Los Angeles daily herald., 1885-12-24
grapes as " Nervines >, and the
Grape Cures

The Medical Record has an interesting
article on "The Grape as Food and Medi
cine" 1t states that the grape cure is a
therapeutic means that seems to be very
little known, not only ia the United
States, but among the English-speaking
people generally. The attention OF the
writer having been called to
the subject, he had an opportunity
to prove some OF the results of
the grape cure by personal experience.
Arriving at Cadiz," he continues, "after
a long voyage and the monotonous diet
of sailing ship, and my system being
considerably below par, ! determined to
try for a time diet consisting almost ex
clusively of grapes, which at the time
were plentiful in the sherry region Of Au-
dalusia The result was rapid re-estab-
lishment OF all the bodily functions with a
sense Of well-heing and a feeling Of more
than ordinary strength and agility.
Here. however, arose a difficulty in
distinguishing the results OF the effect
of the grape from the results Of the
regimen, the other dietetic adjuncts
Of the cure and the change OF sur
roundings, But the advocates Of the
grape cure having made satisfactory
Observations on the action Of grapes
independently OF the dietetic and
hygienic adjuncts Of the cure, and
having studied the grapes chemically
as well as clinically, l was prompted
while in San Francisco to resort to the
grape cure for the second time, and un-
der circumstances almost analogous to
these detailed in the first instance. The
result being highly satisfactory,
recommended the cure to several other
persons who were much run down from
overwork and bad de, and / soon
had the satisfaction to see a
rapid gain both in weight aud appe-
tite. The quantity Of grapes that one
may eat with IMMUNITY is something
astonishing. Most persons at the Euro
pean uval stations consume from three
TO six kilos daily. have, however,
greatly exceeded this quantity while
sojourning ON California grape ranch.
Grapes constitute a perfect nutriment
which encloses in remarkable pro-
portions the nitrogenous albuminoid
and respiratory principle indispenss-
Bile to good allmertation and
the grape cure is an essentially
alimentary regimen in which the princi-
Piles OF vegetable nature Predominate
over those OF an animal nature. Doubt
less the knowledge OF the slimentary
properties of grapes derived from the
fact that certain migratory birds fatten
on them, and that the fesh OF young
foxes after a grape diet becomes palata.
Bile, may have had more to do with
the employment OF grapes as a.
me licament than any knowledge
deduced from their chemical study.
According to the analysis of Henry
and Chevallier, striking analo.
gy exists between the juice Of grapes
and womsn's milk. At
certain OF the uval stations in Germany
patients are recommended to drink
two or three glasses OF the freshly ex-
pre- ssed juice; and they are also pro-
vide with baths for persons who want
to plunge into the mash of grapes
while it is in the state Of fermentation.
These baths. much in vogue at some
of the stations, are highly recommended
against rheumatic pains. But it is
in certain neuroses. especially in those
in which there is great psychi al depres.
sion, as hypochondria, melancholia and
hysteria, or in nervous states less cere-
bral than abdominal that the virtues OF
the grape cure are brilliantly demon
strated. The writer quotes a cure in his
own practice where q victim OF the bro
mide habit by the use of grapes was en-
tirely cured.