"So play the foolish throngs with one that swoons;
Come all to help him, and so stop the air
By which he should revive."
Measure for Measure, Act ii. sc. 4.
As soon as she can swallow, give her either a draught of cold water, or a glass of wine, or a teaspoonful of sal-*volatile in a wineglassful of water.
To prevent fainting for the future.—I would recommend early hours; country air and exercise; the stays, if worn at all, to be worn slack; attention to diet; avoidance of wine, beer, spirits, excitement, and fashionable amusements.
Sometimes the cause of a young lady fainting is either a disordered stomach or a constipated state of the bowels.
If the fainting have been caused by disordered stomach, it may be necessary to stop the supplies, and give the stomach, for a day or two, but little to do; a fast will frequently prevent the necessity of giving medicine. Of course, if the stomach be much disordered, it will be desirable to consult a medical man.
If your daughter's fainting have originated from a costive state of the bowels (another frequent cause of fainting), I beg to refer you to a subsequent Conversation, in which I will give you a list of remedies for the prevention and the treatment of constipation.
A young lady's fainting occasionally arises from debility—from downright weakness of the constitution; then the best remedies will be change of air to the coast, good nourishing diet, and the following strengthening mixture:
Take of—Muriated Tincture of Iron, one drachm and a half;
Tincture of Calumba, six drachms;
Distilled Water, seven ounces.
Two tablespoonfuls of this mixture to be taken three times a day.
