Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

From the Winchester Gazette.

The fatality of the prevailing epidemic, peripneumonia notha, bastard pleurisy, or typhus pleurisy, has induced me, from motives of humanity (for the first time in my life) to give the public my experience and opinion of the most successful mode of treating it. I feel assured shall not subject myself to the criticisms of malevolence, or be thought to arrogate to myself more skill than my brethren of the faculty are generally possessed of. It has pleased God to lead me into a more successful mode of practice. I attribute it to the author of all goodness. The first patient I attended on this disease I lost, I believe by mistaken practice, and an adherence to old usages. I bled: gave depleting remedies, blisters, &c. I was brought to reflect seriously and closely on so uncommon an occurrence and immediately changed my mode of treatment which has invariably in every instance, since been successful, in at least fifty cases. To make the mode more generally understood I shall describe it in language which may be almost universally understood and adopted. Symptoms: the disease commences with a chill, a pain chiefly exquisite on the right side, breast, and back; an acute fever though a small pulse, generally soft; (vomiting sometimes) and diarrhoea. Treatment: let hot bricks be applied to the feet, knees and back: hot salt to the breast and sides, or hot bran moistened with vinegar; give 3 grains of Camphor, with 3 grains of the Vol. Sal of Ammonac, and half a grain opium every hour; Snakeroot tea; hot spiced toddy; sage tea, wine whey, and in short all the most speedy means of inducing a free perspiration. Let this regimen be continued two or three days, and all the symptoms will gradually subside. Columbo bark and wine, with generous cordial diet will effectuate the rest. In case of costiveness, which side uncommon, peas, injections may be given.

C. BALDWIN.