| OCR Text |
Show A SPECIFIC FOR SMALL-POX. Saltpetre was accidentally discovered discover-ed to be a speeiOc for this loathsome disease. It was in the following manner: man-ner: A middle aged lady, the mother of six children, had often sought relief from a pain in the back by taking saltpetre salt-petre and brandy. Sniall-pox was prevailing pre-vailing in the city. Mrs. was exposed ex-posed to it, and contracted the disease. Tho premonitory systems wero very violent fever cxtremly high severe pain in the head, and excruciating pains id the region of the kidneys. A physician was called during the nieht, but, in doubt as to the nature of the disease, though suspecting it to be a case of small-pox, he made no prescription, promising to return at early dawn. Fever and pain increasing, increas-ing, she begged her husband to prepare pre-pare her the old preparation of salt-j petre and brandy. The latter was not then to be bad, but he crushed a piece of nitre as largo as a common white bean. This she took in a tablespoon-ful tablespoon-ful of cold water. Feeling some better the dose was repeated. Pain soon subsided and she slept well during the remainder of the nidit, and awakened feeling perfectly well 1 When the doctor called he was astonished to eee Mrs. superintending the affairs af-fairs of her household. He left without with-out making any prescription ! She had sixty well dcGned pustules on her face; but they were but slightly inflamed in-flamed and not at all painful. The developments of small-pox on her entire en-tire person were in number and appearance ap-pearance in keeping with those on her face. In due time all her children and -her husband were similarly affected by fever and pain in the head and back, and received similar treatment, and the results were the sauie. Several families fam-ilies caught the prevailing contagion, to whom told his story and re commended tha same remedy, and iu every c;tse the results were favorable. The facts came to us at first hand, at;d the reader may rely upon them as exact statements without embellishment embellish-ment or exaggeration. Hero were from ten to twelve cases all relieved from pain and fever iu less than au hour. The pustules were speedily developed, but were more like the disease in its convalescent stages than at the other period. As to the quantity given, it was not at all delinitc, but the Urst patient, pa-tient, within an hour, wusthave taken of nitre the buik of three ordinary while navy beans. We give those Btatements because we learn from various sources that small-pox is unusually prevalent. Physicians Phy-sicians and cautious nurses would do well to give nitre a fair and full trial. The cases to which we refer were those of active laboring families, living in small tenements and in the winter season. It will be safe to give the alleged specific a fair trial. Physicians should do so and report results. We cannot stato on personal kuow ledge, but we are under the impression that all theso patients had been vaccinated vac-cinated in early youth. Journal of Commerce. |
