THE GREAT SULPHUR CURE.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 69, 27 April 1868, Page 102

THE GREAT SULPHUR CURE.

i)b-.de yy a b’s expebiments) , [GlasgowWeekly Herald.J , : ;.

Since noticing .Dr Pairm an’a pamphlet qn this.subject, our ,attentiori;has been called to the earlier .work .of Dr Dewar, Kirkcaldy, to whom - would seem to • belong the merit'of having extended the application of - a hitherto' little used--medicine’to an almost endless variety :of ailments. Dr Dewar’s testimony is. somewhat more valuable than that of.the.Biggaf surgeon.. He has had the advantage of- time to test his experiments, and he; states the results of these in a plain earnest manner—not more honestly, we believe; than Dr Pairqian, but - rather m ore -convincingly. We learn from bis narrative that his attention was first, drawn to the' subject, during "the prevalence of the cattle .plague,, and that the experiments, .instituted for- the, cure' of cattle led gradually to investigations into the region of human diseases. .How encouraging these investigations, were will be best understood by the illustrations adduced. A lad of fourteen, in the fourth day of typhoid fever, 'was visited by Dr Dewar,, who, finding that the sanitary, arrangements near the house were of the worst possiblo description, ordered constant sulphur fumigation for a,day or two: The boy ? s hair was shortened, and he had senna, which comprised the whole treatment. Next day he was quite intelligent; he had no other bad symptom ; and on the ninth day he was at the fireside, the disease going no further in the family. In the adjoining house another ease of fever was progressing at the same time; but here fumigation was not adopted, and the disease lingered in the family for three months. Other cases of lever are mentioned, in w.'-ich the cure was speedy and complete ; but-the general results make it appear that it is’ only in the earlier stages of the disease that sulphur can- be depended on as an auxiliary to medical skill. Over the initiatory symptoms Dr,Dewar believes that it exercises complete control, while in those further advanced, but not beyond the reach of remedy, it shortens the attack by hastening on the, various stages through which the disease ouginally passes. In the treatment of diptliena fumigation would seem to be all-important. “In the incipeut stages,” says our author, ‘ it effects a speedy cure, and even in cases which have already progressed beyond the reach of recovery great relief is obtained from, the application of the remedy. Im mediate and iinportan -advantage-arises frqm the conjunction of the topical use. of pure sulphurous acid to the - fauces. One important fact in connection .with this mode of treating diptheria stands out in interesting contrast to thenofeunusual fate of those who recover under other.; methods, .and it hes in the entire .absence of,those sequelae, by which the cure is;so seriously retarded, or .life even a second time endangered.” ■■ 1 • , 1 . " ;

A case, illustrating the general hygienic and other advantages which sulphurous fumigation can confer, is thus narrated “ A young married . woman from Lanarkshire, on account of the state of her > health, had been brought lo reside for a time with her friends in the neighborhood of Kirkcaldy. Spine months previous she had received-a severe sho;ck'from the sudden death of a neighbor, which unhinged her reason and reduced h er to a state of religious despondency. "When +1; saw her -she ; was thin, worn, and anaemic, ,hpr skin and lips dry and unhealthy looking; while,' her manner was morose and melancholy in the extreme j and for weeks ; she: had been almost entirely sleepless., Generops diet, with wine, iron, and chlorate of potash, were administered; but the,sleeplessness continued in spite'.of opiates, which were not found to suit/well with her. -'I then determined to try fumigation; which wae according resorted to every fourth hour for some time, with the - effect of working an important change in her condition, for she slept many hours consecutively on. the very first '.night, and looked next day as it her,‘ burden was somewhat less heavy to bear.’ Ifom that time her progress was uninterrupted, her delusions gradually lqsing‘hold upon her mind as her physical cifcumstanceS’impr.oved, and she returned home some weeks ago-full of Bash and. in' good spirits.”

“In -bronchitis and asthma of every degree,” we quote from the pamphlet, “this mode of treatment, is attended by the .most satisfactory results. : In cases even of old standing the practice of it has given most marked relief; while the ordinary complication of ,* dilated air-cells’ forms no barrier to-its beneficial appliear cation. In whatever stage. I find my I at. once proceed. to apply the ‘ spray,’ which, by lqoseniug the expectoration, lacilitates -its expulsion/ so that the chest can be wonderfully: cleared l of', it in a .few-minutes.” ; ... ,% .

