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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Clara Morris
Clara Morris - a terrible surgical operation - The wonderful surgical operation performed on the person of Clara Morris, the well known New York actress, in Paris, is described in a letter from a friend of that lady. "Miss Morris’ disease was curvature of the spine.Treated years ago, it could probably have been arrested, but it was a crisis in her profession, and upon success in surmounting many obstacles, her whole future seemed to depend, and she could not spare time for a medical treatment.
A sea voyage failed entirely to produce any change for the better, and a list of the highest medical authorities abroad confirmed her worst fears and condemned her to a horrible operation, the same which Charles Sumner submitted to, for the cure of the same disease. Its main feature is the burning of the flesh of the back from the neck down to the waist with red hot irons.
The operation was performed in Paris, in the presence of Mrs. Worthington, Miss Gabrielle Greeley and Sir William Belmore, the attending physician. Miss Gabrielle Greeley also writes a letter to a New Yorker in which she says "Poor Clara was obliged to sit on a low chair with her back bared, and she went through the operation with her face pale and rigid as marble. Dr. Belvin lit his furnace, and the roaring of the flames that was to heat the iron to a white heat in a few seconds was dreadful to hear, and while this was going on Professor Ball marked with a pencil the line the iron was to follow on either side of the spine.
Every touch of the pencil sent a thrill through the delicate frame of the poor victim, but the Professor had scarcely ended making the penciled marks when with a flash the iron was applied. It was dreadful. The white point seemed to sink an inch into the quivering form, and it was all over. The doctor said it was a wonderful exhibit of nerves."
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Mrs. Dr. L.F. Hagar
Mrs. Dr. L.F. Hagar, healing medium, has taken rooms at the house of D.G. Shaw on Wells Street, where she is prepared to prescribe for the sick or attend to calls if desired. Special attention given to chronic diseases and the diseases of children. References given if required. A liberal patronage is desired.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Diphtheria
Diphtheria - The best and simplest remedy - Make a salve of the ashes of burned corn cobs and take a little of it often. Also wet a bag of commercial ashes with rum and put around the neck. Experience has proved it a cure where other remedies have failed. From one who knows. Please put this in print to the benefit of the afflicted. [Oh, brother!].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
August Flower
August Flower - The most miserable beings in the world are those suffering from dyspepsia and liver complaint. More than 75% of the people in the United States are afflicted with these two diseases and their effects, such as Sour Stomach, Sick Headache, Habitual Costiveness, Palpitation of the Heart, Heart-burn, Water-brash, gnawing and burning pains at the pit of the Stomach, Yellow Skin, Coated Tongue, and disagreeable taste in the mouth, coming up of food after eating, low spirits, etc.
Go to the Drug Store of Childs & Payne, Greenfield, and W.B. Andrews, Orange, and get a 75 cent bottle, or a sample bottle for 10 cents. Try it. Two doses will relieve you.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Conway
Conway - A birth "mark" on a child's face of this town was successfully removed without a physician's aid, by simply pricking it repeatedly, letting out the blood that had gathered and centered in that part. It was nearly as large as a silver dollar. Sufficient time has not elapsed to prove the cure sure and permanent.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
A cure for gravel
A cure for gravel [old term for kidney stones] - Dr. Streeter of Barbara, tells the Atlas that the worst case of gravel may be cured, the deposit dissolved and passed away, by using the water in which potatoes have been boiled to pieces, strain the water, sweeten to taste and drink for 2 or 3 weeks. This is a painless cure.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
(Greenfield) There was a murderous assault yesterday upon Miss S.P. Willey, the clairvoyant physician, who lives in Mrs. Mary B. Coombs' house, West Main Street. A tramp entered a room where she was alone and stooping over, and struck her upon the back with a stake. Her lower limbs are now paralyzed. The villain is at large.
Many who are suffering from the effects of the warm weather and are debilitated are advised by physicians to take moderate amounts of whiskey two or three times during the day. In a little while those who adopt this advice frequently increase the number of "drinks" and in time become confirmed inebriates. A beverage which will not create thirst for intoxicating liquors, and which is intended especially for the benefit of debilitated persons, is Dr. Schenck's Seaweed Tonic, containing the juices of many medicinal herbs...
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Saturday night’s fire - We had a narrow escape from a serious fire Sat. night, after an immunity of over 2 years. About 11 o’clock, Charles Burnham and James Keith discovered smoke billowing from the basement of F.E. Field’s crockery store in Union Block, belonging to the estate of the late R.R. Taylor. The alarm was given at once, and the fire department were soon upon the scene. So dense, however, was the smoke in the cellar of the store that it was impossible to make an entrance, but the water was applied as well as possible through the basement window and door. It was like fighting an enemy in the dark, and ere long the fire had worked its way up the partition between Field’s store and the central stairway; and following beneath the latter, crept along the base boards and up the walls on the second floor.
