Zine lotion. The head, from which the hair has been previously removed, by shaving or close cutting, should be washed with soap once a day, and after being dried, anointed with Pomatum so as to keep the scalp moist with oleaginous matters, Dr. A. Thomson says "that the application which he has found most beneficial is a solution of 1 dram of Nitrate of Silver in an ounce of Diluted Nitric Acid. The diseased circles, after the scalp has been shaved, to be pencilled over with the solution, and in ten or fifteen minutes afterwards the parts should be well sponged, first with tepid water, and then covered with pledgets of lint dipped in cold water, and the evaporation diminished by covering the wet linen with oiled silk." He also says, "that in India an ointment composed of a dram of Powdered Nut Galls, a scruple of Sulphate of Copper, and an ounce of Simple Cerate, is said to prove most beneficial." Salt Rheum Tetter-Shingles popular names for diseases of the skin, which are a variety of Herpes, The eruption, which consists of vesioles in distinct clusters, upon inflamed bases, that extend a little beyond the margin of each cluster, is generally preceded by such constitutional sympLoms as loss of appetite, headache, cold chills, sickness, and accelerated pulse. Sometimes there is heat and pricking in the skin, and a sensation as though hot needles were thrust into it; or there may be a deep-seated pain in the chest. At times, however, the patient has no warning of this kind, and he is first made aware of the affection by the appearance of red patches, with small elevations, clustered together; these gradually enlarge, and become clear and glassy, being filled with a colorless lymph, which first turns milky and then concretes into scabs. As the crusts fall off, and the eruption disappears at one part, it frequently shows itself in the immediate vicinity, and so gradually creeps all over the skin; sometimes there is a free discharge and ulceration, In some cases the clusters of eruption begin at the loins, and extend downward to the thighs and legs; very commonly they form a sort of band round the waist, and hence, probably, the name given to the disease. From the twelfth to the fourteenth day is the time at which the scabs, if a cluster, may be expected to fall off, leaving the skin beneath red and tender, with little indented rings, where the vesicles have been. Generally the disease runs its course in about three weeks; it is not contagious, and may attack the same person more than once. Young persons between twelve and twenty-five years of age appear to be most subject to this disease, which, however, sometimes attacks aged people, Summer and autumn are the seasons when it most prevails; the cause of it is not very clear; probably it may arise from sudden changes of temperature, and chills when in a heated state. For Treatment We should recommend aperients to keep the body gently open, with a light and nutritious diet; effervescing draughts, made with Bicarbonate of Potash instead of Soda; if, as is sometimes the case, there is much pain, take Dover's Powder at bedtime, from 5 to 10 grains, according to age; bathe the eruptions with Goulard Water, and dress them, when discharging, with Zine Ointment, spread upon lint; or a compound infusion of Gentian, 4 ounces, and Iodide of Potassium, ounce, mixed, one teaspoonful taken after each meal, and 2 scruples of Naphthaline and 1 ounce of Lard spread on linen, and applied to the diseased skin twice a day, will do excellent service. Old persons generally require tonics to improve the general health. ERYSIPELAS. We will first say a few words as to the cause of this inflammatory affection of the skin, which often commences very suddenly, and spreads with a rapidity truly alarming, especially when, as is often the case, it first makes its appearance on the head, face, or neck, and so involves some of the most delicate and susceptible or Vicissi- | matter enters into the venous circulation. gans of the human frame. tades of cold and heat causing peculiar conditions of the atmosphere, may be named among the most common causes of this disease, which frequently appears to originate in the slightest puncture or scratch of the skin, as also from wounds or sores; it is very contagious, and its appearance in a hospital ward is greatly dreaded, as wounds and ampatated parts which, up to the time of this visitation, have been going on extremely well, frequently assume an infamed probably a gangrenous character, which leads to a fatal termination of the case. In a house where a confinement is taking, or is likely to take place, Erysipelas should be carefully guarded against, as there is undoubt edly a close connection between that and child-bed fever, which is so frequently fatal. On systems debilitated by any disease, whether acute or caronic, this inflammatory affection appears