I'm taking off time for Christmas with family, and my eyes are taking a brief intermission.

Merry Christmas!

Two Sources of Mind Enlarging Information

Have you ever read Lancet? It’s a new discovery for me this week. It has excellent articles about health issues. It’s British. Reading information written and published in other nations, especially Great Britain, give us an objective point of view, just as listening to the Brits give us the news on National Public Radio.

Here’s an excellent article that has appeal for anyone interested in looking at different points of view about vaccinations: The Imperative of Vaccination.   http://www.thelancet.com

As much as you will allow, this blog shares with you some of the research sources that can appear on the computer screen. Lancet  has all sorts of articles about health issues that we all encounter. It’s a place to go for more facts than we usually see in less intellectual sources.

The Lancet contains a large amount of information about melanoma skin cancer. That’s a horrible subject, isn’t it? Please be thankful with our family that the person who has it can take comfort in the fact it is in situ, the very earliest stage.

Another excellent place to go looking for information about melanoma and any other cancer is the  American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society not only provides useful information written at different levels and including videos. It also provides emotional support.

Happy Thanksgiving

Brandt and Christie Marie Underwood, Front Row
John and Mary Cooke, Back Row

Some of our family met in Dallas for an early Thanksgiving celebration. We toured the Sixth-Floor Museum (the book depository where the assassin stood and shot President John F. Kennedy) We also experienced ICE at the Gaylord Texan Resort.

Both places were packed. It seems that more and more people are making memories during the extended Thanksgiving vacation time with their loved ones and friends by experiencing opportunities within their reach.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!

Where do writers get all those crazy ideas anyway?

1913--What's so special about that year?  It is the time setting of HOUSE OF SEVEN The year resulted from the five novels that preceded it.

Of the seven characters, one needed to be a child to complete the group, a circle of eventual relatives. The plot required a fun-loving child, who was mischievous but lovable.

Have you ever heard of mailing children? As the book was taking shape, a story started making the rounds on the Internet about mailing children in 1913. What a coincidence! The idea seemed preposterous.

The go-to place for checking out stories is  Snopes. Here's the story about sending children via parcel post: Snopes.com

Smithsonian.com has excellent articles about various subjects. Click on the Smithsonian link to read more about mailing children. (It's a research exercise.)

The Smithsonian site has a wealth of information. For example, it has articles about my current research project, diphtheria.

Snopes and Smithsonian are two more sources for writers or for any of you who enjoy looking up things that make you curious.

Facts can be incredible.

Four Sources of Information Especially for History Lovers

Find a Grave is an excellent source of information about your relatives who have passed on. You can also find records of famous people. Snippets gleaned from listings here can be useful.

Dictionary.com  is more than a dictionary. It has a thesaurus  as a sister site. The etymologies of words can be useful.

Merriam-Webster.com  also has extra information about words and a thesaurus.

Project Guttenberg is a vast source of free books in the public domain. It is possible to find old books on all sorts of subjects. Some people convert these books into products to be sold. The rules for doing so are listed on the site.

November is National Novel Writing Month, and it isn't too late to sign up.

Are you a WriMo? Would you like to be or do you know anyone who is a WriMo?

November is National Novel Writing Month, and it isn't too late to sign up.

• Have you ever wanted to write a book?
• Have you written a novel?
• Would you like to know more about NaNoWriMo?
• Are you ready to write that novel you've had in your head all our life?

Quick, find out more and come be included in the fun!

• Search National Novel Writing Month.
• Go to Wikipedia and find the article, "National Novel Writing Month"

This annual writing project on the Internet contains helpful articles from well-known authors and an online support community. It's about getting the number of words on the page. Later you can go back and polish your manuscript.

Writing in the November 2017 program started at midnight on November 1. It ends one minute before midnight on November 30. This time is counted according to your local time zone.  The program requires each participant to write 50,000 words, which can be a complete novel or the first 50,000 words of a longer novel. It's permissible to plan or take notes ahead of time, but the actual novel must be written during that time period.

The project began in 1989 with only a few people, and it has grown into a massive international program, encouraging people to write. It costs nothing to participate, but donations are encouraged. Also the site has a page of promotional clothing items.

To read about my personal experience with NaNoWriMo, visit the  Collard Patch. 

WHY USDA ?

