Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-06-25
~TRANsIENT B1LLs-oAsH.
DR.. Solly thought a moment, and then.

said, "Yes by all means. Send tor barber;
and n fresh fly blister, four inches by nine.'
I looked into the face Of DIR. Soily with
surprise. 1t was perfectly grave and earnest.
I hiuted to him my doubts of the good that
treatment would do but he spoke confideut>
only cure the disease, but he believed, take
away the predispositiou thereto, with which
Mr. Harris was affected in high degree.
The head of Mr.. Harris was shaved, and
DIR. SOlly applied the blister with his own
hand, aud which completely covered tho
scalp from foreheard to occiput.
Let it remain on for two hours, and
then make use of the ordinary dressing,
said DIR. SolIy. elf he should not recover
during the action of the blister, don't feel un-
easy. Sensibility will be restored soon AFTER"
did not call again but heard from Or.
Solly the result.
After we left the friends stood anxiously
around the bedside upon which the.sick man
lay but though the blister began to draw.
no signs of returuing consciousness showed
themselves further than an occasional low
moan, or an uneasy tossing of the arms
For full two hours the burning plaster
parched the tender skin of Mr.. Harris shorn
head and was then removed. 1t had done
good service. Dressings were then applied.
repeated and repeated again, but still tho
sick man lay in a deep stupOr.
''It has done no good. Hadn't we better
send for the doctor ?" suggested the wife.
Just then the eyes of Harris opened, and
he looked with half stupid surprise upon tho
faces OF the anxious group that surrounded
the bed.
"What is the matter ?" he at length said.
At the same time feeling strange sensation
about the head, he placed his hand rather
heavily thereon. "Heavens and earth y
He was now fully in his senses. "Heayens
and earth Whit ais my head ?"
''For mcrcy's sake keep quiet" said his
wife, the glad tears gushing over her face
"You have been very i'll. There, there.
now, and she spoke soo'hingly, "don't say
word, but lie very still"
But my head What's tho matter with
my head 1t feels as ifscalded. Where's my
hair Heavens and earth, Sarah, don't un-
derstand this What is my arm tied in this
way for ?"
''Be quiet, my dear husband and I'll cx>
plain it all Oh, be very quiet. Your life
depends upon it"
Mr. Harris sank back upon his pillow from
which he had arisen, and closed his eyes to
think. He put his hand to his hoad md
felt it tendery from temple to temple and
from nnpe to forehead.
a
''Yos, dear. You have been very ILL
We feared your life. j" said Mrs. Harris affec.
tionatcly "There have been two physicians
in attendance"
Harris closed his eyes again. His lips
moved Those nearest were not much edited
by the whispered words that issued there-
from. They would have sounded worry
strangely to ears polite and refined. After
this he lay for sometime quiet.
''Thrcatened with apopIexy, suppose 7"
he then said interrogatively.
eyes, dear" said his wife. "I found you
lying insensibIe on the floor on happening to
come into your room. 1t was most providen-
tial that discovered you MS l did as you
certainly would have died"
Harris shut his eyes and muttorod some~
thing, with mir of impatieucc, but its
meaning vas not understood.
Finding him out of danger, friends and
relatives retired and the sick man was left
alone with his family.
"Sarab," he said, "why in heavens name
did you permit the doctors to butcher me in
this way I am laid up for week or two
ell for nothing"
sit was to save your life"
HSave-"
"Hush There do for heavens sake bo,
quiet everything depends upon it."
With gesture of impatiece, Mr. Harris
shut his eyes, teeth and hands, and lay
perfectly stilI for some minutes. Then be
turned his face to the wall. muttering in low,
petuant voice, "Too bad too bad too bad -
had not erred in my first and last impress
sion of Harris disease neither had DIR. Sol
IL, although he used a very extraordinary
mode of treatment. The facts of the case
are these:
Harris had a weakness. lie could not
taste wine or strong drink. without being
tempted intoexcess. But himselfand friends
were mortified and grievcd at this and they,
by abmoDition, and he By good resolution,
tried to bring about reform. Bus to sec
was to taste and to Taste was to fall. At
last his friends urged him 20 shu. himself mp
at home for a certain time and see if total alb
stinence would not give him strength. He got
on pretty we'll for few days, particularly so
as his coach man kept we'll filed bottle for him
in the carriage house, to which he not uufre-
quently resorted but too ardent devotion
to this identical bottle brought on the sup-
posed apoplexy.
DR.. Soly was right in his mode Of treat
ing the disease, after all, and did not err in
supposiug that it would reach the predisposi-
ton. The cure was effectual. Harris kept
quiet on The subject, and bore his shaved
head on his shoulders with as much philoso-
ply as he could muster. A wig. after the
sores made by the blister had disappeared.
concealed the bsrber's work until his own
hair grew out again. He never ventured
upon wine or brandy, for fear Of aPoPiexy-
When the truth leaked out, as such things
always will, the friends of Harris bad many
hearty laugh, bat they wisely concealed
from the object of their nerrimept the
fact that they knew anything more than ap-
peared of the supposed illness.
I'LL. .n-.ho- nf ,ba Morh lnn.r.