The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-10-16
Nursing Yellow. Fever. ],
[ From the Houston telegraph. A.

Nursing Yellow Fever.
From the Houston Telegraph
A writer in the News denoupces sweat
ing yellow fever, and recommends pouring
ice water down the bacls!; Who will vol |
unteer tn havethis treatment tried upon |
himg No one, we imagine. We have no
time to try new theories now. The old
Creole practice, the substance of which is
explained and kept standing in the tele-
graph has saved more yellow fever patients
than any other practice, and will, during
this season ut least, continue to do SO. We
advise all our friends to let nothing seduce
them, from it. 1t is, in the main, the old |
practice Of the Creole nurses in New 0r.l
leans, and the old citizens of Galveston and
Houston. We warn all our friends to let |
calomel blue mass, qninine, ice, iced lem |
onades and hot lemonades, and drugging
and drinking generallNalone.
What we have written, aud whatwe are
now writing, we write in q sick room in
our own family, and after nursing three
cases to convalescencenndert the treatment
we recommend. Aud those we have been
nursing are our own children and blood
kin. We have not given one dose of ned
.icine, except something to open the bow
els, nor sent q Ssingle prescription to the
drug store Nor have We had ice In the
house at ALL Neither have we had any
lemons lines, or anything of the sort. We
opened the bowels by caster Oil, or seidlltz
powders, or citrate ofmagnesia, assisted by
-. rs sn6S when fhc
bowels would not act readily. We used
the warm mustard bath and orange leaf
tea to produce perspiration. After sweat
ing for several hours, we gradually but
safely decreased it, by tightening the COW
eli, and increasing the ventilation; but
still kept up moist skin aud room with
an even temperature We did nothing
more
We Just let the fever sweat and evapor-
ate itself out through the skin, and when
the fever was all gone, no excitement In
the pulse and no heat in the skin and head,
we commenced giving the smallest sort CT
doses of beef tea. We did not use the brar-
DIV. because there was no prostratioti, and
we did not wish to irritatc the stomach
| with it when there was no need OF SUNNI
lation. In one of the eases we put little
sweet spirits of nitre in most OF the drinks
of water or orange leaf tea we gave the pa
tent, in order to secure ths nnobstr7u l!;
action Of the urinary organs, an lmportant
matter In yellow fever. We put no ice %, on
the head, nor any cold applications we
took advantage of the whole power OF ev-
ery inch of the skin to help us get i1d q
the fever. aieG L1 yall9!S4A8 49, !,
| In this way we sought to avoid the much
complained of congestion, instead OF using
the ice remedy, which i'll our OPINION, pro-
notes instead ofpreventing congestion. a
whole skin open atievery pore. also gaaras
against black vomit. Nor dld we give q
Esinyle drink ofice-water or ice-lenlonade'
or warm lemonade. If the patient was
thirsty, we gave ahalf glass OF, clsterli y wa,
ter once an hour We avoided the effect
, Of the ice.cold both upon:the external and
!, internal surface. Nor did we put o wei
cloth on the head I'll When the patient was
FIRST taken, we not only sought to open 'tnt
. bowels, batwere glad if the patient. nati
!. rally yomited upltlie last meal. We dit
= not mind assisting awhile the tendency u
l vomit. All empty stomach is great nell
i in the, beginning Of a yellow fever case, ye
= we shrink from a. uniform aud aroltraf.
! rule of,giying IN emetic at the start III es
ery. yellow fever case. sometimes th
= stomach never RECEIVERS its qutetpde ate
this enforced yonit, 81 ,.isbs t.,9iA.
Y When the fever subsidies, and you oegl
q to give no,Irishment, look out fof the eu
Of thatnourisbment upon the stomach
r beef ira does not agree WI the stomae!
6 Of IS not relished by the patient, try chlcl
Ell broth. Ifneither seem to DO well, tt
i. iirrow-roOt, panado or something OF tina
II sort If the stomach still rejects nourlsl
i ment, give beef tea and brandy ny lnle
= ton, and in little larger quantity, anu
=; about the same time, as whengiyell ny I'll
~ mouth. If the stomach is u little, trouDl
3. some. rub it we'll with dry mustard; II
10 threatens to give much trouble, put mu
vs. tard plaster on 1t. -,
OIL We have learned to watch the pulse III
iaI 4 hawk watches bird, both while tue
Of yer ii Of, and after it is gone off; IN Il
n first case, to tell when 1t begins 70 sqDslu
nd and whe, it is entirely gone. IN order ID
"a we may begin to give nourisnment al
y, y, in the second case, to find out the pui
L. is falling too low, in which case we give
~ little brandy in addition to the nonrls
III ment. the amount of the stimulation to
is, governed by the necessity indicated by t
he onlse. Stimulants had better be left alo
ais unless there is real necessity for them;
ity the same time, the patient must not be
re-. lowed to sink down to weakness and {
= baustion. But we adopted QUE fixed rul
III when ANYTHING disagreed with athe sto
~ ach. especially after the fever had sabsid.
CIR we stopped it Instantly. Itwontdofo II
az with the stomach Of q yellor fever pate
en- Ifthe fever rises again after it has 81
he sided, some Of our physicians give quiniI
nd say twenty grains to grown person. !.
ass are no doctor, but We difidently conf
to that we are afraid Of quinine in snch cas-
eirl and will not use lit. It may somstiu
al check the return of fever, but then aga
an lit fails; and it very frequently SO ups
az the whole nervous system that the c.
JUG cannot sbe controlled Better keep. up
" " moist skin and an even temperature IN
hle room, and wait for it to subside or, res
TO Eto the mustard bath and sweating tea
by fough cases. Remember that although
tarl draft of air must not strike the pate
IS :, VET the room must not be closet must
lief well ventilated. If the skin dries up {
esa cannot be made moist, rubbing the WI
mo- BODY with dry mustard Wlllnelp To- ACC
Il" ~ nlish the desired end. If the patien
Wy, sinking, or cold, orgboth, put about,
ave pint Of run, or whiskey ins = basin OF WI
ogs water, and then dip a towel into 1t; saue
Gus. It after you lift just enough to keep 1t Il
hat dripping, and sponge Che whole body y
the 1t, dipping the towel in the lignld as o O
sysl As itybegins to dry. Dosthis frequent'
ma he necessity continues.
{. Nursing in yellow fever isa most resi-
nav sible task, and most irksome one:
,rals nurse should never leave the room II p'
, a' BE to prevent it, No yellow fever pat Z
'l III can be trusted out of your sight. E
! ~ s doctors, who have been the most e y.
nlcp and psfemptory as to nursing, are Jus
the foolisbly' imprndent as raw Germans
ma Irishmen when they take TIL, fsHef !,
tied have had some lamentable exelnplltlcat
comb Of this statement of late.
offs + (
i in. ~ I .~os~o---s' ---~-'~"~
the .orrasrordant of
sing IoLAND c.. u