"Ode to Health;

Date: 1896-1903

Series: N2009-5 - Civil War veterans medical journal, 1896-1903.

Civil War Veterans Medical Journal.

(Page 18 of 24)

Early Florida Medicine

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[page 18]
Lord Byron
Extract from work entitled, "The Glory and Shame
of England."
"The doctors dosed Byron from the beginning of his
illness with strong purgative medicines, took a great
amount of blood from him, which for a long time he
refused to have done. His system wasted rapidly; for during eight days of his illness, he took no nourishment except two spoonfuls of arrow root the day before his death. And yet it was only a common cold.
"On the seventh day of his illness after the most powerful purgatives had been resorted to, and he seemed to be rapidly declining, the doctors insisted on taking more blood;
he reluctantly yielded, and one pound was taken from
his right arm; his Lordship was new sinking every
hour. The Drs. insisted upon Bleeding him again that
same night, and told him it would probably save his life.
"Oh! Said he with a mournful countenance, "I fear, gentlemen, that you have entirely misstaken my disease; but here
take my arm and do as you like." The next morning, although he was in a very feeble state, the Drs. bled him again twice;
and in both cases fainting fits followed the opperation.
At two oclock they bled him again the same day, and thus he

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