Medical Use of Champagne

[clk]

Hi,

 

In another thread that I posted on (link) a man seems to have died from pneumonia, despite the best efforts of the medics including treatment with champagne. Does anyone know if that was a common treatment for the illness, what it involved, and the potential medical benefits ? Just curious.

 

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

TIA

 

Regards

Chris

[seaJane]

I've come across a 19th-century medical dictionary offering iced champagne as a cure for sea-sickness, but never in relation to pneumonia... 

 

I can only assume that it, along with the gin and brandy, was believed to stimulate the heartbeat. "Strch.", if strychnine, was probably intended to do the same.

[KernelPanic]

Quite a cocktail!

[clk]

Thanks sJ.

 

Regards

Chris

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

What you say about champagne possibly explains an entry in my grandfather's WW1 diary for May 1918, when he was in No 2 British Red Cross Hospital at Rouen suffering from PUO/Trench Fever.

"This hospital was particularly fortunate in having many friends in England, who sent out many gifts in the way of chickens, eggs, wines etc. and it was no uncommon thing to be issued with champagne in a morning, or port."

 

[battiscombe]

I recall that in later 19C various forms of alcohol including champagne and brandy were standard in medical stores.. in 1884-5 Sudan campaign [Gordon of Khartoum etc] medical equipment for  each Btn included: "1 pair field panniers, 1 field companion, 1 water bottle, 4 bottles of brandy,   6 bottles of port or Tarragona, 48 tins of condensed milk.... arrowroot.. sago.. sugar .. extract carnis " ..

 

.. in the report on Kirbekan battle [4/2/1885] by SurgeonMajor Harvey "Restoratives such as beef tea, which was prepared on the field, champagne and brandy were administered to the wounded, both during the action and previous to their being removed to camp" ... elsewhere referred to as "medical comforts"..  i

[headgardener]

I recall an entry in the King Edward VII Hospital day book dating from the early days of the war (Jan 1915 I think?) stating that one of the house Surgeons amputated the arm of a young subaltern and used a bottle of port from Berry Bros. as anaesthetic (possibly in combination with some other form of anaesthetic?). It sounded like something from the Crimean war. Yet there it was, in 1915. 

[RegHannay]

On 10/05/2020 at 11:37, A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy said:

What you say about champagne possibly explains an entry in my grandfather's WW1 diary for May 1918, when he was in No 2 British Red Cross Hospital at Rouen suffering from PUO/Trench Fever.

"This hospital was particularly fortunate in having many friends in England, who sent out many gifts in the way of chickens, eggs, wines etc. and it was no uncommon thing to be issued with champagne in a morning, or port."

 

 When my grandfather was admitted to Bethune hospital Xmas day 1915 he wrote, " After dinner the sister brought in half a dozen half bottles of hospital champagne so that all together things quite hummed". (So it seems that champagne was a medical stock item).

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

9 hours ago, RegHannay said:

When my grandfather was admitted to Bethune hospital Xmas day 1915 he wrote, " After dinner the sister brought in half a dozen half bottles of hospital champagne

I think he deserved a "pick-me-up" at Christmas, especially after dinner, which I assume was evening dinner. Was he also suffering from PUO or Trench Fever on that occasion?

[RegHannay]

12 hours ago, A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy said:

I think he deserved a "pick-me-up" at Christmas, especially after dinner, which I assume was evening dinner. Was he also suffering from PUO or Trench Fever on that occasion?

Yes more than likely trench fever or similar, high temp, (100+) sore throat, dizziness, blinding headaches and a rash. He was back in the  Windy corner trenches New years eve.

A far more serious bout from 23rd Apr 16 ending up in No9 hospital Rouen until end of May (recuperating and covering leave from second week in May). 10 days leave at home from 1st June. Joined 134th FA 39th Division 14th June. Wounded 28th August near Mesnil (Knightsbridge RAP). Hospital in Chelsea by 30th his war being over.

Dave

 

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

4 hours ago, RegHannay said:

A far more serious bout from 23rd Apr 16 ending up in No9 hospital Rouen until end of May (recuperating and covering leave from second week in May).

Whatever this illness was, it certainly seemed to linger, considering that they were usually fit young men to start with (though also presumably first worn down by the conditions in the trenches). My grandfather first fell ill on 5 May 1918, spent 2 or 3 days in a field hospital, returned to his unit briefly on 8 May, but succumbed again, and this time was sent to No 2 British Red Cross Hospital in Rouen via No 21 CCS, then a period of convalescence at Trouville No 74 General from 28 May, finally passed fit to return to his unit on 3 July.

