little, are, nevertheless, when from home
or on special occasions, liable to overeat or take the wrong kind of
food, from which unfortunate circumstance they are made to suffer the
most tormenting and intolerable distress in the stomach and bowels,
which may last, more or less severe, for several days. Soon after the
unfortunate meal, perhaps the next morning, or, it may be, in a few
hours, the stomach begins to bloat, by accumulating gas within, which is
belched up every few minutes in large quantities; the stomach and bowels
are racked with the most torturing pains; cold sweat stands on the brow,
and he is the very picture of misery. Thus he may roll and tumble all
night, and remain in misery the next day and several days longer, before
the food will digest. It often passes from the stomach without
digestion, and on its way through the bowels inflicts constant pain. If
he does not take some emetic substance, he is not apt to vomit, his
stomach cramping so as to prevent it.

I have here described one of the bad cases, but bad as it is they are by
no means _very_ rare. There are such cases in abundance, of all grades
from the one here described down to a slight derangement. They all
require a similar course of _treatment_.

It is useful for such patients to take at once large quantities of
lukewarm water, and repeat the draught every ten to fifteen minutes,
until free and thorough vomiting is induced, so as to throw off all the
food from the stomach.

But even this does not often cure these bad cases. If it did, it is not
always convenient to do it. The medicine that is quite certain to afford
relief at once is _Podophyllin_. Let it be given, and the dose repeated
in an hour. A third dose is rarely necessary. After relief from this
attack, the medicine should be taken night and morning for a month or
more until the stomach is restored. In the meantime care should be taken
not to overload the stomach.

Constipation.

The medicine for this affection is _Nux vom._, to be taken at night on
retiring. If there is fulness and pain in the head from costiveness,
_Bell._ should be used in the morning, and at noon. Let the patient
contract a habit of drinking _cold water_ freely on rising in the
morning, at least half an hour before eating. The patient _should not
take physic_.

For constipation of children, _Nux_ and _Bryonia_ are to be given Nux at
night and Bryonia in the morning. _Opium_ is useful.

Much needless al