I'm a library intern, currently building metadata for a digital collection. I have a postcard that has my team all sorts of confused, and we're wondering what this phrase could possibly mean. The full text reads: "Dear Cousin,
I am at home. I got a doctor the same eve. I have had three good doctors for him. He is very sick. He has blood poison and threatened with erysipelas. He had blood poison when I left you. The red streaks was that. I gave him 4 kinds of medicine and bathe him in his kinds of poison. I have help in the kitchen. May get a nurse tomorrow. I will let you know how he is. Laura. "
We're very curious about the statement "bathe him in his kinds of poison". I'm aware we could be misreading this entirely but 3 people seem to think that's the most likely interpretation. Is this a phrase that was used in the past? The postcard is from 1909. Any help would be appreciated!
I don't really see how that could be read as "his".
The final character starts at the top and then goes down, forward and up to form a loop. If it'd been an 's' it'd have gone down and backward and looped forwards as a classical 's' shape as is done elsewhere. The shape doesn't approximate that motion even done poorly. I think it's an 'o', which is being written that way (e..g in 'poison').
Similarly the first character's first stroke starts at the top and goes down, but all other initial 'h's and 'k's seen there start in the middle and make a loop up and then down (e.g. 'him', 'kinds'). The characters I see that start with a plain down-stroke are 't' in 'the' on the lower row and 'm' in 'may. That 't' has a stray cross-stroke that's almost over the 'e' rather than crossing the vertical. (edit: same with 'bathe') This seems to be the case here too, with a random cross-stroke over the middle of the word..
In short, I think it says 'two kinds of poison'.Which certainly fits with the 'four kinds of medicine' that precedes it.
Not to disdain the inquiry or anyone's attempt to help you, but I am not sure to what degree this question is suitable for this subreddit. I understand the connection with history, but someone with expertise in calligraphy will probably be able to help you better as there is little we can do here to aid you in terms of a historical approach supported by sources, and as such almost all of the answers given will be unable to confirm to the rules and demand on quality.
That disclaimer out of the way, I think you have to consider the metaphorical meaning of poison, i.e. vice/addiction, as well as a figurative meaning for bathing. It could simply allude to giving the person a lot (bathing, showering, burying someone in...) of his favorite booze and food, or two kinds of candy for all we know: the things he normally craves most, his poison (vice, addiction). Would also fit with the two kinds of poison narrative rather than the his kinds of poison narrative. It makes sense to me to treat a sick person to something he or she likes, we do so today as well. Again, speculation is all I can come up with in relation to the question, but here goes.