The Portland daily press., 1898-12-30

Eyes and Ciayvs-Bleeding Fad.
Dr. Robert Reyburn, professor OF physi
ology and hygiene in the medical oepart-
ment of the Howard university IN WASH
ington, has collected an interesting array
of facts that show the pleasant ana sclen-
tific manner of treating the diseases OF
children that obtained about SUo years
ago. The paper was read before joint
meeting of the Medical and Anthropo-
logical societies in Washington, and was
received with much attention.
The first authority quoted by him was
Dr. Thomas Willis, an eminent physician
of England He was born in 1921 and
died in 1874 He wrote concerning the
treatment of epilepsy:
"a Man in this Neighborhood had all
his Children dead of Commissions within
three months after they were born. At
length, to prevent the same Fate in Son
of his thatwas new born, he thought prop
er to try the Power of Medicine. / was
called TO him a few days after the Birth
and ordered an Issue in the first Place to
be made in his Neck, and that two Ounces
of Blood should be drawn next Day at the
Neck by the Application of Leeches. ad-
vised besides that for three Days before
each Change Of the Moon, and again be-
fore the Full, about five Grains Of the fol-
lowing Powder should be given him
Morning and Evening in Spoonful OF
the Julap:
"Take prepared Human Skull, the Root
of Male Peony, of each one Drachm
Pearls in Powder, half a Drachm. Mix
them all together and make a very fine
Powder
"Take of Black Cherry Water three
Ounces The Antepileptick Water of Ian.
gins, an Ounce Syrup of the Flowers of
Male Peony, six Drachms.
AZ likewise ordered the Nurse to take
Draught of Whey, in which the Roots and
Seeds of Male Peony, and the Leaves Of
Lilly of the Valley had been boiled, twice
every Day at the same Hours.
s'The Child continued well about two
Months and then began to be troubled
with Convulsive Disorders; upon which
Account the same Medicines were again re-
peated in large Doses, both to the Child
and Nurse Blisters were applied behind
the Ears, and be was again bleeded at the
Jugulars with Leeches. By these Means
he got well again within two or three
Days After he was seven Years old, the
Commissions entirely left him, but about
the lower part of the Back Bone, an in
dolent Tumor arose. This Tumor occa-
stoned a Distortion Of the Vertebre, which
was succeeded by a Weakness of the
Limbs, and at length a Palsy.
DR.. Walter Harris physician in ordi-
nary to King William Ill of England
(born in England in 1861 and died in
1880, says:
"a girl IL years old of a sanguine con-
stitution and troubled with very long and
violent EpiIeptic Paroxysms, desired my
advice the Eighteenth of December, 1701
For six months she had suffered two
severe Paroxysms each day. The Paroxysm
was in this manner: She fell first down
as if dead upon the floor or bed; whence
this disease is called the Falling Sickness,
and after remaining motionless for lit
tie while she tossed her limbs here and
there with great force and violence, at
tempting to beat herself with her hands
She frequently Bonded her head down
ward with strong Commissions, and flung
it backward with such force, as if she de-
signed to dash the hind part of her Skull
to pieces. -
After giving this vivid and accurate
picture of epilepsy be says: II prescribed
for her the following powders: Take of
prepared Earth Worms One Ounce. HUI
man Skull prepared Two Scruples (fortv
grains) Mix them and divide into twelve
powders, one to be taken twice day in a
spoonful of Cephalic Julap."
DR.. Richard Wiseman lived about 200
years ago, and was the physician to King
Charles II of England, and from his trea-
tise ON the kings evil, or scrofula, the
following paragraph is taken. After pre-
scribing various remedies he says:
"But where that does not agree we pre-
scribe distilled milk of which this sort
may serve as an example. Take of best
sarsaparilla one pound, Shavings of Harris
horn six ounces Leaves of Agrimony and
of both kinds of Fluelline, of each three
handfuls White and Red Saunders, Of
each two drachms English Liquorice a
pound Garden Snails one hundred
Earth Worms one pound New Cows
Milk two gallons.
'fDistill them according 60 art and to
three pounds or pints of the distilled liquor
add two ounces of prepared Crabs Eyes.
Let him take of this to the quantity Of
four ounces at time adding to each dose
some quantity 0. Cinnamon Water.
DR.. Harris treatment Of fever was:
ITO a child of a year old laboring under
a lever Or JOfII0HG6u Win SElp6S l. COLI
monty prescribe in the following manner:
Take Compound Powder of Crabs Claws,
Prepared Pearls, of each one drachm $50
grains). Mix them and make a powder to
be divided into six equal parts. The child
must take one of these Immediately and
let 1t be repeated (if the case require two
hours thereafter, and then every fourth
hour)."
DR.. Burton, who was contemporary
with DR. Harris, wrote an interesting
monograph on chin cough, or whooping
cough, as it is called in our day He says:
when am called, if the child be in
danger of being conyulsed, in the first
place, in order to gain time, let some
blood, viii would not otherwise do
because it is contrary to the second indi-
cation, and those children who were bled
or much purged were always longer in re-
covering than those who had not been
bled at all
81 ordered Scruple, go grainsl of Con-
tharides Spanish fiies) and as much Cam
phire (camphor) we'll rubbed together, to
be mixed with three drachlns OF Extract
of Bark $50 grains) of which composition
l gave the Children eight or nine grains
every third or fourth hour in a spoonful