The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-17
COLDS IRAN THEIR COURSE"
GRIP WAS THEN INFLUENZA AND
PNEUMONIA WAS LUNG FEVER.
How a Grandmother Would Break
Up Fever With Foot Bath, BIaz-
ing Alcohol, "Yarbs," warming
Pan and GumptiOn-NO Doctor for
"a Little Thing Like That.


1.-THE prevailing winter diseases of re-
cent years, said citizen the other day,
are of course identical with those known
forty years ago under different names.
when 1 was boy at home in Vermont
we used to have epidemics of influenza
colds every few years. I have had a
pretty good siege of what is termed grip
this winter, and cannot see that it was
In any way different from one of those
same influenza colds There were the
same pains in the head, back and legs; the
same loss of strength and appetite, with
great mental depression. My grandmoth-
er had her own way of doctoring all the
ills her numerous children and grandchil-
dren were subject to.
call a doctor for a cold? Why the towns
people would seriously contemplate the
appointment of a 'conservator over the
man who spent money on a doctor for
anything short of typhoid fever or a dam
gerous physical injury. And it was well
for the patient that such sentiments pre-
vailed. The old-tme doctor, with his
lance, his leeches, his jalap and calomel
was a serious proposition His first recog-
nized duty, no matter what the ailment
was to bleed the patient, this operation
to be followed by calomel in doses up to
thirty grains. Strong indeed was the pa
tent whose constitution could stand this
treatment. While the doctor got the credit
for mans recovery, nature, which proved
stronger than the power of the drugs, was
wholly ignored in the process
1.-The commonly accepted theory about
colds was that they must run their
course Every well regulated family had
its stock of herbs-yarbs, my grandmoth-
er called thenl-depending in great punches
from hooks in the garnet rafters. The
stock was pepleniShed each summer and
the freshness of the supply thus assured.
For every physical i'll there was a cor
responding panacea in grandmother's at
tic; even cases of mental dereliction have
met their Waterloo, as 1t were, in that
self-same herbarium. An infusion of skull
cap and lady-slipper, cunningly blended
and administered by that dear, wrinkled
old hand, has sent many a fit of the blue
devils. back 70 the. nether~ shades.
Nothing in the line of colds short of
Whooping cough or influenza was consld-
cred worthy of treatment BE careful
and not get your feet wet, grandmother
would say; and keep your chiSt and
throat warm and the cold was supposed
to wear itself out For whooping cough
the remedy was faxseed tea, a muci-
laginous compound popularity supposed to
ease the cough An influenza cold merit
ed the distinction of a course of treat
ment.' The patient was kept indoors and
in severe cases, in bed. Warm drinks,
mostly boneset (thoroughworO tea, were
administered, and the victim was fed enor-
nous quantities of food in season and out
of season. If the cough was tight
sweat was the loosening agency. Extract
of skullcap and lady slipper quoted the
nerves, and a small handful of poppy
leaves added to the brew induced sleep.
1.-The idea of influenza proving fatal was
unheard Of Occasionally an anxious
mother might be heard to say My dart
ers cough don't seem tew loose up But
instances are not wanting in which con-
sumption, that dread scourge of New Eng
land, originated in an influenza cold.
While none will admit more readily than
l the wonderful strides of medical science
Il have three brothers in the profession),
yet I question whether my grandmother's
method of treating not only colds but all
the minor Ills of humanity has ever been
improved upon. Even severe attacks of
pneumonia have yielded to her vigorous
methods-we used to call it lung fever
in those days Pneumonia, under that
name, was unheard of.
Ever have it? Let me tell you of some
thing that happened to me when was
about II years old. II was in the winter
of 56-57. and there was splendid skating
on the river just down the hin, few
rods from my gaandmother's One night
the boys and girls Of the neighborhood got
up a skating party. If it were but last
night could remember it no more vivid
w. I'd had a cold for several days, and
grandmother would not hear of my going.
Better go to bed, sick as you be, instead
of galaVantin' up the river on sich
night as this with passed. O crazy coots,
she said but | knew she fell sorry for me,
dear old soul 1t was a bitter night; the
mercury must have ranged at least 20 de-
arees below zero. The moon was at its
fun and The stars glitteTed like electric
points. l went to bed early hoping to
forget my disappointment in sleep. But l
could hear the shouts Of the youngsters
on the ice, and, by rising on my elbow /
could see the whirling skaters around
big bonfire they had kindled. / was pas
sionateH fond of skating, and the sight
of so much sport right under my very
nose. and I only spectator, was exas-
perating, TO say the least. Presently l
caught sight of curly head and a pair
of red cheeks to which was very partial,
60 sailing by This was the final incen-
live which caused me to swing out of my
chamber window, a few minutes later, by
aid of a friendly tree branch, and join the
skaters. took charge of the rosy cheeks
and curly head and had spiendld fun all
the evening 1t was almost midnight
when some one discovered a 'bend-a-bow.'
Don't know what that is? It's a strip of
ice that viii not bear the dead weight of
a skater, but by acquiring great momen-
tum upon the solid ice, one may shoot
across il In comparative safety. The ice
rocks and bends which gives II the name
of bend-a bow Several of the boys had
made the risky trip when 1 undertook 1t.
7 had barely struck the thin ice when an
other boy kicked a bit Of stick directly in
front Of me. trlpped and plunged through
the ice into twenty feet OF water. There
was. fortunately, but little current and
the boys got me out readily But before
: could get my skates unbuckled my
clothes were frozen stiff, and had TO be
half carried to the house. 1 was shaking
like a victim of ague when the boys put
me down in grandmother's kitchen In
front Of the big fireplace. i was trying to