Saltrome.—The disease known by this name in Canada breaks out in the hands, especially on the palms. The skin cracks open and refuses to heal up. Sometimes, if the hands do heal, the trouble comes out on other parts. It is probably due to the long-continued use of bad and strongly irritating soap in washing the hands and face, conjoined, in Canada, with the great dryness of the air.
The treatment for prevention is the regular use of M'Clinton's soap (see Soap). Where the trouble has developed, the hands and face, if involved, should be packed in cloths soaked in buttermilk. Then over the packing we should foment with large hot flannel cloths (see Fomentation). Renew, if necessary, the buttermilk packing, and after a thorough fomenting, leave the buttermilk cloths on all night, with dry ones on top. Then gently anoint with olive oil (see). This treatment, with some rest and the use of the above-mentioned soap, should soon effect a cure.
Santolina.—This plant is the Chama Cyparissos, or ground cypress. It is of the greatest value as a remedy for worms in the bowels (not tapeworm), and also acts as a stomach tonic of no small value. It is cut at the end of the season, made up in small bunches of six stalks or so, and hung up to dry. When required for worms, boil one of these bunches in three teacupfuls of water until it is reduced to two teacupfuls. Half-a-teacupful of this is given to a child with worms, each morning before any food, for four days. In the evening of the fourth day an ordinary dose of liquorice powder is given to move the bowels. For a grown-up person the quantity is a full teacupful each morning. If a child picks at his nostrils, or grinds his teeth while sleeping, the santolina will cure him, even if no other symptom of worms is noticed. It may with advantage be used in all cases where there is indication of the failure of the mucous membrane of the stomach and bowels.
Where required as a stomach tonic, santolina should be infused with boiling water, as tea is. About half-an-ounce of the dried herb is infused, and a small teacupful taken as hot as can easily be drunk about an hour after each meal. Half the quantity will do for young people under fourteen. Do this six days in succession. Then take none for six days. Then again take it for three days. This treatment may be repeated after a week.
Sciatica.—This is a severe pain in the lower back, shooting sharply down the back and calf of the leg. It arises from inflammation of the large nerve which supplies these parts of the leg with power. Most commonly it is caused by exposure of the hips or lower back to cold and damp, as by sitting on the grass or a stone seat.
The cure for it, in the earlier stages, is the application of the armchair fomentation (see). This may be applied for an hour, and renewed immediately for another hour if the patient can stand it, and then rest given for two hours, and the fomentation applied for two hours again, or at least for one, taking care to rub with oil and wrap up in comfortable flannels between and after the treatment. This may be done again on the second day. The fomentation may then be given once a day until the pain is removed.
Be quite sure that no trifling application will succeed with such a disease as this. It will not do to use less heat than will go through and through the haunches of the patient; and that amount of heat is not very small. You must have a good soft blanket if possible, your water must be boiling hot, and you must have plenty of it.
If the hot treatment causes increase of pain, this indicates that a stage has arrived in which cold is to be applied instead of heat to the lower back, to subdue nerve irritation. Before or after this stage, cold application will do harm, so it is well always to try heat first, as in the great majority of cases that is what is required. When cold is applied, the patient must be warm, and if necessary the feet and legs should be fomented.
To keep what is got either by the soothing influence of cold or by the stimulating power of heat, it is good to rub with hot olive oil, and to dry this off well in finishing, and also to wear a good broad band of new flannel round the lower part of the body. This band ought not to be so tight as to confine the perspiration. See Changing Treatment; Remedy, Finding a.
Scrofula.—The treatment under Glands, Swollen, should be followed. But besides, the whole membranous system of the glands must be stimulated. Daily rubbing briskly over the whole body with the cold-drawn oil of mustard for a quarter-of-an-hour will have this effect, and even by itself may cure.