Washington telegraph., 1853-03-02
From the Spirit Of the Times.l
ChillS and Fever,
A new and Certain mode of curing "Shakes

A new and Certain mode of curin @ .Shakes -
DEAR 'SPIRIT"-A stranger in rassinp
through the lower counties of North Carroll
ma and Virginia, will be struck by the sick
ly, cadaverous complexion of many of the
inhabitants thereof: this is occasioned bv
their proximity to the swamps and pocosins,
whose poisonous exalations they are con-
stantly breathing, and which forms fruit
ful source for that scourge of the low lands.
chills and fever.
A few weeks ago, whilst riding with a
friend, we halted for a few moments at the
cabin of shingle getter. for the purpose of
obtaining some water for ourselves and
horses; whilst there, we entered into con-
versation with the proprietor of the prem-
ses. Our first enquiry, as to the health of
himself and family, was answered, as his
appearance indicated, the chills and fever
troubled them occasionally On further
conversation we advised him to procure a
medicine we named, one that had been pat
ented by some physician, and was strongly
putfcd by the papers as an infallible cure for
the ague, and great renovater of the sys-
uCuI IlC iildl SilODh III uCdu lllcTCullltuS-
ly. Stranger, said he. Doctors may in
vent and pay editors to write and print about
their medicines TO cure the ague and other
diseases-by so doing they have taken many
hard earned dollar from men like myself
they won't get another dollar from me in
hurry, for sir, | have tried them and
their mcdicines-they won't do down here
in the bottoms. Now, sir. you see that boy
there (pointing to a white headed pump
kin-colored lad, whose age ranged somewhere
between twelve and twenty } well. that boy
month ago was taken by the shakes, and,
Jeshu! they gave him goss.' Bless your
heart, you people who live in town don't
know what the real shakes are, but here's
the place to see, as well as to feel them
Why, sir, the very first day, Bill shook him
self right out of bed and into the ashes and,
kept up such racket, that the old woman
hustled me off for doctor I found one in
town, and he came out with me. Bill, how
ever, was better when he came back. but the
Doctor stayed with us. for he wanted to have
a fair chance, he said, TO keep off the next
attack. Well. he went to work on the boy,
he dosed and he dreuehed him, as would
have done horse with the cholic, but it
did no good-for the next day the boy was
down again-this time he shook himself not
only out Of bed--but clean out Of his breech-
es, and came Ugh burning his skin, for he
got into the fire. The doctor worked away
like blazes sometimes tussiing with the boy,
all over the room, knocking over the pans,
table and benches, trying to keep him in
bed-but no sooner did he'get him there,
than out he would come again, with his teeth
chattering and his hair on end. The doctor
fout the virmint his durndest all day, but
he couldn't fee him-he was badly whipped,
certain-I told him he might 90. Now,
thinks l to myself, I'll try my hand to-mor-
row, and see how my medicine will act-so
as s on as [ got up went to that chinqua-
pin bush over yonder and cut me about the
alfred longest switch you ever laid eyes on.
When | got back poked up Bill, who was
rolled up in bed. and says [, Sonny, Sonny,
how do you feel yourself this morning"
"Why, daddy, says he, rubbing his eyes,
4 feel bad enough that blasted old shakes
is coming on, and it is going to give me
beans again
"Gitup, Sonny" says I, come out here in
the yard | want you to help me drive out
the old SOW, for she's making awful work
in our tater patch.
Bill in few moments come, ont. with
nothing on but his shirt. As soon as he got
well out of the house. gave him, such a
wipe around-his naked legs, that he jumped
about ten feet, yelling like an Injun-'Now
my boy says run" and away he went
around the field like steam engine Ev-
cry time he begin to slacken his pace | APP
piled the chinquapin medicine to his hide.
| kept him travelling, you may be sure ev-
cry time we came towards the house | push
ed him the harder, to keep him from getting
in. Bill would only have time to sing out,
oh, Nanny when he would dart by out
Of hearing Now. the old woman was get
ting breakfast at the time Of the rumpus,
and on looking out, got her nature consid-
erably riled at seeing Bill catching it so fast
and the racket he was making, led her to
think he had nearly give out On our ap-
preaching the house i;or the fourth heat, she
could stand it no longer-for grabbing up
the long handled frying pan that was on the
fire, full of herrings, out she comes. Blast
your picture said she, fight me awhile,
and let the boy rest. With that she brought
down the burned old pan, herrings and all
on top of my coacoanut, so hard that it cap
sized me fat into the hog trough. 1 didn
care so much for the lick, although it made
my head ache for week afterwards, bu
one of them hot herrings got in side of my
shirt, and Jerusalem. how it burnt. 1t ac
tually branded me before | got it out. Her
rings is mighty good generally-but the.
amt as comfortable as poultice, no how
When [ got up, Bill had gone into the hous'
sweating like stage-horse in July. H
oip't haan t.ouh1o1 nth +bo cbo1-oc ciDoo