When we face disasters – natural or manmade – of all sorts, the people suffering the displacement or ruin of their homes and livelihoods may put out a call for expert help. The USDA organizes itself to provide immediate help in situations which may arise unexpectedly as dire emergencies or as calls for expert assistance to execute plans to improve human living standards.

Founded in 1862, the USDA has provided information and reference materials in a broad range of subjects, including the ones listed below. The website at www.USDA.gov is the portal through which we can enter into this library… a great deal of which is available just for the asking.

10 Examples of Subjects You Can Research on USDA.gov

1.   Animals
2.  Conservation
3.  Farming
4. Gardening
5.  Food and Nutrition
6.  Plants
7. Recreation
8. Trade
9.  Emergency Response
10. Forestry

10 Reasons to Look for Your Answers in USDA.gov

1. It’s written in plain English.
2. It’s available 24/7.
3. It’s written by smart people.
4. Some of it was written a long time ago.
5. Most of it was written recently.
6. People use it all over the world.
7. It’s used by people right here in the U.S.
8. If you don’t understand something, you can call them and they’ll explain it.
9. They don’t laugh at you if you’re from the city.
10. It’s all free.

 1 Final Thought

You may want to go to the food safety page on the USDA site and read about cooking your turkey for Thanksgiving.

LET'S TALK TURKEY

10 Reasons to Visit the CDC Website

The Centers for Disease Control protect our people and save lives. Have you thought about the CDC lately? What an amazing organization!

CDC is more than some impressive buildings in Atlanta, where scientists store all kinds of rare germs. It is a valuable resource for all of us, has already been purchased by our taxes. It’s ours, and it’s one of the best places to go on the Internet for loads of information.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most valuable news items begin with according to the CDC? Who needs the Center for Disease Control website?

• Educators
• Health care providers
• Journalists and authors
• People who get sick
• People who care about our planet

The CDC has a policy called plain writing, which means providing nontechnical explanations that any person can read will be able to understand.

10 Ways to Use  CDC.gov

1.    Read about outbreaks of salmonella in places you may not expect.

2.      Find out what you need to do about the destination of your next trip.

3.      See the latest press releases. For Example, did you know that rural people are more likely to commit suicide than city dwellers?

4.      Schedule a trip to the CDC museum in Atlanta.

5.      Research health conditions as a background for the novel you are writing.

6.      Read ahead about disaster preparedness.

7.      Learn more about what is going on. For example:    
------Locally—autism 
------Internationally—Ebola. 

8.     Get a vaccine Information Sheet. If you’re a medical provider, this information is the standard you will give your patients. If you simply want to know about the vaccines scheduled for some disease, go and loo.

9.      Learn the facts about health concerns, current and historical. For example, you can read volumes about   
------Diphtheria

------Whooping Cough

------Tetanus

10.  Be informed about current health practices. For example,
------October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The most up-to-date information is here. 
------October 15 was Global Handwashing Day and Latino Aids Awareness day.
------Wildfires are all over the news. CDC has help to prevent wildfires, as well as other relevant information.

The items mentioned here are a mere sampling of what is available. It is possible to place a CDC app on your phone. If you need to, you can look at the bottom of the website, find a phone number, and call the CDC about some special concern. 

It’s amazing to discover that the CDC has a wealth of royalty free pictures in the Public Health Information Library. Just do a search on whatever you are looking for, and if you find a picture you can use, make sure it is one listed in the public domain. Give attribution.

TBR Non-Fiction Selections

TO BE READ:
 I continue preparing to write an informative book about the peril of diphtheria.

I’ve discussed the idea with readers of well-written history books. Two people mentioned Rising Tide, The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America, by John M. Barry. They suggested the book to help me with my craft, since all I've written lately has been fiction.

The content is especially interesting to me because Rising Tide is a story about the flood of 1927 and its effect on Greenville, Mississippi, as well as the entire nation. Because I ived in Greenville from 1964 to 1973, I can’t wait to read this book. Also, now is a time to feel what others are experiencing in the floods of Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico, and other places.

Reading articles online about diphtheria, I check the sources. Childhood’s Deadly Scourge, The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880-1930. by Evelynn Maxine Hammonds. I can’t wait to read about the fifty-year campaign to conquer diphtheria in New York City.

These two books are hardback books, but I’ve chosen to listen to my third choice as I exercise, wipe the cabinets, and dress. I’ve listened to three-fourths of The Cruelest Miles:The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic  co-authored by two cousins, Gay and Laney Salisbury.          

