391. At what period of life is a lady most prone in Hysterics, and what are the symptoms?
The time of life when hysterics occur is generally from the age of fifteen to fifty. Hysterics come on by paroxysms—hence they are called hysterical fits. A patient, just before an attack, is low-spirited; crying without a cause; she is "nervous," as it is called; she has flushings of the face; she is at other times very pale; she has shortness of breath and occasional palpitations of the heart; her appetite is usually bad; she passes quantities of colourless limpid urine, having the appearance of pump water; she is much troubled with flatulence in her bowels, and, in consequence, she feels bloated and uncomfortable. The "wind" at length rises upwards towards the stomach, and still upwards to the throat, giving her the sensation of a ball stopping her breathing, and producing a feeling of suffocation. The sensation of a ball in the throat (globus hystericus) is the commencement of the fit.
She now becomes partially insensible, although she seldom loses complete consciousness. Her face becomes flushed, her nostrils dilated, her head thrown back, and her stomach and bowels enormously distended with "wind." After a short time she throws her arms and her legs about convulsively, she beats her breast, tears her hair and clothes, laughs boisterously and screams violently; at other times she makes a peculiar noise; sometimes she sobs and her face is much distorted. At length she brings up enormous quantities of wind; after a time she bursts into a violent flood of tears, and then gradually comes to herself.
As soon as the fit is at an end she generally passes enormous quantities of colourless limpid urine. She might, in a short time, fall into another attack similar to the above. When she comes to herself she feels exhausted and tired, and usually complains of a slight headache, and of great soreness of the body and limbs. She seldom remembers what has occurred during the fit. Hysterics are sometimes frightful to witness, but, in themselves, are not at all dangerous.
Hysterics—an hysterical fit—is sometimes styled hysterical passion. Shakspeare, in one of his plays, calls it hysterica passio—
"Oh how this, mother, swells up toward my Heart! Hysterica passio!"
Sir Walter Scott graphically describes an attack—"The hysterical passion that impels tears is a terrible violence—a sort of throttling sensation—then succeeded by a state of dreaming stupidity"
392. What are the causes of Hysterics?
Delicate health, chlorosis, improper and not sufficiently nourishing food, grief, anxiety, excitement of the mind, closely confined rooms, want of exercise, indigestion, flatulence and tight-lacing, are the causes which usually produce hysterics. Hysterics are frequently feigned, indeed, oftener than any other complaint, and even a genuine case is usually much aggravated by a patient herself giving way to them.
393. What do you recommend an hysterical lady to do?
To improve her health by proper management, to rise early and to take a walk, that she may breathe pure and wholesome air,—indeed, she ought to live nearly half her time in the open air, exercising herself with walking, skipping, etc., to employ her mind with botany, croquet, archery, or with any out-door amusement, to confine herself to plain, wholesome, nourishing food, to avoid tight lacing; to eschew fashionable amusements; and, above all, not to give way to her feelings, but, if she feel an attack approaching, to rouse herself.
If the fit be upon her, the better plan is, to banish all the male sex from the room, and not even to have many women about her, and for those around to loosen her dress; to lay her in the centre of the room, flat upon the ground, with a pillow under her head, to remove combs and pins and brooches from her person; to dash cold water upon her face; to apply cloths, or a large sponge wetted in cold water, to her head; to throw open the window, and then to leave her to herself; or, at all events, to leave her with only one female friend or attendant. If such be done, she will soon come round; but what is the usual practice? If a girl be in hysterics, the whole house, and perhaps the neighbourhood, is roused; the room is crowded to suffocation; fears are openly expressed by those around that she is in a dangerous state; she hears what they say, and her hysterics are increased ten-fold.
394. Have you any remarks to make on a patient recovering from a severe illness?
There is something charming and delightful in the feelings of a patient recovering from a severe illness: it is like a new birth: it is almost worth the pain and anguish of having been ill to feel quite well again: everything around and about him wears a charming aspect—a roseate hue: the appetite for food returns with pristine vigour; the viands, be they ever so homely, never tasted before so deliciously sweet; and a draught of water from the spring has the flavour of ambrosial nectar: the convalescent treads the ground as though he were on the ambient air; and the earth to him for a while is Paradise: the very act of living is a joy and gladness:—
"See the wretch that long has tost
On the thorny bed of pain
Again repair his vigour lost
And walk and run again.
