Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-06-15
sickness in the Uars.i

Many peIsOuet eoPcS'oAiJ i~'
great sufferers from that form OF nausea
and headache known as scar sickness"
A journey by rail has for them all the
discomfort and suffering that an ocean
voyage has to a majority Of travellers.
10 rr-cts of the motion OF the car
range iroln - disturbance of the
stomach and an accomp~- -;no had.
ache to 'deathly Sickness with In.-
nausea and complete prestratlon, ac-
cording TO the condition and sentative
ness of the victim. In the lightest
form the sensation is sufficiently un-
pleasant to make travel BY rail thorough
disagreeable; in its worst, and by no
means uncommon type, it invests this
necessary and convenient method Of
journeying with dread and despair. A
simple and harmless preventive of car
sickness has recently come to the
knowledge of the writer, under circum.
stances that leave no doubt of Its
efficacy with some persons; and if the
device will work equally well in ether
cases, knowledge of it ought certain
ly 10 be spread abroad. 1t is at least
worth trial Of all who suffer lncon-
venience in travelling. A lady who had
occasion to take a short trip en- the
Lowell road-and she never travels by
rail for plessure-was, as is usual with
her, as thoroughly sick as ever lands
man is on the 'heaylng Deep by the
time she had ridden a dozen miles,
The conductor of the palace car who
was apparently very familiar with such
cases, told ihe sufferers companion
that sheet Of writing paper, worn next
to the person, directly eyer the chest,
was a sure preventive of the trouble in
nine cases out often. He had recsm-
mended it to hundreds of travellers. and
rarely knew it to fail. The prescription
seemed very much like a 'charm'-a
horse chestnut carried in the pocket to
ward of rheumatism, or red string
around the neck to prevent bleeding at
the nose. But it was simple, and
could at least do no harm. For the re-
turn trip, sheet Of common writing
note paper was fastened inside the
clothing, as directed. Result--a per-
fectly comfortable journey, without
hint OF the old sickness that had for
years made travel BY rail terror. 1t
Was 80 like superstitution, or happy
accident, however, that the lady would
not accept it as real until subjected to
more severe test. This came in a
day journey to New York, and that
hardest trial of ala night trip IN an
alleged sleeping car. Both were
taken in triumph. The charm worked.
And the lady writes. The day journey
was a perpetual wonder and delight 10
me. 1 could sit up and read aud look
at the landscape through which we
wirled, and act as other people do. And
still 1 didn't feel ready 10 sonfsss to a
cure until had tried the sleeping car,
which has always been horror to me.
But even here the 'spelp worked. 1
ate hearty supper in the dining ear
and kept it Slept soundly all night,
got up as comfortable, and dressed
with as level a head and as steady a
a hand as though l had been in my
room. Read until breakfast tine-a
thing had never before deae on the
cars-and was hungry fer my morb
ing meal. 1t is really wonderful, almost
too good to be real. For the first time
in my lite 1 have experienced the pleas
ure Of travelling. wish also that /
knew bis name. l wsuld like to call
the Lords particular attention to his
case, and don't want 10 make any mis-
take and have the blessing descend
upon the wrong man. If this should
meet the eye Of the Official in question
! will he please conside: .hlmselfthanksd'
To the scientific guessers 10 left the ex-
planation Of this peculiar potency OF a
sheet of paper. And, as a further
pssslble contribution to the welfare Of
qualmish travellers, it is suggested
whether the charm would not work
equally well in preventing sea-sickness.
The experiment IS certainly worth
trying.