Manual of British Rural Sports by Stonehenge 17th Edition

TREATMENT OF HEMORRHOIDS, <ic. 653 ing by local remedies. Tie first and | second of these objects may generally becombined, but in very badly conges­ tive states of the liver a dose or two of blue pill must be given in addition to this remedy. It should be avoided, however, if possible, as its immediate effect is rather to aggravate than to allay the local irritation. Generally speaking, the following remedy will be the best, acting inthe double capa­ city which I have alluded to :—Take of best Turkey rhubarb, powdered, from eight to fifteen grains, ipecacu­ anhaone grain, mix with water into two or three pills, and take with morning meal. The quantity ofrhubarb should be increased or diminished so as to keep the bowels gently moved every day. The great point is to take the pills with a full meal, and to take them regularly every day at such an hour as to produce a motion in the evening, just before bedtime. "Whenthe bowels are usually sufficiently relaxed,but the piles are still painful, then give five grains of the confection of black pep­ per, with an equal quantitj'' of common pitch, night and morning, made into two pills. As a local remedy, when the irritation is great and recently come on, the use of very hot water with a sponge to the part, two or three times a day, will afford great relief. This should be followed by the application of a little of the following ointment:— Take of gallic acid and finelypowdered opium, of each, one drachm ; ointment of acetate of lead, an ounce and a half. When the piles are of long standing these remediesmay be used ; but, in addition, four ounces of cold water should be thrown up into the rectum immediately before each time that the bowels act. By these methods of treatment piles may almost always be relieved, and generally cured : but on the recurrence of disordered liver, they will be sure to reappear, and, therefore, that condition must be guarded against ACUTE RHEUMATISM is quite incom­ patible with training, and its treatment need not therefore enter into our pre­ sent inquiry. Chronic rheumatism, on the other hand, is constantly interfering with severe work, and its attacks are anxiously to be avoided. It may be divided intomuscular rheumatism and tlie rheumatism of joints ; the former shows itself by the occurrence of pain, often ve^ysevere, on theslightest movement, or attempt at movement even, of the particular muscle or muscles attacked, which again are generally quite free from pain while quiescent. On pressing upon the muscles attacked,great pain and sore­ ness occur, and the seat of the dis­ ease may in this way generally bo discovered; on, the other hand, when in the ligaments around the joints, it requires the joint itself to be moved, either actively or passively, beforepain is experienced. Thus, supposing there to be rheumatism ofthe arm, if the up­ per and lower arms are firmly grasped so as to fix the elbow, and the patient is told to attempt to bend the elbow, if muscular rheumatism is present he will give himself even more pain than usual; but if the joint only is affected, no pain, or much less than usual will be felt. During training, whenever rheumatism is so severe as to require internal medicine, the disease is of such a nature as to demand rest; but it often happens that local remedies will suffice, and this is particularly the case with muscular rheumatism. It is generally in those muscles which are more particularly called into play by the nature of the exercise that rheuma­ tism shows itself, and every time exercise is taken the rheumatic con­ dition only goes off during use, to return with increased activity after a rest. In all these cases prevention is better than cure, and all unnecessary exposure of the body should be avoided, especially ifin cold or wet weather. Flannel should beworn next the skin during the day,and after stripping, as in rowing andrunning, thecoat should be put on again without delay. As a local remedy, oneof the following may be tried, and I give them in the order of their severity, beginning with the most mild. First, take of tincture ot: capsicum half an ounce, spirits of camphor one ounce, tincture of arnica one drachm ;mix: on using it,add an equal quantity of hot brandy, and rub the part affected for a quarter of an hour. Secondly, takeof liquor ammo- niee, spirits of turpentine, laudanum, and neats-footoil, equal parts ; mix, and rub in before a good fire twice aday. These remedies will often allay any muscular rheumatismwhich may occur in training, and I have even known rheumatism, when attacking the joints,