Streams from two hydrants - one directed inside the crockery store, and the other in the stairway (holes being cut with an axe through the plastering) - poured in a flood of water, which deluged the block from top to bottom. But so difficult was it to reach the flames, and so thick was the smoke, that it was nearly an hour before the fire was finally subdued. soon after the first alarm, Mrs. Smith, a sister of Mrs. S.F. Warner, who occupied 4 rooms on the second floor, and who is an invalid, was taken out by Dr. Deane and others, through a passageway into the American House, the smoke preventing egress in any other direction.
The origin of the fire is not yet apparent. It caught in a pile of straw taken from crockery crates; but Mr. Field says that about 8 in the eve. he went into the cellar and everything was all right. Whether the fire was ignited by an incendiary or by spontaneous combustion is matter for speculation [I’LL say!].
The damage is of course more from the water than the fire. But few articles were taken from the stores, and everything in the main building was saturated. More or less crockery was broken, but the firemen were disposed to be as careful as the circumstances would permit. Perhaps the most serious damage is in the stove and tin shop of M. R. Pierce & Co., who occupy the other side of the block. It was completely stocked with valuable stoves and iron ware, which will be badly rusted and rendered unusable.
Their work room, fortunately, is in a one story projection in the rear, and escaped the general deluge. Mrs. Smith’s goods and furniture were thoroughly smoked and wet, and we understand that she was not insured. A gold watch, which she had left behind in her flight, was taken out by Charles Smith, when the fire was at its height, who entered a window at the risk of suffocation. There is $4000 insurance on the building, placed equally in the Dorchester and Quincy companies.
F.E. Field has policies of $3000 divided between the Hanover, N.Y. and the American, Pa., and $1000 in the builders. M.R. Pierce & Co. were insured for $3000 in the Hanover and American. The rooms over M.R. Pierce & Co’s. store had just been rented to a Miss Thayer, a dressmaker. She had her carpets put down on Sat., and the firemen took them up without serious damage. She had no other goods on the premises.
It is difficult to estimate the amount of the loss. The insurance companies will doubtless repair or settle all damages. The firemen, under Chief Engineer Lyon, did their duty well, and the Glen water proved its value. Hand engines, with such a fire, would not have been equal to the task, and there is no telling where the conflagration would have stopped.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 16, 1875
A voice from Sweden
American Chemists and their production appreciated by the professors at the celebrated universities in Sweden. Mr. Sachs, Sir - At your request, I have tested Hall's Vegetable Sicilian Hair Renewer, in my practice at the "Serafimer Hotel", and can say, it will restore gray hair to its original color. It is entirely harmless, and is a valuable remedy to use in such cases. P.H. Malmsten, professor of chemistry and medicine, Stockholm. [Ad says Hotel, but it is really a Hospital].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
Buckland
It is quite sickly now, more especially among the children. Keep the little ones from exposing themselves to the night air and bathe them daily if you would have them free of complaints.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Miss Sophronia P. Willey, a clairvoyant physician, has taken up her residence with Mrs. Mary B. Coombs at West Main Street. [Read about another clairvoyant physician at http://www.aadl.org/.../bridge_displays/w2/ ].
There was quite a ludicrous mistake through a prescription of one of our M.D.'s the other day, designed for two patients; one an old lady, who was in raptures over the benefit she derived for her ailments, from the Dr's. last medicines - when lo and behold she was taking the wrong, it being sent to his other patient, and changed by mistake of the messenger. when after a few day's trial of the other, without any perceptible good, the physician was consulted, and thus the change discovered. Haste was made to rectify the error; and going to the old lady, were met with a most glowing and voluble account of "how much better she was already, never had anything done her so much good in all her life, etc.".
It was difficult to get a word in, informing her that her new medicine was not HER medicine AT ALL, nor could she hardly be convinced; declaring she would "not give it up". With a hearty laugh it was decided to leave the disputed article to be taken and shaken at her leisure and pleasure.
There is a house in our village, that it seems but a few years since comprised a happy family circle, consisting of father, mother, 3 sons and 5 daughters. Today they are all gone. Consumption claimed them rapidly one by one. Two alone died of diphtheria, yet with every indication, had they not fallen by the last disease, would not have lingered long; bearing in every look the fatal mark.
