tant to measure the heat o: the body, as to count the pulse, or the breathing. The use of the clinical thermo- meter aids in arriving at definite conclusions, relieves much mental anxiety, and affords a clue, in many cases, to the disease, even before its characteristic symptoms have de- clared themselves. In temperate regions the normal heat of the human body, at sheltered parts of its surface, is 98.4'' Fahr., or a few tenths more or less; and a persistent rising above 99.5*" or a depression below 97.3'' Fahr., are signs of some kind of disease. The maintenance of a normal tem- perature, within the limits above stated, gives a complete assurance of the absence of anything beyond local and trifling disturbances; but any acute disease unnaturally elevates the temperature or animal heat, and many diseases are thus indicated some time before they could be detected by any other means. It enables us to diagnose decisively between an inflammatory and a non-inflammatory disease; and to determine the severity of the inflammation. Hy- steria, it is well known, often simulates inflammatory disease; but the temperature of hysterical persons is natural, whereas that of persons really suffering from in- flammation is always raised. In acute fevers, the thermometer affords the best means of deciding in doubtful cases. Thus, in Typhoid fever, the rise of temperature, or its abnormal fall, often indicates what is about to happen one or two days before any change in the pulse, or other sign of mischief, may be observed. In Consumption, the thermometer affords us most valu- able diagnostic information, especially in the early stage of THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. TEMPEEATURE. 161 the disease, when treatment is likely to be of greatest avail. During the deposit of tubercle in the lungs, or in any organ of the body, the temperature of the patient is always raised from 98"", the normal temperature, to 102-3% or even higher^ the temperature increasing in proportion to the rapidity of the tubercular deposit. In Measles^ the thermometer is almost the only means of learning at an early stage the complication of Pneumonia. In Ague, several hours before the paroxysm the temperature of the patient's body rises considerably. In Acute Rheumatism, s. temperature of 104"* is always an alarming symptom, indicating grave compli- cation, such as involvement of the valves of the heart. In short, a temperature of 104'' to 105* in any disease, indi- cates that its progress is not checked, and that compli- cations are liable to arise. In all cases of convalescence, delayed decrease of temper- ature in Pneumonia, the persistence of a high evening temperature in Typhus or Enteric fever, or in the eruptive diseases, and the incomplete attainment of normal temper- ature, are of great significance. The onset of even a slight elevation of temperature during convalescence is a warning to exercise renewed care over the patient, especially in the maintenance of a due control over his diet and actions. We recommend a straight, self-registering 4-inch ther mometer; with a scale; (it will be best to have your family physician procure one for you, and give you a few directions how to manage it), and that observations should be made with it regularly, noting, at the same time — the pulse and breathing. The best way to "take a temperature" is by 1G2 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. placing the bulb of the thermometer under the tongue, by the side of the "second wisdom tooth," requesting the patient to close the lips around the stem. It is frequently placed, also, in the armpit, and sometimes in the bowel — and in every case should be allowed to remain in situ five minutes.* The most suitable time for taking temperature is from 7 to 9 A. M., and from 5 to 7 P. M. In connection with this we may note that the pulse is usually increased by about 8 beats per minute for every degree of temperature over the normal 98.6" F.; thus, if the pulse is 72 with the temperature at 98.6 , it will be 80'' when the temperature is 99.6'', and 88 when the temper- ature is 100.6°. 3. Respiration, (breathing). In ordinary health the number o5f respirations in a minute is from 15 to 20, or one breath to every four beats of the pulse; but it is largely increased by exercise and various diseases, in which it often forms an important sign both as to its frequency and ful- ness. During sleep and in a few diseases the frequency is diminished; if much diminished it is generally an unfavor- able sign. Expiration is longer than inspiration. The points to be noted are: 1. the frequency per minute; 2. whether respiration is performed chiefly by the riba (thoracic) or by the muscles of the belly (abdominal); 3. if tlie breathing is calm, easy, and fully drawn, or if it is Bhort, hurried, forced, or incomplete; 4. if it causes pain, or is checked by cough. * The temperature of the tongue is 4-5 of a degree; and that of the bowel 1.1-5 of a degree warmer than, that of the armpit. THE SIGKS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. — THE TONGUE. 163 4. The Tongue affords important indications: — Dryness points to diminished secretion, and is common in acute and febrile diseases; moisture is generally a favorable sign, par- ' ticularly when it succeeds a dry or furred condition. A preter-naturally red tongue is common in the course of the eruptive fevers; in Gastric and Bilious fevers, and in bad cases of Indigestion, the redness is often limited to the edges and tip. Tlhe '' strawberry'* tongue is a symptom of Scarlet fever; the ^'fissured'' tongue of Typhus and Enteric fevers. When the tongue is livid or purple, there is defec- tive oxygenation of the blood. The furred tongue is the most marked, and is common in inflammation and irritation of the mucous membranes, in diseases of the brain, in all varieties of fever, and in almost all acute and dangerous maladies. Some persons have usually a coated tongue on rising, without any other symptom of disease. This is especially the case with tobacco smokers. A uniformly white-coated tongue is not very unfavorable; a yellow coat is indicative of disordered action of the liver; a brown or blacky of a low state of the vital powers, and contamination of the blood. The gradual cleaning of the tongue, first from the tip and edges, shows a tendency to health, and indicates the cleaning of the whole intestinal tract; in less foiiunate cases, as the tongue gets browner, dirtier, and drier, each day, the nervous and muscular :=y stems get weaker, and hope is gradually extinguished; when the fur separates in patches, leaving a red, glossy surface, it is also unfavorable; when the crust is rapidly removed, leaving a raw or dark- colored appearance, the prognosis must still be unfavorable. 5. Pain is often a most important indication of the nature 164 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. and seat of disease, pointing to an interruption of the har- mony of the bodily organs; and homeopathic physicians insist most strenuously that the distinctive characters of the various kinds of pain, should be described as accurately as possible by the patient, ^^en attended with a throbbing sensation, consequent upon the heart's action, it is called pulsating pain; when with a feeling of tightness, tensive; when with heat, burning. Nervous pain may be recognised by its disposition to follow a certain course, without being rigidly limited to one particular part; by its being subject to perfect intermissions; and by the suddenness with which it comes and goes. Spasmodic pain is mitigated by pres- sure, by frictions, and by applications of heat; it comes on suddenly with greater or less severity, terminating abruptly. Inflammatory pain is constant, attended by heat and quickened pulse, is increased by movement of the affected part, by touch or pressure, and usually mitigated by rest. Frequently pain occurs, not in the part diseased, but in a distant one. Inflammation of the liver generally first shows itself by pain in the right shoulder; inflammation of the hip-joint, by pain in the knee; stone in the bladder, by pain at the end of the penis; disease of the heart, by pain down the left arm, etc. 6. The Skin, — in health imparts to the touch the sen- sation of an agreeable temperature, with just sufficient moisture to preserve its softness; it is also elastic, smooth, and neither too tense nor loose. A harsh, dry, burinng heat of the skin is indicative of fever, and must be regarded as unfavorable, especially in inflammatory conditions of in- ternal organs. If this condition be foUowed by perspiration, THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. — THE SKIN. 165 coincident with general improvement; it is a favorable in* dication. Great relief is usually experienced on the occur- rence of the sweating stage in Ague, Inflammatory fevers, etc. On the other hand, complications may be feared if perspiration ensue without any amelioration of other symptoms. Partial or local perspirations indicate a deranged con^ dition of the nervous system, or an affection of the organs beneath the perspiring surface. If perspirations occur after trifling exertion, they point to excessive weakness. Night sweats, of frequent occurrence, not only show de- bility, but when preceded by chills and fever, indicate a hectic and consumj^tive state of the constitution. The color of the skin is also diagnostic. A bluish tint of the skin indicates structural disease of the heart. A yellow color points to biliary affections. A rich blush of the cheeks, especially if it be circumscribed, and the surround- ing parts pale, indicates an irritable condition of the nerv- ous system, or a diseased state of the lungs. 7. The Urine. — The urinary organs are, — the kidneys and bladder, with their appendages. The kidneys secrete the urine from the blood, and by this process the blood is relieved of many impurities, which if retained would give rise to disease in the whole system. The secretion of the kidneys reaches the bladder through little channels (iiretersj, and the urine is ultimately discharged through the urinary canal (urethra). Healthy urine is of a brightish yellow or amber color, a tint darker in the morning than in the afternoon, yielding V. slight ammoiiiacal smell, devoid of unpleasant odor, and 166 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. precipitating no deposit on standing, or only the meresi trace of mucus, or of urates from a low temperature. In advanced age the urine becomes darker and slightly offen- sive; it is darker in persons who lead a very active life; different varieties of food also produce a marked effect both on the color and odor of urine. The stream of urine should be round and large, and it should be passed about four to six times in twenty-four hours without any pain or strain- ing. The average specific gravity of healthy urine is between 1,020 and 1,025, being in excess ot water, which is the standard (1,000) ; and the normal quantity in adults about forty ounces in the twenty-four hours. A urinometer in- dicates the specific gravity. In disease, the urine presents many varieties, and furnishes valuable indications. Thus, it may be of a dark yellow or saffron color, as in Jaundice, or derangement of the liver; it may be red or high-colored, and scanty, with quickened pulse, as in fever; it may be bloody or slimy, as in affec- tions of the kidneys or bladder; pale and copious, as in nervous and hysterical ailments; it may be heavy, muddy, or of a purple color, showing an unfavorable condition of the system; or dark or black, indicating putridity. The urine may be passed too copiously or scantily, with pain, with effort; or it may be retained with difficulty. There may be a frequent or uncontroDable desire to micturate, with burning or scalding pain; or the pain may be only experienced in passing the last few drops: in either case local inflammation is indicated. The specific gravity of urine in Bright's disease is 1,015 THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE. THE URINE. 