The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-14
The Tobacco Remedy.
Gen. Thos. L. CHngman's letter for Health and
Home

AO-
(Contiaued from last ,oeJi
About a dozen years ago, being in this
CITY in the month of March, my throat
became extremely sore. Not appreheld-
ing danger, | continued to move about in
the raw weather, my throat getting worse
all the while. Being anxious IL go home
about sunset, | ven In an omnibus 10 the
boat that went down the rver to AcQula
Creek. After | had gotten ION board, L
found that my throat was alarmlngiy
worse. 1t was, from the swelling, so bad
that | could not swallow, and the air-pss-
sage was so closed that | found it difficult
for me to breathe. Remembering how
suddenly the Hon. Preston S. Brooks had
been choked TO death, L regretted much
that | had attempted to travel then. As.
however, the boat was starting, | could
not get off In time to return to the City.
| thought tobacco would DE my only
chance for safety and after a search, |
obtained some from one Of the colored
hands on the boat, got it 81 my throat,
and by keeping a wet towel on 1t Tor the
three hours that were spent on the boat,
by the time | reached Acquia Creek the
swelling was subdued, and | Travelled
home on the railroad without %inconven-
fence.
Some years since | called at the Airing
ton Hotel to see a couple OF ladies from
New York. One Of them came down and
stated that her friead had been suffering
for several days with a very sore throat,
and was undergoing medical treatment
from a prominent physician OF the City.
walked Immediately to the cigar stand,
got a piece of tobacco, gave 1t 70 her, and
explained how it was to be used. On the
next day | called, aud she informed me
that the tobacco had been applied as | d.
rected, and that her friend was SO well,
that for the first time In many days she
had come down to the breakfast table.
Some years after this occurrence, | saw
the lady who had been i'll, and she stated
that after the tobacco was applied her
throat became easy, she slept well, and
in the morning found the soreness and
swelling entirely gore.
NV brother, who is a practising physl-
clan in North Carolina, to whom | had
explained the uses OF tobacco, told me
that some years ago, when sore threats
were an epidemic in his neighborhood, he
had used tobacco in more than a dozen
cases, always Will SuCCtSo, "ulIC OtnCl
physicians in that vicinity had lost some
oftheir patients, having treated them diff
ferently.
My next application Of tobacco was for
erysipelas of the head. Some years ago,
when in Raleigh, N. Co.. l had several in
iuries of the head, which were SO serious
that an apprehension was felt tor some
DAYS that | might not be able to recover.
After | had been for perhaps a week un-
der the treatment OF DR.. +. Burke Hay
wood, and was improving. | concluded to
make a little experiment on n of the
swollen wounds. Being near the outer
corner of the eye, its swollen condition
interfered with my sight, and as | had
learned from Chief Justice Pearson tina.
an application Of spirits of turpentine
would sootbe a boil, | touched that pro-
tuberance with it. La the morning |
found that instead of removing the swell
ing, had increased considerably. On DR..
Haywood's arrival, he expressed surprise
and on being told what | had done, he
said. You nave given yourself eryslpe-
las in that wound, and if it gets up into
the large one above, it will be very diff
cult to save yourlife." His countenance
exhibited much anxiety and apprehen-
sion. | replied, doctor, | will see that
it does not get up into that wound come
back and see me in four hours" | sent
for tobacco, covered the upper wound
with it. and the forehead and temple be-
tween that and the lower wound, keeping
the bandage carefully wet all the time.
About midday the Doctor returned, and
on the bandage being removed, all swell
-. III o Thonn1 ra,.Np
fined for some weeks 60 my room, L had
no swelling of the wounds afterwards.
My next attack of e~rysipelas was a
much more formidable one. In the month
of May, 1880, | tried to remove a frontal
hereafter. Having suffered from it for a
long time, and tried many remedies with
no advantage, concluded to apply an
o~ld-fashioned blister of flies. | covered
my forehead and temples with it, and aft
er it had been on a few hours, feeling
lonesome in my room, L pct on a soft hat
and walked about the streets III tbe warm
sunshine. After the blister plaster had
been on six or seven hours, | removed it,
and was surprised to observe that it dis
charged but little, and had an unusually
red appearance. | kept cabbage leaves
on it during the night, but on the next
day it still had reddish appearance. was
somewhat swollen, and discharged less
than blisters usually did. About 5 o'clock,
| went down to Wizards Hotel for din
ner, and on being met by a friend to
whom | spoke, he seemed surprised, and
said. Il did not know you till you spoke;
what is the matter with your" I stated
what | had been doing, went into the
~diningroOm aud took dinner. as usual.
On coming out. | met an old friend, DR..
lIambleton, and spoke to him. He, with
a look of astonishment, said to me, Il
did not know you till you spoke what is
the matter with you?' | answered that
| had a blister on my forehead. Yes"
said he, and it has given you erysipelas"
| was at once alarmed and on going to a
looking glass, was amazed at my appear
ance. My face looked like large pump
kin. Though my nose is a prominent
one, it could not be distinguished, as the
cheeks were so swollen as TO be even with
it: while only the central portions CT my
eyes could be seen, owing to the swelling
around them. Realizing the danger, |
secured q piece Of tobacco at the cigar
stand, and went into Milburn's drug store
to get son e cloth iov bandages. On call
ing for it, the proprietor said with as
constituent, What is the matter? | did
not know you till you spoke.' | stated
it to him, and he answered, You had
better see a doctor you do not know how
you look" After reaching my room, as
soon as | could wet the tobacco, | placed
it over my forehead, temples. eyes,
cheeks, aud nose, barely leaving breath
ing space for the ~nostrils. Covering it,
as usual, with four thicknesses of cotton
cloth, and wrapping a bandage over all,
| would put my face into 3 bowl of water
every ten or fifteen minutes, SO as to
keep the bandage thoroughly wet. After
about four hours had elapsed, | raised