produce a miscarriage. Let me again urge the
importance of a lady, during the whole period of pregnancy, being
particular as to the state of her bowels, as costiveness is a fruitful
cause of painful, tedious and hard labors.

2. LAXATIVES.--The best laxatives are castor oil, salad oil, compound
rhubarb pills, honey, stewed prunes, stewed rhubarb, Muscatel raisins,
figs, grapes, roasted apples, baked pears, stewed Normandy pippins, coffee,
brown-bread and treacle. Scotch oatmeal made with new milk or water, or
with equal parts of milk and water.

3. PILLS.--When the motions are hard, and when the bowels are easily acted
upon, two, or three, or four pills made of Castile soap will frequently
answer the purpose; and if they will, are far better than any other
ordinary laxative. The following is a good form. Take of:

Castile Soap, five scruples;
Oil of Caraway, six drops;

To make twenty-four pills. Two, or three, or four to be taken at bedtime,
occasionally.

4. HONEY.--A teaspoonful of honey, either eaten at breakfast or dissolved
in a cup of tea, will frequently, comfortably and effectually, open the
bowels, and will supersede the necessity of taking laxative medicine.

5. NATURE'S MEDICINES.--Now, Nature's medicines--exercise in the open air,
occupation, and household duties--on the contrary, not only at the time
open the bowels, but keep up a proper action for the future; hence their
inestimable superiority. {275}

6. WARM WATER INJECTIONS.--An excellent remedy for costiveness of pregnancy
is an enema, either of warm water, or of Castile soap and water, which the
patient, by means of a self-injecting enema-apparatus, may administer to
herself. The quantity of warm water to be used, is from half a pint to a
pint; the proper heat is the temperature of new milk; the time for
administering it is early in the morning, twice or three times a week.

7. MUSCULAR PAINS OF THE ABDOMEN.--The best remedy is an abdominal belt
constructed for pregnancy, and adjusted with proper straps and buckles to
accomodate the gradually increasing size of the womb. This plan often
affords great comfort and relief; indeed, such a belt is indispensably
necessary.

8. DIARRHOEA.--Although the bowels in pregnancy are generally costive, they
are sometimes in an opposite state, and are relaxed. Now, this relaxation
is frequently owing to there having been prolonged constipation, and Nature
is trying to relieve herself by purging. Do not