Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-19

pearing rapidly, then physician ought by
all means to be consulted, it being remem-
bered that acute bronchitis Is very liable to
run into the chronic form, which ohstinately
resists cure. Those who suffer from bron-
chial cough are generally most troubled
with it at night, in coming on somewhat in
paroxysms II the trouble has not long
persisted, wet packing the chest and drink
ing freely of cold water on retiring, lessons
much the liability to attacks. In bronchitis
of several weeks standing, cod liver oil
taken at night in whisky, the froth of beer
or coffee, has an admirable effect, loosing
and lessening the cough. The dose is one
or two tablespoonfuls, as can be well borne
on the stomach.
TO ALLAY TICKLING.
"a tickling in the throat is what in
many cases excites much coughing. That
trouble may often be lessened by keeping
some confection, such as a gumdrop Of
licorice, dissolvIng in the mouth. Patients
usually find much relief from whisky and
sugar. To small quantity of the latter
just sufficient of the liquor is added to sat-
urate it. A little of this taken occasionally
mas the desired effect. Sugar and powdered
sulphur, in equal quantities, is an old fash
ioned domestic remedy which was once
quite popular for a hacking cough,
"pinch" being taken often as the cough
was troublesome. There is no knowing
how much actual good this preparation did.
1t is, however, harmless, if no more than a
be justified in giving it trial, although it
is quite likely the good effect is largely in
the sugar.
AS has already been stated, purely
nervous cough is rarely met with. Such a
trouble is sympathetic; it is not due to dis
turbance in the air passages, but in some
other part Of the system. In order to treat
it properly knowledge of the actual excit-
ing cause is absolutely necessary, and there
fore the advice of a physician is imperative.
A nervous element may be strongly marked
in any cough of long standing. That is in
very many cases the cough is more severe
and occurs oftener than is necessary to keep
the passages free. Coughing may not i'm
properly, then, be to certain extent habit
which it is possible to overcome.
FACTS TO REMEMBER.
In lecture once delivered by the cele-
brated DR.. Brown-Sequard he gave the fol-
lowing directions, which may prove service
able to persons troubled with a nervous
cough: Coughing can be stopped by press
ing on the nerves of the lips In the neigh
borhood of the nose. A pressure there may
prevent a cough when it is beginning.
Sneezing may be stopped by the same mech
anism. Pressing also in the neighborhood
of the ear may stop coughing. Pressing
very hard on the top of the mouth, inside,
is also q means of stopping coughing.
power, too. There was a French surgeon
who used to say, whenever he entered the
wards of hospital: The first patient who
coughs will be deprived of food to-day
1t was exceedingly rare that patient
coughed then"
A word about giving cough medicines to
very young children. 1t cannot be known
that very much harm generally results from
their indiscriminate use. A cough in baby
is sure to excite apprehension, and the aver
age mother doses it without DELAY, ASS
rule the syrup of squill is the remedy chosen,
for that is the one most popular. In nine
cases out of ten altogether too much is given
the little patient, and, as consequence, its
digestive organs are thoroughly upset, and
the trouble there created is infinitely more
serious than the cough, The dose of the
squill for an adult is one-half teaspoonful;
a person with very strong stomach might
take one teaspoonful. Now, many mothers
in their ignorance of the use of the drug give
their infants scarcely year old as much at
one dose as would be proper for grown per
son. The consequences can be readily esti-
mated. In such instances only five or six
drops would be allowable. Flaxseed tea is
an admirable remedy for infantile coughs:
under its use alone many of them would re-
cover. Considering how extremely delicate
the mechanism of young child-how easily
it is disturbed and seriously injured If in
any ease this simple remedy does not prove
sufficient, then justice to the child demands
that it be intrusted to the care of physi-
clan.