American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-07-12
CARE OF THE HEALTH.
Tonic Remedies and How to Benefit by


BY LONDON PHYSICIAN.
Probably no class of medicines in the
pharmacopdia is more liable to abuse
at the hands of the uninitiated than the
remedies called topics. hEvery man
his own doctor" is most dangerous
motto as far as they are concerned. On
the other hand, when judiciously pre-
scribed and administered, we nave no
more valuable or reliable curative agent
then a well selected tonic, in cases
where we wish to reinvigorate relaxed
system, brace and strengthen the nerves,
and restore tone to the secreting organs.
But if there be any thing of a stimu-
lating nature about tonics-and I'M
doubtedly there is--it follows that Ger
tain degree of depression would be the
sequence to a course of such remedies /;
but inasmuch as we usually prescribe
them in debility and relaxation, or want
of tone of the body, we net thu full
benefit Of .h5aa, ana avoid the collapse:
first, by giving them in small doses ex-
tending over a period of weeks or
months, and, taking advantage of the
increase of appetite they produce, by
restoring the weakened frame by the
exhibition of good, nutritious, 1on-irri-
tating food: and secondly, by combin-
ing their use with sufficiency of open
air exercise, and probably the bath in
some form, whether cold or tepid, fresh
or salt water.
My advice, then, to those who think
they need the aid of tonics is this: 1.
Do not commence the course if there
seems any disorder of either stomach
or bowels, as indicated by foul tongue,
headache, pain, thirst, etc. 2. If there
be this irritability of the digestive or
gains; first endeatnr to remove it by
temperate living, moderate outdoor ex-
ercise, early hours, and a short course of
mild aperients. 5. 1t is always as well
to commence the use of tonics by lax
alive of some kind, and as many of them
are astringents, to repeat the msdicine
now and then 3aring the course. 4. Do
not take tonics if you are in your aver
age state of health.
Let me now say a word or two regard
ing tenics Individually, and promise
you to recommend nothing that is not
perfectly safe.
A whole volume, and an interesting
one, too, could be written on the most
valuable of all tones and febrifuges,
cinchona bark, and the valuable prepar-
atoms obtained therefrom.
There are a vs~se.3 g. &. sninas of chin
Shona or Peruvian bark, and in pur-
chasing the sulphate of its alkaloid,
ususlly called quinine, one ought to be
careful to procure it from RESPECTABLE
druggist, for, like every thing else of
value in the form of either food or med
icine, it is very liable to adulteration.
In debility of the system, either chronic
or following long illnesses, qilinine is a
most valuable tonic. 1t is also called
an anti-periodic word descriptive of
its power of checking those ailments
that are apt to rectr at stated intervals.
For this PURPOSE ii must be given in the
stage of intermission, that is, between
the attacks; hence it is invaluable in
cases of ague, and that painful COM
plant, periodical neuralgia. TO those
who believe more in the bark itself than
in its essential part, quinine, would
recommend its use in doses of about ID
grains twice or thrice a day, taken eth
er in a little port-wine or in half glass
of good stout. On some stomachs, how
ever, neither the crude bark Tor quinine
itself lies easily; in such cases try the
following: Get Is ounces of the infu-
sion of yellow bark and one ounce of
the compound tineture, mix them, end
filtee through strong blotting-pa-
per. 1t will now be perfectly
clear, and the dose is a tiny
wine glassful twice day. From one to
two grains of quinine itself, made into q
pill with CONNECTION Of robes, is ali ex-
ceilent tonic; and there are many ele-
CANT preparations of this drug sold in
the shops-such, for instance, as the
tincture of quinine, and quinine wine,
and the citrate of quinine and iron. And
this leads me to SLY word or two about
iron itself as a tonic.
The preparations of iron, then, when
administered for some time, are very
highly beneficial In eases OF weakness
of the tnasculsr system, especially that
form of debility characterized by pale,
bloodless condition of the body, for iron
enriches the blood and invigorates the
system. 1t Is, however, liable to produce
constipation; Uerouna sap. 1t should
not, on the other hand, be given in too
large doses, or overexcitement may be
the result; and in no case should it be
administered, except under medical ad-
vice, when there is the slightest deter
mination of blood to the head. Equal
portions of the aromatic mixture of iron
and the compound aloetic mixture make
not very pretty remedy, as far as color
goes, but, in my opinion, it can hardly
be too highly extolled. The dose is an
ounce and half twice day. In cases
where the digestive organs are some
what weak, but where iron is indicated,
two or three grains twice or thrice
day of the powder of iron (pulvis terrD,
in the form of pill, make very handy
and very excellent tonic. Again, we
have in the graduated carbonate Of iron
of the shops most valuable tonic, es-
pecially for anemic females, or indeed
for the delicate of either sex. II the di-
gestive powers are pretty good, 1 should
also recommend a trial of the 0ree, iron