167 to 1,094; diabetic urine, 1,025 to 1,040; in Hysteria it may be as low as 1,007. In Rheumatic fever, Gout, etc., the urine is abnormally acid; while, on the contrary, a loss of nervous power some- times causes insufficient mucus to be secreted, so that, de- composition having taken place, the urine is found to be alkaline. Heat will produce a deposit in acid urine, but not so in alkahne, however large a proportion of albumen it may concern. The microscope enables us to detect casts of tubes, etc., but it should be remembered that many sub- stances may have found their way into the vessel, as fibres of deal, flannel, or cotton, etc., which bear a sufficient re- semblance to be mistaken for the above. When ui'ine has to be examined, a little should be taken from the whole quantity that has been passed during twenty-four hours, as it varies greatly in its properties at different periods of the day; and after food HOW to select, prepare and take the Medicines. In general, and for slight aflfections, after having first looked over or read the Mentor, a glance at the indications will be sufficient to show from what particular vial the me- dicine is to be taken for any particular disease or symptom. Yet, if more than a single dose is required, it will be well to read over, in the Mentor, the description of the disease or affection which is supposed to be present. After having read the directions carefiiUy, and selected the proper Specific, if the directions are to take the medi- cine dry, then take six of the pellets from the vial into the hand, or a spoon, and thence into the mouth, and let them gradually be dissolved, without being chewed, or swallowed whole like pills. It is a bad way to turn the vial against the tongue, or into the mouth, as the breath contaminates and dissolves the pellets. Also, it should be recollected that the power of a given dose of medicine is increased by being dissolved, or spread over a larger surface; so that two small pellets thoroughly dissolved in a spoonful of water is a more powerful dose than six pellets taken dry. HOW TO SELECT, PREPARE AND TAKE THE MEDICINES. IGO If the Specific is to be taken injluid form, dissolve twelve pellets in six dessert-spoonsful of pure spring or well-water, by crushing and stirring the medicine until it entirely dis- appears. (For grown persons a table-spoonful, and for children or infants a dessert or tea-spoonful is a proper dose.) Two Specifics may often be given in alternation, that is, first one, then after the proper interval, the other, and so on. Where Specifics are to be thus given, let each be pre- pared according to the above directions, remembering that each glass has its separate spoon and cover; and it will be even better and safer to prevent mixture or confusion; if each tumbler has a label affixed to it, bearing the number of the Specific which it contains. This alternation of remedies is a favorite mode of treat- ment, and may be resorted to when all the symptoms do not seem to be met by one remedy; or, when really two diseases may be present at the same time, as for instance: cough and fever; catarrh and dyspepsia; leucorrhoea and constipation; headache and dyspepsia. In such cases the two Specifics may be given alternately with ad- vantage. ^Vhen we can do so, it is preferable to cure with a single <?5PEciFic. In cases where some symptoms does not seem to be within the range of the remedy, yet by using it a few days, this symptom or complaint often disappears with the main disease. The best time for taking medicine is in the morning on rising and washing the mouth; and, at night on re* tiring to rest. 170 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. REPETITION OF DOSES. The repetition of doses depends much upon circum- stances. In acute diseases anJ in argent cases, the Specific acts best when dissolved, and a spoonful given every fifteen minutes, half-hour, hour, two or four hours, according to the urgency of the case, always bearing in mind this rule, to diminish the f requeue ij of the doses in proportion as the pa-- tient improves, and to discontinue the Specific altogether as soon as entire relief is afforded. In most cases of chronic disease, a dose morning and at night will be sufficient, or at most, three or four times a day. In very many cases a dose once per day is quite sufficient, and better than if more frequent. It is not the quantity or frequency of doses so much as the appropriateness of the remedy which cures the patient; and if a small quantity will not cui^e. there is but little hope of a large one. Disease and Treatment. Fevers have usually a precursory stage of some days, consisting of depression, pain in the limbs, headache, coated tongue, turns of vertigo, loss of appetite, or general lassitude. After this there is either a cold chill or chilliness for a day or two, which is followed by high fever, with headache, sleeplessness, often delirium, full, quick, hard pulse, quick respiration, vertigo on rising or sitting up, sometimes vomiting, costive bowels etc. This stage continues some days, depending upon the character of the fever and treatment, after which, in favor* able terminations, the pulse by degrees abates, the skin gradually becomes moist, the tongue cleans off, appetite and strength improve, and the patient becomes convales- cent. GENERAL EULES IN THE TREATIVIENT OF FEVERS. Perfect rest of body and mind, freedom from care, an- noyance and anxiety, as far is possible. The room should be well ventilated, aired and lighted, and scrupulously clean. The bed should be a hair mattress, or a quilt doubled on 172 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. — ^FEVERS. a straw or other bed, and the bed linen frequently aired and changed. Pure cold water should be used as drink, and the face, hands and body should be frequently sponged off witii tepid or cool water. Toast water, gruel, barley or rice water may be used ae drink after the fever has a little abated, or drink may be made of any mild, fresh or dried fruits, except when ther(? is diarrhoea, when fruit drinks should be avoided. Gradually a more substantial diet may be allowed, be- ginning with baked apples, bailed rice, toast bread, jellies, meat soups, clam soup, fresh fish, and yet more substantial articles of food during convalescence. Varieties of Fever are not always sharply defined, and not unfrequently a fever assumes a particular character in its progress, or begins in one form and changes into an- other. ERETHIC OR SIMPLE FEVER. Symptom. — ^Is usually ushered in by chills or alternate chills and flushes, followed by burning heat and dryness ol the skin; full, quickened pulse, dryness of mouth, lips and tongue, the tongue being red, or coated white, thirst, high' colored, scanty urine; and constipation. Sometimes, pains in loins, headache, loss of appetite, hurried breathing, delirium — the symptoms being generally more severe at night. Profuse perspiration, bleeding of the nose, diarrhoea, or eruptions on body, are generally signs of the decline of the fever — and the patient is left weak, but otherwise well. The fever lasts from one to three days, or longer. When its symptoms disappear in 12 or 24 hours, it is called ephemeral fever — but it may be the precursor of more serious disorder. Treatment. — Give the Fever Sp^^cific, No. One^ twelve HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR 173 pellets dissolved in six spoonsful of water, of which give a spoonful every half-hour during the violence of the chill and fever, and then as the heat and uneasiness abate and per^^^piration appears, give at intervals of an hour or two hours until entirely cooled off, and convalescence is established. This usually requires but a day or two, when the patient may be dismissed. INFLAMSIATOEY FEVER Symptoms. — This form of fever commences with a chill of some duration, followed by high fever, strong, quick pulse, burning heat, red face, severe headache, hurried respiration, thirst, tossing and sleeplessness. The symp- toms are worse in the evening and are better after mid- night and towards morning. It may continue ten or four- teen days, unless cut short by the Specific treatment; and, if mismanaged by active cathartics, may readily run into some grade of slow fever. It is caused by sudden check of perspiration, exposure to cold damp winds, intense mental emotions, high living, or mismanaged febrile attacks. It generally appears in per- sons of adult age, full habit and sanguine temperament. Treatment. — In this form of fever only the Fever Specific No. One is required. Dissolve twelve pellets, in six large spoonsful of water in a glass; and of the fluid give a large spoonful every hour, or even every half hour, at first, and so continue giving a spoonful at intervals of an hour during the height of the fever; and at longer intervals as the surface cools off and the surface grows moist, until the full crisis appears and the disease is subdued. Sponge off the hands and face, and even the surface of the body, frequently during the dry, burning heat, and after sweating; and at first during the chill, or if the feet are in- 174 disease: and treatment. — ^fevers. clined to be cold, or head very hot, a hot foot-bath will be of advantage. This treatment will generally promptly relieve and gradually arrest its progress. After the fevej- has subsided, the Specific No. Ten^ six pellets four times jper day, should be given for some days, to complete the cure BILIOUS OE GASTEIC FEVEE, EEMITTENT FEVER These fevers generally originate in some derangement of the stomach or digestive organs, or from malaria. In the origin and progress of the disease the derangement of the biliary or gastric system is prominent. It has kss of the violent heat and inflammatory action than the fever so named, and yet not so much of nervous prostration and debility, as in typhoid fevers. The bilious form is more common in warm or hot climates and in the hot season, than in the more temperate regions, while the gastric fever is common in more Northerly regions. It may be occasioned by great heat and excessive perspi- ration, which is suddenly checked; or by irritating sub- stances taken into the stomach: or even bv violent emotions such as anger, grief or care, or other excitement acting upon an irritable temperament, or in common with othe^ causes. Symptoms. — It has a precursory stage, marked by decided gastric or biliary derangement, headache, coated tongue, bitter or foul taste, deficient appetite and general depres- sion. After this there is a more or less prolonged chill, followed by sharp, pungent heat of the hands, face and surface, violent headache in the forehead, frequently de- lirium at night, sense of weight and fulness in the region of the stomach, nausea and inclination to vomit, belching up of wind, and vomiting of acid bile or of mucus mixed with bile, tongue thickly coated dirty yellow, bowels are frequently tender and at first constipcA-led, afterwai'ds ten- HOMEOPATHIC MENTOE. 175 dency to diarrhoea. The face is pale and sickly, white of the eyes more or less yellow, pulse quick, tense, sometimes intermitting, and the urine is dark, cloudy, often thick and turbid. The more the liver is implicated, the more yellow the surface, the whites of the eyes, and the darker the urine and more yellow and thick coated the tongue. The fever is subject to distinct remissions, coming on after a slight perspiration, and after some hours the fever recommences again and there may be a succession of these remissions; the more distinct they are, the more favorable for the patient. This fever is inclined to terminate in the intermittent form, or fever and ague. Treatment. — The Specific No. One and the Specific No. Ten are the proper remedies in this form of fever. Pre- pare twelve or fourteen pellets of each number in separate glasses, half full of pure water; and, give for the first twelve hours, and until the force of the fever has somewhat abated, the Specific No. One^ a spoonful every hour. After that, give the two Specifics No. One and No. Ten^ alternately, at intervals of one or two hours, according to the heat and intensity of the fever, and continue these until the violence of the disease is broken; then at longer intervals, until a cure is established. Should a diarrhoea come on and threaten to become ex- hausting, suspend the use of the Specific No. Ten, and in place of it give the Specific No. Four, until the diarrhoea has abated, and then go on again as before. Should the disease terminate in a regular Intermittent Fever, give the Specific No. Sixteen alternately with Spe- cific No. Ten every three hours, in solution, until the di« sease is cured. In the invasive stage, before the fever has declared itself, six pellets of Specific No. Ten, taken dry on the tongue, three times a day, will correct the action of the stomach and liver, and arrest the entire disease. l76 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVERS TYPHUS FEVER Typhus Fever is defined as an acute specific form of fever highly contagious and infectious, continuing from fourteen to twenty one days, attended with a lethargic and confused condition of mind, an eruption of measles-like appearance, and is the result of privation, overcrowding and defective ventilation. Symptoms. — The precursory stage varies, but is usually short, so that the patient generally gives up and takes to his bed within the first three days, in marked contrast with the protracted invasive stage of Enteric Fever. Sensations of uneasiness, soreness or fatigue, loss of appetite, frontal headache, and disturbed sleep, are the early symptoms. The patient is often seized with a cold chill or rigor, usually succeeded by dry heat of the skin, thirst, quick pulse, white, dry, often tremulous tongue, scanty and high colored urine, sometimes vomiting, heavy look or stupor, prostration of strength and muscular pains: towards evening there is more irritability and restlessness, and if sleep occurs it is unrefreshing, being disturbed by dreams and sudden starts. The general appearance of a Typhus fever patient is well marked and affords a ready means of diagnosis. The patient usually lies on his back, with a weary and dull ex- pression of his face, his eyes heavy and with a dusky flash spread uniformly over his cheeks. In the more advanced stage of a severe attack he lies with his eyes shut or half shut, moaning, and too prostrate to answer questions, to put out his tongue or to move himself in bed; or the mouth is clenched, the tongue and hands tremble and the muscles are twitching and half rigid, and the weakness extreme, so that he constantly slips down in the bed. The dryness of the mouth, the sordes on the teeth and lips, the hot dry HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 17 skin and the deafness, are symptoms which impress a careful observer at once.* During the first week the patient complains of headache and noises in the ears and subsequently deafness; the con- junctiva are injected, pupils of the eyes contracted and painfully sensitive to light, and often in consequence closed. * It is well to note some of the characteristic differences between the Typhus, and the Enteric or Typhoid Fever as follows: TYPHUS. 1. Comes on quickly. 2. Occurs at any age. 3. Is rare among the better classes, except from con- tagion. 4. The eruption is of a mulberry color, comes out the fourth or fifth day, first on the ex- tremities, and lasts through the disease. 5. The brain is chiefly affected; bowels usually natural and the evacuations dark, but never bloody. 6. There is a dusky blush on the face, neck and shoul- ders; injected eyes, con- tracted pupils. 7. Runs its course in fourteen to twenty-one days. 8. Relapses are of rare occur- rence. 9. Tendency to death is by Coma, (Stupor), or Pul- monary Congestion. 10. Arises from destitution, over- crowding, defective ven- tilation; and spreads by contagion. ENTIRIC. 1. Commences slowly and in- sidiously. 2. Most common in youth and childhood, 3. Is as common among the rich as the poor. 4. The eruption is in rose co- lored spots, few in num- ber, generally on the ab- domen, and appears in successive crops. 