                                                                                           

It is an elegantly written adventure. This true story of the race against time and the Alaska winter to deliver anti-diphtheria toxin to save the lives of the children of Nome Alaska, in 1925. For the fans of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, this book is a must-read.

What are you reading?

Diphtheria, Closer than Most of Us Think

An epidemic of diphtheria occurred as recently as one year ago--October 2016--and as close as South America.

In the United States, we are only one airplane trip away from the horrendous disease, diphtheria. Are there holes in our wall of defense?

Diphtheria has occurred in Venezuela, where it has not been seen in 20 years. At the time the disease appeared there, the country had a limited amount of antitoxin, which had expired in 2009.

 The link below leads to an in-depth article.
Long-eradicated diphtheria reappears in Venezuela; government blames the CIA

I really want you to see this article, but sometimes the above link isn't working. Let's try again:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/10/21/long-eradicated-diphtheria-reappears-in-venezuela-government-blames-cia.html

Why even think about diphtheria?

Why concern ourselves about diphtheria?

Myrtle and Robert Gregg 

Celebrating Fifty Years of Marriage

In every day my parents lived, they remembered what happened
in the story I plan to share with you.
Part of it was tragic, part uplifting in an amazing way.

What happens if we fail to protect ourselves and our children against childhood diseases such as diphtheria?

I’ve been talking to my friends about diphtheria. Some of them think I’m a little weird to want to write about this subject. “Diphtheria is not the concern it once was before the vaccination was developed,” one of my best friends told me.

True.

“We don’t see it in modern-day pediatric practice. It is not a part of educational preparation. Children in the United States receive immunizations for it.”

My friends are correct. Why, they tell me gently, would I want to research the subject or write about it? Here’s the problem: more and more parents are convinced that vaccines cause autism, and they’re refusing to have their children immunized.

What happens as the number of children not receiving the vaccination for this dread disease increases?

According to the CDC, “More than 15,000 Americans died from diphtheria in 1921, before there was a vaccine. Only two cases of diphtheria have been reported to CDC between 2004 and 2014.”   https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm

In the United States, diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, are rare. In some parts of the world, such diseases persist. Of all the childhood diseases, only one has become extinct—smallpox. Polio is on its way out, but people still get polio.

If we stop vaccinating our children against diphtheria and if we fail to keep up with the diphtheria vaccine for adults, which is included in the tetanus vaccine, we could have an outbreak if one occurs anywhere else on our planet. A diphtheria epidemic would be, as the CDC literature says, “just a plane ride away.” (CDC, See the above link.)

Worldwide, diphtheria is spreading, and the number of patients continues to grow.  Not all cases may be reported, but in 2014 the World Health Organization received reports of 7,321 cases. https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/clinicians.html

If through negligence or fear, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable, we can have a diphtheria outbreak here in the United States.

Something to Remind Me.

“Always something there to remind me.” I quote the title of a timeless popular song to tell about a passion I’m feeling. It’s a passion to tell some events that happened in my family and to share my opinions about a danger that frightens me about the future of human beings everywhere.

Let me tell you about the latest something. A few days ago, I reached into the cutlery drawer to get a spoon. In a hurry, I didn’t open the drawer all the way. As I reached over the salad forks, which have tines as sharp as knives, I landed my right pinky finger on top of a fork. It stuck so deep that when I brought my hand out of the drawer the fork came with it and dangled like a Christmas tree ornament from my pinky.  

I had to exert some force to remove the fork. Then blood gushed out and dripped onto the kitchen floor. I’ll spare you the other gory details.

The nurse practitioner and I decided I needed a tetanus shot. That inoculation includes a vaccination against diphtheria. 

Diphtheria is something I’m reminded of constantly. Why? It is a hideous disease that cost the life of one of my brothers and almost killed another. What I need to tell you is how the world would be if we had an epidemic of diphtheria again like those throughout history until almost the middle of the twentieth century when the medical community in our nation conquered the problem. 

Receiving a tetanus shot—not many of us play around with that. We’ve learned that a nail doesn’t have to be rusty or come from a barnyard to cause lockjaw. But why do doctors slip in the diphtheria shot? It’s a little like drinking milk with vitamins A and D or eating bread fortified with B vitamins. Maybe it’s like using toothpaste containing fluoride or iodized salt. All of these ideas are controversial, but I don’t plan to discuss them.

