Miriam Berry Whitcher Speaks Her Mind [51] Raising blisters on the skin's surface with hot resins was common medical practice—in the case of tuberculosis the blistering was supposed to draw bad fluids out of the lungs. Medical considerations aside, the pain of the blister was distracting enough to reduce the pain of the disease. In July Miriam wrote that "I can hardly draw a breath this evening & my chest is very sore. I grow worse towards night. Last night I could not lie down until eleven o'clock—& then had to have myself braced up to keep from suffocating. I expect the doctor will come to see me this evening. I hope he will not blister me!'57 Other remedies she resorted to sound equally bizarre. In October 1847, nothing else being on hand in the middle of a coughing fit, Miriam sampled the pickle pot. I have coughed tremendously, especially at night. One night, almost had the croup, the phlegm collected in my throat & almost suffocated me. William got up & dosed me with the only thing in the house, i.e. some vinegar out of the pickle pot, which was a very good thing & soon relieved me. I am getting better of my cough now.58 Three years later, in October 1850, she wrote to William about another remedy. I am also faithful with the spiders' eggs, though Mr Matson forgot how many I was to take at once, whether it must be six three times a day, or six a day two at a time. I therefore take as many as my judgement dictates— sometimes two, sometimes six. I gave Ally [infant daughter] one this morning. She coughed on it a little bit. It was amusing to see the fuss she made over it, biting away at the wee thing as though it was a good sized lump of sugar. I am not as yet prepared to pronounce respecting the efficacy of homeopathy in her case. She scarcely coughs at all. I think I am some better too. My appetite has improved, & I cough much less at night.59 In all her letters, Miriam matter-of-f actly listed not only those who were sick, but those who had died. For example, Dr Thomas has been very sick with a sudden attack of pleurisy. . . . If Dr Thomas should die what should I do! . . . Mrs Antel White's little girl died last week, a great affliction to them. She followed her great-grandfather very soon.... Of the four generations that lived together in that house, the oldest & youngest have gone first. . . . Mrs Champlin died on Thursday.00 57 M. Whitcher to sister, June 10,1847. 88 M. Whitcher to sister, October 22,1847. 50 M. Whitcher to William Whitcher, October 8,1850. 00 M. Whitcher to William Whitcher, April 29,1849.