5. The bowels chiefly affected, evacuations dark yellowish, brown and watery; some- times with hoemorrhage or even ulceration of intestine and the abdomen is tumid. 6. The expression is bright, with a hectic blush, lim- ited to the cheeks; and pupils dilated. 7. Continues from four to six weeks. 8. Relapses are of frequent oc- currence. 9. Tendency to death is by Exhaustion, Pneumonia, Hemorrhage, or perforation of the intestine. 10. Arises from bad drainage or poisoned drinking water; decomposed animal mat- ter; often with defective rain fall, or deficient ozone. 178 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FFVERS. He becomes irritable, and his answers are short and fretful. Usually, from the fourth to the eighth day, the mind passes from the state of excitement to one of delirium. This symptom appears earlier and is more severe in persons in the higher walks of life, doubtless in consequence of the greater activity of their brain. This is especially the case with confusion of ideas as to time and place, persons and personal identity, with vague rambling talk, of wdiich occasionally he seems conscious, and from w^hich he can be roused. Later, the delirium may become active and mania- cal, or low and muttering. The patient often fancies he is two or three persons, and the subject of a series of miseries and violence; confined in a dungeon, pursued by enemies from whom he vainly flies, or wdth whom he struggles; and he attempts to spring from the bed, to reach the door or window to escape from his tormentors; sometimes the de- lirium passes into a heavy sleep, or, with tremulousness of the tongue and hands and twitching of the muscles {sub- sultus tendinum) ; bu"*" in favorable cases it subsides in two or three days. Improvement sometimes sets in quite sud- denly. Between the thirteenth and seventeenth days the patient may fall into a long, deep and quick sleej), awaking in twelve or more hours quite refreshed. The powers of mind begin again to dawn, the countenance assumes a more tranquil aspect, sleep becomes natural and at length con- valescence is fully established. Diarrhoea sometimes occurs and at others the bowels are confined; the evacuations are natural or dark, in contrast with the dark yellow stools of Enteric Fever, or they may be involuntary. The Pulse in Typhus is rarely less than 100 and rises from that to 130 per minute. The last, in adults, indicates great danger As a rule it gradually increases up to the ninth or twelfth day, and then in favorable cases under- goes a somewhat sudden decline. Such cases generally recover. On the other hand departures from the gradual HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 179 rise of the pulse indicate complications or dangerous symp- toms. In fatal cases the pulse usually grow more and more rapid, weaker and smaller up to the fatal hour. The earliest glimpse of dawning convalescence is shown in the pulse. If the pulse is fairly on the decline and especially if also stronger and fuller, recovery may be confidently predicted. The crisis of Typhus is often only indicated by the fall in temperature, indicated by the thermometer and the decline of the pulse after having reached its maximum. There may be no marked perspiration, no critical diarrhoea, or marked alteration of urine or other noticeable phenomena of any kind beside. The Eruption appears between the fourth and seventh days, and consists of irregular slightly elevated spots of a mulberry hue, which disappear on pressure, and may be scattered singly and minute, or numerous and large, or running together. They usually first appear on the ab- domen and afterwards on the extremities. They at first disappear under pressure of the finger, but afterwards remain permanent, and in fatal cases remain after death. The ODOR of a Typhus patient is characteristic; offensive, pungent, ammonical. Nurses are able thus to recognise the disease and grade the degree of danger by the smell. The nervous symptoms predominate in Typhus, as the poison chiefly acts through the nervous system. Hence, extreme restlessness, ringing in the ears, low delirium or stupor are invariably present. In fatal cases, about the ninth or tenth day, delirium merges into profound coma, or the condition known as "coma vigil" comes on. The patient lies on his back, eyes wide open, awake but insen- sible or indifferent to every thing around him, his mouth partly open, face expressionler>s, and incapable of being roused. The stools and urine are j)^ssed. involuntarily. Finally the breathing becomes nearly insensible, the pulse rapid, feeble, or imperceptible and the transition from life 180 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVERS. to death occurs without a gleam of returning conscious- ness. Unfavorable Indications. — Early, furious and persistent delirium, v^ith complete sleeplessness; coma vigil; convul- sions; involuntary twitching of the muscles of the face and arms; abundant, persistent, dark rash; dusky countenance, livid surf ace ; involuntary persistent diarrhoea; suppression of urine; brown hard tremulous tongue; temperature up to IDS'* or higher; sudden and considerable rise of temperature in the third week; a small, weak, or imperceptable pulse, at or above 120''; bed sores, inflammatory or erysipelatous swellings; a strong presentiment of death. The prognosis is more favorable in children from ten to fifteen years of age, and least favorable in adults over fifty. Causes. — Omrcrowdiny ivith defective ventilation, destitution and want of cleanliness. — It is often the scourge of the poor of large towns; too many occupants in rooms, too many houses in circumscribed space, and hence imperfect ven- tilation of streets and dwellings. Privation, famine from failure of crops, commercial distress, strikes, hardships, all undermine the constitution and predispose to Typhus. Dirty dwellings, filthy clothes, personal squalor, are favor- ing conditions. There is reason to believe that the poison is chiefly transmitted by exhalations from the lungs and skin, which, being inhaled, find ready access to the blood. Treatment. — The Specifics No. One and No. Fourteen are tlie remedies proper for Typhus or Typhoid Fever. Dis- solve twelve or more pellets of Specific No. One in six large spoonsful of pure water of which give a spoonful every two hours. Prepare also in a separate glass, with separate spoon, the Specific No. Fourteen in the same manner. Give a spoonful once in two hours, for the first twenty four hours, and when the heat and fever are high, the Specific No. One should only be given. But, after the first two or three days the two Specifics had better be given in alter- HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 181 nation, one dose (a large spoonful for adults or a teaspoon- ful for children) once in two hours, except when the patient is sleeping quietly. The medicine should be prepared fresh every day.* As ACCESSORY MEASURES. — In no other form of fever is it so necessary to have the patient in a large, well ventilated room, with an abundance of fresh pure air. Have frequent changes of the personal and bed linen and of the posture of the patient, to prevent congestion and bed sores. Food and beverages should be given often and in small quantities, at regular intervals, including water, milk and water, toast water, w^eak tea, broth, and beef tea. The tendency to death is from exhaustion, and hence the patient should have often small quantities of nourishing food; or, if the prost- ration is great, with irregular circulation or complications, wine or brandy should be given also. Frequently sponge the hands and face, and occasionally the entire body. Keep the patient quiet, and nurse him patiently. As Prevf:ntives. — Those in the house, and those espe- cially attending the patient, should take care to avoid the contagion. To this end, fresh air, abundant ventilation and cleanliness are of the first importance. Persons in attendance should avoid the breath, and exhalations from the body on opening the bed-clothes, as far as possible, and the odor of the discharges. These should be at once re- moved and the vessels cleansed with hot water. Nurses should not be overworked, deprived of rest or fresh air; and friends not be worn down by watching, care and anxiety. They should also take as preventives or prophylaxes, * Should a diarrhoea set in with frequent loose stools, give the Specific No. Foul-, six pellets every two hours, in alternation with the Specific No. One; or should the evacuations be profuse and watery, attended with prostration, the Specific No. Six will be better than the Specific No. Four, and should be fjiven in its stead aJone if there is no fever, or in alternation with Specific No. One if there is still considerable fever. 182 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVERS six pellets of Specific No. One^ four times per day. As additional means, the room should be renovated by white- washing the walls, washing the woodwork with soap and water, and the bed-clothes and linen should be washed in water to which some chloride of lime has been added ENTEEIC, OK TYPHOID EEVER This Fever, so called because the chief pathological changes are in the bowels, is a continued and slightly in- fectious fever, lasting some twenty-eight days and even longer, having a few rose-colored dots on the chest, ab- domen or back, and attended with great feebleness, ab- dominal pains or tenderness, and diarrhoea, which increases with the disease, the discharges being copious, liquid, of a light ochre color, putrid and often containing decomposed blood. Although the words Typhus and Typhoid are similar, ind the two diseases have many symptoms in common, ^hey are essentially different, and some considerations make it desirable that the distinction should be early understood. Thus, the causes are different and suggest different sanitary regulations. Enteric is less contagious than Typhus, and the tendency to a fatal issue varying, the treatment should be regulated accordingly; and if the Enteric Fever be not early recognized, the patient may persist in his usual occupation at a time when rest in bed would save his strength and moderate the force of the disease. For these reasons, it is wise to study the symptoms in the light of the tabulated differential diagnosis given under the section on Typhus Fever, page 174. Cause. — It is the generally admitted theory, that Enteric or Typhoid Fever is caused by human or otlier excremen- titious matter, percolating the soil and thus poisoning I HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 183 the drinking water, or directly contaminating the spring, well, or other water supply, by overflow or defective con- duct; or, from gases arising from such decomposing matter being carried or sucked up in the dwelling by imperfectly trapped plumbing; and such poison becomes the more in- tense and deadly, if, with the usual fecal matter there is mingled the excrement of the sick of this disease. So poison- ous is such matter that it has been known to contamin- ate a stream of water, so that milk pans washed in such a stream, a long distance below the point where it was poisoned, have conveyed the disease in the milk carried in such vessels to numbers of healthy persons. Without discussing the question, whether the poison of Enteric Fever is sometimes or often generated anew by the de- composition of sewage matter; or, whether every case of Enteric Fever is derived directly from some ancestrally- descended and far-wandering germ, which by some secret or obvious means has gained access to sewer or cesspool and thus formed the nidus of the poison, on one point all are agreed, namely, that the poison is thus conveyed, and hence all are concerned alike in the necessity of eliminating the poison from our air, our ivater and our milk. The chief sources of water pollution are as follows: 1. surface wells, or springs, which are supplied by water filtered through cesspools, burying-yards or barn-yards; 2. the connection of drinking-water cisterns, with the soil pipe, or at the sewer pipe with a water pipe, which also serves as an air shaft, by which means the sewer gases rise into and are dissolved by the water we drink; 3. the poU iution of the air of our houses by sewage products, through openings defectively "trapped"; and which thus pour their disease-producing gases slowly into our chambers, in which (especially in winter) the greater rarification of the at- mosphere tends to draw said gases. Heated rooms and lights in the winter season, when outer doors are closed. 