The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-07-26
CHOLERA INFANTUM.
What a Distinguished Physician
Has to Say About 1t.
The Withholding of Cooling
Drinks a Prolific Cause IN
the Production of the
Deadly Scourge.

DR.. H. T. Hendrix, popular physician
of st. Louis, in paper read before the
ST. Louis Medical society on cholera
ipfantum, had this to say, and 1t 10 worthy
of attention, as it bears the impress OF
common sense if not of medical science
After reviewing the treatment IN vogue
wears ago, he asks "What is to be done!''
in case of the disease, and says:
Now, without further preliminaries, Will
refer TO a case treated by me in 1880 by
way of illustrating my position. Eddie
E., IS months old, was brought to my
Office on one of the very warmest days OF
July, who had, as the mother stated, ex
perienced the first watery discharge about
one hour before. But even at that early
moment of the attack the symptoms
we're alarming-breathin rapid, skin
cold, discharges frequent, watery and pro
fuse, the mouth and tongue dry, eyes lar
italy closed, showing the white commune
tiya between the lids. The system was
relaxed to such degree that if the arm
was elevated and released it would drop
as though the child was under the intu-
erce of an anasthetIc.
NATURES CRAVING.
began, as is my custom in those cases
to prepare glass of ice water, and, at
the click of the spoon on the glass and
sound of the ice as it was stirred, the
child's failing faculties were aroused, and
l shall never forget the gaze fastened
upon that glass. Nature with al
its intensity seemed to concentrate its
forces in that overweenlng demand for
water. The glass was presented to its
lips and clasped tightly by its feeble
hands, and had to be forced from its
grasp even after it had been drained to
the last drop. The astonished mother
believing, as most of the laity do, that
water is poison, said: Doctor, you will
kill my baby" and when, after about five
minutes, the child vomited, her convic-
tions we're confirmed that this would soon
be another case where the doctor killed
the patient. After the vomiting ceased
the child was as anxious for drink as
before, and prepared another glass az l
had the first. The mother became almost
violent in her objections, and started to
lerve the Office, but l finally prevailed
upon her to allow me to have my way in
the matter, and, as l offered to assume
all responsibility if my directions were
strictly adhered to, she became resigned.
l then presented second glass. 1t
was imbibed as greedily as the first had
been, which in its turn was also brought
up. A third and fourth shared the same
fate. Nothing daunted, however, 1 gave
orders to have the treatment continued
until thirst should be appeased. In the
meantime fifteen grains of subnitrate Of
bismuth were ordered to be given every
two hours, and small portion of BIZ
carbonate of soda in the water, as follows
Bis. sub. nit, grains, $50, divided into
twelve powders, one to be given every two
hours, and soda bicarb., two drains, auC
divided into twenty-four powders. "Pu
one in a six -ounc bottle of hydrant water
keep it on the ice, and give the child tC
drink until thirst is appeased, and subse
quently during the heated term"
The case above described came to my
Office about O'Clock p. m. and received
the first treatment at that time; drank
four glasses of ice water within half ar
hour, and the directions given as above
Four hours thereafter visited the patient
to find it peacefully sleeping. The mother
stated that at about O'Clock the chile
had refused to drink, after having swal
lowed, by actual measurement, one gallor
and half of water THAT is, between the
hours of 4:3O and 8 o'clock. My morn
ing visit next day found the patien
standing on the floor by chair, looking
bright and cheerful.
ic Ena f
strictly to the discussion of cholera in
fantum, excluding all other forms o.
diarrhoea.
BLESSED WATER.
Now, the question arises: Is thi!
rational treatment? My answer is il
the affirmative, and will prove my posi-.
ton by asserting that all the causes (savt
heat of the weather) are present and il
operation during the late fa-l, winter anG
early spring months, and yet you never
hear of a case of cholera infantum. We
may have the cutting of teeth, bad venti
lation, bad sewage, swill milk, unwhole-
some food-in fact, all the causes com
bined do not produce single
case of cholera infantnm. 1t occurs
only during the hot months of summer
and it would seem that the mortality from
this disease is in direct ratio to the inten.
sity of the heat, and we all know that with
the approach of hot weather comes the
desire for cooling drinks, and we often
find ourselves at the cooler supplying the
increased demand for cold water incident
to the increased evaporation from the
surface. Now, let US inquire, are the
children thus supplied? Do they also
have free access to the cooler as the de-
mand arises for drink? No, the mothers
think their little stomachs are too tender
to stand so potent a beverage as iced
water, as evidenced by their answers when
accused of having given their children
cold water. "No," they will say, "the little
thing was so thirsty gave it little hy.
drant water on my finger" Now, claim
that the withholding of
COOLING DRINKS,
when the system demands them, ia the
most prolific cause in the production of
cholera lnfantum, and that the alimentary
canal is the first to suffer. Diarrhna
supervenes, and the tissues and the blood
become depleted, giving up its water of
composition, which is poured out in this
colorless fluid so much spoken of by the
writer's; hence the thirst, hence the sinking,
hence the blue skin, hence the collapse,
hence the death-unless the system is re-
to the extent of giving back the
wasted fluids, which can only be done by
giving plentlfully of water. So far from
feeling discouraged if the child vomits
the first few glasses given it should feel
disanDOintad 10 - J;l - ,-