The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-16

Medical prop.rti.. of Wine.

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Grape wine has been used for Thousands
of years as a remedy for sickness by the
medical profession. Which peculiar quail
ity of the wine produced the healing effect,
in cases where wine has been successfully
used, remains only in doubt. Some have
attributed the beneficial influences to the
wine in toto; others to the stimulating ef-
fects of its alcoholic or etheric contents
Others to It's astringent tannic acid or other
alkalis; and others at last to the phosphates
contained in the wine, Probably each
opinion is entitled. to share of the truth.
1t is still study for the chemist and for
medical men. Some facts as to the virtue
of wine in sickness, viii have more inter-
est for the unscientifc reader
The most important case in this respect
occurred some years since in Hungary,
where learned physician treated ten
months old child with astounding success,
using disalcoholized Tokay wine. The
child had been subjected to an inaamma-
ton of the lungs when four months old,
and since that time suffered continually
with general debility Of the constitution.
All usual remedies having been tried with
ont any effect, and the child having been
given up, Tokay wine, from which the al
cohol had been extracted by boiling for n
long time with the addition Of sugar, was
applied, and soon the child improved, and
by-and-by entirely recovered. In this case
it was stated that the phosphoric acid of
the wine--as in many other cases of chill
dren sicknesses-h afforded the remedy
for that child.
By further continued inquisitions and
experiments, the fact became fully devel-
Oped, that grapevine, in all cases of chill
dren sicknesses originated by bad nourish-
ment, especially on account Of insufficient
or deficient mother-milk, or in many other
cases where the favorable effects of the
wine had been doubtless, would prove still
more efficient if the alcohol of the wine
was extracted. It further was stated that
the use of grapevine in therapeutics would
be much more extensive but for its alco-
holic property.
To remove this objection in the case
above mentioned, quart of Tokay wine
to which had been added some sugar, was
reduced by boiling to half pint From
this medicine the child received daily four
teaspoonsful, and within one month the
child had entirely recovered.
The same physician had, soon after this
case, chance to observe the beneficial in
fiuence of the phosphoric acid in the wine
with four-year-old child, suffering with
summer complaint and dangerous diarrhea.
Since that time in Hungary, disalcoholized
wine is used in nearly all cases of children
sickness, and the results have been favora-
BILE above all expectations.
As our American wines, in regard to
their chemical properties, very much re-
semble the Hungarian wines, we would
not be astonished by the information that
similar use of our native wines had pro-
duced the same beneficial results in our
country. The cases in which the use of
disalcoholired grapevine has proved sue
cessful are as follows:
In cases where children have been weak
ened by improper food during the time of
weaving. Probably in all diseases of
children the effect of the usually applied
medicines would be heightened by the
simultaneous use Of white wine, from which
the alcohol has been extracted scrofula
diarrhea as well as indigestion; fever; old
wounds, difficult to heal; Inflammation
rheumatism In all blood diseases in con-
valescence, especially after Typhus fever.
During pregnancy, disalcoholized white
wines are of great value on account of
their strenthening power. The same holds
true still more with nursing women. A
general use Of this medicine would have a
great influence upon the stronger develop
ment of the bones Of children, and secure
us more strong and healthy children than
we raise now with our often debilitated
women.
A physician in Cecil county, Md, du-
ring season when typhoid was exceeding
ly prevalent and fatal, used it freely among
his patients, and did not lose one, although
several of them were nearly IN ertremis.
The wine used was pure Catawba, and
purchased at a neighboring vineyard. The
proprietor Of the vineyard was Swiss
gentleman, who made a specially of grape
culture, and manufactured wine in eonsid-
cradle quantities
EATING WHEN ExHAUsTED.--Whe the
strength or nerve power is already worn