Advice to a wife and mother in two parts

by Pye Henry Chavasse

Table salt, two tablespoonfuls;

Warm oatmeal gruel, one pint;

To make a clyster.

Another capital enema for the purpose is one made of Castile soap dissolved in warm water.

583. If the patient object both to the taking of the castor oil and to the administration of an enema, then the following draught will be found useful; it will act kindly, and will neither gripe the mother nor the child:

Take of—Concentrated Essence of Senna, half an ounce;

Syrup of Ginger, one drachm;

Distilled Water, seven drachms:

To make a draught. To be taken early in the morning.

If in twelve hours the above draught should not have the desired effect (although, if the essence of senna be good, it usually does long before that time), let the draught be repeated. If the bowels be easily moved, half of the above draught is generally sufficient; if it be not so in twelve hours, the remainder should be taken. But let every lying-in woman bear in mind that as soon as her bowels will act, either naturally or by the taking of a cupful of warm coffee, without an aperient, not a particle of opening medicine should be taken.