The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-24
tory results, the passage ofwhat is know

tory results, the passage of what is know
as the interrupted current" effecting
a speedy cure. When electricity, the
needle, or poultices fail to give more
than slight temporary relief, it will
often be found that the lum bago is ac-
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 a
good strong plaster over the loins will,
by affording support to 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 it is
q good plan to have it punched all over
with number of little holes, to admit
Of the evaporation of the perspiration,
SO as 10 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
tress only when the body is moved in
one direction. Remains of a lumbago like
this generally resists the usual methods
of Treatment, the pain being driven from
one spot only to reappear Mt another. A
large belladonna plaster will generally
mitigate the complaint, should it fail to
remove it altogether. OF 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@ racemosa (cimicifuga) that it
sub0ued lumbago more effectually than
any other remedy. 1t is well worth
trying in obstinate cases, out it must be
admitted that it often fails. The dose
is i've drops of the tincture every two
hours.
CRICK IN THE NECK.
Crick in the neck, stiff neck, or, to
use the technical term, torticollis, is
usually the result of cold or of ex-
posure of the affected part to current
of cold air. The pain is sometimes in
the back of the neck, but more fire.
quently it affects only one side, the pa
tient being in the latter case compelled
to hold his head awry in order to relax
his muscles. A patient suffering from
stiff eek not uncommonly presents
somewhat comical appearance, and is
often made the subject of much
ridicule and joking, but for all
that the, complaint is very painful
one, and is sometimes very intracta.
bic to treatment. A stiff neck in
children is not uncommonly the cause
of considerable elevation of tempera-
ture, the fever lasting three or four days
or more. When the pain of acute tor
ticollis is very great it may be neces-
sary to endeavor to obtain reliet by the
administration of hypodermic injec-
tion of morphia. Local applications,
however, not unfrequently prove sue
cessful. HoJ lamentations are very
valuable, as, for example, piece of
spongiopiline wrung out of hot water
and applied either alone or sprinkled
with laudanum or bolladonna lini-
ment, or a combination of the two.
Turpentine often proves useful in these
cases. Over flannel wrung out of hot
water little turpentine should be
sprinkled and applied till it produces
redness, tingling and smarting. 1t is
well to bear in mind that as the smart
ing arising from the turpentine goes on
augmenting for some time after its re-
moval, the application should be kept
on only just sufficiently long to excite
a moderate degree of pain.
THE BEST REMEDIES.
Undoubtedly one of the best remedies |
for a stiff neck is an infusion of capsi-
cum, red pepper or chillies. as it is |
ometimes called. The mode of prep.
aration and application is sufficiently |
simple. You iniuse Il large handful OF
crushed capsicum pods in pint OF hot |
or cold water for thirty six hours. You |
then soak piece Of lint in this infusion |
and apply it to the affected part, cover
ing it all over with thin piece OF gutta |
percha or oil silR to prevent evapora-
tion. 1t never blister5 or causes any
and is so prompt in its
action that it will often completely cure
a 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 |
lowing mixture may be taken with ad- !
vantage: Solution of acetate OF ammo
MIA, three ounces; spirit of nitrous
of ether, two and half drachms;
iodide ofpotassium, twenty-four grains;
"ater to eight ounces. Two table |
spoonfuls every four hours. In cases in
which the patient is of a gouty habit,
colchicum should, of course, be en-
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
com plaint 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
and above all in the capsi-
oum treatment. The Turkish bath often
rroves useful as an adjunct. Phttadel-
Dhia Times.
SCraDs of Science.