Remedies, Cures and Old Time Practice

Osceola Herald
Wednesday, 22 August 1866

For The Herald.
Osceola, August 20.
Cholera – Its Causes and Treatment.
Messrs, Editors:

Knowing that the “King of Terror” is now stalking swiftly over this State as well as many others, and knowing, too, that if there be one disease concerning the causes, treatment and prevention of which the people ought to be better posted than any other one, that one is cholera. – The reason for this is too obvious to need explanation.
I, sirs, propose with your permission to state in a concise and plain way, some of the principal causes of the disease, to tell some of the “signs” of its approach; what should not be eaten, and what should be done on its apparent symptoms, and what should be done when it violently attacks its victim.
Space forbears any but a short outline of the points named to be treated in this article, but as this is intended to be of practical use, it need not be lengthy.
What is cholera? An affection of the Alimentary Canal, characterized by frequent and violent vomiting and purging, and cramps in the bowels and extremities. It is usually very sudden in its appearance.
Pain and tightness of the bowels are the first symptoms, violent colic pains follow, then comes extreme nausea; after which, in quick succession, purging and vomiting commence with extreme violence, and continue with but very short intervals, until great prostration of the system causes its relief but not speedily given.
The discharges from the bowels at first are thin and watery containing scarcely any bile; after a few hours, however they frequently consist nearly entirely of bilious matter. Thirst is great but the stomach is hard to make retain anything taken therein.
Causes.
“High atmospheric temperature is the principal agent in its production” say some authors, but we believe with many eminent writers “that elevated temperature acts rather as an essential ‘predisposing’ than as an exciting cause of the disease.”
Cool and damp night air, and the exposure to a current of fresh air after the action of the skin and liver have been over-excited, by the previous influence of the sun’s heat and exercise, should be avoided, for without any kind of doubt this is one of the most common exciting causes of the disease.
While the liver and skin are in a high state of activity the body should not be suddenly exposed to cold air, for if it is, the sudden stoppage of the action of said functions causes the blood to leave the extreme vessels and go to the internal ones, which become engorged, and the mucus membrane of the alimentary canal is thereby strongly congested. In twenty-four hours a patient dies, or is mending, as a general thing, and they frequently die in six hours.
Treatment.
Lose no time in allaying the irritability of the stomach and bowels; make the skin and liver act; draw the blood from the internal to the external vessels, and place a large mustard plaster over the stomach and liver.
If it comes just after dinner, and indigestible food has been taken, give chamomile tea freely. When the stomach and bowels have been evacuated, give from 80 to 100 drops of laudanum. If vomiting occurs, soon after the first dose, give from 30 to 40 drops every fifteen minutes, until its effects are seen or felt.
Hot brandy and spices do harm unless they be given simply to support the sinking system. Rub the bowels with turpentine and the arms, feet, legs and hands, with tincture of Cayenne pepper.
When the pulse sinks and the extremities get cold, wrap the patient in flannels soaked in hot brandy and stimulate him with a solution of Gum Camphor in vitriolic ether.
Make said solution and have it ready for use; to make it take one dram of camphor and dissolve it in one ounce of ether, then give a teaspoonful every half hour until the patient improves. Let nothing be drank for thirty minutes after taking the laudanum and the solution of camphor. While the vomiting and purging is severe mild mucilaginous fluids in a warm state should be given. When the disease subsides take light diet, animal broths are best, wear flannel next to the skin, keep out of the sun and take a few grains of blue mass occasionally.
Hastily have I thrown those items together but if the directions here laid down be followed vigorously not in a timid manner and the patient dies, you then can have the consolation of knowing you did all you could.
Go to the Drug Store and get your remedies, for if you wait to get them until the disease is on you, you then need not send for them, for before, in most cases, you can get them you will have passed that stream, from the other side of which no tidings come. So “in time of peace prepare for war”. Hoping that some one having more time and ability to give useful instructions in respect to the disease of which I write I will add no more.
Justus.