The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English Part 99

[Ill.u.s.tration: Miss McCarty.]

_Gentlemen_--My little girl was delicate from birth, nervous and irritable. When three and one-half years old we discovered she had that terrible disease "epilepsy," inherited from her father's family; she had spasms or fits once in two or three days, and grew worse so rapidly that in four months she had from four to eight fits in twenty-four hours.

Home physicians did no good, and just then one of your little pamphlets came to me as they had come often before. As my need was great I wrote a description of her case, and though your answer did not seem very encouraging, I did not dare to lose any chance of saving my child, so I commenced the treatment. On November 6, 1891, she had seven fits; November 7th gave her your medicines; she had four fits that day, and never one since. She took your medicines less than four months. She is nearly six years old, a strong, hearty, bright child, attending school every day.

What more can I say than that I thank Dr. Pierce and the Faculty of the World's Dispensary Medical a.s.sociation for having saved the life of my child, and I thank G.o.d that he gave them the knowledge and skill to do so.

Respectfully yours, MRS. J. MCCARTY, Gouldsville, Washington Co., Vt.

ST. VITUS'S DANCE.

WORLD'S DISPENSARY MEDICAL a.s.sOCIATION, Buffalo, N.Y.:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Master Ira D. Ponsler.]

_Gentlemen_--My boy had been in bad health for a long time. We called our home doctor, but he got no better. Finally he had the St. Vitus's Dance, and our doctor did not know what to do. So I wrote to you and did as you told me; I got two bottles of your "Favorite Prescription," and one bottle and a half did the work all right. At that time, eighteen months ago, his weight was 85 pounds, now it is 135 to 140; he is fourteen years old.

Yours truly, JEREMIAH PONSLER, Zenas, Jennings County, Ind.

EPILEPSY.

WORLD'S DISPENSARY MEDICAL a.s.sOCIATION, Buffalo, N.Y.:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Miss Thulin.]

_Gentlemen_--My daughter, Josephine E. Thulin, is now six and a half years old. She had been afflicted with epilepsy for three and a half years, and received treatment from three different doctors, and from one especially, for the s.p.a.ce of two years steady, without any benefit.

Before taking your treatment she had as many as six or seven spells a day. The child could not have stood it much longer. After taking your treatment one month the spells stopped. With four months' special treatment from you, and two months' use of Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription she was entirely cured. In one year and three months she has not had a drop of medicine, and she is in the best of health and vigor.

I would say to any sufferer from obstinate or chronic disease, and especially epilepsy, that we have a living witness. You can come and see for yourself that the doctors connected with the World's Dispensary Medical a.s.sociation _do_ understand how to prescribe.

You can use this as a testimonial from me, of what you have done for us.

I remain,

Yours truly, JOHN THULIN, (for daughter,) Kearney, Buffalo Co., Nebr.

A STRONG ENDORs.e.m.e.nT.

[Ill.u.s.tration: H.E. Bankston, Esq.]

_To whom it may concern_:

This is to certify that I took treatment at the Invalids' Hotel and Surgical Inst.i.tute, Buffalo, N.Y., and I was cured of a chronic trouble that had been maltreated by other physicians. While there I saw a man who had been cured by the specialists, who had before been given up to die by the best doctors in Troy, N.Y. Of course, the case must have been a very stubborn one. I afterwards saw a man here, in Georgia, die, who, if he had been in Pierce's Surgical Inst.i.tute under the treatment and care of his skilled doctors and nurses, I know would have most a.s.suredly got well. Why? Because it was only a case of _stone in the bladder_, and they are easily cured at Dr. Pierce's Surgical Inst.i.tute. I think almost any chronic disease can be cured there, if taken in time, judging from my observations while an inmate of that Inst.i.tution.

H.E. BANKSTON, Barnesville, Pike Co., Ga.

COMPLICATION OF DISEASES.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. Holes, Esq.]

Without solicitude or hope of pecuniary reward, with heart-felt grat.i.tude and a desire to aid my fellow-man to health and happiness, allow me to state, that as an inmate for more than a month of the Invalids' Hotel and Surgical Inst.i.tute at No. 663 Main Street, Buffalo, N.Y., I feel warranted in its highest recommendation. While there I saw and talked with a groat number of people who came there as a last resort, to be cured of almost every chronic disease to which flesh is heir, and they were unanimous in their praise of the Inst.i.tution and the skilled specialists who const.i.tute its professional staff.