The meanest flow'ret of the vale,
The amplest note that swells the gale,
The common air, the earth, the skies,
To him are opening Paradise."—Grey
* * * * *
CONCLUDING REMARKS
If this book is to be of use to mothers and to the rising generation, as I humbly hope and trust that it has been, and that it will be still more abundantly, it ought not to be listlessly read, merely as a novel or as any other piece of fiction; but it must be thoughtfully and carefully studied, until its contents, in all its bearings, be completely mastered and understood.
* * * * *
In conclusion: I beg to thank you for the courtesy, confidence, and attention I have received at your hands; and to express a hope that my advice, through God's blessing, may not have been given in vain; but that it may be—one among many—an humble instrument for improving the race of our children—England's priceless treasures! O, that the time may come, and may not be far distant, "That our sons may grow up as the young plants, and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple!"
INDEX.
ABLUTION of a child
of an infant
of a youth
thorough, of boy and girl
Accidents of children
how to prevent
Acne, symptoms and treatment of
Advice to a mother if her infant be poorly
to Mr Pater familias
Ailments, the distinction between between serious and slight
of infants
Air and exercise for youth
the importance of good
the necessity of fresh, and changing the
Airing an infant's clothes
Alternately to each breast
American ladies
Amusements for a child
for a boy
for a girl
Ankles, weak
Antipathies of a child
Aperients for a child
for an infant
for a new-born babe
for a youth
danger of frequent
Appeal to mothers
Appetite, on a child losing his
Applications, hot
Apron, washing
Archery
Arnold, Dr, on corporal punishment
Arrow-root for an infant
Artificial food for an infant at breast
Asses' milk
BABES should kick on floor
Babe's clothing
Babe himself taking exercise
Babyhood, the language of
Baby daughter
Baked crumb of bread for an infant
flour for an infant
Bakers' and home made bread
Bathing after full meal
Baths, cold, tepid, and warm
warm, as a remedy for flatulence
Beard, best respirator
Bed, on placing child in
Beds, feather
purification of
Bed-rooms, the ventilation of
cool
large
a plan to ventilate
Bee, the sting of
Beef, salted or boiled
Beer, on giving child
Belladonna, poisoning by
Belly-band, best kind
when to discontinue
Beverage for a child
"Black-eye," remedies for
Bladder and bowels of an infant
Bleeding from navel, how to restrain
of nose
Blood, spitting of
Blows and bruises
Boarding schools for females
on cheap (note)
Boiled bread for infants' food
flour for infants' food
Boils, the treatment of
Boots and shoes
Bottles, the best nursing
Boulogne sore-throat
Bow-legs
Bowels, large, of children
looseness of
protrusion of lower
regulation of, by diet
Boys should be made strong
Brain, water on the
Bran to soften water
Bran Poultices
Breakfast of a child
of a youth
Breast on early putting an infant to
Breathing exercise
Brimstone and treacle
Brown and Polson's Corn Flour
Bronchitis, the treatment of
Broth for Infants
for a new born infant
and soup
Brothers and sisters
Bruises, remedies for
Bullying a child
Burns and scalds
Butter, wholesome
CADBURY'S Cocoa Essence
Calomel, the danger of a mother prescribing
the ill effects of
Camphor makes teeth brittle
Caning a boy
Caps, flannel
Care in preparation of food
Carpets in nurseries
Carriage exercise
Carron oil in burns
Castor oil to heal the bowels
Cat, bites and scratches of a
"Chafings" of infants, the treatment of
Chairs, straight backed
Change of air
linen in sickness
Chapped hands, legs, &c
lips
Chest, keeping warm the upper part of the
"Chicken breasted" and narrow breasted children
pox
Chilblains
Child should dine with parents
"Child-crowing"
the treatment of a paroxysm of
Children's hour
parties
Chimneys, on the stopping of
Chiropodists (note)
Chloralum as a disinfectant
Chlorosis and green sickness
not in rural districts
Choking, what to be done in a case of
Cholera infantum
Cisterns, best kind of
Clothes, on airing an infant's
the ill effects of tight
Clothing of children
of infants
during winter
of youths
Coffee as an aperient
and tea
Coin, on the swallowing of a
Cold bed-room healthy
Cold, a feverish
on child always catching
feet, method to warm
Concluding remarks on infancy
Conclusion
Constipation, prevention and cure of
Consumption attacks the upper part of the lungs
the age at which it usually appears
causes of
death rate
importance of early consulting a medical man in
spitting of blood in
symptoms of
