Year: 1878

AOuhh DahptnAurYs


St. Louis Republican.


The chief sensation yesterday wa


sunstrOkes, and the principal cente


for information regarding them wa


the city dispensary, where tn,


health departments have made


ample preparations to treat cases


brought to their notice. Three am.


balances stand in the court I'm con-


slant readiness during a large pOr-


ton of the day to respond to any


call. Ordinarily, patients brought
to the dispensary suffering from crit
ical diseases areat once forwarded
to the hospital, but in cases of sun
stroke it Is so important that imme-
diate measures be taken for relief
that measures have been taken To
have such patients cared for
promptly on the arrival Of the am
bulance at the City Hall. The
method of treatment Is simple, and
the facilities, though crude, are ef-
fective enough. A large barrel Is
well filled with ice each morning,
and a number of cots, with woven
wire beds, are provided. A rubber
blanket and pillow are laid upon the
wire, and the cots placed in the
north and south hall, which extends
from the market street side through
to the court. If there Is the least
breeze stirring a draft will always
be found through this hallway, and
it is, therefore, a very good place
for a patient, except only that il is
so exposed that a crowd is sure TO
gather about. To keep the loungers
at distance wire screens are placed
across the hall, inclosing the space
where the cots are placed. The dis
pensary drugstore door opens into
this space, 50 the physicians and at
tendants have access to both patients
and remedies. When a patient is
brought i'm he is placed at once ON
one of the cots. If he is suffering
from overhead, or ''sunstroke,n as it
is familiarity termed, a rubber bag
filled with broken ice is immedi-
ately applied to his chest and face.
Ice water is dashed into his face
and allowed to dry upon his head,
and little ammonia is given tO
him to take internally. This con-
stitutes the principal treatment.
Yesterday afternoon DIR. Luerder-
king was engaged for hours with a
dozen attendants working over pa
tients thus stricken. In many cases
intemperance is the leading cause
for the affection, and it is exceed
ingly rare that man is brought I'm
suffering from sunstrOke that he
does not exhibit unmistakable
symptoms of too much drink. As
a consequence, when two or three
patients drunk with liquor and
craZed with heat are together In the
narrow Railways the scenca is ex-
eeedingly lively. The patients
writhe and twist under the dashings
of icy water. They rave and curse.
Some want to fight, and strike and
kick about aimlessly in their de
lirium. The ambulance drivers are
very efficient helpers in such cases.
They are not mere teamsters TO hitch
up the horses and drive after pa
tient, but they are men Of pluck
and muscle who have at all times
to be ready to handle the most Vio-
lent victims of delirium tremens,
and handle without hurting or re
sorting to violent means. They
have to be able, unaided, to lift and
carry to and from the ambulances
helpless patients, and at the same
time they are nurses, skilled and
tender i'm attending the sick, quick
to apply a bandage or even dress a
wound if necessary. And yester-
day they were all busy. The ordi-
nary business Of the dispensary was
thrown out Of gear, and the sun
strokes monopolied large share Of
the attention.