Ourselves, our food, and our physic / by Benjamin Ridge.

  • Ridge, Benjamin
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ourselves, our food, and our physic / by Benjamin Ridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    92/220 (page 80)
    aciil condition reaches a given stage, Nature relieves a con- gestive state about the throat by an inflammatory action. The tongue shows this in a marked and unequivocal manner. It is white and coated in sore-throat; more so, in ulcerated throats; and still more so in quinsy, when it is positively loaded to the fullest extent. It is not so coated in diphtheria, because the inflammation has concentrated disease and relieved congested action ; the same also in enlarged tonsils. In no disorders is the system so completely ill at ease as in all these maladies; headache at the back part, with general lassitude, and a complete prosti'ation of the animal and instinctive powers being present. Sore Throats are flashes of inflammation on the posterior or movable palate, uvula, and surfaces of the tonsil glands: Ulcerated Throat is one step fm'ther, the inflammation having affected the structure by eating into it. Enlarged Tonsils are oiiginally blocked-up glands, from the mucous membranes being congested and then taking an inflammatory or engorged aiierial type. Quinsies arc abscesses in the neighbouring structures of and in the soft palate, waiting only to burst the outer membrane and discharge their pus or matter. Diphtheria is an aggravation of all. Thus step by step wo see that highly acid conditions of the stomach ore the chief causes of these various diseases. But diphtheria involves all the iiai*ts about the tliroat so extensively, that I. have no liesitation in saying no children imder foiu^een years of age can get over it, because they cannot be made to take the medicine, or submit to the apj)lication of caustic in the free manner it should bo used. Besides this, there is so great a constitutional distm’bance present, that the sufierers arc knocked do\vn at once, and have not the nervous energy to rally. Treatment by MEDiciNE.-^The alkalines, Nos. 3 and 4; M-ith acid gargles (No. 27) for sore or ulcerated throats. If gargles cannot l)e used for tliese or enlarged tonsils, a large soft camel-hair brush dipped into it should be substituted, and the throat mopped very frequently with No. 28, becaiiso it is shaiqier and more astringent. As the tongue in en- larged tonsils is frequently not much furred, an acid mixture (No. 31) such as is used in broncliitis may bo taken; the throat being first well gargled with it before swolloAving.