Volume 1

The household physician : a family guide to the preservation of health and to the domestic treatment of ailments and disease, with chapters on food and drugs and first aid in accidents and injuries / by J. McGregor-Robertson ; with an introduction by John G. McKendrick.

  • M'Gregor-Robertson, J. (Joseph), 1858-1925
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The household physician : a family guide to the preservation of health and to the domestic treatment of ailments and disease, with chapters on food and drugs and first aid in accidents and injuries / by J. McGregor-Robertson ; with an introduction by John G. McKendrick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    limits. They depend mainly upon the sympa- thetic nervous relationship existing between the womb and digestive system; to some extent they are due to the pressure of the enlarging womb, and in some cases may be very marked because of displacement caused by the increased weight of the organ. They may occur through- out the whole course of the pregnancy, but tiiey are often worse in the eai’ly months, beginning within a few weeks of conception, and being markedly reliev'ed about the period of quicken- ing, when the womb rises up into the belly. Perhaps the relief at this time is due to the greater room for growth thus afforded, and the consequently lessened pressure. Some women, however, scarcely suffer at all from such dis- turbances, while in others the distress is exces- sive. It also, sometimes, hapjiens that a woman who has been much disturbed for two or three pregnancies passes through another almost with- out them, and the revei-se also often happens. Vomiting is one of the commonest of these disorders, and because of this is counted as one of the earliest and most usual signs of pregnancy (see p. 487). It is only when excessive that it should receive treatment, and it often happens that nothing gives relief. The patient should begin by maintaining the regularity of the bowels, which is best done by a wme-glassful of Hunvadi Janos mineral water, taken each morning before rising. This affords much re- lief if regularly taken. The effervescing citrate of magnesia is also useful. Then careful atten- tion should be paid to the diet, as the vomiting may be largely controlled by finding the food that agrees best. Marked relief is frequently obtained by taking a cup of warm tea before rising, or by breakfasting in bed, and not rising for some little time afterwards. If such means fail, let the patient try the effect of taking small quantities of food often, and among the kinds of food milk, and milk with soda, are to be pre- ferred, or milk and lime-water. Used in this way barley-water is highly spoken of. Fre- quent sips of iced milk may be found to allay the irritability. Stimulants may seem desir- able, such as brandy in soda-water, or brandy or whisky in milk. The only medicine to be recommended as a soothing agent is bismuth, which may be taken several times a-day in 10- grain doses in water, or 1-grain doses of oxalate of cerium may be tried. A pessary of belladonna (see Pessaries) has now and again succeeded when other means failed. In some cases, happily very rare, the vomiting defies treatment, and is so persistent, with even [Sect. XVII. the smallest quantities of food, that the patient becomes much exhausted, and brought into a condition of great danger. It is under such circumstances that a medical man would con- sider whether he were justified in inducing premature labour. This is a question for a skilled physician carefully to consider; it is here only mentioned as a last resort when the life of the mother seems threatened. Acidity, Heartburn, and Painful Diges- i tion are other forms of disturbance, and some- times are the only forms, vomiting being entirely or nearly entirely absent. Bismuth in 10-graiu doses, or half a tea-spoonful of the ordinaiy bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), or bicar- bonate of potash, dissolved in water, is useful for these disorders, though the relief is only temporary. To the soda, dissolved in water, a tea-spoonful of sal-volatile (aromatic spirits of ammonia) may with advantage be added. Constipation is best met by the use of the Hunyadi Janos mineral water, as recommended for vomiting. Looseness of Bowels may occur every now and again. It should be met if ]50ssible by change of diet, the use of lime-water and milk, &c. If these means fail, 5 to 10 drops of laudanum in water may be employed, but this is to be had recourse to sparingly and with care. Perverted Appetite or Loss of Appetite is another of the troubles of pregnancy. The craving for improper articles must be resisted, but a feeble appetite must be coaxed, and care- ful dieting will usually be sufficient to meet it. Disturbances of Breathing- are happily not so common as those of digestion. The mere bulk of the enlarging womb will occasion some difficulty of breathing. To meet this the patient must dress in the most suitable way. Difficulty of breathing is occasionally due to asthmatical attacks or bronchitis, and where such exists it would be well to obtain competent advice with- out delay. (Eefer to pages 270 and 273, where these affections are discussed.) Cough ought not to be neglected. In some cases its violence threatens to jirovoke a miscarriage. Disturbances due to pressure are frequent in the course of the child-carrying period, and specially, as might be expected, towards the end of the period. The bladder is peculiarly apt to be pressed upon, and frequent passing of water, pain in the act, or difficulty in emptying the bladder may be experienced. Dribbling of ^ urine may arise from pressure on the neck of VOMITING OP PREGNANCY.