Mothers’ remedies.—­1.  Gall Stones, Sweet Oil for.—­“Massaging the part over the region of the liver lightly night and morning is very good, following by drinking a wineglassful of sweet oil at bedtime.”  The patient should take some good cathartic the next morning, such as a seidlitz powder or cream of tartar.  Teaspoonful in glass of water each morning.  This treatment should be continued for several weeks and is very effective.

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2.  Gall Stones, Tried and Approved Remedy for.—­“Drink about a wineglass of olive oil at bedtime followed in the morning by a cathartic, as seidlitz powder, or cream of tartar and phosphate of soda; teaspoonful each morning in wineglass of water.  This treatment to be pursued several weeks.  Massage the part over the liver lightly night and morning.  If the suffering is intense use an injection of thirty drops of laudanum to two quarts of water.”  In many cases the cathartic may not be needed as the olive oil will move the bowels freely.  Massaging the parts over the liver will cause it to work better and has proven successful in many cases.

Physicians’ treatment for Gall Stones.—­1.  For the pain.  Morphine must be used and by the hypodermic method; one-fourth grain dose and repeated, if necessary, and chloroform given before if the pain is intense, until the morphine can act.  Fomentations can be used over the liver.

2.  Soda.—­The bowels must be kept open by laxatives, Sodium Phosphate or Sodium Sulphate, (Glauber’s) salt.

3.  Olive Oil.—­Olive oil is used very extensively.  I do not know whether it does any good; some people think it does.  From two to ten ounces daily, if possible.  The phosphate or sulphate of sodium should be taken daily in one to two teaspoonfuls doses each day.  Some claim these salts prevent formation of gall stones.

4.  Powder for the Itching.—­For the intolerable itching you may use the following powder, dust some of it over the skin: 

Starch            1 ounce
Zinc Oxide      1/2 ounce
Camphor       1-1/2 drams

Mix into a powder.

Diet.—­This must be thoroughly regulated.  The patient should avoid the starchy and sugar foods as much as possible.  He or she should also take regular exercise.  If a person afflicted with gall stones keeps the stomach and bowels in good condition, they will be better.  Pure air, sunshine, exercise, and diet are big factors in the treatment of chronic diseases.  A woman so afflicted should not wear anything tight around the stomach and liver, corsets are an abomination in this disease; olive oil if taken must be continued for months.

Surgery.—­The operation is indicated when the patient is suffering most of the time from pain in the liver region or when the person is failing in health, or during an acute attack.  When there are symptoms of obstruction or when there is fever, sweating shows that there is pus in the gall bladder.  Also an operation is then necessary, and in most cases it results satisfactorily.