Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-02-11
How to Cure Fits,
pr A LOUISIANA SWAMP DOCTOR.

is the Distinguishing between cases Of
real disease, and those that are feign-
ed. 1t is great stumbling block in
the path of young practitioners, and
even old members Of the fraternity
find d few chips of it in their way oc-
casionally. To such a degree may
the att of Discrimination be carried,
that nothing but the eye Of suspi-
cion and blind resentment will lead
US to detect the imposition. I have
known case Of simulated disease,
after deceiying some of the first ply
sicians in the So nth, and withstand
ing almost every species of treat
ment, Ito be cured BY an energetic,
liberal administration of the negro
whip. But this is a remedy that
fearful humanity will not allow US to
use, and consequently I never resort
to it, but use equally as effective,
but uninjurious means.
Shortly after ] commenced prac-
tice, l was sent for in a great hurry
to see i case of fits in the person Of
negro wench, belonging to a plan
tation d few miles from where l was
located. The fit was over when l
reached the place, and | found the
=
patient resting very composedly and
showing no evidence Of present or
past disease; but the testimony of
her master went to show that she
had had one of the worst fits he had
ever seen, and he ought to know
something about fits, as he had lived
several Years in Arkansas, where the
doctors invariably throw every case
into fits as preliminary to cure.
] made a prescription suitable to
/ his description, and returned home,
only to be sent for in greater haste
the next day, and so on for a week,
/ the fits seeming to increase in inten-
/ sity under my treatment. ] re-
marked, as a popularity Of her case,
that on Sundays, and when rain pre-
vented her being out to work, she
escaped the attack; but hardly could
| the hoe-handle salute her palm in
the cottqn-feld, before she would be
scre eehing, yelping, and struggling
like a fri end of mine, who, camping
out, made his pillow of a fallen, but
still tenahted hornets nest.
l became desperate; the owner was
becoming tired of sending for me,
and my reputation was suffering, for
the patient was getting worse. l
examined her again thoroughly, but
nothing could | find in her digestive,
arterial, nervous, muscular, or osse-
Gus systems, to indicate disease, /
Shaved all the wool off her head to
! feel for depressed skull-5ones, and
comm encing the Materia Medica at
Acetic Add, administered through
to Zingiber, concluding the course by
knocking her senseless with a gal
Yanic battery; butshe staodlits, treat
ment, and everything else without
change, and not till a strong impress
sion ested on my mind that she was
feigning, dida different course of
treatment suggestitself to me- The
plantation lay on both sides Of a
deep bayou. the link Of connexion a,
high wooden bridge. l happened in
ONE day at the house, W hen / per-
ceived four negroes approaching the
bridge from the opposite field, bear
ing some object in blanket.
Finding, on inquiry, that my pa
tent had that morning started to
work in that part of the plantation, /
readily surnlised that the blanket
aforesaid contained my case Gifts.
Asking the overseer to accompany
me, we advanced to meet the ne
groes, who seemed to have great DIFF I
ficulty in.keeping the object in the
blanket; we.imet them just as they
reached the centre OF the bridge, the
water underneath being some eight
or ten feet deep.
"NYho have you got there?' l
asked.
Hannah, sir, has got another of
her fits" replied one Of, the negroes.
'sPut her down on the bridge and
let me examine her" It was done;
i required the united strength of
the four negroes to hold her still
whilst | made the necessary examin-
ltion, the result Of which confirmed
ny impression that she. was simula-
ing. ithundered almost in her
ears, but she gave 70 answer. and | /
determined to put in execution my
lew plan of treatment. ie
"Picl her up and throw her in Y
he bayou" Isaid, very clearly and |,
Il
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