Mother's Remedies Part 19

White oak bark tea is good as anything. It should not be used so strong as to stop sweating entirely. Then follow it with dusting powders of starch or boric acid, containing salicylic acid (two to five per cent). When it occurs upon the feet use the Diachylon ointment. It must be made up fresh in a drug store. This is applied on strips of lint or muslin after the parts have been thoroughly washed and dried; it should be renewed twice daily, the parts being dried with soft towels and then covered with dusting powder, followed by the ointment.

FRECKLES. (Lentigo).--Freckles are an excessive deposit of pigment in the skin.

Causes.--Exposure to the sun's rays aggravates this condition.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES for Freckles. 1. Freckles, b.u.t.termilk for.--"b.u.t.termilk on the face every night." This is a very simple remedy, and as b.u.t.termilk is very easily obtained, anyone troubled with freckles can try this remedy without very much expense. This simple remedy has been known to cure many cases.

2. Freckles, to Remove.--"Nitrate of potash applied to the face night and morning is very good, and the freckles will soon disappear."

3. Freckles, Alcohol and Lemon Juice for.--"Use alcohol and lemon juice freely at night." Lemon juice is very good for the skin if applied frequently.

[76 MOTHERS' REMEDIES.]

4. Freckles, Excellent Lotion for.--

"Rose Water 4 ounces Alcohol 1/2 ounce Hydrochloric Acid 1/2 dram

Mix and apply with sponge or cloth three times daily.

5. Freckles, Borax Water for.--"Rain water eight ounces, borax one-half ounce. Mix and dissolve; wash parts twice daily."

6. Freckles, Canadian Remedy for.--"Glycerin, lemon juice, rosewater, equal parts. Apply at night with a soft cloth,"

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Freckles.--They are apt to return on exposure to the sun. The following ointment may be of service. Care should be taken not to blister:

Ammoniated Mercury 1 dram Subnitrate of Bis.m.u.th 1 dram Glycerin Ointment 1 ounce

Mix and apply every other night.

p.r.i.c.kLY HEAT RASH.--An acute inflammatory disease of the sweat glands; minute pimples and vesicles develop.

Symptoms.--It occurs upon the body and consists of many pinhead sized bright red pimples and vesicles which are very close together. It appears suddenly, and is usually accompanied by much sweating and subsides in a short time with slight scaling following. There is itching, tingling and burning usually present.

Cause.--Excessive heat in summer in children and weak people.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. p.r.i.c.kly Heat, Soda Water for.--"Bathe with saleratus (baking soda) water, dry carefully and apply good talc.u.m powder freely."

2. p.r.i.c.kly Heat, Relief from pain of.--

"Borax Powder 6 drams Menthol 10 grains Rose Water 6 ounces

Bathe the parts and between applications dust on lycopodium powder."

The borax powder will be found good to cover the parts and muriate of morphia relieves the pain. The rose water is simply put in to dissolve the other ingredients.

3. p.r.i.c.kly Heat, a Hamilton, Ontario, Mother Found Burnt Cornstarch good for.--"Dust with browned cornstarch. This acts like talc.u.m powder and is not so expensive."

[SKIN DISEASES. 77]

4. Rash, Soothing Ointment for. l.--"Make an ointment of one dram of boric acid powder to one ounce of vaseline. First wash the affected parts with a strong solution of saleratus, then apply the ointment and dust talc.u.m powder over this." The washing with saleratus is very important as this is a good antiseptic and thoroughly cleanses the parts.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for p.r.i.c.kly Heat.--It disappears usually in a few days. Tonics for the weak, light clothing, a light nourishing diet and frequent cold bathing. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited. White oak bark tea as a wash for the sweating, followed by dusting powders of starch, oatmeal, and zinc oxide, etc.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Chafing, Fuller's Earth Eases.--"Wash parts well with boracic acid water, then dust with fuller's earth," The boracic water is cleansing and fuller's earth is very healing. This is a very simple but effective remedy.

2. Chafing, Good Home Remedy for.--"Usually all that is required is washing the parts well with castile soap and cold water, and anointing with plain vaselin," This remedy is always at hand, and is one to be relied upon. Vaselin, as we all know, is very healing.

3. Chafing, Borax and Zinc Stops.--"Wash parts frequently with cold water and use the following solution:

Pure Water 2 gills Powdered Borax 1 teaspoonful Sulphate of Zinc 1/2 teaspoonful

Apply by means of a soft rag several times daily. After drying the parts well, dust with wheat flour, corn starch or powdered magnesia;"

The above combination is excellent as the water cleanses the parts and the borax and zinc are very soothing and healing.

4. Chafing, Common Flour good to stop.--"Burn common wheat flour until brown. Tie in rag and dust chafed parts."

MOLE. (Naevus).--Mole is a congenital condition of the skin where there is too much pigment in a circ.u.mscribed place. It varies in size from a pin-head to a pea or larger. The face, neck and back are their usual abiding place.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Moles.--They should be removed by knife or by electricity. The last is the best, especially for the hairy variety.

Causes.--If they are subject to too much irritation they develop into malignant growth.

ENLARGED NAIL. (Onychauxis).--The nail may become too long, thick or wide.

Treatment.--Remove the cause. Trim away the excessive nail tissue with a knife or scissors. In paronychia, inflammation around the nail, pieces of lint or cotton should be inserted between the edge of the nail and the inflamed parts, and wet solution of antiseptics, like listerine or salt water, applied with cloths.

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INFLAMMATION OF THE NAIL. (Onychia). Treatment.--Cut into the back part if it needs it. That will relieve the tension and pain. Sometimes the nail must be removed. The inflammation is at the base (matrix) of the nail.

LOUSE, Disease of the Skin Produced by.--This is a disease of the skin produced by an animal parasite, the pediculus or louse. There are the head louse, pediculus capitis; the body louse, pediculus corporis; the pubis, (about the genitals) pediculus pubis. The color of lice is white or gray.

They multiply very fast, the young being hatched out in about six days and within eighteen days are capable of propagating their same species. The nits are glued to the hair with a substance which is secreted by the female louse.

HEAD LOUSE or Pediculus Capitis. Treatment.--The symptoms are very apparent. Apply pure kerosene, rub it into the hair thoroughly. It can be mixed with an equal part of balsam of peru. It should be left on the scalp for twelve to twenty-four hours and then removed by a shampoo. Other remedies that can be used are, tincture of staphisagria (stavesacre), this can be made into an ointment; or ointment of ammoniated mercury. The dead nits are removed from the hair by dilute acetic acid or vinegar. Cutting the hair is not usually required. An infusion of qua.s.sia is good as a wash.

Body Louse or Clothes Louse (Pediculus Corporis).--This parasite lives in the clothes. It is apt to be found in the folds or seams, especially where the clothes come in close contact with the skin, as about the neck, shoulders and waist. This creature visits the body for its meal. They may produce different kinds of skin troubles like eczema, boils, etc.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Lice.--Destroy the lice and their eggs (ova) by thoroughly baking or boiling the clothing. The irritated skin can be healed by soothing applications like vaselin, and oxide of zinc.

(Pediculus Pubis).--Lice on the hair of the pubis or about the genitals.

This is the smallest parasite of the three varieties, and it attaches itself firmly to the hair with its head buried in the follicular openings, and it is removed with great difficulty.