Life in a tub; with a description of the Turkish bathDiogenes [pseudonym]
Science
Life in a tub; with a description of the Turkish bath
Diogenes [pseudonym]
Baths, Turkish; Hydrotherapy
“In a temporary cholera hospital at Gloucester, there were sixteen
patients, one of whom was an interesting young female, between
fifteen and sixteen years of age, for whose recovery the attending
physician (Dr. Shute) was most anxious. On leaving the hospital in
the evening, the girl was in collapse, and quite blue; he called
the nursetender, and bade her be attentive to her, and give her
whatever she may call for, as all hopes had vanished. In the course
of the night the nurse went to increase the fire which was near the
girl’s berth in the ward; but she begged the woman not to do so, as
she was almost suffocated, and, at the same time, asked for a
drink. The nurse brought her a bowl of tea, which was rejected, but
she requested water. Remembering the doctor’s directions, the
nurse, not without some reluctance and apprehension, brought her a
pint mug full of water, which she drank with avidity; and continued
to call for water about every five minutes, until she had taken two
gallons of it; when she fell into a profound sleep, in which she
was found by the doctor in the morning, when her natural complexion
reappeared, and she was, to his astonishment, in a state of
convalescence. Having with amazement elevated his eyes, exclaiming,
‘this is something like a miracle!’ he called the nursetender, who
related what had taken place; and perceiving the window open over
the patient’s berth, he asked why it was not shut? and was told by
the attendant, that it was left open at the earnest desire of the
girl. The doctor immediately ordered all the windows of the ward to
be opened, the heavy bed covering on the patients to be removed,
and replaced by light rugs; directed that no drink should be given
but cold water, and the result was, that the whole sixteen persons
were cured of cholera; one, however, died of consecutive fever,
produced by eating too much chicken and drinking too much broth
whilst convalescent. The case was reported to the Government Board
of Health, then sitting in London; and similar treatment was
pursued by all the medical men in and about Gloucester with the
most complete success. The report, names of the doctors, and all
the correspondence are minutely detailed in the columns of the
Chronicle in the year 1832.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account