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Part of Mother's Book on Care of the Sick, circa 1920s

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MOTHER'S BOOK
on care of

THE SICK
.fl

Brief Handbook
of Sound Counsel
C ONTENTS

'Page

First Aid in Accidents _____ ____ __ ___3
Biliousness ____ __ ________ ___ _______ 12
Burns ___ _____ ______ ____ _____ _ ____ 14
Care of the Baby ____ __ ____ ___ ____ ___9
Chicken Pox _____ _________ __ __ _____ 6
Chilblains ___ _______ ______ ___ ____ __l4
Cholera Morbus ___ ____ ____ ___ _____ 10
Colic __ ___ ____ __ ______ ___ _______ ___ _ll
Constipation (Its Ca use) ____ ____ ___ 12
Coughs ___ . _____ ___ ________ ____ _____ 8
Croup __ _______ ___ ___ ___ _____ _____ _8-9
Diarrhea ______________ __ ___ _·__ ___ __10
Diet inSickness _____ __ ___ ______ ___ 5
Diseases of Children __ ___ ___ __ ____ __6
Indigestion ___ __ ____ ______ _________ 12
Intestinal Disorders ____ __ ____ ______10
Measles ______ _____ __ __________ ____ ___ 6
Mumps _______ ____ ___ ______ __ ___ ___ _7
Muscles and Joint Troubles ___ __ __ _l3
Rheumatism _____ __ ___ ______ __ ____ _13
Rules for the Sick Room __ ____ _____ -4
Skin Troubles _______ _____ ____ _~- ___14
Sprains ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _______ _13
Summer Complaint __________ ___ _9-10
Whooping Cough _____ _______ ______ __7
Paye i

FIRST AID IN.

ACCIDENTS ·
Don't Get Excited-Make
the pa t ient comfortable
and encourag e him all
you can.
Fainting- Loosen clothing. L ay flat on
back, raising f eet higher than head. Fan
freely and pu t cold water on the face and
chest. Camphor, ammonia o!" smelling
salts held near nose, often reviv€:.
Unconsciousness- Don 't put anyt:1:ng in
the mouth. Water or stimulant m ay cause
choking.
Unconscious persons cannot
swallow. If conscious, cold water frequently revives and r efreshens if given
slowly in sips.
Apoplexy-Stroke of Paralysi!:-Do not
give stimulants. Loosen clothing. Elevate the patient's head and apply cold
cloths. K eep the body and feet warm.
Foreign Bodies in Eye- Pull t he upper lid
downward away from the eyeball over
lower lid and release.
Burns and Scalds-Cover with cooking
soda and lay wet cloth over it.
Lightning-Dash cold water over person
struck. Perform artificial respiration.
Shock- If faint and cold, give stimulant
such as black coffee in sm all doses once
in fifteen or twen·'.:y minutes and secure
warmth by external applications and
rubbing.
Wounds-The part should be properly
cleansed of all foreign matter, the edges
brought together and fastened with strips
of adhesive plaster, apply Chamberlain's
Iodine solution, give stimulant.
Bruises- Apply Chamberlain's Iodine.
Poisoned Wounds- From a bite of animals
treatment should be prompt. If possible
suck the wound thoroughly two or three
minutes; sterilize thoroughly with Chamberlain's Iodine or Ammonia.
Paoe s

Rules for
the

Sick Room

t aken not to burn the patient; a thing
w~ich may easily happen if he is unconscious.

Importance of Pulse-The normal pulse
rate is 72 t o the minute; in a woman 80
a minute, in a child less than 1 year, fro m
105 to 120; 6 years old 90; over 10 year s 80
per minute. It should be t aken by laying
t he fingers gently on. a superficial artery,
preferably at the pomt where the r adial
artery passes over the wrist.

