A treatise of domestic medicine, intended for families : in which the treatment of common disorders are alphabetically enumerated ; to which is added, a practical system of domestic cookery, describing the best, most economical, and most wholesome methods of dressing victuals ; intended for the use of families who do not affect magnificence in their style of living / by Thomas Cooper, M.D. ; also, The art of preserving all kinds of animal and vegetable substances for many years, by M. Appert.

  • Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise of domestic medicine, intended for families : in which the treatment of common disorders are alphabetically enumerated ; to which is added, a practical system of domestic cookery, describing the best, most economical, and most wholesome methods of dressing victuals ; intended for the use of families who do not affect magnificence in their style of living / by Thomas Cooper, M.D. ; also, The art of preserving all kinds of animal and vegetable substances for many years, by M. Appert. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    pears to be moderate, is really more than nature requires. Hence, gout, tur- gid vessels of the head, vertigo, apo- plexy, &c. In such case, if purges do not give full relief, take away 8 oz. of blood from the head, or 16 from the arm. Old people, who live fully, bear bleeding, generally, very well, and require it more frequently than young or middle aged persons. Women are very subject to venous plethora and gout, in the decline of life. When young, the sick head-ach of indigestion, so common with fe- males, proceeds often from want of the stimulus of exercise, and can generally be relieved for the moment by a lit- tle of the stimulus of liquor, as a glass of warm brandy and water, with nut- meg and ginger. The objection is, the frequent repetition of this dose : mag- nesia should therefore be prescribed at the same time; indeed the symptoms almost always require magnesia also.^ Women are never sufiiciently im- pressed with the great importance of good health to conjugal happiness. Eve- ry good and honest man will steadily conform to the obligations of the mar- ried state ; but it is absurd to say that habitual sickness, in the wife, can have permanent attractions for the husband. Every person should have, (if he can afford it,) a bidet, a cold and a warm bath in his house. These can be had at any tinman's, at a moderate expense. Every family will find it of great convenience to keep by them, the fol- lowing articles, viz : (a) Half a pound of common magne- sia. (b) A pound of Epsom or Rochelle salt, made up in ounce doses. (c) A bottle of castor oil. (d) A box of any of the common ca- thartic pills of the shops. (e) An ounce or two of calomel. ffj A quarter of a pound of pow- dered jalap. (g) An ounce of emetic tartar, and as much ipecacuanha. (h) A box of common basilicon oint- ment, (an ounce or two,) and a few ounces of patent lint. (i) A vial of spirits of turpentine, about 4 oz. (k) About 4 oz. of camphorated spirit of wine. (/) Common ointment: and about an oz. of white lead in fine powder, kept separately. To a person living in the country, where it is so troublesome to send for a physician on trifling occasions, that he is seldom sent for early enough on serious ones, these directions will be found useful; and they furnish al- most every thing that an unprofessional man ought to use. I have not inclu- ded a Tancet, because the letting of blood calls for skill and knowledge, both as to occasion and quantity: this instrument is only useful in unprofes- sional hands, to open a boil or other gathering, when ripe. I have omitted opium and laudanum, for they are too dangerous to be trusted to unskilful persons. . ■■ , («) To take about 3 heaped tea-spoont'uls, in case of acidity in the stomach : and to give to children, mixed up in milk, in case of griping and sickness from indigestion. Children's complaints almost always are owing to over-eating; for which, magnesia and rhubarb, or magnesia and jalap, or some other purge, are effectual remedies. If a child refuses to take phys- ic, when needful, be determined, and compel it. (b) An ounce of one of these salts is a moderate dose for an adult. They are taken most easily in Seltzer or Soda water. Itochelle salt is the least nauseous, and should be kept in powder. (c) Sometimes castor oil is preferable to salts: the dose for an adult is two table-cpoonfuls (d) A variety of cathartic, for those who prefer pills. ((.•) Useful to be taken as a strong purge, in cases where active medicines are called for, as in bilious attacks. The dose for a grown person, 10 grains calo- mel, with 15 grains jalap. Useful also for worms in children : a child of 2 years old may take 3 grains; of 4 years old, 4 grains; of 6 years old, 6 grains: give it fasting: work it off next day, with castor oil, or with senna tea and manna. CfJ r° mix w,tu calomel. (?) Whenever you feel sick at the stomach, nature calls for an emetic, (unless in cases of the gout.) An emetic for an adult, is from 3 to 4 grains of emetic tartar, in warm water, and in about half an hour, 20 grains of ipecacuanha. (/i) Useful in cases of cuts or common wounds; where, in general, all that is necessary is to exclude the air. (i) To apply in cases of burns. (A) Tor the same purpose, and for bruises. (/) To make ointment of white lead, mix your com- mon ointment with a little white lead powder on the back of a plate. I generally use this as an application for alight burns. Powdered white lead, one part, and whiting one part, mixed together and put into a fine muslin bag, is a very useful remedy for infants when chaffed and fretted on the inside of the joints, or elsewhere. Dust it en the sore place, through the muslin.