rickets,

however, is a more curable disease, and less apt to continue after adult age.

—

Remedy, page 192.

BINGWORM OR TETTER.— ^S's^mpiJoms.— This disease consists of

minute water blisters, arranged somewhat in rings; it begins with slight redness

small blisters form and are attended with a colorless fluid— these break in

four or five days, and are covered with a thin brownish scab, which falls off

about the eighth or ninth day, leaving a red surface, which gradually disappears.

The eruption seldom lasts more than ten days, but it sometimes appears a second

time, and continues for several weeks; it is always attended with itching

smarting, and burning. It often appears on the face, neck and arms of children

—

— and may be communicated by contact.

RUPTURE. — Symptoms (when

Remedy, pages 163, 229.

it

is

reducible and

not strangulated,

A swelling in some part of the belly; this diminishes a little on pressure, but

returns when the pressure is withdrawn;

it goes off

when the patient lies down,

and is increased by coughing. Patients with rupture are sometimes troubled

with indigestion but frequently, all the functions of the alimentary canal are

quite regular. When we succeed in getting up the bowels, there is commonly

what is called a guggling noise.

There are some persons in whom rupture takes place more easily

Causes.

than in others, and in whom it is constant. The reason seems to be, that ihe

parietes of the abdomen, or the neighborhood of the openings in it, are more

lax and yielding in them than in others. It is common in warm climates, in

old people after long illnesses or debilitating fevers, and in the poor who have

labored hard and been ill fed. The circumstance which immediately occasions

ruptures, is generally some violent exertion, requiring a strong action of many

muscles, especially those of respiration; hence ruptures are brought on by

lifting or carrying heavy weights, jumping, running, vomiting, straining at

stool, the efforts of women in childbed; or by coughing, sneezing, crying,

;

—

laughing.

Remedy, pages 197, 234,

SALT RHEUM.— See Eczema.

SCARLET PEVER.—SCARLATHTA.— *S^m?)<OTns.— Either mild,

or malignant with putrid sore throat, exhibits different forms of a disease which

is propagated by a specific contagion, like small-pox or measles, and like them is

believed by the best observers to attack a person only once during life; though

the apparent exceptions to this remark are more numerous in scarlet fever, than

On the third or fourth day after exposure to the contagion of scarlet fever, a feverish attack occurs, and about the

in the other diseases above mentioned.

second day of this fever, a bright scarlet rash appears on the surface of the

body, and within the mouth and about the fauces. The scarlet fever varies

much in its degree of malignity and danger, even during the same epidemic; la

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASES.

27

some cases being so slight as to go off without the aid of medicine; in others;

being accompanied with symptoms of great and fatal putrescency. It will be

proper to notice separately, the mild and fatal scarlet fever, and to describe

some cases, in which the symptoms are irregularly combined, it being always

remembered that "the malignant sore-throat maybe caught from a patient

who has mild scarlet fever; and mild scarlet fever may, in like manner be

contracted from one who is laboring under malignant sore-throat. These forms

graduate insensibly towards each other " Remedy pages 52, 64, 256, 257,

258.

—

Mild Scarlet Fever. The milder form of scarlet fever is distinguished

by the rash, with a moderate degree of fever, and with very little affection of

the throat.

The rash first appears in innumerable red points about the neck

and face, and by the next day they are seen over the whole surface of the body.

The skin is rough to the touch, and sometimes there are small vesicles. About

the fourth day the eruption is at its height, and on the fifth it begins to decline.

The surface of the mouth and fauces appears red, and little red points appear

on the tongue rising up through the white crust which covers it, and when this

crust comes off, the whole is red and sore, and the points are still prominent,

There is sometimes considerable

giving an appearance like a strawberry.

sweUing of the face and of the throat. Remedy, same as above.

SCRO'F'UliA.—St/mptoms.—Scroiala. and King's Evil, are names for a

tedious and multiform disease, of which one of the most characteristic marks

is a tendency to a swelling of glandular parts, which, when they come on to

inflammation and suppuration, discharge an unhealthy, curdy, mixed matter,

and form ulcers very difficult to heal. Remedy, pages 141, 142.

SHINGLES. — Symptoms. — A disease characterized by a number ®f vesicles,

most commonly round the waist, like half a sash; but sometimes like a

It very rarely surrounds the body completely;

sword-belt across the shoulder.

hence, a popular, but groundless apprehension, that if the disease goes round,

it will be fatal.

The disease is usually preceded, for two or three days, by

languor and loss of appetite, rigors, headache, sickness, and a frequent pulse;

with a heat and tingling in the skin, and shooting pains through the chest, and

at the pit of the stomach.

After these symptoms, more or less severe, there

appear, on some part of the trunk, red patches of an irregular form, at a little

distance from each other; upon each of which numerous small elevations

appear, clustered together.

In the course of twenty-four hours, they enlarge

to the size of small pearls, and are filled with a limpid fluid.

The clusters are

During three or four days, other clusters

continue to rise in succession, and with considerable regularity. About the

fourth day, the vesicles acquire a milky or yellowish hue, which is soon followed by a bluish or livid color of the bases of the vesicles, and of the contained fluid.