What I want to talk about is diphtheria. A sore finger that smarts while I’m typing is my reminder that I have something we need to think about.

Why should we receive a vaccination for diphtheria? According to my doctor’s Vaccination Information Statement, diphtheria can cause a thick coating to form in the back of the throat. The disease leads to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and death.

“Before vaccines, as many as 200,000 cases of diphtheria...were reported in the United states each year.” Since vaccination began, the incidence of the disease has dropped 99%.

Secret Promise will be featured at Delight Book Signing, September 30, 2017.

Secret Promise has received Lighthouse recognition.

Notice the symbol on the back cover.

It is 1907 as Caroline Clemons watches her town’s newest bachelor, Jake MacGregor, tie his horses to a post outside her window. Moments later as he enters her home to meet her eligible sisters, he mistakenly believes Caroline is a servant instead of one of Senator Chad Clemons’ daughters. Immediately mesmerized by Caroline’s beauty, Jake has no idea she is committed to fulfilling a promise she made years ago, even if it means living a Cinderella existence.

Caroline, who derives her only satisfaction in life from her teaching job in Taylorsburg, Mississippi, cannot help but be attracted to Jake who just inherited a store in town. As an internal battle rages within her, Caroline busies herself with serving her family and the Lord, even as Jake haunts her dreams and she fastidiously guards her family’s secrets. But as fate intervenes, a romance develops that leads both Caroline and Jake to rely on prayer and laughter to survive. Will they ever be able to overcome their obstacles to find their happily ever after?

A young woman must rely on faith as she struggles between honoring a long-held promise to her family or following her heart.

Secret Promise, Lighthouse

Secret Promise, Amazon

Miss Loretta Larson at Delight Music Fest

The Courtship of Miss Loretta Larson is one of the novels in the Covington Chronicles. All of the books in the series will be featured at the Delight Music Fest,  Saturday, September 30, 2017, in Delight, Arkansas. The book signing will be at the park.

The festival is an annual event. You don't want to miss it this year because the festival will honor Glen Campbell, who was born at Billstown, an unincorporated community just outside Delight.  There will be bands all afternoon, with the Campbells last.

The book signing, which will offer you eleven authors to visit, will be set up in the park near the library. The Glen Campbell 5K Ramble starts at 8:00A.M. and goes through the main street, right past the library. A vintage car show starts at 11:00 A.M. There are food and craft vendors and great crowds, as well as four bands to entertain you. 

The Dream Bucket at the Delight Music Fest Super Signing, 2017

Two Families, Many Dreams

Ten-year-old Trudy loves Papa more than anybody else until she hears him slap Zoe, her mother. She is so angry at him she wishes he’d die. When he accidentally sets fire to the family mansion and dies in the fire, she is not prepared for the shock.

