Revision as of 15:08, 12 May 2016

Volatile

Sal Volatile

Liquid Ammonia

A Compendium of Domestic Medicine, 1865

All page numbers are recorded as (PDF #/SOURCE #)

Classified as an Antispasmodic (remedies when remove spasms or colic) (410/389), and a Stimulant (remedies which speedily increase the frequency of the pulse and the heat of the body) (415/394)

Is a volatile aromatic spirit, often used to treat “lowness of spirits, hysterical affections, spasms, or fainting fits… sick-headache, and acidity of the stomach that often offends the stomach in dyspeptic persons.” Sal volatile can be used to revive a person from faints, however, Savory indicates that this is should only be an option if other stronger preparations of ammonia are unavailable. (163/142)

Sal volatile can be used during attempts to revive a drowned person (201/180)

Remedies Containing or to be used with Sal Volatile

• Acid, Acetic (23/2): can be used to treat acute rheumatism when combined with sal volatile, but the combination is not always necessary
• Aromatic Confection (42/21): sal volatile included in a “Cordial Draught for Relaxed Bowels,” and “Aromatic Powder of Chalk”
• Bismuth, White (53/32): included in “Gastrodynia with Flatulence”\
• Buchu Leaves (55/34): included in a mixture used to treat gravel and “general nervousness of the system”
• Camphor Julep (60/39): often used as a vehicle for sal volatile, used to improve the spirits, treat hysterics, and stomach spasms
• Chalk Mixture, or Julep (65/44): combined with sal volatile, aromatic confection, rhubarb, and compound spirit of lavender to form a draught that helps treat “ordinary cases of relaxed bowels”
• Ether, Rectified (80/59): sal volatile included in a mixture used to treat violent spasms
• Glycerine (92/71): combined with sal volatile and other components to make a remedy for baldness caused by fevers or other disease
• Gregory’s Powder (93/72): can be combined with sal volatile to increase stimulant properties
• Magnesia, Calcined (120/99): sal volatile included in a mixture used to treat children suffering from acidity in the stomach, resulting from costiveness, thrush, red gum, &c.
• Manna (122/101): sal volatile included in a treatment for infantile catarrh (cold)
• Rhubarb, Turkey (146/125): sal volatile a part of a mixture used to remove “many disorders to which children are subject,” (acidity in the stomach and intestines for example)
• Sal Volatile, Camphorated (152/131): used to treat “depression of the spirits, heartburn, spasms, palpitations &c.” Also used to treat “ladies who suffer from faintness, hysterics, sickness, or nervous headaches.” Also used as a stimulant to revive someone from fainting. (smelling salts)
• Spirit of Lavender, Compound (161/140): combined with sal volatile to treat nervous headaches
• Spirit of Sal Volatile (163/142): “Spasms of the Stomach” mixture used as an example under spirit of sal volatile entry

Diseases Treated with Sal Volatile

General Diseases

• Ague, or Intermittent Fever (225/204): if, during the first (cold) stage the disease should symptoms suddenly worsen, a mixture containing sal volatile, hoffman’s ether, laudanum, and camphor julep is to be given.
• Diarrhoea, or Looseness (248/227): sal volatile included in a draught that is to be taken in the morning, following a course of treatment the night before.
• Fainting, or Syncope (253/232): volatile salts should be used to rouse the patient, either by holding them under the nose or by rubbing them into the temples. Once awake, the patient is to be given a draught containing wine, cold water, and camphorated sal volatile (or ether).
• Putrid Sore Throat (270/249): compound spirit of ammonia/sal volatile, can be used to stimulate the patient (strengthening?)
• Sea-Sickness (273/252): sal volatile is part of a mixture that has “frequently afforded more relief than all the various remedies extolled for this unpleasant sensation.”
• Sickness (276/255): sal volatile included in a mixture used to treat sickness that is derived from a “chronic debility of the stomach”
• Convulsions (289/268): sal volatile or a tincture of assafoetida is to be administered if a child is exhausted and convulsions continue and the bowels have been “properly cleansed”

Infantile Diseases

• Red Gum (294/273): medical treatment is only required is the stomach or bowels are upset, in which case magnesia or sal volatile can be administered.
• Hiccup, or Hiccough (264/273): common hiccups can be removed from children by drinking a warm carminative that contains sal volatile
• Hooping, or Chincough (295/274): children 2-3 years old can have their hands, soles, spines, and pit of the stomach rubbed with any stimulating and antiseptic liniment, including sal volatile

Medical Articles Containing Sal Volatile

• Toothache and Anti-Rheumatic Embrocation (322/301): sal volatile

Prescriptions Containing Sal Volatile

Antacids

• Magnesia Mixture, for Infantile Diarrhoea (329/308): sal volatile

Antispasmodics

• Antispasmodic Draughts for Spasms of the Stomach arising from Flatulence (Another) (338/317): sal volatile

Astringents

• Astringent Mixture for Diarrhoea of Infants(340/319): sal volatile
• Stimulating Astringent Mixture (340/319): sal volatile

Diaphoretics

• Cordial and Diaphoretic Mixture (348/327): sal volatile

Stimulants

• Stimulant Mixture (354/323): sal volatile

Tonics

• Tonic Mixture (355/334): sal volatile
• Neuralgia of the Face (356/335): sal volatile