Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-09-02
A NEW THEORY.

The Views and Experiences of a Man
Who Has Wrestled With the Dreaded
Disease of Cholera.
prof. Mezzeroff in the New York Tribune1
There is no disease of which the peo-
pie of all nations ares much afraid as
Of cholera, the reason being that it
makes so quick work with its victims,
and IS believed to be so infectious or
contagious that anyone coming in
contact with, or proximity to cholera
patients, IS liable to be at once in
fected. Nothing could be further from
the truth than that persons are af-
fected by germs emanating from cholera
vicinities. For If true, no one could
escape, as these germs would have a.
continually enlarglng circle till none
would be left. IpOinted out inmy last
that cholera poison is not a germ,
either animal or vegetable, but a
poisonous gas which emanates from
the earth before, during and after vol
canoes and earthquakes, and during
the decomposition Of large masses Of
animalmatter. My proofs aTebeyond
any question of doubt to anyone who
has investigated the history of the
pestilence.
[ shall give my own experience of the
disease as it acted on me for twenty
four hours. The first Indication had
was heavy weight or oppression in
the region of the stomach. There was
a feeling as II air did not get to the
bottom Of the lungs, and [ had to
take long inspirations as if the heart
and lungs were oppressed by something
I could set aside by the strongest
breathing Ii a short time, say half
an hour, saliva flowed freely from the
mouth, after which, in about twenty
minutes, the stomach felt as if it was
rotating. This continued for about an
hour, when vomiting began, and after
the stomach. emptied the vomit-
ing still continued, and cramps of the
stomach and the bowels began, fol-
lowed by an agonizing diarrhua, i'm
mediately followed by cramps in the
arms and lower limbs as we'll as in the
stomach and intestines. At last Twas
unable to speak on account of cramp
OF the muscles of the face, but there
was no change in my mental faculties;
they remained clear through all my
suffering. made desperate efforts to
speak, but failed; also to move my
hands, but failed. 1t appeared that
my neck, brain, lungs and heart all
were free from cramps, and to this,
and another thing | willmention, l as
cribe my recovery, with the aid OF
medicine.
While the vomiting and diarrhea
were going on, and my whole body
and limbs were convulsed with cramps,
I thought that if I could speak but
once | would surely recover. [ knew
of one way to set aside ordinary
cramps, and that was to hold my
breath to the verge of sWOOning.
set about it at once, and [ think /
held my breath for at least a minute,
during which, | was told-an1 [ felt
like it-that the eyes were bursting
from their sockets al all present
thought it was the death struggle.
But during the time I held my breath
there was no vomiting nor pain, and
the moment [ drew the first breath
the entire system had relaxed and the
cramps had gone from the face and
arms and was able to speak. In a
few moments [ called for a, glass OF
brandy and two drains of chloroform
mixed with sugar and water. And /
called another nurse to get one pound
OF mustard and one pound Of -four,
which | ordered mixed with warm wa
ter, into which was put one ounce OF
tincture of capsicum (which is red
pepper) and one dram Of oil of CHINA
mon. This was quickly attended to
as I was a physician and the nurses
were obliged to obey. l had this
spread on thin muslin that had been
dipped in warm water. This was put
over the entire abdomen, and in a
short time it was burning me beyond
description. After this was done two
attendants rubbed my limbs with
chloroform and reaction set in In a
few minutes.
Fifteen minutes after / took the
chloroform and brandy, which, to my
great Joy and surprise, remained on
the stomach, took one ounce of sui
phate Of magnesia, two drains OF chic
rate OF potash, one dram OF bi-carbOn-
ate Of soda mixed In water. [ had a
terribletight to retain this, which did
for twenty minutes, when some OF it
was rejected. In the meantime the
mustard was burning so it had to be
removed, but every cramp had gone
except in the feet. In one hour after
the first draught took one dram of
the chlorate of potash and half a
dram of bi-carbonate of soda, and
kept this up every two hours for two
days, with the result that was up on
the second day, and on the third re-
ported for duty all right. This treat
ment was entirely my own theory, all
but the capsicum which | saw freely