Diseases > Domestic medicine

352 bitch ajt’s
endeavour to lessen the flux of the humours to the
part affected. This may be done by mild purgatives,
scarifying the gums, or applying leeches to them, and
bathing the feet frequently with warm water. The
perspiration ought like > ise to I e promoted bv drink¬
ing freely of weak wine whey, or other diluting
liquors, with small doses of nitre. Vomits too have
often an exceeding good effect in the tooth-ach. ft
is seldom safe to administer opiates, or any kind of
heating medicines, or even to draw a tooth, till
proper evacuations have been premised; and these
alone will often effect the cure.
If this fails, and the pain and inflammation still in¬
crease. a suppuration may be expected, to promote
which, a toasted flg should he he.d between the gum
and the cheek ; bags filled with boiled camomile-
flowers, flowers of elder, or the like, may be applied
near the part affected, with as great a degiee of
warmth as the patient can bear, and renewed as they
grow cool: the patient may 1 kewise receive the
steam of waim water into his mouth, through an
inverted funnel, or by holding his head over the
mouth of a [Murioger filled with warm water, &c.
Such things as promote the discharge of saliva, or
cause the patient to spit, are generally of serv ce.
For thi> purpose, bitter, h"t, or pungent veg tables
pellitory of Spain. Al'en recommends the root of
yellow renter jUnwer-de-luce in this case. This root
mav either be rubbed upon the tooth, or a little of it
chewed. Brookes says he hardly ever knew it fail to
ea.se the tooth-ach. It ought however to be used
Many other herbs, roots, and seeds, are recommended
for curing the tooth-ach; as the leaves or roots ot
mtUefoil or yanow chewed, tobacco smoked or