Part 36 (2/2)

9. EXCITABILITY OF MIND.--Excitability of mind is very common in pregnancy, more especially if the patient be delicate; indeed, excitability is a sign of debility, and requires plenty of good nourishment, but few stimulants.

10. ERUPTIONS ON THE SKIN.--Princ.i.p.ally on the face, neck, or throat, are tell-tales of pregnancy, and to an experienced matron, publish the fact that an acquaintance thus marked is pregnant.

11. THE FOETAL HEART.--In the fifth month there is a sign which, if detected, furnishes indubitable evidence of conception, and that is the sound of the child's heart. If the ear be placed on the abdomen, over the womb, the beating of the foetal heart can sometimes be heard quite plainly, and by the use of an instrument called the stethoscope, the sounds can be still more plainly heard. This is a very valuable sign, inasmuch as the presence of the child is not only ascertained, but also its position, and whether there are twins or more.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Baby Elizabeth, Brought Into the World by the ”Twilight Sleep” Method. It Robs Child Bearing of Most of Its Terrors.]

DISEASES OF PREGNANCY.

1. COSTIVE STATE OF THE BOWELS.--A costive state of the bowels is common in pregnancy; a mild laxative is therefore occasionally necessary. The mildest must be selected, as a strong purgative is highly improper, and even dangerous. Calomel and all other preparations of mercury are to be especially avoided, as a mercurial medicine is apt to weaken the system, and sometimes even to produce a miscarriage. Let me again urge the importance of a lady, during the whole period of pregnancy, being particular as to the state of her bowels, as costiveness is a fruitful cause of painful, tedious and hard labors.

2. LAXATIVES.--The best laxatives are caster oil, salad oil, compound rhubarb pills, honey, stewed prunes, stewed rhubarb, Muscatel raisins, figs, grapes, roasted apples, baked pears, stewed Normandy pippins, coffee, brown-bread and treacle. Scotch oatmeal made with new milk or water, or with equal parts of milk and water.

3. PILLS.--When the motions are hard, and when the bowels are easily acted upon, two, or three, or four pills made of Castile soap will frequently answer the purpose; and if they will, are far better than any other ordinary laxative. The following is a good form. Take of:

Castile Soap, five scruples; Oil of Caraway, six drops;

To make twenty-four pills. Two, or three, or four to be taken at bedtime, occasionally.

4. HONEY.--A teaspoonful of honey, either eaten at breakfast or dissolved in a cup of tea, will frequently, comfortably and effectually, open the bowels, and will supersede the necessity of taking laxative medicine.

5. NATURE'S MEDICINES.--Now, Nature's medicines--exercise in the open air, occupation, and household duties--on the contrary, not only at the time open the bowels, but keep up a proper action for the future; her--their inestimable superiority.

6. WARM WATER INJECTIONS.--An excellent remedy for costiveness of pregnancy is an enema, either of warm water, or of Castile soap and water, which the patient, by means of a self-injecting enema-apparatus, may administer to herself. The quant.i.ty of warm water to be used, is from half a pint to a pint; the proper heat is the temperature of new milk; the time for administering it is early in the morning, twice or three times a week.

7. MUSCULAR PAINS OF THE ABDOMEN.--The best remedy is an abdominal belt constructed for pregnancy, and adjusted with proper straps and buckles to accomodate the gradually increasing size of the womb. This plan often affords great comfort and relief; indeed, such a belt is indispensably necessary.

8. DIARRHEA.--Although the bowels in pregnancy are generally costive, they are sometimes in an opposite state, and are relaxed. Now, this relaxation is frequently owing to there having been prolonged constipation, and Nature is trying to relieve herself by purging.

Do not check it, but allow it to have its course, and take a little rhubarb or magnesia. The diet should be simple, plain, and nouris.h.i.+ng, and should consist of beef tea, chicken broth, arrow-root, and of well-made and well-boiled oatmeal gruel. Butcher's meat, for a few days, should not be eaten; and stimulants of all kinds must be avoided.

9. FIDGETS.--A pregnant lady sometimes suffers severely from ”fidgets”; it generally affects her feet and legs, especially at night, so as to entirely destroy her sleep; she cannot lie still; she every few minutes moves, tosses and tumbles about--first on one side, then on the other. The causes of ”fidgets” are a heated state of the blood; an irritable condition of the nervous system, prevailing at that particular time; and want of occupution. The treatment of ”fidgets” consists of: sleeping in a well-ventilated apartment, with either window or door open; a thorough ablution of the whole body every morning, and a good was.h.i.+ng with tepid water of the face, neck, chest, arms and hands every night; shunning hot and close rooms; taking plenty of out-door exercise; living on a bland, nouris.h.i.+ng, put not rich diet; avoiding meat at night, and subst.i.tuting in lieu thereof, either a cupful of arrow-root made with milk, or of well-boiled oatmeal gruel.

10. EXERCISE.--If a lady, during the night, have the ”fidgets,” she should get out of bed; take a short walk up and down the room, being well protected by a dressing-gown; empty her bladders turn, her pillow, so as to have the cold side next the head; and then lie down again; and the chances are that she will now fall asleep. If during the day she have the ”fidgets,” a ride in an open carriage; or a stroll in the garden, or in the fields; or a little housewifery, will do her good, and there is nothing like fresh air, exercise, and occupation to drive away ”the fidgets.”

11. HEARTBURN.--Heartburn is a common and often a distressing symptom of pregnancy. The acid producing the heartburn is frequently much increased by an overloaded stomach. An abstemious diet ought to be strictly observed. Great attention should be paid to the quality of the food. Greens, pastry, hot b.u.t.tered toast, melted b.u.t.ter, and everything that is rich and gross, ought to be carefully avoided.

Either a teaspoonful of heavy calcined magnesia, or half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda--the former to be preferred if there be constipation--should occasionally be taken in a wine-gla.s.sful of warm water. If these do not relieve--the above directions as to diet having been strictly attended to--the following mixture ought to be tried.

Take of:

Carbonate of Ammonia, half a drachm; Bicarbonate of Soda, a drachm and a half; Water, eight ounces;

To make a mixture: Two tablespoonfuls to be taken twice or three times a day, until relief be obtained.

<script>