Snake Bite.—Suck the wound, and apply a drop or two of strong ammonia to the bite. Ammonia may be also inhaled. Artificial respiration often necessary.
Strychnine.—Emetic; keep quiet and darken the room. Chloral or bromide of potassium may be given. If spasms threaten respiration, artificial respiration is necessary.
Tartar Emetic or other Antimonial Poisons.—If vomiting is not present, induce it by an emetic. Give doses of strong tea. Keep very warm by hot blankets.
Good domestic emetics are a teaspoonful of mustard in a tumblerful of water, or a tablespoonful of salt in the same quantity of water.
Poisoning, Blood.—Where this arises from a more or less putrid wound, what is aimed at in the treatment is to stop the manufacture of the poison in the wound by cleansing and healing it. This done, the other symptoms will subside. The wound should be carefully brushed with a camel's-hair brush and vinegar or dilute acetic acid (see). This should be followed up with a poultice of boiled potatoes or turnips, beaten up with the same weak acid. Leave this on all night. Brush again well with the acid in the morning. In the matter of diet eat what will produce healthy blood, and by open-air exercise seek the same end. But the daily brushing and poulticing, or even twice daily if necessary, will work wonders on the poisoned wound. Care should be taken where any cut or wound has been made in the flesh, that it is carefully washed, and any dirt or foreign matter removed. Especially is this to be attended to if a rusty nail or penknife has inflicted the injury.
Polypus.—See Nostrils.
Potato Poultice.—Potatoes boiled and beaten up with buttermilk, spread out in the usual way, make this useful poultice. Weak acid or vinegar may also be used instead of buttermilk. The potatoes should be boiled as recommended below.
Potato, The.—The proper cooking of this root is so important for health, owing to its universal use, that we here give directions which, if followed out, make potatoes a dish acceptable to even a very delicate stomach. Difficulty of digestion often arises from the potatoes not ripening properly, especially in cold soil, and since disease has become so widespread. Their unripe juice is positively poisonous, and when they are merely boiled is not completely expelled. The potatoes should be steeped in warm water for an hour before they are boiled. The water in which they have been steeped will be greenish with bad juice, and must be thrown away, and the roots boiled in fresh water as usual, giving a thorough drying after the boiling water is poured or strained off. So prepared, the potatoes make a very digestible dish.
Poultice, Bran.—See Bran Poultice.
Prostration, Nervous.—The various articles under Nerves and Nervousness should be read. Here we give simply the treatment for failure in the digestion and bowel action. This arises from failure in the great nerve centres near the middle of the body. External treatment may be given as follows:—Dip a cotton cloth, four-ply thick, and large enough to cover the stomach and bowels, into cayenne Lotion (see), and lightly wring it. Lay this gently over the stomach and bowels. Over this an india-rubber bag of hot water is laid. Take care that the heat is not too great or the mixture too strong. All must be just hot enough to be comfortable. This application may remain on for two hours, and then be repeated. The cayenne is greatly to be preferred to mustard for many reasons. Give the most easily assimilated food possible. A teaspoonful of gruel each half-hour, increased to a dessertspoonful, if the digestion will bear it, and preceded in all cases by a tablespoonful of hot water. This should be continued for twenty-four hours. Proceed very cautiously then to increase the nourishment, on the lines of Assimilation, Diet, Digestion, etc., giving oatmeal jelly, wheaten porridge, Saltcoats biscuits, and such diet, gradually bringing the patient back to ordinary food.