The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-02-13
SODA FOR COMMON COLDS.
What an Eminent Doctor Says About
in the Medical Record.

|
What an Eminent Doctor Says About
in the Medical Record.
DR.. l.. Duncan Buckley in the NeN
York Medical Record says:
Having very recently again broken Il
what threatened to be a very sever
cold in myself by the method of treat
ment to be described, | wish to presen
the matter briefly to the profession, eve
at the risk of writing on a subject wit
which all are supposed to be familiar.
may add that | have practised this meth
cd for something over two years. bot
professionally among my patients ant
casually in my family and among III,
friends and acquaintance, and am wei
satisfied of its value.
The observation as to the control o
bicarbOnate of soda over a common
cold came to me quite accidentally.
had experienced the general symptoms o
shivering, coryza, sneezing, etc, and eX
pected its full development as usual, as
| had always been, perhaps more than i,
common subject to colds
Happening to have a little stomach
acidity, | took fair dose of bcarbonatt
of soda and water. Half an hour later
as there was still some acidity, l repeated
the dose of soda, which gave the required
relief to the unpleasant stomach symp-
toms. About an hour later | noticed that
l felt less of the symptoms of the cold, -
and the thought occurred that possibly
the repeated dose of soda had something
to do with it.
Recognizing that all individuals are not
equally subject to colds" and also that
the same individual may exhibit strong.
er tendency thereto at one time than al
another, | have long felt that the suscep-
tibility to this affection depends upon
some state or condition of the system
commonly present or occasionally devel.
oped. Observation had also long con.
WINGED me that while it is not persons
with marked equity dathesis, or in an
active equity state, that are mainly sub.
ject to colds these latter are more FIRE.
quently seen in those exhibited minor
forms of acidty, and in those in whom il
has quickly developed from some cause
or other.
1t therefore occurred to me at once that
the slight relief to my cold" had been
indeed from the soda, neutralizing the
acldlty which had developed from the
deranged stomach action. | therefore
took another good amount of the remedy
about an hour from the last dose. and
fnding that the symptoms of "cold'' were
steadily lessening, took still another full
dose, about an hour later las far as | can
remember, for this was two years and
more ago., ana thought no more OF the
cold, as it had passed away.
Some time after, having again a
cold which was troublesome, | remem.
bered my former experience, and took
the soda repeatedly, with the same effect
then used it number of times in mem
bers of my family, always with advan-
tage, and since that time have recon-
mended it to patients and friends with
increasing confidence.
1t is important, l think, that the soda
should be taken just rightly, and a def.
mite plan carried out thoroughly; for |
have never seen any effective results
from a desultOry use of the remedy.
After many trials | have settled down
to the following plan for an adult of me-
dunn size and weight. Twenty to thirty
grains of the bicarbOnate are given in
TWO or three ounces of water every half
hour, for three doses, and fourth dose
at the expiration of an hour from the last
one. Two to four hours are then allowed
to elapse, to see the effect, and the four
doses are repeated if there seems to be
necessity, as is frequently the case. After
waiting two to four hours more. the
same course may be taken again, al
".
treatment has been begun early in the
course of the cold" | have known the
doses to be repeated four times, with
final good result.
AS intimated, the method of treatment
under consideration relates more especi-
ally to the early stage of cold" To
be promptly effective it should be begun
with the earliest indications of coryza
and sncezing, and in my experience has
rarely failed to break it up. even in those
much inclined to the same. After the
second or third day it acts less promptly.
and more frequent repetitions are needed,
but L have seen very good results even
much later in the trouble.
When the influenza has more of the
contagious character. now recognized as
grippe" it is less etficacious, but is still
often of service. In these cases | have
combined phenacetin, five to ten grains
with ten to twenty of soda, and given the
powders, with hot water, every two
hours continuously for day or two. |
have had large number OF very strik.
ing instances of the benefit of this plan
of treatment. both in the past two years
and during this fall and winter: in some
cases the treatment has been begun sew.
eral days after the commencement of the
disease, and in one instance after it had
lasted about four weeks. The latter case
occurred quite recently, and the almost
immediate relief to many distressing
symptoms-headache cough, malaise
etc.-was very striking. The patient
was a remarkably intelligent gentleman,
aged 40, who had been under varied
treatment for the entire time.
-o--
The exposure to all sorts and conditions