Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-02-26
RHEUMATISM CURES.
Some of the Queer Remedies That Ar
Brought Into Use.

Som. of the Queer Remedies That Are
Brought Into Use.
OF all diseases to which the hu-
man family is subject there is none
th:.a receives SO much popular at
teiltion az rheumatism. Nor is there
another disease for which so many
"freak" remedies and cures" have
been invented.
All sorts and conditions have con-
tributed to this wonderful assert
ment Of remedies, which contains
indictments derived from animal,
vegetable and mineral sources.
Thousands of infallible ca rene
dies could be enumerated, from the
ring of Paracelsus to modern whale,
bee and ant cures. One of the stand
ard works on medicine contains no
less than $50 drugs, all 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 one time, consists
in the application of circlets of Bills
tering fluid above the affected joint.
Clippings, both dry and wet, have
also had their day. A measure that
might be considered very painful is
the simultaneous injection of pure
carbolic acid. AS a matter of fact,
however, it is painful for IN instant
only, for the acid acts as local
anRsthetic. The efficacy of the rem
edy is rather doubtful.
Bleeding, general and local, mer.
Capitalization, purging, vomiting and
the administration of large doses of
saltpeter have all been employed
with moro Or less effect-generally
less. Ice to the joints was at one
time favorite treatment in Ger
many. Electricity also has its advo-
Gates.
In France quinine was formerly
much in vogue, the drug being
given in doses of Is to 80 grains
three times day. The remedy was
recommended principally for the
acute form of rheumatism.
In 1874 salicine came into general
use. 1t was employed not only on
account of its antirheumatic proper
ties, but for tonic effect as we'll,
This drug is obtained from willow
bark. A year later salicylic acid
was highly commended as rem
edy. The results following the adj
ADMINISTRATION Of this drug were in a
measure satisfactory, but it was no.
ticed that it caused severe and
alarming stomach disturbances;
therefore the remedy was gradually
abandoned.
The alkaline, one of the best and
most popular methods of treatment,
consists of the use of soda or potash
salts, with vegetable acids, such as
citric and tartaric.
One of the strangest of the freak
cures" is that known as the whale
cure. There il a hotel in a town on
tho coast of Australia whose patrons
are almost entirely "rheumatics."
They remain at the hotel until a
whale is caught and landed on tho
beach. Then tile treatment" is ap-
piled. After Bleaching the whale
holes are dug into the body Of the
monster. The holes are made large
enough to admit the body of a pa
tient, who is placed therein and al
lowed to remain for specified time,
according to the severity Of the dis
ease.
In the island of Malta the bee
sting cure is practiced. This cure
was suggested by the discovery that
certain people who had been stung
by bees enjoyed immunity from
rheumatism. A French journal calls
attention to this remedy, and to the
fact that it has been used among
certain Indian tribes, who admit
that the remedy is very painful
one, hut they console the sufferer
with the assurance that "when it
does not kill it sometimes cures. -
New York World.