[74 Mothers’ remedies]

Physicians’ treatment for Ulcers.—­Keep them thoroughly cleaned.  A mild, weak, hot solution of salt water is good in chronic, slow healing, indolent ulcers.  Carbolated salve applied afterwards is healing.  Sometimes a stimulating poultice is necessary, like salt pork followed by soothing salves.  If an ulcer looks red and angry, it needs soothing.  If there is any “proud flesh” powdered burnt alum applied directly upon it and left on for an hour or two is good.  Then soothing salves.

Balsam of Peru is good for chronic ulcers.  It stimulates them to a little activity.

A salve made by boiling the inner bark of the common elder, the strained juice mixed with cream or vaselin is a good healing application for ulcers.

Poultice an irritable, tender, painful ulcer with slippery elm bark.  Repeat when necessary.

Indolent Sluggish Ulcer.—­This kind needs stimulating, salt solution, or salt pork applied.

Poultice made of sweet clover is well recommended for ulcers.  As before stated, the active kind should have soothing treatment.  The chronic indolent kind, should be stimulated occasionally and then soothing applications applied.

Shingles (Herpes Zoster).  Definition.—­This is an acute inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by groups of vesicles upon the inflamed base, distributed along the course of one or more cutaneous (skin) nerves.

Symptoms.—­The eruption is preceded by a great deal of neuralgic pain and is almost always one-sided.  They first appear as red patches and upon these patches vesicles soon develop (skin elevations with liquid in them); these are separate, size of a pin-head to a coffee bean, swollen with a clear fluid, and clustered in groups of two to a dozen.  They may dry up in this stage, or they may fill with pus or run together, forming larger patches; new crops may appear, while the others fade.  The vesicles rarely rupture of themselves, but dry into brownish crusts, which drop off leaving a temporary colored skin.  It follows the course of a nerve.  The most common seat of this disease is over one or more intercostal (between the rib) nerves, extending from the backbone to the breastbone.  It also occurs along the side of the face and temple.

Causes.—­It is a self-limited disease, runs its course in a few weeks, of nervous origin and may be produced by exposure to weather changes, blows and certain poisons.

Mothers’ remedies.  Shingles, Herb Remedy for.—­1.  “Make a solution of yerba rheuma, one ounce to a pint of boiling water, and apply freely to the part several times a day.”  The yerba rheuma has an astringent action and contracts the tissues, relieving the inflammation of the skin.  It also relieves the itching.

[Skin diseases. 75]

2.  Shingles, Mercury Ointment for.—­“Apply night and morning an ointment from the oleate of mercury.”  This preparation will be found effective, but care should be taken not to use too much of it, as oleate of mercury is very powerful.  It relieves the burning and itching.