SECTION 142
VINEGAR.
Officinal Dose
Adult 1 drachm of the Acetic acid. Child, see Section 56, B.
Hypodermatic Dose
Adult, 8 to 10 minims of Glacial Acetic Acid in solution. Employed in the treatment of Carcinoma, by injections into the tumor, and for Un united Fracture, by injection between the fractured ends (Iodine used for the same).
(A) Acetic acid in officinal doses has been employed with great benefit in the treatment of Chronic Pneumonia - Consumption - Hectic Fever - Night Sweat - Hemorrhage - Anemia - Dropsy. A case reported in which the fumes of boiling vinegar, inhaled 5 minutes at a time, 5 times a day, arrested Consumption.
(B) Rubbing the spine thoroughly 3 times a day with hot vinegar, especially that part nearest the seat of ailment, is said to have effected cures of Paralysis of the limbs, and of internal organs - Incontinence of Urine - Involuntary stools - Asthma - Pains of various kinds in different parts of the body.
Crusta Lactea - Milk Crust. Cut off the hair closely, wash the scalp thoroughly with Castile soap, and apply to the scalp twice a day pure cider vinegar diluted with water 1 part to 3. Viola tricolor, (fluid extract) 3 drops, 3 times a day, effects rapid cures. "Use ichthyol soap. "
Nose Bleed. Plug the nostril with cotton saturated with dilute vinegar.
Nasal Polypus. Inject into the tumor, 5 drops of Acetic acid; in four or five days it will drop off.
Influenza (recent cold in the head). Saturate a small pledget of cotton with vinegar and insert it into one nostril loosely; and after an hour remove it, and insert one in the other nostril; not so large as to obstruct the breathing - cure in two hours.
Black specks in the skin of the face. Wash the face with vinegar every night on going to bed, and in the morning wash it off with sand - soap.
Diseased Gums (foul, spongy). Use dilute vinegar as a mouth wash; this heals the gums after diphtheria.
Croup. "All that is needed to cure croup, is pure vinegar; give the child 1/2 teaspoonful, every 1/4 hour in a little water. I have not had need to give anything else in croup for years. "
Hiccough. A morsel of sugar dipped in vinegar, and placed in the mouth, stops it directly.
Spinal Weakness. Bathe the spine twice a day with vinegar and wine, equal parts, mixed.
Typhoid and Typhus Fever. - "Pure vinegar, adult 5 drops on sugar, every hour or two, is often the only remedy needed; at the same time the body should be sponged all over with dilute vinegar 3 times a day. "
Smallpox - Varioloid. Of all methods devised for the prevention and cure of varioloid or smallpox, none have proven equal to the vinegar treatment. As a preventive, an adult should take 2 tablespoonfuls of pure cider vinegar, or still better, raspberry vinegar, with or without a little water, one hour after breakfast, and one hour after supper, daily for 14 days; half - grown children and feeble adults may take half this quantity. During an attack of the disease, administer the vinegar in the same way, and fumigate the sick room, twice daily, with vinegar evaporated from a hot shovel.
Itching Nettle Rash. Bathe with vinegar diluted with warm water.
Birth Mark. Soak cotton is strong vinegar, and apply to the naevus by compress; this coagulates the blood in the vessels, the spot becomes hard and yellow, and is thrown off by exfoliation.
(C) Ring - Worm. Apply by sponge or cloth, Acetic acid (8) twice a week for 3 weeks if needful so long. Chrysophanic acid salve 20 grains to the ounce of base; applied daily, and at the same time the acid taken internally (dose, Section 56, a), cures many skin affections, including Ringworm - Eczema - Herpes - Dry and Humid Eruptions, acute and chronic.
Ulcer. Pure vinegar, 10 per cent. solution in water, used as a wash, 3 times a day, gives invariably good results.
Burn or Scald. Apply vinegar full strength, until the pain abates, then remove scabs with poultice and heal with zinc ointment.
Warts. Apply vinegar full strength daily - Soon gone.
Corns. Apply pure cider vinegar, or acetic acid, with camel - hair brush night and morning; in a week no corn; or apply bread crumbs soaked in strong vinegar every night for a week, and then you can pick them off dead.
Mad Dog bite. - "Bathe the wound with hot vinegar and wipe dry, then pour into it several drops of nitric acid; this is an unfailing preventive of Hydrophobia. "
(D) Chronic Gout - Enlarged Joints. Into a given quantity of hot vinegar put as much salt as it will dissolve, and with this solution bathe the parts affected, rubbing the lavement well in with the hands for 15 minutes, then dry them by the fire; do this four times a day, until decidedly better, then twice a day for a while, and lastly once a day until the cure is complete. A case of Chronic diarrhoea reported cured, by taking of a saturated solution of salt in vinegar, adult, 1 drachm, three times a day.