Apthæ—Thrush.
This is a disease peculiar to nursing children. The mouth becomes sore, and the tongue, lips, and fauces are covered with a white crust, looking like milk curds, which, when removed, leaves the surface red, inflamed and very tender. It sooner or later, extends to the stomach and bowels, producing severe and dangerous diarrhœa.
TREATMENT.
Of all the medicines known to our Materia Medica, none, according to my experience, will in the least, compare with the Eupatorium aromaticum. It is almost, if not quite certain to relieve speedily in all cases. I say this, not only from my own experience and observation, but from the testimony of several other Homœopathic Physicians, who have, within the last year, used it.
It should be given at the first or second dilution, once in four or six hours, and three or four drops of the tincture put into a teaspoonful of water, and the mouth occasionally washed with the mixture.
In summer, where agues prevail, and the child is feverish and restless, China will aid in the cure, to be given once in six hours between the doses of the Eupatorium. If the diarrhœa is obstinate, the discharges colored, and the child is sick at the stomach, give Podophyllin with the other remedies.
Inflammation of the Eyes—Ophthalmia.
For common Ophthalmia, in the early stages, while there is more or less fever and headache, with flushed face, bloodshot eyes and throbbing of the temporal arteries, Bell. and Aconite should be used alternately every two hours, and a wash made with ten drops of tincture of Aconite to one gill of pure water, applied to the eyes as hot as the patient can bear. This application should be repeated every two hours, in a violent case, until the eyes are easy, and then about twice a day until all inflammation and redness pass off. This will relieve a large proportion of cases in from one to four days.
If, however, the case continues obstinate for a longer time, or has been of a week or more standing before the treatment is commenced, in the place of Bell., or after using it one or two days, use Hydrastus with the Aconite, giving them alternately at intervals of two to six hours, according to the stage of the case—more frequently as the symptoms are more urgent, using washes prepared of each separately, as directed for Aconite, except that the Hydrastus wash may be twice as strong; and apply each about half as often as the same medicine is taken internally. The wash should, in all cases of acute inflammation of the eyes, be as hot as it can be borne. Let it be put into the eyes so as to come directly in contact with the inflamed surface.
Simple hot water applied to inflamed eyes for hours together, allowing short intervals between the applications, will often cure most painful cases.