-. ; Pf. Dewar goes. on, to give instances of cure iu cases of toothache, faciai-heuralgia, goiifc, • croup, and . kindred diseases; ' lieconsiders it not. irrational to .hope th .t even consumption'may. be wfihin the.-pale its .salutary influence;- and, he instances cases where parsons .supposed to be considerably “ advanced in . decline ”' "were restored to- health", a 5 continued a) iplication of the fumesi’i B.e also cites a easo brought .under his, attention &; Dr Halliday ;Dquglass,,, of, in which ; .a gehtieiiaab London ■ physician tp^he. pht’hisiealr'disV; covered'that his comfuft depended gretiSely direction :tke, >wind:-:iib-wkl. hdlfi alter he;hafi Jbkcard.qf sulphurqus that. tin explanation, , Of j thjs emgma: was . afforded; vvlieh if, tufhed oiit that the “’vvind that' -blew: had passed over some .adjacent smdlt'ihgW uruapej the emanations from whiQh are;

partly constituted of sulphur.. He immediately had recourse to the ployment of sulphur, : ,from; which jhe ; had derived great benefit." Dr Dewar also gives a- very - remarkable 1 case - which came nrider* -his ? immediate -attention. His grqomwas'in'an advanced'state bf-plithisis; and had'for hiSnths beep wastuig-r-congh.”' ing. spiting blo;id; bnd sweatirig profusely- “ His death was reported;again,and again,, and to such -an issue,,bbtli he Jand ;! had looked;forward asu inevitable. I had got, one day, some oattle for experiment from a farm where the disease .was raging-; and although 0. was quite unfit for any /exertion, as I’could depend upon his fidelity for superintending the process, I. begged that he would endeavor tAget it done for fourteen days qr. so, lest; miction should have been imported with; them. He said he would, try, and- at on'ce proceeded with the plan; which -he- had conducted with perfect sucoess, as-far as my cattle are concerned (they are the only living ones of of the original- herd), and with the most wonderful ' benefits to his own health which cah he ' conceived. Within one week, the . night sweats had ceased, his cough gradually abated, and the expectoration diminished ; and he has . progressively gained weight, .as. he says, nearly two stones, within four months. He is now dependent-for his life with one lung only, or nearly so; but: with - the exception of his, being somewhat shortwinded, he looks nearly as strong and is is able for ordinary stable work as he was previous to bis illness. We have stated that it was in" connecwith the cattle plague that Dr Dewar iustituten his. sulphur experiments. " He appears to have been- very- successful in coping with the rinderpest arid the scarcely less fatal disease, pleuro-pneumonia. In scores of; ■ homesteads where fumigation has from first to last been thoroughly and determinedly practised, there has not been, he says, to his knowledge any case ot illness among cattle from any epidemic cause whatever. Not only so, but this had also .been accompanied -by the disappearance of those ailments—ringworm, mange, angle-berries &c, —whose recurrence could be foretold as confidently as that of the season of the year, here is the proof—‘A large dairy in. the immediate neigborhood has, I have been informed, for nearly thirty years maintained a notorious character . for mortality among his cows. The present tenant, during an occupancy of about eight years, had never been, up to the- Ist November, 1865, one vvbole month; without having this disease among His within twelve months he had buried . sixteen; eows, the last of these only three days; before ; he - began to fumigate: .From that time -till-now his byres have been perfectly healthy. He told me lately that when he .first began that process' hi - had one cow so .ill' that after having heeri'sbld for ten shillings, it was found impossible to get it out of the byre, and it .was consequently allowed to remain. Strange, to \ says .it. immediately: began to rally, and now lives, an excellent milchor. Another farmer told me last week that after being nearly ruined by deaths among his cows, he began daily fumigation, which ho still, keeps up. He has not had a sick one. since.” .

Some- of our agricultural, readers ‘"will doubtless put the matter to the test. For their'guidanee we give the wodjw operandi —■“ The most convenient and safest apparatus 1 corisikte ‘of a chaffer two thirds full of red ciiidi rs, a; crucible inserted therein, and a piece of sulphur-stick.. A piece, of the length of a man’s thumb will burn ior nearly twenty, minutes, and is sufficient for a byre containing-six cattleT; -arid if the usqal attention has been paid to. the means of ; ventilation, which ought to be constant, in their operation, tlie attendant may shut himself in , afong ,with ; the cattle without the slightest risk of detriment to either. My, own, cattle have been thus treated for nearly four months, four times a day,, and hundreds of others also to their manifest enjoyment.” " -if , - ' In treating colds arid such like ailments in gro.wp-up , children-, 'ai; very simple.qiode isitoi^put-a, feyv red; (finders in a kitchen shovel,to set thia upon a wooden stooh upon the:fioor;. and -then to sprin-; kleflourofsulphnrfrom.time to time upon them until the room is’not 'inconveniently filled with the fumes:' The effect will be more bhrieficial if thbpatient inhales at the same time" the steam front, a jug of hot water., The process imperfectly safe, and can at;ohee be interrupted by putting the shovel under the grate ; and should any inconvenienoe be .felt this can easily be modified- by'opening the door or window. Iri most , cases of bough the patiehtrwil feel his or her.symjito’fis'irioreased for' a time, and this’ is .of'the ciire/' arid should ribt occasion fear." 1 Dr, Dewar re T covamQxidi& & cons,tanp taint of the Biilphur in sick rooms, and the repetition of inhalation ia iarge quantities: as often asimay be deemeU jadvisable:""' in - some: instarices a single trial*stiffices-for'/'a' -cure;- in others, arid 1 thosAqf'; a . acute character,; its hqurlyr^etiriofiisfiqtQrilynafe;.buthighly';sembekbl©*'!‘ll.l- - 7' . -.- r ”