Yellow Fever

Below is a quote from Ayers "Every Man His Own Doctor," 1879 on yellow fever with some additional information to follow.

Begin Quote
This is a disease of hot climates, a species of typhus, which takes its name from one of its symptoms, but whih is not, however, an essential one.

Causes.—Probably a vitiated state of the atmosphere, from putrid exhalations, arising from putrifying vegetable or animal substances in hot, sultry weather. It is an epidemic, and very contagious.
SYMPTOMS.—Costiveness, dull pain in the right side, defect of appetite, flatulence, perverted tastes, heat in the stomach, giddiness or pain in the head; dull, watery, yellow eye; dim or imperfect vision, hoarseness, slight sore throat, and the worst features of typhus.
Treatment.—It is advisable to clear the stomach by the following purgative:--

Compound Extract of Coloeynth 1 drachm
Compound Rhubarb Pill 1 drachm
Socotrine Aloes 1 ½ drachms
Calomel 1 scruple
Oil of Caraway 10 drops
Syrup of Ginger, sufficient quantity

Mix, and divide into forty-eight pills. Take two or three at bedtime. Then use pills made as follows:--

Calomel 1 scruple
Powdered Opium 1 scruple
James’s Powder 1 scruple
Conserve of Hips, sufficient quanity

Mix, and divide into twenty pills. One to be taken every two or three hours till the disease abates. When the fever and inflammatory action are gone, use the following tonic antiseptic draught:--

Tincture of Calumba 1 ounce
Tincture of Peruvian Bark 1 ounce
Infusion of Augustura Bark 10 ounces

Mix. Take two table-spoonfuls three times a day, with twenty-four drops of dilute sulphuric acid in each dose. If much irritability of the stomach exists, a blister may be of service, and washing with cold water is often refreshing to the patient. Favorable symptoms are—settled stomach, little pain in the head, lively eyes, free perspiration, copious high-colored urine, an eruption on the skin, and sound sleep.
End Quote
(information taken from: Ayer’s Every Man His Own Doctor Family Medical Adviser ©1879)

There’s another section on Herbal and Eclectic Treatment of Yellow Fever but we’ll save that for another time.

Here are some links to the meanings of some of the words above:
Drachm

Scruple

Tincture

You can search any of the other words and find their meanings as well. What I find interesting here is that people had available to them these kinds of drugs to make their own pills or liquid medicines. This was back in the day before regulations came into existence.

Here's the link to Yellow Fever Part Two