River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-03-14
Simple Cures.
S. b. PECK.


An advertisement in a New York paper
lately brought to my mind many cases
thar had been related to me of remarkable
cures by very simple remedies, some of
which were taken stealthily without the
knowledge, or against the protest of the
attendent or nurse, but always gratifying
to the palate of the patient. The first
shall relate occurred long ago when cold
water was not allowed in fevers. The
patient had person "to watch with
him." who was directed to put hot stones
to his feet to promote perspiration, but
was nos to allow him water to drink,
"for that would counteract the good
effect Of the heating process" These
stones were heated in the fire and parti-
ally cooled in pail of water kpet under
the bed.
The watcher went to sleep, and the
willful patent re gardless of consequences,
manageable era WI out OF bed and without
goblet or cup, drank slyly his fill from
the pail, got back to bed and quietly
slept himself into profuse sweat, after
which he rapidly recovered. A man sick
unto death and nearly given up by his
physician, was called on by the latter in
the morning, who expressed himself
highly pleased with the good effect of
the medicine he had left land congratulate
ed him on his appearing much better.
Yes said the patient Il have been
much better sinleI drank that stuff in
the CUPBOARD" The stuff he had covert
~ drank turned out to be vinegar from q
pickle iar!A little girl whose disease baffl-
ed the skill of the family physician, and
who grew worse in spite of all his skill was
called ON by him as the family were sit
ting down to breakfast, and as the moth
er was coming to the table with a plate
Of picked cucumbers, the child lying in
a crib near by. uttered shrek which
called the mother to her side with the
plate of pickles in her hand, from which
the child snatched pickle and ate it be-
fore the mother could take it from her
sequel, the child recovered rapidly.
Now | do not think much of cucumb-
ers ANY way, and never eat them either as
medicine, food or cOndimcnt, but | do
believe in acids when the appetite Graves
them | ought not to SANDER this vege
table for | used to eat them and they
never hurt me, but set gratefully in my
stomach. They were fresh from the gard
en-. Now | prefer as matter Of taste the
more luscious fruits.
| will relate but one more singular
cure. though there are others on my
mind. This was related to me by DR..
Strong, an old physician of Hartford,
Conn, some fifty years ago, as an occur
renee in his practice. A little girl was
pining, moaning and shrinking away in
flesh, without any other symptoms OF dis
case, when he was sent for The case
perplexed him and he asked the mother
if the child had been denied any food or
other thing that she seemed to long for.
She reluctantly admitted that the child
had asked for Tobacco.
4 small quantity was given her which
she ate greedily, from which date her re-
covery was rapid. For the rationale of
the case can only surmise that she had
tasted the weed before, and if it then pro
duced nausea and now satisfied her cray
ing, it was not the first case of the kind.
PHYSICIANS owe much to accidental dis
coveries, and it is wise and humane in
them to note these peculiar cases, not
presuming that in all, or even a majority
Of subjects, the same treatment Of appar-
emily similar ailments will produce SINH
lar effects. The stomach and all the viscera
being beyond our sight, and much of
them effected by all that is introduced to
them, the cause of many internal ailments,
and the effect of food and medicine upon
them, will doubtless ever remain myster-
icus.