Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-09-30
Treatment Of yellow Fexer.

EXPERIENCE or An OLD CITIZEN.
am only astonished at the unaltera-
bic perseverance that has characterized
the treatment Of the present epidemic.
Why does not some alteration take place
in the practice, when that which has
been carried out not only in this but IN
former visitations Of this same or SINH
lar disease has proven Intellectual. In
quire OF the numerous nurses, what has
been your instructions aud what have
you given2 Answer: "a dose Of oil TO
keep the patient quiet" Three out of
ten may go through on this expedient as
curative, while seven or more die.
How few look 10 the cause Of the disease.
The writer of this is no NJ. d. | never
was in medical institution as a student
in my life; what have learned has
been by observation, and from that |
have come TO the following conclusion,
as to this or any other high bilious fe-
vers. They may not be contagious; they
may be epidemic. 1t matters not how
introduced, either one or the other, or
both, the object is the necessary rem
edy. / will 60 back to say We rarely
have any of those high bilious fevers, or
if you please, yellow fever, except in the
fall or latter part Of the summer. Now
the question comes up, why is it so2 My
hypothesis is formed thus: the fluids Of
the body generate a larger portion in
the not season than in winter, and it is
more liable to thicken and corrode,
which may take place in the liver or
some of the numerous ducts to or from
the stomach and intestines, and
when it is in this state, coming
in contact with the inhaled at
mosphere, produces a poison that
takes hold on the vitals, which is sooner
or later destroyed, and the result is black
vomit. No doubt of one thing is, the
disease is in the incipiency confined to
the stomach or the immediate vital at
tachments. Now, if my hypothesis be
correct. e., that a poison is presentin
the region of the stomach or liver
common sense dictates to disgorge it in
the quickest and most effectual way by
an emetic. Nine cases in ten indicate
that nature supports this course, as evil
denced in a sick stomach in the incip-
iency of the attack. | write confidently
and knowingly, having had it in my
power to carry out this practice IN
1853. / was living only a short dis.
lance from town, and having been in
the dairy and marketing line | was
brought directly in communication with
the then epidemic. / will here state
that my habit and practice on my plan
tation for years previous had been to give
always an emetic in the inc;piency of an
attack of fever. had three market peo-
pie who daily kept the sick supplied
with milk, meal and other necessaries
for them. My milk woman was the first
that came home sick, chill and fever and
pain in the head and back; / put her
legs in hot bath, and afterward com
menced with the boneset or thorough
wort vomiting her until the water thrown
n . was uncolored with bile or taste ofbile;
THU process threw her into a profound
ners, Iration, leaving her free of pain and
a dispo sition to sleep; at An expiration of
some IN, ee or four hours, finding that
the rsmaips of the emetic did not act as
ia generally usual on the bowels, | gave
her eighteen grains of calomel, COM
blned with ten VI '"oi'c
DOverS powders NJ apGu ou SSn her e cesr
Of fever and apparently we'll; in two or
three days | found her again going to
market. have been thus prolix and
minute in this case, as ! had occasion
afterward to take the other marketmen
through, together with some one
or two of white family. |
had at the time two carpenters, both for
eirners, at work on my house; they we're
both taken and are to-day living monu-
ments of the efficiency of the emetie in
the incipiency of the attack OF yellow
fever. They are now residents OF our
city and can be seen: ,i 3NHl.
/ am we'll satisfied that my prescrlp-
ton and my crude ideas will be the sub
ject Of severe criticism. SO mote 1t
be. :" eINHliltt-lfl PRACTICAL