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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1878)
December, 1878. THE WEST SHORE. TREATMENT FOR INTERMITTENT FEVER, Perhaps some of our readers in malarial dis tricts may profit by the following treatment described in the Sanitarian by Dr. J. R. Black. He avs an orthodox doctor in verv an tr feeaf a chronic intermittent thus: A mercurial ca thartic to clean out the abdominal visoera, then quinine in large doses, and if this does not suc need, then in larger and yet larger, to destroy or neutralize the hypothetical malaria in the system. Cases havo I seen by the score who had received such treatment for weeks and ths unavailingly, who had taken quinine and iron until they were, as they expressed it, almost blind and deaf, and yet the duease per sisted, with very brief cessations. As a hy gienic therapeutist, aud as one who has had a large experience with ohronic intermittent, I unhesitatingly affirm of this latitude that scarcely a case of intermittent fever need ever become chronio, and that even when so, proper management will hold the symptoms under con trol until the tendency is wholly overcome. The outline of the method is as follows: Inquire carefully into the history of the case, and whether acclimated or not, directing speoial attention to each of the abdominal organs, and, if much deranged, administer the beat active corrective at once. Then anticipate the next paroxysm with 12 grains of quinine, divided into three doses, beginning its administration I H hours before the time of the expected chill. Repeat this amount of quinine every seventh day for four consecutive weeks, but at no other time, except when the patient's indiscretion brings on an irregular paroxysm. Daring the intervals administer dady gentle remedies ap propriate to correct the functions that show the most derangement. These remedies should be suoh as will keep the organs mainly at fault op as near as possible to the standard of healthy action, and no more, never allowing the secre tions or exoretions of any organ to sink far below the healthy standard, nor causing them to rise much above it. The diet should be strictly hygienic, and so also of the exercise, not per mitting the vital energy to be spent in toil that should be devoted to recuperation. To guard against external variations of temperature, es pecially in the unacolimated, flannel should be worn next the skin. The grand condition of success lies in the method and means for keep ing all the abdominal organs during every day, aud for several weeks, up to the standard of healthy action, and thus triumphantly raise the health above tho ague point. Quinine is in valuable for the arrest of periodicity, bat nothing more. By these means my success in treatment has been immediate and invariable, even in those cases in whom improper manage ment had led to serious derangement of the liver. I n i. on Mails. According to the Iron Aae, Prof. Ijockyer is of the opiniou that human life on the planet Mars may be very much like life ou the earth, the light cannot be so bright, but the organs of sight may bo so much more sus ceptible as to make the vision quite as good) the heat is probably less, as the polar snows certainly oxtend further, but by no means lea in proportion to the lessened power of the solar rays. He agrees with others, that several very remarkable seas, including inland ea, some of them connected and soma not counseled by straits with still larger aaaa, are now defin able in the southern hemisphere, in which, aa is the case also with the earth, water seems to be much more widely spread than in the northern hemisphere. There is, fur example, a southern sea exceedingly like the Baltic in shape; and there is another and still more remarkable Ma, now defined by the observations of many astronomers, one near the equator, a bag strag gling arm, twisting, almost in the shape of an S laid on its hack, from east to west, at bast a thousand miles in length and a hundred in breadth. SURPLUS SHIPS. Those who have crossed the ly frequently during the last few months have noticed the large number of ships idly waiting for charters and have concluded that the ocean freightiug uumubh must, iw ,1,1 o. i nun is is all over the world and the Marilum Journal quotas an ex tract from a speech of a Briatol, England, ship owner, which states facts aud draws conclusions. He said: Last month more than 50,000 tons of shipping were lying idle in Bombay. In Cal cutta, ships had been lying lit months, during whioh time there had been from 80,000 to 100,000 tons disengaged and constantly pressing on tliu market, with freights averaging about One-half the paying rate. The China seas and tho Straits are full of ships. In Australia, a friend has had a ship waiting for three mouths for a ohancu to load sonic. In San Francisco, there were in July 100,000 tons lying in port. Tho explan ation of the present condition of the shipping trade is no new or intricate story. Free trade increased the volume of exchange in the world in other wonls, the volume of the carrying trade of the world so immensely in proportion to the then existing supply of shipping, that high prollta were the rule for man y years. Ship building was actively stimulated, and all the arts connected with it were energetically spurred on. The history of the building of iron snips i the history of a constant series of discoveries and inventions, involving a rapidly progressive facil ity of production, and leading by changes of form and new systems of management, to such a re duction of cost and extension of accommodation as would have seemed, only a year or two liefore each improvement, to be fabulous and incred ible. Hence a perpetual temptation to fresh tonnage; and henoe two million pounds sterling of shipping are lyiug idle in the Indian ports at this moment. I'aefir ,, ',,,, Raisimo an Ikon Bhiikik. A Pennsylvania papsr gives an account of laising an iron bridge of the Pennsylvania railroad which spans the Conemaogh at Johnstown. Hydraulic jacks of immense lifting power were uasd, ami slowly bat sorely the stiierstructure was raised, span by span, just IS inches. The spans were not disconnected at the piers, and the trains which crossed during the forenoon passed along in safsty, although the western half of the bridge was so much lower than the eastern section, whioh had been taken up to ita propsr (tight. The teak wss a delicate as wall as a difficult one, but everything moved along like clock work, and the ponderous weight was at last ad justed to the proper level. The object iu mak ing this change of elevation is for the purpose of removing the stringers upon whioh the rails now rest, and replacing the track on the cross ties. It is contended by civil engineers of the road that the bridge is less liable Ui get out of repair in the latter case as there is less danger of lateral motion and of swaggiug. Whan the string timbers are taken out, naw trues -sleepers of oak will lie laid, and on these tho rails will be securely spiked. To overcome the differ ence of the thickness of the stringers, it wsa noeeasary to either change the grade approach ing the bridge at the east and west ends, or raise the bridge to onrreepood with the present grade. It was thought beet to pursue ill lat ter coarse, and the work has been satisfactorily carried oat. All the bridges on the division will be changed try the removal of airing tim bers from under the rails, the same aa has lawn done with the Johnstown bridge. North wi Fa ih The heavy traffic on the 140 mites of the Northern Pacific railroad, tie. tween Brainerd and Pargo, U already Iwgim.lng to tell on the iron rails laid down In IH7'.', and the directors have decided to eonnmenee replee ing them wHa steel. An instalment of MW tn is now being man a facta red at Ctjieago. The pattern adopted weighs ft pound per yard, is four and a half inches high, and four inches base. .19 NOTE UN NARROW I.YC(!K CONSTRUC TION. At tho iM.ni Narrow-Uauge Convention, which wu mentioned in a late issue, a report of a committee on construction wu adopted, from wku ii iiiouiaa lolluws: tliesame require ments uoocssary iu the location are necessary in the construction of uarrow or broad gauge roads, that is, ailnptatiuu to the future traffic and work of the road. !f heavy trains are to be run over the road, rail, tics and ballast must lie in proportion. If trains are to run at a fast rate, aud more stability is required, MOM ties must be louger ami liallast wider and deeper. If for iiassengcr travel it require a belter finished and wider road bed than for a purely freight traffic, because passengers form their estimate nf the safety o! a road from the gaae ral aipcarsncu of it. It is not surprising to your ciuiimiltoc that there should lie so many of the traveling public averse to riding on narrow gauge roads when they call In mind these char acteriatics of some ot the roads: No ballast, tie I nd down in the mud, joints in all shapes, embankment so narrow that the tine project; cuts not ditched, and almost rubbing the carsi tracks nut aligned, etc.. ths aoiiieiUenoe being that the train runs at about eight to tn miles l"i hour, swinging and swaying liku a ship at sea. This is not calculated to soothe the timid passenger, and the worst of it is that, Instead of the engineer ,ir contractor getting the blame, the "system" obtains it all. The location of a narrow gauge toad should be a matter uf aa much care and reipiire the same engineering ability aa the location of a broad gauge road Indeed, the location of the nar row gauge, if anything, requires the uusrt nare and attention, as with the change in gauge new problem are introduced, resistance iue to cur vature are changed, proportion of paying to dead weight are altered, requiring or admitting of different grade and curvue from those in use tin broad gauge roads suited to the same traffic. ('tillHosli)N 1,1 Still. PirsM, The Onmi'h.ut Mrtlumiet Mttfnif says : Caaee nf corrosion in load soil pipes are common m the exierielice of every iilumher, Section nf a dram will lie founil fairly honeycombed with holes, varying from the sis ni a pin head to a quarter of a dollar. They are almost invariably located on the upper side of the pijie, ami hence are dim cult to detect, a there is no fluid leakage from them. Their origin lias bean laid to tba over use of disinfectant, particularly cerladte arid, but chemical analysts show that sewer gaaelonc is suffiolimt to oau suoh corrosion iu inventl Is ted lead pipe, Proper ventilation will uu thuihtedly guard against the evil by carrying off the gas before it can do harm. Liwinii inn Routes Mr. Fran Muettgeii back gives the billowing recipe fur the prepara tion of a coating fur the inner surface of Uailafl t.. pieveut tio formation of scale, vveqante from the Uanfnttfi "! Huil-lrr tiradiially dissolve fi kuimI of a mi lure nf ill) pert of eolnphiiniuiii, 'ij .atts .-( graphite, and if' jwrls uf lampblack, iu 40 pound id bulling gas tar, adding aboil one pound of tallow, 'file solu tern i diluted with about iV) , of the pet roll tun and applied in a warm state. It has a pungent smelt and alwuld lie put ou rapidly, the preaau turn id using ulueed lanterns being necessary. Its effect i to causa the scale W ooliie off In Urge flakes when picked. Asunn Mo snecwra. Pros'. J, (ribbons Hunt, M. I)., uf Philadelphia, la rssiant tee lure, staled that, in In opinion lead he I oa of the meet etperieuoed miroaput in this vuuutryj, England, winch Ural introdmad cheap instruments, sit at the feat of America in re spect Iu both ten and mechanical appliances. He says it alb. ution or stupidity fur Ame.'i nana to send U Europe for inleruetaipe when they can purchase better ones M hum.