The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-05-10
THE CHOLERA AND ITS TREATMENT.
BY A MISSIONARY PHYSICIAN.

may 'lSl1 tHe OHitcu DtatGS uuTlDS TIT
, coming season, gives much interest anC
/ Importance to paper on the subject, pre-
, pared by DIR Pratt, Of Marash, (Centra
, Turkey mission.) He was at CONSTANT
nople during the prevalence of the cpl
demic in that city, and states that, "aftel
consultation with DR.. Hamlin and others,
who had practical experience in former
epidemies Of the kind, circular was pre-
pared, suggesting principles and methods
OF management, a copy of which was fur
nished to each mission family" This
was afterwards modified, as the result of
experience, and he has now furnished it,
substantially, for publication in the Her.
aid. The efficacy Of the treatment may
be seen from the following statement.
" An experiment was made in carrying
out these directions, by Messrs Long and
Trowbridge, in several of the Khans of
the city. In these great caravansaries,
hundreds Of stangers live,-laborers of
all sorts from all parts Of the country
hiring only rooms and taking care of
themselves. Many of them live in the
most wrc;chcd condition, and with neith-
er conyeniences nor Appliances for the
care of the sick sleeping on the floor,
two, four, or six, in one small, dark, half
lighted, unventilated room. No circum-
stances could be more unfayorable, and
there were only two meliorating facts;
one, that all were near at hand and could
cctf..llr cf.lr Il seen the other, that they put
implicit couGdcacc il their physicians,
and followed directions. Under these
circumstances three brethren, (not medi-
cal mea, supplied themselves with the
medicines mentioned, and taking a room
in one of these khaus, miuistered to all
comcrs.
"The result was most gratifying. They
had, Of patients who were forced to take
to their beds, (Which they did only at the
last minnie one hundred aud Two
Take from these eight, whom they only
saw at the last moment and administered
to but once, and you have ninety-four
treated. OF these, ten died; four from
relapses brought on by imprudence in
eating or drinking, and two from the ty-
ts
Not few Of these ninety-four we're far
gone in the stage of collapse when first
seen. Two, who died, died In six hours
after the first symptoms, enc in nine hours,
and several 10 twelve hours. The result
may be summed up as one death in ten
cases but to these must be added from
three to four hundred cases which pre-
sented themselves at the room in various
stages Of the disease, not so severe as to
bring them to their beds. The fame of
these brethren went so far that even Mus
sulmans came, In two or three instances,
to take them to their harems; one old
man saying he had had physician, but
wanted to ge: master in his profession,
and so came for one of them.
"The remedies and methods are not
new; but they are simple, easy Of appli-
cation by people OF common sense, and in
this experiment, certainly, proved emf
nently successful.
In one case, friction of the spine with
ointment Of anlp onia proved very use
ful; bat the means specified below are
within the reach Of all, in case the scOurge
should visit America the coming year
Let them be boldly and faithfully applied,
and with Gods blessing, success will
doubtless often crown the effort.
SymptQnls Of tie Disease.
"Colera is a disease of the stomach and
intestines, manifested by purging and
vomiting, and running, sooner or later,
into discharges like water with rice boiled
IN it. This is the essential nature of the
disease, 10 matter where it appears
When it comes as an epidemic commonly
called 'Asiatic cholera there co-exists,
to greater or less degree, what is called
malignancy; manifested by coldness ofthe
surface of the body, depressed pulse, pur
pie, shriveled appearance of extremities,
and perhaps spasms. 1t is this quality that
is the source of danger, and it may vary
in intensity from the slightest to the most
yirulent degree, causing death in three
hours, aud before the purging and vom
iting have had time, Of themselves, to
produce any effect.
Treatment
"To meet these conditions, the follow
ing directions must be carefully followed.
"Q) For the stage Of diarrhea. This
may come on iusidiousIy, painless and
hence not alarming, but should be met
promptly. The remedy is, The cholera
mixture, SO called, consisting of equal
parts of
Laudanum, Tincture OF Rhubarb, and
Spirits Of Champher :.
begin with 80 drops, taken clear and
unmixed, with a little sugar placed in the
mouth afterwards. Repeat the dose cf
ter eoery evacuqtion, increasing it if the
case becomes urgent to 60 drops, "a ia
bespoonful,) or 80 drops if necessary
If the diarrhea is not controlled by this
means, an injection of from 80 to 80 drops
of laudanum, in a table spoonful of starch,
will prove a valuable help. This may be
often repeated. If the diarrhea ceases, do
not entirely intermit the medicine, but