[RegHannay]

1 hour ago, A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy said:

Whatever this illness was, it certainly seemed to linger, considering that they were usually fit young men to start with (though also presumably first worn down by the conditions in the trenches). My grandfather first fell ill on 5 May 1918, spent 2 or 3 days in a field hospital, returned to his unit briefly on 8 May, but succumbed again, and this time was sent to No 2 British Red Cross Hospital in Rouen via No 21 CCS, then a period of convalescence at Trouville No 74 General from 28 May, finally passed fit to return to his unit on 3 July.

Just been reading through the diary, The actual fever started on 12th April, he wanted to work through it until the battalion went into rest for a month (25th) but his C.O ordered him to hospital on the 21st Apr. He started off at No1 CCS Chocques, 25th Apr No2 Red Cross Hospital Rouen and on the 8th May No9 general hospital for convalescence and light duty until the 30th then his leave. Even on leave he mentions the fever returning occasionally and feeling weak. He was a few days from his 37th birthday when returning to the Front. I should imagine treating and being responsible for the men's health a Medical officer would have been very prone to picking up

illness.

Dave   

[AOK4]

Hello,

 

Major Jones of the PPCLI was taken prisoner in June 1916 and treated in Moorsele in Feldlazarett 7/XIII. He got worse after a few days and was given champagne with yolk and sugar and later a cognac, but died not much later having been treated with injections of camphor and oxygene as well. So, champagne seems to have been used in hospitals at that time.

 

Jan

[RegHannay]

46 minutes ago, AOK4 said:

Hello,

 

Major Jones of the PPCLI was taken prisoner in June 1916 and treated in Moorsele in Feldlazarett 7/XIII. He got worse after a few days and was given champagne with yolk and sugar and later a cognac, but died not much later having been treated with injections of camphor and oxygene as well. So, champagne seems to have been used in hospitals at that time.

 

Jan

 

46 minutes ago, AOK4 said:

Hello,

 

Major Jones of the PPCLI was taken prisoner in June 1916 and treated in Moorsele in Feldlazarett 7/XIII. He got worse after a few days and was given champagne with yolk and sugar and later a cognac, but died not much later having been treated with injections of camphor and oxygene as well. So, champagne seems to have been used in hospitals at that time.

 

Jan

Yes it certainly seems  that champagne was thought to have medicinal properties and not just used to cheer the troops. "Must teach myself to like the stuff".

Dave

[Robert Dunlop]

Alcohol (Champagne or otherwise) will dampen or suppress pain. You only have to work in A&E (ER) to see the impact. People who are intoxicated can sustain major injuries and not feel any pain at all. Alcohol used to be given by intravenous infusions for chronic pain management with terminal cancer until relatively recently (40 years ago - I remember seeing examples as a medical student in the late 70s). 

 

Robert

[RegHannay]

1 hour ago, Robert Dunlop said:

Alcohol (Champagne or otherwise) will dampen or suppress pain. You only have to work in A&E (ER) to see the impact. People who are intoxicated can sustain major injuries and not feel any pain at all. Alcohol used to be given by intravenous infusions for chronic pain management with terminal cancer until relatively recently (40 years ago - I remember seeing examples as a medical student in the late 70s). 

 

Robert

Thanks Robert, certainly makes sense, although the alcohol level in champagne isn't that high, perhaps the effervescent effect was also thought to have healing properties.

Dave

[A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy]

On 29/09/2020 at 12:07, Robert Dunlop said:

Alcohol (Champagne or otherwise) will dampen or suppress pain.

My grandfather mentions the use of brandy a few times for medicinal or quasi-medicinal reasons in his diary. The most touching is when he and his men were in a forward trench, very shallow, periodically under shellfire, having to lie flat during daylight hours and unable to get the wounded away. He says:

My brandy was finished – I couldn’t refuse Private Neil, who was hit in the head – even though I knew it was a bad thing.

I recall on first aid courses being told that alcohol as a first aid treatment has disadvantages, (hastening heat loss and/or increasing the rate of bleeding?), and my grandfather had clearly received similar instruction; it seems that despite the brandy, Private Neil probably survived, as I can't find his name in the CWGC's records as having died at or about this time (August 1916)

Edited 5 October , 2020 by A Lancashire Fusilier by Proxy