REMEDY FOR HEADACHES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2044, 10 May 1890, Page 3

REMEDY FOR HEADACHES.

When in certain painful affections the physician advises the use of cold application, and the effect from them is’not pleasing, then that hot should be tried, the patient is likely to consider it rather an uncertam sort of treatment of doubtful value either way. ,It is, indeed, rather a curious thing that heat and cold can often be used interchangeably with like effects. Extreme heat will destroy the skin; and extreme cold will do the same. Now, headache is sometimes relieved by hot applications ; and yet in some instances it aggravates the trouble. In case of the latter, often the cold applications will effect a oure. As a general rule, a throbbing headache with tenderness and soreness of scalp can best be relieved by hot applications 5 whereas when the head feels full and ‘ bursting.’ if cold be applied to the head, and heat to the neck and spine, the effect is most agreeable. Probably one of the best external applications which is most serviceable in the different forms of headache is menthol. A solution of that should be made in about the proportion of one drachm of menthol to ten of alcohol. It can be applied on a strip of cloth large epopgh to cover the forehead. That should be kept wet with the solution, It is very cooling; and the effect in many cases of headache is very agreeable from the first,