Since their deaths the home has passed into other and stranger hands, and from this last household, 3 new victims of consumption. Can medical man give any reason for this mortality? Nothing strange in or about the house as we can learn,or locality, to assign as a cause. The house was new when occupied by the first family mentioned. Is it simply a coincidence, with hereditary taint in the blood of each?
[See the New York Times online index for July 7, 1900, entitled "Consumption contagious"].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 19, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Mrs. N.S. Wells, with her brother, Elijah Coleman of Philadelphia, his wife and daughter, accompanied by Mrs. V.M. Ward, have been under Dr. Perry’s care at Mount Mineral Springs http://www.shutesbury.org/history/# the past week. Mrs. Wells and Mrs. Ward returned on Sat.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 12, 1875
Hampshire County items
Dr. H. Halstead, formerly proprietor of the Round Hill Water Cure establishment in Northampton, died at Saratoga June 26, age 72. After leaving Northampton several years ago, he has resided at Saratoga.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 12, 1875
A sad sequel to "Katie King"
Robert Dale Owen has become insane. He has been under treatment for various ailments of dyspeptic nature, at a water cure in Western New York; but otherwise, though over 70 years of age, he was strong and of active habits. During a week or two past, his always noticeable eccentricities have increased to an alarming extent, and his wild excitement at the races in Dansville made his friends send for his son, with whom he returned to his home in Indiana.
It is perfectly natural to attribute this result to chagrin at his part in the "Katie King" fiasco, and although he has seemed to bear the misfortune of his mistake with dignity and philosophic strength, it is likely to have been an influential determining cause. Mr. Owen has been the clearest headed and closest reasoning man among the Spiritualists, and was too well grounded in his faith for this sad error to uproot it. A man of the purest and loftiest personal character, and of rare literary ability -- writing as admirable English as any man in this country -- it will be a most tragic termination to the materialization comedy of last year, if his fine mind has lost its balance thereby.
[See articles on both Robert Dale Owen and Katie King in Wikipedia]
June 23, a little son of William F. Tower of Monroe, aged about 17 months, died through the effects of taking what is called "elixir of opium" which is nothing more nor less than Laudanum, and which was given by the mother, in 15 or 20 drop doses once an hour, by the advice of an old Florida woman, who said it would cause the worms which were supposed to be in the child’s stomach, to have a good sleep, in an hour or so give a good dose of senna and the worms would be expelled from the child, and all would be right; but the child went to sleep never to awake, and the worms have not made their appearance yet.
The bereaved parents have the sympathy of all the neighbors, and no blame whatever is laid to them, as they were entirely ignorant of the poisonous effects of the drug they were giving. After the mother saw that her child was breathing with quick inspirations and rattling in the throat, she took it in her arms and carried it one third of a mile to the nearest neighbor for assistance, but it was too late. The last dose had been given about 11 o’clock on Wed. A.M., and about half past 2, some 3 hours after she arrived at the neighbor’s house, and everything was done by them to empty the stomach of the child, such as tickling the throat and giving emetics, etc. but to no effect.
The child never moved a muscle from half past 3 till it died, which was about 11 at night, living some 12 hours after the last dose It is a sad thing to see the child cut down in health as it were, and at an age when all the cares of the parents and affections of its brother and sister were at its very height of enjoyment. The little fellow was at play in the morning as ever and at 11 at night was a corpse. This should be a sufficient warning to every one, how they use poisons or take the advice of old women and Indian doctors, who run wild in the woods and get a great skill in medicine without the trouble of study.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, June 21, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
Mrs. Putnam, the clairvoyant and magnetic physician, died from Diphtheria on Wed. As we stated last week, she became inoculated with the virus from a diphtheria patient, which soon affected her whole body. She suffered terribly and death came to her relief. Mrs. P. had lived here several years and had quite a practice among those who believed in her method of treatment.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, June 7, 1875
News of the week
Dr. A. Morand, a South Boston druggist, has been for some time suffering from the use of hair oil by a no. of young women, prepared a decoction of gum arabic and sugar, which he delicately tinted and placed on his counters, and since one girl has used it, and had to cut off her hair close to her scalp, he has not been troubled since. [I don't know, does anyone else think this is a prosecutable crime? Misogyny at the very least].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, May 24, 1875
Stop that cough! Use Dr
Stop that cough! Use Dr. Morris' Syrup of Tar, Wild Cherry and Horehound will cure a cough in one half the time necessary to cure it with any other medicine...Trial size 10 cents. For sale by Howland & Lowell, sole agents for Greenfield and vicinity.
- Sun, Feb 21, 2010