to seize with peculiar avidity, and to spread through the tissues of the skin most rapidly; it is when extending beneath this that it constitutes what profesional men term phlegmon, meaning literally to burn-then it is that purulent matter forms, the parts slough, or mortify, and gangrene ensues. No unprofessional person should attempt to tamper with this condition of things; there must be a free use of the lancet to let out the morbid matter, and the most prompt and decisive line of action adopted; if a limb is so affected, or any part that can be excised, its removal will probably be necessary to give the patient a chance for life. Among the predisposing causes of Erysipelas may be also mentioned want of cleanliness, insufficiency or bad quality of the food, and irregularity of living; there may be hereditary and constitutional predisposition, and where this exists, the inflammation is very easily excited, strong mental emotion, or a fit of inebriety, being sometimes sufficient to bring on an attack; it often co-exists with or immediately follows some fevers, in which it may be presumed that purulent The symptoms of an attack are usually of a febrile character, such as shivering, headache, furred tongue, accelerated pulse, and often derangement of the stomach for a day or two previously; then there is a tingling and burning sensation, with stiffness and pain at some particular part, followed by a discoloration of the skin, and a slight elevation of the surface; the red or purplish tint is confined at first to one spot, but soon extends itself, and includes the limb or part affected; frequently this is the head, which, with the face, becomes so swollen and disfigured that the patient cannot be recognized; the eyelids puff out and entirely close the eyes, and each avenue to the senses is for a time closed. In very bad cases delirium and coma come on, and death ensues from effusion on the brain; sometimes the patient dies from suffocation, the glottis being closed, on account of the internal swelling of the throat; and all this may take place in a few hours, so rapid is the progress of the disease. In the milder forms, the patient may be tranquil; until the swelling subsides, there will be a little wandering of the mind probably, more particularly at night, and uneasy restlessness from the pain and inconvenience of the swelling. As the redness extends from the part first affected, that part becomes paler, the swelling there subsides, and sometimes vesicles, like those caused by a scald, appear on the surface; if the inflammation is merely superficial, it is neither very troublesome nor dangerous; but when it becomes phlegmonous — that is, dips down and affects the deeplyseated tissues - there is great cause for alarm; when this is the case, the color is generally very florid, the tingling and the burning sensation severe, and the surface hard and firm to the touch. The young and sanguine are most likely to be affected in this way; those of a feebler habit more commonly suffer from the edematous form of the disease; in this, the parts affected are of a paler red, and softer and inelastic, | When several of the follicles become so that they pit on pressure. Treatment. Rest, mild diet, and gentle laxatives, such as Salts and Senna, or Rhubarb and Magnesia, to subdue the fever; then, in mild cases, apply to the inflamed skin Powdered Starch, Magnesia, or Arrowroot; in more severe cases, wash the surface with soap and water, and well dry it, then apply Caustic. To do this, moisten the skin with clear water, and apply Nitrate of Silver, being careful to go an inch beyond the inflamed part on every side, to stop the spread of the inflammation. After this, a lotion of Lunar Caustic, made by mixing 1 scruple of Nitrate of Silver in 1 ounce of water, may be applied with a camel's hair brush over the whole inflamed surface. The powers of the system are generally reduced. Tonics, such as fron, Quinine, or Wine are required. Grubs or Worms on the face, generally called Acne or Spotted Acne. The tumors which arise from this disease occur chiefly in the face; they contain a thick, cheesy matter, which it is difficult to get rid of, on account of its consistency, and the small opening af forded for its egress. inflamed together, and a hardening of their bases ensues, we have, thirdly, Stone Pock, as it is commonly called; and if the pimples become very red, or coppery, then it is called, fourthly, Rosy-drop, Carbuncle-face, Brandyface, Copper-nose. Treatment. The great object is to obtain a free discharge of the offending matter, and to remove the cause by exciting the tissues of the skin to a healthy action; hence frequent washing is desirable, and friction applied gently, so as not to break the pustules, and cause them to run one into another, producing wounds difficult to heal. A sponge and warm water, in which has been