The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-15
MISCELLANEOUS.
ARSENIC AS A gEOlcIHE.
ELEANOR KiRK,s LETTER.

7S6 Lafayette-ave. Brooklyn, June %, 1889.
Among the questions just received is the follow
ing from new correspondent: "You inveigh so
sht a AGAINST arsenic IN lace and scalp loIons
you tnlnk OF 1t as a medicine In the hands OF
scientific physician"
exceptional cases, as Is also strychnine, and
have no call to criticse the work of a scientific
physician" but have seen more mischief result
from the use of arsenic than could tell If wrote
a week. Does 1t stand to reason that the use OF
such deadly drugs can be salutary? have case
en- and yea w yGc6 IS
cose In point, and will answer my correspond
ents question practically. A stubborn cough,
and alarming expectoration, and general break
ing down OF he whole System-certainly cond-
ton alarming in every respect The best phys-
clans had been tried in vain. But job had his adj
visers. go and see my DOCTOR" they said. He
Is specialist in pulmonary troubles, and will
build you right up" So the poor patient dragged
himself to the last one recommended, and re-
turned with four prescriptions. one containing ar
senic, and one strychnine. besides various other
ever walked on four legs. The first result was
just what knew it would be-the inability OF the
stomach to retain food. This cut of the last
hope. for If the poor, weak body could not be
nourshed, If there could be no slight opposition
made to the rapid decay of the tissues, the outlook
was certainly not cheering. AT last however, the
consumer OF these poisons realized his danger and
threw the deadly stuff away. Now, physicians
had utterly failed to benefit this case, and my ad
vice was to stop every kline OF medicine, and build
up, if possible, on good nourshing food. Circum-
stances had made me daily visitor at one of our
finest hospitals for some months, and the contrast
between the treatment OF majority OF these pa
tients and the patients Ct private physicians was
most remarkable. haa seen patients brought
from the operating rooms after most serious work,
drop of Observation-Disclosures Liquid Food was
administered with common diet three or four
times day. This is an extract of beef, mutton
and fruits, containing blood corpuscles. soluble
albumen, and is perfectly free from drugs miner
ais, acids and salts. Do lot forget that in the
most OF these cases no medicine was given. 1t
ence, but could not help the thought that these
hospital patients must be got rid of TO make room
for others who were waiting, and that as medi-
cine would retard their recovery, they were given
nursed ack to health. do, however, sincerely
bellies that my Inference is correct one. Well as
everything else had been tried. and the tient
was about so far on the down grade as 1t vas pas
sbe for him to go without funeral, l suggested
the hospital treatment May 20, and 1t was adopt
ed with results that were little less than magical.
In less than two weeks there was decided
change IN the condition and appearance of the pa
tient. Every bad symptom was modified. The
gain continued, with now and then slight re-
lapse OF course system reduced TO such ex-
uemities conld not be expected to rally without
an occasional protest-but that was not discour-
aging. When the patient commenced to gain In
weight. then l knew that common sense had
triumphed. Now, knew from my hospital ex-
perience, and this remarkable experience of one
months use IL my , own family that M t
and strengthen the muscles and nerves. As 1
SAID before. in desperate cases, arsenic may be
called for but It's use II altogether tooeommon Mea
lazy or too ignorant to take proper food When
the situation becomes alarming, then the friends
OF the patient lose Their heads and forget that
ELEANOR KIRK.
aus MW&Stf