The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-10
WE BACK YsEUTTE.
(Snrinnfield ITninn.
THE COUNTRY SAFE.
Minneapolis Tribune. \
Doctors and DOCTORS.
Gin Remedy fog Vt. vitus's Dance and
Salt for Cello.
(Hon. Neal Dow.l

"h5OA HAVJ 40 ou ASlLs was iutcI0stcu III
the French Spoliation claims, aud wished to
obtain certain information concerning that
matter. He is a mechanic, working in Port
land, and if he can work as well as he can
talk. he can do particularly good job. We
had long chat together, the talking mostly
on his side. He was quite able and willing
to do the whole of it, and vas particularly
| pleased that lie should do so.
"When / was little boy,' he said, ST had
st. Vitus's Dance badly. could not con-
troll my limbs nor the position of my head
all were often, if not constantly, jerking
about, and had no power to prevent 1t; a
puny, weakly child always jumping about
like jumping jack in box, only went
without string. The family took much
pains to amuse and occupy me, because of
myself was nearly helpless.
One day there was to be raising, and |
was taken in wagon to see the sight, to
amuse me fer half a day. The son of the
man whose raising 1t was asked me If I
wouldn't like some lemonade? He brought
me half glass full, and said Down with it
L tOs III
was gin! and was drunk. Oh, so drunk
thought was dying, and wished I was
dead Soon | was taken with violent fit
OF vomiting, and / thought [ was turning
inside out What | threw up was black,
like that of the black vomit in case Of vel
low fever. When the fit had passed was
no longer drunk, and from that moment
had no more st. Vitus's Dance. So you see
alcohol is good for something, if you can
L. 10 81 % al. - r.
Pve never touched it since.
But the gin didn't change me from being
a weakly, puny little boy. This was in No
va Scotia, where my father moved from
Portland. He took me one day to a famous
doctor, a big fat man, as big and fat as the
Tlchborne claimant that you wrote a story
about the other day. The doctor was sitting
with an attempt to fold bis arms over his
capacions pauncb, but he couldn't do it,
but for all that he kept his arms in that DO
sition, as If thinking was done in that re-
eion. was sitting at his side at some dis
lance. The doctor eyed me closely sideways
for some time, hardly turning his head.
Then taking tobacco from his pocket and
cutting off piece big enough for a s'chaw"
for the nastiest chewer in the land, he
handed it to me and said: Eat that, nv
son, chew it and swallow itP NV father
said, st will kill him. Without noticing
that, the doctor repeated-'cheW it we'll and
swallow it, my son. and I did. It was in
not may offensive, in fact / liked it, and it
did not make me sick in the slightest de-
gree, and began to grow better from that
day, and became stout, strong boy, as am
now strong man. So tobacco has use as
well as alcohol, if we can only fiud out it's
place.
live now in Deering and have done so
for some years, though work in Portland
When l came to Portland from the Prov
inces hadn't dollar in the world; now
Pm well off, but keep on steadily at work,
for I'm far happier so than if should try to
live on my money in idleness. What have
didn't get by drinking and smoking--no, I
didn't do it that way; it was by sobriety and
honest work and steady attention to bust
ness. have brother in the Provinces, but
he's no good. He has all the elements In
him OF an able man, gentleman, but drink
was too much for him. We warned him
and entreated him, but he said, faugh!
what's the harm? I can take it or let it
alone, and SO he has gone to the bad. An
excellent education, a great reader, never
forgetting what he's read, with the faculty
of using his knowledge in the right way at
the right time. A foremost man he would
be but for the drink.
Well, to come back to dectoring. One
day was walking home from work, when
neighbor overlook me in his wagon. sJumn
in he said, sit's as cheap to ride as to wall
Eve just been in town to see DIR. Tewksbury
and get some medicine Tor my little daugh-
ter
'Your daughter sick? What's the matter
with her?'
she has St. Vitus's Dance
Bah! the doctors are no good for that. /
can cure her in a jiffy.'
Can You really, thought
Yes, can, honor bright
Very well; you may try
Got any GIN at home? No. Well let's
turn about and go into town to the agency
aud get some. and we did. Igave the child
half tea cup full, she didn't mind it. In
five minutes, gave her half as much more
and waited. Her eyelids began to shut down,
her head to droop and soon she was drunk.
After while she vomited as 1 had done with
exactly the same results. She was cured.
In two days DIR. Tewksbury called, and saw
the child well. All! said he gleefully, rub
bling his hands. My last medicine was the
thing.
No, said the father, your medicine had no
effect.
Then what has done it?
A shoemaker down the road did it?
A shoemaker? come jump in and go with
me to see him,
The doctor and my neighbor drove up to
the house while was sitting in the open
door.
Halo you shoemaker, come jump into my
chaise and go with me to my office. I want
to talk with you. Arrived there, the doctor
leaned over looking me in the eyes as I told
him all my personal experience with St.
Vituss and what l had done to the little
girl. The doctor said not word for some
O10mnOfg and fhpr NIT nd
great bang on the table he exclaimed.
That knocks all our theory of that disease
to the-we've always thought it nervous
whereas it's arrangement of the stomach.
PVe another st Vitus patient and Pl try it.
As he did successfully.
| was going by Kimbalps carriage cart one
day, he continued, at the corner of Preble
and Cumberland street and saw a crowd
around the door. | stepped up and added
one to the number; Il was man, on the
floor in terrible fit of the collie. DR..
French was standing by and said, know of
nothing more that can do. [ heard the re-
mark and said to the doctor.
Then there's no harm for me to try?
No, if you know of remedy, try it at
once without wasting time.
The mans brother said. SIN Gods name
if you think Of any help don't wait.
Run somebody and get US table spoonful
of salt, tumbler, some water and a spoon
quick! 1t was soon brought. DR.. French
stood by to see what would come of it. I
put the salt into little water, enough to
float it, stirred 1t up briskly for moment,
and said to the man now swallow the whole
of it and he did. We all stood by. In ten
minutes the man got up from the floor as
well as ever, except for the weakness the
result Of the protracted agony, and he said
to DR.. French, how much is your bill?
You owe me nothing my friend, pay this
man, meaning me.
If man has dyspepsia let him take tea
spoonful of table salt in little water. l
have often in that way relieved severe pain