182 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



The ether appeared to prove invaluable ; for, soon after its 

 administration, the animal appeared calm, tranquil, and rational, 

 and soon began to take notice of its offspring. I then admin- 

 istered table salt, eight ounces ; water, one pint. 



Flannels saturated with infusion of hops were now applied 

 to the mamma, and renewed occasionally. In the course of 

 thirty-six hours after the administration of the ether, the patient 

 was standing up, nursing her offspring, and at the same time 

 partook of a Iran mash. The following three days the patient 

 got two drachms of fluid extract of chamomile flowers per diem, 

 and was then turned out to grass, and " done well," as the 

 saying is. 



Remarks on the Preceding Case. — The treatment of 

 puerperal fever, in by-gone days, is a disgrace to what has 

 been considered as a " learned profession." It is a very unfor- 

 tunate circumstance that such learned men as Ramsboiham, 

 Churchill, Meigs, and other equally distinguished midwifarians, 

 should contend that " the lancet is our sheet anchor in puerperal 

 convulsions." They inform the world of medical-non-thinkers, 

 that the daring use of " the lancet is demanded ; " that the " lan- 

 cet is our sheet anchor;" that" blood must be taken largely." 

 Yet a great proportion of their patients thus treated, prematurely 

 pay the debt of nature " secundum artem." "What a libel on a 

 *' learned prof ession " is this state of affairs ! and, unfortunately 

 the distinguished French surgeon, Cazeaux, has endorsed the 

 reckless tactics of England's universal wretched practice ; viz., 

 " sanguine emissions" Now I contend that the routine practice 

 of the acknowledged authorities, will not stand the test of 

 modern medical logic ; that it is contrary to all demonstrative 

 experience, and therefore should receive the seal of oblivious 

 antiquity, never to be re-acted or countenanced by sensible 

 men. The old school heretics are great sticklers for the sup- 

 port of their tottering fabric ; viz., " that fever and inflamma- 

 tion must be subdued ; " and they commit outrages on the 

 physiological laws of animality, by instituting a series of manip- 

 ulations redolent of the aroma acceptable to the god of path- 

 ology, whom they worship with the spontaneous faith of a 

 new convert. 