Consumptive patient, the treatment of a
Convulsions of children
cause insensibility
from hooping-cough
no pain in
Cooked fruit for child
Corns
Corn plaster, an excellent
Coroners inquests on infants
Corporal punishment at schools
Costiveness of infants, the means to prevent
remedies for
the reason why so prevalent
in weak children
Cough, the danger of stopping a
Cow, the importance of having the milk from one
pox lymph direct from heifer
from healthy child
Cream and egg, 200
and water for babe
Crinoline and burning of ladles
Crib, covering head of
Croquet for girls
Crossness in a sick child
Croup
the treatment of
Cry of infant
Cure, artificial and natural
"Curious phenomenon" in scarlet fever
Cut finger, the application for
DANCING, and skipping
Danger of constantly giving physic
Delicate child, plan to strengthen a
Dentition
lancing of gums
second
painful
Diarrhoea of infants
treatment of
Diet of a child who has cut his teeth
of children
of a dry nursed child
of infants
on a mother being particular in attending to
variety of for child
of youth
Dietary in infants
Dieting a child
Dinner for a child
youth
Diphtheria symptoms, causes, and treatment of
Dirty child
Diseased nature and strange eruptions
Diseases of children
girls
infants
obscure
the prevention of
produced by tight lacing
symptoms of serious
Disinfectants in scarlet fever
Doctor on early calling in
Dog the bide of a
Doleful child
Don't
Dowle on The Foot and its Covering
Drainage
Dress, female
of a child while asleep
of a babe, child, and youth
Dresses, high for delicate child
Dressing babe for sleep
Dribbling bibs
Drinking fountains
Dropping child, danger of
Dry nursed children, the best food for
"Dusting powder" for infants
Dysentery, symptoms and treatment of
EAR, discharges from
removal of a pea or bead from
Ear-ache, treatment of
wig in ear
Early rising
Education of children
infant schools
home, the best for girls
Education, modern
for youth
Eggs for children
Electuary of figs
Emetic tarter dangerous for child
Eneme apparatus (note)
of warm water
Engravings in nurseries
Eruptions about the mouth
Excorations applications for
best remedy for
Exercise
best composing medicine
during teething
for children
in wet weather
on violently tossing infants
horse and pony
an infant himself taking
in very cold weather
in wet weather
for youth
Eve, substances in
FAECAL matter in pump-water
Fainting
from constipation
from debility
from disordered stomach
Falling-off of hair
Falls on the head
Farinaceous food give babes wind
Fash on dangerous effects of strictly attending to
the present, of dressing children
Fashionable desiderata for complexion
Favouritism
Feeding bottles
infants, proper times for at breast
new born babe with gruel
Feet smelling
sweating
tender
Female dress
Fire, on a child playing with
danger of back to
in night nursery
the manner of extinguishing, if clothes be on
guards
Fire-proof, making dresses
Flannel cap for babe
night-gowns
shifts for a delicate child
waistcoats
to wash child with
Flatulence, remedies for
Fleas, to drive away
Flute, bugle and other wind-instruments
Fly pole
Fog, on sending a child out in
Folly, of giving physic after vaccination
Food, artificial, during snacking
care in preparing infant's
for dry-nursed infants
for infants who are sucking
Formula, for milk, water, salt, and sugar
Friction after ablation
Frightening a child
Fruit as an aperient
during teething
GARTERS impede circulation
Gently speak to child
Gin or pepperment in infant's food
Giving joy to a child
Glass, a child swallowing broken
Gluttony
Glycerine
Goats' milk
Godfrey's Cordial
poisoning by treatment
Grazed skin
Green dresses poisonous
paper hangings for nurseries
peas as a vegetable
"Gripings" for infants
Groin rupture
"Gross superstition,"
"Grub-pimple"
Gums, the lancing of the
Gum-bod, cause and treatment
Gum-sticks, the best
Gymnasium, value of
HAIR, the best application for
falling off
making tidy
management of
Half-washed and half starved child
Hand-swing
Happiness to a child
Happy child
Hard's Farinaceous Food
Hardening of children's constitutions
of infants
Hartehorn, on swallowing
Hats for a child, the best kind
Hawthorn, Nathaniel, on American ladies
Head, fall upon
Heat, external application of
Hectic flush, description of
Hiccups of infants
Hints conducive to the well-doing of a child
Home of childhood—the nursery
Hooping-cough
obstinate
treatment of
Horse exercise for boys or girls
and pony exercise
Hot-water bag or bottle
Household work for girls
Hurdle on early rising
Hydrophobia
Hysterica passio
Hysterics
ICE, on the value of
Illness, recovery from
Importance of our subject
