The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-09-12

~. s'"p inc operation. and apply twenty
"r thlsty cups TO ihe abdomen. inrIu.iinu the
rplgastrlum, which, though they may no,
draw much blood, ale eminently serviceabIe
us revellents. The cups are TO be succeed.
9" 10y blister TO the same parts. Calomel
Is next to he given in the dose of five. ten
or twenty grains, frequently repeated, Til
The aggregate amounts TO about a drachm.
and then worked off with a table spoonful
at castor oil. AS the result of these means
ihele are commonly bilious evacuatiuns. dis
charges Of urine, and other proofs of the
restoration ot serretory power. Little MOI @
Is demanied than what has been mentioned
nave, however, sometimes known, though
rarely, that at this point of the case, irrita.
bllty OF the stomach TO return, with the M
pearhnce OF approaching exhaustion, in
which event stimuli are to he resortcd to-
the best of which are, a strong infusion of
cayenne pepper, or Glove tea, or the spirits
OF camphur, or the aromatic spirits of am
monla, or mint julep. But they are eau
tionsly to he administered, and in small por-
TONS. or they are instantly rejected, or they
overwhelm the energies of life, or more
slowly indnrc typhoid pros,ratinn.
Drink is sometimes vehemenlly solicited
particularly IN the height of the attack, and
the instructive desire for cold water. or even
for ice, may he gratlird in moderation
The proper nourishment in convulrscence,
the only time when any is wanted or 10 he nj.
lowed, is chicken water OF beef tea, render
ed agreeahly pungenl with cayenne pepper.
Thus have hastily laid before you an out
line of my mode Of managing tins disease.
1t may be observed that, with scarcely at
exception, 1t is depetory or evacuant. De-
luded Ivy false appearances of del lliiv in
the disease. and still more Ivy the weight of
authority, adopted when ii FIST broke ont
among us, in common with my medical
friends, course of practice in conformity
with such an impressiun-and most disas-
irons was the issue. Nearly every patient.
amounting TO five or Sin, in the different
hospitals, died. The prominent indications
seemed to call for heat to the surface and
the internal exhibition of the dffusible ex-
citants. Every variety Of bath, warm wa
ter, vapor, heated all and topical applications
Of hot sand, or oats, or salt, &c. were used,
and also frlctlons with the spirits of turpen-
tine alone, or united with camphorated
mercnrial ointment, and other articles
Blandy, ether, camphor, vol alkul, g.. &c.
were in succession tried, and the whole of
these means with no other effect than an
inconceivab!e evaporation. The suffering,
indeed, induced, was us great as | have ev-
er witnessed from the application of any
remedial process. No practical lesson is
more important than that in the cure of this
disease, all such appliances aud medicines
are mischlevous, till excavations are pre-
missed, and then to he most discreetlv d.
rected. The system, previously, is utterly
intolerant Of them, and have found it bet
ter to expose the patient naked to cool air,
thnn to cover him even with blanket.
1t were easy to acqnaint you with divers
other methods oftreatins this epidemic, or
to enumerate Il number of special remedies
that have been proposed. Dismaved. as it
were, 10y the fearful character of the dis
ease, practitioners have been too prone in its
treatment, TO abandon their principles and
well tried remedies, in analogous cases, to
seek resource in specifics and nostrums.
do not mean 10 vaunt of my success, but
on fair comparison of all that have seen
attempted, am led 10 an unqualified prefer
ence of this plan. 1t cannot he char ed
with being tentative or empirical-is de-
duced on the contrary, from established
views of pathology and therapeutics, and is
sanctioned in most of its features hy the
the distinguished and authoritative writer's
on the disease in India. Many may he cur
ed by it, and some will sink under the force
Of the attack in despite of your Efforts
The case not being too far advanced, Il tri-
umph over the disease is pretty certain.
Cholera is. on the whole, more trartable
than yellow fever, or the winter pcs,ilence,
which devastated our country during the
late war.
Ever, my dear sir, yours, most truly,
N. CHAPMAN.
P. S. / have omitted to mention that this
very practice, by emetics, calomel, bleeding,
Sc, is the one which | have for twenty
years taught in my lectures, as most appro.
pirate to the worst forms of the ordinary
cholera of our own country. You will find
tolerahle synopsis of it in my work on the
Materia Medica. ! will oniy add, that there
is considerable difference of opinion among
us as the best means of pukng, some pre-
ferring ipecacuanha or the sulphate of zine,
&c. In Britain, the mustard emetic seems
chiefly to have been used. while in France
the ipecacuanha, and in Rnssn, and other
countries of the north of Europe, the salt
and water The latter, on the whole, !
think is most appropriate, though have in
some instances Tesorted to the ipecacuanha,
very ndvantageousiy.
BALTIMORE The deaths Of cholera in this
city, for The week ending Sept. 3, were 10.
Tho daily amount OF deaths since our last has
been as follows Sept. ], 90; Cd, 35; Sd, 81 !;
All, IS; 9Th, 81 9th, 80 9Th, So; 8th, 2S For
the week ending Aug. 9th, 2l deaths For
the week ending Sept. 3D., 40 Geaths
Al the breaking out of the cholera there wei C