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TREATMENT for SMALL POX in 1778 MAINE
Dirictions for the Medicens Taken at the small Pox Hospittal April ye 7.
1778
1st A Pill Taken Every Night -- A Powder on thirsday, Sunday and Wednesday
Morning.
DIET
2nd Abstain from all Spirituous Liquors, all Oylly fatty Substances all
Animal Food & from Fish.
BRECKFAST
3d Tea, Coffee, Milk, Rice, Hastepuding and on Purging Days Griewel.
DINNER
4th Puding of Rice flower, Meal Bread with Eggs, Suger Molases and
Vinniger saus, rost of boyled potatows, Turnops. Super the same as
Breckfast.
DRINK
5th Water, Cyder & Water, Spruce Beer.
The same method is to be persued in taking the Medicens as Before one Pill
every night unless the Gums, Tongue or Insides of the cheeks become sore
in which case the Pills must be Omited and two or three Tea sponsful of
Flower Sulpher Taken several Times in 24 hours.
Wednessday Morning the purging Powders is to be taken, if it should not
opporate in 6 or 8 hours Take a Large Spoonfull of Salts Desolved in a Cup
of Water
When the Symptoms Come on keep from the Fire walk in the Air keep the Body
cool, soak the feet in warm water. Wash ye face & Hands in Chool Water
especially ye eyes. If thirsty drink Cold water or Baum Tea Cold.
The Men will Continue to Take one Pill Every Night, if no Sore Throat or
Mouth, Begin with No. 3. If you perceive the Least soarness No. 3. If you
perceive More soarness No. 2. If consideralle sore No. 1 and if it
increases, none, but Take freely of Sulphur or other Direction. The Boys
persue the same, only they Are not to take Any of No. 3.
Purging Powders. The Men of No. 30. Boys from 10 to 16 No. 20 or 25. from
10 Downward to No. 15.
Endorsed Capt. Samuel Leightons
A list of ye Names & Ages
and Directions
of Administering of
the Medicins for
the Small Pox
Kittery April ye 23d 1778.
smallpox: an acute, highly
contagious, febrile disease, caused by the variola virus, and
characterized by a pustular eruption that often leaves permanent pits or
scars;: eradicated worldwide by vaccination programs
spruce beer: liquid from boiled branches, bark and cones of black
spruce put in a cask with molasses, hops and yeast and allowed to ferment
YELLOW FEVER CURE 1795
Address to the Inhabitants of the City and
Liberties of Philadelphia
Beloved Fellow Citizens,
An anxious desire for your preservation, in this time of general alarm,
has induced me to present you with the following advice. When you are
assured that it is offered by one who has had a large share of experience
in the fever of ninety-three as well as in the present calamity, you will
not I hope be unwilling to listen to the truth, because the name of the
author is concealed.
In the first place, I wish you to pay attention to the following rules, to
avoid taking the fever, they are generally allowed to be safe and
effectual.
Be very temperate in your diet; Do not over heat nor fatigue yourselves by
any kind of exercise; Be not exposed to the sun nor to the night air; Be
very cleanly in your houses and persons; Keep the body laxative by small
doses of cream of tartar, glauber's salts, or castor oil, and by a free
use of ripe fruit, with which a kind providence hath, at this time, so
plentifully supplied us. But above all things endeavor to keep your
spirits calm and even. A due observation of these rules will do much, with
the divine blessing, in preserving you from the fever; and if you even
should be taken with it, the disease will be lighter. Indeed the remedies
now generally used have proved so effectual, that if the sick are placed
in airy rooms, and are well nursed, and have proper medical assistance,
this fever is not more dangerous than many others.
Although it is cruel to desert a sick person yet it will be well not to
have any unnecessary intercourse with the sick.
Secondly - I would recommend the following rules to be observed by those
who are taken ill with the fever:
If you are seized with a chilliness or shaking, followed by a fever, bad
head-ach, pain in the back and loins, sick stomach or vomiting, uneasiness
about the breast, soreness of the eyes or pain in them, immediately get
bled; and take one of the powders of jalap and calomel, so successfully
used in 1793 - They may be had at the apothecaries with proper directions
for using them. - Drink very freely of molasses and water, or tamarinds
and water. If this method does not carry off the disease, which it often
does in a short time, send for a physician.
The chamber windows of the sick should be always kept open; the bed
clothes and other linen often changed; the face, hands, and arms of the
sick must be frequently washed with water or vinegar. The mixture of oil
of vitriol and saltpetre, recommended by the College of Physicians, and
prepared, with proper directions, by the apothecaries, should be
constantly used.
If you cannot get a physician, the best general rule is:
For the first three or four days, drink molasses and water, tamarinds and
water, cream of tartar and water, or toast and water. Afterwards use thin
sago, tapioca or barley water and eat ripe peaches or grapes. Use no wine
till the fever is gone. Then take chocolate, tea, and weak broth for
nourishment, and cool chamomile tea to strengthen the stomach. The sick
should keep as quiet as possible taking care to make no unnecessary
exertions for these have often proved to be extremely dangerous by
bringing on faintings, and convulsions - for some time after recovery, the
sick must be very cautious in their diet and exercise, to prevent relapse.
When a sick person gets well, expose their bed to the rain, or let it be
well washed by throwing cold water on it - this will not injure the
feathers: - But do not put the bed in the sun, nor in such a situation as
to injure a neighbour - wash all the cloaths, in cold water - the walls of
the sick room should be immediately white washed, the floors and doors
well washed - and the windows kept constantly open.
This advice is offered you from an earnest solicitude for your good - it
is a plain account of the methods generally allowed, by the physicians, to
be most beneficial and if you will but assist them by your endeavours to
be calm and tranquil, I have no doubt but they will, with the blessing of
God, be found highly salutary and effectual for the preservation of your
health.
A FRIEND TO MANKIND
Philadelphia September 6th, 1797
yellow fever: an acute, often fatal,
infectious febrile disease of warm climates, caused by an RNA virus
transmitted by a mosquito, esp. Aedes aegypti, and characterized by liver
damage and jaundice; also called yellow jack
jalap: the dried tuberous root of any of several plants, esp.
Exogonium purga, of the morning glory family, or the light yellowish
powder derived from it, used in medicine chiefly as a purgative
oil of vitriol: sulfuric acid; during the 19th century it became
clear that the consumption of sulphuric acid was a good indicator of a
nation's prosperity, so ubiquitous are its uses
balm: herb (Melissa officinalis) with hairy leaves and a lemon
scent, therefore often known as lemon balm; used for its flavour in fruit
salads, sweet or savoury sauces, etc., as well as for preparation of herb
teas; claimed to have calming medicinal properties, and promoted at one
time as an elixir of life and a cure for impotence; it is rich in tannins
tamarind: a tree of the family Caesalpiniaceae, Tamarindus indica,
or its dried fruit; the tart fruit, consisting of brown pods, is used as a
flavouring and a food preservative, and is also used in medicine
chamomile: a composite plant, Chamaemelium nobile (or Anthemis
nobilis), having strongly scented foliage and white ray flowers with
yellow centers used medicinally and as a tea
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