Typhoid Fever Treated by the Woodbridge 
Method. 
Report of Eighteen Cases of Typhoid Fever treated by the Woodbridge 
Method at the Worcester, Mass., City Hospital without a death. 
BY WESLEY DAVIS, M.D. 
WORCESTER, MASS. 
REPRINTED FROM THE 
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN 
MARCH H, \1896. 
CHICAGO: 
American Medical Association Press. 
1896. TYPHOID FEVER TREATED BY THE 
WOODBRIDGE METHOD. 
WESLEY DAVIS, M.D. 
During my service from Oct. 1, 1895 to Jan. 1,1896, 
there were admitted eighteen cases of typhoid fever 
all of which were treated by the Woodbridge method, 
only that the tablets were given in double doses, two 
every half hour in place of one every fifteen minutes. 
Of these cases four had intestinal hemorrhage, none 
commencing later than the fourth day of treatment; 
we had very little tympanites; no sordes, tongue rarely 
found dry and then only for a short time, practically 
no delirium. Three cases had relapse, one a slight re- 
crudescence of four or five days, the other two had an 
elevation of 2 or 3 degrees and it was ten to fourteen 
days before the temperature reached normal again; no 
cause could be discovered. Two or three were nau- 
seated by the treatment and it was suspended for a 
few hours and subnitrate of bismuth given, when the 
treatment was resumed and persisted in, not even 
hemorrhage being considered a contra-indication. 
Several had stomatitis to such an extent that the 
tablets were suspended and guiacol carb, given in 
from 3 to 5 gr. doses alternately with the capsules, and 
the bowels were kept open with 1-20 gr. of podophyllin 
given with each dose of medicine t.c., every hour and 
a half or small doses of magnesia sulph., or both as 
seemed necessary. 
One case came in with a septic hand which ulti- 
mately required amputation, but fortunately for the 
diagnosis he had an intestinal hemorrhage of half a 
pint the second day after admission. Another after 
several hemorrhages had a chiH Ttnd~temperature-ot 2 
106 degrees on two consecutive days, after which no 
local complication being discoverable it yielded to 
quinin; another had a sharp attack of local peritonitis, 
probably nature's method of preventing perforation. 
There was one case of parotitis, also one of double 
pleurisy with slight effusion developing after ten days 
when the temperature was nearly normal. We had 
the reputation of having mild typhoid fever at the 
City Hospital during the fall. When we consider 
that it is mainly a charitable institution and that the 
city as a whole presented the usual death rate from 
the fever, I am compelled to think that the treatment 
was in a measure, at least, responsible for the mild 
form assumed and no deaths. With the same number 
of cases during the corresponding period of 1894 we 
had four deaths under the regular treatment. No 
typhoid case was refused admission if we could make 
room for it, as wTe were anxious to give the treatment a 
thorough trial. In strict justice I wish to say that 
one case in a state of delirium such that it could not 
be longer cared for at home, was sent to the hospital 
after my visit one day and died before my arrival the 
next day, being in the hospital fifteen hours. I have 
not included this case but refer to it that there may 
not seem to be a discrepancy when the hospital report 
shows one death from typhoid fever during the period. 
The house officer says this was the only case this sea- 
son where he has seen the characteristic sordes upon 
the teeth. The regular treatment by sponge baths, 
usually cold, when the temperature rose to 102.5 or 
103 degrees was faithfully pursued and turpentine 
stupes, opiates, quinin, strychnia and stimulants when 
indicated were not omitted. The diet in all cases was 
liquid at first. Milk, lime water and milk, beef tea, 
beef juice and broths of various kinds in regular quan- 
tities and at stated intervals. Stale bread or toast 
made from it was given, whenever desired by the 
patient regardless of temperature, if the tongue was 
moist and tolerably clean; if this was eaten with a 
relish and did no harm if was allowed more freely and 3 
soon followed by custards, dropped egg, egg on toast, 
etc. if desired, and in a few days tender boiled chicken, 
baked potatoes and the like. During the treatment 
the stools smell quite strongly of the medicine, which 
would appear to show that they can get to the site of 
disease in the small intestines. This antiseptic treat- 
ment seems to prevent decomposition and the forma- 
tion of gas whatever diet may be given and the conva- 
lescence is more rapid in consequence of the extra 
amount of nourishment tolerated and assimilated. 
I learn from the board of health, where all cases of 
fever are required to be reported, that during the three 
months there were 69 cases reported, from which, if 
we deduct the 18 at the hospital, we have 51 cases 
cared for by the various methods and means that a city 
of a hundred thousand inhabitants affords, with a 
mortality of 12, a death rate of 23| per cent, outside 
the hospital. 
I wTish to add that I have treated by this method seven 
cases in private practice without a death, and some 
have seemed to show that it can be aborted.