The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-17
only comment upon my drenched cOndi-

ton.
Next morning 1 had a raging fever and
a tghtness in my side and chest that
made il very difficult and painful to
breathe. Very gently, but with tightly
compressed lips, my grandmother set
about to break up the fever. l recall
every detail. Clad only in a loose dress
ing gown was placed in a splint-seat
chair with my feet in tub of hot water,
continually replenished from a boiling ket-
tie on the crane. Beneath my chair was
placed a saucer half filled with alcohol
with a bit of rag In it. The rag was
ignited and the blue flame. almost touch
ing the chair seat, very unpeasantly sug-
Sested certain othodoX sentiment of
those days. Around me, envelopng chair,
tub, blazing spirits and all, was wrapped
heavy wooden blanket, which was close
ly tucked under my chin. Talk of sweat
boxes, hot vapor baths and the like, but
as compared with my grandmothers fever
breaker they are as the gentle dew to
the July thunderstorm Within five min
utes the perspiration literally poured
from my face and l begged for quarter.
But With grim determination grandmother
Kept on repenishing the hot-water tub.
AT last, the sweating process having
reached stage satisfactory to her views,
she entered upon the internal treatment
hoarhound, Solomon's seal and boneset,
she poured a pint of boiling water, cover
ing the same with a saucer and put il
by the fire to steep Meantime she had
put pair of thick flannel blankets upon
her own bed in the corner of the big
south room Then she filled a warming
pan with Goals.
Never saw warming pan, Ell? I'm
agine big brass chatting dish, with five
aaAf Of Mo-,
This was introduced to the bed and moved
quickly around until the clothing was
smoking hot. The YARDS now having
STEPPED sufficiently. the liquor was strain
ed Off and so hot that il puckered my lips.
l was compelled to swallow IT, despite
my protests. l was now like a squeezed
out sponge, and as weak as the proverblal
sucking dove Wrapping the great quilt
around me- one of my uncles picked me
up bodily and deposited me into grand
mothers bed, an old-time swan's-down
bed. They have long ago given place to
hygienic ideas, but they were mighty
comforting to ones aching bones all the
same. Tucked up in the hot wooden, a
cupful of poppy tea completed my grand
mothers part of the ever-breaking'
treatment Oh, the delicious sense of rest
and comfort that followed. The homely
old south room seemed a bower of beau
~, and my grandmother as she tiDtoed
softly in and out, giving def touches to
the pillows or tucking in refractory
sheet, seemed an enchanted fairy with a
magic wand. And then oblivion After
an unbroken sleep of. ten hours / awak-
cned free from any pain the fever gone
and possessed of a desire to eat
This was the way they broke fever
forty-four years ago, ! doubt ii. with all
the modern appliances and medical lore
of these latter days, doctor can accom-
plish more than my grandmother did with
her homely YARDS and warming pan.
Grandmother was no exception to the
average New England housewife of those
days. 1t would have been a most dis
graceful thing 10 charge that an adult
woman was ignorant of the province of
YARDS. The good housewife would as soon
think of not laying in provisions for win
ter as to neglect the annual gathering of
herbs. Some of these were powerful poi
sons and required TO be used with great
discretion. Lobelia,' deadly night share
COelladonna), stink-weed (stramonium),
though active remedial agents. required
to be administered with great caution /
once asked grandmother how she knew
how much to give for dose. Why, child
she replied L jest use my gumption' /
think it was this quality which governed
her entire materia medica. Sometimes, in
cases which failed to yield readily to
treatment, there would be called in for
consultation Aunt Lois or Aunt Nabby
or other local wseacre, in the belief that
in a multitude of counsellors there is safe
ty.' After ALL ! think her gentle. kindly
nursing was the secret of grandmother's
success"