“Appetite good; thinks even the plainest food would be relished. Breakfast to be as before; the toasted coarse bread, soaked in milk, with a little scraped apple. Directed to take no nourishment at any time, unless a decided appetite, nor then oftener than three times in a day. Is to take an enema and another hip-bath in the course of the morning.
“Six, P. M.—Had continued to gain during the day till toward evening. It most unfortunately happened that an intoxicated man, mistaking the house, strayed into the room where she was lying, with no attendant but a young girl; seating himself, without any ceremony, in the rocking-chair, with a lighted cigar in his mouth, he smoked away to his satisfaction, and then very deliberately composed himself for a nap. This strange visitor, and the fumes of the tobacco, had given poor Mrs. S. a severe headache, the first with which she had been troubled; considerable nausea, with paleness of the face, cold feet, etc. A towel wet with cold water was applied to the head, and a hip-bath ordered.
“Half-past Nine, P. M.—Was rapidly recovering from the effects of the afternoon’s unexpected visit; sat up awhile.
“Fifth Day (Monday).—At 7½ A. M., found Mrs. S. sitting up in bed sewing; pulse 75; had rested well; has a good appetite. Breakfast to be as before; may safely take a hip-bath at any time when suffering from pains and is not made very chilly by sitting in it.
“Was able this morning to rise and walk about the room unsupported. Required no assistance in getting to the bath; bowels moved naturally; sat up several hours to-day; appears bright, pleasant, and cheerful.
“Sixth Day (Tuesday).—Mrs. S. feels to-day as much better than she did yesterday, as she did yesterday better than the day before. Sat up, and was about the room nearly all day; continues the practice of daily sponging the whole surface, and the use of the hip-bath. At night, retention having ensued from over-distention of the bladder, in consequence of an untimely and protracted visit from some of patient’s friends, Dr. S. was sent for, and deemed it advisable to resort to the catheter, which she had frequently been compelled to use on former occasions, sometimes for months together.
“Seventh Day (Wednesday).—Mrs. S. appeared to be better in the morning; able to rise without assistance, to walk about, and even to sweep the room; catheter again required.
“Eighth Day (Thursday).—During the night, of her own accord, took two or three or four cool hip-baths, and found them refreshing, and of service in promoting easy evacuation of the bladder. At one time dropped asleep, and remained so an hour or more—sitting in the water. Pulse in the morning. Dressed the children and arranged the room herself to-day; and though a week had hardly elapsed since her confinement, felt strong enough in the morning to go down stairs, and to do a half day’s work in sewing, etc., from which she appeared to experience no injury. A few days after she ventured to ride down to the lower part of the city, and having since continued to improve, save an occasional return of an old difficulty—retention—is most gratefully sensible, under Heaven, to her physician and hydropathy, for a far more speedy and pleasant convalescence than she ever experienced after any of her former confinements.”
Professor Gilman, of this city (New York), in his edition of the Dublin Practice of Midwifery, gives us the following account of a method of treatment which was adopted with remarkable success in the old country:
“In an epidemic (puerperal fever), which raged at Keil in 1834, ’35, and ’36,” says Professor G., “Michælis used ice, both externally and internally, with excellent effect. The cases in which he gave it with success were marked by burning pain and heat in the bowels, thirst, painful eructations, and tenderness of the epigastrium. The brain was clear; no delirium. The ice was given by the mouth, in bits the size of the finger, every half hour or oftener; it was also applied over the abdomen in a large bullock’s bladder, extending from the epigastrium to the pelvis, in a layer half an inch thick. This application was in some cases continued for three days, the bladder being changed as soon as the ice melted. It was very grateful to the patient, and Michælis thought it had cured some cases where affusion had actually taken place into the peritoneal cavity. The use of ice was not persisted in unless it was grateful to the patient. The symptoms of amendment were a sudden and very great fall in the frequency of the pulse, a peaceful sleep, relief from the painful eructations, and diminished distention of the bowels. A profuse watery diarrhea occurring with these favorable changes, seemed to him to be critical.”