The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-19
INDIAN REMEDY FOR FEVER.
Englishman In South America Made
ts4 tt Immune. lsH

s.s Immune. a
From Chambers Journal
The world moves fast, but it is pos
sible that some of it's most brilliant dis
coveries have not gone beyond the Sim
Pile 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 1nalarial fe-
ver but also. by incubation, insure. for
many years his immunity from future
attacks. Other travellers have had
similar experience, and no less an au-
thority than Sir Clements Markham
has testified to the efficiency of these
Indian cures. The writer, after long
escaping the terrible fevers of the
country, euccumbed at last. He says:
II 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 had within a
fortnight's journey A few miles from
our camp was an Indian settlement. I
had had some dealings with and won
the good will of the head man, SO /
sent to tell him I wanted the services
of peiman, or native doctor.
1T was midnight when the messen-
ger returned with my friend. the old
chief and the tribe medicine man. BY
this time was past knowing anything
Of my surroundings. My companions
told me afterward that I had already
developed all the well-known symp-
toms Of febrile collapse.
THE peiman tended me. administer
ing internal remedies by means Of
roughly devised but effective subcut-
aneous and other injections. Then fol-
lowed the inevitable nummery, when
I was shut up with the peiman, and
enough noise was made to indicate
dozen people inside.
AT about o'clock in the morning,
when the peiman issued forth and my
companions were allowed sight Of me,
I was sleeping naturally, bathed in pro-
fuse perspiration, which was already
moistening the outer folds of the dou-
BILE blanket that enveloped. me. At s
o'clock I awoke, and then slept again
for "a hours, the peiman from time to
time administering simultaneous in
jections. When l finally awoke there
was not the slightest trace of fever. In
three days I was able to be about and
in week I was fit to undertake a long
Journey"
The most wonderful part of the story,
however, is the sequel The peiman,
| pleased with the reward given him, Of
fered to, inoculate his patient SO as to
| render him proof against all kinds of
bush" feVers, no matter how much he
| might be exposed to them, for at least
| 100 moons If he contract fever it would
| be of the mildest kind.
The traveller went to the settlement
and was inoculated. The operation con-
sisted of stabbing gently into the LETT
wrist with bunch of exceedingly fine
needles plucked from hard spiny leaf,
the needles being first passed through
flame and then dipped in a black
| liquid. In short time all the we'll
known symptoms of malarial fever de-
veloped, then a peculiarly nauseous
| medicine was administered and deep
| sleep completed the business. When
the patient awoke he felt perfectly we'll
except for the smarting of his wrist,
| which had to be bandaged.
For time after this he travelled in
some of the worst swamps OF Central
| America. undergoing considerable OK
posture. including a night spent under
the trees after the upsetting of his
| boat OF the four white men in the
| boat three had fever and two died in "a
| hours: the third returned to the United
States with health completely 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 10 years
after incubation did a touch of fever
come, and then no alarming symptoms
were developed.