184 DISEASE A2iD TREATME^^T. Fi^ERS. thus form a sort of pump, lessening the pressure upon the water traps; and bringing the sewer gases or products of decomposition into our dwellings. Thus thousands of families living in, so called, good dwellings, are habitu- ally breathing a contaminated atmosphere. Syiviptoms. — These may be conveniently divided into 1. the period of accession and 2. the three weekly periods. Unless the poison is very concentrated there is a period of incubation, varying from seven to fourteen days, after which the disease sets in slowly and insidiously. The patient becomes languid and indisposed to exertion; is chilly and unwilling to leave the fire; the back aches and the legs tremble; the appetite fails and there may be even nausea and stomach sickness; the tongue is white, the breath offensive and often the throat is sore; the bowels are generally relaxed; the pul e is quickened and sleep disturbed. These symptoms gradually increasing, the patient will probably have rigors succeeded by increased heat, severe headache and such muscular debility that he takes to his bed. This is the accession. The course of the fever may now be divided into three weekly periods. First Week. — The more prominent symptoms are : vascu- lar excitement and nervous oppression, including a bound- ing pulse, (90 per minute), great heat of skin, thirst and ob- scured mental faculties; the patient cannot give a coherent account of himself, complains of little except his head, and is usually delirious at night. The abdomen enlarges, drum- Jike on percussion, and there i^ tenderness and even pain bn firm pressure, especially in the right iliac fossa, neai the termination of the small intestine, and where also a peculiar gurgling sensation is conveyed to the fingers on pressure. Second Week. — The debility and emaciation become more marked, the muscles as well as the fat wasting; the urine is scanty and heavy, loaded with urea from wasting HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 18/5 of nitrogenous tissues. During tlie second week there is also frequent diarrhoea, wliicli usually increases to five, six, or even more stools, in the twenty four hours. The peculiar character of the evacuations is marked, as fol- lows:— Fluidity; ^ja/e ochre or drab color] sickly, putrid odor; absence of bile; and a jlocculent . debris, of disintegrated glands of the ilium. This debris may he discovered by washing the discharges. It is also noticeable that, often before a patient takes his bed or a decided looseness of his bowels sets in, the feces are of a light ochre color and furnish the most marked of the early signs of Enteric fever. Third "Week: — The debility and emaciation become ex- treme; the patient lies extended on his back, sinking towards the foot of the bed, without making an effort to change his position. There is a bright or pinkish flush of the cheeks in strong contrast with the surrounding pale skin; sordes gather on the mucus membrane of the mouth and lii:>s; the tongue is dry and brown, or red and glazed, and often rough and stiff like old leather; the urine is frequently retained, from inactivity of the bladder; the feces pass without control; the tendons start, from iiTegular and feeble contraction of the muscles; the patient picks vacantly at the bed clothes, or grasps at hovering black spots which apjoear to his vision; he becomes deaf, no longer knows his friends; and, on recovery has little or no remembrance of what has at this time occurred, and in most cases the intellectual j)owers will be impaired for some time after convalescence. In the majority of fatal cases death occurs about the end of the third week; and it is also noticeable that there appears to be but slight relation between the general symptoms and the ultimate result, rendering the disease one of great un- certainty and perplexity. The Eruption. — Frcm the seventh to the fourteenth day 186 DISEASE AND TEEATMENT. FEVERS. the characteristic eruption usually begins to show itself mostly on the sternum and epigastrium, in the form of rose colored dots, which are few in number, round, scarcely elevated, and which insensibly fade into the natural hue of the surrounding skin. The quantity of rash bears no pro- portion to the severity of the disease. This successive daily eruption, disappearing on pressure eacn spot continuing visible for three or four days only, is peculiar to and characteristic of Tyj^lioid fever. The first crop of eruption is rarely decisive; but successive crops, of even not more than two or three spots each, remove all doubt. Sometimes, cases occur in which a single spot has not been detected. Occasionally, also, very minute vesicles appear, looking like drops of sweat, chiefly on the neck, chest and abdomen. The Temperature, as indicated by the thermometer, in this fever, forms a very good indication of the progress of the disease. In the acute specific fevers the elevation of the temperature is abrupt, while in this fever it is gradual. During the first three or four days almost the only symp- tom is a gradual rise of temperature, and if by the fourth or fifth day the maximum temperature be not 103 — 5 or 104, the disease is probably not Enteric Fever; and, if on the first or second day it reaches 104, the disease is some other fever, as this point is attained only gradually in En- teric Fever. Temperature is also an important element in the prognosis, as we have great variations in this fever, it being low in the morning and reaching its height in the evening. The greater these fluctuations at the end of the second week, the more favorable and shorter the attack. If it falls considerably in the morning although remaining high at night, the prognosis is favorable. But if it remains continuously high at the end of the second week, we may predict a long and severe attack. Probably the first indi- cation of improvement in cases of persistently high tem- HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. ±61 perature will in a decline in the morning temperature, "^lien such a decline occurs, especially if repeated on sub- sequent dayS; even though the maximum temperature in the evening remains the same, we may be certain the fever has begun to abate. True, a sudden fall of temperature may result from Diarrhoea or Hemorrhage — probably the latter, when it occurs suddenly; but usually other symptoms would indicate such an occurrence. Unlike Typhus the decline in this disease is usually gradual. Dangers: — 1. Hemorrhage. — This may occur from the ul- cerated patches of the ileum during the separation of the gland sloughs, and may be either capillary, or from the opening of a large vessel. The discharge of blood may be so great as to be immediately fatal by sw^ooning, or may be remotely so by exhausting the patient, so that he fails to rally fi'om it. Sometimes, without any escape of blood externally, the patient becomes suddenly blanched and dies in a swoon. In such cases a post-mortem examination finds the intestines distended watli clotted blood. 2. Ex- kaustion^ from pjYjfiise and persistent diarrhaia. 3. Perforation. — The tdceration may extend until the coats of the bow^el are perforated, causing fatal Peritonitis: this may happen during the second or third week, but more commonly during a prolonged and imperfect convalescence. Symp- toms indicating its occurrence, are: a sudden pain and tenderness in \he abdomen, with swelling, more or less nausea and vomiting, an altered expression of the features, and death in one or two days. 4. Congestion. — The lungs may become congested, giving rise to Bronchitis, Pleurisy with effusion, or Pneumonia; or, latent tubercles may be called into fatal activity: in short, there is a tendency to congestion in the three great visceral cavities, the head, the chest and the abdomen. 5. BeJapse. — This may occur from inattention to diet, or from too soon abandoning the re- <5umbent posture. 188 DISKiSE A.ND TREATMENT. .—FEVERS. As will be inferred, the disease does not run a uniform course, and cases are recorded where a fatal termination has occurred without the manifestation of any characteristic symptom. Treatment: — If at all practicable, the case should be placed in the hands of a competent medical man. Only in his absence should the amateur attempt to treat so serious a disease. But the treatment should in all cases commence with the use of Specific No. One, and this should be our main dependance throughout the disease. Dissolve twelve pellets in six spoonsful of water, large, if for an adult, and small, if for a child, and of this give a spoonful every hour, if the fever is quite high, or every two hours during the usual course of the disease. At night, when the patient sleeps, do not waken him to administer medicine; only, when he wakes, give the medicine that may be due, and let two hours be the usual interval between doses. After the first three or four days, the disease not having yielded to the use of Specific No. Olie^ or only having been moderated by it, and especially with increasing weak- ness, brown or dryish tongue, some bloating and tender- ness of the bowels, and loose, brownish stools, prepare Specific No. Fourteen in the same manner as the No. One^ and give these two Specifics, in alternation, at inter- vals of two hours; and so continue, (making fresh medicine every day during the entire course of the disease), excej)t: — should there be excessive or exhausting didrrhoea, watery, brownish, frequent stools, substitute Specific No. Six for the No. Olie^ and so continue until that condition has been removed; and, should symptoms of Bronchial^ or Pulmonary Congestion, or Pleurisy, supervene, substitute Specific No. Seven for either of the others, and thus give the Specifics No. Seven and No. One<j in alternation, every two hours, until the danger has been averted. Towards the close, the fever having abated, leaving great HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 18^ weakness of digestion as well as physical and mental de- bility, the Specific No. Ten may be used with excellent advantage, either alone, or in alternation with No. Four- teen. Accessory Measures. — 1. The Room should, if possible, be large and well ventilated, allowing the admission of plenty of fresh air, and the escape of tainted air; a hearth fire assists ventilation. Remove all carpets and bed-hangings and unnecessary furniture. A second couch or bed is very convenient, and the bed should be removed from the wall, so that the patient may be readily changed from one bed to the other. Light from the window should be subdued, and all noise and unnecessary talk forbidden. 2. Rest. — The patient should be but little disturbed and have complete physical and mental rest during the entire course of the disease. Often, unnecessary or prolonged effort results in impeding the cicatrization of ulcers, and in some instances results in their extension and fatal per- foration. 3. Cleanliness. — The body and bed linen, including blan- kets, should be frequently changed, and all matter dis- charged from the patient immediately removed. The mouth should be frequently washed with a soft, wet towel, to remove the sordes, which gather in all severe forms of fever. The patient's bod}' should be frequently as com- pletely sponged over as j)ossible, with tepid or cold water, as may be most agreeable to the patient, and quickly dried with a soft towel. If necessaiy, sponging may be done piece-wise to avoid fatigue. It should never be omitted in fevers, is grateful to the patient, soothes away restless feel- ings, and is indispensable to cleanliness; and the water acts as a tonic to the relaxed capillaries and also tends to prevent bed-sores. If bed-sores have formed, they should be protected with Arnica plaster. 4. Hydropathic Applications. — A ivei compress, made by a 190 DISEASE AND TREATMENl. FEVERS, folded towel, laid over the bowels, is of utility tending to diminish diarrhoea, check the spread of ulceration, and pro- mote perspiration. If lung complications arise it may be applied to the chest, with benefit. 5. Beverages. — At the commencement of the fever, pure, cold water, toast water, gum water, slightly sweetened, barley water, lemonade, are all that is necessary. Cold water is of supreme importance; it lowers the excessive temperature, sustains the rapid waste and is a valuable ad- junct to the treatment. 6. Diet and Stimulants. — In a disease, which lasts three or four weeks, and sometimes five or six, and in which the waste of tissue is great, and when common food cannot be taken, it is a matter of first importance, to supply the patient with appropriate nourishment, lest he may sink be- fore the disease has completed its course. The following points require attention: Patients often are unable to swallow or relish food in consequence of the dry and shrivelled state of the tongue. Thence it is necessary, fre- quently, to moisten the lining membrane of the mouth, with lemon- juice and water, or other acceptable fluid, and always before food is taken. All the aliment given should combine both food and drink, in fluid or semi-fluid form, until recovery has fully set in. The digestive functions being more or less completely suspended, the nourishment given must be that which is most readily assimilated. The following are among the best forms of nutriment: — Milk, (a most important article in the treatment of all fever patients); iC6c? milk; thin arrow-root milk] wine whey, (prepared by adding half a pint of good sherry to one pint of boiUng milk, and straining after coagulation) ; blanc mange of isin- glass, or ground rice (not gelatine); yolk of egg, (beaten up with a little wine, tea, cocoa or milk) ; beef -tea, and animal broths (slightly thickened with well cooked old rice, vermi- celli isinglass, or a few crumbs of bread) ; and in some cases HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 191 alcoholic drinks. Fruits are generally inadmissable. A little good wine, with an equal quantity of water, may b€ given every hour or two, as the case may require. Effer vescent wines must be avoided. But the effects of wine oi brandy should be carefully icafched by the attendant, and onb' given in accord wdth the demands of the system, the vo- lume and the form of the pulse being the principal guide. Except in small quantities, stimulants are not required by children, or by persons, who can take a sufficient amount of food early in the disease. On the other hand, aged per- sons, and patients Avho are greatly prostrated, or with cold extremities, and livid surface, almost invariably require al- coholic stimulants. If stimulants aggTavate the symptoms, their employment should be modified or at once discon- tinued. Nourishment should also be given with regularity; and, in extreme or long continued cases of prostration, as often as every two hours, both day and night. Fever patients should also be watched day and night. Both their ivants and their safety demand it. In their de- lirium they may get out of bed, or even out of the window, and lose their lives from the absence or Inattention of the nurse. Moderation in Convalescence. — Food should only be al- lowed in great moderation, and never to satiety, until the tongue is clean and moist, and the temperature, pulse, and skin have become natural. Solid food, or too hearty food given too soon, may induce fresh irritation in an imperfectly healed ulcer, inducing fatal hemorrhage or perforation. If stimulants have been given, they should be gradually with- drawn, as the nutritious food is substituted. The craving appetite can only safely be indulged when convalescence is fully established. Change of air for patients recovering from Enteric Fever cannot be over-estimated. Often the entire system is 192 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVERS. changed and youth is renewed. Nothing gives so bene- ficial a direction to such a change as removal to some suit- able climate and locality. No vian can be considered fit for ivork, for three or four months after an attack of severe Enteric Fever. To PREVENT Contagion. — All discharges from fever patients should be removed, on their issue from the body, in vessels, containing a concentrated solution of chloride of zinc. All tainted bed or body linen should, immediately on its re- moval, be placed in water, strongly impregnated with the same substance. The water-closet should be flooded several times a day with the same substance and some chloride of lime, also, placed there. While the icver lasts, the water-closets should only be used for the discharges from the sick, and should be disinfected as above. YELLOW FEVER. This very destructive form of fever prevails in hot cli- mates, during the Summer season, in the large cities and towns on the sea cost, or along the large rivers. It is severe or pernicious in proportion to the quantity of un- drained land, marshes, and accumulation of putrid filth or refuse matter in its immediate vicinity. It rarely springs up spontaneously unless germinated by masses of decayed animal or vegetable matter, but is more commonly brought . in by some one who has it, and from thence spreads in a circle around. Acclimated persons, and those who have once had it are least liable, though not entirely exempt. The mortality is one-third under the usual treatment; but much more favorable under the Homeoj^athic. The attack of Yellow Fever is usually abrupt. In some cases there may be precursors — a slight depression, loss of a-ppetite, languor, pain in the head, and chilly sensations HOiTEOPATmc m:entor. 