Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-04
"Counter-IrritAnts."

Not little pain, disease and sleep
lessness also, may be saved by the pro-
per understanding and use of counter
irritanrs. A pain In the head, and often
in other paris of the body, can be re-
moved or modified by putting the feet
In hot water. How? why? When the
feet are irritated ii causes rush OF
blood to them. their veiGs become full,
and distended. This draws off the
blood that was before crowding into
the head or other affected part and pro-
ducing pain there. Even rubbing the
scalp briskly may attract outwardiy
the blood previously pressing the inter-
nal organs.
A rubber bag of hot water at the feet,
or other warm or gently irritating ap-
plication, will often so draw down the
blood from the excited brain that one
will soon fall into a quiet sleep. len
to twenty drops of aromatic spirits Of
ammonia swallowed IN half tumbler
of water on going to bed, or when
restless and wakeful during the nigh +,
will very often put one into an easy
slumber. 1t is quickly absorbed into
the blood and carried to every part OF
the body, producing gentle stimulus.
This cabs the blood to every points
egualiz.ng the circulation. and thus
relieveing the before excited brain.
A "cold" generally means that there
is or has been unequal heat, disturbing
the blood circulation, and causing con-
gestion, pain and disease. A gentle
ply sic of oil or calcined magnesia, IN
passing through the system, produces
d flow to the intestines of fluids drawn
from the blood. This reduces the blood
as well as draws 1t from parts affected
by the ''eoid." Almost any cold taken
before it becomes chronic, or so "seat-
ed' as to produce disorganIzation, may
be relieved and usually cured by such
acathartie dose-one not severe enough
to disarrange the digestive apparatus.
"Physic a cole" is more philosophical
than ''feet,ing a cold," as the adage
has it. The latter only aggravates the
trouble.
A lightly sore or irritat,d throat is
usually relieved or cured by applying
an iIritant to the outside. ''Yolatile
liniment" is gosd for this. 1t is made
by shaking well together any amount
of sweet oil with one-iourth to one
half its bulk of aqua ammonia, or
'-hartshorn"-the amount depending
upon the strength of the amonia. 1t is
good, cheap counter-irritans to keep
on hand-well corked, using new
cork as the old one shrinks from the
action of the ammonia. 1t is also use
full to rub well on the chest when there
is soreness in the muscles. Alcohol, or
strong whiskey, rubbed upon the
throat (CatSide) as a counter-irritant,
often relieves soar throat, and the
same of sore chest. When using
alcohol cover the part well and quick |
ly, to prevent a chill from the rapid |
evaporation. Liniment, alcohol hot |
water, OF not wet ciolnes, or mustard,
on the outside of the abdomen tends to |
relieve irritation of the bowels, on the
general principle of counter-irritation
above mentioned.
For an infiamed sore throat or tom
sils. a very good general remedy is to
gargle the throat every hour or two
with teaspoonful of chlorate of po-
tassa solution. 1t is well to keep in
every house good sized vial of water
with more chlorate of potassa in il than
will Dissolve. The clear liquid is then
always of Uniform strength, ready for
use-a teaspOonful at time, swallow
ing 1, after gurgling it against the In
tonsils.