Mother's Remedies / Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada

by Thomas Jefferson Ritter

INFECTIOUS DISEASES 227

3. Dysentery, "Colt Tail" Remedy for.—"The herb called "Colt Tail," steep and drink the tea. It's a tall weed and grows in damp places. It is one of the best herbs for this." This is especially good when the discharge from the bowels is bloody or contains mucus.

4. Dysentery, Sugar and Brandy for.—"Two tablespoonfuls brandy poured into a saucer. Set fire to the brandy and hold in flame lump of sugar on fork. This is a very good remedy, and has cured cases when doctors' remedies failed. This sugar will melt and form a syrup. Dose:—One-half teaspoonful every two hours or oftener if necessary."

5. Dysentery, Herb Remedy for.—"Take four ounces poplar bark, four ounces bayberry bark and three ounces tormentil root, simmer gently in four quarts of water, down to three, strain and add two pounds granulated sugar; let it come to boiling point, skim and add one-half pound blackberry or peach jelly and one-half pint best brandy. Keep in a cool place, take one-half wineglassful three or four times a day or more often if required."

6. Dysentery, New Method to Cure.—"A hot hip bath will often relieve distressing sensations of dysentery or itching piles." This is a very simple remedy and will have a very soothing effect upon the whole system, relieving any nervousness that may be present and usually is with this disease.

7. Dysentery, Starch Injection for.—"Use injection of one cup thin boiled starch, and one-half teaspoonful laudanum. Repeat every 3 to 4 hours."

8. Dysentery, To Cure Bloody.—"Put a teaspoonful of salt into a quart of warm water and inject into the bowels to wash them out thoroughly."

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT for Dysentery.—Remain in bed on fluid diet, and give a free saline cathartic or castor on, one-half ounce, followed by salol five grains in capsules every three hours.

2. Bismuth subnitrate, one-half to one dram every two to three hours.

3. Irrigation of the colon with normal salt solution or weak solution of silver nitrate at about one hundred degrees with a long rectual tube. Dr. Hare, of Philadelphia, recommends one two-hundredth grain of bichloride of mercury every hour or two (in adults), if the stools are slimy and bloody and if much blood is present, and high rectal injections of witch-hazel water and water, half and half. I know this last is good, and also the following; Oil of fireweed, five drops on sugar every two to three hours.