193 for a day or two. This is followed by a dull, or rigors, generally moderate, soon followed by intense fever, rapid pulse, high temperature, headache, backache, pain in the limbs, and sometimes vomiting, retention of urine and costiveness are also present. The eyes are reddened, irritable and waterv. Mind usuallv clear, but sometimes delirious.^ This febrile movement continues from twelve hours to three davs. and is followed bv a remission of the fever or abatement of all the marked s^Tnptoms, and the patient and friends often think the disease is over, but the lull is usu- ally decej^tive. There remains a voracious appetite, indi- gestion, a yellowish tint in the eyes, and mental depression, which are of ominous import. But in mild, well-managed cases, this may be the beginning of convalescence. In grave cases, however, this luU is deceptive, and, after a period of a few or even twenty-four hours, ushers in the third stage, or that of collapse. The pulse falls to its natural standEird, or even down to forty or thirty per minute, and is weak and easily com- pressed, and the surface is cooL There is increasing yel- lowness of the skin and whites of the eyes; burning pain in the throat, stomach and bowels: dark colored urine; diarr- hoea, restlessness; dehrium; hiccough, and the much dreaded black vomit, (a fluid resembling coffee grounds, or soot, or snuff suspended in water, and which is really de- composed blood), is from time to time thrown up This mat- ter is sometimes ejected in quantities and with force; at others a mere regurgitation; sometimes acrid. excori?ting the mouth and gums. The tongue is frequently reddened, dry and cracked. In advanced stages blood-boils may appear, and hemorrhage from various parts or organs are common. The urine is suppressed or albuminous, and coma and convulsions mav occur, and Kfe is terminated by exhaustion or syncope. There are occasionally the so- called walking cases, where the patient does not take to the 194 DISEASE AND TREATMENT. ^FEVERS. bed at all, but continues in a half-delirious state about his business, or moving around, until a few hours before death. Treatment. — As Preventives, while the disease is prevail- ing, take six pellets of Specific No. Olie^ morning and after- noon, and six pellets of Specific No. Ten^ at noon and at bedtime. This should protect the system, or render very light any attack which may occur. When an attack comes on, the patient should at once re- tire to his room and dissolve twenty pellets of Specific No. One in a glass half full of water, of which a large spoonful should be given every hour. This should be cod tinned without interruption, except the patient sleeps, through the entire first, or stage of fever. When the remission of fever comes on, making the end of the first, and beginning of the second stage, the Specific No. Ten should be dissolved, twenty pellets in half a glass of water, of which a large spoonful should be given every two hours, alternating with No. One. This treatment, the alternation of Specifics No. One and No. Ten^ at intervals of two hours, should be continued through the entire course of the disease, or until the fever has all disappeared, and there is coldness of the surface, weakness and decided prostration, or appearance of black vomit, at which the Spe- cific No. Six should be substituted for the No. One. The Specific No. Six should be prepared in the same manner as the No. Ten^ twenty pellets in half a glass of water, of which give a large spoonful at intervals of two hours, first a spoonful of No. Six, and next time of No. Ten, and so on. The only other medicine to be given for the black vomit, beside the Specific No. Six, is the Marvel of Healing. of which a teaspoonful may be given for this decomposed hemorrhage, with great benefit, at the intermediate hour. Should the urine become suppressed, or very scanty, a dose or two of Specific No. Tllirty, six pellets in a spoonful of water, will soon relieve. After the vomit has been relieved HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. 195 and convalescence established, the Specific No. Ten may be relied upon, given three or four times per day, for re- storation. Accessory Means. — The importance of cleanliness in so contagious and serious a disease is apparent. Discharges and all soiled linen must be quickly removed and disin- fected, and the air kept as fresh and untainted as possible. During the chill give a hot foot-bath, and, during the heat, frequent spongings of the entire body and limbs with tepid vinegar and water. The diet, during the first stage, should be simply, toast-bread, or crackers soaked in weak black tea. In the second stage, rice, milk, and arrow-root may be added to the diet; and in the third, or stage of prost- ration, ice-cream, champagne, beef-tea, or wine-whey may be necessary. The patient should remain in bed, comfor- tably but not oppressively clothed, during the entire course of the disease. I do not recommend, in general, the treatment of such formidable diseases, as Typhus, Cholera, or Yellow Fever, by unprofessional persons. But there are times and epi- demics when competent medical attendance cannot be obtained, and where these simple directions may prove of inestimable value in treating and arresting disease and saving life. FEVER AND AGUE.— INTERMITTENT FEVER. This is an endemic disease, so called because it is peculiar to a particular locality, or country. Its exciting cause is an exhalation of invisible particles from the surface of the ground, known by the name of malaria, or marsh-miasm.. Geographical evidence shows tnat every country is ma- larious in propoi*tioii to the quantity of marshy, or un- drained alluvial soil it contains — and that its exemption 196 HOMEOPATHIC MEKTOn. from malarial disease is in direct ratio to the drainage and cultivation of the soil.* Although, at present, ignorant of the special chemical nature of this cerial-poison, we know that malaria operates according to certain laws, such as: 1. it spreads in the course of prevailing winds; 2. its progress is arrested by water, especially by rivers and large running streams, and by thick rows of trees (particularly the Eucalyptus Globulus — Austra- lian Gum-tree ; and, probably, the sun-flower) ; 3. it does not rise above the low level — its specific gravity being greater than that of atmospheric air; 4. it is most pernicious at night. This malaria affects most persons coming within its in- fluence, producing gastric and bilious disturbance, coated tongue, bad taste, poor appetite, costive bowels, yellow or earthy complexion, and pain in the back or limbs, and a general feeling of illness. This first phase of Malaria, unless cured, will develop into an Intermitting or Marsh Fever; or, at first, a Bilious * This, the commonly accepted view, must, perhaps, be taken with some limitations; for, in view of recent and widely extended obser- vation both in Europe and America, the production of malaria does not seem to be wholly confined to low-lying, marshy districts; but is found, under certain conditions, on elevated localities. The Cam- pagna of Rome, so celebrated for its malariousness, is, in reality, not a marshy district; and it maybe said, in general terms, that two thirds of the malaria- stricken districts of Italy are situated on heights. And, again, malaria frequently disappears from the most pestilential marshes when they are completely flooded by water. The fact seems to be, that any surface-soil, which from any special condition of the sul^-soil, (such as an impervious clay strata) retains its moisture; and to which moisture the air can gain access, by means of pores, or crevices, in the surface, will develope malaria. The direct action of the oxygen of the air seems to be necessary to the development of the microscopic germs to which malaria is due; and, if by cover- ing the soil with water, pavements, buildings, etc., the necessary supply of oxygen can be cut off — malaria will cease. Vice versa, if, even after the lapse of years or of centuries, communication with the outer air is restored, while the other conditions remain the SBame, the soil recovers its noxious properties. The great impor- tance, therefore, of thorough sub-soil drainage is self-evident. DISEASE AND TREATMENT. — FEVERS 197 Remitting Fever, out of which will form a Fever and Ague. To CURE the Malaria in the system and arrest its further development, take simply in alternation the Specifics No. Ten and No. Sixf eeil^ a dose of six pellets every three or four hours, with light, easily digested diet, and avoid ex- posure to the hot sun by day, or damp night air, over-fa- tigue or labor. This course in a few days will rid the system of Malaria, and arrest the development of Fever and Ague or Bilious Fever. Definition of Fever and Ague. — Severe paroxysms of fever, each characterized by a cold, a hot, and a sweating stage, between which paroxysms there is an interval of com- parative health, during which the patient seems almost well. There are tliree chief types of this fever: 1. The Quotidian, with a paroxysm daily, an interv^al of 24 hours, and most common in the spring; 2. the Tertian with a paroxysm every other day, an interv^al of 48 hours, and most fre- quent in the Spring and Autumn; 3. the Quartan^ with a paroxysm every third day, an interval of 72 hours, and most common in the Autumn. The hours of the day during which the paroxysms occur are by no means uniform. The Tertian is, perhaps, the most frequent, and has the most marked hot stage; but the Quartan is the most obstinate. As a rule, the longer the cold stage, the shorter the pa- roxysm; and the shorter the intenal, the longer the pa- roxysm. Symptoms. — These may set in suddenly, or they may appear gradually, until a regular paroxysm occurs. The fird stage comes on with a feeling of debility, weariness, chilliness, and rigors; then follow sensations as of cold water trickling down the spine and a shivering of the whole body; the teeth chatter, the nails turn blue, and the whole frame trembles, often with such violence as to shake the patient's bed. The face becomes pale, the features and 198 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. skin contracted, and the papillae of the skin are rendered prominent, giving it the appearance described as goose-skin^ such as may at any time be produced by exposure to cold. The countenance acquires an anxious expression, the eyes are dull and sunken, the pulse frequent and small, the breathing hurried and oppressed, the tongue white, and the urine scanty and passed frequently. After a time, varying from half an hour to three or four hours, the second or hot stage comes on with flushings, until the entire body be- comes hot, with extreme thirst, fuU bounding pulse, throbbing headache^ and restlessness, the urine being still scanty, but high-colored. At length, after two, three, and even six or twelve hours, the third or perspii^ing stage suc- ceeds, and the patient feels much relieved. Thirst dimin- ishes, the pulse declines in frequency, and the appetite returns; at the same time there is a red deposit of urates in the urine. The perspiration first breaks out on the fore- head and chest, and gradually extends over the entire sur- face; sometimes it is only slight, but at other times it is very copious, saturating the patient's linen and bed-clothes. A paroxysm usually lasts about six hours, allowing two hours for each stage. The period between the paroxysms, as already explained, is called the intermission; but, by an interval, is meant the whole period or cycle between the be- ginning of one paroxysm and the beginning of the next. Effects. — From the recurrence of internal congestions in each cold stage, the functions of the liver, bowels, and some- times the kidneys, are di'^ordered; the patient becomes sallow, his limbs waste, the abdomen is distended, and the bowels are constipated. The spleen is especially liable to be enlarged. An enlarged spleen is popularly called ague- cake. **The heat-generating power of all victims to malaria is impaired; hence they suffer from atmospheric changes, of which healthy men take no note" (Maclean), Another result is extreme liability to repeated attacks; for the di- DISEASE AND TRKITMENT. FEVERS. 