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STAINBACK WILSON, M. D.. ATLANTA, GA.
Note. —Questions pertaining to health
and disease will be answered in this paper,
when it can be done with propriety. When,
from the nature of the case, or other rea
sons, a private answer is desired, a lull de
scription should be sent. Address as above,
writing my name in full, and enclose
stamp.
THE COOLING TREATMENT IN
FEVERS.
The external use of cold water in fevers
is as old as the history of medicine, but on
account of false theoretical notions, it
fell into disuse, until revived ot late years
by the Hydropaths, who have again brought
it into discredit by their extravagant, un
scientific, and indiscriminate use of it.
Within the past few years it has been
rescued from the reproach brought on it,
having been recommended by regular physi
cians who have used it on correct scienti
fic principles, adapted to the requirements
of the cases in which it is indicated. Dr.
Carrie was the first regular physician to
revive its use in modern times. He treat
ed 229 cases of severe epidemic typhus
fever with water, losing only four.
Another physician. Dr. Brand, reports
170 treated in the same way without the
loss of a single one ; and similar results
have been obtained in the large hospitals
of Germany and France. Indeed we
couldhardly expect anything but success
from the judicious use of a remedy so per
fectly in accordance with the dictates of
reason, science, and common sense.
Certainly the safest way to allay the ex
citement of fever and to reduce the tem
perature is to use water externally and in
ternally. Alate medical writer, says, ‘‘l
have proved to absolute certainty, that the
pouring of tepi J water through a sheet, so
folded that it will reach from the lower
part of the hips to the arm-pits, will in a
shoit time, two hours at most, reduce the
highest fever heat to the normal standard,
and hold it there for days, and even weeks,
as in many cases ot typhoid which I hav
treated with invariable success, when the
treatment began with the first rise of the
fever. And then he adds, “with the lights I
have from my own extensive experience,
not only in typhoid, but in every other
fever known to this country, yellow »fever
included. Ido not question the favorable
results of the Brand system ot using cold
water.’’
I may say in explanation, that the
sum and substance of this Brand treat
ment is to keep the heat down by the ex
ternal use of water of a lower temperature
than that of the body. As the
physician above quoted says: “The desir
ed thing is to cool the blood, and I found
that it can be most effectually done by the
free and persistent use of water whose tem
perature is but a few degrees below’ that of
the blood ; and that the cooling treatment
in typhoid (and other fevers) should be
directed almost exclusively to the body;
the head needing no especial attention it
the blood is cooled in the citadel of life, the
great vital organs. This treatment, instead
of being unpleasant to the patient, is quiet
ing and agreeable. No reaction occurs,
no increase of heat; because the tempera
ture is constantly held at the same iegree
by the tepid pouting; and the cool extren.-
eties are warmed by artificial means
until the vital force gains full control.’’
In carring out this treatment he avoids
wetting the bed and floor by having a
“bathing cot or fever bed, constructed with
two bottoms, that upon which the pati
ent lie® being composed of a strong net
work of cotton cord, readily pervious to
water, and an impervious bottom of lubber
cloth so adjusted beneath as to catch and
carry the water into a vessel at the foot.”
“With this cot, he says, and I think truly,
that any case of fever, taken in its inci
piency, can be treated successfully with
water whose temperature is agreeable to
the patient. «
This treatment has the advantage of
any other, not only in its success, but in
its economy, simplicity and safety. In
carrying this out, we have these infalli
ble guides that can be followed by any
one of ordinary intelligence. The first is
the feeling of the patient. Whenever
there is a sensation of chilliness, the water
should be less frequently applied, or should
be warmer.
The second is the temperature of the
skin. Whenever the skin of the patient
feels warmer to the touch of a healthy at
tendant than that of the attendant, the
water sh, uld be re-applied by wetting the
sheet encircling the patient. The third
guide is the pulse. Whenever it beats
faster than natural—that is, when the skin
is hot and the pulse seems up to a hundred
or more in a minute, the water should be
applied at short intervals until the pulse
does not run over ninety-eight.
In some cases, the skin will not be ex
cessively hot, while the pulse is frequent.
In these cases the internal heat is excess
ive. and is but tested by placing a little
clinical thermometer in the month or arm
pit. But the best guide in domestic prac
tice is the frequency of the pulse and the
temperature of the skin as ascertained by
counting the one, and by the sensation ot
touch in the other. In obscure cases when
the skin is cool, with a frequent pulse, the
aid of a physician should be sought.
Two things should be borne distinctly in
mind:
1. That the use of cold water is not a
necessary, or evena desirable part of the
treatment. The normal temperature of
the body is ninety-eight degrees, and warm
water, if only a few degrees below this,
will as effectually cool a lever as ice water,
and when the water is warm or tepid, or a
little below the fever heat, it is more pleas
ant to the patient, the reduction of tem
perature is gradual, without °hock or re
action, more easily controlled and regulated,
and more permanent than when a sudden
reduction is accomplished by cold water.
