TREATMmT OF DISEASES. 203 



chionanthus (fringe tree) and tinct, of sanguinaria canadensis (blood root), each 

 equal parts. Dose — Ten drops 4 times per day. 



"Feb. 12th. — Little patient entirely relieved; skin and urine as clear as it 

 ever was." 



4. Jaundice, Allopathic Treatment of — Successfal.— I give the 

 following treatment because it contains calomel and may meet some cases where 

 the chionanthus cannot be obtained, and also because it will lead me to follow 

 it with remarks, sliowing how a very little calomel will sometimes arouse the 

 action of the liver when, as the saying is, " everything else has failed." This 

 is from Geo. B. Snyder, M. D., of Hays City, Kans. It will explain itself. It 

 was reported in the July number of T?ie Bnef, 1879. He says: 



" In looking over the April number of j'our valuable journal, I notice an 

 article on the ' Treatment for Jaundice.' As I understand it, the mere presence 

 of jaundice is not a disease, but merely a symptom. The yellow skin indicates 

 the presence or hepatic (liver) trouble, the true character of which I am, in 

 candor, bound to confess is not always easy to determine. The last patient 

 under these circumstances, I was called upon to see, was on August 19, 1878. 

 His symptoms were yellow skin, impaired digestion, excessive restlessness, with 

 eclampsia, etc." [This ' eclampsia,' here, no doubt, refers to an appearance, to 

 the patient, like flashes of light, a symptom of epilepsy.] " ^ly prescription," 

 he continues, "was: Hydrarg chlor. mite (calomel), 4grs.; podophyllin, 3 grs. ; 

 potass chlor. (chlorate of potash, pulverized), 36 grs.; ex. of hyoscyami(hyoscy- 

 amus) 3 grs.; mix. Make into 10 powders. Dose — One powder every 2 hours. 

 On the second day I found my patient so much improved that with a single 

 prescription of bitter tonics with ex. of nux vomica, I dismissed him. His 

 recovery to perfect health was absolute." [A good tonic pill for these cases 

 would be: Quinine, 45 grs.; alcoholic ex. of nux vomica, 2 grs.; mix thor- 

 oughly and make into 30 pills. Dose— One pill only, 4 times a day, for an 

 adult. These pills should not be given to children. But for them 1 gr. pow- 

 ders of quinine might be given as the tonic, without the nux, in cold strong 

 coffee, which hides the bitter taste very much.] 



Remarks.— Tir. Snyder says, above, " the yellow skin indicates the presence 

 of hepatic, or liver, trouble," but the true character, he "confesses is not 

 always easy to determine." Well, I would ask, why try to determine at all, so 

 long as the chion<int7ms, as given in the foregoing recipe, or even his own com- 

 bination, will cure it ? We know this much, that whenever the skin and eyes 

 are yellow, there is a certain condition of the liver, and it is generally believed, 

 at least, that this condition is always the same, hence, they are always cured, as 

 above indicated, by the same medicines. But there is a certain diseased con- 

 dition of the liver, attended with considerable uneasiness, sometimes amount- 

 ing to actual pain, but not having the jaundiced or yellow skin and eyes, when 

 the author has not been able to touch the liver, so as to start the bile, with 

 either the common liver pills, which contain podophyllin, leptandrin, etc., 

 nor with the chionanthus; but very minute doses of calomel, even the 20th 

 of a grain, taken at bed-time, followed with a tea-spoonful of epsom salts. 

 In the morning, has aroused its action, and started the bi>e fveely ts'JthiD 



