a hard word and dreadful
This was the prescribed "cure" for diphtheria during the De Smet epidemic of July 1892:

Pour equal parts of turpentine and liquid tar into a tin or cup and set fire to the mixture. A dense resinous smoke arises, which obscures the air of the room. The patient immediately seems to experience relief; the choking and rattle stop; the patient falls into a slumber and seems to inhale the smoke with pleasure. The fibrous membrane soon becomes detached and the patient coughs up microbicides. These when caught in a glass may be seen to dissolve in the smoke. In the course of three days the patient entirely recovers.
- posted by pioneergirl at 1:41 AM