Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-25

The Turkish bath is one of the most
delightful Injuries of civilization. IL
comes as a boon to those who are suf-
fering from some of the ills of life, which
are principally caused by the accumu.
lation of lymph III some of the lymph
spaces or larger Serious cavities. which
the profuse sweating relieves. ANY one
who has not felt the exhiliration. the
buoyancy of spirit, the blood bounding
with its load of health through the
arteries and the general mental and
physical activity that comes in the wake
OF Turkish bath, when it is really
needed by the system, has never tasted
the pleasures of life or enjoyed the SEN
sation of absolute health. These baths
are recommended by physicians every
where, and they are usually beneficial.
but the old saying is frequently verified.
that what is one mans meat is anothers
poison, and the Turkish bath has some
times worked incalculable injury.
Hugh Abernethy, student at the
New York College Of Physicians and
Surgeons, being anxious to carry off the
honors of his class, burned the midnight
VII NV a. AhAAOho lhtt dilO htb up IL highly
nervous condition, which prevented him
from sleeping. Opiates prevailed for n
time in producing artificial sleep, but
the strain upon the system was toe
great to stand, and the drugs had to be
discontinued. Abernethy had to give
up his stadies, but the insomnia re-
manned. The Turkish bath was sug-
gested, and he tried the experiment,
with most disastrous result. The bath
went all right up to the cold plunge
He jumped into the cold water fearless
ly while the body was very warm. The
accustomed reaction did not come, and
as soon as he struck the water he gasped
for breath, raised his head from the
water and swooned He was pulled from
the pool by an attendant and was re-
stored to consciousness by vigorous
treatment.
The symptoms that Immediately fol-
lowed were alarming. The entire body
began to swell, and the skin pulled as
if it had been blown up with air. The
condition was easily explained. The
sudden cooling of the body while the
skin was secreting large amount of
sweat had caused the sweat glands to
close tightly without a corresponding
stoppage of emulation from the vessels,
and the result was a sudden ndema, or
dropsy. Measures were ut once taken
to excite the lymphatics and veins, and
to reduce the inflammation in the capil-
laries, but the deposit of fluid was not
stopped. There was danger of sudden
death from suffocation, as the symptoms
pointed TO the filing up of the lung
spaces. In order to combat this diff
Guilty, missions were made in the abdo-
men and legs in several places, and
small drainage tubes were fixed in posi-
ton to keep down the accumulation OF
water by slow but steady flow.
A remarkable feature of this operation
was that no blood came from the
wounds, except in one place in the right
leg, showing that nearly all of this life
giving liquid had been converted into
water by some peculiar chemical change.
The patient was in very low state. He
was unconscious, with temperature be-
low the normal, and the breathing WIS
confined to the throat entirely. The air
could not be heard passing in and out
of the lungs. The patient had never
given any evidence Of cardiac disease,
and his lungs had always been sound.
After the dropsy appeared there was !,
slight cardiac murmur, such as is found
in cases of fatty heart.
The dropsy finally succumbed to the
measures employed to control 1t and the
body returned slowly to the normal size. (
1t had been swollen almost twice rs
large as in the natural state and the
muscles were soft and fiabby, and pos 1
sessed but little strength. Electricity /
and other means were employed to eX- /
cite muscular activity. During the early /
stage of the disease the patient had been .
removed from his boarding place to st. /
Luke's Hospital, and was looked after I
by DR.. Hart, the consulting surgeon.
When the dropsy disappeared another
phenomenon took its place, which IN Its
nature agreed in many respects with the
disease known rs progressive henia-
trophy This latter malady takes usually
several years to develop, while IN the
present case il only extended over a few
weeks. The muscles of the right arm
and leg wasted awny to nothing, and
sores appeared on them in spots. There
was much in their condition to lead to
the belief that they were slowly rotung,
and that they would have to be ampu-
tated at the shoulder and mp-lolnt
Both the limbs were paralyzed, ana re-
manned for weeks without sensation.
They suddenly became the seat oil the
most excruciating pain, which seemed
to include the entire length: The pa
tient was in such agony that he scream
ed and croaned nearly the whole nme.
Tho cause of the pain remained obscure
for about ten DAYS, and the patient had
found relief in delirium.
A small swelling upon the under SIDE
of the leg disclosed the presence oil a
neuroma. This is fibrous tumor, ana
il had developed in the sheath OF the
sciatic nerve, near the groin. Another
tumor Of the same kind had iofmel ~
a. ,i,s nerve. in the inner side of the
a,-o Tlere Is only one remedy and
that is extirpation, and it is an opera
49, tbot reauires great skill and deli