The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-24
Typhoid Fever sUceessfuls9 Treated with
Milk.

-, Alexander 7ule, NJ. D., communicates to
The Medical Times and Gazette, the follow
ing paper:
There is nothing new about the trea'ine"'
OF this fever by milk. As such treatment may
not, however, be the general one adop'eu'
have been induced to offer my testimony as
to its efficacy. 1t stands to reason that peo-
pie, suffering from disease, quite as much re-
ouire food as those in health, and much more
so in certain diseases where there is a rapid
waste of the system. frequently all ordinary
food in certain diseases is rejected by the
stomach, is loathed by the patient. Nature,
ever benifcent, has furnished food that in
all diseases is benefcial-in some directly
curative. Such food is milk. In the twen-
ty-six cases we have treated OF typnold lever,
its great value was apparent:
To be sure our number is not large, yet
sometimes the small indicates the resultant
on a large scale. The indications we followed
were-1. To check diarrhea; 2. To nour-
ish the body; 3. To cool the same.
With regard TO the diarrhea in typhoid fe.
yer, we believe it ought, if possible, to be
checked, or at least restrained; for YOU might
as well think of leaving sore-throat in scar
latina to take its course (being elimipatiye of
fever poison), or irritate it a little, as of en-
coura9ing diarrhea i'll typhoid fever. Astrin-
gents were used in all cases with occasional
doses OF ipecacuanha) diluted sulphuric acid
being found the most serviceable. The acid
was used from beginning to end of the fever.
We imagine that, in those cases which recov-
er where diarrhea is encouraged, the patient
got well in spite of the treatment; for we be.
leve that nothing SO much tends to extend
ing OF liberation, to hemorrhaee, to perltohi-
tbs, and protracted convalescense as the use OF
sallnes, or such like remedies VINO WouId
think of healing an ulcer by irritating 1t, by
not allowing rest, for the reparative powers OF
nature to do their work; An ulcer in the
ileum requires rest quite as much as one in
the leg.
When diarrhea became violent, the most
powerful astringents were used, and when the
bowels were once "locked up" they were so
maintained for from ten to fourteen days, with
not only no inconvenience, but with decided
advantage. To cool the body and to nourish
1t were the other two Indications:
l. AS TO NoURIsHMENT.-Tha the body
in fever wastes rapidly is evident; and from
the accumulation of waste material in the
blood, and the want of pabulum to feed the
fever, the most disastrous results eventuate-
resulting in death-from the fever drying up
the very issues OF life. Now, if pabulum can
be afforded to repair the textures that, from
up, one great, if not the greatest object of
treatment is attained; for fevers obey, like
everything else in this world, certain fixed
laws. Like an object in vegetable life, there
is the seed, the bud, the unfolding, the iul
Leaf, the whitening away and decadence-so
with fevers and their incubation, ingraves
cence, etc. Now, if the body can be sustain
ed until the fever has gone its course, health
will result. Milk, of all things, seems best
adaptod for thlS for If it.HiUagtihln
is relished by fever patients, contains all the
requisite material for the nourishment Of the
entire body-the nervous system is especial,
which in fever is always greatly Affected
Furthermore, in fever there is great thirst, and
patients ardently long for that which will cool
the parched mouth. Thus, by interdicting
the use of water in toto throughout the fever,
nourishment can always be given in the shape
of cold new milk Cold beef tea is by no
meals to be despised, but is much less relish
ed, and not unfrequently loathed when the
fever is intense, while milk is then taken
with much gusto. Again, cold milk, when
the diarrhea is severe, exercises most kindly
action upon the ileac alterations. The rule
we adopted was to allow milk Gd libitun,. In
some cases quantities, far beyond what could
be absobed by stomach whose powers of alb.
sorption were reduced to minimum, were
taken, portion of the milk passing in an un-
cigested state from the bowels. This, how
ever, far from, in my mind, being an objec-
ton, was decided boon, for the milk, as it
passed over the infamed and liberated ileum,
exercised asoothing influence.
2. To Cool THE BoDY.-Now cold milk is
an admirable agent for cooling the body (cold
water would do as well, but then new milk
nourishes and cools at the same time,) and
heat is prominent symptom of fever (ferueo
boil, and measure OF the activity of the
fever changes in the body. Another agent
used in all these cases was the diluted sui
phuric acid, which aided in reducing tempera-
ture, in restraining diarrh9a, and, ii the the
ory is to be credited, diminishing the alkalini-
ty of the blood.
CONCLUDING GENERAL REMARKs.-Such
were the measures relied upon in the treat
ment OF twenty-six cases of typhoid fever.
Six of the cases were adults over TWENTY-FIVE
years OF age, ten between nine and twenty
two, the remainder being under these ages.
WINE was given in no case during the active
continuation OF the fever, as it increased the
dlarrhoea twhen tried and promoted deliri-
um. When the fever had left, and the pa.
tient became exhausted and sleepless then
wine in three cases did we'll. Never more
than six ounces was required per diem, an(
that only for few days lin an adult.) II
two cases where there was great pain in tht
ieum, bllsters applied there did good. A few
doses OF tartar eme,ic aud tincture of opium
were used in one case to produce sleep whicl
it sufficed to do. We believe that milk nour
ishes in fever, promotes sleep, wards off de
lirium, soothes inteStines, and, in fine, is the
sine qua non in typhoid fever.