The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-12-15
~ X
Home Health
| Club
By DAVID 3. EEADER. Pk. D.. ND.
Ia Ports, Ind.

ALI will admit, however, that the start
ing point of fever is unknown. and
that there must be within the person a
suitable soil,' "a predisposing cause. "
or the disease diathesis," otherwise
that person will pass through the
''black hole of Calcutta" the fever in
fected swamps of Florida. might have
lain in the trenches of Santiago, or
camped for months in any Of the south
ern military camps during the last war,
with his comrades dying on every hand,
and he remain as strong and well as If
fever germs had never been discovered
by the skillful scientists and never had
an existence. Not until this original
cause Of disease, this hidden secret,
which has baffled the utmost research
of the worlds most noted scientists. has
been discovered. aud its removal or
prevention accomplished. will mankind
be freed from the dread of any one Of the
40 or more different types of fever. Net
until then will Brieht's disease, dia-
betes and consumption cease to stand
like specter. ever ready to rob us of
our loved ones. "Will that time ever
conner" is the despairing cry on every
hand What is the answer of science?
Listen: 'The practice of medicine
never was, is not and never will
be an exact science" Is the ut
terance of one of the most noted
medical men of America, made at ?
convention of his fraternity few years
ago. Not one of that great and hon
ored company dissented from that view
but II does not follow that they are
therefore going to discontinue devotinN
their lives to alleviating the suffering Of
humanity.
The first thing in order Is to determine
the kind Of fever-for there are many
types. Forty-four kinds are named
symptoms given and the treatment
suggested by an able writer whom ]
know and honor for his ability ard
knowledge; and yet there are numerous
forms we'll known to him that are not
mentioned.
will describe here simply two grades
of fever, which are termed, respectively
high and low grade fever. In the first
named, the symptoms manifested are a
bright-red or rosy face. frequent pulse.
strong, full and regular. with the tenn
perature sometimes rising as high ae
f06 degrees, though as a rule rot eoinf
kfnhav hon NJ 81 -
the face feels dry and hot to the touch
This fever is of a high or ardent grace
and manifests the powerful resistance
made by the vitality to overcome the
trouble.
Low-grade fever Is of different char
acter. The condition In which we fine
the patient denotes inability of the vital
power to co. Juer the invading army of
disease germs which have found suit
able soil for their special worl. N this
case the pulse is frequent, 125 or more
weak and often irregular. The face, in
stead of being rosy is dusky, often sal
low or pale, with RED spot or the cheek.
BY these signs we know that suitable
soil has been found and the disease has
obtained foothold from which it will
be hard to dislodse It.
Frequently the great vital effort put
forth in high fever. If not sustained by
such means as I have pointed out, ex-
hausts the patient. the heart and nerves
grow weary, and gradually the high
grade changes into low grade of fever
During the first stages of either
high or low grade of fever the treatment
given in former paper is the proper
method for combating the disease; but
II, for any reason, the case has not re-
ceived proper treatment and has passed
into the low grade fever, great care
must be exercised In the use of cold
water, as the vitality may have be-
come so reduced as to be unable to re-
cover from the process.
First. we must infuse new vital ac-
ton into the feet and legs As TO the
first part Of the treatment, we will re-
peat the hot fermentation: moist heat is
what we want; and the blanket is again
brought into use. After being thor
oughly soaked in boiling hot water, It
is wrung out and wrapped around the
feet and legs, well up above the knees
Care must be taken not to scald the
feet or legs in this heating process. As
rule, the. sensation conveyed to the
patient 10 Of grateful nature. but there
may be delirium. The head is hot; the
pulse. though rapid. is feeble. A cold
compress to the spine under these con-
ditions might go far toward killing him
outright; but there is no danger in
cooling the head, and, so long as the
vital action Is being increased by the
heat through the feet and legs, we can
safely reduce the fever In the head by
the use Of the cold compress. In this
way you soothe the most seriously en-
dangered organ-the brain. You sup
ply more action through the feet and
legs than you take away from the head.
and leave the patient stronger than
weaker after an hours treatment.
Words cannot express the relief which
one may give in q case Of low fever by
this double process. when 1t is well and
kindly carried through.
We have now successfully relieved
the patient by thorough and persistent
effort. repeating the treatment, II It is
well borne, twice daily, In some cases