The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-14
ARSENIC AS A MEDICINE.
ELEANOR KiRK'S LETTER.

7Se Lafayette-ave. Brooklyn, June ~, 1889.
Among the questions just received is the follow
ing from new correspondent: "You inveigh so
strongly against arsenic in face and scalp lotions"
the lady writes, shat ana anxious to know wha {
you think OF it as medicine in the hands Of a
scientific physician"
exceptional cases, as Is also stryehnine, and 1
have no call to criticise the work of scientific
physician" but have seen more mischief result
from the use of arsenic than could tell If wrote
a week. Does it stand to reason that the use OF
such deadly drugs can be salutary9 have case
In In mind now yea, verify ease right under my
cose in point, and will answer my correspond
ents question practically. A stubborn cough,
that rested not by night Or day. the most proflse
ing down of he whole system-certainly condi-
ton alarming In every respect. The best physi-
vlsers. $50 and see my doctor,n they said. Ale
Is specialist In pulmonary troubles, and will
bulld you right up.n So the poor patient dragged
turned with four prescriptions. containing ar
senlc, and one stryehnine besides various other
drugs that would Kill the strongest animal that
Just what knew it would be-the inability of the
stomach to retain food. This cut off the last
made to the rapid decay OF the tissues the outlook
was certainly not cheering. Al last however, the
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, II possible, on good nourishing food Cireum-
stances had made me daily visitor at one of our
finest hospitals for some months, and the contrast
between the treatment of a majority of these pa
tients and the patients If private physicians was
most remarkable. had seen patients brought
from the operating rooms after most serious work.
and in some eases put ON a full diet, without a
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 not forget that in the
most OF these cases no medicine was given. 1t
may have been an Illogical and an unjust INFER
ence, but could not help the thought that these
hoSpia al 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
no medicine, but were just simply aud naturally
nursed ack to health. do, however, sincerely
bellies that my inference is corr ect one. Well as
everything else had been tried. and the PATENT
slble 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 q decided
change IN the condition and appearance Of the pa
tient. Every bad symptom was modified. The
lapse OF course a system reduced TO such ex-
tremties 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-
perlence, and this remarkable experience OF one
months use 10 my own family, that Murdock's
Food VIII build up the tissue, enrich the blood
and strengthen the muscles and nerves. As /
SAID before. in desperate eases, arsenic may be
called for but its use Is altogether toocommon. Men
and women take medicine because they are too
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
drugs will not answer for food, and that the nu-
| tritive supply must be equal 70 the demand.
ELEANOR KIRK.
aus MW&Stf