The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-08

Extract of letter from DR.. Hartshorn, one of
the delegates from PrOuidcnee to .Nt,o York
The treatment which by its results afforded
me the greatest satisfaction, was that at the
Greenwich Hospital, under the superintendent
of Dr. Roe. As it was peculiar, and almost
wholly external, it will be given more in detail
For illustration, we will suppose patient with
some all the symptoms Of collapse the state
they are usually in when brought to the Hosp-
tals--tongue and breath cold-pulse threadlike
or impel ceptbe-skin cold and moist-cramps
ofthe extremities-purging and vomiting, slight
or frequent, as the case may be- The patient
would be covered with blankets, and bags of hot
sand placed around him--then the skin dried
and warmed by being chafed with flannel, dip.
ped IN pulverized chalk, heated-then brisk
frlctions, with warm camphorated mercurial
ointment, with the addition Of Cayenne pepper
The mustard poultice is now applied over The
| abdomen, and if cramps continue, and the pulse
be not aroused, the tobacco injection is given.
Any, or all Of these means are repeat ed accord.
! ing to circumstances. Several patients were
seen treated in this manner that were brought
10 the Hospital in quite he pless condition -
The pulse restored, soft and regular, and fine
mercuria action established, by which the
healthy secretiuns we're renewed, and the circu.
lation equalized. The local concessions and in
Examinations, which are apt 10 arise from the
use of opiates and other stimuli were avoided
No medicines tn the stomach is allowed, nor
drinks. even while vomiting continues. re-
mark may be here made that when symptoms
of conraescence arise, medicine must be given
with an extremely cautious hand. Too much
zeal in Fastening the cure, will be apt tc excite
irregulariiy Of the circulation, CONCESSIONS of
the brain and other organs, as difficult to Ie
move as the original disease itself
We hear much of Preventives and of s7e.
ci6cs. They are pleasing ideas, but more easily
found in the minds of the credulous than in the
science OF medicine. The only preventive
known is the precautionary of avoiding
every thing that tends to derange the system,
whether of food, drink, or fatigue. Too much.
or too little food, of too rich or too meagre
quality, tends alike TO derange the health. The
system has its natural wants of wholesome food
and drink, and whatever goes beyond or falls
short of that Standard is hurtful. The only
specific is the skiifu application of such
curative means as careful experience and
sound judgment warrant. A medicine which
would be highly proper one hour might be in.
furious the next. 1t is only by careful atten-
| ton, therefore, 10 the course and stage of the
disease in each individual case, that the exer.
tons Of the physicians may be crowned with
success
The cholera is acknowledged to be an exceed.
| ingly fatal disease but much more so it is be-
lieved than would be the were it taken in
hand in its early stage Nothing was more
common than to find upon inquiry of the pa
tients when brought to the hospitals, that they
had been affected with pains, and looseness Of
the bowels for "a 20 80 hours--had been vom
itlng and purgng, and troubled with crulnps
for the previous 10 or IL hours. All this i'm
poriart time had been lost, and the skill of the
| DhvgiClan wn1 first hrnnU hi in, nnnns;tion 70 tina
disease at a tiine, When by us naturai lundencv
II must have proved fatal in few hours The
early or premontory symptoms are frequently
loo light 10 attract much attention. Every one
has at some time been similarly affected, there.
tore, he is induced to wait for time or circum.
stance to accomplish what il has before done,
till il iS too late. The case of the Newburyport
Captain, lately published in the prints, is the
history of vast many Of the cholera patients
He was troubled with a looseness for two or
three days-would not take medicne-was al.
timately carried TO the hospital, and died Age,
intomperance, and an exhausted constitution,
are strong predisposing causes of the disease
At the Aims House, where there are several
hundreds of children, The Youngest person that
had been attacked up to the l4th July, was u
deaf and dumb girl of 10. There were but few
under &c. and the average of all the ages was
nearly CO. 1t was remarked that all their old
chronic cases Of disease were rapidly merging
into cholera, and the patients being removed to
the Hospital especially prepared for that dis
ease Up 10 the period of my departure the
only young persons seen in all the Hospitals,
were 3'varying from 10 to ID years, showing tho
resistance offered to the disease by the consti.
tutions of the young ana vgolous
1t is said that the mind in this disease 70.
mains unimpaired This is not correct It is
not irrational, hut it loses all actiyity-partak.
ing of the cold and leihargic state of the body
This is the case in all Diseases where the braiu
is not supplied with oxygenoted blood. The
eyes are heavy and nanmato, aud no concern
E about either u future state, death or the sltua.
ton of dying companions around them, is man.
Tested by tho patients. Ask a question and il
is answered, but nothing further They are
never disposed to talk, but are much inclined
TO browse, from which they are aroused only by
the desire for drink. Ask them ifthey arc warm
they reply "quitc comfortable" even when
their bodies are as cold.as death Often when
walking through tho wards have my ears been
saluted by some half dozen voices at once call.