Search

Detailed account of tuberculosis symptoms and treatment. Also notes tornadoes.

Family news. Tending to a woman who is ill. "A cancer is a dreadful disease, I never knew much about them before."

News on fern research, conferring with specialists, and sharing specimens between researchers and the Smithsonian. References scientists such as Dr. Gray, Eaton, and Brackinridge. Miscellaneous scientific news.

Regarding books received and friends in Cincinnati. Sends a portrait of himself [not included].

Written on Townsend City Savings Bank stationery, the letter discusses stocks in the Seneca Oil Company, the amount of oil being produced, and profits. Includes religious reflections and gratitude, news of their mother's illness, South Carolina's secession, John Buchanan's negotiations with the forts, and laws relating to slavery in Virginia and Texas. The Moore letter gives a technical description of the process of preventing water from entering an oil well. Also discusses the attempts to drill deeper, struggles to get an effective well running in various locations, and an "ignorant engineer" who believes a Pittsburgh well had been running continuously for fifteen years.

Recipe to cure salt rheum for both topical and ingested medicinal use, signed by Doctor J. Baird of St. Albans, Vermont. Recipe to make lead water. Recipe to cure bone spavin signed by Francis Halcomb and dated March 10, 1861.

Writing in reference to the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society's discussion of the treatment and recovery of persons suffering from asphyxia due to drowning. Concerned that the Society did not consider the length of the heart's action during cases of asphyxia. Notes his experiments on live animals and believes that contractions of the heart after several minutes of suffocation are not capable of fully circulating the blood. Does not think that once the heart has stopped due to asphyxiation that it can be restarted.

Weather has been poor the past few days, but he gets outside whenever he can. "I think I am on the right Track to get well, I had a good time while I was gone but not so good as I should if I had ben [sic.] well so as to have gone around more." Captain provided him with Dr. Hoofland German bitters. "I have been to see a clairvoyant Dr. and I can put great confidence in her for she has dun [sic.] great cures where other doctors have failed." The clairvoyant diagnosed him with cankers on his lungs and liver, "that has got to come off." Planning on coming down the next month to stay for the Summer if possible. "this doctor says that I would not live but a short time if their [sic.] was not nothing dun [sic.] for the canker, all that has kept me on my feet so long is stimulating drink and that has been Old boborn [sic.] whiskey."

Letter addressed to his cousin describing the alleged success of the medicine prescribed to him by an “Indian Doctor.” Provides updates about the weather and their family. Purchased a house and a boat.

Interested in Treat’s religious opinions because of his expertise in the subject. Refers to recipient no longer publishing in the Investigator, wondering if it is due to censorship of his radical ideas. Wonders if Treat read the previous paper, which featured a discussion of "Materialism etc., vs. Spiritualism etc." Describes A. B. Childs’ spiritual doctrine Whatever Is, Is Right as very shallow and compares it to that of G. W. Lewis, who attempts to "prove his spiritualism by disproving (?) the existence of matter or at least disputing the power in man to recognize the same!!!" Mentions a lecture from Mrs. Bullene, a medium, who claimed to connect with inhabitants of other planets while in the spirit world. "Venus! & were a beautiful feminine intellectual race!!! What do you think of this Friend Treat? There’s hope for old Bachelors yet!" "There are other points I should like to dwell upon, but my wife is urging with all the tenacity of her sex! – Come to bed!" Ends the letter with "United we stand! Divided we fall!"