dissolved a small quantity of Bicarbonate of Soda, and afterwards & soft thick towel, are the best cleansing adjuncts; and for a lotion to cool the inflamed parts and allay irritation, take Goulard's Extract, or Liquor of Acetate of Lead, 1 dram, added to 8 ounces of Elder-flower, or Rose-water; or else, to the same quantity of the latter, add Glycerine, an ounes; Chloride of Zine, 12 grains. Dip & piece of lint into either of these lotions, and moisten the pustules therewith frequently. When the disease is obstinate, and especially if it assumes the red appearance, it is well to apply Collodion with a camel-hair brush to the eruptions occasionally, and to use & stronger form of the last of the above lotions, with a dressing at night of stimulating ointment, composed of Ointment of Zine, and of Nitrate of Mercury, in the proportion of 1 dram of the former to 1 ounce of the latter, with 4 drops of Creosote added. Care should be taken to keep up a proper action of the liver and kidneys, that the skin may have only its own work to do in removing the impurities of the blood. The system should be strengthened by tonics, and a generous but not over full diet; it is best to avoid fermented liquors. The followSpirit of Acne has four distinct forms of development:-1st. Simple Pimple, which is its mildest form, and is almost confined to persons between the ages of fifteen and thirty, at which period of life it is very prevalent. It may be considered as a form of inflammation set up by nature to rid the system of the superfluous matter accumulated in the follicles;-first appear red spots on the skin, accompanied by itching and irritation; these gradually swell into unsightly pustules, which in a short time discharge their contents; the inflammation then subsides, and the skin resumes its usual appearance. If proper attention is not paid to these pimples, and dirt is suffered to get into them, the disease assumes its second form, Spotted or Maggot Pimples, on accounting is a good mixture: of the little black specks, like the heads of maggots, which present themselves, Nitric Ether, 2 drams; Liquor of Pot ash and Ipecacuanha Wine, of each 1 dram; Syrup of Rhubarb, an ounce; | Infusion of Gentian, 7 ounces: take two tablespoonfuls two or three times a day, and one of the following pills every second or third night: Compound Rhubarb Pill, 2 scruples; Mercurial or Blue Pill, 12 grains; make into 12 pills. Bilious, or Sick Headache, is, perhaps, the most common of any; it generally begins in the morning, and is often relieved by a strong cup of tea or coffee. It is caused by a defective action of the digestive organs. The pain usually commences on one side of the head just over one of the eyes; if it continues long it is diffused over the whole head, accompanied by a sickness at the stomach, and sometimes vomiting, and extreme languor and depression of spirits: singing in the ears, dimness of sight, confusion, and great restlessness, are often its attendants. Evacuating the bowels, either with or without medicine, relieves the most urgent symptoms, but it is generally desirable to take some active aperient. On going to bed at night, take a 5-grain Blue Pill, and in the morning, a Seidlitz Powder. Generally there will be no Headache the next day, but it will probably return as severe as ever in a few weeks, its recurrence in some cases being at almost regular periods. It can generally be traced to some error in diet, such as taking food that is indigestible, or in too large quantities, or stimulating drinks, with insufficient exercise. Very often it arises from some derangement of the biliary secretions, either as to quantity or quality, or defective assimilation, sometimes from the habitual abuse of purgatives, which enfeebles the tone of the alimentary canal. "Under these latter circumstances it is," as Dr. Elliott observes, "a most intractable complaint. Very commonly a simple dose of Rhubarb and Magnesia, with about 30 drops of Sal Volatile, will remove a common Sick Headache; but when there is nausea, and vomiting or purging does not come sponta neously to remove it, the former should be excited by an emetic, composed of 1 grain of Tartarized Antimony and 20 of Ipecacuanha, and after this has acted, a Rhubarb and Blue Pill. Persons subject to this kind of Headache should carefully abstain from fat meats, pastry, butter, and rich food generally. That which we have just been describing is one of the forms of Sympathetic Headache, sympathy with a disordered stomach being the im mediate cause; sometimes an excess of alkali, at others of acid in the alimentary canal, will produce this: in the former case, a vegetable acid, such as Vinegar, will afford relief; in the latter case, in which there is likely to be heart-burn and acid eructations, a dose of Sal Volatile, or of Carbonate of Soda, or Potash, will be the best remedy. In