The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-30
A rAuc1rY OF AILMENTS,

his.
A PArC1TY OF AILMENTS.
Alas. Our repertoire of illnesses was linz
ited, indeed, compared with today. There
was a paucity of available diseases. a man
could not possibly have cerebro spinal men,
ingitis; it was not to be had. If he had q
pain in his chest no one soothed his anguish
by telling him he had pneumonia The word
pleurisy was remorselessly flung at him.
Diphtheria was uncomatable; putrid sore
throat filled that vacuum i'll the list. If q
man was wheezy and had trouble with his
breathing tho rugged word phthisic was
nailed to him; no one dreamed of bronchitis
BrightS disease had not been invented i'll our
region, and peoples hearts never troubled
them save when in love. Hence old time
people, when they came to die, had a con-
tracted list of ailments from which to choose,
and they died as they lived, plain and unlo-
mantle.
When the amateur doctors of the commu-
nifty desired assistance then the village doc
tor was called in, and he confined himself to
two remedies-calomel and jalap-adminis
tered by the shovelful. There must have
been fall in the price of these drugs when
the last of these doctors died. If n man
sprained his ankle, was bitten by mad dog
or had sick headache he was told to take
calomel or jalap; if he refused and died, it
served him right. If he took them and died,
it was evidence that no human power could
save him. Castor oil and paregoric some
times appeared, but they were dwarfs COM
pared to calomel and jalap. The only rem
edes feared were the private remedies of the
people The moment an old woman thought
she could make a valuable medicine out of
some herb or herbs, she burned to administer
it to some suffering neighbor.
The good Samaritan, Mrs Perkins, often
walked miles to urge the use of snake root
tea in the measles to bring the disease rapidly
to the surface. An old negro, Aunt Kitty,
made salve for sores that was very famous.
Its principal constituent was ducks fat, but
the fowl must be killed at a certain phase Of
the moon and the fat melted over fire
kindlcd with certain sorts of wood. AS this
salve was said to work miraculous cures, it
may be loss to humanity that tho astro-
nomical and botanical secrets of it's manu-
facture were not perpetuated
SWEATING OUT DISEASE.
There was multiplicity of remedies for
colds, and they generally were based on
sweating out the disease. Boneset tea, tea of
wild cherry bark, onions stewed with sugar,
and vinegar and molasses all had their warm
advocates, but highly esteemed remedy
was Thomsonian mixture bearing the rather
indefinite name of "Cumposition." There
was nothing underlined about its taste or
effect, however. 1t was of an ardent, I'M
pulsive nature. 1t burned the tongue when
first tasted, then it charred the windpipe ana
liver us it went down, and finished by par
boiling the soles of the feet. Its forte was
causing a sweating, and it did its duty to the
letter 1t brought the cold out, and it
brought the original sin out, and the hearts
secrets out. Nothing that could be moved
rested beneath the cuticule after q compost
ton seance.
One old idea of the doctors has greatly
changed-the objection TO their patients
drinking water. No matter how much the
invalid craved it he was told that even
moderate indulgence would be fatal and the
attendants were solemnly warned to turn
deaf ear to his entreaties. AT the tender age
of ten years | aimed the first blow at the
anti water regime, and it happened in this
manner: was visiting on u plantation AID
the planters father, q man of advanced
years, was at deaths door, owing to n pro-
tracred case of dysentery. Day by day the
old man drew nearer to the grave, and the
family awaited the coming of the destroyer
with sad hearts The one desire of the dying
man was draught of cold water from one of
the sparkling springs which abounded on the
farm. No traveller sand blinded and thirst
stricken in the arid desert, could have cried
more piteously or more unavaiingly, for the
doctor had declared draught Of water fatal
to the sick man, and had sternly commanded
the family to refuse his requests.
One morning l was in his room, for be dearly
loved children, and he begged me to stealth
lily fetch him pitcher Of water from the
spring. 1 hesitated, for while no one had
forbidden me to give him water, knew the
family refused it to him. Then the old man
asked me to bring him his watch from off
the table. did so, and he told me should
haveit if would bring him n pitcher of
water. The watch was Of silver, as large as
small saucer, and longed to possess such
treasure. brought the water. At times
try to think humanity made me bring it,
but then l think of the watch and doubt
The old man swallowed the pitchers con-
tents at draught and died-ten years after,
of old age, and Ihave the watch yet.-"J c.
p" in Philadelphia Times