Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-16

not pc electedj and bec9uSe there Is no dan
ger OF using too much, the only sOlicittd'
being to give enough. Why it is that Sc
cretion o; bile puts q stop to cholera, may
net, in the present state Of science, be ex
planned, but it is well established I Ct
recognized by the whole intelligent profes
| sion. Any bile will save a case of cholera
The next most valuable remedy is opium
In fact it was maintained few years
ago by Dr.. Hawthorne that opium
was, of Itself, a sufficient remedy. BE ad
vised it ia eight and ten grain doses. The
practice of lS49, 10 ibis country, was found
ed largely upon this the ,ry. 1t, however
/ sgDally failed, aud no doubt was the cause
of much evil and many deaths. Opium
shou be given in moderate doses, say a
half to one grain, rarely more, especially
when given at short intervals. When thus
used, it is not only great quieter of irrita-
billy, but is one of the best sustainers OF
vital force, which in this disease is always
80 much impaired. The next mcst yalua-
BILE remedy is blister of cantharides, which
should be applied over the abdomen, at the
very outset in violent cases, aud which
some of the former students in
The Medical Department Of The Uni
used to say, should be as large as saddle
blanket, or at least ten inches square. This
remedy being applied over the stomach, the
throne Of the vital prine;pla, sustains not
only the nervous energy in remarkable
degree, but is also powerfully reVulsive,
bo.h by It's action upon the skin and tbs
strangury which 1t Oflen produces from the
absorption o. its cantharidin.
NEXT comes the use of astringents. These
act by coDstringlng the tnttcus membrane,
and prevent, temporarily at least, the too
rapid escape of the serum, thus giving time
for the due action of calomel and opium.
prefer the tincture Of nutgslls or cstechu,
eli her of which may be used after each
action of the bowels, by injection,
with gill Of cool water in
two ounce portions, or half
tablespoonful, by the stomach, after each
effort TO Vomit, with wineglass Of cold
water. OF course, if the action of the bow
els or stomach were frequent, the plan
would be modified, wolld not be used so
often. Next comes the free use of ice and
iceWater. 10 matter If the patient Vomits,
let him have it. Let hin also h2ye cold
brandy or whisky, or champagne, or other
wine II tie stomach does not revolt. The
FOREGOING is the line Of treatment, specif-
cally, which | have found most effec:ual.
have tried all the remedies from transfu-
sion up, and if this course does not save the
patient, he must die.
The next Is the stage of collapse. Here
there Is an entire failure of the circulation
bt fot the want of power in the heart to
force the blood into tie a,te+ial radicles,
hut because having lost its serum 1t is too
inspiSated to en,er. The tongue, at lis tip
especially, is cold, a true sign Of threatened
collapse. The skin is icy cold and, in most
instances, beloved with clamy sweat and
discharges involuntary. The eyes are
closed, tie intolleCt rarslY the voice is
husky, in many instances almost lost,
thirst intense with great restlessness until
near the close, when death terminates the
scene, in most cases without struggle. In
this st8ge medicine proper is out Of the
question. The use Of sin3pisms, hot
rocks, bottles, blankets, rubbing, with pep
per or otherwise, are not Only useless but
Injurious. It wastes the remaining vital
pOYer,and cannot restore the circulation or
animal heat, and for obvious reasons. The
human body is noneOnduetor OF heat
Consequently it cannot be carried within,
1t can only be produced BY Interchange Of
matter. In other words intersttisl action
or confusion must be established. And
this cannot be done because the blood can
not enter the capillary system. The red
corpurscleS entering but partially and in an
altered condition, the capillary vessels Of
the lungs cannot secure a sufIiciency of
oxygen to continue is vitality or to fit it
g.. 81 no
is that the animal heat is gradually reduced
below the standard necessary for tie life Of
warm Hooded animals.
The trea' ment Of this stage consists in
means, best adapted to maintain and i'm
prove the vital power, so TIL. more, or new
blood, may be elaborated. For
this purpose maintain p9rfecs
quietule. GiEs freely crushed ice
with brandy or wine, b9ef ca, soups, grueI,
iced milk with oaef5urth lime water. As
blood is made invite it to the surface by
dry hea', snj5lOw by friction. Il has
been proposed in this stage to resort to
TRANSMISSION Of blood, or q fluid similar to
serum. Inzfact the experiment has often
been made but without benefit. For al
though he blood msy be rendered in this
way sufficiently fluid to erter the capilariss,
get having 70 proper vitality it could not
set up tho interstitial action Necessary to the
production of animal heat, These meas
ures have therefore, been long inca sban.
ioned by sensible men. The cold dORche
has been TesoTted to With no be.ter result
-hough at first highly extolled. HypodeT-
mic Il iec;ions Of morphine and qUiniue have
also been used with advantage
to the report Of som
practitioners. In my hands the use of
mCrph' ne has seemed to Go some good, IS
also has five grains of quinine, thus used
every two hours. These measures deserve
still further attention. 1t might b5 well a.
30 TO tIy calomel in this way, az it has re-
Gently been used beDefcially in syphilis.
Two or three srsins might be used in glyce-
rine and water and injected every two
hours, or ofteneT, in violent cases. The
.incture Of clnthagides, in half dram doses,
might also be used every hour until
strangury has been produced. reported,
Ia 1S49, cases which were recovered from |
collapse by this remedy, together with the
free use of nutriment.
Ih2ve thus indicated the general line Of
treatment which l have found most bene- |
fetal in the prevention and cure Of cholera !
in its different stages. Allow m, howe7 T,
q few more general remarks.
When cholera IS about 10 invade place, |
i'm rediate steps should be taken, at what !
ever cost, to eause and thoroughly disin |
feet. Every family should be supplied with !
a bulle in from the constituted authorities,
setting forth, il shCrt, the bsst means of
avoiding the disease, together with few
remedies, with directions for their use in
cases of emergency. Every family should
be counsele1 to take the advice Of ! conpe-
tent physician, and urged strictly to pursue
It. The roll should be called three times
daily, and If any member should report
loose bowels or other indispOsitioD,
be should be required to lay
down at once, tske the proper medicine,
and lay there until he is well. II The case
should not Immediately yield, send fer a
physician and put the patient under treat
nent,
In 1850 neighbor of mine, book keep !
er in principal mercantile hcuse on the
square, had loose action from the bowels,
ia the morning he eat light breakfast and
repaired, on foot, to his place of business.
He was not long there before he had anoth- |
Or act on, and returned to his books. la
little while he had another call TO evacuste !
bis bowels. and with it he felt go ne nausea. |
lie concluded then to return home, eSpec |
Aly as cholera was prevailing. He &C. |
walked home through the ,un |
D. g mile and quarter. BY the time he |