1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



595 



in this country, recognizing the great need of 

 an asylum specially for those unfortunate peo- 

 ple. Let me give you a clipping from the 

 middle of the article: 



The average number of inmates in the colony was 

 214. The treatment given them, while always under 

 medical super\'ision, is moral and hj'gienic rather 

 than medical. Fresh air and exercise, cheerful sur- 

 roundings and careful diet, are the chief factors in 

 the treatment given. Many of the patients, upon en- 

 tering the colony, are found to be suffering from bro- 

 misni, a condition resulting from continued and ex- 

 cessive use of bromide of potassium The effect of 

 this is pitiable, causing not only physical weakness, 

 but al.so mental dullness that seems akiu to idiocy. 

 The bromide suppresses the fits, while destroying 

 health of bodj' and mind. No doubt the advertising 

 quacks who assert that they cure fits resort to such 

 means to support their claims. Of cour.se the bro- 

 mides are withdrawu at the colony, and the whole- 

 some life sub.stituted effects a wonderful change. 



The above statement interested me, more es- 

 pecially because Gleanings, some six or seven 

 three years ago, recommended bromide of po- 

 tassium as a remedy for insomnia. Since 

 then there have been several protests against 

 advising people to depend on a drug to induce 

 sleep. A few years ago a ycmng man was 

 employed in our establishment, who was af- 

 flicted with epilepsy. I had many talks with 

 him in regard to the matter. Several times 

 he got hold of a medicine that he was sure 

 was going to cure him. At one time, through 

 the aid of this treatment, he went as long as 

 six weeks, if I am correct, without one of his 

 "spells." The medicine was furnished by an 

 institution in a neighboring city that I pro- 

 nounced quacks from the way their circulars 

 read. Of course, he paid them a good deal of 

 his hard-earned money ; and although the 

 remedy did suppress for a time his peculiar 

 trouble, his friends as well as myself began to 

 fear that the powerful drug was doing him in- 

 jury in other ways. It seems that the adver- 

 tisers have the names of all epileptics, for he 

 showed me the circulars he got from time to 

 time, making great claims, and calling every- 

 body quacks but themselves. Poor Albert ! 

 When off alone one day fishing in the river he 

 was taken suddenly, and rolled off the bank in- 

 to deep water, with no one near to help. Well, 

 this State institution described by the Rural 

 informs us of an alarming state of affairs as 

 described in the clipping above. These ven- 

 ders of medicine, who doubtless furnish it at 

 first free of charge, probably know what the 

 result will be — "mental dullness that seems 

 akin to idiocy." But yet in the face of this 

 they push ahead. Little do they care whether 

 they kill or cure. 



Now, is it not time that our different States, 

 or, better still, the United States as a whole, 

 shut down on this business ? By the way, I 

 am going to send a copy of this to Commis- 

 sioner Blackburn, just as soon as the printers 

 get a proof. I would advise every reader of 

 this, who has friends or relatives afflicted with 

 epilepsy, to send for the Rural giving an ac- 

 count of the treatment. This treatment is 

 what I have been so vehemently advocating 

 for years past — doctorhig ivithout medicine. 

 They attribute their success to the right sort 

 of diet, lots of fresh air — in fact, outdoor life 

 as much as possible, keeping the patients 



pleasantly employed where they will be safe 

 from injury, and taking advantage of all ra- 

 tional means known to medical science at the 

 present day for the alleviation and cure of hu- 

 man sufferirg. May God bless those who 

 have the institution in charjje. 



ROBBING SICK PEOPLE — CHAPTER 2. 

 Somebody is sending me a paper called the 

 Christian, published in Little Rock, Ark. 

 Here is a sample of one of the editorials: 



It isn't anybody's business; but as I am not a hypo- 

 crite, and never do anything in secret, I will say "that 

 I get drunk when I feel like it: always pay ft.r my 

 drinks, and never think of going in at the back door. 



I thank God for whisky. It has been my true and 

 faithful friend for twenty years. 



After looking over several numbers of the 

 paper, my impression is that the principal 

 part of the editorials are written when the ed- 

 itor is drunk. Now, there is nothing partic- 

 ularly worthy of notice or comment in this; 

 in fact, I should not have given the periodical 

 a notice had it not been that this fellow is ac- 

 tually getting money for pretending to cure 

 people who are sick. I think he must do it 

 something on the principle of Christian Sci- 

 ence. Just notice his audacity in the follow- 

 ing: 



My terms for healing, which means the speaking of 

 the .Silent Word every daj', are just the same as ever: 

 from one to ten dollars a montli, leaving each one to 

 judge as to his own financial ability. Just as faithful 

 treatments are given for one dollar as are given for 

 ten dollars. 



You'd just as well .send me the money, for I'm go- 

 ing to have it. My thougJit has gone out, and will not 

 return unto me empty. Besides, this monej- is mine. 



People do send money to such fellows, or 

 else they would not have the wherewith to 

 publish their papers; neither would they keep 

 advertising unless somebody sent them mon- 

 ey. A great part of the publication is filled 

 with testimonials from people who claim to 

 have been cured, but these testimonials have 

 neither name nor address. I hope the sam- 

 ple I have given you above will be sufficient 

 to discourage anybody who is thinking of 

 sending away hard-earned money to get some- 

 body X.O pray for him. 



DO OUR SOLDIERS NEED BEER ? 

 The brewers have been very busy, and their 

 sympathies have been very strong to the ef- 

 fect that our soldiers, especially in tropical 

 climates, ought to be supplied with beer to 

 fortify them against contagious diseases. Gen. 

 Miles, however, it seems, does not agree. See 

 the following, which we clip from a recent 

 number of the Chicago Advance: 



Gen. Miles, in an order to the army concerning 

 matters of health, says: " The history of other armies 

 has demonstrated that, in a hot climate, abstinence 

 from the use of intoxicating drinks is essential to con- 

 tinued health and efficiency." If this is true the liq- 

 uor-canteens ought to be summarily abolished. Let 

 Gen. Miles .secure this "essential" by peremptory 

 orders. 



It seems to me, friends, that, if America is 

 going to have more to do than she ever did 

 before with the affairs of the whole wide 

 world, it is of the utmost importance that we 

 set a good example before the rest of the 

 world. If it has been settled for all time to 



