Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why: What Medical Writers SayAllen, Martha Meir
Science
Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why: What Medical Writers Say
Allen, Martha Meir
Alcohol -- Physiological effect; Temperance
Hygienic physicians all insist upon a rigid fast as long as the high
temperature continues, or until the patient is sufficiently hungry to
eat a piece of plain, stale, graham bread, "dry upon the tongue." Dr.
Charles E. Page of Boston says there would be very few relapses if this
plan were carefully carried out. He contends that the whisky and milk
diet, together with the not over-fresh air of the average sick room is
enough to produce fever in a healthy person, hence is not likely to be
conducive to recovery in one already infected with the disease.
In an article in the _Arena_ of September, 1892, Dr. Page says:--
"In my fever practice I have frequently observed the effect of
fasts of six, eight, ten and twelve days to be in the highest
degree productive of the health and comfort of patients, as, on
the other hand I have, during the past twenty years observed the
deplorable effects of the almost universal plan of constant
feeding. In some of the most distressing cases that have
happened to be thrown in my way, when all hope in the minds of
friends had been abandoned, I have found that withdrawal of
food, drugs and stimulants, and the substitution of simple,
fresh, soft water, has produced results that seemed almost
miraculous."
Fruit juices are now permitted by many physicians in fever, a few drops
of lemon or orange juice, being a grateful addition to the water. Grape
juice, unfermented, is highly recommended by some.
A young minister of great promise died recently of typhoid fever. His
young wife, only one year married, is in settled melancholy, because she
cannot understand why "God took her husband." Inquiry developed the fact
that the physician in attendance was a believer in alcohol as a remedy,
and used it in this case. In view of the better chances of recovery
under non-alcoholic treatment shown by comparative death-rates, may it
not be that the alcohol was responsible for the young man's death,
instead of its being "God's will to take him?" The Author of all good
has too frequently been held responsible for the errors of physicians,
and the carelessness of nurses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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