199 eease often leaves the body so enfeebled, that ague may be reproduced by agencies which, under other circumstances, would produce no ill effects. Directions. — As a Preventive: Persons residing in ma- larial districts, or where Fever and Ague is prevalent, or those traveling in such regions, along rivers, lowlands, plains, or marshes, may be protected from this disease by simply taking six pellets of Specific No. Sixteen every night and morning. If there are symptoms of its approach, such as depression, headache, bad taste in the mouth, chilliness and pain in the limbs: take six pills four times per day, and live for some days on very hght, easily-di- gested food, avoiding labor, over-work or fatigue. To Cure the Disease: For chills ^vhich return every day: take, two hours before the chill is to come on, six pellets of Specific No. Sixteen^ permitting them to dissolve in the mouth; then during the chill and heat^ take every fifteen minutes a spoonful of Specific No. One, prepared in fluid. Then, after the chill and heat and sweat have subsided, go on with Specific No. Sixteen, of which take six j^ellets, once in four hours, until the next chill comes on, and then proceed as before. For chills which return every other day: take six pellets of Specific No. Sixteen, one houi' before the paroxysm comes on, also the Specific No. One during the chill and heat and sweat, and six more pellets of No. Sixteen after it has passed off. Then during the well day, take six joellets once in four hours. In all other cases, take six pellets before each meal and at bed time. In cases, where the digestion is impaired and liver obstructed, the use of the Specific No. Ten and the Specific No. Sixteen, in alternation every three hours, is promptly efficient in arresting the chills and curing the disease. After the chills have subsided, take six pellets four times per day, prepared in fluid as above, for four weeks, to prevent a return of the disease, 200 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. and avoid exposure, heavy indigestible food, or severe labor For children, give one-half as much medicine as for adults. DUMB AGUE, CHILL FEVER. These are simply irregular forms of fever and ague, whose type has been broken by quinine, cholagogue or other drugs, or even by long continuance. The chill, heat and sweat are irregular or mixed; sometimes no chill, only long- continued heat, and at others only chill and long, lasting sweat. These are, in fact, not ague cases at all, but simply the dregs of previous over-doses of Quinine, or Arsenic, which, remaining in the system, continue their work of slow poisoning. Treatment. — Take the Specific No. Sixteen^ six pellets before each meal and at night, avoiding taking them during the paroxysm, but some little time before and afterwards. If not entirely satisfactory, after a week, alternate the Specific No. Ten with the Specific No. Sixteen^ and especially so, if the liver or digestion seems at fault. OLD SUPPEESSED AGUES. The consequences of fever and ague, and the effects of quinine, arsenic, cholagogue, and other pernicious drugs so often used to suppress it, are often manifested by vertigo or turns of dizziness, ringing in the ears, deafness, enlarged spleen or ague-cake, swelling of the limbs or general dropsy, great feebleness and debility, coated tongue, weak digestion or liver complaint. In these bad complications the cure may require some time, but will be perfect and permanent. Treatment. — This condition requires the use of the Specific No. Sixteen^ six pellets morning and afternoon, and the use of Specific No. Ten, six pellets at noon and at night This course will prove promptly and permanently effectual DISEASE AND TREATMENT. — FEVERS. 201 FEVERS OF CHILDREN. Fevers among children of from one to ten years of age are quite common, and are often brought on by over fa- tigue; playing in the heat of the sun; exposure in light thin dress, or bare arms or legs, to cold, chilly winds; impro2)er food, sweetmeats; or the irritation of worms, provoked by such food; or the irritation of teething. Such fevers are manifested by heat of the hands and sur- face, red face, or one cheek red and the other pale, swelling and throbbing of the veins of the neck, hot head, quick pulse, rapid breathing, fretfulness, and often inclination to sleep. Treatment. — The Specific No. One is only required. Dissolve twelve pellets in as many small spoonsful of water, and of this give every haK-hour at first, and then every hour, a spoonful, until the disease is subdued. Should the fever have been occasioned by indigestible substances — raisins, oranges or sweetmeats — and the bowels be con- stipated, give an injection of tepid water, and repeat it if necessary. And should there be twitchings and startings on going to sleep, thus indicating convulsions, give two pellets of the Specific No. Tllirty-TIiree, and repeat it again after two or three hours if necessary. Let the patient drink moderately of water, and often sponge off the body with tepid water. Keep them on very low diet, and quiet, until relieved. This is the proper treatment for all forms of fevers, and even inflammation, in children. SCARLET FEVER; SCARLATINA. This is usually considered a very formidable disease, but under the mild and efficient system of Homeopathic treat- ment, it has lost much of its terror. True, sometimes an epidemic may pass over the country, of unusual violence 202 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. which carries ofif quite a proportion of little sufferers, but in general^ under our benign system, it passes as a com- paratively mild and harmless disease. There are some three varieties, marking, in fact, degrees in the severity of the disease, and the degree of danger likely to attend it. In the SIMPLE FORM, it commences with peevishness chilliness, headache, nausea and vomiting, after which the eruption appears, first at the face and upper extremities and subsequently over the body; either diffused or in patches, assuming a bright scarlet color. The breath is offensive, tongue coated^ quick pulse, high fever and sore- ness of the throat. The ANGiNosE variety has more violent symptoms; com- mences with vomiting, which may continue for hours; high fever, quick pulse; eruption somewhat paler and in patches or diffused; the tonsils become inflamed and swelled, and ulcerate; tongue dirty-white or red; great prostration; after some days swelling of the glands of the cheek and beneath the ear; the fever is very high, and surface hot and dry, and often discharge of hot excoriating mucus from the nose. In the MALIGNANT form, the most violent symptoms are manifested about the head, and it sometimes terminates in fatal congestion to the head before the eruption has fully made its appearance; in milder cases there is constant vo- miting, violent pain in the head, stupor with half-closed eyes, pale imperfect eruption in spots, or of brick-dust color; and, after these, excoriating discharge from the nose. In the milder forms the eruption should begin to grow pale and disappear in three or four days, and the fever and sore throat abate, and the child be well in a week. But the other varieties are uncertain, and may require ten or four- teen days, or even longer, for a cure. You may recognize the scarlet fever from other diseases EISEASE AND TRE^VTMENT. FEVERS. 20o by the vomiting, the sore throat, the high fever, and the subsequent eruption. Treatment. — As a preventive, when scarlet fever prevails in the neighborhood, give the children each morning and night two pellets of Specific No. One. So soon as the vomiting or fever has declared itself, com- mence with the Specific No. One^ dissolved in water, twelve pellets in as many teaspoonsful of water, of which give a spoonful every hour. Continue this from day to day, (preparing new medicine daily), except when the patient is quietly sleeping at the time for giving the medicine, then give it after the patient awakes. For the vomiting, if severe or frequent, interpose two pellets of Specific No. Six^ and repeat it two or three times in alternation with Specific No. Olie^ until the vomiting is relieved. After two or three days it will be best to alternate Spe- cific No. Fourteen with No. One, prepared in like manner, and give the two medicines at inteiwals of two hours, and so continue until the disease is cured. Should there occur swelHngs under the ear or jaw, if the fever has gone, give the Specific No. Twenty-Three in alternation with No. Fourteen. If discharges from the ear or earache, give Specific No. Twenty-twO instead. If dropsical swellings, which sometimes occur in conse- quence of taking cold, Specific No. Twenty -fivc, lour pellets four times per day, will soon relieve. MEASLES. Measles prevails usually towards spring, and is generally a mild, easily-managed disease. It commences with symp- toms of bad cold, sneezing, lachrymation, and slight red- ness of the eyes, and soon a hoarse, loose cough, which is characteristic of the disease. The rash appears first on the 204 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. face in minute pimples in clusters, witli a reddish blush, deepening and increasing as it comes out — the first day upon the face and neck, next upon the body, and the third day extending to the lower extremities, by which time it grows fainter upon the face, and disappears in the same manner. There is fever, loose cough, hoarseness, etc. Treatment. — Give the Specific No. Olie^ twelve pellets in as many spoonsful of water, of which give a spoonful every two hours, and continue this treatment through the entire course of the disease, unless when sleeping quietly. If the measles do not come out well, do not be alarmed about that; keep the patient warm, give some warm tea or nour- ishing soup, a hot foot-bath, but nothing else; the measles will come out sufficiently. If the cough is troublesome, alternate the Specific No. Seven with Specific No. One. If very hoarse, give a few doses of the Specific No. Thir- teen. If the eyes are at all red, inflamed, intolerant of light. Specific No. Eighteen will be found to act like a charm, given in alternation with Specific No. One^ and for any weakness of sight remaining or in consequence of measles, the No. Eighteen may be relied upon, giving three pellets four times per day. Care should be taken during the measles, to prevent taking cold, as serious di- seases of the lungs may arise as a consequence. SMALL-POX; {Varioloid). Small-pox and its modified form, termed varioloid, is a strictly infectious disease, being always communicated by contagion from those who have it. It is important to re- cognize it at the earliest hour possible, in order to adopt a proper treatment as well as to prevent others from expo- sure. The following will aid us in establishing the dia- gnosis:— The disease comes on in from nine to fourteen days after exposure. It begins with chilliness, some fever, DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVEEfi 205 a pecTiliar swimming or dizziness of the head, and headache; the face is flushed, and often bloated; pain in the back, often quite severe and constant; derangement of the stomach, often nausea and vomiting; aching in the bones and sore- ness of the flesh; and among children and in violent cases, it is ushered in by violent convulsions. After the symptoms above have continued three days, the ERUPTION begins to come out, showing itself first on the forehead and face in the form of minute red points, which increase in size from day to day, while others make their appearance on the face and by degrees over the hands, arms and other portions of the body, but always more numerous on the forehead and face. If the face is red and swelled, it will be likely to assume the coiifluent form, the pustules all running together and forming a complete crust. But if ttie face is but little swelled or pale, the pock coming out scattered only here and there, the disease will assume the discreet form, with only a few pustules that fill; the fever, vertigo, headache and pains pretty much disappearing as the pock comes out and the disease running a mild course. After four days of development, during which the pustules attain their growth, the suppurative stage com- mences, during which the pock become filled with a yel- lowish fluid, which gradually changes to a turbid ap- pearance, each pock surrounded by a red circle with a dark indentation at the top. About the tenth or eleventh day from the commencement, and towards the close of this stage, there is for two or three days considerable fever and flow of saliva; after this has passed, the pustules gradually grow brownish, dry up and fall off, leaving cicatrices or marks of a deep red color, which are quite a period in assuming the natural color of the skin. Treatment. — This disease under Homeopathic treatment, is more loathsome than dangerous; and, properly treated and understood, generally passes off as a mild, though un- 206 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. pleasant visitation. Two points are of especial consider- ation, especially during the earlier stages of the disease^ namely: To keep the patient cool, with at all times plentj of fresh air. As soon as the nature of the disease is under- stood, keep the room entirely cool, give no ivarvi teas or healing 'drinks, and thus prevent the formation of numerous pock, the less of which the better. Children attacked with con- vulsions should be taken at once into the open air or a room without fire for relief. All through the disease the greatest possible cleanliness should be observed, with frequent change of linen. When the pustules begin to form, the room should be darkened, which is a partial security against the pitting from the di- sease. Give only cold water, cold toast-water or black tea cold for drink. Gruel of meal, oat-meal, barley, rice or farina, all taken cold, is the best nourishment. After the disease has spent its force, baked apples, boiled rice, custard, toast, etc., may be allowed. As medicines, from the first symptoms, give the Specific