Bronchitis, Bruises, Burns

Papers on Health
by John Kirk

(Page 12 of 19)

Bronchitis - This frequent and severe trouble results most usually from chill to the skin throwing overwork on the lungs and bronchial tubes. These last become inflamed and swollen. A fiery heat and pain in the chest follows, the whole system becomes fevered, and breathing is difficult, and accompanied by severe cough.

Linen underwear, which is porous, and has a stimulating effect on the skin, assists it to perform its functions, and will therefore prove useful to sufferers from Bronchitis.

Abundance of fresh air will often entirely prevent Bronchitis. We have known people who suffered from it every winter for years who never had it again after learning the value of the constantly open window.

At the earliest stage, when the chill is first felt, let the patient go to bed. First sponge up and down the back quickly with hot soap and water. Dry this off, and sponge or rub gently with hot vinegar. Dry this off, and rub with warm olive oil. This will often ward off an attack entirely.

When the trouble has fairly obtained hold, treatment must be applied to the back and chest as follows. Place on the upper part of the back a bran poultice, large enough to cover the entire shoulders and upper back. Let the patient lie in bed comfortably on this. Then apply towels wrung out of cold water on the chest where pain and breath-catching are felt. Let the towels be large, and at least four ply. Change for a fresh one as soon as that on the chest becomes heated. When this has been done as long as the poultice keeps hot, take all off, rub back and chest with hot vinegar, dry off, rub with hot oil, dry off, and cover all with warm new flannel. If needful, repeat the application. We have seldom seen it required twice.

If the fever is very great, use no olive oil, and for a strong patient the cold towels may be used without the poultice. But immediately these reduce the fever, the poultice should be used as directed.

In many cases where medical men have given up hope, this treatment has effected a cure.

Brow, The Weary - Sometimes in the case of a child at school, the result of overwork shows itself in a weariness and weight in the brow. Often parents are glorying in the school successes of their children, when these are having their brains destroyed. Careful watching should ever be given to the young. The aim in education should be to draw out the faculties, and teach the young to think for themselves, rather than to cram in a mass of facts which will enable them to take prizes and pass examinations with honors.

The results of continued overwork are fatal, but in its earlier stages it is easily remedied. Hence the need for watching and treating such an early symptom as head weariness. For treatment see that the feet are warm, bathing them if necessary (See Bathing Feet). Stop school at once, and give as much exercise in the open air, at play, as possible. Then rub gently with both hands up and over the brow and sides of the head over the ears, then up the back and over top of the head. Rub all over the head with the finger points (not nails), so as to raise a glow in the skin of the scalp. This treatment is best done while the patient sits, and the operator stands behind or beside him. Gentleness of touch there must be, and no irritation of the patient. With abstention from all lessons, it will soon cure.

Bruises - For slight bruises, such as children frequently get by falling, a little butter or Vaseline, applied immediately, is an excellent remedy. For more serious injuries, such as bruised nails of the fingers or toes, or such as result from violent knocks on any part, the best remedy is hot fomentation or hot bathing, whichever may be most convenient in application. Persistent and repeated treatment in this way, with oil dressing, will cure in almost any case not so severe as to be beyond remedy. Even where it is thought wise to send for a surgeon, this bathing is the proper first treatment, and will do much to relieve the inevitable pain.

Burns - For slight burns, immerse the injured part in cold water, and keep there till the pain abates. This is where only redness of skin is produced. In case of a blister forming, do not break or cut it, but perseveringly cool with cold water, and leave the blister till it comes away of itself, when the sore will be found healed beneath it.

Where a large surface is injured, some other part of the body must be fomented; best the legs and feet, or the back, while the injured part is persistently cooled. Thus a dangerous chill is avoided. The armchair fomentation may be used, or a large bran poultice (see both these), and thus the heat of the body kept up while cold water is applied to the burns. If these cannot be immersed, as in the case of the face, cover them with an air-tight covering, and apply iced or cold cloths above this. The linseed oil and lime-water known as "Carron Oil" forms the best dressing to apply. If a burn has, however, gone so far as to become, owing to neglect, a festering sore, then warm water treatment is required, as recommended for abscess. See also Wounds.

Buttermilk - Where we prescribe this, either for drinking or for external use in poultices or bathing, it is very important it should be pure and fresh. If kept too long, it causes often terrible pain when applied to eruptive sores. There must be no "watering" or doctoring with cream of tartar, if good results are desired. If the milk be too long kept, and cannot be had fresh, it may be mixed with a little sweet milk and all churned well together. Then it may be used. If still painful, mix again with more sweet milk. To soak diseased skin in good fresh buttermilk is so powerful a means of cure, that to procure it a good deal of trouble is well spent. It is also invaluable as a daily drink for regulating the bowels, and maintaining health. Sterilize all sweet milk used.

If buttermilk cannot be had, acetic acid or vinegar, or the juice of lemons, may be mixed with sweet milk or even water, until the mixture attains about the usual sourness of buttermilk. This makes an efficient substitute.

Buttermilk Poultice - Boiled potatoes beaten up with fresh buttermilk make an excellent poultice for all eruptive sores, scabbed heads, and heated skin affections. After these always apply soap lather (see Lather). If buttermilk cannot be had, use acetic acid or vinegar, as above.

Printed by Hurst Bros., Shaw Heath, Stockport. 1904.