The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-26

I
they all In time recovered Shorty ate
lthi1outbreRk among the older ones, nesrl
Ione.hali OF the young children, varying I
age from six TO ten or twelve years, wef
taken sick nearly at one time, and ten
them were placed in one ward. Thes
children bad been dressed alike, FED ak!
slept IN tho came room, and had, in 9
trespects, been ciTcumstanced as nearl
alike a. was possible. They were all tRkel
sick Al nearly the same time, and put to
Rether In one ward room Of the hospita
that was kept At an even temperature b.
furnace heat. They were oil treated YER.
nearly alike, andall recovered ct abou
the same time, without any serious trou
bles. Among these ten sick children Their
were well marked cases Of diphtheria, ~
Iiphoid fever, scarlet fever and measles
Diphtheritic sore throat, or sore throat II
some degree, was connected with neari!
all these cases. That was the best illus
tration I had ever witnessed OF the stimuli
taueous appearance OF several sorconsid
cred distinct diseases, occurring from
the same causes, sick in the sam,
room, treated in the same man
ner, and oil recovering In abou
the came time. Cases Of measeles, scarle
fever, diphtheria and typhoid fever werl
all occurring occasionally in, the city q
that time, but not with sufficient fire.
auency to be regarded epidemic. Some o.
those cases In the hospital seemed to b
distinct diseases, but most OF them Rp
peared tn be q compound OF two, diph'
iberia and measles, or dipthertR and scsr'
let fever. The fever in all the cases waf
OF a typhoid type. Typhoid fever may be
regarded as q mixed fever, Immediately
between inHammatory and thyphus, par
taking Of the characters Of both, and oc'
cupying wide range between the two e1'
tremes, Fevers that vary from those
purely inf ,mmAtory or typhus, must iall
into the great class Of mixed fevers called
typhoid. Mixed, or typhoid fever, Is the
prevailing one OF this region oil country Of
the present time. Many persons, and
among them doctors, often take greai
credit to themselves for saying that thu
orthat is case OF typhoid fever, when IN
fact every case, unless transported thai
fingers and results In fever that Is moi
caused by organic or come special local
disease, IL typhoid fever, whether the per
son calling It so understands the subject
or not. Thirty and forty years ago IN.
tlammatory levers, or fevers much nearer
those OF purely iDlsmmstory type than
are TO be found at the present. time, pre-
vailed largely, and with them the anti.
phlogistic treatment, or a treatment that
approached much nearer to II than any
one now used. ...+s. a a..
In 1868 there were reports OF cerebro-
spinal meningitis, called spotted fever
from the lact that some OF the patients
were covered with purple spots, previous
to or at the. time OF death, In some parts
Of the country 1t was said 10 be epidemic
A few cases occurred about the city. and
several among the soldiers In the o.. s
General Hospital. Some died very sud-
denly, after a few hours illness; but they
had probably been unwell for some time
before entering the. hospital, Others lin
gered few days and died, and good
proportion Of them recovered, but some
Of them very slowly. The character OF the
fever seemed about the came In all the
cases that came under nay paSerYs ion. ]
aided In the Pot mWtSm examination Of
two cases that I called cerebro-spinal mem
nights, or cougestiye inflammation Of the
membranes st tho base OF the brain and
upper portion ql,tha spinal eord-one, q
soldier who died at the hospital; the other
a child that died in the city. In the case
Of The soldier, who died alter few hours
Illness, the brain and membranes were
very much eugorged with blood, while at
ths base OF the brain, along the medulla
obi0Dpata and upper portion OF
the spinal cord, there was
an eGrsion Of from one to
two ounces OF clear serum, which, in that
location, Think vas sufficient to produce
death by pressure upon the respiratory
-'-a nthA, itnDortantceryes. Nothing was
iound wrong with the heart and lungs. In
the case OF the child that was sick some
five or six d 4ys, and had commissions be-
fore Tia death, there was no unnatural
amount OF. blood in the vessels OF the
brain, or its membranes; and the only
thing which attracted attention was a
bleached and aoitened appearance Of the
medul!a ,obloDgata, and the col!ec-
ion Of fIom hall an, ounce to
an ouncs T. ii cream .colo1sd serum,
which surrounded the. medulla and
upper portion OF the spinal cord. The
Of the upper part OF the spinal.
cord we're rod and seemed TO have suffered
from Inflammation. Most Of the patients
had no purple spots about them; oc-
casionally one would turn purple or black
all over after death. Purple spots may oei
cur ct any time when the circulation u
very feeble, aud there Ia great nervous pro-
stration and loss Iot vital power. y The
capillaries are unable to circulate the red
blood, and hence the purpura OF the sur
face, sometimes well defined by the
venous capillaries, at Others difmGd
Though the cellular tissue in the form of
ecchymosia. Death Is likely to occur sud
denly in cerebto-spinal meningitis, be:
cause etfuRion may take place rapidly, and
q small amount OF aud about the medulla
obiongala will produce death by pressure
on the brain aud the nerves necessary to
carry on the functions Of the heart and
lungs, II, instead OF cerebro-spinsl mem
nights, there has been erysipelas, pneu-
monis, pleurisy, peritoniti5, or . regular
case OF typhoid fever, with inflammation
OF the glands along the track Of the
bowels, there would have been more time
for nature to relieve herself Of her embar-
raesments. ] do not think there ia any
thing new or peculiar about this celebro-
spinal disease. l have seen the same thing
from time 10 time ever since commenced
10 watch the disease. At some times and
in some seasons 1t occurs more frequently
and Ia more difficult 10 manage, ] saw
more cases Of the disease in question in
1868, '64 and '65 than had seen at any
previous period. There was also during
these years q rather large amount OF
typhoid fever, especially among soldiers
and prisoners. Pneumonia and erysipe.
las prevailed also, aud,were apparently Of
the same character as the BLACK Tongue
and Erysipelas Fever" Of 1871, 4S and
40 can see no good ground for max.
ing a distinction between the fsyers and
diseases that occurred in 1917, '4s and
40, and those that appeared In 1885, '6l
aud 'G5-especially those that occurred In
military Prisons and hospitals.
A Mrs. Martin, FROM q healthy region
In Tyler county, short time since con,
suited me in regard TO chronic disease OIL
her daugh,er's throat. Learned from Mrs
~ - : D1a