No. One^ twelve pellets in six spoonsful of water, of which give a spoonful every hour during the entire presence of fever. After the fever has measurably abated, prepare the Specific No. Fourteen in like manner with No. Olie^ and give the two alternately at two hours intervals, until the drying off of the crusts. P. S. — If the Sarracenia Purpurea (popularly known by the names of Indian Cap, Pitcher- Plant, Side- Saddle Flower\ can be procured, give it from the first and all through the disease: ten drops of the tincture in a glass half-full of water, which give in spoonful doses alternately with the No. One. I have known it to arrest the disease when given early, and to materially shorten its course and pre- vent the pitting. The Prevention of Small-Pox, by Vaccination. — There is unquestionably some risk in vaccination, as formerly prac- DISEASE AND TREATMENT. FEVERS. .2.1 ticed, with lymph taken from the human subject. Un- healthy matter may thus be introduced, carrying disease with it, and thus life-long evils be inflicted. But these results, on the w^hole, have not been common; and have generally proven to be the careless abuse of a system, rather than its legitimate use. Undoubtedly, all the danger to be apprehended from the use of ordinary humanized lymph, as formerly practiced, is entirely ob- viated by the modern use of bovine lymph, — i. e., the vaccine- matter taken dii'ectly from the calf. Its use is so greatly extending among the profession within a few years past, and it is so easily procurable, that it may be considered as in every way prefeiable to lymph taken from the human svstem. Matter if taken from the human sub- ject should be selected with care, from an unmistakably healthy child, one who has no scrofulous or syphilitic taint in its system, and has no eruption of any kind upon the skin or scalp. The matter taken should be introduced just beneath the skin of the outside of the u^^per thivd of the left arm, inserted not so deep as to make it bleed, and yet deep enough to show a slight discoloration. It will run a mild course, and produce a pustule in ten or four- teen days, that in drying, will give a tamarind-stone-like crust, and leave a deep and peculiar cicatrix which will show dui'ing a life time. If, during the course of the vaccination, any fever should manifest itself, give the Specific No. Olie^ and if any eruption of the surface, give Specific No. Fovirteeil^ night and morning, until it disappears. After many years of observation, and balancing all the dangers and inconveniences of vaccination and non-vacci- nation, my conclusion is, that every child should be vacci- nated; and adults may be properly re-vaccinated when in danger of exposure to immediate contagion. This is the shortest, safest and best method. 208 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOE. CHICKEN-POX.— ( Varicella). This disease has sometimes been confounded with small- pox or varioloid. But it may be known by the vesicles appearing mostly on the covered parts of the body or scalp, ^hile in small-pox, they are mostly in the face; by the ve- sfcles being smooth and transparent, filled with water and growing rapidly, attaining the size of a pea in a day; while in small-pox they are pustules, firm and hard, and begin to fill only after three or four days of growth. With chicken- pox there is some fever; the thin watery vesicles come out often in clusters, commencing with a thin pellicle which bursts or dries up, forming a small puckered scab and rarely leaving a pit or depression. The whole disease is mild, and usually runs its course in four or five days, unattended with danger. Treatment. — Give the Specific No. Olie^, ten pellets dis- solved in as many spoonsful of water, of which give a spoonful every one or two hours during the course of the disease. If a new crop of vesicles comes out afterwards, give six pellets of the Specific No. Fourteen^ morning and night, until the case is cured. MJJMPS.— (Parotides), This disease consists of a swelling of the salivary glands, and is usually not dangerous unless the patient is exposed to cold during the progress of the disease, when it is liable to make a transition (metastasis) to some other organ. It is first noticed as a swelling of the parotid gland in front of, and beneath the ear, first commencing on one side and then extending to the other, rarely both at once ; sometimes the whole neck is involved and the swelling extends beneath the jaw. It is attended with fever, and pain ivhen chewing, especially firm or hard food, and at times pain in swal- lowing. Sometimes (on the fifth or seventh day), the swelling DISEASE AND TREATMENT. HOOPING COUGH. 209 leaves the neck and attacks the breasts or testicles, which become red, swollen and painful. At times, in sensitive children with prominent heads, it has been known to fall upon the brain, producing delirium or other dangerous symptoms. Treatment. — Keep the child in a comfortable warm room, prevent exposure, make no applications except a light cloth around the neck and give no stimulants. Give the Specific No. One^ ten pellets dissolved in as many spoons- ful of water, of which give one every hour. After the fever has abated, prepare the Specific No. Twenty- Two in like manner, and give alternately with No. Olie^ at inter- vals of two hours, until the disease has disappeared. Should the disease fall ujion the testicle, the Specific No. Thirty will soon relieve, given every two or three hours. For fever, delirium or congestion to the head, the No. One is perfectly appropriate, and will soon relieve. CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS.— (%)«^rf Fever). This is an epidemic and infectious disease, occurring generally in winter and spring, especially where there is much moisture, and great variations of temperature. Its disease-germ thrives best in circumstances of insufficient nourishment, damp, overcrowded, badly drained and ven- tilated houses with unclean ground floors; though it is by no means uncommon among the better classes of com- munity, when there is only a suspicion of sewer- gas, or rnsanitary surroundings. No age is exempt from it, but childhood is oftenest and most severely attacked. It begins suddenly with shivering, followed by fever; sick- ness, and vomiting; intense headache, pains in neck, trunk and limbs, and great prostration and restlessness. The fever increases, and is irregular, varying from 100.4* to 104° F.: breathing more rapid; pulse also irregular 210 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. and not conesponding with height of the temperature, anu varying 30 or 40 beats within a few hours; the patient has a look of great distress; the tongue is dry and cracked, or else moist and heavily coated; when there is an eruption it is lighter in color, comes on sooner and fades sooner than iihat of typhus, and is succeeded by peeling of the skin. These spots are of varied size, of a purplish, or "black and blue" color, which do not fade under pressure; and usually commence upon the upper eyelids, extending gradually to other parts of the body. The sensibility of the body is intense, every touch causing agony. The symptoms increase in vio- lence up to the third day, when the swallowing and breath- ing become affected; the head is dragged back upon the neck; delirium, stupor, and death occurring from the fifth to the eighth day; some cases even, becoming fatal in from 12 to 30 hours. Its diagnosis is difficult in isolated cases, or when occur- ing in connection with some other disease, but the sudden- ness of attack; the extreme irregularity of pulse and tempera- ture; its peculiar eruption; the pain in the front and back of head, the stiffness of neck, and extreme tenderness of spine, and to touch generally, should lead to a sus23icion of its nature. Its dangerous symptoms are a quick, feeble, or very slow pulse; difficult breathing; delirium; persistent vomiting; convulsions. Convalescence must be closely watched, for among its after-affects, are (within two to four weeks) paralysis, most often of the palate, causing nasal 7oice, and fluids enter the nose at the back of the throat, causing difficult swallowing; and paralysis of the eye, causing squinting; or of the heart, causing death by fainting. Treatment. — From the first, the Specific No. Olie^ twelve pellets in six teaspoonsful of water, a teaspoonful at a dose every hour. Sponging with warm water; nourishing diet, small quantities at a time; great quiet, a darkened room, etc. Consult a good homeopawbic physician promptly. DISEASES OF THE SKIN. It has been common to treat all kinds of eruptions by means of applications directly to the surface, which is the particular seat of the disease. But the human system being d unit, it follows, of necessity, that no eruption can form upon the surface without the co-existence of a ceiiain mor- bid condition of the system. Hence the propriety of treating all such eruptions with internal remedies alone, and hence the brilliant results which have attended such a method of treatment. It is often not difficult to repel an eruption from the surface by medicinal applications. But the disease is usually not only not cured, but merely re- pelled, to fall upon some other organ or surface, and is generally as much worse than the former condition, as its new location is more unnatural and more difficult to heal. Hence, for all such forms of disease, we prescribe nothing for the surface involved beyond the proper purity and cleanliness, and merely advise the internal use of our remedy for such forms of disease. A cure will then result naturally, permanently, and without injury to the system. EKYSIPELAS.— (i?o,9e). This disease is an inflammatory affection of the skin, arising (1.) from constitutional causes, in which case it generally affects the head and neck; or (2.) from wounds, or injury, when it may occur on any wounded part. Though 212 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. sometimes trivial, is oftentimes a very serious disease. It is known by a spreading inflammatory redness of the skin, with considerable puffy swelling, tenderness, burning, pain- ful tingling, and tension. The color varies from a faint-red to a dark-red or purplish color, becoming white under pres- sure, but resuming its former color on the removal of the pressure. An attack is usually ushered in with shivering, languor, headache, nausea, bilious vomiting, and the ordi- nary symptoms of Inflammatory fever, accomj)anied or followed by inflammation of the part affected. When Ery- sipelas attacks the face, it nearly always commences at the side of the nose near the angle of the eye. Erysipelas may prove fatal by exhaudion; by obstruction to the air-passages (when the inflammation extends to the tissues of the wind-pipe) ; and by coma (morbid drowsiness), from effusion of fluid within the cranium, arising from ex- tension of inflammation to the membranes of the brain. Phlegmonous Erysipelas is marked by a deeper redness, or it may be redness of a dusky or purple hue, which is scar- cely, if at all, removed by pressure; the pain is burning and throbbing; the swelling is greater, and the surface irregu- lar; and there is often deep-pitting upon pressure. Some- times the swelling and disfigurement are so great that the features are quite obliterated, and the parts lose all resem- blance to anything human. Delirium often occurs irre- spective of an involvement of the membranes of the brain. Causes. — Exposure to cold, impaired digestion; wounds (particularly from dissecting and surgical instruments); badly ventilated and over-crowded apartments; certain con- ditions of the atmosphere; a morbid state of blood from disease; the habitual use of stimulants, etc., and consequent debility. The most common exciting cause of Erysipelas is a recent wound, and the most frequent predisposing cause is inattention to hygiene, combined perhaps with a personal or family proclivity to the disease. DISEASE AND TREATMENT. DISEASES OF T.i::: SKIN. 213 The simple or cutaneous variety is attended with much Wss danger than the j)lilegmonous : or than that caused by a wound. It is also more serious when it occurs in an epidemic or endemic form. Mere extent of inflam- mation is not of so much importance as a high degree of blood-poisoning, combined with a rapid, weak pulse, a dry, brown tongue, low muttering Delirium, and great prostra- tion. When the disease attacks the head, unless it is con- trolled by skilful treatment, the membranes of the brain are in danger of being implicated. The disease in any of its forms is most serious at either of the extremes of life. Lastly, the habits and health of the patient, prior to the attack, greatly influence the result. It is esj^ecially fatal to drunkards and in broken-down constitutions. Diet. — Pure water, gum-water, or barley-water, with lemon-juice, to allay the thirst. Severe and tedious cases require essence of beef, or Extract of Meat, and even wine or brandy. Subsequently, a change of air, regular habits, and nourishing diet, essential in the after-treatment of all acute diseases, are necessary after severe Erysipelas. Treatment. — From the first, the Specific No. Fourteen is the proper remedy, not only for light and trivial cases, but for those of the gravest character. Dissolve twelve pellets in six large spoonsful of water, of which give to children a small, and to adults a large spoonful, every two hours, and continue this treatment without interruption during the waking hours. In acute erysipelas, or when there is fever, or in erysipelas of the face, or when there is tendency to assume a severe or phlegmonous form, prepare also the Specific No. Olie^ in the same manner as No. Fourteen^ and give the two in alternation, at intervals of one hour, and so continue the use of No. One until tlie fever, heat, and swelling is allayed, when the cure may be finished with Specific No. Fourteen^ a dose once in two or three hours. 