The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-08-29
Yellow Fever Treatment.

DIR. Luke p. Blackburn, the great.
est yellow fever doctor in the woild,
who has passed through fifteen cpl
denies, at Natchez, Memphis, Long
Branch, Bermuda Islands and Fer
nandino, and never had it himself,
gives to a reporter of the Courier
Journal the symptoms and treat
ment, as follows; "The patient is
taken with a rigor or slight chill,
followed by fever, pain in the back,
in the hip joints and knees, throb-
bing pain in the head and the SEN
sation as if an iron band were tight
ened over the brows; hot skin, full
bounding pulse, ranging from 80 to
100, eyes sparkling or bright
and cheeks flushed. The pa
tient will perspire as in no other
disease except spasmodic collie, the
perspiration standing in globules
upon the forehead. Though the
skin be preternaturally hot, the pa
tient will bear the placing of blan
kets upon him without complaint,
Notwithstanding the day or night
may be extremely hot"
"My treatment varies in many
particulars with many of my profess
sional brethren who have been sue
cessful in the treatment of this NAL
adv. Having tested the mercurial,
the abortive and expectant treat
ments-that is to eliminate the dis
ease by the skin-I pursue the lat
ter mode of treatment, as it has
been more successful with me than
all other treatments"
Treatment; "The patient shall
be placed in bed in n horizontal pos
ture, should not be permitted under
any circumstances to arise from
that bed, should be well covered
with blankets, foot-tub Of hot wa
ter without mustard should be in
troduced under the blankets; the
patient, lying on his back, should
fIex his lower limbs and place his
feet in the tub; the covering should
be tucked we'll around him, close up
to his neck; he should be given hot
tea, composed of balm, sage, elder
blossom, bone-set, corn shock or
orange or lemon leaf. At the same
time he should be permitted to drink
ice water or to take crushed ice in
sufficient quantities to allay his
thirst. Free and continuous per-
spiration should be kept up. After
the foot-tub has been removed, II
the action of the skin should cease
and the forehead become dry, the
feet should be at once replaced in
the tub and ptysan, or hot tea
should be used as before. The
fever will continue from twenty 10
ninety hours. When IT has
passed off, the blankets should be
withdrawn from the pa
tient; stimulants, such as ale, por-
ter, pure rum and French brandy,
should be freely given. prefer
Cooks Imperial st. Louis native
wine TO any stimulant have ever
used. Nourishment, such as rice
water or corn-gruel, or chicken-wa-
ter, should be given cautiously and
sparingly. Should there be spon-
taneous movement of the bowels, as
will occur in many cases from the
irritation of the mucous coat Of the
stomach and bowels, that tissue
which is first assaulted by this dis
ease, give no opium, no preparation
Of opium nor anything 10 check that
action. IL is the crisis of the dis
ease, as it is in measles. The fever
will pass of in Eve hours, and the
patient will recover rapidly without
fear of a relapse. Should the per-
spiratioD have a glutinous, gummy
touch, you may expect your patient
10 recover with watchful and care
ful nursing. But should the perspi- !
ration have a sensation like that OF
pure water, showing that there is no
vicarious action by the skin, which
gives relief TO the liver aud kidneys,
you may know that your patient is
IN great danger. You will find upon !
an examination the tongue red and
covered with a short,
NuiJe luI, WIN kASab b"SsaiS ASbeSt /
Of the breath. 1t is then all impor-
amt to apply the cups or leeches TO |
she pit of the stomach. If neither |
cups, leeches nor blisters are ap-
Piled, the patient viii complain Of
4 ball In his stomach in thirty-six |
hours. And in twelve hours thore-
after he will throw of blood that is
,xuded into the stomach, known as
black vomit, which has the appear
lnce Of coffee grounds, floating in an
fluid. If there be
any doubt as TO the character Of the |
matter ejectedu from the stomach. |
you can at once decide upon its |
character by dipping q white hand |
zerchief or linen cloth into the mat
,er elected from the stomach, and |
exposing it TO the sun for a few mo-
nents. If it be the VoEito or geu-
line black vomit OF yellow fever, IL
will impart a sanguine or bloody
.inge 70 the cloth or handkerchief.
II II be bile, which never occurs in |
yellow fever, it win impart a yel- |
ow tinQe."