Consumption, part two

In regards to consumption, John differed from from nearly all medical practitioners of the time in believing it could be cured.  He strongly believed that offering very ill patients hope was important for recovery, and he recommended both physic and prayer (Madden, "Pastor," 114).  After all, both had helped in his own recovery from consumption in 1753.  He offered more recipes in Primitive Physick for the treatment of consumption than any other illness.

"A Consumption.
"177.  Cold bathing has cured many deep consumptions: tried.
178.  One in a deep consumption was advised to drink nothing but water, and eat nothing but water-gruel, without salt or sugar.  In three months time he was perfectly well.
179.  Take no food but new butter-milk, churned in a bottle, and white bread. -- I have known this successful.
180.  Or, use as common drink, spring-water and new milk, each a quart: and sugar candy two ounces.
181.  Or, boil two handfuls of sorrel in a pint of whey [thin milk*].  Strain it, and drink a glass thrice a day: tried.
182. Or, turn a pint of skimmed milk, with half a pint of small beer.*  Boil in this whey about twenty ivy leaves, and two or three sprigs of hyssop.  Drink half over night, the rest in the morning.  Do this, if needful, for two months daily.  This has cured in a desperate case: tried.

Ginger
Old Operating Theatre
and Herb Garret
15 October 2012

183.  Or, take a cow-heel from the tripe ["the intestines, the guts"*] house ready drest, two quarts of new milk, two ounces of hartshorn shavings, two ounces of isinglass, a quarter of a pound of sugar-candy, and a race ["a root or sprig"*] of ginger. Put all these in a pot: and set them in an oven after the bread is drawn [out].  Let it continue there till the oven is near cold: and let the patient live on this. -- I have known this cure a deep consumption more than once.
184.  Or, every morning cut up a little turf of fresh earth, and lying down, breathe into the hole for a quarter of an hour. -- I have known a deep consumption cured thus:
185.  "Mr. Masters, of Evesham, was so far gone in a consumption, that he could not stand along.  I advised him to lose six ounces of blood every day for a fortnight, if he lived so long: and then every other day: then every fifth day, for the same time.  In three months he was well."  ([from] Dr. Dover.)  Tried.

Frankincense
Old Operating Theatre
and Herb Garret
15 October 2012

186.  Or throw frankincense on burning coals, and receive the smoke daily through a proper tube into the lungs: tried.
187.  Or, take in for a quarter of an hour, morning and evening, the steam of white rosin ["juice of pine"] and beeswax, boiling on a hot fire-shovel.  This has cured one who was in the third [worst] stage of a consumption.
188.  Or the steam of sweet spirit of vitriol dropt [dropped] into warm water:
189.  Or, take morning and evening a tea-spoonful of white rosin powdered and mixt with honey. -- This cured one in less than a month, who ws very near death.
190.  Or, drink thrice a day two spoonfuls of juice of water-cresses. -- This has cured a deep consumption.
191.  In the last stage, suck a healthy woman daily.  This cured my Father. [According to William Buchan, a consumptive husband whose wife had lost her infant suckled her breast milk to relieve her discomfort, and this helped his own health improve (Buchan, Domestic Medicine, 225 in Madden, "Pastor," 121).]
For diet, use milk and apples, or water-gruel made with fine flour.  Drink cyder-whey, barley-water sharpened with lemon-juice, or apple-water.


Liquorice
Old Operating Theatre
and Herb Garden
15 October 2012

So long as the tickling cough continues, chew well and swallow a mouthful or two, of a biscuit or crust of bread, twice a day.  If you cannot swallow it, spit it out.  This will always shorten the fit, and would often prevent consumption. ...
"A Consumptive Cough.
215.  To stop it for a time, at lying down keep a little stick liquorice shaved like horse-radish between the cheek and gums.  I believe this never fails." (Wesley, Physic, 44-46, 48.)

*(Jackson.)

John Fletcher was diagnosed with consumption in 1775, which was probably worsened by his high intake of milk products (remember milk could carry TB).  Fletcher's condition was critical, so John recommended travel and preaching, which he felt motivated and exercised his Methodist leaders.  Fortunately, Fletcher's doctor vetoed this action, and Fletcher did not die until 1785 and then of typhoid.  He'd only been ill two weeks with it (Forsaith).