214 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. Local Measures. — In mild forms of the disease, no ex« ternal applications are required; wet compresses, ointments etc., are not only useless, but favor the spread of the in- flammation. Scorched flour sometimes allays the itching, and absorbs any fluids that may exude from the affected part. If there is much oedema, (dropsical swelling) of a limb moderate pressure should be maintained by the application of well-adjusted bandages. If matter forms, incisions are generally necessary to afford openings for its discharge; poultices are then to be applied, and afterwards bandages, to prevent the lodgment of matter. The patient should live on very light vegetable or farinacous diet; no meat or meat soups until full convalescence. Erysipelas of the legs often appears in a very torpid form, as a darkish red or motiled patch on the leg, without fever or much heat or irritation of the part, and aside from the discoloration, the patient would scarcely know of its existence. In these caseSj give the Specific No. Four- teeilj six pellets four times per day, dry or dissolved in water, living on very light, easily digested food; and rest the limb as much as possible, and the disease will dis- appear. I^EKP'FB,— {Shingles— Tetter). Herpes consists of clusters of vesicles or minute blisters upon inflamed j^atches of variable size. The eruption runs a definite course, rarely lasts more than three or four days, (except in the form known as "Shingles") is not severe, and leaves no scar; it is frequently seen upon the lip as a "cold sore." "Shingles," (herpes Zoster or Zona) is an acute form of Herpes, lasting from fourteen to twenty days; and generally affects the trunk, chiefly on the right side; but occasionally the face, shoulder, abdomen, or U2:)per part of the thi; " iSEASE AND TREATMENT. DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 21 fa It follows the course of one or more of the cutaneous nerves, generally stopping short in the middle, though it may extend across to the other side, and has the appearance of a line of patches, like a belt, half round the body. It is most common in the young, particularly during change of weather, and is often proceded by neuralgic pains, the eruption following in the same locality. In some rare cases, ulceration may supervene; there may be much pain, smarting, or burning; and the scars may remain for some time It is now well established that it depends upon disease of the trophical fibres of the motory and sensory nerves supplying the parh Zona is much dreaded, and uninstructed nurses foolishly state that if the patches ex- tend round the body, death is certain to result. There is, however, no danger, unless the patient is very old and feeble. General Symptoms. — In addition to what is stated above, there is often feverishness, headache, shivering — and, per- haps, neuralgic pain in the side, which may be very acute. The disease is mostly accompanied by sensations of heat, tension, and burning, felt even before the appearance of the eruption, and is followed by weakness and depression. When the disease occurs in the aged, or in persons of feeble constitution, there is much debility, and ulceration may arise, fuiiher debiliating the patient. Cause. — Irritation of the nerves — as when Catarrh affects the nose or lips. Treatment. — Give the Specific No. Fourteen^ six pellets every three hours, and if there is fever, alternate the Specific No. One with it, as an intermediate remedy, with light vegetable or farinaceous diet, rest, and avoid heat and exposure. It will disappear in two or three days. VnTlGKBlP^.—iHwes— Nettle-rash). This affection mostly attacks children, though some adults have it in a diffused form with much severity. 216 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. It generally appears as a feverless eruption, coming out in spots much like the sting of a bee or mosquito, or the sting of nettles, a pale, or red, or whitish eminence, some- what hard, from half an inch to an inch in diameter, often clustered together; these spots are attended with heat, itching and burning, causing great annoyance. They dis- appear after some hours, and reappear again in other loca- tions, being more likely to appear in cool, than in warm temperature. In adults, it sometimes appears as a deep scarlet rash, attended with heat, itching and swelling, and covering the entire person. It is most common in spring and early summer; is usually developed by changes of tem- peratui'e; over-eating; certain kinds of food, such as bitter almonds, cucumbers, mushrooms, oatmeal, lish or shell fish; and in children is almost always connected with some de- rangement of the digestion; also mental depression, anxiety, the wearing of flannel and anything that iiTitates the skin. It is apt to reappear from time to time. Treatment. — Give the Specific No. Fourteen^ six pellets morning, noon and night. This will be sufficient in ordi- nary cases. But if there is considerable of it on the per- son, arms or limbs, or fever, and the itching is annoying, dissolve twelve pellets of Specific No. OliCc in six spoonsful of water, of which give one spoonful every hour until re- lieved. The cure will then be completed by Specific No. Fourteen^ given four times per day. In chronic cases and to eradicate the disease from the system, and when the digestion is at fault, give six pellets of Specific No. Fourteen^ morning and noon, and six pellets of Specific No. Teii^ at night. TINEA. — {Ring-worm). This is an affection of the hairs, of the skin, scalp, chin, or other parts of the body, due to the growth of a fine whit^-* DISEASE AND TREATMENT. DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 217 • powdery fungus wliich grows in the interior of the haii- roots. The hairs swell, become paler and biittle, and tend to crack across, or break off close to the head; and the re- sulting inflammation of the hair bulbs, while killing the fungus, also leaves permanent baldness. This disease usually commences in a limited spot and thence sjDreads out in a circular form; and, as the centre regains its natural appearance, and the borders extend, it forms a ring — hence the name. At times rings form within each other, in broken or imperfect forms, and extend in various directions. The ring is occupied by small vesicles, which after some days break and leave a rough, reddish surface, with a rose-colored base. The duration of the disease is uncertain. This disease apj^ears in different forms, is generally of a vegetable parasitic origin, and is always contagious, being readily communicated from one child to another, by means of the comb, brush, towel or even by contact of the diseased part. There are several forms, the principal of which are: Tinea tonsurans ( Tinea capitis), the common scurfy Ring- worm of the acalp, is generally seen only in children, is con- tagious, but not necessarily associated with impaired health, and most common in lymphatic persons. It consists of circular patches varying from half an inch to several inches in diameter, the hairs of which look dry, withered, and as if nibbled off at a short distance from the scalp. The para- site is visible in a good light, appearing like powdered sulphur when Chloroform has been applied. Tinea decalvans {Porrigo decalvans) consists of smooth, circular patches of perfect haldness, quite pale, of variable size — half an inch to two inches or more in diameter, and of which there may be several: the disease is sometimes seen in young persons, chiefly in girls, but is most common in adults. Tinea sycosis {Barber's Itch), is transmissible by contagion, 218 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. from the use of a razor previously employed in shaving an affected person. This method of transmission has been often noticed, and we call attention to it to suggest the preventive means — viz., the immersion of the razor in hot water, and wiping it before use. Symptoms. — It is a disease of adult life, and commences insidiously, a red itchy patch being first noticed, which, after rubbing or scratching, and the lapse of a little time, becomes much more troublesome, as the follicles enlarge and pustulate; there is considerable sensation of burning, and shaving is very painful. Successive crops of pustules appear, often grouped together, the fluid exuded becoming dry, and forming into crusts. The hairs become dull, brittle, and easily removed; and much discomfort, and sometimes disfigurement, is the result. The disease is very apt to become chronic, recurring at certain seasons; and is often very obstinate. Tinea circinnata, is the form which attacks the body. Tinea versicolor commences as small reddened points, with itching, which is increased by warmth: slightly ele- vated, dry, rough patches of a fawn-color arise, somewhat scaly at the edge, and from which branny scales can be rubbed off; they occur on the chest, abdomen, and arms; vary in size from that of a three-penny-piece to that of the palm of the hand, and are mucn irritated by flannel. It is sometimes called variegated Dandriff, or Liver-spots, Treatment. — The Specific No. Fourteen is the appro- priate remedy. Give six pellets three or four times per day, either dry or in water, and the affection will soon dis- appear. TINEA FAVOSA.— (Porn^o favosa). This is the crusted or honey-comb Ringworm. It com- mences when the patient is about seven years of age, and is characterised by the presence of small straw- or sulphur- DISEASE AND TREATMENT. DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 219 colored cupped crusts, which coalesce and give rise to a honey-comb appearance, or remain separate. It is conta- gious. It is one of the most obstinate of eruptions, and very serious consequences inevitably result from repelling it from the surface, by means of ointments, or other external applications. It usually commences as a cluster of minute vesicles or pimples, in colored, irregular, circular patches, on which appear yellow points or patches, which contain a yellowish-white, thick, viscid fluid, of an offensive odor. This discharge is corrosive and irritates the surface, causing the eruption to extend. The hair becomes glued up and matted, and thick hard elevated crusts are formed of varied shape and appearance. This form of tenia is most liable to commence at the back of the head, towards the nape of the neck, and swelling and enlargement of the glands of the neck are not unusual. Treatment. — The less moisture, water, soap-suds, etc., is applied to the scalp the better. Water and soap, while they soften and cleanse the part, seem to convey the in- fection to the healthy portion of the scalp, while the effect upon the diseased point is not very beneficial Hence, keep the head as clean as j)ossible, and use as little water or soap as possible, shingle off the hair over the diseased part, or the entire head at once, the sooner the better. Give the Specific No. Fourteen, six pellets for an adult or three for children, dissolved in a spoonful of water, four times per day, and apply to the affected part every second day a portion of the Witch Hazel Oil with the end of the finger, or with a fine, soft sponge. The diet should be mild and not exciting. Should there be heat and irritation of the scalp, an occasional portion of six pellets of Specifio No. One may be given with advantage to relieve the irri- tation. 220 HOMEOPATHIC MENTOR. ECZEMA. — {Catarrhal Liflammation of the Skin — Scalled Head — Milk- Crust). Definition. — Eczema is essentially a catarrhal inflamma- tion of the skin characterized by more or less superficial redness, of small closely -packed vesicles, usually not larger than a pin's head, which run together, burst, and pour out a serous Jiuidy that dries into thin yellow crusts. The exuded fluid has the property, when dried, of stiffening linen, which distinguishes this from other skin diseases. Pain, smarting or itching, are also present. It is one of the most common eruptions, constituting one-third or more of all skin affections; and lasts a varying time, in consequence of successive local developments, and its tendency to spread. After its disappearance no traces are left of the disease. Symptoms. — The most usual is a red surface with vesicles or fissures from which the serous fluid exudes. The ve- sicles appear m successive crops, may prolong the disease for an indefinite time, and are attended with itching and local heat. The skin is irritable; occasionally excoriations or crackings of the part occur, and sometimes the parts around the patch inflame, probably fi^om the irritating nature of the discharge. If no vesicles be apparent, the disease may be recognized by the skin feeling thick when raised by the finger and thumb, by the starchy nature of the discharge, the formation of thin yellow crusts, and the irritation. The most common seats of the patches are the scalp, behind the ears, the face, the forearms, and the legs, and its appear- ance differs greatly in each of these locations. If the di- sease be extensive, there may be considerable fever, a pallid appearance, headache, loss of appetite, etc. The mucous surfaces may become the seat of inflammation, either by the spread of the disease from the skin or as a consequence of the general condition. The retrocession of Eczema may be followed by other diseases — Diarrhoea, Bronchitis, or Leucorrhoea in the female. DISEAa£ AND TKEATMENT. DISK\SES OF THE SKIN. 221 Varieties. — E. simplex, in which the inflammation is moderate, and often results from exposure to the sun's rays; or from irritants — heat, cold, bad soap, etc. If it occur in hot weather, the patient complains of fever, a "heated state of the blood," etc., and the eruption follows, appearing on the exposed parts of the body — the face, neck, arms, back of the hands, etc. : this condition is commonly called ''heat- spots.'' E. rubrum is a more higlily inflammatory variety, the eruption being very red and shining, and there is much general disturbance; the burning is severe; brownish scabs are formed; and the parts usually affected are the inner side of the thigh, groin, elbow, wrist, etc. : it is apt to become chronic in old persons, and when it occurs about the legs, is called "the weeping leg," and often