2. Coldness of the hands and feet, if the
body is hot and the pulse frequent,
is no reason wdiy the cool
ing treatment should not be
carried out. The best way to warm the
extremities is to equalize the circulation by
abstracting and diffusing the heat accum
ulated in the body, by applying the water
to the body alone, or to the head and
body, if the former is excessivly hot. At
the same time the establishment of the
equilibrium can be hastened by hot bricks
or bottles of hot water to the feet, and bv
active rubbing of the patient’s hands and
feet with the hands of the attendant. As
a rubbing instrument, nothing is equal to
the human hand. It is always on hand.
adapts itself to the inequalities of the
part rubbed better than anything else, and
doubtless has magnetic vitalizing proper
ties that no liniment, or mere mechanical
friction has.
Not only in fevers, but in ell other diseas
es attended with excessive heat of the body,
it is safe to cool the parts that are too
warm with water a little lower in tempera
ture than the body, and to warm the parts
that are too cool by friction, hot applica
tions, etc.
In view of these facts, it is my candid
opinion that if people understood the
judicious use of water in all diseases, the
world would be much belter off if the
domestic treatment of disease were limited
exclusively to it, relegating other remedies
that might be needed, to a physician. And
yet. many people have a hydrophobia
horror of water, while they dose themselves
with all kinds <>f unknown quack medi
cines, and habitually resort to opium, chlo
ral, and the strongest drugs in the materia
medico..
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes once as
tounded a medical association by a declara
tion before them that “ the world would be
better off if all the drugs were thrown in
to the sea, but it would be “worse for the
fishes."
Medicine has its place, and does good
when properly used, but considering its
indiscriminate use by the people on their
own responsibility, its abuses in and out
of the profession to the exclusion of safer
remedies, there is some truth in Dr.Holmes’
declaration. Though he did not mean all
that he said in a humorous way, it
was much to the ast mishment and disgust
of his brother doctors, who filled the
journals for months with denunciations of
his heterodoxy.
CURING A DRUNKARD.
None of my lady readers will be likely
to need the following, but they may be so
unfortunate as to be connected with some
one who does. The tincture of capsicum is
a strong tincture of African cayenne pepper
in alcohol.
According to an article in the British
Medi< al Journal, it has been found by Dr.
Renger that the tincture of capsicum in
ten drop d<>ses is the best remedy to count
eract that craving for alcohol which is the
curse oi all inebriates, preventing their re
turn to rational conduct. This remedy
has been tested by other physicians,
and they report very favorably in regard
to it. They give several instances of vari
ous men ofall ages who, half-muddled, hung
around low drinking saloons, or at home;
and who, when the liquor saloon shut up,
would pick the lock, or when their money
was taken from them,would tipple on credit
whenever there was a chance.
The best way to administer this remedy is
to commence with five drops in a little
syrup of orange peel before meals, increas
ing the dose ot capsicum to twelve drops.
In one month most of them became quite
different men, changing from half idiots
to men who attended to their business and
took an interest in all that was going on in
the world.
HOT WATER AND THE PRIN
TERS.
In my last article on Hot Water as a
Remedy, there were two points the im
portance of which I particularly de-ired to
impre-s, viz: that the quantity of water
should be as large as the stomach could
bear without oppression, and that the
water should be taken on an empty
stomach, and not just before meals.
Instead of this the printer makes me say
that one or two spoonfuls should be taken
b fore each meal, and at bed time. This
should read—a drink should be taken mid
way between meals, and at bed time.
The spoon has nothing to do with it.
only as the medium for taking the water,
because the water should' be too hot to be
taken in any other way. The measure of
the water should be from a half pint to a
pint or more according to the action on
the stomach and the urinary organs as ex
plained in the article. I make this correc
tion because I am very desirous that the
manner of using this valuable remedy,
should be well understood and strictly
carried out. As stated before, if this is
’ done, it will prove one of die most valua
ble contributions ever made by me, or any
one else, to domestic practice. There are
other verbal errors in the article, but I
pass them over, with the simple declara
tion that the printer of medical articles
will get “into hot water” if he is not more
careful. What would he think of a phy
sician who would make no difference in a
prescription between a pint and a spoon
ful?
HEALTH NOTES.
Fresh pure air is as much a necessity as
good food, because all vital activity arises
from the mutual action of the oxyaen of
the atmosphere and the elements of the food.
Tonics used to brace one’s self up when
weary, are simply goads urging the tired
brain to farther exertion, causing one there
by to fall back on a reserve fund lor energy,
and perhaps fatally exhausting one’s cons
titution.
The use of all tonics, narcotics, nervines
and stimulants should be carefully avoided ;
they are only safe and helptul under certain
conditions, and these will be known to the
skillful physician. To take quinine, mor
phine.cocaineorchloral for every slight ache
or pain—in other words, to take any of
these habitually, is as dangerous as to take
whiskey or other stimulants habitually.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Mrs. S, Eatonton. Ga.—Your facial neu
ralgia can be cured by a course of bathing
and electricity. Other remedies, such as
morphine, quinine, etc., are often only
palliative and temporary in their action
The yellow spots on the, face, when con
nected with the condition mentioned in
your letter, will generally pass off with the
condition causing them. It not, then, I
will make a prescription. The spot on
the cheek is caused by an enlargement of
the small arteries or veins where it is lo
cated, and can be removed only by elec
'trical or surgical treatment. F"t - this, and
for a radical care of your neuralgia. I would
1 advise you to come here for treatment.
I would be pleased to hear from you again.
Other answers deferred to next month.
DON'T RUN MISK
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PjWBM’ I
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