The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-01-21
A Cure for Typhoid Fever.

The following interesting communica-
ton appears in the columns of the Lon.
don Times, in that journals issue of De
cember 2:
In the recent discussion as to the cause
of typhoid fever, has not an equally, if not
more, important question been overlooked,
viz: Whether the treatment of fever al
most universally adopted throughout
| England is the most efficacious means OF
arresting, eradicating and curing the dis
case? That there is another system
worthy of serious consideration at the
hands of the medical profession at large,
the following facts clearly prove:
! On my being taken suddenly i'll last year
at Lucerne. and acute symptoms of a
threatened fever setting in, my friends
| forthwith called in DR.. Steiger, who en-
! joys considerable reputation throughout
| Switzerland. He ordered me at once to
be what is called "packed," and on my
expressing surprise, he said, " L am thank
full to tell you that the doctors in Switzer-
land and Germany have at last learned the
value of simple remedial measures. When
Bourbaki's army ertered Switzerland
had charge of the fever hospital for this
district, and out of twenty-fOur patients
suffering from typhoid fever 1.-TWO were
brought in dying) cured twenty-five en-
tirely by application of the wet heet. |
used neither medicines nor stimulants, and
the soldiers completely recovered their
health in very short time. During the
last eight years this system has been car
ried on in the Basic Hospital with signal
success, reducing in surprising manner
the death rate in the fever wards. In pri
vate practice / invariably adopt this sys-
TEN, and rarely lose patient whom Ihave
treated from the commencement of the
fever. have been particularly successful
in puerperal and scarlet fevers. This sys-
TEN is now almost universally adopted
throughout Switzerland and Germany"
Through DR.. Steiger's assiduOus attention
and packing treatment | was able to re-
sumo my journey in two days.
Now, if not trespassiDg too much on your
valuable space, may be allowed to explain
the process and the principle?
The ProceSs.-A blanket is spread out on
the bed, and a sheet, wrung out in cold
water. placed on the blanket: the patient
is then wrapped up in the sheet, and the
blanket tightly packed around the body;
other blankets are finally placed over the
patient. In lieu of the sheet, a towel or
towels may be used, depending entirely
on the extent of fever and the probable
reactiOnary powers of the patient. The
sheet is renewed every ten minutes or
quarter of an hour, according to the tenn
perature of the body, which is ascertained
from time to time by placing thermOme-
ter in the arm-pit of the patient. 1t Will
be found that each sheet will reduce the
fever from three to seven degrees. This
process is continued for about an hour, af-
ter which the patient is quickly washed
over for couple of minutes, either on the
bed or in a tepid bath. and put back into
bed. 1t is renewed at intervals of four or
five hours until the fever is entirely sub
dued, which crisis is usually shown by a
spontaneous outbreak of natural perspira-
ton. By means of the thermometer the
fever can be kept in check by repeated
sheets as easily as a.steam-engine can be
controlled by the handle of the machine.
2. The Principle 1t is always difficult
to explain in simple language a system de-
pending upon and that ought to be studied
by the laws of science. but, in plain words,
the wet-sheet-pack is simply a cooling
poultice. AS is well-known, the rationale
of all diseases is the determination of blood
in excess to the interior of the body, and
the foundation of all curative processes
ought to be the withdrawal of such blood
for healthy redistribution throughout the
body. This is the principle of a poultice and
of the wet sheet-pack. 1t withdrawS the
heat of fever as generated by accumulated
blood, and it is continuously repeated till
the body regains its normal temperature
through a restored equilibrium OF circula-
ton. Furthermore, the poison, which is
the cause of all specific fevers. is thus
made to eXpend itself harmlessly, without
involving the body in the destructive con-
sequences of prolonged febrile excite
ment. 1t has been proved, without
doubt, that the disease by this system can
be arrested and eradicated in the course of
a few days. without running what is con-
sidered the usual course of seven, fourteen,
twenty-one and forty-twO days. The sub
sequent period also of a long GONZALES
ence is entirely avoided.
1t is at the urgent request of many
friends that | now venture to make pub
lie these statements and trust the med
ical profession at large, toward whom we
all owe deep debt of gratitude, will kind
ly accept these suggestions in the spirit in
which they are offered.
As layman, am unable to enter into
the medical and scientific part of the
question but DR.. Steiger, of Lucerne,
with whom have lately been in cores
pOndence, has kindly given me permis-
sion to use his name, and any letters ad
dressed to him on this subject will, / am
sure, receive his best attention.
The only apology can now offer for
this letter is the deep interest L have long
taken in hospital work, and the conviction
that system so simple in its application
and so effective in its cure, when adopted
in such countries as Germany and Swift
zerlr nd, is not unworthy the practical
of the medical profession in
England. L have the honor to be, sir,
your obedient servant.
JOHN o. STEPHENS,
Vicar of Savernake and Honorary Secretary to
the Savernake Hospital.
November 2S.