Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-11-22
Cure for Dyphtheria.

EDITORS DAILY REVIEW during the
past few weeks have read of the ravages of
diphtheria in one family at least in Towanda,
also of other cases in and about your busy
little town; also read an account of the ''sul-
phur treatment" in the REVIEW. l wish in
this letter to advance few ideas as to the
best mode of treatment employed by myself
and other physicians in this city. Thongh we
have no cases here now, we employed our
plan most successfully last season. Make
a fresh tincture of phytolacca decandria,
or poke root, by maceration-15 drops
in half glass Of water. Dose. tes
spoonful, alternately, with the same quanti-
ty of baptesia, or wild indigo, specific tine
ture, every hour, or two hours, according to
the amount of redness or swelling of the
toDsils or throat. Give these remedies from
the insipiency of the disease, and continue
till the membrane has all disappeared, and
no sign is left of its returning. In the ca
tarI hal form, with discharges from the nos
trils, mix the baptesia and phytolacea in one
goblet, and alternate with bichromite of po-
tassa. Second decimal trituration, ten grains
dissolved in the same amount of water as
the tinctures, l most always mix the poke
root tncture and wild indigo from the start,
and alternate with the bichromte of potassa.
If the air passages seem to be filling with
mucus, give tie following decoction:
Blood root pulyerized, teaspoonful vine
gar two or three table spoonfuls, white su-
gar half tea cupful, boiling water half pint; /;
boil for twenty minutes, stirring constantly ::
Dose, tea spoonful every half hour, till re-
lief is obtained, which usually occurs in two
or three hours. If the bronchial rafting re-
turns repeat the doses.
The croupous compicature without the
rafting is best met with kali bchromic, and
spongia tosta (toasted sponge tinct ure), five
drops in half glassful of water, alternated
with the potassa, a tea spoonful hourly.
Quinin9, in doses of two or four grains, ac-
cording to age of patient, shonId be given
from the outset every flour or. five hours,
to be continued till the conyolescence is well
established, and one dose per day, as long as
the heart shows any signs of fag. Pork in
thin slices should be kept bound over the
outside of the throat, and up under the ears
over the sides of the neck, throughout the pc
riods of swelling and eXudation.
Do not apply anv strong and irritating
gargles, or swabS to the throat. If any gar
gle is used at all, take TiIden's Diphtherne,
one teaspoonful to a glassful of water, and
allow a swallow to riuce the throat every
hour or two through the day. Let the pa
tients sleep as much as they will. Let the
diet be as nourishing as possible Milk and
good soup, and rare steak, of tender beef, if
patient is old enough to demand meat. Raw
oysters, or oyster soup can be given with
benefit. Do not fear you will over feed or
sustain diphtheric patient. Any physicon
who will follow the plan herein laid down
will save nearly every patient he treats.
If a child complains of being tired and fe-
verish and dull, when diphthera is around
examine the throat at once and give few
doses of quininc and you may save a doctors
bill and perhaps the life of a dear one.
Respectfully,
NJ. Nj. BROWN.