Relief will be afforded by washing the face and hands in cold water, and taking a cup of milk or a little coffee and a biscuit or sandwich, before raising the head from the pillow in the morning, remaining in bed about a quarter of an hour after this early meal; then dressing quickly, and immediately going out for a half-hour's walk. Rest in a half-recumbent posture during the day, particularly after meals, is beneficial. The affection is mostly a nervous one, and is best combated by eating. The food should be plain and unirritating, but nutritious, and should be taken frequently, in small quantities at a time.
When the nausea and vomiting are excessive, and continue during the day, there is generally some disordered condition of the digestive apparatus.
This may be corrected by taking at night a tea-spoonful of the confection of senna, a pleasant preparation of this ordinarily disagreeable medicine, and by drinking three times a day, before each meal, a wine-glassful of a tea made with columbo. Half an ounce of powdered columbo should be added, for this purpose, to a pint of boiling water.
Dr. John H. Griscom of New York recommends the bromide of potassium, which is a harmless medicine for domestic practice, as affording the most useful means of arresting the nausea attendant on pregnancy.
The following prescription may be compounded by any druggist, and will often be found very effective:
Take of Bromide of Potassium, two drachms,
Cinnamon water, three fluid ounces.
Of this a dessert spoonful may be taken two or three times a day. It may be used with confidence as an entirely safe and harmless remedy in this troublesome affection.
A prescription frequently ordered for the nausea of pregnancy by the late distinguished Dr. Meigs, consisted of equal parts of sweet tincture of rhubarb and compound tincture of gentian—a dessert spoonful to be taken after meals.
Pain in the abdomen, caused by the distension of its walls, may be relieved by the application of equal parts of sweet oil and laudanum.
Another common and annoying, but rarely dangerous, trouble during pregnancy is—