Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-18

would say that. in my opinion. there is
more opportunity for the exercise of
good judgment on the part of the physi-
elan than any other disease with which
1--we, in this section OF the country. have TO
contend There is no known specific,
and yet with careful handling. l be
lieve We can pilot through to a success
full termination nearly every uncompli-
Gated case.
Cases Severe.
Most OF the cases in this epidemic
were severe from the outset. They
generally started with chills and fever
VITA a temperature of 104 degrees los
degrees, and some over 10G degrees.
If * were an adult of ordinary strength
| I generally gave. on the first visit.
about five grains of calomel and 20 of
quinine. TO be given before bed time,
whether the call was made at noon or
IG p. N. | wanted the patient TO sleep
with that medicine in the system.
ON the next call found the TEN
perature generally lower, but if over
! 1O3 degrees. l would give about two
grains of calomel and "a grains Of qui-
nine during the day. | certainly think
that mercury acts as an antiseptic in
typhoid fever. and neutralizes some of
the poison that is in the blood. Ii slim
ulates the action of the liver and kid
news. and | have invariably found it.
when given i'll that way. to change a
wild, almost malignant case into one
easy to control. and relieved of its
yiruleut character. In the meantime |
use water freely, both internally and
externally If the temperature is still
inclined to keep up, l frequently use
an ice bag over the region of Peyer's
glands. with two or three layers of
Turkish toweling between il and the
skin. / don't keep up the mercury. for |
think its continued use is depressing. |
Digestion is particularly weak in |
typhoid fever, and after the disease is |
relieved of its acute and dangerous |
symptoms. | give muriatic acid and |
pepsin in pleasant form. which | find
very agreeable 10 the patient.
Il use baths freely all through the |
disease. II has been demonstrated be |
yond question that the Brand system |
gives The best results. | have found |
one serious objection 10 it, however, |
and that is the difficulty of handling |
the patients Ii is no easy matter TO |
pick up a man weighing 100 pounds. !
put him in a bath tub and back into his |
bed again There is the possibility Of |
dropping him. and il frightens him.
To obviate this difficulty | have an APP |
paratus made. sort of windlass. with |
which two persons can raise patient |
up as easily as they would handle a |
4O-pound child. I submit photographs |
of this apparatus. | never use it in
private practice, unless l have the
privilege of selecting the attendant.
DIR Baruch, to whom more credit is
due than any other in the United |
States. for intelligent information on
the use of water in the treatment of
diseases. has repeatedly called atten-
ton to the fact that the cold water as
used by Brand. is not on the theory of
freezing the fever out of the patient, a
fallacy that will not down. but il is
used as a stimuIant TO the nervous sys-
tenn
should Use Care.
Judgment should be exercised in
the use of the Brand bath. a patient
WIFI d lttblt phiSt. Low bte1'o ~ III
should not be put in a bath of
60 degrees. The fire of life is low in
such case. and you must use kindling
wood. or il viii go out. In such a case
handle gently Have the bath 80 de-
grees or 80 degrees. Use mild fric-
ton. although it may be rapid Watch
the pulse. and if Il increases in vol
ume. and decreases in frequency. the
next may be given little more vigor
ously.
About twenty years ago | com
menced flushing the bowels as Il part
Of my routine treatment. | have that
done with water at a temperature of 80
to 50 degrees, and about o'clock in the
afternoon. 1t nearly always lowers the
and frequently the patient
Will drop into pleasant sleep after il
certainly think that anything that viii |