The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-06-14

\ THESIS ON ITS VAUlE AS A
HEALTH FOOD.

+ offer a note On the free use of eggs
as food in selected cases oil acute ana
chronic disease.
Some four years ago, a neurasthenlc
patient in a private room, at the Ro-
chester City Hospital, upbraided me,
after six weeks of treatment by rest.
massage, electricity and, what | then
thought. liberal feeding. affirming that
she was no stronger than when she
first came under my care. Medicinal
tonics only increased her nervous
irritabili;y and depression. | then be-
gan to increase her food up to the
point of tolerance, administering the
same at intervals of two hours, night
and day. After a few days | discard
ed all medicine and succeeded in CIV
ing sixteen raw eggs and four quarts
of mill; every twenty-four hours. Inn
provement was soon apparent with
marked gain in weight; and complete
convalescence followed In eight weeks,
For many years the tolerance OF the
human stomach for food IN certain con-
ditions Of acute and chronic disease,
had been noted by me. The case brief
" outlined, again called attention TO
the subject, and repeated observations
have proven that the stomach and d.
gestlve tract In many cases of illness
can be Systematically trained to re-
ceivo and assimilate a surprisingly
large amount Of liquid food, far ex-
ceeding that which in health would be
tolerated. While it is a matter of COM
mon practice to give milk and broth
freely in many cases not all physi-
clans have prescribed raw eggs for
their patients in the numbers which
have been we'll borne and apparently
conducive 10 recovery. My plea is.
therefore, not for the egg-the value
of which rs food is universally adj
mitted-but for its administration in
selected cases in numbers which may
to some appear fabulous. Philosophers
are not agreed about the doctrine,
"omne vivum eX ovc," and l may add
that it is not yet determined to what
extent life can be sustained by the egg.
Those oft quoted experiments upon the
stomach of Alexis ST. Martin. prove
that the raw egg is one of the most
readily digested articles of diet. 1t ia
almost always at hand, may be had
clean and uncontaminated, and does
not require the sterilization now de-
manded for milk Can you think of
any more concentrated food, or of any
equivalent for the two ounces of nu-
triment of the average egg? Besides
milk and beef Juice. l have frequently
prescribed raw egg an hour-twenty-
four whole eggs a day-ln serious con-
ditions of nervous exhaustion; and
in the progress of pneumonia, diph-
iberia and fevers marked by high tenn
perature and rapid waste This num-
Der is at times we'll borne and has
often lessened the necessity for alco-
holic sdmulants. Eggs may be taken
in various ways. soft boiled shaken
with milk, but most easily. l think,
raw. from tumbler in which they are
freshly dropped from the shell. The
patient is instructed to swallow the
yolk, enveloped in its membrane, and
floating IN its albumen. Passing over
the tongue, the yolk elongates, fits the
pharynX and oesophagus in the act of
swallowing, and the mouth is left clean
and free from any taste. Some moral
force on the part of the patient, nurse
and doctor, may be required to over
come a repugnance to the treatment
referred TO. AS a rule. have had no
difficulty in making my patients amen
able to my will in the matter. He is
the most successful physician, gener-
ally speaking, who wills his patient to
do what he deems necessary in the
serious emergencies of sickness. This
is the mind cure" and the faith
cure" in which | emphatically believe.
With the numerous lengthy clinical
records nm a ipi ictr 10,
of eggs in numbers which may be
thought fabulous. l do not purpose to
weary you. Briefest reference to a
few cases at the present time must
suffice.
Mrs. H.-Nerasthenia, aggravated
case of long standing, took fifteen eggs
and one gallon Of milk daily, for six
weeks.-Recovery.
Mrs. M.-Slmilar case, took twenty
four eggs and a gallon of milk and
chocolate daily for eight weeks.-Re-
covery.
Mrs. B.-Wife of an intelligent ply
sician. Extreme neurasthenia; men
tai depression marked insanity fear
ed; treatment begun at Rochester City
Hospital, 1892. Medicines discard
ed as worse than useless; eggs milk
and chocolate systematically admin
istered by day and night nurse; i'm
provement slow; patient after ten
weeks taken home where the treat
ment was continued Her husband
wrote me In October of her complete
recovery, ard stated that from Sep
tember 3, 1892, TO September 8, 1893,
she had taken 3,00G eggs He felt cer-
tain that they had been an important
factor in the recovery Of a case with a
dark outlook
Miss V.-Advanced consumption,
lS9l.-Hectic fever. Taken from bed
where she had been confined for
months, and placed in a bed in a spe-
cially constructed carriage, the object
being to keep her out of door as many
hours daily as possible. Eggs and
milk We're pushed 10 the point
of tolerance She gradually gain
ed weight and strength, sat I'D
and drove herself and carried her food
in the carriage. She took fifteen eggs
daily for a year-5,i75 in 365 days. Her
treatment has now gone on for over
three years-the eggs lessened in the
past year She coughs constantly. and
has advanced tubercular disease
might be said to be q saturated tuber-