The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-02
Curing n Cold.

the amusement OF the public, but it is 4
far higher and nobler thing to write for
their instruction, their profit, their actual
and tangible benefit. The latter is the
sole object Of this article. IL it proves =
means of restoring to health one solitary
sufferer among my race, OF tightening up
once more the fire of hope and Joy in his
faded eyes, Of bringing back to his dark
heart again the quick, generous impulses
of other days, shall be amply rewarded
for my labor; my soul will be filed with
the sacred delight a Christian feels when
he has done good, unseldsh decd.
Having led pure and bamelcss life, |
am justified in believing that no man who
knows me will reject the suggestions ] am
abou. to make, out OF fear that ! am trying
to deceive him. Let the public do itself
the honor to read my experience in doctor
irg cold as herein set forth, and then fol-
low in my footsteps.
When the White House was burned, in
| Virginia, lost my home, my happiness, my
constitution, and my trunk. The loss of
| the two lirst-namcd articles was matter
of no great consequence, since home with
out a mother, sister, or a distant young fc-
male relative in it to remind you, by put
ting your soilcd linen ont Of sight, and
taking your boots down off the mautclp!ccc,
that there arc those who think about you
and care for you, is easily obtained. And
| care nothing for the loss Of my happi-
ness, because, not being poet, it could
not be possible that melancholy would
abide with me long.
But to lose 4 good constitution and
iSfI nos
On the day Of the fire my constitution
succumbcd to a severe cold, caused 10y
undue exertion in getting ready to do
something. / suffered TO no purpose, too,
because the plan was figuring at for the
extinguishing of the fire was so elaborate
that l never got it completed until the
middle OF the following week.
The first time began to sneeZe, friend
told me to go and battle my feet in hot
water and go to bed. l did so. Shortly
aftcrward another friend advised me to
get up and take cold shower bath. | did
that also. Within au hour another friend
assured me that it was policy to "feed .
cold and starvo fever" | had both. So
| thought it best to fill myself up for
cold, and then keep dark and let the fever
starve a while.
In cases of this kind seldom do things
by halves | ate pretty heartily; con-
terrcd my custom upon stranger who had
inst opened his restaurant that morning;
be waited near me in respectful silence
until had finished feeding my cod, and
when he asked if people about Virginia
were much afflicted with colds, he then
went out and took in his sign. | started
!. ,.l, In, office and thn
encountered another bosom friend, who
told me that quart Of salt water taken
warm would come as near curing q cold as
ANYTHING in the world. l hardly thought l
had room for it, but tried anyhow The
result was surprising. l bcllcVc thrc"
up my immortal soul.
Now, as am giving my experience only
for the benefit Of those who are troubled
with the dstcmper am writing about, |
feel that they will see the propricty of my
cau,ioning them against following such
uor,irns of it as proved sufficient with nc,
and acting upon this conviction, warn
them against warm salt water. 1t may be
i good enough remedy, but think it IS too
severe. II had another cold in m! head,
and there were 10 course LETT mc but to
take either an earthquake or quart OF
warm salt water, would take my chances
on the earthquake.
After the storm which had been raging
in NV stomach had subsidized, and no more
good Samaritans happening along, went on
borrowing handkcrchiels again and again,
and blowing them TO atoms, as had been
nv custom in the early stages of my cold,
until | came across q lady who had Just ar
| I,n ,,luins and who SAID
she had lived in q part the country
where doctors were very scarce, ana rom
necessity acquired considerable SIKH III
the treatment of simple family com,
plants" l knew she must have mad
much experience, for she appeared " W
a hundred and fifty years Old.
She mixed a decoction composed oi mo
lasses, aquafortis, turpcntine, ana Val io">
other drugs, and instructed me " 'aNe
winer]assful of it every fifteen minutes
7 took but one dose that was enough; II
rohhed me of all moral principle auo
owol,e every unworthy impulse Of my ma
,nrc Under its malign influence my
brain conceived miracles of meanncsS, but
INV hands were too feeble to execute them
At that time, had it not been that my
strength had surrendered to succession
) Of assaults from intallible remedies for my
. cold ! am satisfied that would have tried
to rob the graveyard.
5 Like most other people, often fee
, mean, and act accordingly; but until
l took that medicine had never rereleC
in such supernatural depravty and fell
proud of it. At the end of two days
was ready to go to doctorlng again.
took few more unfailing remedies, anC
finally drove my cold from my head to my
lungs.
I got to coughing necessarily, and my
, voice fell below zero; l converSed III q
laundering bass, two octaves below my
natural tone l could only compass my
regular nightly repose by coughing myself
. down to state of utter exhaustion, anC
then the very moment that began to tall
:. in my sleep, my discordant voice woke INT
up again.
Ny case grew more and more serious
every day. Plain gin was recommended
| took it. Then gin and molasscS tool
that also. Then gin and onions; | addct
the onions, and took all three. l did not
detect any particular result, however, ex
cept that had acquired breath like thai
of a buZzard.
| found had to travel for my health.
went to Lake Bigler with my reportoria
comrade, Wilson. 1t is gratifying to ms
TO reflect that VIC travelled in considerable
STYLE. We went in the Pioneer coach
and my friend took all his baggage Will
him, consisting Of two excellent handkcr-
chiefs and a daguerreotype Of lis grand.
: mother. We sailed, and hunted, and
lishcd, and danced all day, and | doc:ored
49,. n -.:l. p, ,,,,r,r;rr +, This