Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-06-07
A TIMELY TOPIC.
How to Prevent and How 70 Treat Sea-sick.
ness-A Talk With DR.. Beard.

HOW to Prevent and How 70 Treat Sea-sick-
ness-A Talk With DR.. Beard.
A visit to any of the outgoing ocean
steamers just before sailing finds one topic
and one thought occupying the attention
of the passengers. This is the manner in
which their respective stomachs will en-
dure the motion of the waves. Some,
struggling to put brave face on the mat
ter, endeavor to conceal their apprehen-
sions by silence or by insincere assurances
of confidence, while others retire to their
state-roOms and calmly and deliberately
prepare to be sick. With the present
great rush of ocean travel, remedies for
sea-sickness are in hot demand, and ply
sicians are besieged by patients eager for
specifics against the malady OF the deep.
| Among those that have been advised are
champagne and other alcoholic stimulants,
| capsicum, cathartics of various kinds,
bromides, nitrate of amyl, atrOpia, caf-
feline, phosphoric and other acids, chlOral,
creosote, acid phosphates, bitters, cleo
tricity, the use of ice bags and belts about
the body. Careful dieting has also been
| said to be preventive. Nevertheless, it
is stated that, immense rs the ocean
travel is, thousands arc yearly prevented
from venturing on the sea by fear Of a
long and exhausting sickness. For the
same reason the land routes to the South
arc much better patronized than the coast
steamers. Many physicians consider sea-
| sickness, which is regarded as a disturb
ance of the nervous centres, unprevcnt-
able, and advise only palliative treatment.
The views of \ leading practitioner and
two prominent neurolOgists have been OBJ
tanned in regard to the disorder and its
treatment.
"What advice in regard to sea-sickness
would you give patient going to sea ,"
was asked of DR.. Alonzo Clark, by a
Now York Tribune reporter yesterday.
Il should tell him to take q wash. basin
into his state roOm,' responded DR.. Clark,
cheerfully.
"Then there is no remedy?''
"One remedy, yes-to stay ashore" DR..
Clark continued :-"I think people will be
sea-sick until the Millennium comes. The
disorder is in a way puzzle to doctors.
It is caused by disOrdered action of the
brain and nervous system, and the stomach
feels it as a part supplied with nerves.
There is no preceptible change in the nerve
tissue, but a nerve disturbance, and prob.
ably all the brain is affected. 1t is unac-
countable that the practice Of going to
sea cures the disorder, although
this may be owing to q circulatOry
accommodation. l have never made
usc Of the various remedies suggested.
Sea-sickness is modified by low diet, and
if health is much depressed, the patient
should keep his bed. Food should he
taken as constantly as possible and the
best form is soup with toasted crackers.
Any alcoholic drink will soothe some
stomachs. The supposed benefit to be
derived from sea-sickness amounts to very
little, except, perhaps, in the case of large
feeders. OF course, land sickness caused
by riding backward and in railway cars is
practically the same as sea-sickness. An
instance has been lately related of q
woman cured by wearing a sheet of paper
over her chest, which illustrates the power
of faith.''.
DR.. George NJ. Beard said GA year
ago there was no disease of which so little
was known and which was so incurable rs
sea-sickncss, now there is no disease of
which so much is known and which is so
perfectly curahlc. 1t is a functional dis
ease of the central nervous system, mainly
of the brain, but sometimes also of the
spinal cord, and comes from purely me-
chanical and physical causes, being the
No more benefit can be derived from it
than from an attack of typhoid fever.
Infancy and old age are least affected by
it, and it is most frequent and severe
with the nervous and sensitive. In some
cases there is simply congestion of tho
brain. The chief symptoms are headache,
backache, nausea, vomiting, pain in eyes,
mental depression, neuralgia pains, sleep
lessncss and nervous exhautiOn. DR.. F.
d. Lente, of Florida, first suggested the
use of bromide of potassium as q prevcn-
tive of sea-sickness in voyages between the
North and South, and it was used with
good results. This had also been recon-
mended by DR.. Barker, who carefully
studied the subject. My experience had
led to my developing this treatment for
long voyages, and suggesting bromide of
sodium in large doses instead Of bromide
of potassium. The former is less irritat-
ing to tho stomach and contains more
brOmine than the latter, but when not
prOcurable bromide of potassium may be
used. The patient should take thirty,
sixty, or ninety grain doses of bromide of
sodium three times day a few days be-
fore embarking, and keep it up ut sea un-
til the danger seems to be past. Tic re-
suit aimed at is mild bromization of the
central nervous system, rendering it less
susceptible to the disturbance caused by
the movements of the ship. There is a
great difference in people about the effect
and the great point is to know when to
stop taking it, avoiding All excess, and not
to take too little. A few people have an
idiosyncracy against bromide, but there is
little or no danger from its use if patients
will carefully watch for the slccpiness and
indisposition for exercise which are
the symptoms of mild bromization. II
have known of but one failure from the
proper use of bromidcs, and l have here
several letters from persons who have
crossed safely by their use, although
always sick before. OF course the drug
should be taken intelligently and under
competent directions, as there is a great
difference in different people, and eycry
case ought to be studied separately SO far
as possible.
"What is sea-sickness was asked of
DR.. William A. Hammond.
"Well, should call it disorder of the
nervOuS SvStam -