Equipment-The sick room should have
two windows so that it can be easily
aired. A nar row, high bed is better than
a broad, low one. The sheets should be
put on without wrinkles and should be frequently changed. A rubber sheet should
be placed under the lower sheet if there is
danger of soiling the mattr ess.
Care of Patient- The patient should
b e given a sponge bath once a day for
cleanliness, and his mouth should be frequently washed with a 4 per cent solut ion
of bone acid (5 teaspoonfuls of boric acid
dissolved in a pint of warm water.) Cold
baths are sometimes used to lower the
patient's t emperature. The bedclothes ar e
thrown off and cloths wrung out of cold
water are applied to his body, or he may be
wrapped in a sheet wrung out of cold
water. A fan may be employed to further
cool the patient or ice may be rubbed over
his skin. When the temperature has been
r educed, the bedclothes are again drawn
over the patient. A hot foot b ath is sometimes of service. A foot tub filled with
hot water is put beside the bed; add a
couple of tablespoonfuls of mustard pr eviously stirred to a uniform cream in a cupful of hot water; place the patient's fe et
in t he bath and k eep them ther e about 20
minutes. Hot-water bottles should n ever
be more than half filled and should always
be wrapped in a piece of flannel or blanket
and never allowed to come in contact with
the patien t's skin. Great car e should be

Diet in Sickness-In all acute diseases,
especially those attended with fever, the
question of diet is a very important one,
and the main reliance may be placed on
such food as eggs and milk. Thin soups
may b e u sed, but they cont ain very little
nutrition and can not be depended upon to
maint ain t he strength of the sick. (See
page 7) .

Pao e 4

Paoe5

Importance of Temperature- The normal temperature taken wit h a Fahrenheit
thermomet er is 98.6, with a centigrade 37.
A temperature from 99 to 101 is called a
slight f ever , from 101 to 103 a moder ate
f ever, 103 to 105 a high fever, 105 t o 106 a
very high, ext remely dangerous fever ..

How to Protect the Family-A pat ient
sick of a communicable disease should be
isolated and some one detailed for his care
an d comfort, who, if practicable, should be
immune to the disease. Eating and drinking utensils, after being used by the
pat ient, should be washed in boiling water.
They should not be used by other s until
t hey have been sterilized by boiling. The
r oom from which t he patient was r emoved
should be disinfect ed and t horoughly
cleansed.

Diseases
of

Childhood
CHICKEN POX
Symptoms-The child is restless, has a
slight fever and complains of itching of the
skin. A papular eruption appears on face,
n eck or chest within 24 hours from the time
the child is taken sick. T!:iese have the
appearance of small blisters. After a day
or two the vesicles rupture, crusts are
-formed, which drop off in from 5 t o 20 days.
The temperature falls when the rash fad es,
and it is usually greatest when the eruption
appears. It is often difficult to distinguish
between a mild form of smallpox and
chicken pox, and a physician should always
be called in to see the p atient if smallpox
is pr esent in the community. The disease
is contagious as long as any crusts are
present.
Treatment-The child should be put to
bed, and to relieve the itching, sponged
with warm water to which a small quantity
of carbolic acid (half a t easpoonful to the
pint) is added. Carbolized vaseline (carbolic acid 3 grains, vaseline 1 ounce) is
often efficacious in r elieving itching. A
warm bath should be ~iven each day until
scabs come off. Admimster a mild laxative.
MEASLES
Symptoms-It begins like an ordinary
cold; the patient's face looks flushed and
sometimes slightly swollen about the nose
and eyes. The rash often appears first in
the throat. Some cough may be pr esent
at the onset, with more or less headache.
Fever is present with the onset of these
symptoms. The eruption of the skin, which
Page6

looks like fleabites, develops on the third
or fourth day of the fever.
P reventio_n-ThQ J?atient should be put
to. bed and isolated m a room from which
children are excluded. Give a mild laxative
Treati:nent-It is necessary to prevent
the patient from becoming chilled but
fresh air should be admitted to the ;oom.
The treatment of an ordinary case of
measles requires little or no medication.
If there is much irritation of the eyes the
room should be darkened and the 'eyes
washed with a saturated solution of powdered boric acid in warm water. After the
eruption ~as disappeared and the peeling
of the s~m _has begun, the patient should
bathe daily m order that the skin may be
freed from scales. During t he period of
the disease the patient may be fed on
broths, milk, soft-boiled eggs, etc. .
MUMPS
~ymptoms-:-The chief symptoms are
pam and_swell_mg und~r the ear. Chewing
and talkmg will be pamful. Swelling may
occur on one or both sides, but nearly
always both are involved. It is worst
a~out the third day and may gradually
disappear after that.
Treatment-Light diet, such as broths
eggs, milk, rice puddings, etc., should b~
given. Sour food (pickles, lemons) and
acid drinks give consider able p ain. lf the
bowels are constipated, a tablespoonful of
Chamberlain's Epsom Salts may be administered with benefit. Rest in bed is important.
WHOOPING COUGH

