The Sun. — 1863-08-01 (London, England)

REMEDY FOR DIPHTHERIA.  This affection, which comprises those known under the various names of bad sore throat, agina, croup, and the French engine couenneuse, has hitherto been considered one of the most difficult to cure. We some time back gave an account of Dr. Trideau's method, which consists in administering storax under the form of a sprup ; but we now find in the Revue Therapeutique a paper by I)" A. De Grand, Boulogne, late French Vice-Consul at Havannab, in which he mentions ice as an infallible specific. As this, from its extreme simplicity, would, teffreeZne' be far superior to any yet tried, we from quoting the cases mentioned by r the eaac k if llsauthor, who had published this remedy as f as February, 1860, and consequently complains (not without reason, if its efficacy is such as he describes it) of the inexcusable negligence of practitioners in not taking notice of it, and thereby allowing many valuable lost. The following cases lives to be observation after that d came under his ate. In March April, 1861, the disease in and question under a epidemic form, and broke out chiefly attacked adults, with such virulence that in young women died in a single one week three house. Grand's patients fir One of Dr. a ieted with with it, and as he blephacite was seized could not immediately owing to the severity attend, of the case another physician was called in, who ordered emetics d gargles, which produc d an aluminous e no effect. At length Dr. Grand came, and found the tonsils greatly swollen, and a false membrane immediately adm• • cov-ring them. He unstered small pi • eces of ice, and by the following morning the tumefaction of the tonsils had diminished by half, and the false membrane had nearly disappeared. That very evening she was enabled to take food. A. few days after her brother was seized with sore throat, • presenting the same preliminary symptoms as those of his he, profiting by this example, without waiting for the doctor, took ice, and was rid of his sore throat in a few hours. Some days later Dr. Grand was summoned to a youn g lady who had been labouring under the disease for 48 hours; all remedies had failed, and the parents, relations, and friends of the family were plunged in the deepest sorrow. When Dr. De Grand ordered ice a general cry of astonishment was uttered by all present. Ice for a sore throat ! Impossible! it was sheer murder ! Dr. De Grand maintained his ground, and after much expostulation, during which much time was lust, he obtained his end. Before 24 hours were over the patient was in tall convalescence. Being at Vera Cruz on a mission, he was requested to see a young • man who waaattackcd with a malignant sore throat, and had been treated without effcct by cauterisations with hydr,,chlorie acid and astringent gargles. lie again had to battle with the prejudices of the family, but was at length allowed to administer ice. The young man recovered in the course of the following day. Pr. Da Grand has now been using this remedy for the last 12 years without having met with a single failure. This is what he says, but even if only half what he says were true, the method should be tried by others. Cold gargles have been employed with success by Dr. Blanc, of Strasburg; why not ice ?—Galignani's Messenger.