William has cautioned Zoe not to pry into his financial arrangements. She wants to know where he keeps his money in case his life should end. How will she survive as a widow? The family has nowhere to call home except a sharecropper’s shack.
~~~

Best Seller:

The Dream Bucket has frequently achieved best-seller status in its category on Amazon.

Award:

The Dream Bucket received an award at the Texas Writers Conference of International Writers Alive.

Mary Lou Cheatham plans to sign The Dream Bucket at the Delight Music Fest Super Signing on September 30, 2017.

Delight Music Fest Super Signing will include Manuela Blayne, considered Mary Lou Cheatham's Most Powerful Book

The third annual Super Signing, sponsored by the Delight Branch Library, will be held during the Delight Music Fest on September 30 at the Delight, AR city park. Writers from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas will bring their books. 

The Delight Public library is

hosting the book signing,

, which will be in the park nearby.

The Super Signing will follow the Glen Campbell 5K Ramble in honor of Delight's very own, recently deceased Glen Campbell, with portions of the proceeds going to the Alzheimer's' Foundation. Music will start at noon, including Glen's family, Billstown Boys, and several bands will be participating into the evening. There will be food, jewelry, crafts and games for kids.

One of the novels Mary Lou Cheatham plans to sign at the Delight Music Fest Super Signing is Manuela Blayne.

Manuela Blayne is the story of one suffering for another.

A new day dawns for Trudy Cameron. She develops a heightened sensitivity to others around her who endure the hurts brought on by circumstances she tries to influence. Trudy starts to realize she cannot change everything, she cannot fix all the bad in her world. At the same time she develops a streak of mischief. Sometimes she is shocked by her own behavior. As she grows up fast, she finds emotions within herself she didn't expect.

In the summer of 1910, Trudy Cameron witnesses the aftershock of an event that will disturb her the rest of her life.

It is more than the consequences of the crime that concern her. Cruelty dominates the evolving social system of the South, the only home she knows.

Never will she comprehend all the hurt suffered by her friend Manuela Blayne, but Trudy wants to understand.

She witnesses firsthand what forgiveness can be. She observes hardships she has never imagined.

In a world that denies mercy to her friend, will Trudy’s faith shrink or blossom? She is always honest with herself about her emotions.

Trudy tells her story in first person.

Come spend some time with the Bentons and Camerons. Delight in the parenting skills of Samuel Benton, as he tries to distract Trudy from her anguish over Manuela Blayne.

Have a dish of ice cream in the Covington and float on a watermelon in the swim hole at Hot Coffee. Witness the mischief Trudy dares not confess to her parents.

Travelers at Delight Music Fest Super Signing.

Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek is a novel about Jeremy, a young boy in Mississippi a little more than a hundred years ago. His mother was dying of cancer, and his father was harsh. Jeremy survived by clinging to his friends, but he didn't get to see them often. At a low point in his existence, a Romani (Gypsy) showed up and offered to help the boy's father in the blacksmith shop in payment for moving his clan onto Cohay Creek for a season.

The young boy learned from his friend Walthere, the Traveler, how to assist in the blacksmith shop, how to laugh, and most importantly how to forgive. A lover of books from the school library and a  naturally curious student, the boy learned about the history of the Gypsies.

Meanwhile the adults all around him lived, loved, and fought without restraint.

Mary Lou Cheatham and Sarah Walker Gorrell collaborated to write this unique novel. Mary will be signing it at the Delight Music Fest Super Signing, September 30, 2017, in Delight, Arkansas.

House of Seven Going to Delight

Festival in Delight, Arkansas

The town of Delight, Arkansas, will celebrate its annual festival on September 30, 2017.  They'll

Delight Public Library

begin the day with a run. There will be food, crafts, and bands.

Something I'm really excited about is the super book signing outdoors under a canopy in the park. The book signing is sponsored by the library.

The weather at the end of September in Arkansas is usually perfect. It will probably be a light jacket or long-sleeve day. Even if it rains, this festival will be great fun because shelter will be provided.

At the end of the day Glen Campbell's family band will entertain the crowd. Some of the money raised at the festival will be used for  Alzheimer's research.

Along with ten other authors from  Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana, I've been invited to sign

House of Seven

A Humorous Novel

books. Most of my books so far have been inspirational historical novels with a thread of romance woven into the plots. I have a six-book series called The Covington Chronicles. I plan to bring some of each book.

House of Seven  is the most recent book in the series. It's the story of seven unlikely characters in the year 1913. The setting is in my home state of Mississippi. The town, Taylorsburg, is an imaginary variation of my hometown, Taylorsville.

In this fast-paced short novel told through the viewpoints of multiple characters, the reader will find true love, comedy, and mystery.

I'm looking forward to the Delight Music Fest, and I hope to see many old friends there as I make some new ones.

.

Brother Star, Sister Moon. Seth, the Shepherd Boy.

Click on the following link August second, third, or fourth to receive a free download of
Brother Star, Sister Moon .

Christie Marie Underwood and Mary Cooke (writing as Mary Lou Cheatham

It is a Christmas story I wrote and my daughter, Christie Marie Underwood, illustrated. This simple, uncomplicated Christmas poem was written to be appreciated by young children. The words are easily understood if an adult reads them to children, and the pictures are designed to appeal to little ones.  Working on this project together has brought us great joy.

On the afternoon of August 1, 2017,  Christie and I went to the Ransom Canyon Children's Library and made arrangements with Angie Fikes, the librarian, to present our book and also
Seth the Shepherd Boy 

at the library's annual Christmas party, scheduled for Saturday December 16, 2017.

Santa Claus will be at the party, we'll have Christmas Star and Moon cookies, and I'll have a discussion with young writers (teenagers included) about the process of writing. We'll talk about how to get started, how to organize work, how to stay focused until the project is finished, and anything else about writing of interest to those attending.

Christie and I are excited about this program. Angie is working on preparing an electronic presentation of the books. As soon as possible, Seth, the Shepherd Boy, will be offered as a free Kindle book also,

Quirky Verbs Coming from Nouns

Using words is an evolving process, or I should say it's evolutionary. Changing verbs to nouns and back to verbs again can be hilarious, yet many of us say the newly invented nouns without breaking into a smile.

Clearance is such a word. Clearance means the act of clearing. We went looking for some lawn chairs in a store last week. The clerk told us, "We don't have any more lawn chairs. We clearanced them all out."

As we all know, language is not right or wrong, and dictionaries reflect usage.
The word doesn't appear in Merriam-Webster Dictionary. At least, I can't find it, but I found this definition written back in 2008:

Clearancing defined in the Urban Dictionary
The act of shopping at retail stores with the sole purpose of finding items that have been greatly discounted by being put on clearance sale. Some buyers set clearly defined rules for clearancing, such as only buying items that are at least 50% - 75% off the original retail price. While not always the case, it's not uncommon for someone clearancing to buy items they don't really need, but will purchase because it is "such a great deal".

"You won't believe the great deal I found while clearancing today - a $30 purse for only $7.50!"

"I know I don't have a fish, but I just couldn't pass up the .25 cent fish food I found while clearancing today."

"My eBay store is filled with clothes I've picked while clearancing."

Written by brandiev December 27, 2008.

