But that the manner of living contributes greatly towards it, may be concluded from the unanimous accounts of old people, concerning the times of their childhood; according to which, the inhabitants of these parts, were at that time not subject to so many diseases as they are at present, and people were seldom sick. All the old Swedes likewise agreed, that their countrymen, who first came into North America, attained to a great age, and their children nearly to the same; but that their grand children, and great grand children did not reach the age of their ancestors, and their health was not near so vigorous and durable. But the Swedes who first settled in America, lived very frugally; they were poor, and could not buy rum, brandy, or other strong liquors, which they seldom distilled themselves, as few of them had a distilling vessel. However they sometimes had a good strong beer. They did not understand the art of making cyder, which is now so common in the country: tea, coffee, chocolate, which are at present even the country people’s daily breakfast, were wholly unknown to them: most of them had never tasted sugar or punch. The tea which is now drank, is either very old, or mixed with all sorts of herbs, so that it no longer [[371]]deserves the name of tea: therefore it cannot have any good effect upon those who use it plentifully; besides, it cannot fail of relaxing the bowels, as it is drank both in the morning and in the afternoon quite boiling hot. The Indians, the offspring of the first inhabitants of this country, are a proof of what I have said. It is well known that their ancestors, at the time of the first arrival of the Europeans, lived to a very great age. According to the common accounts, it was then not uncommon to find people among the Indians, who were above a hundred years old: they lived frugally, and drank pure water: brandy, rum, wine, and all the other strong liquors, were utterly unknown to them; but since the christians have taught them to drink these liquors, and the Indians have found them too palatable, those who cannot resist their appetites, hardly reach half the age of their parents.
Lastly, some people pretended that the loss of many odoriferous plants, with which the woods were filled at the arrival of the Europeans, but which the cattle has now extirpated, might be looked upon as a cause of the greater progress of the fever at present. The number of those strong plants occasioned a pleasant scent to rise in [[372]]the woods every morning and evening. It is therefore not unreasonable to think that the noxiousness of the effluvia from putrifying substances was then prevented, so that they were not so dangerous to the inhabitants.
Several remedies are employed against this disease: the jesuit’s bark was formerly a certain one, but at present it has not always this effect, though they sell it genuine, and for the very best. Many people accused it of leaving something noxious in the body. Yet it was commonly observed, that when the bark was good, and it was taken as soon as the fever made its appearance, and before the body was weakened, it was almost sure to conquer the fever, so that the cold fits never returned, and no pain or stiffness remained in the limbs; but when the disease is rooted in, and has considerably weakened the patients, or they are naturally very weak, the fever leaves them after using the jesuit’s bark, but returns again in a fortnight’s time, and obliges them to take the bark again; but the consequence frequently is a pain and a stiffness in their limbs, and sometimes in their bowels, which almost hinders them from walking: this pain continues for several years together, and even accompanies some to the grave. This bad [[373]]effect is partly attributed to the bark, which can seldom be got genuine here, and partly to the little care which the patients take in using the bark. A man of my acquaintance was particularly dexterous in expelling the ague by the use of the jesuit’s bark. His manner of proceeding was as follows: when it was possible, the patient must use the remedy as soon as the fever begun, and before it was settled in his body: but before he took the medicine, he was to take a diaphoretic remedy, as that had been found very salutary; and as the fever is frequently of such a nature here, as not to make the patient sweat, even when the hot fit is upon him, a perspiration was to be brought about by some other means. To that purpose the patient took his dose on the day when he had his cold fit, and was not allowed to eat any thing at night. The next morning he continued in a warm bed, drank a quantity of tea, and was well covered that he might perspire plentifully. He continued so till the perspiration ceased, and then left the bed in a hot room, and washed his body with milk warm water, in order to cleanse it from the impurities that settled on it from the perspiration, and to prevent their stopping up of the pores. The patient was then dried again, and at last he [[374]]took the bark several times in one day. This was repeated twice or thrice on the days after he had the ague, and it commonly left him without returning, and most people recover so well, that they do not look pale after their sickness.
The bark of the root of the Tulip tree, or Liriodendron Tulipifera, taken in the same manner as the jesuit’s bark, sometimes had a similar effect.
Several people peeled the roots of the Cornus florida, or Dog wood, and gave this peel to the patients; and even some people, who could not be cured by the jesuit’s bark, have recovered by the help of this. I have likewise seen people cured of the fever, by taking brimstone reduced to powder, and mixed with sugar every night before they went to bed, and every morning before they got up: they took it three or four times in the intervals, and at each time drank some warm liquor, to wash the powder down. However others that tried the same remedy did not find much relief from it.
Some people collected the yellow bark of the peach tree, especially that which is on the root and boiled it in water, till half of it was evaporated by boiling. Of this decoction the patient took every morning about a wine glass full, before he had eaten [[375]]any thing. This liquor has a disagreeable taste, and contracts the mouth and tongue like alum; yet several persons at Raccoon who had tried many remedies in vain, were cured by this.
Others boiled the leaves of the Potentilla reptans, or of the Potentilla canadensis, in water, and made the patients drink it before the ague fit came on, and it is well known that several persons have recovered by this means.
The people who are settled upon the river Mohawk in New York, both Indians and Europeans collect the root of the Geum rivale, and pound it. This powder some of them boil in water till it is a pretty strong decoction: others only infuse cold water on it and leave it so for a day; others mix it with brandy. Of this medicine the patient is to take a wine glass full on the morning of the day when the fever does not come, before he has eaten any thing. I was assured that this was one of the surest remedies, and more certain than the jesuit’s bark.
The people who live near the iron mines, declared that they were seldom or never visited by the fever and ague; but when they have the fever, they drink the water of such fountains, as arise from the [[376]]iron mines, and have a strong chalybeat taste; and they assured me that this remedy was infallible. Other people therefore who did not live very far from such springs, went to them for a few days, when they had the fever, in order to drink the water, which commonly cured them.
I have already shown above, that sage mixed with lemon juice, has been found very salutary against the ague.