India-rubber hot-water bottle
Ingoldsby Legend on thumb-sucking
Infants should be encouraged to use exertion
Infant schools
Ipecacuantis wine, preservation of
JOYFUL to bed, on sending child
LADIES "affecting the saddle"
Laudanum, poisoning by
Laugh of a child
Law, physic, and divinity
Leaden cisterns
Learning without health
Leech bites, the way to restrain bleeding from
Lessons for child
Lice in head after illness
Light, best artificial, for nursery
the importance of, to health
Lightly clad child
Lime in the eye
to harden the bones
Lime-water and milk
"Looseness of the the bowels" the treatment
Love of children
Lucifer-matches the poisonous effects of
Luncheon for a child
Lungs, inflammation of
precautions to
symptoms of
treatment of
Lying lips of a child
MAD DOG, the bite of
description of
Magnesia to cool a child
Management of child's mother's question
Massacre of innocents
Mattresses, horse-hair, best for child
May, the month of
Meals, a child's
Measles
and scarlet fever
treatment of
Meat, daily, on giving
raw in long-standing diarrhoea
in exhaustive diseases
when a child should commence taking
Meddlesome treatment
Medical man, a mother's treatment towards
Medicine, the best way of administering
on giving new-born infants
on making palatable (note)
Menstruating female during suckling
Mercury, on the danger of parents giving
Milk, on the importance of having it from ONE cow
bad, very nasty
for babe indispensable
in every form
or meat, or both
a plan to make a child take
sugar of, and water
the value of, for children
unboiled
a way to prevent, turning sour
-crust
Mismanaged baby
Modified small-pox and chicken-pox
Mother fretting, injurious to infant
a foolish
of many diseases
Mother's and cow's milk, on mixing
health during suckling
influence
Motions, healthy, of babe
Mumps
NAAMAN, the Syrian
Napkins, when to dispense with
Nature's physic
Navel, management of the
rupture of
sore
-string separation of
Neaves' Farinaceous Food
Nervous and unhappy young ladies
Nettle-rash
New-born infants and aperients
when feeble
Night-commode
Night-terrors
Nose, removal of foreign substances from
bleeding from, means to restrain
Nurse, on the choice of a
a lazy
strong and active
young, not desirable
for the sick
Nursery-basin
of a sick child
a child's own domain
selection, warming, ventilation, arrangements of
on the light of a
must be airy
observations, further
windows to be often opened
Nursing-bottles, the best
OPIUM, a case of poisoning by
the danger of administering to infants
the treatment of poisoning by
Over-education
Over-lying a child
PAIN, convulsions, and death
Paint-boxes dangerous as toys
Parental baby-slaughter
Parritch, the halesome
Peevishness of a child, the plan to allay
Perambulators
Physicking a child, on the frequent
Pies and Puddings
Pimples on the face, treatment of
Pin, on a child swallowing
Pins, in dressing of babe
Play, a course of education in
Play-grounds for children
and play
Pleasant words to a child
Poisoning, accidental
by the breath
Poppy-syrup
Pork an improper meat for children
Position of a sleeping child
Potatoes for children
Poultice, a white-bread
Powder, "dusting"
Precocity of intellect
Precocious youths, the health of
Prescriptions for a child
Princess of Wales and her baby (note)
Professions and trades
Proper person to wash an Infant
Prunes, the best way of stewing
Profession or trade, choice of, for delicate youth
delicate youth should be brought up to
Puddings for children
Pals of child
Pye Chavasse's Fresh Air Treatment of scarlet fever
Milk Food
QUACK MEDICINES
Quacking an infant
Quick lime in eye
RAIN WATER
Recapitulation of ablution
Red gum
Respiration, products of poisonous
Rest, the best time for a child to retire to
Re-vaccination, Importance of
every seven years
recommended by Jenner
Revalenta Arabica
Rheumatic fever, flannel vest and drawers
Ribs, bulging out of
Rice, prepared as an infant's food
Rich children
Richardson, Dr, ether spray
Rickets
various degrees of
Roberton on child-crowing
Rocking-chairs, and rockers to cradle,
Rocking infants to sleep
Rooms ill effects, of dark
Round shoulders
Round worm
Running scall
Rupture
Rusks
SALLOWNESS, cause of in young girls
Salt water and fresh water
should be added to an infants food
bag of hot
necessary to human life
Salt-and water ablations for a delicate child
for teeth and gums
meats for children
Scalds and burns
of mouth
Scarlatina
Scarlet-fever
and diphtheria
the contagion of
the danger of giving aperients in
the dropsy of
Fresh Air Treatment of
hybrid
management of child after
and measles, the importance of distinguishing between
