Peru as It Is, Volume 2 (of 2): A Residence in Lima, and Other Parts of the Peruvian Republic, Comprising an Account of the Social and Physical Features of That CountrySmith, Archibald
History
Peru as It Is, Volume 2 (of 2): A Residence in Lima, and Other Parts of the Peruvian Republic, Comprising an Account of the Social and Physical Features of That Country
Smith, Archibald
Peru -- Description and travel
The facility of procuring ice renders cholera morbus a disease of easy
cure, according to the popular practice of the natives. In the first
stage of this malady they administer diluents, such as warm water,
linseed or mallow water, with or without a little seasoning of cream of
tartar or tamarinds; and these simple drinks they continue to give until
they consider that the patient has vomited and voided enough, that is,
until all undigested matters be thrown off, and the bowels well unloaded;
and then they administer iced water, which produces a powerfully sedative
effect.
The death-like coldness of the patient deters neither the vulgar nor the
regular practitioner (who sometimes conjoins opiates and iced drinks)
from giving this remedy with confidence; and the general consequence of
the seasonable use of ice and iced water in this fearful disorder is,
that the stage of external coldness is shortened by the early removal of
internal heat; and thus the exhausting career of the disease is quickly
arrested.
Under this vulgar but satisfactory and long-established treatment of
cholera morbus in Lima, where the disease is endemic, though more
prevalent in the hot months, vomiting, hiccup, and cramps disappear;
reaction is so mild and favourable as never to require the lancet: yet
recovery is almost always certain, though cases appear from time to time
so intense as to assume the aspect of what is called Asiatic cholera,
during which, as a native physician expresses it, the patient is a horrid
image of death.
At Ica and various other points to the southward, where vineyards abound,
it is observed in vintage-time that to eat freely of the grape on an
empty stomach, or without eating bread with the fruit, is one of the
most frequent causes of dysentery, which disease is more appalling and
fatal on the shores of the Pacific than the cholera morbus to which we
have just alluded. It is, however, gratifying to know that, in the form
of dysentery which commonly prevails, the calomel and opium plan of
treatment, when discreetly conducted, is assuredly the safest and best
yet adopted, whether in Lima or in the interior of the country.
Moquegua, which lies a considerable way inwards towards the mountains
behind the sea-port of Ilo, is not less famous for its wine and its
grapes, than for its dysenteries and violent agues; but Tacna, on the
other hand, about seven leagues inward from the port of Arica, is so
healthy as to be a place of resort to the people of the port during the
_terciana_, or aguish season, which, over all the coast, is about the
vernal and more particularly the autumnal equinox.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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