Croup

Summon a physician at once; croup is dangerous to young children. Meanwhile apply hot flannels to the chest. Keep the room warm; if possible have a tea-kettle boiling rapidly; the steam will help and relieve the patient.

Diarrhoea

First give a tablespoonful of castor oil (or sweet oil) for an adult, or a teaspoonful for a child, to remove the irritating cause; then give some diarrhoea remedy.

Earache

Apply a hot-water bottle, or cloths wrung out of hot water, over the seat of the pain. Put into the ear a drop of warm olive oil.

Fainting

Lay the patient down flat, head level with the body; loosen the clothing, especially about the neck. Allow all the air there is, and bathe carefully the face and hands with cold water. Smelling-salts will also help revival.

Fits

Lay the patient flat, put one arm under his head, and loosen the clothing. Place any hard substance between the teeth to prevent biting the tongue.

Frost-Bites

Rub the frozen places with snow or cloths wrung out of cold water; keep the patient away from heat. Continue the rubbing, and give hot tea or coffee or brandy in small quantities.

Hiccough

Try holding the breath persistently. Drink cold water very slowly; if this does not help, a small quantity of sugar has been known to stop the trouble even in adults.

Hysteria

The patient will best recover if left alone. Do not sympathize or restrain. If very severe, apply mustard plasters to soles of feet and palms of hands.

Ivy Poisoning

Any one very susceptible to poisoning by ivy, sumach, or any other poisonous plant may often prevent an attack by anointing the face and hands with olive oil or vaseline before going into the woods, or by washing the face and hands with a solution of cooking-soda on returning.

There are many and various remedies: Glycerine is said to kill it at once. If the blisters are too deep to bear rubbing, lay on cloths wet in a solution of equal parts of water and glycerine. Plain cream is a useful remedy. For the inflammation, apply cloths wet in a cooking-soda solution (a tablespoon-ful of soda to a cupful of water) or lime water. Dissolve starch in a glass of water, apply freely and allow to dry. This is cooling, and will stop the itching and dry the pimples. Some find dry starch or talcum powder cooling and soothing to the inflammation.

Indigestion

A simple or severe attack can be immediately helped by drinking a cup of very hot water. Lukewarm water may act as an emetic. Lime water will relieve many forms of stomach trouble and will often remove the cause of bad breath. So useful is this that no one should be without it; it is inexpensive and easy to make. Put as much lime as you can hold in one hand in one gallon of water. When sediment settles, pour off the clear liquid from time to time as required. A tablespoonful of this solution in a glass of milk will not affect the taste and makes it most digestible.