The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-29
The Domestic Doctor.

uldSuOSLS VI uclicdlc uiAcItHceS OI
kindred disease, the chemical discov-
cries and consequent application of new
remedies, the superb point of skill that
surgery has reached, the micros optical
examination of the germs of various
diseases, and new light thrown on their
possible extirpation, the benetcence of
an9sthetics, we sorrow over the stu
pidity of those Dark Ages when the
leech and the barber were one, and the
trick of blistering and blood-letting and
the administration of dried adders and
pulverized angle-worms was the height
of medical kpowledge-knOwledge that
often called in witchcraft and divina-
tion to its aid.
Yet it is but little while ago that
remedies as triiing as those of the Dark
Ages were in vogue among us, and
questioned only by those daring skeptics
who doubted the fact that epidemics,
traceable to and explainable by our
own neglect and filthineSs. were vista
tons of Providence. 1t is but the other
day that the equity were admonished to
drink every day for 8 twelve-mOnth
weak tea of the leaves OF the holy
thistle, made palatable by the addition
of those of angelica-nOtle less wise than
the ancient Greek belief that eating
ripe blackberries preventedpeople from
becoming equity, anyway; and at the
same time it was held that 8 historical
girl was to be cured by spreading her
matutinal bread and butter with cara
way seed, ginger and salt. These ideas,
if they really reached the dignity OF
ideas, were hardly to be called ina
provements upon Hippocrates's notion
that the brain was large gland which
absorbed the spare moisture of the
body, or Galen's that the soul was COM
posed of three parts, the vegetative in
the liver. the rational in the brain, and
the irascible in the heart.
There have been dOgmas in all ages
regarding the things that are to cure dis
eases as instantly as the disease comes.
1t is still held in some of the English
rural districts that a ring made of q
sacramental shilling-that is, a shilling
given in the aims collected at Com
munion-will at once cure the epilepsy;
and by the same class of people fried
mice are held to be specific for small
pox, the more effective specific, too, If
the mice are fried alive; and it is be-
lieved that the advice of anybody riding
on piebald hoIse will cure the worse
case of whooping-cought to be had. Mrs.
DeLany, in l744, gave in all good faith
the recipe of sealing spider into
goose-quill and hanging it round
child's neck to cure the ague; and
DR.. Graham in his medical work
prescribes spiders webs rolled into
pills for intermittent fever. Perhaps
some of our travellers who suffer
from roman fever-although in this
country the same thing is called only
the Democratic ''chill''-might try this
spiders pill to advantage. Bishop
Berkeley, who was wise enough to
know the direction taken by the star of
empire, was weak enough to see in tar
water pauacea for every i'll; and for
the cure of Lord Metcalfe, who died of
cancer so late as 1916. plaster and
powder were prescribed by a friend and
well-wisher, the chief ingredient in
which was u portion of a young frog.
Yet how can we laugh at these fancies
or dare to despise them when we con-
descend to carry horse-chestnut in our
pocket to ward off the rheumatism?
People who have listened to such nom
sense have No right to smile even at tho
Egyptian VINO regarded the eating of 4
citron the first thing in the morning as
an antidote and preventive of every
sort of poison.
The truth is that we are all far too
prone to dabble in physic without know !
ing anything about it, and had much
rather take and give remedies of our
own or the next persons conceit than
call the doctor whose business it is to
know all about it, weakening or ex-
citing ourselves usually in just the
wrong way as a result 1t might be
better for us if we agreed with M. Mon
thuSin, who, being forbidden wine in
an illness, and prescribed large doses
of cold water, returned the glass after
one sip to his wife, saying, Take it,
my dear, and keep it for another time;
l have always heard we should not
tribe with remedies" The French |
2, ntleman's precept, if not his practice,
would be worth our attention.
Until our education in pathology is
better attended to, it is playing with
fire for us to undertake to doctor"
ourselves, as the greater number of US
are fond of doing in our little ailments,
and really rather as if we were glad of |
the opportunity, especially so long as
there is class in the community edu-
Gated for nothing else than 10 take care |
of the little ailments with the great /
ones, and much better aware than we /
are how easily the little become great |
ones. Indeed, apart from direct and
immediate safety. it would be better
policy for us to call physician in these
small matters, because through them
the physician learns our constitutions
and the habits of our systems, and is
better able to handle for US the larger
troubles when they appear. The child
taken in the night with the deadly chill
of scarlet fever is dosed by the fright
ened mother till its power of sustaining
itself is gone before the doctor comes;
and another, seized with internal pains,
has bv the foDdest love and effort q
supposed remedy sent tearing and rip
ping q murderous way through its little
body that should have been left abso-
lutely quiescent. And the instances
are multipliable almost to infinity
where mistaken love has put the sick
one beyond help because relying too
too much on/family tradition and the
wisdom of past generations.
Still, as the physician can not always
be had, and one is loath to call him in
the night unless the case be extreme. it
follows that we shall go on administer
ing the wrong dose, with the best in
tention and the worst result, for some
time to come. Much of this might be
obviated if, instead of a good deal of
useless knowledge taught in the
schools, and expected to be learned,