Smyrna times., 1885-08-05
Eor he Smurna Times.
For the Smyrna Times.
LETTER FROM DIR. ELLA F.
SWINNEY.

standing of the manner in which l
carry on my work, will speak of the
day just passed as an index of my
laily life. On going out this morning
ut half.past seven, accompanied by my
assistant, to visit the sick, l observed
there were already several waiting on
the veranda. They said they came
from over the river in a boat and that
they heard another boat with a much
larger company had started from far up
the country and would probably arrive
to-day. l asked them to
wait the opening Of the office, which
they were very willing to do. Return
ing about nine o'clock, we then opened
the doors and let the crowd on the ver-
anda come in, treating those first who
had kindly waited so long. Then l
turned my attention to lady from
distance, who was accompanied by her
husband and servant, the latter bring
ing a present. have taken much
pleasure in treating this woman, and
her gratitude is truly great. Then fol-
lowed several cases of eye disease,
which required much care. The
mothers now brought forward to me
their children; one was Il little baby
truly in suffering condition, with a
deep burn on the thigh that occurred
a week ago, and yet the child only
came for treatment to-day for the first
time. Why was this little one left to
get we'll if it might, without any care
on the part of the parents? Now how
the mothers crowded around me while
dressing it, pitying the child as it cried
out through pain and fright. Then a
father and mother desired me to see a
little girl of about nine years of age.
found one of her feet in gangrenOus
condition from the cruel practice of
feet binding. The little girl sobbed
while the parents laughed and talked
as they often do in such cases, yet they
hoped could soon cure her, that they
might bind her feet again. l could not
lose the opportunity of speaking on the
subject, and though all in the room
acknowledged the custom as wrong,
senseless and cruel, yet | think they
would continue the same practice in
their families. So it is with all spirit
ual subjects, yet still hope that some
seed may fall on good ground. After
these had departed | turned my attcn-
tion to woman whom l knew, who
had come again for medicine for her
arm, and said she had brought two OF
her neighbors with her, who were suf-
fering in quite similar way. Here is
a description of that affection so com
mon here in certain seasons Of the year
especially in the Spring. This disease
is Beri-beri, the people frequently
speaking of it as damp-fOOt OIL
weak-fOOt," referring in this way tC
either its supposed origin or to one o.
its most prominent symptoms. II
occurs more frequently in these low
level lands, the patients recovering
rapidly, it is said, and that withOu
medication if taken to the mountain.
to dwell, even though but a short dis
tance from their former home. This i
the disease that is called kak-k'c il
Japan. DIR. Taylor, from that country
who recently visited Shanghai, ha
made a specially in treating this alleC
/ ton. Within the last three years h
has spent much time in investigation
and experiments. He now thinks it i
mainly due to II poisonous substanc
found in the covering of the rice,
being the principal food there as we
as in this country. The rainy season,
damp dwelling in low lands and sed
entary habits are favorable to the de
velopmcnt Of this disease. My cases {
last y car differed slightly from the ep
demic OF this year; then they suffere
in the feet first with weakness, lame
ness and pain in the limbs, followed b
a numbness of the toes an9sthesia aC
vancing from the skin of the feet to
certain portion of the limbs, and eve
almost the entire body. They wOul
constantly speak of pain in the ankle
and shoulders and of excessive veal
ness. This season, in nearly all of til
cases l have treated, the disease al
peared first in the arms, and this W.
man with her two neighbOrs is a spec
men of all the others.
After their treatment there came fO
ward a man whose finger was accidel
tally cut off while working in son
machinery a week or more ago, an
who comes in every two days for attel
tiOn. Having dressed his hand as
other times, was surprised by seeiI
him suddenly drop down upon h
knees and touch his head to the foo
then rising he bowed himself out of Il
room. In treating this ever-changiI
crowd with their various diseases Il
time passed rapidly and before 1 cou
scarcely realize it the hour of twel'
, had arrived, our accustomed time
closing the office. Just then it was a
. nOunced that three important persO
! ages were without desiring treatmer
and when they were ushered in 1 50
y they were officers of rank in the arm
1t was pleasant to see their politcnG
I and business-like manners, and thu
p earnestness in pOrtraying the sufierin
! of one of their number from n cOu
which he had had for three years.
: spent some time over his case and no
3, he may come again for future ire
ID ment. Their pleasant faces, keu
= black eyes, smOothly-AOwing speech
Mandarin, and satin clothing,
tended to make contrast to many u
preceded them. Immediately af
dinner I saw the veranda was full
the sick again. They were very e
nest in their pleadings that I should
refuse them as they had come lC
distance from over the river in a b
,, and had just arrived. This, then, '
the boat load that had been m
toned in the morning, so, though
a was after office hours, I threw open