The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-22
Health and Home.

advantages of wet tobacco as poultice
ns have acquired, if it should become
General, will be instrumental in saving
annually many thousands of lives in, the
limited States, have decided that it il
nv duty to make statement on the
subject.
10 do this properly will require some
space. as mere condensed propositions OF
statements will not usually make as much
immersion or be as we'll remembered as
things set forth in the 70. IN of nara.
i've of facts. ought at the outset ia
state that / never chcwcd, smoked OF
snufled tobacco; believe, however, tha,
il has on-seyeIal occasions saved my life
end in other respects been of essential
service to me aud many of my friends.
The first instance can remember oil
i,s usage as remedy for infammations
was seeing Tom Kelly, when was boy,
spurt its juice from his mouth into the
eve of his horse very red from inAam.
nation. lie stated that he was curing
it in that way. also early in life knew
of its being applied to those who had
been stung by wasps, bees, &c. When
in college student told me that lie had
cured chronic inflammation by putting
II wet tobacco leaf on the part.
In march, lS47. on the day after had
announced myself as q candidate for
Congress, while carelessly riding wild
horse, the animal sprang against the fence
and knocked me of, 70 that Ii OF tbs
ground with % much violence as to
sprain my ankle very severely. AS had
c., before any remedy could be applied,
l. 10 "a. -
and very painful. DR.. Whitehead direc.
ted poultice to be applied. After
enduring severe pain for some hours, l
thought Of using tobacco. l sent for
some leaves, had them wet and wrapped
around the ankle, and placed the poul.
tice over them to keep them moist.
Within an hour the pain ceased, and |
slept through the night. The next
morning on examining the ankle, instead
of its being swollen it appeared rather
lrss than its natural size the skin had
wriukled appearance and WAS very white.
The membrane between the bones which
had received the shock, however, was
very tender, 30 that was obliged to use
crutches. During my canvass, which
lasted foul months, twice while travel.
ing had it hurt by accidents, and each
time subdued the pain and swelling by
the use of tobacco. During the war, by
the falling of galloping home, was
thrown over his head and sprained the
same ankle badly, aud used tobacco with
the like effect.
My next application of it was to
severe gunshot wound, on the 10Th of
August, 1864, near Petersburg, Va. A
bullet ranged through my leg from near
the ankle, 60 as to come out on the oppo-
site side, just below the knee, cutting the
muscles and nerves and making long
and very painful wound. I lost SO much
blood that was carried from the field in
an insensible condition. i was 30 feeble
that the surgeons expressed great appfe.
tensions that 1 might not be able to
survive the fever which they expected
would come on in few days. About
that time several of my friends had died
of the secondary fever which followed
their wounds. In few days my left leg
began to swell and throb with heat.
The surgeons said I must keep it wrapped
ia was cloths. =! told them that I would
keep down the inflammation with tobac.
CO. They at once asserted that such an
application would be ruinous. After
they left sent my servant for some
tobacco, enveloped the leg in it, and kept
itwet with the cloths over it. The pain
in an hour or two diminished, tho heat
and throbbing ceased and rested more
quietly than I had been doing. On the
next day, when the surgeons called to
see me, on looking at the wound they
expressed much surprise and said, "You
may keep on the tobacco" remember
that Gen. Robert E. Lee called to see INC
that day, and after looking at me said,
"Oh, General, you are not going to die,
your eye is too bright" The tobacco
being powerful nerve tonic, it always
excites my intellectual faculties.
Although several months passed before
l could walk without crutches, YET had
no fever and little pain from the inham-
nation. am sat;sfcd that if tobacco
were properly applied, no external
and would ever become sufficiently
lntamed to cause modification.
In the year 1867, in the City Of New
York, as / was riding in an omnibus,
while looking out of an open window,
received q heavy blow on my right eye
from the whip Of the driver, who had
aimed the blow at the head of horse
which seemed about to interfere with
him. He missed the horses head and
the full force of the end of the whip fell
airectly Oh the centre of my open eye.
The pain was excessive, and the sight
was entirely taken away-absolute black
ness seemed before it. Passengers in the
stage said to me, "You had better get out
and seek relief-for you don't know how
that eye looks" I soon reached my no.
tel, and on getting into it sent one ser.
want for piece of tobacco and another
Tor two physicians with whom l was
acquainted. The tobacco came first, and
just rs had placed it ON and secured it
with proper bau1ages the doctors came
IN. | told them what had happened and
that had just put on the tobacco. They
SAID tobacco would be ruinous., AS soon
as a. got Off the bandage and they saw
the eye, their countsnances seemed to
fall tfor could zee them with my left
eye, Of course.) They said, "It will be
very difficult to save that eye" Ireplied
that il it could be saved. the tobacco
poultice would do It. They reiterated
their objections; but told them ! should
ttrIyit, and asked them to come back in
The morning After they had left 1
restored restore. tobacco and kept it we'll wet by
putting my face from time to time In
uowi or water, so as to retain the moiS-
.ore steadily. The night was one of the
most painful OF my life; but as it pro.
gressed the. pain seemed to slightly di:
minish !; yet even ID the morning I still
ssnered. About ten o'clock one of the
pnysicians called tosae me, and I took of
tae handage. AS, soon, ss I did so. I
~ xnew the eye was better, for ! could seq
sne outlines OF the open window before
me- me. The doctor Immediately said, II