Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-08-24
The Cholera.
WHO SHALL DECIDE : sc.

seem to be at some loss to agree about
the best mode of treating it-and how
then should we undertake to decide
when they disagree Our province as
mere chroniclers Of the times, is more
humble. 1t is to lay such matters be-
fore our readers, as may furnish mate
rials for their own reflection, With this
view we place before them the follow
ing extract of a letter, published in the
last National Intelligencer. 1t is in
commentator of the virtues of Cam
phor, in the early stages of the Cholera.
The reader may take it for what it is
worth = Richmond Compiler.1
- "Help me, dear, to praise the
Lord for his unmerited goodness to me,
experienced since last addressed you.
am nearly toeU agGan. Ever since the
first official report of the Board of Health,
l have RETAINED from going into the CT
ty not so much on my own account IS on
that of the poor harmless flock around
me. | continued perfectly well I'M
til Tuesday last, when took slight cold
At half past L | at night, as was finish
ing letter to L., [ was suddenly seized
with drawing pain ill the pit of my
stomach, which being severe, and at
tended with great oppression, | took a
tea spoonful of paregoric. and little
charcoal also bathed the part with
hartshorne but found little benefit. l
now began to think it was the commence.
ment of the dreaded cholera; and ac-
cordingly / arranged and locked up
some things, as should wish them in
case ofdeath, and made memorandum
appointing s.. with l.. and friend
in the city, my executors, to distribute
my small funds, and leaving lamp burn
ing, in case might be obliged to call for
help, (for l was yet unwilling to disturb
the family committed myselrto the kind
protection of our good God, and laid me
down: the pain abating, l fell into
sweet slumbers, from which l was sew
eral times awakened by the pains re-
turning with increased violence; and
between A and 3, | was seized with
sudden diarrhGa, of character / never
had before.
This continuing some hours, resolved
to use the German means Just introduce
ed in New York by my friend Dr.
Charming. a man of sense 81 science it
consists of simply minute doses of Cam
phor, from one to three drops, in wine
glass OF water every hour-and bathing,
or rather rubbing with camphor the seat
of pain, and the muscles cramped. This
mode of treatment has restored numbers
even from the collapsed stage of the dis
ease. without any other remedy what
ever being made use of. At half past
IL took two drops; at little before2,
three drops when | began to feel bet
ter at a, three drops more, and at 5
three more, when the diarrhea ceased,
but my face continued distorted by
spasms. The pain in my stomach not
being quit gone, Mr.. p. thought / had
better not risk another night, and he
sent for DR.. Charming, who rode up i'm
mediately, and on enquiry said l had
done right, and might now, for three
times, take three drops every half hour,
remarking that my attack must have
been pretty severe not to have yielded
sooner. slept well, but towards day
had cramping pains in my toes and an
Giles; | rubbed with camphor, and in
five minutes was perfectly relieved.
/ have been thus infinitely particular,
that l might induce you to carry with
you into the country, if you 60 as pro-
posed, bottle of strong camphor: and
should Diarrhea occur in adults or with
dear little c., do use it, in prefer
ence to bleeding, to calomel, or ice
DR.. Charming witnessed its efficacy in
two hundred and fifty cases. and another
person in twice that number. The Doc
tor has had the disease three times, him
self, and used no other means of restora-
ton. Some Physicians adopt the meth
cd but others, probably from pride of
theory, reject and ridicule it. Their
methods do in many cases succeed but
how less rackIng to the constitution is
this simple treatment He says the ten
dency is to depress the vital energies,
and speedily to cause the lamp of life to
flicker family, till it expires. You must
therefore feed the sinking flame, but
feed it gently. Too large dose Of cam
phor extinguishes it; as some have
proved who derided the idea of giving
it By drops for SO violent disease. DIR.
Claiming has known cases where vom-
ting has commenced, dose Of three or
cf f,ro IrCv,e