(Reprint from The Chicago Medical Recorder, for April, 1894.) 
THE TREATMENT OF TYPHOID FEVER. 
Read before the Chicago Medical Society, March 5, 1894. 
By ELMER LEE, A. M, M. D„ Chicago. 
Recognition of the value of cleanliness represents the 
most practical discovery in treatment during the present 
generation, and, at the same time it constitutes one of the 
really great discoveries in the history of Medicine. The 
application of the principles of cleanliness more nearly 
meets the requirements of a real advance in curative med- 
icine, than all the other propositions known to the1 pro- 
fession for the cure of disease. 
The symptoms of Typhoid Fever are too well kqown 
by all to need particular mention; the question of burning 
interest is what to do to be saved. The disease is pro- 
duced by drinking contaminated water, and its seat of 
development is situated in the intestinal canal. There is 
a poison there which, if it could be removed before it had 
become absorbed into the blood, life, and even health 
would be spared. Allowed to remain, the poison is drawn T 
$ 
THE TREATMENT OF TYPHOID FEVER. 
into the circulation, and very soon the whole body feels 
the depressing effect. Even at this time, if those remain- 
ing poisonous juices and germs which are contained in the 
bowels were either neutralized by suitable remedies, or 
washed entirely away by a stream of flowing water, the dis- 
ease would be checked, the patient spared, and health re- 
stored. 
Without waiting for development of the symptoms of 
Typhoid Fever the very first proposition is to make the 
patient surgically clean, which means the free and abund- 
ant use of water internally first, and externally afterwards. 
The bowels are drenched and cleansed by a copious 
douche of hot soapy water, made to pass into and out of 
the lower bowel, until the contents are cleared away and 
the returning water comes back as clear as before it en- 
tered. The relief to the sick person by following such 
ablution is a delight to the physician and of greatest 
comfort to the patient. It seems so reasonable, they will 
say, and in practice it is just as good as they say. Fears 
were formerly entertained by me, as they are to-day by some 
of my contemporaries, that something would be bursted 
by running a large volume of water' into the bowels of 
persons sick with Typhoid Fever. No harm has ever been 
done, and neither is it likely to be so caused. Several 
hundred cases have been so deluged by me with large quan- 
tities of water, and in no instance has the result failed to 
be beneficial. The fear of doing harm may be entirely 
and forever dismissed. That which is not well understood 
by any one, always seems inconvenient, or troublesome to 
perform. But a little practice makes easy the methods 
which a little while before appeared unpleasant, even hard. 
The temperature of the water used for cleansing and 
washing the bowels, should always depend upon the tem- 
perature of the body. If there is high fever the water is The Treatment of TyphoId feVeJL 
more agreeable and useful to the patient when it is cool, 
viz.: 75 degrees F.; but if the patient is chilly, or has a low 
temperature, the water should be at blood heat, nearly 100 
degrees F. During the first week of illness, the irrigation of 
the bowels should take place in the morning and again in 
the evening of each day. After this, one douche of water 
should be given each day until convalescence. The co- 
operation of the patient is readily accorded. The treat- 
ment takes hold of his reason, which lends both hope and 
help to the management of the case. 
Bathing the body is performed at regular intervals and 
by such a system as may be convenient and suitable to 
the individual. The bathtub may be used when the pa- 
tient is strong enough to be assisted to it, where otherwise, 
sponging with cold water is very refreshing, and useful to 
maintain strength and lower the heat of the body. 
'Fhe most effective and most lasting influence is secured 
by wrapping the patient in a wet sheet. Two blankets are 
spread on the bed, covered with a sheet wet with cold 
water. The patient is wrapped in the sheet, and then 
folded quickly and completely in the blankets. The time 
during which the sick one may remain in the wet pack is 
from one-half to one hour, or even longer if he is comfor- 
table. Bathing opens the pores of the skin, and through 
them the system discharges a part of the hurtful waste of 
the body. This bathing should be continued, several times 
daily during the disease and during convalescence. 
The internal treatment is uncomplicated, safe and use- 
ful. The basis of it is cold water, and always plenty of it 
to drink. Water cools the body and assists to cleanse it of 
the poison which makes it sick. The elimination is carried 
on through the intestinal canal, through the kidneys, 
through the lungs, and by the skin. Let the sick have 
water, it can do no harm in any case; water only does THE TREATMENT OF TYPHOID FEVER. 
good. What cruelty it was in fever cases, to keep water 
from them, and what suffering it caused. A half table- 
spoonful of Hydrozone* is added to each glass of water. 
