Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-30
Chr, If Joe;,;en, Tetanus 0, Locked Ja,o.


N'' c. r. 'FoNTAINE.
Cure of Iaepicnt Tetanns or Locked Jaa0.
To N. CHArMAs, NJ b, Philadelphia:
Dear Sir-The distinguished station you hold in the
medical and scientific world induces me TO address you
this letter The florida Horrendum nature OF the DIS
ease, which | place along side of Hydfophooia-hu,
manity-all, ALL urge me to address you publicly.
shall be as brief as possible. On the night of the 2oh
May, ult my SON, Abraham w. Fontaine, complained
supper of The side Of his foot hurting him very much
On enquiry and observation, found wound on the
right side of his right foot the edge of the bottom
HI his supper and went 10 bed he appeared to be IN
greut pain, and cried scolded ut him, so as to try
and check his complaint but it had little effect was
uneasy, fearing it incpient locked Jaw askeo
him, if his foot jumped twched: ne saId yes hen
sat down by him and noticed its movements ana ioun
il was fact that tetanic commissions did exist c1S
alarmed.
had had three cases of locked jaw in thirty years
practice every of which proved atal-aiter every
effort believe, in the power of man to save mem
The lst negro woman OF my TREND Mr. W ~. :,
Berrymun on whom attended, with my distinguished
medical friend Dr. John Trent of Cumberland we
could not save her. Hers from slight wounu
on the tendo-Achills. The next was on negro man
belonging 10 my friend, MIR. VIM Woodson Inns
arose IRON a lacerated wound OF the hano on wh'e"
the souphng of the flesh had exposed The naked bones
and ,endons of 3 fingers, two of which were
obliged TO be ampu,ated and the tetanus followed the
amputaon. The third case was negro girl Oh my
neighbour Wm. Snoddy, arising from slight wouhu
on The foot All these cases were IN id bloom "nen
was called in, and we'll matured. They all PROVED
fatal and resistess AS observed before was alarmed,
and we'll might be- for tie fate of my dear little son.
Iapp,ed imme du,ely usceriained the tetanc symp-
toms, application of laudanum and sugar TO the
wound then dropped % drops of laudanum, half OF
which gave him. lie went TO bed, laid down III a
bed nv him. he continued to cry in an apparently sup
pressed tone, and complained heavily. asked him II
his foot and leg erked' lie said yes it was almost
continued for an half hour. lie solicited 10 come u
bed with me, which he d'd he Ia,o W :e' and
heart trcmbed | placed my hand on his thigh ana
knee, and occasionally his leg. The tendo-Achiiis
was drawn so to sraighten, or nearly stfa'sn'e"
the foot-The aexor tendons on the back OF 'ne hne1
were rery rigid, and when convuisec, tItremeay fe,u
The convulsve motion extended to the insertion Of the
muscles on the hip above the thigh. The left leg, ITS ten
dons and vessels partook of the henonenh, only
less degree nppeared rapidly TO progress IN violence
gave him the balance of the 20 drops ot laudanum
He complained exceedingly, he had Stiffness IN ,ie
hack of his neck and expected in = or hours ms
whole system would symraihise-and the usual symp-
toms OF opislhotonos convus ons throwing me sys
tenn backwards the head and heels, would take
place Fortunately at this point-and no oonot u"uei
the suggestions OF the Divine goodness-fTfoH oy Tue
hand struck my mind coun'eactlon 10 Tie nervous
irritation. The laudanum appeared TO make INN crow
sy and he felt partially asleep As The friction pro-
crossed he grew easy the convusons began 10 cease
as also the rgdity of the endo Achilles ana 'he NAM
s,rinps After aa lille he awoke-and he snys, "fapa,
feel much better"-ile says, again, "Papn, rub me
YOU can't think how much ii relieves me- docs ~
nv son :"-"Yes indeed, he replies, does does me
more good he says than any thing you do, or can no.
