Amelia Young

“ Children should never be indulged in pastry, of any kind. They may, occasionally, take a little of the cooked fruit of a pie; but even this should be in moderation.
The drink of children should be simply water, milk, whey, or very weak tea, milk and sugar. All stimulating and fermenting liquors are not only unnecessary, but positively injurious, by increasing, to an improper extent, the circulation of the blood; they induce fever, indigestion, inflammation, or convulsions, to say nothing of the danger of their use during childhood—giving rise to habits of intemperance in after life. ”

“ THERE is no part of the human system which has such a controlling influence over the whole body, as respects health or disease, as the digestive organs. Any derangement in these, especially the stomach, calls up a sympathy of action from the whole animal economy. Nearly all the morbid actions found in the general system, are produced from causes, first operative on the stomach. ”

“ But this state of things cannot always remain. The light of truth is shining, and is destined to dispel the clouds of mystery, which have so long covered the pathway to the grave, of millions of our fellow-men. ”

“ As the blood is made from our food, we should be careful as to the quality and quantity, eating only what is conducive to health, which surely will promote happiness. Strong spices, hot bread, rich pies and cakes, salt pork and beef, are injurious eating at all hours of the day, especially at bed time, and is contrary to the laws of nature. ”

“ A tea, made of the inner or middle bark, is good for dropsy, for coughs, and for affections of chest and lungs. The leaves are good for inflammation of the eyes. The juice of the berry, boiled in honey, and a few drops put in the ear, will stop the earache or headache. A tea, made from the roots, will assist the monthly courses, and remove obstructions; is also good to bathe the head when affected by cold. A tea,25 made from the blossoms, I recommend in retention of urine, for the piles, and to cleanse the blood. Striping the bark up, it will act as an emetic,—down, as a physic. ”

“ We know not how the heart is kept in motion, nor can the wisest anatomist or physiologist in the world tell us; we know that the lungs have something to do in the case, and, when once set a-going, we can form some idea of what keeps it in motion—but, after all, the real causes of the continued movement of either the heart or lungs, has ever been a great mystery, and may possibly always remain so.
Our bones, nerves, and muscles receive life and nourishment from the blood ”

“ AS a general rule, mothers have not that care of infants which nature requires. In the first place, as soon as the little stranger makes its appearance, every precaution should be taken; it should be wrapped in warm clothes, with particular care not to have it laid in a cold place. Then a basin of warm water and good Castile soap should be ready, and great care should be taken as to the tightness of its bands. The infant, you must remember, comes from a warm berth, and particular pains should be taken to keep it warm, especially when asleep. ”

“ Great care should be taken in regard to bathing children; always bathe them regularly every morning—but let the water172 be warm; cold water will do more harm than good. In the heat of summer let it be tepid—it will strengthen a child; but when cold water seizes the little creature, it generally produces too much fear to be beneficial.
When you intend to wean your infant, it would be well to choose the shortest days, as the child will sleep more. A good substitute for mother’s milk is arrow-root, boiled in half milk and water. ”

“ Those articles of food should be selected, which have an influence to keep the bowels open. Bread, made of flour, has a tendency to constipate them; but brown bread, and bread made of wheat meal, have a tendency to open them—also molasses, taken with food, has an additional tendency; fruits and greens, if the stomach can bear them, are adapted to relieve costiveness. The influence of the mind should also be brought to bear upon this difficulty; the operation of the mind on the physical system is very great, especially in chronic complaints. ”

“ When the liver is inactive, we have what is called the jaundice; the liver failing to take up from the system that substance which forms the bile. When this is the case, a yellow substance is found diffused throughout the whole body, and it exhibits a yellow tinge. The bile, when properly secreted and discharged, meets the contents of the stomach as discharged into that part of the bowels nearest the stomach, and is there supposed to assist in the process of separating the nutritious part of the contents from the refuse, which is to pass off by the bowels ”

“ It makes a man feel clean, bright, and respectable. The use of warm baths, except in particular cases of illness, is mischievous; they weaken the skin, and expose the person who takes them, to attacks of colds and influenza. Still, the occasional use of warm baths for cleaning the skin, is better than to allow the skin to be dirty. Shower baths are useful in cases where there is high health, or general inflammation; where there is full reactive power they are safe, and not otherwise; where they induce a chill, they are very hurtful. ”

“ Avoid strong food; the least sugar you give the better. If medicine is required, use Turkey rhubarb; always buy the root, and prepare it yourself—do not get it pulverized; cut it, and steep it as much as necessary; add a few caraway seeds to it, when you steep it. This medicine will not injure the child, in case you give too much, as would any other cathartic, but it is strengthening to the bowels.
If the child has a sore mouth, get some pulverized wild turnip and cranesbill bark; take two teaspoonsful of loaf sugar, and as much of the barks as you can hold on a ten cent piece ”

“ Digestive medicine is prepared thus: Take as much tartar emetic as will lay on the handle of a teaspoon, twice that of blood root, the same of lobelia, and one teaspoonful of saltpeter, to one pint of water; this corrects the stomach in every case of oppression, and promotes expectoration and respiration; promotes rest and breaks up fevers. Dose—a teaspoonful in a wine glass of water; take a tablespoonful every three hours until relieved. ”

