Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-19
 Home Health 1
 Club By DAVID M. READER, Ph. D.. E.D.
 La Porte, Ind.
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 Instructions heretofore given upon the subject have been prepared in such !. manner that each lecture has been complete in itself, and when instruc- tions are carefully followed the home treatment of the dread disease would become safe. In concluding the series, I will first give & brief resume of previous instructions and then tell you how to prevent the ugly pitting or pox marks
 For example, we shall say that you have a young person who has shown an unaccountable weariness and ohilliness. for some hours, and you suspect or fear smallpox, as it is prevailing near you. Put hin to bed, pack his feet and legs in hot fermentation up to the launches; pack, also, his head, which may be aching more or less, in similar fermentation. If all chilliness goes off, but he does not get fevered, after half an hours pack, you may rub him over with olive oil, when you take him out of the fannels. This will be especially good if he is rather more cold than fevered. But you must watch when the pulse Quickens and heat rises, to wash the oil off with good vinegar, un- der the clothes. Then 1t will be of im- mense moment to keep the tempera- tUre moderate. The chills and heat will come and go for time, and you will act accordingly. Help with heat when the vital action fails on account of too much fuel put on the ire, and cool when that flames up again.
 When, in spite of all that is done to allay the fever of smallpox, it pro- gresses to the stage at which it's eff fleets slew themselves in the peculiar pustules or pox, from which the name of the disease is derived, it is of inn. mense importance that the treatment should modify the viruIence of the process which now so seriously affects the skin. As the eruptions appear first, and chiefly on the face, the threat ened disagreement is no small con- sideration. Then, when we see that life itself is involved in that same ac- tion by which the skin is deeply pitt ted, the process becomes very much more an object of interest Here 1t be- comes quite evident that substance is generated by the fever, in the pores of the inner skin, which substance is corrosive; that is, of such a nature that it destroys all tissue with which it comes in contact. It eats it's way through the outer skin, as we see in the ripening of the pox, and it also eats its way deeper into the inner skin, and even through that, if it is allowed to remain long enough to work upon it. This eating substance leaves many fair face so drawn, even in the mus cles, that 1t is fair no more.
 It is easy to see that when this cor rosive substance is allowed to do its worst upon a tenderly constituted per- son, it kills that person as a severe burning would do, though the burning may be confined to the skin alone. Now it seems patent to reason of the most ordinary kind, that two things must be kept in mind when seeking to deal with an eruption of this nature
 we must think of the pitting of the face and breast, but the chief considers tion is saving the network of nerves that so abundantly supplies the inner skin. Two things, so to speak, must be accomplished in one If possible, or as far as possible, the smallpox must. be deprived gof it's corrosive character. This can be easily done. It cannot be done without some care and patience, but with these it may be perfectly ac- complished That is, health must be given to those parts that have been re- faxed and rendered an easy prey to everything that wears away.
 It so happens that the vinegar, or acetic acid, so often made available, is adapted to both of these features For example, a sEall, angry pimple will rise on the back of the hand. It has a peculiar character from it's very first appearance. I am now speaking of that which has no very close connec- tion with smallpox, but so nearly analogous that it gives a most apt illus tration. This red pimple is fiery, and sets up an intolerable itching round about itself. If it is squeezed so as to empty it of any matter it contains, it yields only a very little watery hu- nor, and is rendered decidedly worse for the squeezing. The redness which surrounded 1t soon after 1t first ap- peared increases, and in a few hours it develops into carbuncle, and be- comes very serious matter indeed 1t soon eats into the very bone, and leaves a mark which will last for life.
 Now, in such case, a corrosive sub- stance has been developed in this pin- ple,' and the tissues around it have been rendered liable to rapid destruc- tion under the infiammatory action which has been set up round the place where it has been developed.
 If soon after this pimple appears it is consistently soaked with vinegar, or acetic acid, so diluted that it causes only gentle smarting, 1t will cease its itching and burning in about two minutes. It will in four minutes or less disappear, with the exception that a small red spot will remain at the part for perhaps day or two. The acid has entirely neutralized the. corrosive sub stance that was developed, and has also given perfect health to the parts which would otherwise have been wasted away in a very ugly sore.
 A pimpIe of smallpox is of the very same nature as this, if the disease is