Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-03-19
FREAK CURES.
Queer Remedies for Rhaumlti5m
Described by a Doctor
Singular Whale Cure" Practised
at a Hotel in Australia.

or all diseases to which the human
family is subject, writes J. F. Whit
myer, NJ. D., in the New York World,
there is none that receives 70 mnch
popular attention as rheumatism. Nor
is there nuy other disease for which so
many "ireak" remedies and ''cares"
have been invented.
All sorts and conditions have con.
tributcd to this wonderful assortment
of remedies which contnins medica.
ments derived from animal, vegetable
and mineral sources.
Thousands OF iufalllble (?l remedies
could be enumerated. From the ring
OF Paracelsus to modern whale, bee
and ant cures. OIe of the standard
works on medicine Mt the present time
contains no less than $50 drugs, oil of
which are said to be useful in the
treatment Of different forms of the
disease.
Some OF the methods Of treatment
are extremely painful and cause in
tense suffering to the patient. The
blistering treatment, which was much
in vogue at Que time, consists in the
application of circlets of blsiering
fluid above the affected joint Cup
ping, both dry AMI wet, have also hnd
their day. A measure that might be
considered very p,inful is the subcu-
taneous mi ction Of pure carbolic acid.
As ma;ter of fact, however, it is
painful for an instant only. for the
acid acts as a local anaostheiic The
efficacy Of the remedy is rather doubt
ful.
Bleeding, general and local, m4rcu-
rialization, purging. vomiting and the
administration of large doses of salt
petre have all beeu employed, with
more or less effect, generally less. Ice
TO the joints was at one timea favorite
treatment in Germany. E &c .icity
also has its advocates.
In France quinine was formerly
much in vogue, the drug being given
in doses of Is to 80 grains three times
a day. Ilc remedy was recommended
principally FOR the acute form of
rheumatism.
In 1874 salicine came into general
use. 1t was employed not only on nc
count of its anti-Fheumatic properties,
but for II tonic effect rs we'll. This
dru, is obtained from willow bark.
year later snlicylic acid was highly com
mended as a remedy. The results fol-
lowing the administration of this drug
were III measure satisfactory, but it
was noticed thu: it caused severe and
alarming stomach disturbances, there
fore the remedy was gradually aband-
oned.
The alkaline. one of the best ana
most popular methods OF treatment,
consists of the use Of sodl or potash
salts, with vegetable acids, such as
citric aud tartaric.
One Of the strangest of tue ''freak
cures" is that known MS the whale
cure. There is hotel in town on
the coast of Australia, whose patrons
are almost entirely "rheumaties. They
remain at the hotel till a whale is
caught and landed on the beach. Then
the treatment" is applied. After
beachlng the whale holes are dug into
tue body of the monster. The holes
are made large enough to admit the
body OF a patient, who is placed there
IN and allowed to remain for u speci-
fed time, according to severity of the
disease.
In the island of Malta the bee sting
cure is practised. THIS cure was sug-
gested by the discovery that certain
people who had been stung by bees
enjoyed immunity from rheumatism.
A French journal calls attention TO
this remedy, also TO the fact that it
4
has been used among certain Indian
tribes, who admit that the remedy is a
very painful one, bnt they console the
sufferer with the assurance that "when
il docs not kill IL snmntin,as nnrns