Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-04-07
Cold Water i'm FeyprS.

"A sti tlNl' III TIE tD
ruary nu'nber of LilpinroHs M'9t.its ,or
tients by simply lowering the trmpcratrr,
by DIR. II G. Wood. Jr. of Philadelphia.
lowing is the concluding portion of the
article:
The practical con~i lcrltion> in regard
to the treatment of disease which natural
lv flow from the recent investigations OF
tever,are Very important and very obvious.
This is especially true since it la> been
shown in Germany, that under the inill-
cncc of Il continuous high bodily trmpcra-
ture, not intense enough ut any time t.
compromise life, all the muscular tissues
degeneration Many II typhoid fever p1-
ticnt has undoubtedly dieI from the heart
muscle having undergone this changr
when, if by artificial cooling the temprri-
turc of the boIv had been kept down, the
alteration of the hcnrt--tructure would
i have been prevented. and death avrrted.
| 1t is obvious. also, That the old plan of
thwartng the intentions of Nature. and
drpriving the fever patient of the free Use
of cooling drinks. was practically Il blnc-
. =
fever, it is also evident that to deprive il OF
>l~tenancr is to aid in the pro luction OF
f,tpl exhaustion. Tho burning viii 20 ON.
whether tool i, given or not. 80 lonr a.
/ the tissues can serve Is fuel Of course
no more food should be taken than The pa
tient can digest. but every grain Of digest
rl food is 50 much added to the resource,
of the system. which j. engaged it may
be- in Il close AMI doubtful conflict with
disease
/ 1t it were possible, of course the best
treatment for fever would ne that which
c>>cncd the production Of heat. Fortunate
ly, we have some drugs notably. quinine
and ;tlcuhol-Which do exert Il decided
influence upon the vital chemical move
mrnt>, but, unfortunately. their power Is
limited. .i> We are therefore often unable
to control heat -proluction. tn" best we
can do i to abstract tho c:tlOrlc from the
body whenever it becomes - excessive IL
to threaten serious results. 10 do lhi>. all
that i necessary j. 20 put the patient in :,
cold bath. or wrap him in Il sheet W.T. with
lcc-co!d water. or lay him upon III ice
mattress, or surround him with tubing
/ through which cold water runs. OF Use
some similar clirHciou~ device. | do not
wish to be misunderstood. ENicrnll cold
i, not to be lightly employed: it is Il pow
erful two-cdycd weapon, capable Of cutting
botn ways-t weapon n injurious and
destructive in the hands IF the ignorant
and inexperienced a. it is efficient in the
hands of those to whom study AMI expert
encr have taught it> >killiul Use.
Tp illustrate what cola water may effect
when employed by Intelligent and ~kiillul
physicians. may be permitted 10 cite 4
few hospital statistics from Gcrmnv and
Switzerland, the only countries where the
>o-calIcd antipyrrtic treatment of contin-
ucd fever. has been eli irn,lv carried on,
on 4 laryr scale. From 50 10 l>6l, there
were treated without cold water. at the
hospital uf kicl. 80 cases of typhoid te-
yer. with II d"lth>-t mortality of about
IL l.. per cent: from l>6} 10 l>j6, Ii
cases were treated with cold baths. viii
, dcath--l mortality Of only ; l-lO pel
cent. In the hospital OF ii;tlr. from III.
10 1854 there We're 1.lN eases Withou
antipvrctic treatment, with idA drath~-:
. mortality OF about = - pr cent; iron
September. l>6G. To 1873. II2l c:t~e- wcr'
| treated antipyretically. with - deaths;
mortality of 4 little over : per cent. "
: >uIv,tiv, may claim tiitt this water
? treatment in typhoid fever i ne Of rh
greatest gains "t modern medicine sine
f the discovery of ana-thc>ll.
= Some of our Readers may here >ly t,
themselves. Why. thi, i hvdrnplthv,,
: Not -. 1t is the legitimate. not the illr
. gitimatc. Use OF cold water. II i the IL,
: of it as a >ingl" weapon. no, ~ the "nl.
, weapon of the armory. It i the employ
mcnt of ii in Il single affection. not a. eur
l. for all Diseases
Perhaps. in concluding this essay. ma.
. be pardoncd one word vt roUn>c to m
| lay audience. Any physician VIII" pro
+ claims himself a follower of any >prci;.
= doctrine. he he hydrVptth. an clcctropatil
l IN allopath. 4 homWpath. "r any "the
t pttA. should be viewed with suspicion
/ Water, cold. heat. electricity. drugs. ar
, all agents capable of being advantageous
: used in the Treatment of disease. Abov
\ all men. the physician OUGHT To have th,l
, tcachable spirit, which j. the offspring q
. true humility. Knowing tlle great rr>por
. >ibliticS which he a>>IImc>. living almo>
) beneath the shadow otthAt past whose life
i, importing mistakes are 80 plainly Vi>ibl
= in the light of the present. h,, of all mon
/ should br ever seeking tor new knowlrdg,
, gathering with equal zcs; the seeds of hra
+ inr in the waste ;l> we'll ~ III the cultivate
} places, among the lowest and most irnol
: ant of the pupulacc rs we'll IL in ttrtanc
| schools OF medicine.