the principal danger of
purification of house after
treatment of
utter prostration in
Schools, female boarding
public
Screaming in sleep
Scrofula
prevention of
Scurfy head
Sea-bathing and fresh-water bathing
for a young child
Secrets, talking, before child
Senna as an aperient
Shivering fit, importance of attending to a
treatment of
Shoes, plan to waterproof
preferable to boots
sound and whole
and stockings for children and youths
the ill effects of tight
"Shortening" an infant
Shoulder-blades "growing out"
Sick child, the nursing of a
not to be staffed with food
Sick-room, management of,
Sickness of infants
Singing and reading aloud
beneficial to a child
Single-stick
Sitting with back to fire
Sitz-bath for protrusion of bowels
Skating for boys and girls
Skin, grazed
Sleep of children
Sleep, infant's
in middle of day beneficial
much, necessary for infants
temperature of an infant's bedroom during
right time of putting a child to
putting infants to
of youth
-walker
Sleeping on lap
-rooms, importance of well-ventilating
Sleepless child
Slippers, the best for sick-room (note)
Small-pox
a pest and disgrace
modified
when in neighborhood,
to prevent pitting of
Smoking, on a boy
Smothering of infants, the cause
Socks and Stockings for a child
Soda, ill effects of washing clothes with
Sounds, joyful
Soups and broths
Speak gently to a child
Spencer, a knitted worsted
Spines, distorted
Spine, injury to
curvature of
twisted
Spirits, deadly effects of, to the young
Spitting of blood
precautions
Spurious croup
Stammering, cause of
cure of
Stays, the ill effects of
Stillness of sick-room
Sting of bee or wasp
Stir-about and milk
Stockings and shoes
Stooping in a girl
Stopping of chimneys
Stoves in nursery
Strawberry-tongue
Stuffing a sick child with food
a babe
"Stuffing of the nose" of infants
Stunning of a child
"Stye," treatment of
Substitute for mother's milk
Sucking of thumb
Suckling, the proper times of
Suet pudding
Sugar for infants
confectionery
-of-milk
raw, as an aperient
Sun-stroke
Sunday
Supper for a child and for a youth
Surfeit water and saffron tea
Sweet things and sour digestion
Sweetmeats and cakes
Swimming, on boys and girls
Symptoms of serious diseases
TAPE-WORM
Taste for things refined
Tea, on giving a child
green, the ill effects of
Teeth, attention to, importance of
child should not have meat till he have cut several
the diet of a child who has cut all his
and gums
right way of brushing
appearance and number of first set of
second set of
second crop of
Teething
causing convulsions
eruptions from
frequent cause of sickness
fruitful source of disease
purging during
restlessness from
second
symptoms and treatment of painful
in town or country
Temperature and ventilation of a nursery
of a warm-bath
Thread-worm
Throats, sore, precautions to prevent
Thrush, cause, symptoms, prevention and cure of
Thumb best gum-stick
Tight bands, belts, and hats
Tight-lacing, the ill effects of
Times for suckling an infant
Tobacco-smoking for boys
cases illustrating the danger of
Toe-nails, the right way of cutting,
Tongue-tied, an infant
"Tooth-cough,"
Tooth-powder, an excellent
Top-crust of bread as infant's food
Tossing an infant
Tous-les-mois
Toys, children's
painted with arsenic
Trade or profession for delicate youth,
Treatment of a delicate child
of some urgent serious diseases
Troubles of child
Truth, the love of
Tub, commencement of washing infant in
Tubbing a child
Tumbling and rolling of a child
VACCINATION
appearance of scab
arm after
giving medicine after,
making babe poorly
Veal for a child
Vegetables for a child
Ventilation, and stopping of chimneys
and sleep
of a nursery
Violet-powder
WALKING, on the early, of infants
exercise, value
in his sleep, a child
Warm-bathe for children
external applications
Warts
Washing of boys and girls
Washing a child
an infant
a new-born infant's head with brandy
Washing a nursery floor
Wasp, the sting of a
Water, on the importance of good,
on the brain
closet, on going regularly to,
cold and warm for ablution,
hard for drinking
-fright
pure, essential to health
to whole of skin
Weaned child, the diet of a
Weaning, proper time and manner of
Weather, on a child almost living in the air in flue
on the sending a child out in wet
Weight of new-born infants (note)
Wet flannel application
Wet-nurse
diet of
for feeble babe
management of
"Wetting the bed" during sleep
Wheezing of a new-born infant
White lily leaf for bruises
"Wind," babe suffering from
Windows of a nursery
Wind pipe, foreign substance in
Wine and youth
Wine for children and youths
Winter clothing
Woolen garments
Worms
quick medicines for