“ It grows plentifully in the gardens throughout the United States. The seed is imported from Switzerland; it is noted for its virtues in the cure of epilepsy, and fits in children. The root must be dug in March, dried and pulverized, and kept in bottles, close corked, for use. Adults, subject to epilepsy, may take a desert-spoonful of the powder four times a day, in a teacupful of bitter sweet tea, made as follows: Pour a quart of boiling water on an ounce of the bruised dry bark of bitter sweet, taken from off the roots, and sweeten the tea with sugar ”

“ A child ought to be put at the breast as soon as possible—it is a great error to keep the child from it for several hours; and suppose the mother to be weak, it will not injure her health in the least, as it is natural; but it is unnatural to give the child strong bread and milk—give it a little catnip tea, if it is absolutely necessary. ”

“ I have recommended cold water to a number of weak females, during pregnancy, and they have borne up with a vigor scarcely less wonderful than that of the Indian woman.
Hardihood of Indian Women.—The great power of endurance which the Indian woman of the forest, uncontaminated by the blighting influence which civilization often introduces among them, many have noticed. Every one has read the account of their remarkable health, during pregnancy and child-birth. ”

“ I seldom meet with a person, but has more or less humors to combat with. And how many have been injured by mercury, which poisons the blood. Girls may be troubled with the whites, at from three months to fourteen years of age. The womb can be ulcerated as well as the ovaries, and thence comes dropsy, cancers, and various other diseases; and by this pressing down, in fact, two-thirds die of consumption, because all the parts are pulled down, from the midriff, to the liver, intestines, kidneys, womb, and ovaries—there is no action—all is in a debilitated state. ”

“ This bark is excellent in all colds, to be used as a steam bath. It will break up a fever, and by taking a teaspoonful of powdered mandrake root, internally, it will remove the fever, and probably save fifty dollars doctor’s bill. It is good, internally and externally. The tincture is very warming, and good to bathe the back and loins, when weak or painful. Always take few drops on sugar, internally, before bathing. Remember, never bathe with any tincture without taking something internally, it may injure you for life. ”

“ Hence, those who suffer from chronic diarrhœa may eat largely, and yet grow weaker and weaker; their food does not nourish them; the nutritious part passes off through the bowels, instead of being taken into the blood. If the bowels, on the other hand, are constipated, the consequences are no less unhappy. No one can possibly be well with costive bowels; the free and easy action of the bowels is as truly essential to health, as the free circulation of the blood. When the bowels are sluggish, the process of absorption of the chyle is retarded ”

“ Nettles—Made into syrup, is good when sweetened with honey, to free the passages of the lungs, which is the cause of phthisic, and is also good for swelling of the almond of the throat; cleanses and helps the palate, heals inflammation, soreness of the mouth and throat; steeped in wine, it will assist those about to be confined, and help prevent all diseases arising therefrom. In severe colds, grind the tops and roots45 together, and mix with gum mastic, to be applied outwardly. The seed is good for worms; a strong tea made of it, and taken frequently, is good for the gravel ”

“ He should never conclude that he has nothing more to know, or that he can find all knowledge in any one system, or theory, of practice; he should ever be ready to learn, from every body. He who147 expects to find out all that can be known, in one train of reasoning, or round of study, is like a man traveling upon a circle, who thinks, because he can travel all his life-time upon that circle, he can consequently visit every place that the length of his life will permit him to visit. ”

“ They should also be early taught the importance of eating slowly, and chewing their food well; on this account alone, the habit of resting after a meal is of importance, as it prevents them from swallowing their food hastily, in order that they may return more quickly to their play.
In regulating the diet of children, care should be taken not to force any particular article upon them, after it is found, by a fair trial, not to agree with their stomach. The contrary practice is both cruel and injudicious; cruel, because the poor child is forced to swallow what is disagreeable to it ”

“ Directions.—For a grown persen half a teaspoonful of the powder and add a little loaf sugar, rub them together and add half a pint of boiling water; drink the tea as hot as you can bear it. There is no occasion for swallowing the grounds, as is a common practice, for the strength of the medicine will be extracted by the boiling water, and the sediment can have no other effect than to clog and irritate the stomach. When the tea is taken the patient should be in bed with a warm brick at their feet, or sitting by a fire wrapped in a blanket, to create perspiration. ”

“ Never trifle with nature. What pain and suffering might be averted, if all would obey the first call of nature! By retention of the urine, a bad odor arises from the body; what you retain in the bladder, is emitted from the pores in a measure, and your perspiration is very offensive. Mothers ought to instruct their children in regard to this important call of nature. I have found, in my practice, a great number who habituated themselves to retain the water in the bladder all day, that is, from morning to bed time ”

“ Always be regular in eating your own meals, and giving the same to your children, if you wish them to be healthy; as a general rule, give them food according to your own judgment—not too much. I think many a poor child has been murdered, by an over fond mother giving it all it wanted, and not using that judgment which was required, because the child cried. ”