The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-08-06

CIuSUtU GHnHlfNU wv" VI II lfllt vi fiOt
or cold water lot .Li.L, six hours. You
then soak piece of lint in this infusion
and apply IL TO the affected part, cover
ing 1t all over with thin piece OF gutta
percha OF oil silk to prevent evapora-
ton. 1t never blistors or causes any
inconvenience, and is so prompt in its
action that IL will otter completely cure
n bad case In ten minutes. Respecting
the internal remedies for this complaint
we have not much to say. Benefit some
times arises from the use of salines
which act on the skin and kidneys, and
alter the state of the blood. The fol-
lowing mixture may be taken with adj
vantage: Solution of acetate OF ammo
MIA, three ounces; spirit of nitrous
of ether, two and half drachms;
iodide of potassium, twenty-four grains;
water to eight ounces. Two table,
spoonfuls every four hours. In cases in
which the patient is of q equity habit,
colchicum should, of course, be em-
ployed. When the patient is much be-
low par the use of cod-liver oil, iron
and more especially quinine, will have
to be resorted to. When the fever runs
high aconite is indicated; when the
complaint has in all probability arisen
from exposure TO damp, dulcamara
should be tried and when it is attended
with tearing, lancinating pains, bella
dona Is the remedy In the majority of
cases we should put our trust in local
applications, and above all in the capsi-
cum treatment. The Turkish bath often
proves useful rs an adjunct. -Philadel-
phia Times.
USE OF THE NEEDLE.
The treatment of lumbago by "acu-
puncture," as 1t Is called, Is attended
with the most favorable results. We
have seen cases in which the relief has
been instantaneous. The mode of pro-
cedure is very simple. The patient
stands upright, holding his shirt behind
so as to expose the loins. The only ap-
paratus required is agood, strong, sharp
needle, such as is ordinarily used as a
shawl-pin. The person who Is about to
perform the friendly Office for the
patient grasps the needle firmly in his
hand, and suddenly tllrusts 1t for the
distance of an inch or two into the loins
over the painful part. The pain of the
puncture is but momentary, and the
needle, instead of being withdrawn,
may be advantageously left sticking in
or few minutes. When the lumbago
Is double, the operation should be per-
formed on both sides of the loins. We
have cured many cases of lumbago by
this method, and have never known it
to be followed with any unpleasant
consequences. Most instrument makers
keep needles fitted In bone handles for
the performance of this operation, but
the domestic substitute to which we
have referred will answer equally we'll.
The Turkish bath, which is such
valuable remedy for nearly all COM
plants of rheumatic nature, may be
used with advantage in lumbago. When
a Turkish bath Is not obtainable the
ordinary domestic linseed poultice may
prove of service. In acute lumbagO.
poulticing often brings speedy relief, the
severest cases being greatly benefited in
few hours, and generally cured in one
or two days. The poultice must be
very hot and large enough to cover the
whole loins or the part affected, and
thick enough to remain quite hot tor mt
least half An hour, when it must be
changed. Should no benefit be obtained,
this treatment should be continued for
three hours or longer, then the skin
must he covered with piece of flannel,
which in its turn is covered with oil
silk. This after-treatment, like that of
poultices, promotes tree perspiratlon,
upon which mainly depends the efficacy
of this plan. A diametricallyio opposed
method of treatment, that of freezing
the painful part, may sometimes be
adopted with advantage. Two parts of
finely powdered ice, with one ofcommon
salt, are put in gauze bag and placed
In contact with the skin until the SEN
sation Is abolished and it has leathery
feel and a shrunken, taNowy appear
ance. The application should not be
continued for more than five or six
minutes OF 1t may cause a blister. One
of ehe bestand most convenient methods
offfpezlng the part Is by spraying upon
it with ether, the evaporation of which
produces intense cold. A single applica-
ton of the ether spray will in many
cases afford speedy relief in lumbago.
GAIvANISM.
The use of galvansm is not uncom-
monty attended with the most satisfac-
tory results, the passage of what is know
as the interrupted current" eifecting
a speedy cure. When electricity, the
needle, or poultices fail to give more
than slight temporary relief, it will
often be found that the lumbago is 40
companied by high fever, and that it is
In reality the first symptom OF an attack
of acute rheumatism or some other
febrile disease. The application of
good strong plaster over the loins will
by atfording support 10 the parts, often
give relief. Either the chalybeate plas-
ter or the pitch plaster may be en-
ployed. 1t Is desirable to have it spread
on leather or some equally durable and
substantial substance. In summer 1t Is
good plan to have it punched all over
with number of--iittle holes, to admit
of the evapora.iQ of the perspiration,
SO as TO avoid the troublesome itching
which would be caused by its retention.
Care should be taken to see that the
plaster Is smoothly and equally applied.
An attack of lumbago, affecting perhaps
the whole loins. often leaves behind it
one painful spot which may cause dis
trsss 9ely %hepe Tbs u9oaX aidmDayed Liz in
this generally resists the usual methods
of treatment, the pain being driven from
one spot only to reappear ut another. A
large belladonna plaster will generally
mitigate tho complaint, should 1t fail to
remove IL altogether. or the internal
remedies, iodide ofpotassium and nitrate
ofpotash (nitre) may prove useful under
the conditions and in the doses referred
to while speaking of chronic rheuma-
tism. The former salt, however, not
unfrequently fails to effect lumbago,
even when the complaint is distinctly
worse at night. 1t has been claimed
for act@ raccmosa (cimicifuga) that it
subdued lumbago more eflectually than
any other remedy. 1t is well worth
trying in obstinate cases, out it must be
admitted that it often fails. The dose
is five drops Of the tincture every two
hours.