The New York herald., 1870-06-20
GET T Y s B d + e..
HIS Battlefield and Heal
Ing Spring.
Are tho Gettysburg Waters the Long Sought
Solvent Of Calculus i-Gettysburg a. Wa
tering Place-A Military Invalid Ho-
tel-The Lost science-strange Natu-
raj Phenomena of Battles
and Of Battlefields.

theatre OF bloody battle, but, by strange an.
tithesis of events, as the or momentous hea
ing discovery, win render acceptable to the public
thc following account OF professional visit which
nave made TO this famous spot of national soil.
Being much Impressed With the Published descrip-
Nons OF the recent experiments Instituted here with
she gettysburg waters solvent OF calculus de
sermned to take closer survey OF the field OF opera
tions believing that the importance of the alleged
resulting discovery justified such step accor,i-
ngly icketed myself for Gettysburg the other even.
Ing by way OF Baltimore where had some bushes IS
aud where stopped over night. The next day
reached gettysburg In time for an early dinner and
70 take stroll through the town aud over portion
OF the battlefield. Gettysburg, ana the purely mill.
tary aspect OF its envrOns, have been often and
20 well described that shall not attempt a repe-
tltion. viii only remark tnat no description can
give person who has not seen 1t correct Idea Of
the country, or produce on the mind OF the
reader the impression made by It's actual inspection
Nor have l seen any painting, drawing OF photo
graph which conveys such an idea or produces such
an impression. II Is Enthusiastically historic in It's
features, and had not been here long before / be.
came aware that was not only on historic soil but
among
HISTORIC PEOPLE.
Historic In double sense; historic In virtue Of
their residence and Of their bygone civilization.
In their material devices, ideas and habits the
people OF Gettysburg are fty years behind the age.
Not that the new things and ideas which are traIs-
forming the outside world are strangers here. These
have been, to some extent, introduced and are on
trial; but they have not yet elected any perma-
hent odgment. But let not the reader fail into the
error OF supposihg that am describing rustic or
ignorant populatlon for by reference TO the census,
IL VIII be seen That they are among the most
cultivated In the United States thanks u Tn c
colleges and pubhc schools located here. H.,
cause she deems 1T eXpedent SO to be: for phioso-
phy sits enthroned on these hills well ~ the hs,o-
rle muse and the Goa OF Medicine.
TIE GETFYSBuRG SPA.
But there Is one new thing ABOUT which the good
people OF Gettysburg are enthusiastic, ana that Is
the medicinal virtues OF tnis fountain, as sort OF
cureall, contiadlcts the proverb that "a prophet
Y not without honor save in his own country"
Many spas which enjoy great regulations abroad FOR
curative properties lave none az al AT home their
pretensions being ndiculed by those who know them
Nowhere else does thus spring enjoy great repu
tation as In the region OF country immediately
around It. But while the people OF Gettysburg are
well posted In regard to the general merits or their
Spa and Will refer you to innumei able and wonder
fu illustrations of is healing powers in the persons
OF well known and highly esteemed citizens OF the
Town and vlciity, the noll-prolessional portion OF
them n,o, 40 not iully comprehend or appre-
Ga,e e.n tae results . Of the recent experiments
with the huid on calculus, which are
now attracting the attention OF the scientific
world THIS II surprising. considering the scientlc
apprehension Of scientific terms.
TIE GREAT DISCoyERY-1HE SOLVENT OF CALCtJIUs
Having completed my stroll through the town and
environs and my observation OF the people, called
on Mr. Robert q. McCreary the local agent and man.