II relieves me-" continued the friction WIN my
naked hand for some fifteen or twenty mnutes-.ne
disease again gave way sensiby. &" am still better,
saws he The same result followed the application OF
The frclion-which used, and ultimately suspend
ed-ull between eleven and twelve o'clock TINT night,
they became completely suspended, ne Tell asleep ana
slice ping till the next morning at day break;
he was then awakened by return OF the disease
Friction alone applied, several times, IN the course
of hours-and in THAI time The disease MADE many
rioleat attempts 10 return, and acaS as eaHy SnOnea
by friction. Comment.--The laudanum might nave
aided in suppresslng the disease, as no DOUBT olu
hut it was wholly nadequate-as can he atested oy
myself in the 3 cases above napied. For, opium and
audaoum was used in The two first cases by the d!rec-
ton of medical authority in large quantities. IN Tue
cases a,so-and the Of tobacco injections, recon-
mendsd by the physicians Of the French Army IN Spain
IN, without effect No good ensued. All medical
authorles--after trying opium, landanum AND other
remedies without ayail--use language 10 the amount
of the distinguished Doctor Thomas OF the West
India lsanGs--wlo left Britain and practised many
years where the locked jaw, eianus IS more frequent,
Than in culd climat.s. Doctor TEoaas on The Nor
tnlity of the genuine Tetanus Locked Jaw, makes
use of the following language, VIZ ""hen tecnic
affections arise-in consequence OF wound or pune
ture or laceraion, they are almost sure TO prove
fatal rs never but met with recovery unoer
such circumstances, during very extensive practice
md long residence in the West Indies. Doctor Rush
considers it equally faial-so does ID ctor Chapnan-
10 whom have The honor Of addressing this letter =
The next morning dressed the wound with iiaxSeea
and milk pouce between nine and ten clock, On The
next day As often the spnsms succeeded, they were
met with friction and as often a6ated AT length they
dwnd, down n nothing, aad disapI entirely
Will YOU Sir be kind TO account for lis action
presume myself tina, the sau,ary action OF the friction
is produced by the es.eniug OF acknowledgements
e1citaJiitu lis modus operaadi, presume IS that
or is it the effect of the late discovered doctrine oil
Animal Magnetism, Who can explain? 10 all OF Inc
above facts attest invite their publication IN The
medical and political, and religious journals invite
experiments BY medical practitioners throughout The
u. Stn,rs and Europe, and the action OF scientific no.
dies. AS regards myself, was and nm now somewhat
as,onshe its etfrc,s; bau is 1T no less true
than astonishing II appeared TO control the ielahc
SYMPTOMS with much ease as the lion would OF pre-
sumed to control the lamb. have the utmost conn
dence-I am certan-t will cure rrery case; and The
day is approaching predicted by The immortal hush,
that remedy would be discovered Tor ms same ds
and hydrophobia, &c, &c, as regards ietanus.
which have ranked along side Of hydr0Pho6ta; and
all those who have pracsed in it will attest us eqnai
malgnity. The days of its terror are numbered.
! will make one further suggestion, that invite d
trial of friction, alias Animal Magnetism, alias The
Electric Fluid to Of hydrophobia
The undersigned never hah ont one Case u VI. ~
ter, and ha, went - with commissions, very much re-
sembing those Of etanus--but he invites lfiai Dy
all those whose eye this may reach in both diseases
The friction was only applied, as before observed to the
tepdo.Achlllis, the back of the leg, and the ham.
strings, with only hand this OF tetanus but
in the of by drophobia would recommend keep
ing moderately warm blood heat, and un'ofrsal ic
lion. am, sir,
Your respectful and obpdient servant,
G. r FONTAINE, Nj. u.
Diana Mills, Buckingham county, Va
p S. During the time of the first letanIc symptoms,
his pulse was small and frequent, and fregular-h'ss
skin about the lower extremii les, cold. About u
clock, after the commissions began 10 go off, his SKIN
began 10 get warm, and his pulse grow fuller. he maze
the enquiry after he began to get better VIVA.
makes my shoulders so weak Now,t Is particularly
ex planned by DR.. Rush. Their weakness invites d's
ense and no doubt the muscles of the shoulders were
about he attacked and receive the nroad OF The as
ea.a LIE aaa said ..Pana IL FER The conYuls bad