Evening star., 1924-12-02
DOCTORS GET MANY
H|CCOUCHS CASES
Various Remedies Suggested
to Meet Mild Epidemic
in Washington.

While the local Health Department
has made no official survey Of the sit
uation. reports continue to be passed
around TO the effect that Il mild cpl
demic of hiccoughs has gripped
Washington, while telegraphic dis
patches from other cities report what
seem to be epidemics elsewhere.
The apparent prevalence of more or
less serious cases has come to the
attention of many physicians. it is
understood one reporting he has
treated so cases recently.
The publicity given the outbreak
has led to all sorts of suggested
remedies, ranging from the old fash
ioned water-gulping stunt to the
latest practice of local phySiothera-
pist of hitting the patient with rub
Der hammer
The water cure is probably the
most widely advocated remedy" and
its supporters give various instruc-
tions for administering it. One meth
nd is to drink, without taking a
breath. nine swallows of water. The
number of swallows varies accord
ing to the school of thought followed,
hut the general principles are the
same.
Use OF Dry Sugar.
Another group of lay authorities
recommends eating sugar. Joseph I.
keefer, of 607 Louisiana avenue.
writes The Star that dry sugar, eaten
in large quantities. will relieve hic-
coughs. or hiccups. as it is pro-
nounced and favored by some leXi-
cographers. The sugar will dissolve
and cause an upward and downward
motion" Mr.. keefer declares.
Another remedy. he states. is
pressing upon the collar Bones with d
downward motion. This will relieve
the throat Of mucous responsible for
the distress he claims. Hiccoughs
are prevalent in tropical climates, due
to fine dust in the air from flowers
and fauna, Mr.. keefer informs The
Star.
A variation of the sugar treatmen,
is to eat a spoonful of sugar soake ed
in vinegar.
Then there are those who believe in
eating dry crackers. who advocate
holding tho breath while counting ten
and who claim that fit of sueezing
induced with pinch of pepper will
help.
Another old favorite is to scare the
patient suddenly with shouted
BOO" as some one jumps at him
from behind door or out of a
closet.
Most of these time honorcd Gus
toms aim to break up tho rhythmi,
commissions by interruptng their Sc
auencc. Many persons have stories
of the efficacy of their pet treatments
Claim Germ Is Cause.
Apparently none of the old-fa sh
toned remedies have a sound basis, ii
rccent reports emanating from th'
noted Mayo Sanitarium. in Roches
Mimi, are true. These reports claim
that hiccoughs are caused by q germ
and that the disease has been COM
municated TO animals by transplant
ing Streptococci from human pa
tient
The dictionary has this to say
about hiccoughs:
"A spasmodic inspiratory move
ment, consisting of sudden contraC-
ton of the diaphragm, accompanied
with closure of the glottis, the inrusf
of air against the closed CLOTHS pro-
ducing A peculiar sound"
The hammer method is used by a
local pra actitioner of physiotherapy
He declares that he has cured a
number of cases recently by tapping
he patient on the back, between the
shoulder blades. with a rubber ham
mer. Pressure on a certain nerve
near the jugular vein also has been
successful he declares. One of his pa
tients wrote The Star that this prac-
titioner relieved him in two minutes,
after he had been hiccoughing for
two days and nights.