The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-10-21
Water Cure for Fever.


The following letter from the Physician of
the Water Cure Establishment at lIliley we
publish because we believe it to be true.
Surely if true it is important Pioneer and
Herald Of Freedom.
To the Editors of the Leeds Mercury:
BEN RHYDD1Ne, near Otley, 9th July, At
GENTLEMEN-I am unable longer to re-
frain from addressing you in reference to the
present mortality occasoned by the fever
which is now raging Itis granted by every
authority of standing, who has written upon
typhus fever that we know of no drug nor
ofany medicinal means, by which that dis
ease may be cured that whether we bleed,
and blister, purge, calomelize, or stimulate
with brandy, wine, or whiskey, the average
number OF deaths is nearly the same in each
mode of treatment; that, in a word, there is
now known remedy in the pharmacopeia for
the cure oftyphus fever; that free ventilation,
moderate diet, Shaving and keeping the head
cool, and cooling drinks, with Aattention, are
all that we can do in cases of fever; that
with these means, patients will generally re-
cover, provided they be not laboring under
a malignant or very serious attack. But If,
on the contrary, the cases be serious, all the
leeching, drugging, bStering, bleeding, and
brandying, would be ofno avail. | do not
write thus for the purpose of exposing the
weakness ofthe art of medicine, but in or
der that society generally may be made ac-
quainted with, and the medical profession in
particular be led to investigate mode of
treatment under which the average number
of deaths does not exceed four in one hun
dred-providcd it be tried in the earlier sta
ges Of the complaint and all medicines,
bleeding, and stimulants avoided. The fol-
lowing is the plan of treatment recommend
ed,
The patient, as soon as possible, ought to
be placed in a sheet, we'll wrung out OF cold
water. This sheet should be laid on a blan-
ket extended on a mattress, and next let the
patient lay himself, or be laid, at full length
upon the sheet, which then must be wrapped
around him so as to come in immediate and
close contact with every part of the body as
high as the neck. The blanket must then be
folded tightly over, so as to exclude the eX-
ternal air, and then covered by two other
blankets, or small feather bed. The pa
tent must remain in this envelope until the
dry hot skin has become softer and more prone
to perSplration, and the fever entirely subs-
ded, renewing the envelop every time the
patient becomes restless or uncomfortable,
even should its repetition be necessary every
ten minutes, or should the fever continue un- |
abated for twenty-four hours. Immediately |
after each envelop, the patient must be well |
washed In slipper bath or common tub, the |
temperature Of the water being IS degrees |
Fahrenheit or thercabouts The head should |
be shaved, and bandages wrung out Of cold |
water, kept applied changing them each
time they become warm, until all headache
removed A similar hon cboull H. |
wise be folded once around the stomach, care
fully and closely covered by three folds of
dry cloth to prevent evaporation, and |
changed every second hour. The patient
should drink as much cold water as he pleas
es during the whole course of his disease, and |
a tree circulation of air ought to be kept up
IN the room, and the room kept cool. The
lever, by means of this process, is usually
overcome in less than twentv-four hours, and |
the patient is then nearly out of danger. For
the next three days, however, the wet sheet
envelop, as above described, should be ap-
piled morning, noon and afternoon-the pa
uent remaining in, each time, for three quar-
tiers OF an hour,-the body to be washed after
each with water of the natural temperature
Should the bowels be c)nstipatcd, let an in
Jecton OF tepld water be used every morning
as long as required. Gentle exercise and
moderate diet should be pursued until perfect
recovery takes place, and all medicine and
artificial stimulants, as wine, &C., avoided.
1.-THE process here described be pursued,
my own experience warrants me in saying,
that the average number of deaths from the
present epidemic will not exceed four out of
one hundred of the worst cases, provided it
be resortcd to sufficiently early.
Should any person wish to know more ex-
plieitly how to proceed, shall be most hap
py gratuitously to give all the advice lean
as to the treatment ofindividual cases
remain, Gentlemen,
Yours respectfully,
VIM. MACLEOD,
Eplln1v Of tho R.npnl Cnllnno nf Dl,.r-