Mothers’ remedies.—­Strangulated Hernia, Hop Poultice for.—­“A large warm poultice of hops over the abdomen will be found one of the best known means of relieving strangulated hernia.”

Physicians’ treatment.—­It must be reduced or an operation must be performed and soon.

To reduce.—­The patient is put under an anesthetic and placed on his back with the hips (pelvis) raised and the thigh of the affected side flexed, bent up and rotated inward if the rupture be inguinal or femoral.  This motion relaxes the parts.  The neck of the sac is then seized with the thumb and fingers of one hand, and thus fixed, while with the other hand, the operator endeavors to return the strangulated gut by gentle pressure in the proper direction.  In femoral rupture, this is at first downward, to bring the gut opposite the opening then backward and then upward.  In groin (inguinal) rupture it is usually slightly upward and outward.  It must be coaxed, kneaded and squeezed carefully.  Care must be taken.  If it cannot be returned in from five to ten minutes no further time should be wasted, but an operation should be performed immediately.  This consists in cutting down to the constriction and through it, thus allowing the rupture to be reduced.

The patient should be kept in bed and treated the same way as for other abdominal operations.

Caution.—­Persons with rupture must be very careful not to lift or fall.  If a support is worn it must fit perfectly and be worn with comfort.

[Digestive organs 125]

Intestinal colic. (Enteralgia).—­Causes.—­Predisposing; poor general condition, worry, over-work, nervous disposition.  Exciting causes; exposure, gas in the bowels, mass of feces, undigested or irritating food, cold drinks, green fruit, ice cream when a person is very warm.

Symptoms.—­Intermittent pain usually in the umbilical (navel) region, moving from place to place, dull or sharp pain, relieved by pressure or bending forward.  Abdomen is distended or drawn back.  It lasts a few minutes or many hours, ending gradually or suddenly, after a passage of gas or movement of the bowels.

Physicians’ treatment.—­1.  Remove cause first if possible.  Mild cases; put heat to the abdomen by hot water bag, wring cloths out of hot water and put in them ten drops of turpentine and place over the bowels hot.  Give dose of peppermint water or ginger tea.

2.  Severe case.—­Morphine hypodermically, if necessary, in a severe case; mustard poultice is good, also a spice poultice.

3.  Tincture of Colocynth (bitter cucumber) is an excellent remedy for this trouble.  I have often used it with great success.  Put five drops of it in a glass half full of water and give two teaspoonfuls every fifteen minutes until relieved.  A few doses generally relieve the patient.