Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-05-18
THE HOME DOCTOR.

AN EXCELLENT DRINK FOR THE SICK.
Toast ripe Indian corn quite brown, or
even little black, and put it into hot
water to steep; drink when cold. This
makes one of the best drinks for the sick,
and will often stop sickness at the
stomach when all other remedies fail.
WASH FOR sUNBURN.
Take two drains of borax, one dram of
Roman alum, one dram of camphor, half
an ounce OF sugar candy and one pound
of ox-gall; mix and stir well for ten
minutes or so, and repeat this stirring
three or four times day for fortnight,
until it appears clear and transparent;
strain through blotting paper and bottle
up for use.
LIGHT BLANKETS.
There is a good deal of sense in the
following advice: Never use ANYTHING
but light blankets to cover the sick.
The heavy, impervious Counterpart is,
bad, for the reason that it keeps the
exhalations from the pores of the sick
person, while the blanket allows them
to pass through. Weak persons are
invariably distressed by great weight
of bedclothes, which often prevent their
getting any sound sleep whatever.
REMEDY FOR SMALLPOX.
The following is said to be an infalli-
BILE remedy for smallpox. It was dis
covered by superior of the Sisters of
Charity in Philadelphia: Sulphate of
zinc, one grain; foxglove, (digitalis) one
grain; half teaspoonful of sugar; mix
with two tablespoonful of water. When
thoroughly mixed add four ounces of wa
ter. Take a spoonful every hour. The
disease will disappear in twelve hours.
For child, smaller doses, according to
age. The sisters are kept busy pre-
pairing the mixture. Many nurses have
used it, and declare it q preventive of
the disease.
NEW DRESSING FOR WOUNDS.
An improved kind of glue dressing for
wounds has recently been suggested,
consisting in addition to acetic acid to
ordinary glue, and little ottar of roses
to cover the odor of the glue and acid.
This compound, spread on paper or
muslin is found to furnish a good sub
stitute for adhesive plaster in surgical
use. 1t is easily and quickly prepared,
simply by putting in vessel of boiling
water bottle containing one part of
glue to four, by measure, of the acid,
and letting the bottle remain in this bath
until the glue is fully dissolved and
mixed with the acid. It is best kept in
wide-mouthed bottle, well closed by a
long cork, which can always be removed
by heating the neck of the bottle.
HOW TO MAKE PoULTICE.
DIR. Brunton, in Brain, the new Lon
don periodical, gives the following use
full hints on this subject: The common
practice of making poultices by mixing
llnseed meal with hot water and apply
ing it directly to the skin is quite wrong,
because If we do not wish to burn the
patient we must wait until a great por-
ton of the heat has been lost. The
proper method is to make flannel bag
the size of the poultice required, to fill
this with the inseed poultice, as hot as
it can possibly bemade, and put between
this and the skin a second flannel, SO
there shall be at least two thicknesses of
flannel between the skin and the poul-
tice itself. Above the poultice should
be placed more flannel, or piece of cot
ton or wool to prevent it from getting
cold. By this method We are able to
apply the lnseed meal boiling hot, with
out burning the patient, and the heat,
gradually diffusing through the flannel,
affords a grateful sense of relief, which
cannot be obtained by other means.
There are few ways in which such mark
ed relief is given to abdominal pain, as
by the application of poultice in this
manner.