~~~
Provisioning (Provision as a verb) appears in Merriam-Webster. It means supplying provisions.
Why not just say providing? Provision seems more specific.

~~~
Gifting has been in use for centuries. Why not simply say giving? I don't know the answer, but in these matters I'm not very gifted.

In 1735 in New Hampshire an epidemic killed most of the children.

In 1735 in New Hampshire, an epidemic swept through the town of Kensington and killed most of the children.

It’s too horrible to imagine—all the children in families killed by a mysterious plague that formed a throat membrane, which did not allow the little ones to swallow and eventually kept them from breathing

The epidemic of diphtheria was called "throat distemper" or "putrid throat." (Merchant)

*“The Rev. Roland Sawyer wrote of the 1735 epidemic in his history of Kensington. ‘Between June 1 and Dec. 1, 1735, there died over 40 children under 10 years of age. Seven families lost 27 children, everyone dying who was taken sick. The first 8 months of 1736 we lost near 40 more, or near 90 the first 15 months of the plague.’ By 1738 so many Kensington children succumbed to diphtheria ‘there were few children left to die.’” (Merchant)

Within a year and two months, 1,200 people died in fifteen New Hampshire settlements. (Merchant)

Relentless, the plague returned again and again to continue to kill the remaining children and their parents. This story is a morbid page in history. For us today, it can serve as a warning. Diphtheria has not disappeared from the face of the earth. It occurs in other countries, and it can find its way innocently into the United States via asymptomatic carriers.

Prevention is simple: immunization for children and boosters for adults.

Source:

Dean Merchant,  History in Focus: Diphtheria Epidemic,  Hampton Union, Friday, June 27, 2008. http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20080627/LIFE/806270310

First and Second Centuries AD: Aretaeus knew about diphtheria.

In the late first century and early second century AD, Dr. Aretaeus knew about diphtheria, as well as pleurisy, tetanus, pneumonia, asthma, epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, and other diseases. Aretaeus (aka Aristaeus) from Cappadocia, Turkey, was a Greek Physician who practiced in Rome and Alexandria. It is thought that he moved from Cappadocia, Turkey, to Alexandria, Egypt, about the time Nero died. Little is known about his personal life, but historians agree that he is one of the most brilliant ancient physicians.

He didn’t know what caused diphtheria, which he called Syriac or Egyptian ulcers (because it was widespread in Syria and Egypt), but he made a practice of describing what he observed. Diphtheria, he noticed, occurred most often, but not always, in children. He described the false membranes in victims and stated that surgical interference was “secure.”  (One wonders if he performed tracheotomies and laryngectomies with success.)   

Aretaeus classified diphtheria in a group of ailments called “Uvula’s Diseases.’ He compared false membranes to batwings. If the covering was deep, he called it eschara, meaning a dry scab.

Here’s a quotation of his description:

“Around it, the area is inflammatory, red, and painful. The presence of smaller scattered reddish rashes at the beginning causes wide ulcers after their merging. In case of the disease spreading towards the opening of the mouth cavity, it reaches the uvula and cuts it out. The disease continues its spread to the tongue, gums, and towards mouth corners, and even the teeth get blackish, sensitive and tremble. The inflammation reaches the neck and then the sufferer has only a few days before he dies by inflammation, fever, bad breath, and anorexia.”

The disease caused diphtheritic laryngitis, which he described as follows: “The sufferers breathe heavily and deeply as they need cool air to sustain fever, while expiration is light, and hoarseness or voice absence is present. The symptoms worsen, and the patients suffer until they fall down and die.”

