82 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



French troops, (having made in the height of summer 

 a long and tedious march from New England to 

 Virginia), must have been in a weakened condition. 

 Lockjaw was not frequently the case at Philadelphia, 

 and was as seldom seen at New York, among the 

 British troops. 



Some time ago an Irish woman made several fortu- 

 nate cures of blood-spitting, by the use of common 

 kitchen-salt. She recommended for patients suffering 

 with this malady a teaspoonful of salt every morning, 

 to be gradually increased to a tablespoonful several 

 times a day. In the more positive cases of blood-spit- 

 ting, several doses must be given, often repeated until 

 the symptoms cease, which will unfailingly happen in 

 a short time, it is claimed. Dr. Rush about thirty years 

 ago learned of this treatment, and has made use of it 

 since in more than thirty cases, and invariably with 

 good results. The cure is effectual also in bleedings at 

 the nose and in floodings, but is excellent for blood- 

 spitting. Only in two cases was there no good effect, 

 to wit, with a man who was an old and incorrigible 

 drinker, and with another who from distrust of so 

 simple a means, would not take the salt in sufficient 

 quantity. Something similar has been long known 

 respecting saltpetre and sal-ammoniac, but these being 

 not so generally at hand, the practice with kitchen salt 

 deserved mention. 



The French physicians and surgeons, here as well 

 as in the West Indies, were very much disinclined to 

 give bark in cases of intermittent fever. The Americans 

 were always sooner done with their patients, whereas 

 the French showed a preference rather for enfeebling 

 theirs to the skeleton point; finally indeed brought 