Several of them run together; and those which are broken dis-

surrounded by a narrow red margin.

charge a small quantity of a serous fluid for three or four days; this concretes

into thin dark scabs, which soon become hard, and fall off about the twelfth

Where there has been considerable discharge, numerous

The feverish symptoms commonly subside when the eruption ia

or fourteenth day.

pits are left.

DR. CHASE'S RECIPES.

28

completed; but sometimes continue much longer, probably from the itching

and smarting of the vesicles. Though resembling some other eruptive diseases

in its rise and decline, it is not contagious, and persons may have it more than

The disease, in general, is slight and free from danger. Kemkdy, page

once

192.

SMALL-POX. — Symptoms.— H^Q patient is seized with coldness and

shiverings, which soon abate, and are then followed by a hot stage, lasting for two

or three days; during which, children are liable to sickness and vomiting, to

starting in their sleep, or to epileptic

fits;

and adults are disposed to sweating.

Towards the end of the third day, the eruption appears, and increases during

It commonly appears first on the face, then on the lower parts,

the fourth day.

and is completed over the whole body on the fifth day. The fever generally

abates about the coming out of the eruption; the sickness, vomiting, fits, and

other oppressive symptoms go off; and the patient is, for the time, free from

uneasiness.

The eruption appears in small red spots, hardly rising above the

by degrees form pimples. On the fifth or sixth day a small

skin, but which

vesicle, containing a colorless fluid, appears on top of each pimple

These get

broader on the seventh day; and about the eighth are raised into round pustules.

These pustules are surrounded with a circular inflamed border; and as they

increase in size, about the eighth day the face is considerably swelled, and the

sometimes completely closed. The matter in the pustules now

becomes thick and white, or yellowish, exactly resembling the matter of an

On the 11th day the swelling of the face subsides, and the pustules

abscess

appear quite full. Remedy, pages 64, 68, 70, 71, 72.

eye-lids are

STOMACH, INFLAMMATION OF —Symptom^.—ThQ symptoms

of inflammation of the stomach are, acute pain, heat, and tension in the region

of that organ, great increase of pain when anything is swallowed, vomiting, great

and sudden depression of strength, a small pulse, thirst, restlessness and anxiety.

Remedt. page. 251.

ST. VITUS' TiAlSCE.— Symptoms.— IhXs, disease is

chiefly confined

youth between the ages of eight and fourteen. But few cases

occur after puberty. The complaint affects both the muscles and the limbs.

A few of the muscles of the face or limb*'

It excites curious antics.

begin their mischievous pranks by slight twitches, which, by degrees,

become more energetic, and spread to other parts. The face is twisted into all

kinds of ridiculous contortions, as if the patient were making mouths at somebody. The hands and arms do not remain in one position for a moment. In

attempting to carry food to the mouth, the hand gets part way, and is jerked

back, starts again, and darts to one side, then to the other, then mouthwarc*

again; and each movement is so quick, and nervous and darting, and diddling,

If the attempt be made to run out

that ten to one the food drops into the lap.

the tongue, it ia snatched back with the quickness of a serpent's, and the jaws

snap together like a fly trap. The lower limbs are in a state of perpetual diddle; the feet shuflie with wonderful diligence upon the floor, as if inspired witb

a ceaseless desire to dauce. Remedy, page 130.

to children and

—— —

-

SYMPTOMS OF DISEASES.

29

—

STTN STROKE. Symptoms. This begins by thirst, dizziness, headache

and sometimes there is vomiting or difficult breathing. The symptoms, in fact

are pretty much the same as apoplexy; the patient should at once be taken into

a cool shady place, and the first thing have a bucket of cold water poured slowly

over his head, and, in all respects treat the case the same as a case of apoplexy.

Remedy, page 131.

—

SYPHILIS. Symptoms. This disease is owing to a poisonous matter

introduced into the system by absorption, thus producing more poisonous matter

which in time corrupts all the fluids, and occasions many disorders in various

parts of the body, and is generally the consequence of impure sexual intercourse.

Remedy, page 204.

THRUSH.

Symptoms:

— Comes on in the mouth, may extend down the

throat, never attacks the nose or lungs, child becomes fretful, mouth and throat

and tender, vomiting and diarrhcea.

The thrush consists of

white points at first, which soon run together and become patches, they are

slightly elevated, and look like white mould, or curdled milk, after the disease

has run on for a short time the patches have a yellowish color, it comes on in

red, inflamed

young children and is very dangerous unless properly treated.

health of the child

is

If the previous

good the case should be cured in three to six days.

Remedy, pages 228, 296.

TONSILITES— INFLAMMATION OP THE TONSILS.

—

Symptoms. There is more or less thickness of speech, caused by enlarged tonsils

and liability to sore throat, or quinsy. The only symptoms are inflamed and

enlarged tonsils. Remedy, pages 53, 140.

TUMORS —

—

SWELLINGrS. Are of various kinds, either of the

whole body, or of particular members, or local and