The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-10-12

me of the fact 1t may he that atmos-
phcric germs, engcndered by some pc
cular conditions of the soil or air, Or
electrical agencies. engendcr the disease
this medical men have as yet not def
nitely determined. Sufficient to say, it
breaks out in neighborhood, and per
haps in few weeks half the families are
down with it, and from one to three or
four in each family suffer from the dis
case. Other parts of the town are free
from it entirely, and the surrounding
towns may escape ii altogether. My pur-
pose in this paper is to treat entirely of
the management aud the treatment of
the disease.
have had more than thirty years ex-
pericnce with this lnalady, and speak
from what l positively know. At first
my success in breaking the disease was
not very great, either because the disease
in its first appcasance was more malig-
nant, or else because the treatment was
faulty OF late years, if called early,
do not fear to meet it, and in almost
every case am successful. If people ne
glect to call q physician early, as is too
often the case, relying upon do
nestle remedies until the membrane
in tie fauccs is well formed, it gives the
physician less chance of success. More
can be done in the first cight-and- forty
hours to render the case safe, than in all
the time afterwards. So then, when one
is siezed with symptoms of diphtheria,
Il trustworthy and experienced physician
should be sent for without the least
delay.
There are but few persons at present
who do not know well the symptoms of
this dreadful disease in its incipiency.
1t is ushcred in b.; chills, followed by
fever and soon prickling sensation in
the throat, as if there were sticks in it,
and then soreness and difficulty in swal-
lowing. In from twelve to twentyfour
hours the throat or fauCcs appear red,
swollen, and there are patches of white
membrancous substance plainly to be
seen on the tonsils, or further back into
the throat. If not arrested, this mem
brane rapidly spreads, and often in time
covers the whole soft palate or roof of
the mOlth down to the teeth. Once /
saw case where the whole inside of the
mouth was completely lined with it, adj
herring very tcnaciOusly, and as much as
one-twelfth of an inch thick. In time
the whole system becomes poisoned with
the disease, even as if inoculated with
virulent poison.
One year ago | wrote an article on the
lished in the Gazette and Courier, the
CoGgregationalist and in the New York
Herald. Since then l have received
scores of letters from all parts of the
country, from persons who say they were
cured by my prescription when other
means had failed, and also from physi-
slams, thanking me for the paper in ques-
ton. The greatest compliment of all,
was from the late DR.. Hall, editor of the
New York Journal of Health, stating that
he should insert the article entire, in
book he was about to publish on this dis
ease, and also endorsing my opinions and
treatment entirely. write this article to
bring freshly before the minds Of the
people, and of medicine men, my plan
and method of treatment, which, if adopt
ed early in the case, will, / believe, save
nearly every patient. All this may seem
cgotistical, but when one speaks from a
long experience and large practice, his
opinion is certainly worth something.
No one can question my advice as to the
general management and regimen. and
the treatment is simple and harmless. |
am egotistical enough to think that no
well educated physician will hesitate to
endorse my advice and general medica-
ton.
We will suppose an adult person seized
with diphtheria. The patient should inn
media,ely take large, airy, well ventila-
ted room, an upper room if possible, in
which there is an open fire place. He |
should take hot foot bath, plenty of |
warm drinks, and get into bed, so as to
promote free and plentiful perspiration
Before having time to get a physician, CIR
to procure the remedies shall name, it
will be well to gargle the throat with q
solution of salt in water, with the addi-
ton of little cayenne pepper. When
called myself. l Immediately put the pa
tient upon the following treatment:
MIXTURE No. /.
Chlorate of potash, two drains: warm
water, eight ounces, or a common glass |
goblet full: white sugar, half an ounce or
more; muriated tincture of Iron, sixty to
seventy-tive drops. Gargle the throat |
with teaspoonful of this every two
hours.
MIXTURE No. 2.
elaborate of potash, two drains; white
sugar, half an ounce; warm water, eight |
ounces.
Let the patient take of this mixture
No. one tcaspoonfull every four hours,
and of No. 2 one teaspoonful every four
hours, alternating them, bringing dose
to be taken every two hours, continuing
to gargle the throat with No. 1, as d.
rected.
There is always considerable thirst, for
which let the patient drink freely f"soda
poaoders" made in this way: Fill a COM
mon glass tumbler two-thirds full of cold |
water, sweeten with white sugar; then
add an even teaspoonful of super-carbon-
ate of soda; when dissolved, add one
third of teaspoonful of tartaric acid;
stir with a spoon, and drink when foam
ing. This is not only an agreeable drink,
but cleanses the throat, and acts as a di-
uretic on the kidneys, and a general dilu-
cnt. | do not approve of burning out the
throat with nitrate of silver or any other
caustic. Ordinarily, all such applications
do more harm than good. These RENE.