238 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15. 



so long as the current was applied, but the 

 pain came back promptly as soon as we stop- 

 ped turning the crank. By the way, there 

 are a lot of such remedies. They may give 

 one a little respite, but they confer no perma- 

 nent benefit. More than forty years ago I 

 took the agency for an electric apparatus for 

 the cure of diseases ; but I never sold a ma- 

 chine, because I was very soon satisfied that 

 electricity gave no permanent benefit ; and I 

 have followed all sorts of electrical appliances 

 from that day to this, and I am still of the 

 same opinion. Of course, the pain in my leg 

 was not always alike. Sometimes it went 

 away so I could walk around quite well. Then, 

 again, it came on quite unexpectedly. It be- 

 haved so much like the pain in my back after 

 I had that " crick " that I began to connect 

 the two. Yes, you may be sure that I praved 

 about it all along, and I prayed with faith — 

 not that I might have relief from pain, so much 

 as that the great Author of all life might lead 

 me to understand better that I might teach 

 others, and teach them truth; and my prayer 

 was answered. Inasmuch as the hot water in 

 my nostrils, described and figured on page 104, 

 cured my tooth and ear ache, it one day oc- 

 curred to me it might possibly have some ef- 

 fect on the painful and swelling limb. I took 

 perhaps two quarts of water, as hot as I could 

 bear it, through my nostril. I sent it with 

 force enough so a part of it came through into 

 my throat. When the stinging sensation, 

 something like strangling, became too severe, 

 I raised my head enough to give less force to 

 the stream of water. In a minute or two the 

 respiratory organs and the organs of the ear 

 that had been affected became warmed up, so 

 there was quite a discharge from the nostrils 

 and throat — that is, by sneezing and clearing 

 my throat — and the heat was sufficient to in- 

 duce considerable perspiration ; * and, sure 

 enough, my leg was free from pain. After 

 having sneezed and expectorated, I would feel 

 well enough to go over to the factory and read 

 my letters. Mrs. Root laughed when I told 

 her I could cure my leg by applying hot water 

 to my nostrils. The neighbors laughed. I 

 presume they thought I was a sort of hot-wa- 

 ter crank. Yes, and the doctor laughed (for 

 I had called the doctor in to know if it could 

 be inflammatory rheumatism that was crippling 

 me); but after I showed him my apparatus, 

 and gave him my explanation of the matter, 

 he owned up that I was probably right. He 

 said a great number of his patients had been 

 troubled with the grip in the ears, face, nos- 

 trils, and teeth. Some of them had had their 

 teeth pulled, thinking that might help the 

 matter; but it did no good. Others had suf- 

 fered excruciatingly, and finally an abscess or 

 something of that sort had formed in the ear 

 or nostrils, giving no relief until it broke and 

 discharged this foul matter. He said, by the 

 abundant and free use of water, and by keep- 

 ing the passages open between the ear, nos- 

 trils, and throat, he felt sure such troubles 

 might be prevented. 



* Sometimes the hot water brought tears also, from 

 the eye nearest the trouble but they were not tears of 

 sorrow, for with the tears came freedom from pain. 



The trouble in my leg was, without question, 

 neuralgic pains that had their origin in the or- 

 gans of the head. Perhaps the crick in my 

 back, a month before, had served as a sort of 

 communication with the leg ; and in my case 

 the grip had confined itself entirely to my 

 right side. Now, what sheer folly to put lini- 

 ments, electricity, plasters, or any thing else, 

 on the leg, when the real trouble is in the 

 head! I think I have heard somewhere of 

 curing bruises on one's heel by putting a plas- 

 ter on the top of the head, and you see I have 

 been getting pretty near to it.* I do not 

 know but some of our medical friends will 

 think I am taking a great deal of liberty in 

 presuming to teach ; but I believe the more 

 sensible ones will tell me they have had many 

 cases quite similar. There is this comforting 

 thing about the hot-water treatment : After 

 you get well you know you have not injured 

 some other organ of your body with some 

 powerful drug that perhaps did not hit the 

 spot at all. 



I hope that this little story may help some- 

 body else out of similar troubles, and give re- 

 lief to suffering. I have had several commu- 

 nications in regard to the vapor-bath treatment. 

 It is probably right along in line with what I 

 have said. Of course, the hot-water spray I 

 have described takes much less time and trou- 

 ble; for five minutes is plenty of time to rinse 

 the nostrils thoroughly after you have the ap- 

 paratus rigged. 



Since the above was put in type I find the 

 following on a scrap of newspaper : 



The famous Dr. Salisbury frequently made the state- 

 ment that, if he were to be deprived of all means of 

 cure except one, he would choose hot water, thus prov- 

 ing his right to be called a wise physician. 



How refreshing it is to discover that great (?) 

 minds usually run in parallel channels ! 



ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES OF STRAW- 

 BERRIES AND POTATOES. 



On page 148 I said you might grow a whole 

 acre of seedlings, and not find any thing bet- 

 ter among the lot than the potatoes and straw- 

 berries we have already. Friend Cook, who 

 advertises potato seed in the same issue, thinks 

 I put it too strongly, and perhaps I did. I 

 wish those who have furnished a valuable 

 potato or strawberry for the people would cor- 

 rect me if I need correcting. Friend Manum 

 has given the world a valuable potato, and he 

 has been at work at it a good many years. I 



* In the case of the pipes, the cause of all the trouble 

 was more than 100 feet away from where we had been 

 fussing with lamps and hot water all day long; and 

 the neuralgic pain, where I had been fussing with lin- 

 iment, hot water, rubbing, etc., had its origin in near- 

 ly the most distant point in my whole body. Perhaps 

 I should add that, during all this time, there was more 

 or less of a dull pain in that ear. It felt somewhat 

 stopped up. and was more or less deaf, although it had 

 so nearly recovered I had thought but little about it. 



