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Dropsy

Edema means swelling caused by fluid in your body's tissues. It usually occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, but it can involve your entire body.

Causes of edema include:

  • Eating too much salt
  • Sunburn
  • Heart failure
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver problems from cirrhosis
  • Pregnancy
  • Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
  • Some medicines
  • Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

To keep swelling down, your health care provider may recommend keeping your legs raised when sitting, wearing support stockings, limiting how much salt you eat, or taking a medicine called a diuretic - also called a water pill.


WARNING: All medicines, drugs, plants, chemicals or medicial precedures below are for historical reference only. Many of these treatments are now known to be harmful and possibly fatal. Do not consume any plant, chemical, drug or otherwise without first consulting a licensed physician that practices medine in the appropriate field.

Physician's Therapeutics Memoranda on Dropsy

DROPSY
   General treatment depends on the cause, which may be in disease of the heart, of the kidneys or less commonly of the liver. For im mediate relief prescribe active diuretics if the st ate of the kidneys permits, the most eflicient being Tonic Pilocarpine Compound; digi talis, canadian hemp, squill (these acting primarily on the circula tion), or hydragogue cathartics, elaterium. compound jalap powder, magnesium sulphate (in concentrated solution) are efficient remedies.1


References

1) Nelson, Baker & Co., 1904, Physician's Handy Book of Materia Medica and Therapeustics, Detroit, Michigan.