The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-10-19
TREATMENT OF FEvERs.

Among the valuable. papers which
make up the Pennsylvania Hospital
Reports, says the PhiladeIphia Ledqer
3" Treatment of Continued Fever, y
merits conspicuous mention. 1t gives
in plain language the results of twen-
. ty-three years exp perienee in the wards
of the Hospital, by careful and con-
fscienIious, observer There are parts
of his advice and injunctions-.in-th
treatment of fevers, for he does not
confine himself to one afonef that
should be widely known beyond the
professional Ccirele to- which he ad.
dresses himself. The mere prescrip-
tion of drugs is too generally regard
ed as the chief. duty of O., physician,
and all the advice that he gives in ad-
.dition as mere matter of form, or
perhaps a notion of his, which zfhe
patient and friends are free to adopt
or neglect, according to their own pre-
conceived views. =. . ..., Il. 5i1,Io. 10 5ti73
More important. often, than the adj
n1ihisffation of medicine in fever, is
attention to all Z the heqsurrOuhdings of
the sick person, in the matters of fire.
Squeft change of body and bed clothes.
shirts and sheets, rooms continually
well aired and ventilated, and of an
: equable and moderate temperature,
the attendants faithful, kind and Cheer
full, and no persons admitted but those
: who are actually on duty either as
professional nurses or administering
members OF the family. Drinks, among
which water of a suitable temperature,
for the most part cold, will always
have the preference, and appropriate
diet, come in for large share of the
treatment. DR.. Gerhard sums up this
part of the treatment of the continued
fever, called typhoid, in the following
sentence: These precautions of
avoiding any disturbing influences,
giving full ventilation, a proper diet
aud moderately 'waEm Temperature,
are all important throughout the
course of the disease He depfecates
active medication! and he is ssaccus-
toned, after the disease is developed,
to give literally nothing which dis
turbs him." Sometimes he makes
concession to the prejudiceg of. the
patient, by prescribing medicines of
mild character. AS the fever adVan-
ces, there will be moreIcall for medi--
cal treatm ent to meet particular symp-
toms, but even in these cases altvio-
lent remedies or any medicine in large
doses should be avoided. The appli-
cation of cold is very important, and
cold cloths should be applied to the
head, and cold sponging over the up
per part of the body and face, while
warm foot baths or poultices, with the
addition of mustard or hot bran bags
to the legs. In all these things there
ought to be a. hearty cooperation on
the part of the nurse and other at
tendants with the MUSICIAN, and hence
our speaking of them here. sSerT -
The food of patient in typhoid
fever should consist of some soft and
mild articles, and free from any hard
particles. Dilutent drinks are called
for, such as rriee or gum waterS and
more especially when the fever is
complicated with bronchitis or pneu-'
monia.. After speaking of some 9of
the prominent remedies, such asespir-,
its of turpentine and quinine, Dr.
Gerhard tells us very lemphatically,
that Gin typhoid fever you may be
assured the main circumstances to be
attended to- are to abstain from; doing
the patient mischief, and to- place him
in the most favorable. condition to re-
covery without giving him. large
quantities of medicine We do not
pretend to follow the Doctor in his
observations on .~typhus sfeyerj which
is a most contagious disease, and in
which ventilation is stillgmore imper-
atively called for than in typhoid -fe-
yer. Stinnlants, given in moo deration'
in this. latter disease, are more largely
called in the former. Recovery is
more rapid in, typhus than in typhoid.
fever. q Ziqgt =fiaJe7 iof 7
Remittent and 9intermittent fevers
are touched on by DR.. Gerhard. The
chief morbid change in these diseases
is in the blood, which becomes wa
tery,whereas lin Uphold and Btphus
fevers this fluid is altered in it's quali-i
ty.
-g.,l.-xg, 9--71 rTse'-.-9TT Fgsrsg
A TALKING machine is on exhibition
at the Prescott House, New York. 1t
is an invention of Professor iFaber, of
Vienna, and is constructed of wire
rods, india rubber tnbes, wooden up
rights and steel springs. Theappara-
tus is based upon anatomical laws,
pair of bellows supplementing the hu-
man lungs, an elastic tube the larynx,
series of springs the vocal chords,
and an india rubber clappei the
tongue. Articulate sounds are pro-
duced by series of levers and ope-