It is the best and most simple repedy that can be given 
that is likely to be of benefit in helping to cure Typhoid 
Fever. Continued for a few days, it is then laid aside for 
a few days and Glycozone substituted in its place, both as a 
relief to the patient and for the beneficial effect of the rem- 
edy itself. And so on in this way the two remedies are 
alternated, which is found by me to be the best arrange- 
ment for administering these valuable antiseptics. The 
preparation, Glycozone, is chemically pure, redistilled Gly- 
cerine in which Ozone, or concentrated Oxygen, has been 
incorporated, and can be taken with as much freedom and 
safety as pure Glycerine. The Glycozone may betaken in 
doses of half a tablespoonful to a glass of water as often 
as water is taken during the day. When it is desired to 
allay nervousness and induce sleep at night, sulphate of 
Codeine is used, in doses of from one-half to one grain, by 
the mouth, or one-quarter to one-half grain by the hypo- 
dermic method. This remedy tranquilizes the nervous 
system and induces sleep, and should be administered at 
night. 
The Typhoid Fever patient receives as food, whatever 
is simple, at regular intervals of four hours. Milk, simple, 
natural milk, is nourishment of the highest importance. 
One egg every day, or every other day, is alternated with 
a small teacup of fresh pressed juice from broiled steak or 
mutton. The egg is pleasant to take and more nutritious, 
when whipped till it is light and then stirred with a small 
glass of milk. For a simple and nourishing artificial food, 
malted milk is always good. 
* Hydrozone now takes the place of Peroxide of Hydrogen, the strength is double, 
the dose one half. See addenda. THE TREATMENT OF TYPHOID FEVER. 
The juices of fruits are delicious to the Typhoid Fever 
patient, and are not to be dismissed on the supposition 
that they are injurious. It is always interesting to observe 
that, when the fever is broken, and convalescence is begin- 
ning, that water in copious draughts is no longer easy for 
the patient to take. When the usual glass of water is 
handed back half drained, it is an encouraging sign of be- 
ginning restoration. For wholesome drinking, fresh lake 
water which has passed through a Pasteur porcelain filter 
is entirely reliable. 
The simplicity of the foregoing plan meets every re- 
quirement, and saves nearly every case, unless there is 
some complication. It is my belief that doing more than 
this is doing less, and less than this which is so simple, is not 
enough. The profession agrees that no kind of drug treat- 
ment is useful or curative in Typhoid Fever, indeed, one of 
these days, in my opinion, the statement will be considered 
applicable to other, if not all, cases of diseases of the 
bowels. 
The plan as proposed by me and practiced during a 
period of five years, consists, in review, of the following 
systematic management in Typhoid Fever: 
Water used internally as a douche for free irrigation of 
the bowels, either simple or made soapy with pure liquid 
soap. Water as a drink, and as a remedy taken copiously 
and frequently, especially during the stage of fever. Water 
is indispensable, and should be given as often as is desir- 
able and agreeable to the circumstances of the case. Fre- 
quent application of cool water to the surface of the body 
during the entire illness. 
Remedies: Hydrozone and Glycozone, for the anti- 
septic effect of the oxygen which is set free in the stomach 
and intestines. But to be of real value, these remedies 
are to be taken in considerable quantity largely diluted with The traTmeNt of typhoid Fever, 
water, else, in my opinion, they are of little use. The 
capacity of the bowels is so great that a little of anything 
cannot spread over enough of this enormous area to effect 
it beneficially. Cleanliness is the principle governing the 
use of Hydrozone and Glycozone. 
For a remedy that sooths and brings on sleep at night 
sulphate of Codeine is better than chloral, besides it is the 
safest and best. 
For food, anything that is simple and in liquid form; 
milk is always the best: milk and whipped eggs; pressed 
juice from broiled meat. The juice from fresh, ripe fruit. 
The nutrition taken should be at regular intervals (four 
hours), that sufficient time may be allowed for digestion. 
Stimulants and drugs are injurious without exception, 
and better results are secured without their use. Typhoid 
Fever, generally transmitted through the drinking- water, 
is a preventable disease. Typhoid Fever affects all classes, 
but if food and water were always pure, no class or age 
need contract Typhoid Fever. Cleanliness everywhere 
and always is the means at hand which makes it possible 
to escape Typhoid Fever and other diseases of the bowels. 
Internal cleanliness as well as external is a reasonable 
proposition of hope for the cure of the unhappy multitude 
of sick and discouraged humanity. 
103 State Street. ADDENDA. 
"The use of Peroxide of Hydrogen as an internal 
remedy has been widely opposed by some of my patients, 
owing to the disagreeable metallic taste. This objection 
was partly obviated by the use of large dilution with 
water, but still not to my entire satisfaction. 
Since reading the foregoing paper, a new antiseptic 
remedy called 'Hydrozone' has been received and exam- 
ined already sufficiently, to promise relief from the objec- 
tions against Peroxide of Hydrogen for internal use. 
Hydrozone has now been substituted by me instead of 
Peroxide of Hydrogen. 
First, on account of its greater bactericide power, as 
it requires but half the quantity of the Hydrozone to obtain 
the same result, and secondly, the taste of this remedy is 
not disagreeable to the patient." 
Chicago, May i, 1894.