The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-08
INDIAN REMEDY FOR FEVER.
EneIishhan in south America Made
Immune.
From Chambers Journal.

I'M M ne.
From Chambers Journal.
The world moves fast. but 1t is impossi-
be that some of its most brilliant discoye-
ries have not gone beyond the simple prac-
tees of uneiyilized peoples. A Jamaica
journalist gives his personal experience OF
how the Indians of South America not only
cure 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
similar experiences, 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. sue
cumbed at last. He says:
II lay in my hammock ravaged by an
aH-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. few miles from our camp was
an Indian settlement. l had had some
dealings with and won the good will of
the head man. 50 | sent 10 tell him |
wanted the services of a peiman, or native
doctor.
1T was midnight when the messenger
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 aft
ward that had already developed all The
well-known symptoms of febrile collapse
The peman tended me, administering
internal remedies by means of roughly de
vised but effective subcutaneOus and other
injections. Then followed the Inevitable
mummery. when ] was shut up with the
peiman, and enough noise was made to in
dictate a dozen people inside.
"At about 3 O'Clock in The morning
when the peiman issued forth and nv com
Danions were allowed sight of me. l was
sleeping naturally. bathed IN profuse pers-
piration, which was already mois tening the
outer folds of the double blanket that en-
veloped me. At 8 O'Clock ! awoke and
then slept again for iwenty-four hours, the
peiman from time 10 time administering
simultaneous injections. When / finally
awoke there was not the slightest trace of
fever. In three days l was able to be
about and in week l was fit 10 under
take long Journey"
The most wonderful part of the story.
however. is the sequel The pelman
pleased with the reward given him. offered
TO inocuiate his patient so as to render him
proof against all kinds of bush" fevers.
no matter how much he might be exposed
10 them. for at least 100 moons If he
contract fever It would he of the mi,dest
kind.
The traveller went 10 the settlement and
was inoeulated. The operation consisted OF
stabbing gently into the left wrist with a
bunch of exceedingly fine needles plucked
from nard spiny leaf. the needles being
first passed through flames ana then
dipped IN a black liquid. In a short time
all the well-known symptoms of malarial
fever developed. then peculiarly nause-
Gus medicine was administered, and deep
sleep completed the business When the
patient awoke he felt perfectly Wen ex-
cept for the smarting OF his wrist which
had to be bandaged.
For a long time after this he Travelled in
some of the worst swamps of Central
America. undergoing considerable expos
ure. including a night spent under the
trees after the upsettng OF his boat. or
the four white men In the boat three had
fever and two died in twenty-four hours;
the third returned 10 the United States
with health completely broken.
Afterward he spent six years about the
Isthmus of Panama and IN that hotbed of
fever, Coon never experienced a days
fever. Not until ten years after inocula-
ton did a touch Of fever come and then
alarming sunntonas we've devslapeA