The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-28
TO Cure Tropical Fevers.


of Halifax, n. S.. has announced that
he has discovered new method for
the cure of fe1ers. Under the system
the patient will take no medicine in
ternally, as the doctor asserts that the
tendency Of drugs is to cause the fever
germs to lie dormant. The patient is
constantly supplied with new and
purified clothing, and everything is
done to free the environment from
fever germs. The remedy is solely
applied by absorption through the
| pores Of the skin, and thence into the
blood. In extreme cases the antidote
is placed in solution of hot water
and applied directly to the body. The
hot water opens the pores Of the skin.
In fever of milder form the antidote is
administered through the pores in dry
powders.
DR.. William D. Bell, of No. 100
West 83d street, who was surgeon for
the list regiment in Cuba. said to a
Tribune reporter:
DR.. Bennett method cannot be
said to be discovery, but rather an
application Of old principles. In an
active campaign his method could not
be used at all. 1t calls for larger
facilities than are provided in the
army. It might, however, be possible
to demonstrate its efficiency in hospi-
tai.
When 1 was in Cuba I often saw
natives cure themselves Of fever by
placing "a layer Of mutton tallow on
their stomachs and then wrapping
themselves in hot blankets, so as to
cause warm perspiration.
Our soldiers in Cuba suffered from
many different kinds Of fever-inter-
mittent, malarial aud pertinacious
fevers. There was also famine or re-
lapsing fever, that was the result Of
bad water or food and unsanitary sur.
roundings. Besides these, the men
suffered from dengue, or breakbone
fever. Chagres, kind Of fever, often
| attacks lmen who were once in Cuba.
The physicians Of the army pre-
scribed various remedies for the fever
stricken soldiers, but all were to be
taken internally. Quinine was used
in large quantities. Among other
remedies were Marbury's tincture,
cinnabar cedrene, aretanelid, Fowler's
solution of arsenic, corrosive subli-
| mate combined with salicia and Alonzo
Clark's powder Of pepper, opium and
quinine. Methylene blue was also
prescribed, and is an excellent drug.
In the list regiment 109 men died,
and only Is were killed by bullets, so
that any cure for fever will be bless
ing to the regiments that have to fight
in the tropics.
DR.. A.. Monae Lesser, Of Is East
6lst street, who was the surgeon gen.
eral Of the Red Cross Society in Cuba,
was told Of DR.. Benefits method of
curing fever by absorption. Among
other things DR.. Lesser said:
1t would be impossible in the pres
ent day Of medicine to deny method
Of treatment or its efficacy, when it is
known how little medicine is fire.
quently required for the cure Of dis
ease. In fact there are very few men
Of advanced science who to-day treat
disease or fever because Of its
name or even its character, but most
of them attend to certain conditions
arising in the disease and which, if
not cared for, might destroy life.
Without complication every person
might recover from disease, even if
no medicine and only p.oper clothing,
proper surroundings and perfect clean
illness are given.
There is no question that some
drugs or medicine can be absorbed
through the skin. Whether the skin
is an absorbent organ and can perform
such functions in disease is a question
much argued. However, it ha. been
found that inunctions to the skin have
been found in the excretions. The
absorption Of water by so.called osmo-
sis, even through the skin, has fre-
quently been demonstrated, and in
many instances found to be very benc-
fetal.
I have known Of instances in which
life was sustained for days and weeks
in patients who absolutely refused to
partake of anything but water.
There is no question that the hygi
enic precautions advocated in DR..
Benefits treatment must be benef-