(Priddy Meeks was born Aug. 29, 1795, in South Carolina and died at Orderville Oct. 17, 1886. When he was a child, his father settled on the Kentucky frontier and was killed by Indians. Several other family members were wounded in the same attack. Priddy kept a record through most of his life and it was compiled in 1879 by family members. He was an herbal doctor, decrying other forms of medicine, and was often called on to treat his Latter-day Saint neighbors.)
I removed with my family from Indiana to Illinois in the fall of 1833 and received the gospel in 1840, as did also most of my family. I moved to Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, in April 1842 and lived there till the spring of 1846, then moved with the Saints in their great exodus to the Rocky Mountains, which journey lasted till the first of October, 1847, on which day I entered the Salt Lake Valley with my family. (The family later moved to southern Utah.)Being always an anti-poison man in principle, ignoring poison of every name and nature with the greatest degree of abhorrence, not believing in bleeding, blistering, poisoning or starving the patients, and for a number of years resorted to a regular Thompsonian course of medicine (a system based on herbal remedies) for every complaint, which was the safest and surest plan for success that ever was devised by man. . . . (He then lists several cases in which he claimed cures based on the method. including:)
Case 1: James McKann, teamster in general Johnston's Army, that come to kill off the Mormons, he was brought to my house for me to amputate both feet, which was froze as high as 2 or 3 inches above the ancles. I did not know what to do. It come into my mind as by inspiration to give him cayenne pepper inwardly and nothing else. In 16 days, he was well and walked 9 miles and said he could of walked farther. He only lost 5 toenails from both feet.
Case 3: Mary Smith, a young girl had a bunch (growth) on her upper lip close to her nose, protruding above her nose, which was entirely stopped. She could not breathe through it. All she took was equal quantities of burdock, yellow dock and dandelion in powders, and a snuff of yellow dock for her nose, and the tumor gradually vanished away and left her a smooth face. Some said it was a canker sore while other said it was a cancer sore. Howebeit, it got well under the above treatment.
Case 5: While I lived in the (Salt Lake) city, Andrew Love had been under Dr. (John) Bernhisel's treatment for a very bad case of kidney complaint and he was given up. I gave him nothing but burdock and dandelion and he soon recovered to the joy of all. (Bernhisel was a "regular" practitioner.)
Case 7: Orson B. Adams got three fingers cut off of one hand within one-half inch of hand, leaving the bones sticking out naked. It was urged by some to cut the bones off close to his hand or it would never skin over. I would not agree to it, but took the case in hand. I gave him medicines that prevents inflammation or a fever from arising in the wound, and he got well in a very short time considering what a severe wound it was, done by a circular saw. The bones that stuck out grew over nicely and looks like short fingers with no nails on. Cayenne pepper was the agent that accomplished the object.
Case 8: Barnabas Carter got struck with a piece of cast metal drum in a machine that was going a furious speed. It burst all to pieces, one piece went through the weather-boards of a house that stood some distance off. One piece or two struck Carter on the breast and side and knocked him down with a dangerous wound. . . . There was a great excitement, very warm weather and a great crowd. There was no gash cut, but a terrible bruise and it was turning blue. I told them I wanted them to leave and give me a chance and I would promise them there should not be left a blue spot of bruised blood under the skin in a short time. In this case I gave lobelia (his favorite remedy) as well as cayenne pepper to relax the system so that the bruised blood would assimilate with the warm uninjured blood and become equalized through the whole system. I don't know that I gave him lobelia enough to puke him or not. If I did it was so much the better.
(On obstetrics) In Leeds, Washington County, Utah, some years since, I was called to a case of a woman in childbed and could not be delivered with all the best wisdom and talents that were to be had among the women of that section of country. . . . Well, she was in deplorable condition. She had been five days in that condition without any progress whatever. All hands were disheartened and the case given up. There she lay in a cold, lifeless condition, her strength exhausted and her pains gone and little if any progress made. Well, I commenced a little before sunset and by 8 o`clock next morning she was comfortable in bed with a twelve-pound boy by her side. But it was dead before I commenced.
(For) Treatment, I relaxed her system to the flexibility of a wet cloth with lobelia, which can be done if persevered in sufficiently without any danger whatever. At the same time, give freely of cayenne pepper with lobelia in warm teas of some kind and this medicine will diffuse itself through the whole system, removing obstructions wherever found and restoring a healthy action whenever needed, increasing vitality and the power of life-giving strength and energy to the internal forces. . . .
Then away with your pretended science of midwifery. There is more harm done by it than good. . . . Having had an interview with a pupil of Mrs. (Ellis) Shipp's school in the city and also saw the announcement of that school in pamphlet form and learned their prescription for childbed sickness - chloroform, opium, quinine, aconite, ergot and strychnine, all of which is as poisonous a catalogue of articles as might be needed to kill a well man. . . . (Ellis Shipp was one of several pioneer women sent to the East to study medicine. She helped train many midwives to serve pioneer communities - to Meeks' dismay.)
(Several of Meeks' remedies for common ailments:) A remedy for diphtheria I never knew to fail: Give a good thorough emetic of lobelia and bathe the throat from ear to ear and gargle also with a liquid made by putting two teaspoonsful of finely pulverized lobelia seeds and the same amount of cayenne pepper into one quart of good keen vinegar and go through the operation of bathing and gargling as often as the emergency of the case may require.
Stone in the bladder: Take the size of a pea concentrated lye; put it in a teacup of water; when the scum rises, skim it off, pour the balance into a bottle with a glass stopper to it, except the dregs; throw that away. A half teaspoonful is a dose to dissolve the stone in the bladder, taken several times a day.
For canker in the throat: Burned copperas put in soft grease and rub it in behind the turn of the jaws and behind the ears and throat and top of the head several times.
Good strong vinegar and soot or eggshells will do to cure the yellow jaundice in most cases.
To cure swelled joints: Take two hen eggs beat fine. Put in one tablespoonful each of table salt and black pepper in one pint of good vinegar. Mix it well together. Anoint with it, rubbing it downward with the hand several times a day.
It is said that the root of the blue flag is a sovereign remedy for the tooth ache; that the pain ceases the instant it is chawed.
(On lobelia, an flowering plant that produces lobeline, a compound that acts about the same as nicotine to treat nausea and asthma:) Lobelia is the most powerful diffusive stimulant known in medicine. After taking a dose it instantly permeates the whole system, removing obstructions wherevere found and restoring a healthy action wherever needed. . . . When taken inwardly, it acts like intelligence. No matter where the obstruction is found in the system, it concentrates its power and influence on that spot and will diffuse itself through the whole system till it find that spot and overcomes the complaint by relaxing the parts and scattering the pain and misery, causing it to escape with perspiration and neutralizing the poison in the blood. . . . The same dose that would delivery a dead foetus speedily, will prevent an abortion if the child were alive. . . . You need not inquire of the patient where or what is the nature of the complaint. Give the lobelia and it will find the disease and assist nature to overcome it. . . . It will not act upon a dying person.