New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-05
YELLOW FEVER.
BY q Lady Of New Orleans.

The following communication was pub
}ished in the REPUBLICAN on the twenty
second of August, 1867. 1t contains valua-
BILE suggestions for the treatment Of yellow
fever, which, coming from a lady who has
had much experience in such cases, should
be kept in remembrance. The views Of the
writer are in accordance with many of our
Oldest citizens, who have for many years
ceased to feel alarmed at the approach Of
yellow fever, except for the effects of fear
and panic which follow in its train:
There is no disease of which strangers
have SO much fear as of the yellow fever.
There is no disease more easily managed if
only taken in time and tho proper course
pursued. / speak from an eXpc rience of
over twenty years in Louisiana. Doctors
may differ as they will and try to enhance
their Importance by learned theories on the
causes, symptoms, treatment, etc. do not
pretend to know the cause or whether it is
contagious or not. although | am inclined
10 think it is not, but do know the symp
toms and proper mode of treatment. / have
nursed hundreds of persons with yellow
fever. and in all cases where the patients
were taken in time and properly treated
they recovered. and where a contrary course
was pursued they invariably died.
Headache: pain in the back and bones;
sometimes slight shivering at first: then
flushed face; eyes infamed, and often blood
shot pulse full and quick; skin dry and
teverish sometimes sickness of the stomach.
but not often at the beginning of the disease.
TREATMENT.
As soon as the patient feels any or all of
these symptoms, even If he should not be
satisfied that he has the yellow fever, he had
no traa tad for T.
ment for yellow fever will do for other
fevers, but the treatment for other fevers
will not do for yellow fever. There is no
time to trifle with yellow fever; delay OF
a few hours has often proved fatal.
If we err we had better err on the safe
side" The first thing to be done is to I'M
Dress 60 to bed and cover up with blankets.
Let foot bath be prepared as quick as pos
sible; let it be as hot as the patient can bear
it, with plenty of good strong mustard in
it lat least a cup full Let the bath be
given in good-sized foot-tub, while the
patient is living on his back in bed, so that
the blanket will cover the foot tub and pa
tient at the same time. Let the feet remain
in the bath about fifteen minutes, then give
the patient simple dose of medicine, it
may be castor oil or citrate Of magnesia.
The latter is by far pleasanter to take:
bottle Of it may be taken in two doses, with
an interval of one or two hours Keep up
q gentle perspiratiOn rs long as the fever
lasts If the skin should become dry, give
another foOt-bath. Let the patient remain
quiet, free from all excitement. He must
be watched continually to keep him from
throwing off the bed clothes He is some
times deliriOus; keep cloths, wet frequently
in ice water, to his forehead. Let his drink
be ice water, ice lemonade; do not give too
much for fear of disturbing the stomach.
Let no purgation be given after the first
day; if the bowels are not free enough,
other means can be resOrted to. BY all
means let the patient be kept perfectly
quiet.
The fever never entirely subsidies before
seventy-two hours from the time it comes
on. At the end of that time there is almost
always sickness of the stomach: the patient
must not be let vOmit, a mustard pOultice
put upon the chest will prevent it. Let the
patient also swallow some ice pounded in a
towel until it is almost like snow. If the
patient Is very weak when the fever leaves
him, let a little stimulant be given, say
q teaspoOnful of the best brandy in "a
little ice water and white sugar, to be re-
peated every half hour Quinine may also
be given as tonic with very good effect
say one or two grains at a time. Let it be
remembered that while the fever lasts, viz
during the first three days, no food what
ever is to be given. After the fever is gone,
and the stomach is perfectly quiet-that is,
about the fourth or fifth day, if there is no
relapse food may be given, but of the very
highest kind, and in the very smallest
duantities-say a little rice cruel, corn
starch, chicken water, beef tea, little tea
and toast, and SO on. Let the patient not
attempt to get up before the eighth day, no
matter how well he feels, for a relapse is
nearly always fatal, and with the yellow
fever one suffers so little that he thinks he
is well when he is not.
do not pretend to say that we should be
independent of a physician. Let one be
sent for by all means where the parties are
able. but let the physician be one who has
lived in Southern climate long enough to
become thoroughly acquainted with the
diseases of the South, otherwise You had
better have none. If these simple remedies
are applied there is not the slightest danger
but that the patient will recover.
l would observe, also, that the patient
must be kept as cheerful as possible with
out being excited. Let the nurse not be
changed if it can be avoided. Everybody
who knows anything of yellow fever knows
there is more in good nursing than there is
in dOct0ring.