ager OF the spring. BY him l was shown the In
valid correspondence of the Gettysburg Spring
Company and the medical reports relating to the
scientific and practical experiments with the wafer
upon human calculus and its associate forms of
disease This testimony OF the wonderful properties
OF the water Is too volum1nOus to be submitted to
the public excepting IN book form. Yet the discov-
hn nj nnlf fltl tybo
beyond all reasonable doubt, Is practically too i'm
portant and historically too interesting to omit all
reference to the latter. Iwill, therefore, embody
few extracts from these papers. But 1t is necessary
70 preface them with Il lew explanatory remarks FOR
the benefit OF that large class OF readers VINO may
be unfamiliar with scientlc terms. The word cal
cuus Is usually employed to designate hard or
stony substance, which accompanies or produces
the urinary disease popularity know as gravel. But
the stones OF gravel only one OF the many forms
OF calculus, anu perhaps Its least mischevOus variety
similar concreiions form IN nearly every part OF the
human system, as VIII appear from he following
quotation from the article On calculus In the Anerl
can Encyclopedia:"-
the Of ss SSd sy s in
the arteries and about the heart saliva in the
teeth BY bile in the gall bladder they are fpund is IN
Ss ol s s a5o s bSnc @
toes, &C. But their most common in the kid
these cacu, when grown large be discharged BY
the excretory organs formed they are never after
srsd A'' any solvent '0r 'nen 0'en a'''0S
Medical chemistry proves that calculus results
from combination of the alkais with the lithc or
stone acid-ths latter SO named from its fatal pro-
clvity 10 this perifying process In the living human
organism. Calculus, or this acid, its chief con.
cause of our national disease dyspepsia
OF rheumatism, Of gout neuralgia, heart disease and
consumption; OF bronchial affections, OF chronic
constipation and dlarrlloea and of whole host of
kidney and urinary diseases alarmngly on the
increase and some OF them so suddenly fatal in their
results.
THE LONG SEARCH FOR THE GETTYSBURG SOLVENT.
Though modern chemistry and surgery have more
fully disclosed the nature OF calculus and Its agency
in the production OF disease there is good reason to
believe that the ancients had some vague idea OF
both. At any rate, the search for some medicinal
agent which would dissolve stone in the bladder and
neuraze the acid which produces it Is coeval with
the earliest civilization. The greatest physicians
and chemists OF AL ages and countries have Joined IN
this search. Two English physicians-Ure and Gar.
rad-made few years ago, the nearest approach to
such discovery yet attained among mineral aud
vegetable substances in their experiments with the
commercial carbonate OF nthia. M. Petet one
Of the resident physicians at the vichy Springs
Of France claims to have met with some
success IN dissolving urinary calculus with those
waters, and his claim Is endorsed to some
extent by the French Academy of Medicine. But It
Is doubtful whether the Vchy waters are any better
solvent of urinary calculus than were the ancient
alkaline waters of lschia discovered by Carlus Aure
lanus, one OF the disciples Of Gaen, early as the
second century. regret that cannot submit the
evidence which supports the claims of these different
medicinal agents TO be solvents Of calculus along
with that Which sustains the similar claim OF the
Gettysburg Kaaysne water Your readers would
then see how meagre and dubious is the former, and
how overwhelming and conclusive is the latter
But even an epitome OF such testimony would occupy
too mucn space in your paper. few extracts from
the correspondence and medical reports which /
was permitted to inspect must suffice
THE PROOFS OF THE GREAT DISCOVERY.
Dr. T. Williams formerly OF st. Joseph's Hospital,
reports the solution OF concretons in the valves and
coronary arteries OF the heart and the OF heart
disease neuralgia OF the heart by the OF these
waters.
Dr. Smith, former resident physician Of these
springs reports the solvent action OF this hud Oh the
calculus OF the lungs
DR.. Homer, Of Gettysburg, successfully prescribed
this water for urinary and rhenal caculus gravel
and kidney stones being discharged during Its adj
ministaton, bearing evidence OF The solvent action
OF the water. Both forms Of calculus were after
wards completely dissolved by immersion in this
fluid after having resisted the influence Of ordinary
water
Dr. Norman. resident physician at the White
sulphur Springs during the last twenty-five years.
and author OF one OF our standard medical works on
the use OF mineral water, embodies In q paper
which he has written on the Gettysburg Springs
medical testimony to the solvent effects OF this wafer
upon that most intractable form of calculus, the
uretlc c0ncretons OF rheumatism and gout.
Dr. Bell, the author Of book on bathing, and of