The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-16
FhysIcians Are laoretulous.

All who were seen admitted the value
al this time Of "A preventive. or cure
for malarial and other feVers whlch ar
feet our troops In the tropics, but tney
were dncredulous when shown DR.. Ben-
nett's statement that an army can race
"A campaign without risk. II each SOL
der were provided with powder
which he could carry on his person ana
apply without the aid of physician.
DR. Wicks Washburn of No. II East
Twenty first streeti who was IN charge
of a division hospital at Montauk Point
last summer. said: DIR. Bennett is
wrong. or else he has been wrongly
quoted. when he says that the majority
OF fever patients die from the treat
ment given them by regular practfion-
ers. III he is talking of malarial fever
the loss is very small. and with yellow
fever Il Is much less than majority or
cases He says we envelop the patient
with the discs se by committing him to
bed and wrapping him up i'm clothing.
which is soon saturated with fever
germs 1t is true we put patients in
bed but IL is easier to change thelr
bed clothing than that which they
would wear if they were more fully
dressed
"As for the absorption OF the anti
dote through the skin, ! can not see
that any advantage is gained thereby.
If the medicine is TO reach the blood II
can Irake no difference whath route IL
follows to get there unless the remedy
is something that would be affected by
the gastric juices. and DR.. Bennett does
not suggest that the process OF diges-
tion would change the medicine. Ihe
pores of the skin absorbs very sparing-
IN. while a medicine taken internally
Is quickly absorbed. Ho1 water would
not improve the absorption of. the skin.
though warm water might aid 10 some
extent but 10 apply remedy IN soiu-
tion i'm water to the skin. as DR.. Ben
nett suggests for extreme cases, woulo
he a very slow process indeed II We
desire 10 have a certain meciclne an
sorbed through the pores we aoply IL
as an unction in an oleeginous form.
.'Dr Pennetts ideas of changing the
clothing frequently and of changing a
patiant from one bed 10 another are
good but they are not new. All ply
sicians insist upon cleanliness.
rr. lesser ScepIoal.
DR.. A. Monae Lesser. chief surgeon
of the Red Cross who had charge of
the society's work at Santiago during
the war with Spain, said:
1T would be impossible to deny the
efficacy of any method of treatment
when u is known how little medicine
is frequently required for the cure OF
disease. Without complication, eNeN
person might recover from disease
even II no medicine. and only proper
clothing, proper surroundings and per-
feet cleanliness are given.
There is no question that some drugs
or medicine can be absorbed through
the skin. Whether the skin is an abb
sorbent organ and can perform such
function during disease is question
much argued. The ABSORPTION of water
by so-called osmos s, even through the
skin. has frequently been demonstrated,
and i'm many instances been found to
be very beneficial. | have known Of
instances I'm WHICH life was sustained
for days and weeks i'm patients who
absolutely refused TO partake OF any
thing except water.
I'm regard TO the prevention of dis
ease by applying powder to the body.
many travellers in the West Indies
carry bag OF camphor close to their
skin, and although at one time | con-
sidered this prophylactic matter OF
superstition. | have evidence of the
efficacy of its proper application against
the Infection of malaral fever.
unfortunately, It is not the germ
alone which induces the disease. \
remedy or method which will unite
with and carry from the body the ma
larial from which tho germ may sup
port itself must naturally effect an ear
lier cure. Whether tbs material is alb
sorbed through mucous membrane or
the skin is entirely immaterial, but II
cannot be denied that absorption from
mucous membrane and proper channels
would give results much more rapidly
than the absorption through the skin,
unless for local purposes only.
~ can sec nothing new In the method
advocated. Before going to the front
had twenty-three persons ask me to
introduce their methods of external ap-
plication in fevers. but had To refuse
them from the fact that nothing should
be tried i'm war which had not given
satisfactory evidence 90 its utility I'm
time OF peace
- 'turc all 20 nv mind. Sc yet does
not seem "a /. .uuai. and should be very
unwilling from what 7 have road ~ DR.
If.uuaff'a traaturafl Ia IsIN l.gu eut IA