This acute disease was a medical emergency.  His treatments included “enemas, phlebotomy, compresses, poultices, re-heating, suction cups and surgery.” He subscribed to the theory of the humors. Phlebotomy from a wide opening at the elbow and relentless enemas would, in his opinion, save victims of diphtheria from drowning. He had bandages applied on the feet, ankles, knees, wrists, elbows and arms. As death approached, he required more incisions and more suction cups.

Medicines were sumac, Acacia arabica, parasites from the roots of rockrose, earth from exotic locations, unripe grapes,  myrrh, pomegranate, dates, wild figs, alum, honey, oak bark, copper, zinc, and rhubarb. Using reeds, feathers, or tubes, he poured concoctions on the uvula.

To soften the diphtheritic membrane, he instructed his assistants to apply a caustic formula, which corroded the uvula and inflamed the throat until swallowing was impossible. The patients would die of hunger.

The use of alum proved to be valuable. Alum gargles dissolved the false membrane. This method was used for centuries.  His writings provide sophisticated knowledge about diphtheria. Even in the present day, doctors refer to his findings and reflections.

----

Sources:

Gregory Tsoucalas, "Aretaeus of Cappodocia. Views on Diphtheria"

http://www.infezmed.it/media/journal/Vol_20_4_2012_14.pdf

Marcos Sampaolo, "Aretaeus of Cappadocia, Greek Physician"    https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aretaeus-of-Cappadocia

Roswell Park, An Epitome of the History  of Medicine, 1897.  Kindle Version. Project Gutenberg.

1845: William Bent had diphtheria, and his wife Mistanta saved his life.

Diphtheria is a killer. Without appropriate intervention, people who contract diphtheria die from strangling. An incredible story about this dread disease involves William Bent.

Who was William Bent? In Colorado history, he is revered as a hero. William Bent (1809-1869) began beaver trapping when he was fifteen on the Arkansas river. He became a mediator between the white American settlers and the Native Americans. He established a trading fort, Bent’s Fort, in eastern Colorado on the Santa Fé Trail. Eventually 100 people worked for him at the fort. In 1835 he married Mistanta, Owl Woman, the beautiful and gifted daughter of White Thunder, a Cheyenne medicine man and chief. Soon William Bent became a member of the Cheyenne tribe, the father of four children, and a sub-chief.

 Having survived smallpox in the 1830’s, William had diphtheria in the 1840’s, probably 1845. He couldn’t talk or swallow. Breathing must have been difficult. Mistanta used a quill to save his life.  She jabbed it into William’s swollen throat. Evidently the tube traveled behind the larynx and arrived at the esophagus. She filled her mouth with broth and blew it into the tube.

Then she called a medicine man named One Eye, who examined William’s throat by depressing his tongue with a spoon handle. One Eye stepped outside and collected sandburs (from weeds native to the west and growing in sand) which had small barbs covering them. He fashioned a thread from a sinew (animal tendon) and tied a knot in one end. After poking a hole through the sandbur, he threaded the tendon into it and covered the bur with bone marrow fat.

The medicine man inserted the greasy ball into William’s throat, which was covered by the membrane of caused by diphtheria. The marrow fat liquified, and One Eye pulled the bur out. Part of the dry hard membrane broke loose and came out. One Eye repeated the process until all the matter was removed. Not long afterwards, William Bent could eat soup.

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The above article is the original and intellectual property of Mary Lou Cheatham. Use of any part of this document is not permitted without expressed written consent of the author, and it may not be copied without her written consent.

Sources:

(For reference. No material is quoted.)

Dary, David.  Frontier Medicine (Vintage International). Kindle Edition. Vintage, 2008.

King, Judy. "William Bent." Colorado Encyclopedia, 

http://coloradoencyclopedia.org

Peng, Jamie. "Mistanta (Owl Woman)." Colorado Encyclopedia, http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/mistanta-owl-woman.

William Bent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bent