Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-08-31
"Counter-Irritants."

Not little pain, disease, and sleepless-
ness also, may be saved by the proper UNI
Outstanding and use of counter-irritants. A
pain in the head, and often in other parts
of the body, Gamble removed or modified
by putting the feet in hot water. How ?
why? When the feet are irritated it causes
a rush of blood to them, their veins become
full and distended. This draws off the
blood that was before crowding into the
head or other affected part and producing
pain there. Even rubbing the scalp brisk
ly may attract outwardly the blood prev
iously pressing the internal organs.
A rubber bag of hot water ut the feet, or
other warm or gently irritating application,
will often so draw down the blood from
the excited brain that one will soon fall
into quiet sleep. Ten 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
night, 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
calls the blood to every point, equalizing
the circulation, and thus relieving tho be-
fore excited brain.
A "cold" generally means that there is
or has been unequal heat, disturbing the
blood circulation, and causing congestion,
pain, and disease. A gentle physic of oil
or calcined magnesia, in passing through
the system, produces q flow to the intes-
tines of fluids drawn from the blood. This
reduces the blood as we'll as draws it from
parts affected by the cold. Almost any
cold taken before it becomes chronic, or so
seated" as to produce disorganization, may
be relieved and usually cured by such q
cathartic dose-one not severe enough to
disarrange the digestive apparatus. "Physic
cold" is more philosophical than feeding
cold" as the adage has it. The latter
only aggravates the rouble.
lightly sore or irritated throat is usu-
ally relieved or cured by applying an irri-
tant to the outside. volatile liniment" is
good for this. 1t is made by shaking well
together any amount of sweet oil with one
fourth to one-half its bulk Of aqua am
monia, or "hartshorn"-the amount de-
pending upon the strength of the ammonia.
1t is good, cheap counter-irritant TO keep
on hand-well corked using a new cork as
the old one shrinks from the action of the
ammonia. 1t is also useful to rub well on
the chest when there is soreness in the
muscles. Alcohol or strong whiskey, rub
bed upon the throat (outside) as counter
irritant, often relieves sore throat, and
the same Of q sore chest. When using the
alcohol, cover the part well and quickly, to
prevent a chill from the rapid evaporation.
Liniment, alcohol, hot water, or hot wet
cloths, or mustard, on the outside of the
abdomen tends to relieve irritation of the
bowels, on the general principal of counter
irritation above mentioned.
For an Intaamed Sore Throat or tonsils, a
very good general remedy is to gargle the
throat every hour OF two with teaspoon
full of chlorate of potassa solution. 1t is
well to keep in every house n good sized
vial of water with more chlorate of potassa
| in it than will dissolve. The clear liquid
is then always of uniform strength, ready
for use-a teaspoonful at time, swallow
ing it after gurgling it against the inflamed
| tonsils.