Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-04-26
SPOTTED FFvER.

SPOTTED FfvER.
Hemlock as n Remedy Efacacious
Methods of Looating-A Doctor .
Experience. -.+..-..
A physician writes as follows, on
the subject of spotted fever, to the
Philadelphia Eoeming Star:
The hemlock sweat, mentioned in
a late number of the Evening Star,
as a remedy for cerebro spinal
meningitis, or spotted fever, is worth
understanding. 1t has for century
been a popular remedy for colds,
coughs, rheumatism and incipient
fevers, wherever hcmlock trees
abound. And the treatment was
eminently successful, whatever may
or may not be the virtue of the hem
lock. Other methods Of sweating,
however, have proved equally cffica-
cious, SO that in the absence of hem
lock no one need be discouraged.
Thoroughwort, or boneset, hoar-
hound, pleurisy root, mayweed, pen
nyroyal, elecampane, meadow balm,
and even catnip, have been employ
ed to produce perspiration, and
break, up acute diseases in their
early stages, with equal success as
hcmlock. And certain it is, judg-
ing from the standpoints, of medical
history and vital statistics, no treat
ment ever employed by the medical
profession has been more success
ful. 3oA
A long time ago lived in the
backwoods, where hemlocks and
the herbs mentioned above were
plenty and doctors scarce, and l
became quite familiar with this
sweating method OF treating the
sick-nursing it was then called,
but rs it cured it might as well be
termed docsoring. The patients
would have a warm foot bath, and
then drink warm Infusion of hem
lock boughs with their leaves, or
some other herbs that had the rcpu-
tation of being diaphoretic. A
moderate pcrsp!ration would be
maintained for few hours, the pa
ticnt would fast for one dav, and
keep quiet in room Of equablc
and agreeable temperature for a day
or two longer, and then find himself
well or cOnvalescent.
But l am inclined to think that
the water and temperature parts of
the plan arc all the medication
required, and are, in fact, an i'm
provemcnt on infusions. Vapor
bathing in connection with warm
water drinking, hot foot-bath, and
in prolonged cases occasional tepid
ablutions, have been employed for
twenty years very extensively, and
with almost invariable success.
The treatment is more agreeable to
the patient, and cannot learn from
experience or observation that it is
less successful. The herbs cannot
of course do much if any harm; tut
l believe the water is better with
out them.
Vapor bathing apparatus cannot
be had in every family, nor i'll every
village, unless manufactured to
order. Nothing in the way Of vapol
bathing is more pleasant or more
curative than to sit in your own
parlor or bedroom, envcloped to
the neck in sheet and blanket
over vapor which can be made with
a spirit lamp-the water being con
tanned in any convenient tin vessel
with openings to let the steam OF
vapor out near the floor. But ar
older fashioned way still will
answer, though not so convenient
Let the patient sit in chair, en-.
veloped in a sheet to the neck;
around the sheet place flannel
blanket, the better to retain the
vapor; under the chair have tul
or pail half filed with water; into
the water put a hot brick or stone
occasionally to keep up the desired
amount of vapor.
| Thirty minutes is the average
time for remaining in the vapor. /,
may, however, be Ave minutes
longer, according to the tempera
ture Of the water. The patien,
should never become oppressively
warm, and it is never necessary tc
sweat profusely, as this would be
debiliting. Persons who are vigor.
Gus and do not perspire readily
may remain in the bath much long
er, even fifty or sixty minutes. Il
is useful to sponge the whole sur.
face with tepid water on coming
out of the bath. This averts the
susceptibility to take cold, and is
in itself an auxiliary in the remedial
plan.
The spotted fever is ono form OF
typhus fever, and in character and
severity, though differing in two or
three striking peculiarities, quite
analogous to the plague or 'black
death" Of the middle ages. But,
were to have the disease, wo uld
rather trust my life to any Of the
sweating processes above mentioned
than to any regular course Of medi.
cal treatment l have ever known o,
heard of. eas-t
The Hartford Times copies the
above and as an appendix prints the
following at the conclusion:
The dried root known at tho
Botanic medicine stores as crawley
Latin Carollorhica-is probably
more efficacious in the generally
fated disease formerly called "spot
ted fever" than anything else. In
the fearful pestilence Of 1sl3-l4
when that disease killed SO many
people hereabOuts, no case where
crawlcy was administered failed tc
recover. Pounded to fine powde,
sifted, and given tcaspoonful ol
it stirred up in water, every fifteen
or twenty minutes for an hour o.