The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-01-03
OLD SCHOOL DOCTORS
ignorance Of Physicians Of the
Eighteenth Century.
TORTURE FOR THE PATIENTS.

Regulation Remedies.
The proyerb ''The remedy Is verse
than the disease" must have been coin
ed IN the eighteenth century, when
physicians treated their patients with
a violence that bordered ON assault
and battery. II was held that sickness
was some kind Of a demon that must
be overcome by pills, plasters, bleeding
and burning, and II the patient incl
dentally got the full effects Of the tor
ture and died. SO much the worse for
him Air and water were considered
the most dangerous things for sick
person to have. and his misguided de-
mand for them was Interpreted as
sign that he should have still less
The windows were shut and the cur
tains Of the four poster tightly drawn
around the reeumbent unfortunate
gasplng for breath. II be burned with
fever the blankets were piled on him.
A desire for water meant that he could
have none, while a lack OF appetite
proved that he ought to be stuffed
with food. A bath was positively I'M
thinkable.
The deadly results Of breathing
might air. were accentuated by med
ical writers. says S, @. Tallentyre In
the Cornhill Magazine, All air was
bad. but the night quality often prov
ca fatal to "young ladies OF beauty,
fortune ana great merit" and to young
gentlemen Of parts and breeding" One
bold medlco recommended that a bed
chamber should be ventilated-in the
daytime. Another dared to suggest
that consumptives might benefit from
sleeping In pure atmosphere. The
rule for ablutions was hands often,
feet seldom, head never" but a physi-
clan far In advance Of his age sur
missed that invallds might battle their
feet In warm water once q week and
under extraordinary circumstances
take a warm bath once month.
Overeatlng and drinking caused
many Of the diseases OF the upper
classes. Montesquieu said that dinner
killed one half Of the Paristans and
supper the other half. Everywhere It
was the custom to pile the table with
roast beef, mutton. capons, boars'
heads, pastles, creams, stufings and
mlncemeats. A fearful repast Of twelve
indlgestlble courses was brought on all
together, so that the diners knew what
was expected OF them. A large break
fast Of small beer and meats preceded
the gigantic midday meal, when people
enjoyed q Gargantuan gorge for three
hours and spent two more in FalstaH-
ian potations. After this the gentle
men Joined the women for a dish OF
tea In the drawing room, and 1t was
not long before the whole party OF hu-
man anacondas returned to the dining
room for a supper on the cold rem
nants Of the dinner. Amid this orgy
OF gIuttony Walpole and V0ltalre were
distinguished for an abstinence that
prolonged their lives.
Heavy drinking was universal aud
rarely repFimanded by medical men,
as by DR.. Tronchin. One Dr.. Cheyne
advised women not to take a whole
bottle day. Another authority wrote
a popular treatise in which the best
means Of attaining longevity was
stated to be bottle Of wine at dinner
and three glasses after. Those who fol
lowed such advice were In danger Of
being dubbed temperance cranks. A
story is told Of the celebrated and con-
viyial DR.. Garth, who was tipping
bumpers at the KIt-Kat club when re-
minded that his patients needed at
tention. "'TIs no matter" said Garth,
already half seas over, "lf see them
or not. Nine have such bad constitu-
tlons that all the doctors In the world
can't save them, and the other siT
have such good that all the doctors in
the world can't kill them"
A physician named Brown became
the pet Of fashionable women by al
ways prescribing pleasant remedies,
"a glass Of wine in the forenoon from
time to time" several glasses Of port
or punch after dinner till some enllv-
ening effect Is perceived from them"
Together with inordlnate quantities Of
liquor and food, DR.. Brown recon.
mended TO his male patients the com.
pany Of delightful young women"
One Of the natural consequences Of
such an agreeable regimen was the
gout for which eighteenth century
high livers took seas Of liquid medi'
cines, mountains Of pills and bins Of
powders.
ANY disease beyond diagnosis was
put down as "a fever" Whether ty
phus or typhoid, scarlet or gastric, non
contagious or violently infectious, any
thing which caused a rise in tempera
ture was sufficiently described by th'
term fever. Smallpox, scurvy, spotted
and Jail fever were maladies distinctiy'
Of the age. Disinfectlon and first aiC
. to natures were never dreamed Of
while the patient was dosed with hor
; rible drafts and nauseatlng compound
, and bled on every possible occasion
Louis XIV. was bled nine times TO
scarlet fever. Bleeding killed tn
Duchess Of TremoullIe and her bus
band. When mob attacked the Duk
! Of BedforTs house in 1865 the doctor
remedied the outrage by bleeding th'
duchess next morning. A young mai
who fell against marble table ant
cut his head open was treated by hay
ing few pints Of extra blood draw