Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Letter to Editor
October 6, 1810
Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
Asa Thomas submits a folk remedy for dropsy to the editors: extract oil from a boiled chicken (without washing, liver included), take a wine glass full three times daily with dry diet and bitters. He testifies to its success in curing a Halifax County, Virginia man after five tappings, observed personally.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
From the Raleigh, N. C. Star.
MESSRS. EDITORS,
IF you think the following receipt worthy of a place in your paper, you may publish it as a cure for the Dropsy :
Take a chicken hen (a fat one is best) pick and clean it well, take out the entrails, (liver excepted) and without washing the fowl, put it into a mortar, beat it until it can be put into a jug (a stone jug is best) put it in, cork the jug well ; then put it into a vessel of water, boil it three or four hours; then teem the oil from the fowl—Take a common wine glass full of this oil three times a day. Let the diet be hard biscuit or something that is of a dry nature ; make use of bitters occasionally.
I have been personally acquainted with a man for 20 years, who lives in Halifax county, Virginia, who says he was cured by this simple medicine (which was communicated to him by an old lady of said county) after he had been tapped five times and intended to be tapped the sixth time, tho' as dog days were approaching he felt diffident—therefore, resorted to the above receipt. I saw him yesterday and conversed with him, he told me he was perfectly well. and he appears as perfectly clear of that complaint as any one of my acquaintance, and has been so for upwards of 12 months.
ASA THOMAS.
Milton, Caswell County, N. C.
August 19th, 1810.
MESSRS. EDITORS,
IF you think the following receipt worthy of a place in your paper, you may publish it as a cure for the Dropsy :
Take a chicken hen (a fat one is best) pick and clean it well, take out the entrails, (liver excepted) and without washing the fowl, put it into a mortar, beat it until it can be put into a jug (a stone jug is best) put it in, cork the jug well ; then put it into a vessel of water, boil it three or four hours; then teem the oil from the fowl—Take a common wine glass full of this oil three times a day. Let the diet be hard biscuit or something that is of a dry nature ; make use of bitters occasionally.
I have been personally acquainted with a man for 20 years, who lives in Halifax county, Virginia, who says he was cured by this simple medicine (which was communicated to him by an old lady of said county) after he had been tapped five times and intended to be tapped the sixth time, tho' as dog days were approaching he felt diffident—therefore, resorted to the above receipt. I saw him yesterday and conversed with him, he told me he was perfectly well. and he appears as perfectly clear of that complaint as any one of my acquaintance, and has been so for upwards of 12 months.
ASA THOMAS.
Milton, Caswell County, N. C.
August 19th, 1810.
What sub-type of article is it?
Informative
What themes does it cover?
Health Medicine
What keywords are associated?
Dropsy Cure
Chicken Oil Remedy
Folk Medicine
Halifax County
Medical Testimonial
Asa Thomas
What entities or persons were involved?
Asa Thomas
Messrs. Editors
Letter to Editor Details
Author
Asa Thomas
Recipient
Messrs. Editors
Main Argument
presents a simple folk remedy for dropsy using oil extracted from a boiled chicken hen, taken three times daily with a dry diet and bitters, claiming it cured a man after multiple medical tappings.
Notable Details
Personal Acquaintance With Patient For 20 Years In Halifax County, Virginia
Remedy Communicated By An Old Lady
Patient Avoided Sixth Tapping Due To Approaching Dog Days
Observed Patient Yesterday, Well For Over 12 Months