The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-21

above. The causes of each are nearly the
same, and the cure does not differ in any
essential particular. They differ from each
other in the character of the discharges
more than in any other particular the dis,
ease of diarrhea being mainly the focal
contents of the bowels, while the passages
of dysentery consists of mucus and serum
the natural contents of the bowels appear
ing in small, hard, separate Jumps, called
scybala. In the acute form this disease is
attended with fever. 1t is one of the pests
of hot climates, where at certain seasons of
the year it is very prevalent and
destructive armies and natives es-
peCially suffer from its ravages.
CAUSES.
Exposure to cold and wet, the use of
food, and the agency of
malaria and contagion are among the most
common causes. The most violent forms
of the disease occur in warm climates and
in situations where the body is exposed to
extreme alienation of cold and heat; and
hence there is every reason to believe these
agencies have something TO do in its pro-
duction. 1t is doubtful whether the use of
unwholesome food or malaral poison
alone would be sufficient to produce dysen-
teryland the general opinion among medical
men is that it is not contagious disease.
SYMPTOMS.
One of the earliest symptoms of dysentery
is an uneasiness of the abdomen, soon
amounting to pain of gripping character in
the region of the naval. There is fire.
quent desire to 60 to stool, and an evacua-
ton affords temporary relief. Unless the
right treatment is begun promptly the de-
sire to evacuate the bowels increases in in
tensity and frequency, and there is less re-
lief experienced by the evacuation. The
discharge is scantv, and consists either en-
tirely of a jelly-like mucus or mucus mixed
with blood, films, membranous shreds and
fragments resembling flesh. Later on each
evacuation produces extreme pain instead
of bringing releaf, and the patient is tor
mented by sensation that there is
something to come away, the expul-
sion of which would cure him,
and is irresistibly impelled to strain
to rid himself of the irritation. If allowed
to run into an advanced stage of the dis
ease the stools become greeHish or black,
and very totid. The bladder frequently by
reflex sympathy with the rectum, becomes
irritable, and a constant desire to void
urine adds to the misery of the patient.
Nausea and vomiting sometimes ensue.
The patient passes sleepless or dreamy and
disturbed nights, and is low-spirited and
Respondent.
If not treated properly the pulse becomes
very small and rapid, the features sharpen,
the surface grows cold and death at length
sets in.
The duration of dysentery is very uncer-
tain. In some cases it proves fatal in few
days, or even hours, and in others it may
last for months Two stages of this disease
are recognized-the intiammatory and the
young children and very old people, and
not a moment is to be lost after the first
symptoms appear.
TREATMENT.
In dysentery we have but another exam
pie of Inflammation of a mucous membrane
for which Pe-ru-na is the only absolute
specific known. In lifetime of the prac-
tice of medicine | have never failed to cure
a single case of dysentery or any other
mucous Inflammation with Pc ru-na. To
better describe the details of my treatment
in this formidable disease 7 will give the
particulars of case or two occurring IN my
regular practice.
The first case / select was during my
early practice in Tippecanoe, Ohio, over
thirty-three years ago: | was called in great
haste to see a very sick patient some four
miles distant OIL the New Carlyle turnpike.
Upon my arrival / was surprised to meet
my old preceptor, the distinguished DR..
Shackelford, who had been called before
me, in consultation with the attending ply
sician. whose name l have forgotten. AS
been held before l was sent for, they had
decided that the case was past all cure. The
patient was prominent n, an who had been
taken a few days before with dysentery,
and in spite of all the treatment that had
been employed, he rapidly faied from
the beginning. The grief-stricken wife
had already been informed of
the opinions of the physicians in
council that her husband was at the point
of death. An old lady, a distant relative of
asked Dr. Shackelford: "You know Dr.
Hartman, don't your ooh, yes" said he,
81 know him very well he was a student
of mne." She went on TO say that she
lived in Tippecanoe, where DR.. Hartman
praticed, and there was raging at the time
a violent epidemic of dysentery,, and,
although other doctors were unable to
manage the disease, DR.. Hartman had not
lost single case. 'Would you have objec-
tons to having DR.. Hartman called in con-
sultation before we give up entirely?'
"None whatever" says DR.. Sbackelford;
'have him sent for Immediately, and we
will wait" AS quick as possible |
was brought to the apparently dying man
1t required only hasty glance at the
punched and livid countenarice and but
touch of the cold brow, upon which was
already gathering drops of cold perspira-
ton, to reveal 10 me the desperate emer
gency of the situation, and while l touched
lightly the clammy wrist to ascertain what
might from the Pickering pulse, in few
well chosen words the doctors gave me a
brief history of the case. My first embar-
rassment in being called in council with my
renowned preceptor had by this time passed
away, and with a confidence which only
repeated experience with this disease could
have given me, / said: mo, the man will
not die; | can cure him." The doctors
were incredulous, but consented cheerfully
to coincide with anything l might do, as
they had already given him up.
| at once put four tablespoonful of Pc
ru-na into a quart of warm water and Or
dered it injected into the bowels, which was
allowed to come away in few minutes,
and in an hour repeated the injection the
same as the first. l also ordered table
spoonful of Pe-ru-na to be taken every two
hours, but no more injections must be given
until the next day. We arranged to meet
the next morning aL the patients home to
see what the effect of this treatment would
be. To the surprise of all but myself, he
was sitting up in bed, taking a little wheat
meal Cruel for breakfast. In weeks time
he was able to be up, and he made per-
feet recovery. He continued to take the
Pe-ru-na for week or more, but it was not
found necessary to repeat the injection.
While practicing in Pittsburg, Pa, q
number Of years ago, gentleman called to