Important: Safety Warning
This page recommends preparations containing opium, laudanum, morphine, or similar narcotics — in some cases for children. These substances are dangerously addictive, easily fatal in overdose, and strictly controlled by law today.
In addition, this page prescribes plants as medicine according to pre-modern medical theory. Several of the plants named are toxic, correct identification is difficult, and the doses given have no scientific basis. Do not ingest or apply any preparation described here.
In addition, this page presents medical treatment from an era before modern medicine. The remedies described are ineffective against the conditions named, and some of the ingredients or doses are harmful. Do not use them to treat any illness; consult a qualified medical professional.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Treatment of Styes
A stye is a small boil which projects from the eyelid, much inflamed, and very painful. The application of ice to the part will sometimes check it in the beginning. Apply a poultice of lin- Repeat for several nights in succession; after- seed meal, or bread and milk, and take at the wards use for a few weeks the tonic aromatic same time an aperient. If the stye is ripe, mixture. (See No. 5124.) Also a little cay- puncture it, and then apply spermaceti ointenne in scullcap tea will prevent an attack. ment. Those who are habitually subject to night- 5792. To Treat a Black Eye. This is mare should not sleep in a room alone, but usually caused by a blow. If attended with have some person near them, to arouse them inflammation and pain, wash the eye often when attacked with it. A person is most lia- with very warm water, in which is dissolved. ble to nightmare when sleeping on his back; a little carbonate of soda; or with equal parts in fact, it rarely occurs in any other posture. of tincture of opium and water. If the pain Those subject to it should therefore avoid be acute, foment with a decotion of stramosleeping in a bed which is hollow in the centre, nium leaves, simmered in spirits. Wash the as this induces the sleeper to lay on his back. eye, and bind on the leaves; often repeat. The bed should be level and not too soft, and Perhaps the best application is a poultice of the pillow moderate in thickness, so that the slippery elm bark. Mix with milk and put it head is not raised too high. on warm.