Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-01-14
LETTER FROM MEMPHIS,

~
Many of our older readers, if not those of
younger age, will be interested in the fol.
lowing letter from our old friend and former
sountyman, DR.. Sam'l. G. Snyder, which we
take the liberty to publish:.
MEMPHIS, December 81, 1872.
Dear Sir:-We are now ON the eve of
another New Year. Winter has been upon
us with almost unprecedented severity. The
cry of the "Printer's Devil" is rot the cry of
the horse leech-"Give, gice," but .tPay,
pay" and the time for renewing my subscrip-
ton having come enclose $3.50, believing
that l am conferiDg greater favor upon N.Y.
self than the toiling, care-worn printer
That your patronage may greatly increase,
your cares diminish and the New Year bring
to you many new joys and pleasures is the
heartfelt wish of your old and obliged friend.
And this aspiration 1 can indulge with good
conscience, for your paper contains much of
| an instructive and moral character, with but
little to offend even the most fastidious The
press is a tremendous power for good, or for
evil and here let me suggest that, in every
issue, you think of the effect your paper, in
all its departments, may have upon your youth
full readers. The wisdom, or experience of
those of mature years. should protect them,
but who can tell the result, through all time,
of an unchaste or unguarded remark brought
to the mind of susceptible youth.
Your letter, long unanswered, was. never
thelcss, read with much interest and some
emotion, for it caused me to look far back
into the vista of time where, with memory's
eye, could see images of loved ones who
had "fallen asleep" long, long ago Among
frSo dc ara NO, fot1 u.
George and Adam Eicheberger and their
wives, old Mr.. and Mrs. Ridenour, Mr.. and
Mrs. Chapline, AIr. Henderson and that noble
and true man, Hon. VIM. Lucas. I group
these together, not because esteemed them
above all other friends near Gbarlcstown, but
because they were all in your fathers neigh
borhood, where I was called many, many
times, during all hours and weather. to min
lister to them when PROSTATE from disease
With the milder types Of bilious fever you
are familiar, but never have seen. I presume
such cases as visited your country in '23 and
"a: | will therefore sketch one such case
which was of daily occurrence, and merely
name the remedies employed, for you mag be
visited again. Out here, from necessity. over
seers became familiar with the treatment
proper in malignant fevers and were more
successful than most physicians who came
from abroad. or who had but little experience.
You therefore may learn.
In the years alluded to your friends were
visited by fever of the bilious remttent
type which spared neither young nor old and
which carried off some even before physician
could be had Many of your neighbors rose
in the morning we'll and buoyant who, at noon,
would have alarming symptoms of congestion
headache, confused mind, "red eyes"
cold extremisies and small, feeble or op-
pressed pulse. BY night, if rot relieved, in
creased redness of the eyes. contracted, pupils,
coma and general insensibilty supervened.-
The bowels in such cases were always locked
up and some patients vomted necessarily.
Warm mustard baths, sinapisms cups to the
nape of the neck and temples, blisters, call
omel in doses of 80 to 60 grains, SIENNA in.
fusion, and enemata of castor oil and turpen>
tine, or tobacco, or tartar emetic, Gas recon-
mended by DR.. Chapman would succeed if
administered early. When these means
failed, saivafton was the only earthly hope of
the PATIENT and have seen some rescued
by it from the very jaws of death. Quinine
could not be given until the liver was un-
locked. This accomplished and every alarm
ing phenomenon disappeared at once few
OF these terrible cases with good deal of
autumnal sickness occurred from '24 to '34
when that other scourge, cholera asphyxia,
came and swept away even the dreaded ma
larla In its ruthless course it bore to one
common grave that charitable. noble and be-
loved woman, Miss Betsey Peter and her
amiable nephew, Tom, whose ashes now
mingl together in the old Presbyterian graves
yard in your village. Nearly forty years have
since rolled away and what changes have &C.
cured since that peaceful, happy period J.
The fathers, where are they? And how soon
shall you and be Wondering in the grave
with them.
am too sad to think of politics, and, in
deed, until the leaders of our party shall act
with more prudence aud discretion than they
have acted and will scramble less for office, I
can take but little interest in what is done
merely for party ends, or selfish aspirants.
have referred to your respected mother as
among the dead, thinking heard so. Please
inform me, and all about her and your cousin
who married gentleman from Han perr's Ferry,
whose name have forgotten, and with whom
| stayed one night, near the old furnace, in
'6l, and just before Gen. johnson retrcated
from the Ferry, after blow ng up the bridge
| was at the house of my old friend, Frank
Gardner, aud heard the explosion Is he
living? Give my kindest regards to him, and
to all friends who are yet living. I learn
from your paper who are dropping off from
time to time. Is Mrs. VIM. Moore living :?
She was Que of my particular friends. Men.
ton me kindly to her, if alive The Islers.
Lindsey, Flagg, VIM. Crow, Sappington, Mrs.
Tomlinson,-a lady I greatly esteemed, Drs.
Burnet and Raum, &c, 1 noticed as dead