The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-03
Treatment of Typhoid Fever.

1t is supposed that medicine hat
so far progressed that the fatality
of typhoid was reduced to the level o
ordinary affections, but within a few
months the fever has commanded spe
cial attention by its prevalence in
towns and cities near New York, and
by its mortality. The antiseptic treat
ment that obtained such currency in
the hospitals does not appear to have
shown much efficiency over the old.
style methods. Pepper says, in his
"System of Medicine" that "the treat.
ment must be in large measure sympto-
matte" He adds, it is true, that "vari-
Gus specific treatments have been pro.
posed. but up to the present the results
obtained, when they have been fairly
tested, are not so favorable as to induce
the body of the profession TO adopt
them to the exclusion of all ether meth
ods." Quinine, venesection, and by.
drotherapy he enumerates as the RENE.
dies for which chief claim must be
made. His suggestions and insistence
in matters of hygiene and management
are. however, full of good, hard com.
nonsense.
We have yet to learn of a plan Of
treatment that obtains better results
and in aspeedier way than that of in.
telligent hydropathy. DR.. Lee, of Chi.
cago, seems to have been quite won
over to it. In discussion of the
subject recently he said:
'"rhe disease is developed in the in
testinal canal. There is poison there
which, if it could be removed before it
is absorbed into the blood, life and
even health would be spared. Allow
this poison to remain, and it is drawn
into the circulation, and very soon the
whole body feels the depressing effect
even at this time, if the poisonous
Juices and germs which the bowel
contains can be either neutralized by
suitable remedies, or washed entirely
away by stream of flowing water,
the disease can be checked, the patient
spared, and health restored. Without
waiting for development of the symp.
toms, the very first proposition is to
make the patient surgically clean,
means the free and abundant use OF
water internally and externally. The
bowels must be drenched and cleaused
by copious douche of hot, soapy wa
ter, made to pass into and out of the
lower bowel until the contents are
cleared away and the returning water
comes back as clear as it entered the
relief that follows such ablution is a
delight to the physician and Of great
est comfort to the comfort to the pa.
tient. Fears were formly entertained,
as they yet are by some, that the
running of large volume of water
into the bowels of one i'll with typhoid
might cause rupture; but no harm has
ever been done nor is there any danger,
so this fear may be forever dismissed.
The temperature of the water used fol
cleansing and washing the bowels
should always depend upon the
temperature of the body: if there is
high fever, it is more agreeable and
useful when it is cool, say IS F. but if
the patient is chilly, or has a low
temperature, the water should be at
blood heat, nearly 1908. During the
first week of illness the irrigation OF
the bowels should take place in the
morning, and again in the evening OF
the same day; after this one douche OF
water should be given each day until
convalescence. Bathing of the body
must be performed at regular intervals,
and by such system as may be
convenient and suitable to the indivi-
dual. The internal treatment is
uncomplicated, safe, and useful, the
basis thereof being cold water, and
plenty of it, always, to drink-water is
cooling, refreshing, and assists to
cleanse the economy of the poison
which is cause of the Illness"
Associating with this simple yet thor
ough process careful feeding, the physi-
clan is likely to get his patient out OF
bed earlier than those who adopt "the
symtomatic treatment" which means
the use Of drugs and stimulants.