The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-13
CASE OF DRoPsY CURED, n HISTORY THERE.
OF ny THE PATIENT HIMSELF.

HENRY U. SMITH.
CASE OF DRoPsY CURED, AND HISTORY THERE.
OF ny THE PATIENT HIMSELF.
had been ailing with the chills and
fever and dysentery for about two years,
OF and on, when about the middle OF Feb.
ruary, 1878, after having exposed myself
one stormy night in a boat near Fumbes,
Peru, South America, | saw the next
morning that my feet and ankles were con.
siderably swollen. / was then afraid It
was IN indication Of the dropsy, which
gave me some alarm, but the swelling dis
appeared in two orthree days. was car.
rying on q work in which / continued ex-
posing myself, and the chills and fever
and dysentery continued to atIlict me. |
found that my feet and ankles swelled
with more frequency, and | felt an un-
comtOriableness ofthe abdomen and hevi-
ness OF the feet and legs at night, which
gave me serious apprehensiOns that
it was truly the beginning OF the dropsy.
consulted with q physician OF the place,
and he said it was nothing serious, and
gave me ONE medicine to take, which ]
took, but itdid not appear TO do me much
good. still continued attending to my
affairs without any important change in
my health until about the last OF June,
when | saw plainly that my complaint
was increasing, aud that | ought to leave
everything and go to Lima and try TO get
cured. / had no way OF leaving Fnmbes
until the steamer pissed on the 18th OF
July, andin that interval / got worse each
day, got hoarse, could hardly talk Ut times
my leet, legs and abdomen were more
swollen. my appetite about gone, and
what little / did eat nearly suffOcated me.
In that state / went on board the steamer
bound for Callao, was four days on my
way, and getting worse all the time.
When / arrived, | went the same day
and put myself under medical treatment,
but did not get any better. After seven
DAYS / concluded to try some other medi.
cal man, which Ibid, and he called in col
leagues for consultation. l was then
swollen to a great size. Some OF them, al
ter examination were for tapping me,
some were against 1t, until they saw the
result OF medicines they proposed to adj
minister, which they said would decide
the whole affair in eight or ten days. |
commenced taking their prescriptions, but
they did me no good. In the meantime ]
|. suffered tremendously. At the end Of
, the time allotted they had another con-
sultation, and concluded TO tap me-. On
: theTOth OF August ] was tapped and had
! % Tbs. Of water taken from me. l i'm
mediately commenced filling again, and il
made such rapid progress that | saw II
would he nothing but q succession of tap
pings until I died. On the 10Th OF August
: made up my mind to leave on the 22d
for New York. ] informed my physician
of my intention, and requested he should
tap me the next day TO relieve me 80 thai
. | could make the voyage. Accordingly or
the 10Th | was tapped the second time
and % lbs. more OF water taken from me
As determined, on the 22d ! embarked
for New York. When | got on board thu
= steamer ! felt better tba ] had for some
time. but nevertheless | commenced Il
fill again with great rapidity, and when
arrived at Panama, on the goth, | wa
swollen again as large as on former oCca
siops, so much SO, that | consulted will
physiCians whether, or not, It would b,
better to tap me before embarklng 70
. New York. They concluded not to, bu
thew thought at the same time that |
9 would be safer for me 10 take along
trocar. so in case of extremity the DoCto
of the ship could furnish the required re
AZ lief, | crossed over to Colon, and tool
massage In the good ship "Colon" o.
Tho 9Th Of September, and with I'm
weather we arrived at Lower Quarantin
Gmunds on the 18th. had by this tim
swollen 10 a monstrOus size, especially m,
= abdomen, legs and feet. On the 18th
LANDED and commenced making inquire
about medical advice. l had several ply
A sicians recommended, and at last, atte
having been examined by several, | fixe
- on one and commenced his prescription
Z but at the end Of five days, finding that
was getting no better, l asked him for al
other which he gave me, but | saw IL WI
=, the same as the former, and the same 1
had been prescribed for me at Lima, lha
come 80 FAR 10 get treatmen different frOI
n what | had got at Lima, was not satisfied
: particularly asI was filling more daily, |
: The meantime / heard Of Doctor who hR
cured several cases OF the same disease
By mine, ! sent for him. Hesaid he thong
In he could cure me, hut II would have bee
III easier Il had never been tapped. II
pc however, could tell better after he had g
nm analysis Of my urine, aud that then |
RI. would begin active treatment. He had n
analysed, and when he am u
OF next day he said he could guarantee n
Il. cure; that he would commence the ne
day, and would reduce me at the rate
a. two pounds per day until | was reduc,
10 my natural size. told him II was We
Is gratifying, but that was afraid he cOu
~ not realize what he proposed; that II l 81
cE, that he reduced one.halt l would be sat
n fed, He said We would see. ]