Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-02
BERRIES CURE RHEUMATISM
Linnaeus, the Naturalist, Proved This,
 Salicycle Acid Does It.

Salicycle Acid Does It.
 It is a we'll known fact that Lin naeus, the great naturalist, by eating an abundance of strawberries, cured himself of rheuma ttsm It is also a we'll known fact that strawberries have been considered an excellent household remedy for rheumatism for many years. Now an English chemist comes forth and, analysing straw berries, proves them to contain salicy- lie acid--salicycle acid, the remedy for acute rheumatism that physicians have been prescribing generally since 1858. On this head, the Lancet, the noted English medical paper, says in "e- cent issue:
 The strawberry season is at hand, and the delicious fruit is not without its advocates as to its advantage in rheumatism. Indeed, some have gone the length to state that strawberries may not only be taken with impunity by the rheumatic and gouty, but even with distinct advantage. It Is some what curious coincidence, therefore, that in the strawberry the presence of salicycle acid, which is, of course, specific in acute rheumatism, has been definitely established.
 The strawberry from time immem- orial, has been considered a remedy for rheumatism among the people of America and England, but English and American physicians have inclined to sheer at the curative properties of the fruit By scientists the strawberry's nI. ho considered as on a. plane with the claims of, say sulphur and molasses to purify the blood. of sage tea to con- quer colds and of peppermint water to relieve dypepsia. Now. however, that salicylic acid, the great rheumatism specific, has been found in the straw berry, it is necessary for the scientists, hanging their heads, to admit that the people were right in attributing nedi- cinal properties to this pleasing fruit.
 ''Linnaeus, the naturalist, cured himself of rheumatism with strawber- ries 150 years ago. His cure, being widely discussed, made the strawber ry popular as a medicine among rheu- mattc people. Even before that time though, it's popularity had been pretty well established. Carpenter says of the cure of LlnnaeuS:
 "'Our great naturalist had now con- tracted an acute rheumatism, similar in the poignancy of it's pains, to the gout His way of life rendered some such disorders almost inevitable, for he neglected every rule of health in his indefatigable and continuous study of nature. So poor was he that he must often depend on charity for bed and board. Housed wretchedly, tramp ing the fields in all weathers, going in wet clothes finally a prey to rheuma- tism in its acutest form.
 "'He had heard many a housewife claim that the strawberry's acid juices were a cure for rheumatism, and he now decided that he would give this cure a trial. The season being, mid summer, the fruit was plentiful, and plenNlfully Linnaeus ate of it. He consumed strawberries morning, noon and night His breakfast was compos> ed of strawberries exclusively, and at dinner and supper they formed the chief part of the repast. A plate of them, furthermore, lay always by his bedside. and every little while he, would reach over and swallow two or three. From the beginning the straw berry treatment benefited Lfnnaeus; in due course it cured him complete lv. It is true that, during his life thereafter, he would now and then suffer some slight rheumatic twinges but he found these always to yield readily to the strawberry
 ''SalicyIic acid is not present in to bring on salicylic acid would be impossible to eat enough to bring on calicylic acid poisoning. But this beneficent drug is in the fruit, working the more pow erfully, may be, for its infnitesimal proportions, and any chemist may iso- late it by means of careful analysis"