Mothers’ remedies. 1.  Painful Menstruation, a Good Tonic for.—­“This may be relieved by sitting over the steam of a strong decoction of tansy, wormwood, and yarrow, and fomenting the abdomen with the same.  Then take the following in wineglassful doses:—­One ounce each of ground pine, southern wood, tansy, catnip and germander, simmering in two quarts of water down to three pints and pour boiling hot on one ounce of pennyroyal herb, strain when cold and take as per dose above.”

2.  Painful Menstruation, a Home Remedy for.—­“Let the patient take an active cathartic; then when put to bed let a half cup of hop tea be given; and a douche of one quart of hot water into which ten drops of laudanum have been dropped, be injected.”  A cathartic is not necessary in all cases.  If the bowels have been moving freely do not take one.  The douche will give great relief providing the woman can take one while menstruating.  Some women can and some cannot.

[508 Mothers’ remedies]

Physicians’ treatment.—­If the womb is displaced it should be corrected.  Any disease of the womb or ovaries should be treated.  If the canal is too much closed, gradual and careful dilation between the periods, will often remove this cause in time.  The bowels should be kept regular at all times.

1.  For the attack.—­Never take opium or alcohol for it in any form; it is so easy to form the habit and a doctor who gives it is simply dodging effective general and local treatment between the periods.  If it is due to taking cold, or from any local cause, the following treatment is good:  The patient should take a hot sitz bath, being well covered by a blanket, while in the tub and afterwards, and should immediately get into bed as soon as the buttocks are dried and remain there well covered.  A turpentine stupe is now to be used, prepared as follows:  Place a tin cup containing the turpentine in a vessel containing hot water.  This will keep the turpentine warm.  Dip a piece of flannel into very hot water and wring it out in a twisted towel, and after it is perfectly dry and no dripping, dip it into the hot turpentine and wring it out again to free it from too much of the drug.  Apply the cloth while hot and allow it to remain until it causes discomfort.  Then withdraw it or it will blister the skin if left on too long.  Fomentations wrung out of teas like hop, pennyroyal, smart-weed, etc., applied and kept warm often do much good.  At the same time pennyroyal tea can be drank freely.  A five-cent package can be bought at any drug store.  Hot lemonade will help also.  The object is to produce relaxation of the tissues through the local applications and tea drinking.  If there is constipation, the bowels should be moved freely with epsom salts, half ounce dose, in the morning before breakfast.  If there is much pain a belladonna suppository, one-half grain of the extract, can be inserted into the rectum.