The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-04-27
Chr Hancock 5effersonian
From the Maysville Weekly Bulletin.
Cholera.

Much has appeared Of late In the
papers with regard TO the prevention
and cure OF Cholera. In your paper
OF the 9th inst, i noticed brief state
ment of DIR. Chapman's mode of cure
10y the application of ice bags to the
spine. IL seems that the DIR. cured
four out of six cases which he treated
in his peculiar manner, that is, two.
thirds Of the whole. This success
seems to have astonished the resident
physicians OF Southampton, showing
that bis treatment was better than
that which they had previously insti
tuted. The small number of cases
reported seems hardly sufficient to
establish an opinion with regard to
the philosophy and propriety of the
treatment. In the Cincinnati Dutiy
Er7wfver OF the 18th inst, / noticed
some further particulars with regard
to DR.. Chapman's peculiar mode oil
treatment. Seven special rules to be
observed in the application of the ice
are given The fifth of which is in
these words: "The patient should
be assiduously watched to guard, in
the case of reaction, against cerebral
or pulmonary congestions, the devel.
opment OF which will be facilitated
by continuing the ice too long in the
cervical and dorsal regions.
1t appears to me that true and
proper treatment of Cholera ought
not to have any tendency whatever
to induce, or facilitate cerebral puimo
nary or any other congestions, but
should leave the patient in a free state
of convalesceuce. am of the opin.
ion that if the DIR. would change his
tactics, and administer his cold in.
ternally instead Of externally, he
would greatly improve his practice
For instance, if lie would leave off al
external applications, and allow his
patients to drink ice water ad HJitum
and administer no remedies whatever
think he would save three fourths i
not four llths of his patients, jnsteat
Of o-thirds, as by his external ap
plications. Furthermore, he woult
not need to watch assiduously fol
congestions of the brain, or lungs, OF
of any other important organ, FOL
none would occur.
Notwithstanding the change ius'
suggested with regard to DR.. Chap
mans treatment, l would not have i
inferred that dlsapprovc of all rem
edial agents in the treatment OF Chol
era. On the contrary l believe tha
a judicious use of appropriate rene
dies is highly important. You
Messrs. Editors, probably remem
Der, that, during the epidemic of th,
summer of 1852, the number of rata
cases was remarkably large in pro
portion to the number attacked. Tn,
nunFor of attacks was not as grea
as in lS49, but the number of death:
was greater in proportion TO the mum
ber attacked. During that season
(lS52, treated seventy five cases
in all the different stages of the dis
ease, of which seventy three recover
ed promptly, and two died One o
these latter was badly nursed, and
both had taken allopatlic remcdie'
before ! prescribed my specifics. Ny
principal remedy was the first cen
tennial dilution of V,rafyum bum
giving it in one drop doses in tea,
spoonful Of cold water and repeating
the dose every five, ten, twenty, thir.
ty or sixty minutes, according to the
urgency of the case--selduIn, howev
er, oitener than every ten minutes
even in extreme collapsed cases! Ii
a short time the patient expressed
himself as feeling better-the evacu
ations ceased, and ia from one tt
three hours, reaction was fully re
stored, when il was not necessary tc
continue the medicine longer. From
the first, l allowed my patients tC
drink freely OF cod water, ice water
if at hand and preferred, and prohib
tied hot teas. all crude drugs ant
quack nostrums. used no externa
application whatever, excepting wheI
cramping was annoying, and theI
only grasping and friction of the af
fected muscles with the dry hand -
When nausea was an annoying symp
tom as it was in few cases, alter
mated the Veratrum with few dose
OF the first centennial dilution of Ipe
cacuanha, and as soon as that symp
tom abated, this was discontinued
When excessive thirst was an annoy
ing symptom, I alternated the Vera
trum with the fifth centennial attenu
alton of Arsenicum till that symptom
abated, and then discontinued it. n,
unpleasant sequeIig of any kind fol
lowed this treatment-the patient
recovered speedily and rapidly, AM
no relapse occurred. When called q
a case in the early stages, | drecte'
a dose of the Veratrum every hal
hour, hour, or two hours, according
to the violence of the attack. Thi
proved uniformly successful In al
cases as the patient improved, the in
tervals between the dosesH ere length
ened in proportion to the improve
ment---till the administration Of tn
medicine became unnecessary.
| Being beyond the middle age o
life, and having long been prostrate'
with general debility and paralysis
y can hardlu avpaet tn avar ha .hl