The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-12-06

INDIAN REMEDY FOR FEVER.
Englishmnn In South America IL
Cured ana Made Immune
the Natives.

The world moves fast, but it is pos
bible that some of its most brilliant
discoveries have not gone beyond the
simple practices of uncivilized peoples.
"A Jamaica journalist gives his personal
Experience Of how the Indians of South
America not only cure a patient of the
most dangerous stage Of malarial fever,
but also, by incubation, insure for
many years his immunity from future
attacks. Other travellers have had sim
FLAIR experience, and no less an authori-
ty than Sir Clements Markham has
testified to the efficiency of these In
dian cures. The writer, after long es-
Gaping the terrible fevers of the coun-
try, succumbed at last. lie says:
~ lay in my hammock, ravaged by an
all-consuming fever, with death in
sight. Medical aid, supposing it to be
of any use, was not to be bad within a
fortnight's journey. A few miles from
our camp was an Indian settlement. 1
had had some dealings with and won
the good will of the head man, so I sent
to tell him l wanted the services of a
peiman, or native doctor.
eft was midnight when the messen-
ger returned with my friend, the old
chief, and the tribe medicine man.
BY this time l was past knowing any
thing of my surroundings. My COM
panions told me afterward that l had
already developed all the well-known
symptoms of febrile collapse.
"The peiman tended me, administer
H.. t. ~
roughly devised but effective subcu-
taneous and other injections. Then fol-
lowed the inevitable mummery, when /
was shut up with the peiman, and
enough noise was made to indicate
dozen people inside.
"At about three o'clock in the morn
ing, when the peiman issued forth and
my companions were allowed a sight
of me, l was sleeping naturally, bathed
in profuse perspiration, which was al
ready moistening the outer folds of the
double blanket that enveloped me. At
eight o'clock l awoke and then slept
again for "a hours, the peiman from
time to time administering subcutane-
Gus injections. When l finally awoke
there was not the slightest trace of
fever. In three days 1 was able to be
about and in week l was fit to I'M
dertake long journey"
The most wonderful part Of the story,
however, is the sequel. The peiman,
pleased with the reward given him,
offered to inoculate his patient so as to
FENDER him proof against all kinds of
bush" fevers, no matter how much he
might be exposed to them, for at least
800 moons. If he contract fever 1t
would be of the midest kind
The traveller went to the settlement
and was inoculated. The operation
consisted Of stabbing gently into the
left wrist with bunch of exceeding
ly fine needles plucked from hard
spiny leaf, the needles being first
passed through flame and then dipped
In a black liquid. In a short time all
the well-known symptoms of malarial
fever developed then a peculiarly
nauseous medicine was administered,
and a deep sleep completed the bust
ness. When the patient awoke he felt
perfectly well except for the smarting
of his wrist which had to be bandaged.
For long time after this he trav-
eled in some of the worst swamps of
Central America, undergoing consid-
cradle exposure, including night
spent under the trees after the upset
ting of his boat. OF the four white men
in the boat three had fever and two
died in "a hours; the third returned
20 the United States with health com
pletely broken.
Afterward he spent six years about
the Isthmus of Panama and in that
hotbed of fever, Colon, never expert
enced a days fever Not until ten years
after incubation did touch of fever
come and then no alarming symptoms
were eveloned.-Chambers Journal.
Sweet Sandwiches.
Spread thin slices of buttered bread
with strawberry jam and put together;
or spread lady fingers, or thin layer of
sponge cake, cut in hearts and dia-
monds, with orange marmalade and put
together.-Boston Budget