St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-25


kHSNsp,sH1 EASSgsN IN medicine of some kind
FNN ~ M%M m i'll the spring, says the
wv - st. Louis Globe-Dem-
Noooo }" ocrat. In the good old
!bu4ihe Oc,.or times of Our grandpa
theirs. tlc HiaUJer was Simpllfled. for a
liberal bleeding from the arm was sub
Stitue for the nauSeOuS doses otherwise
recommended us good spring medl-
cine" No one seems to know the orr
gin Of this notion, but tits certainly very
ancient. As a matter Of fact, however,
there is no more occasion to take medl-
cine when it is not needed in the spring
than at any of the other three seasons.
1t is hurtful superstition that ought
to be froWned down by every Intelligent
person. whether he be physician or
habit is so firmly established in
a large proportion of the population that
it is hopeless to try to break it up. The
amending pretenses of the patent medl-
cine man and the unf0unded aSSer-
tons OF medicine cranks will long con-
tinue to increase the number Of those
who are fanatical in the habit which
seems us hard to break up as the ap-
petite for whisky or tobacco.
'Spring medicine means some liud
of purgative, or "'blood purifier or
a Oliver invigorator''- last-named
drug being purgative also. Sulphur
is a gentle laxative and has reputation
for being ''blOOd purifier" -deriyed
apparently from the usefulness of sui
phur ointment in the treatment OF the
itch" This is an animal parasite in
habiting the skin, which is killed by an
application Of sulphur mixed with some
kind Of fatty substance. The reasoning
Ito nllNh on
applied externally will cure the itch, it
must be good for all skin diseases when
taken internally, and If there is no
eruption upon the skin it will most
probably prevent any such thing appear
ing. The argument is nonsensical, but
thousands of children and grown people
are annually dOsed with sulphur ito
purify the blood" which it can not do
in any regard.
Sarsaparila, burdOck, yellow dock,
dandel0n root, bittersWeet bark, queen
of the meadow and other native roots
and herbs are made into teas" tine
lures and extracts. and taken faithfully
for the same purpose. Very fortunately
these, together with the sulphur before
mentioned. are mostly inert and harm
less, while they can do no good in the
direction in which they are presumed to
act. II is probable that any benefit
coming from their use is due rather to
the effect of eXpectant attention, with
a hearty faith III the alleged virtues of
the weed or herb used. One bad result
of relying upon such medication is that
if sickness be really present and the
blood need cleansing from the virus of
some "Specific' affection, valuable time
may be lost in trifling with these good
for-nothing pretenderS to properties
they do not possess. Some Of them are
quite bitter, and may act as encouragerS
of appetite and digestion, but otherwise
are worthless.
IAXATIVES AND PURGATIVES.
There are some reasons why laxative
or purgatiVe remedies may sometimes
be OF especial value in the earlier
days of spring. The fruits and vege-
tables of the previous year have greatly
deteri0rated in flavor, and are not eaten
with the same relish as when winter
began. The diet is thus apt to become
more and more restricted to Salted or
otherwise preserved fruits and meats.
These are invariably deficient i'll GER
tain Of the salts and havoringS which
render the fresh articles of the same
kind not only nutritious, but inviting
to the senses of taste aud smell. Every
one knows the fearful effects expert
enced by sailors, prisoners and the
like, who are compelled to SubSiSt upon
diet deficient in fresh vegetables, or
which is too monotOnOuS. 1t appears
that one kind of vegetables alone is
nearly as bad as entire absence of
such materials from the diet. The effect
of such faulty diet is shown by prOfund
muscular weakness, ernptions upon
Cor rather under) the skin, spongy and
bleeding gums, and breaking open of
old wounds and ulcers, which bleed
upon the slightest provocatiOn, and
general depression of all the powers of
life. This condition was well known
terror to tie old navigators. Thus it is
related of the crews of Magellan's ships,
when they were making that unparal-
leled voyage from Cape Horn to the
Spice islands, that 'their gums grew
over their teeth" and eating became
torture. The scorbutic condition just
described is not at all uncommon among
the population of the country districts
in these United States. The majority
of physicians will probably dispute this
proposition and state that they have
never seen a case of Scurvy in all their
experience. Lemon or lime juice with
fresh green vegetables are the true
specifics for the scOrbutic condition, and
the addition of these same elements to
the diet of one recovering from malarial
or typhoid fever will often make an i'm
pr0yement in the condition of the
patient that is little short of miraculous.
Unless this deficiency in the diet is
remedied it is of no use to give drugs,
IaXatives, tonics and blood purifiers.
SPRING FEVERS.
Malarial feverS are apt TO prevail dur
ing the latter part of spring. This gives
them the name of ''vernal fevers,"
sometimes used TO distinguish them
from typhoid, which iSmore frequent in
the last days Of autumn An attack of
malarial fever can sometimes be warded
Off by taking dose of calomel, followed
by one of salts or seidlitz powncrs. This
may have given the hint to the old-fash-
Toned people that a cathartic was good
and useful thing as ''spring medi-
cine" The feeling often called "bil-
iouSncss'' is removed by the same SIM
pie means. This is, in reality, most
usually the first sign of malarial poison
ing OF Of too much food OF an albumin
Gus nature. The popular idea that the
liver is torpid" or not acting at all, is
all nonsense. The trouble. is not uSul-
ally limited to any one part or organ
but is a general one. A laxative
followed by few doses of Quinine OF
other preparation of Peruvian bark is
usually all that is necessary to dispel
the attack of biliousness, to ''stir up the
torpid liver" and prove all that is nee
essary as a ''blood purifier" and good
spring medicine" Unfortunately vast
numbers of people are not satisfied
with this simple mode of treatment, bnt
Insist on calomel or blue mass week
oftnr ,Naal. until tbnit diracfiOn ic do
that requires medical advice. Although
laXatives and tonics are of the greatest
utility in the treatment of biliousness
and malariaI feVers after they have
Once deYnl0nnd il is not at all certain