all these cases, it seems likely that the blood circulat ing in the brain is both mechanically and chemically affected by the defec tive action of the assimilative and secretive organs of the stomach. We sometimes find that the postponement of the customary evacuation of the bowels, for ever so short a time, will cause a Sympathetic Headache, and that this will be relieved directly the evacuation has taken place a clear proof of the intimate connection there is between the head and the stomach. Congestive Headache. So called because it proceeds from a congested state of the vessels of the brain; arising either from an over-fulness of blood, or a weakness of the organ, or from an excessive nervous irritability, which frequently upsets the balance of the circulation." Whichever of these may be the case, there is nearly always a dull pain over the whole of the head, which is worst at the fore and hind parts. When it arises from an over-loaded condition of the vessels, there is usually a bloated countenance, with full red eyes, and a dull inanimate expression; here we find, on inquiry, à sluggish liver, and inflam mation of the brain, tending to apo- | plexy or paralysis. Leeches to the temples, or cupping on the back of the neck; cold appli cations to the head, with spare diet, mercurials, and active aperients, will be the proper treatment, A weak brain is generally a consequence of some long standing discharge which has debilitated the whole system, and in this condition of things, if from any cause there is a more than common flow of blood to the brain, there will be Headache, with a pale, sallow countenance, and a languid pulse; frequently swelled feet, excessive fatigue on the slightest exertion, with palpitation of the heart, and increase of pain in the head, Here measures of depletion would be improper; we must soothe and sustain by means of sedatives and tonics, such as Conium and Quinine, either in the form of pills or mixture, as follows:Take of Extract of Confum, 24 grains, Hulphate of Quinine, 12 grains, make into 12 pills and give 1 three times a day, or Sulphate of Quinine, 12 grains, Sulphuric Acid, diluted, 12 minims, Tincture of Conium, 2 drams, Infusion of Gentian, 6 ounces; take a tablespoonful three times a day, Good nourishing food will be required in this case, and stimulants, such as Ale and Wine, in moderation. Where the Headache proceeds from nervous irritability, the mode of treatment must also be soothing and strengthening; but in this case we must avoid stimulants as much as possible; tonics are best here, with plenty of fresh air and exercise, and all that tends to invigorate the frame, ing, avoid exposure, wet feet, or dampness. When the local pain is great, apply hot fomentations, or a mustard poultice, to the back of the neck, Periodic Headache, Brow-ache, Brow-ague, or Neuralgia of the Head, as it is variously called, is an intermitting pain, which comes on at periods more or less regular, and is confined to the brow. It will nearly always yield to full doses of Quinine, especially if combined with Conium, Organic Headache, resulting from actual disease of the head itself, is rare, and when it does occur, only a palliative mode of treatment can be adopted. Sedatives, such as Opium and Conium, may, for a time, relieve the almost intolerable anguish, but they will not touch the disease itself. We have now adverted to the Billous or Sick Headache, sometimes called the Sympathetic or Dyspeptio ; also to the Congestive, the Rheumatle, the Periodic, and the Organie Head aches, these being the principal classes into which Cephalagia, as it is sometimes called, can be divided. Let us in conclusion enumerate the distinct and specific causes to which pain in the head may be assigned: Rheumatic Inflammation of the Pericranium, or of the Mucous Membrane of the Frontal Sinus; Mental excitement; Strong or long continued impressions upon the senses of Hearing, Hight, or Sinell; Excessive Impetus of Blood to the Head; Impeded return of the same; Congestion or Inflammation of the Brain; Suppression of Bile, Perspiration, Urine, etc.; Organic Disease of the Head; Sympathy with the Stomach, and Constipation; Frequent use of Narcotics or Stimulants; Intestinal Worms; Changes in the Atmosphere, and Neu ralgia, Rheumatic Headache is commonly caused by exposure to cold, especially a draught of air; the pain is chiefly confined to the back and front of the head, and is felt most at night when the patient is warm in bed; it is Delirium Tremens is generally the a remittent shifting pain, shooting result of excessive and continued infrom point to point, following the dulgence in intoxicating drinks; it downward course of the jaw, whose consists of an exhausted condition of muscles are commonly implicated, the nervous system, and is accomTake a light diet, wear warm cloth-panied with more or less of mental |