FEVER AND ITS CURE
We now pass on to consider some particular diseases and the means of
curing them. And first, fever.
We generally apply the term "fever" to a condition of heat in the body,
but English doctors have distinguished many varieties of this disease,
each with its own system of treatment. But, following the common
practice and the principles elaborated in these chapters, we may say
that all fevers can be cured in one and the same manner. I have tried
this single treatment for all varieties from simple fever up to Bubonic
Plague, with invariably satisfactory results. In 1904, there was a
severe outbreak of plague among the Indians in South Africa. It was so
severe that, out of 23 persons that were affected, as many as 21 died
within the space of 24 hours; and of the remaining two, who were removed
to the hospital, only one survived, and that one was the man to whom was
applied the mud-poultice. We cannot, of course, conclude from this that
it was the mud-poultice that saved him, but, in any case, it is
undeniable that it did him no harm. They were both suffering from high
fever brought on by inflammation of the lungs, and had been rendered
unconscious. The man on whom was tried the mud-poultice was so bad that
he was spitting blood, and I afterwards learnt from the doctor that he
had been insufficiently fed on milk alone.
As most fevers are caused by disorders of the bowels, the very first
thing to do is to starve the patient. It is a mere superstition that a
weak man will get weaker by starving. As we have already seen, only that
portion of our food is really useful which is assimilated into the
blood, and the remainder only clogs the bowels. In fever the digestive
organs are very weak, the tongue gets coated, and the lips are hard and
dry. If any food is given to the patient in this condition, it will
remain undigested and aid the fever. Starving the patient gives his
digestive organs time to perform their work; hence the need to starve
him for a day or two. At the same time, he should take at least two
baths every day according to the Kuhne's system. If he is too weak or
ill to bathe, a mud-poultice should be applied to his abdomen. If the
head aches or feels too hot, a poultice should also be applied to the
head. The patient should, as far as possible, be placed in the open air,
and should be well covered. At meal-time, he should be given the juice
of lime, well filtered and mixed with cold or boiling water, and if
possible, without any sugar. This has a very beneficial effect, and
should alone be given if the patient's teeth can bear its sourness.
Afterwards, he may be given a half or the whole of a plantain, well
mixed with a spoon of olive oil, mixed with a spoon of lime juice. If he
feels thirsty, he should be given water boiled and cooled, or the juice
of lime,--never unboiled water. His clothes should be as few as possible,
and should be frequently changed. Even persons suffering from typhoid
and the like diseases have been completely cured by this simple
treatment, and are enjoying perfect health at present. A seeming cure
may also be effected by quinine, but it really brings other diseases in
its train. Even in malarial fever, in which quinine is supposed to be
most effective, I have rarely seen it bring permanent relief; on the
other hand, I have actually seen several cases of malarial patients
being permanently cured by the treatment described above.
Many people subsist on milk alone during fever, but my experience is
that it really does harm in the initial stages, as it is hard to digest.
If milk has to be given, it is best given in the form of
"wheat-coffee",[1] or with a small quantity of rice-flour well boiled in
water; but in extreme forms of fever, it ought not to be given at all.
In such a condition, the juice of lime may always be given with great
success. As soon as the tongue gets clean, plantain may be included in
the diet, and given in the form described above. If there be
constipation, a hot-water enema with borax should be applied in
preference to purgatives, after which a diet of olive oil will serve to
keep the bowels free.
[1] Part II, chap. IV