ANDREW HOLES, Moorhead, Minn.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

OUTLINE OF THE FEMALE URINARY AND GENERATIVE ORGANS.

The above cut is introduced here to a.s.sist in conveying a correct idea of the Urinary and Generative Organs of Woman, their form and relative positions, together with the bones, muscles and other tissues forming the cavity of the pelvis in which the organs rest, and by which they are protected. By dividing that portion of the body directly through the middle from before backward, we first cut through the cushion of fat (mons veneris) covering the pubic bone, then in succession the bone, bladder, womb, v.a.g.i.n.a, r.e.c.t.u.m, front half of spine, spinal marrow, rear half of spine, and lastly the muscles and skin. Just underneath the bone in front is revealed that sensitive organ, the c.l.i.toris, a facsimile of the male organ in miniature, the head of which protrudes, while the body is covered with tissue, but is readily traced with the finger. Further back is the urethra, or water pa.s.sage, which is one and a half inches long. Next is the v.a.g.i.n.a. When closed, its mucous lining is folded in upon itself, and requires dilating in order to be cleansed and to apply remedies. On the v.a.g.i.n.a rests the hollow, pear-shaped womb, the small end of which protrudes into the v.a.g.i.n.a, and in which is a small opening, leading through the neck into the cavity of the organ. On either side of the womb, near its top, are the Fallopian tubes leading to the ovaries, situated between the womb and hip bones. At every menstruation these organs throw off a germ-cell, which pa.s.ses through the Fallopian tubes into the uterine cavity.]

THE DOOR OF LIFE.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The fear of pain and the dangers of childbirth fill many a woman's breast with dismay. In the olden days of leeches and witchcraft, it was considered sacrilegious to lessen the pains of labor. Latterly, anaesthetics have been used at the time of parturition, and now people are beginning to find out that pain and danger can be almost wholly avoided.

Proper preparation during gestation will make both as rare as they used to be common. There is no reason why childbirth should be fraught with danger and distress. It is a perfectly natural function, and should be performed in a natural way without undue suffering. Nature never intended that women should be tortured when doing the one thing which makes them wholly womanly. The perversion of nature's laws has brought this suffering about, and a return to right living will stop it.

Nine out of ten women are troubled more or less by weakness and diseases peculiar to their s.e.x. It is so because they do not take proper care of themselves--because they neglect little ills and little precautions. A woman in perfectly hearty health goes through her time of trial with comparative ease. The thing to do then, is to make all pregnant women healthy--to strengthen them generally and locally. The medicine and tonic to do it with is Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription.

It is a powerful invigorant and nervine. It soothes and strengthens the nerves and acts directly on the feminine organism in a way which fits it for the proper and regular performance of all its functions at ill times.

Taken during gestation it robs childbirth of its dangers to both mother and child, by preparing the system for delivery, thereby shortening labor, lessening pain and abbreviating the period of confinement. The Favorite Prescription also promotes the secretion of an abundance of nourishment for the child, if taken after confinement, besides building up the mother's strength and making her recovery more perfect.

ABORTION. (MISCARRIAGE.)

The term _abortion_ is used to denote the premature expulsion of the foetus. If the expulsion takes place within four months after impregnation, it is termed _abortion_; if between the fourth and seventh month, _miscarriage_; if after the seventh month, but before the completion of the full period of gestation, _premature labor_.

Abortion may be due to those agents which act directly upon the uterus and cause the expulsion of the foetus; to those which occasion the death of the foetus, thereby effecting its ejection; and it may be _criminal_, that is, produced intentionally by direct agencies intended for that purpose.

SYMPTOMS. The premonitory symptoms are pain in the loins and lower part of the back, a dull pain in the abdomen and thighs, nausea, chills, and palpitation. The membranes and blood-vessels of the uterus become lacerated, causing profuse hemorrhage. The discharge of blood from the v.a.g.i.n.a is sometimes attended with excessive pain.

THE CAUSES which act directly upon the uterus to produce abortion may be violent exercise, lifting, accidents, or injuries from blows or falls.

Nervous susceptibilities, a plethoric condition of the system, anaemia, exhaustive discharges, use of improper food, uterine displacements, congestion caused by excessive s.e.xual excitement, general debility or muscular irritability, which is sometimes so great as to produce contractility of the uterus before the term of pregnancy is completed, inflammation of the cervix, ulcerations of the uterus, or any previously existing disease may produce abortion. When it has once taken place, it is apt to recur at about the same time in subsequent pregnancies.