Maryland free press., 1866-05-24
WTLLIANISPORT,N MD, THURSDAY, MA
Steam-DOctOring.

4 "A good. many years ago we lived on ;
hill, in thinly-settldd neighborhood; anc
below, at short distance, in. the valley
was a run of water, over which stone
bridge had been built. The next house tc
ours belonged to an old sea-captain, who
had begun, sometime before, to complain o
feeling unwen, especially in'his legs, i'll
which be said he had the rheumatism SC
badly that he moved about awhile very
slowly, and finally gave up walking alto
gether. .,a..'-. % .'
One day man came along, who said he
knew all about every kind of disease, and
had cured great many people of various
complaints. He went to soc the captain,
and told him it was plain to him that he
wanted nothing but q good steaming.-
Everybody knew he had been using that
for good many years, in one way; but a
livery different one was now recommended.
1t was very simple and cheap process.
He was only to pour boiling water into a
kettle, place two sticks across it, and sit
down with his bare legs stretched out upon
them. He was to be undressed and all
ready to jump into bed as soon as he broke
out into perspiraton. lie was to sit with
blankets all over him, to keep in the steam;
but, if he found it too hot, he was at lib
erty to raise the blankets for q moment.
At last, the captain consented to try the
experiment. The, kettle was half-filled
with very hot water, and the patient took
his place as directed, after the healer of all
diseases had thrown herbs into the kettle,
which e'said were possessed of wonderful
properties, known oply to himself. .;.,,4
But the corpulent old sailor found little
time to give the new remedy a fair trial!
for his legs proved too heavy for their sup
porters; the sticks broke, and his legs fell
suddenly into the water. e., 4, II .,.,.
was at that time sitting at the dinner
table at home with my two aunts, entirely
ignorant of what was going on at our neigh
bor's, but happened to be looking through
window towards his house. Suddenly
saw his door open, and out rushed the
steam-doctor, apparently terror-stricken,
pursued by the old captain with hatchet
in his hand, and clad only in one loose
garment, with his legs up to his knees as
red as boiled lobster, and for similar
reason. Down the hill they ran like wild
horses. uttered an exclamation, which
excited the curiosity of my aunts, and both
os them sprang to the window; but as soon
retreated. .rtI} ~tl,r;'s'1
There was general excitement in the
neighborhood; sound of alarm being
raised, which attracted everybody's atten-
ton. The women instinctively turned and
retreated after the first sight; but the men
and boys all followed the lead set them by
the fugitives, agreeing, as by one impulse,
that the captain must have been suddenly
seized by Gt of insanity, and was bound
on some desperate enterprise, perhaps mur-
der ... .
Down the hill went the doctor and his
pursuer at full speed; and behind them fol-
lowed half the neighborhood, stringing
along, one after another, the foremost of
them far behind the object of pursuit
The doctor continued his fight till he
reached the bridge; and there, without
pausing an instant, he leaped over the side,
and disappeare |; and the old captain, hour
ishing his hatchet, instantly followed suit
When I reached the spot, which did
as soon as smart boys legs could carry
me there, found a crowd lining the bridge
and the banks of the stream, vainly trying
to reach the captain, who was standing in
the middle of the stream, half sunk in the
water and soft mud, and struggling to get
at the doctor, who was also stuck in the
mud, but fortunately at safe distance
from his infuriated patient. With nothing
to do but to ask questions, the assemblage
made a singular appearance; and it was
some time before any explanation could
be found for the strange occurancc. The
captain no doubt being cooled off by his
plunge bath, at last abated his ire, and con.
sented to return peacefully to his dwelling
whereupon both doctor and patient were
extricated, and the crowd dispersed. Th,
steam-doctor disappeared from the vicinity
that very day, and was never heard o
more. ell. 80 .-
The next day, seeing the captain moving
briskly about, Il ventured to inquire how
!, he liked stdamiag. "Boittng, you mean,
replied the captain, with one Of his old
fashioned laughs: "BOi7img is certail
cure for the rheumatism p ..'..'.
--JohnM. Way has brought suit against JOIN
4 NJ. Damo and four others, in Boston, for mol
| nol;n, on tbe 18Th of ADril 1861 He laws hi