The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-03
JOHN WEsLEY's REMEDIES.
Treatment for Human Ills One Hun
dred and Fifty Years Ago.


dred and Fifty Years Ago.
Kansas City Star.
In these days of hygienic reform and
methods of treating disease without
medicine at all, it is interesting to read
of the heroic treatment of $50 years ago.
A volume printed by Parry Hall, Chest
nut street, Philadelphia, in 1747, and COM
pied by John Wesley, is a curious mix
ture of material remedies and religious
eXhortation. There are few copies Of
the book in existence, but one unearthed
recently was the occasion of much
amusement at convention of physicians.
The book is substantially bound in
leather, and the few Illustrations are as
primitive as the remedies. The preface
deals with the raison d'etre Of the work,
incidentally recalling how:
Man was sent from the hands of God
perfect, needing no physic, but rebelling
against the Sovereign of all, the seeds of
pain and sickness were lodged in the
Dody, and thousand disorders, increased
by everything around u.s.. The sun and
moon shed unwholesome Influences from
above; the earth eXhaleS poisonous damps
from below; the air itself that surrounds
us is repleted with the shafts of death;
yea, the food we eat daily saps the foun-
dations of life"
The preface further states:
LAS to the manner of using the rene
dies here set down, I should advise as
soon as you know your disorder (Which
is easy unless in a case of complication
o. disorders, and then you will do well to
apply to physician who fears God:
First, use the medicine first advised for
tat disease; the second, if that is of nJne
effect; the third, and so on. To perse-
we're in the course is often more than
half the cure Above all, add to the
rest (for it is not labor lost that old
fashioned medicine-praye and faith in
God"
A postscript to the preface is addressed
to the members of the Methodist EplS-
copGl church, and signed by Thomas
Coke and Francis Asbury, Introducing
the work to American brethren 1t be-
gins: Friends and B ethren: The great
interest of your souls will be ever near
our hearts, but we cannot be unmindful
of your bodies.
The work proper is entitled "a Col
lection of Receipts and recites in al
phabetical order the disorders of that
time and their remedies In the AS are
a list of panaceas against ague. To ''go
into a cold bath just before fit" is add
ed the wholesome advice: Nothing tends
more to proiong ague than an indulgence
in a lazy, indolent disposition. Another
remedy. for ague is to apply to the
other Isl mix SIX middling pills OF
cobwebs. Take one before the cold fit,
two little before the next, the other
three, if need be, before the other fit.
Parenthetically are introduced some
gentle hints for tender persons and
the studious" Tender persons should
constantly go to bed at and rise at 4
| or Studious people should frequently
battle and frequently wash their feet
Tar water is standard remedy in the
Great John Wesley's family medicine
book. He gives the formula for making
"Put gallon of water (cold) on a
quart of Norway tar, stir them together
with a fiat stick for five minutes. After
it has stood for three days pour the
Anthonys fire take a wineglassful every
hour
There is no mention made of fly time
in this, pungent remedy, for badness:
Rub the part night and morning with
raw onion until red. rub afterward
with honey. Tried Or, electrify daily
How does modern hydropathy COM
pare with this instance: Miss Bates,
of Leicestershire bathed daily, using the
cold bath for month, and drinking only
water. This cured her of cancer in the
breast, a consumption and sciatic rheu-
matism.'
Children, says the wise book, should
go bareheaded and barefooted until they
are three years old at least. A, child
should be weaned at seven months, and
The various beauty doctors who set
the women crazy trying to follow their
directions, should include. the following
heroic recipe in their collection Wash
the hands with flour of mustard for chopt
hands,
There are various remedies for con-
sumption. After recommending the cold
bath, Mr.. Wesley says:
Take no food but new buttermilk
| churned in a bottle, and white bread. On
every morning cut up little turf of
fresh earth, and lying down, breathe
| into the hole for a quarter of an hour. 1
have known deep consumptive cured
this way
He further states: 'Mr. Mathers, Of
Evesham, was SO far gone with con-
sumption that he could not stand alone.
Dr. Dover (of the celebrated Dover's
| power) advised him to lose six ounces of
blood daily for a fortnight-if he lived
that long-and then every other day,
| then every third day and so ON. In three
months he was we'll"
In these days of the grip here is one
that might be tried: Il earnestly desire
| everyone who has any regard for his
health to chew Immediately cough ap-
pears, the quantity of a peppercorn of
Peruvian bark. Swallow the juice as long
as it tastes bitter then spit out the wood.
| 1t seldom fails to cure dry cough
| For dull sight: Drop in two or three
| drops of the juice of rotten apples often -
! This one does not sound unreasonable,
| as rosemary forms an ingredient in many
| hair restoratives: ITO make the hair
grow, wash every night in strong de-
| coction of rosemary
For hoarseness: Rub the soles of the
feet before the fire with garlic and lard,
| we'll beaten together
For the lilac Passion (colic): Hold a
live puppy constantly on the breast. Or
| take, ounce by ounce, a. pound. or
pound and half of quicksilver"
| The entire list of representatives. of old
age are given: '"fake tar and water
night and morning, or decoction of net
ties; either of these will renew the
youthful strength for some years. Or
| be electrified daily. Or chew cinnamon
| daily.
For the sting of a bee or a beetle there
is the homeopathic remedy of honey for