Physicians’ treatment for Toothache.—­1.  Chloretone dissolved in oil of cloves and applied on a cotton wad is very good for toothache.

2.  Creosote.—­Put on a piece of cotton and put this in the hollow tooth.

3.  Toothache in an ulcerated or hollow tooth, caused from wet feet, etc.  Take a hot foot bath and drink a hot lemonade, hot ginger, or hot pennyroyal tea, and go to bed and take a good sweat.  Aching tooth needs the care of a dentist.  It pays to retain your natural teeth in good shape.

Intestinal obstruction.—­Causes.—­This may be caused by strangulation, telescope (intussusception) of the bowels, twists and knots, strictures and tumors, abnormal contents.

1.  Strangulation is the most frequent cause; this is caused by adhesions and bands from former peritonitis, or following operations.  The strangulation may be recent and due to adhesion of the bowels to the abdominal cut or wound, or a coil of the bowel may be caught between the pedicle of a tumor and the wall of the pelvis.  These cases are rather common after some operations.

2.  Intussusception.—­This means that one portion of the bowel slips into an adjacent portion.  These two portions make a cylindrical lump varying in length from one-half inch to a foot or more.  Irregular worm-like motion of the bowel is a cause of intussusception.

3.  Twists and knots.—­Most frequent between thirty and forty. (There is an unusually long mesentery.)

4.  Strictures and tumors.—­These are not very important causes.

5.  Abnormal contents.—­Fruit stones, coins, pins, needles, false teeth, round worms rolled in a mass.  Coins rarely cause inconvenience.

[122 Mothers’ remedies]

Symptoms of Acute Obstruction.—­Constipation, pain in the bowels, and vomiting are the three most important symptoms.  Pain sets in early, and may come on abruptly when walking or more commonly when working.  It is at first colicky, but soon becomes continuous and very intense, vomiting soon follows and is constant and very distressing.  First the stomach contents are vomited, and the greenish bile-stained material, and soon the material vomited is a brownish-black liquid, with a bowel odor.  This peculiar vomiting is a very characteristic symptom.  Constipation may be absolute, without the discharge of either feces or gas.  Very often the contents of the bowel below the obstruction are discharged.  The abdomen is usually distended and when the large bowel is involved this is extreme.  If it is high up in the small intestine, it may be very slight.  At first, the abdomen is not tender, but later it becomes very sensitive and tender.  The face is pale and anxious and finally collapse symptoms intervene.  The eyes are sunken, the features look pinched and a cold, clammy sweat covers the skin.  The pulse becomes rapid and weak.  There may be no fever, and it may go below normal.  The tongue is dry, parched, and the thirst is incessant.