Symptoms- In the beginning the symptoms are like those of a severe cold. There
is redness of the lining membrane of the
nose and throat, and a hoarse, dry cough.
The cough is severe and out of all proportion to the other physical signs. After
these symptoms have existed for 10 days
or 2 weeks, the cough changes. It occurs
in spasms of shor t, quick coughs, followed
Page 7

by long-drawn-out inhalation of air accompanied by the noise known as the "whoop."
Prevention-As the patient continues to
spread contagion six weeks after recovery,
every effort should be made to keep well
child~en from associating with those having
the disease; one attack confers immunity.
Treatment-An outdoor life during the
course of the disease should be encouraged.
The child should gargle his throat several
times a day with a solution of hydrogen
peroxide (hydrogen peroxide, 1 part; water,
3 parts.) A broad bandage placed tightly
around the chest and stomach may make
the patient feel more comfortable. The
use of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy will
give soothing relief.
COUGHS AND COLDS
Treatment-For the soreness over the
chest a good rubbing with Chamberlain's
Pain-Balm Liniment will help relieve. A
teaspoonful of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy given every three hours has broken up
many obstinate coughs. It contains no
narcotics. Do not use narcotic cough remedies. The bowels should be kept open.
As a laxative use Chamberlain's Tablets
for the stomach and liver.
CROUP
Symptoms-The attack is preceded by
hoarsen ess and a loud, rough cough· a
"croupy cough." The attack comes' on ,
usually about midnight.
The child is
awak~ned from a sound sleep by coughing
and v10lent efforts to get his breath. These
symptoms usually cease abruptly in an hour
or two and the child resumes his slumber.
ThesoothingeffectofChamberlain's Cough Remedy is
of value in giving relief.
Treatment-Give a teaspoonful of tincture of
ipecac, followed by a little
milk. This causes vomiting
and relieves the condition.
Paues

·care of
the Baby
If a baby cries from temper, ignore it. If from
hunger or discomfort, make
him comfortable. If it indicates illness, take him to a doctor.
A baby should sleep first on the right
then on the left side, to develop shape of
head uniformly. Always lay back the ears
when tucking baby in.
Baby needs exercise; a chance to move
his arms and kick. In a warm room remove all clothing except belly bana' and
diaper, and let him kick on the bed.
Dress baby loosely. Avoid binding around
the armpits and wrists. Do not fasten
either bellyband or diaper so snugly that it
leaves a mark on the flesh. Such a pressure will make baby cry.

Quick Helps for Sick Babies
For heat rash, use no soap in washing
baby, but tie a cupful of bran in a piece of
cheesecloth and squeeze into the bath water
until it turns milky. Bathe baby in this
patdry,powder with Chamberlain's Talcum'.

Summer Complaint

r
1

Should Summer Complaint develop, send
at once for your family physician and stop
all food. Give at once a teaspoonful of
Chamberlain's Aromatic Castor Oil. The
result will be almost immediately favorable.

Baby Croup
Croup is always serious and a doctor
should be called in at once. Keep a bottle
of q~amberlain's Cough Remedy on the
med1cme sbelf as a precaution. A dose
or two relieves. It will add comfort to
give a hot foot bath at the same time.
Page9

Intestinal
Disorders
DIARRHEA
Symptoms- In simple diarr hea there
may or may not be griping and colicky
pa ins. Thirst is marked in proportion to
the size and frequency of the t hin or
water y discharges.
Diarrhea m a y last
fro m a few hours to as many days, or
longer. Diarrhea is sometimes an indication of some more serious trouble. Call
a doct or if the following treatment does
not stop the trouble in a day.
Treatment-In all cases, rest and light
diet. In the more severe forms it is a
good p lan to begin with a dose of 1 or 2
tablespoonsful of Chamberlain's Aromatic
Castor Oil. Also in a glass of sweetened
wat er, give some Chamberlain's Colic and
Diar rhea Remedy. After the bowels have
been freely moved, if the diarrhea or pain
continues, give another dose of Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhea Remedy.
CHOLERA MORBUS
(Summer Complaint)
Symptoms-Cholera morbus or ''summer
complaint" is an affection of the stomach
!1nd intestines, attended by vomiting, purgmg! and cr amps. It comes on suddenly.
It 1s freqently caused by eating unripe and
indigestible fruits and vegetables decomposed or improperly cooked fish, ~hellfish
sala