Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-06-14
CONSUMPTION.
From the N. Y. Express
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.


Such have been the improvements in
surgery, that there arc some hopes that
cure for consumption may at length be
effected BY its aid. 1t is line in which no
efforts have as yet been made with view
to the absolute aicviatiou of this all per.
vading disease. The attention Of medical
men has never been directed to so appear.
emily hopeless resource as a means OF
arresting the career Of malady hitherto
regarded as exclusively within the province
Of the physician, and not having even re-
moe bearing 20 The remediate virtues resid.
ing in the knife. But such will probably
be the turn which things will take, and
under this conviction | am induced to lay
before the public the following plan for
the cure of tbs unhoPpiIy 100 common dis
order.
In order to render this matter ineligible
to the mass Of people who are most deep.
ly interested in the discovery, it will be
necessary to make them, in measure,
acquainted with the opinions which have
been hitherto entertained by physicians in
regard to the nature Of this disease, and to
give brief desert ption of the structure Of
the lungs, and the manner in which they
effect the vital function Of oxidizing the
blood.
The lungs arc bodies Of loose or
spongy consistencc, contained within the
chest. They are placed in the right and left
sides, and are separated from each other
by membranous partition, running from
the breast-bone directly to the backbone.
The lung of the left side is the smaller, from
the heart being situated in that cavity. The
windpipe goes down the neck, and dividing
into two branches enters into the back
part of the lungs close upon the spine.
The lungs lie loose in the chest, like bag
or bladder, whose orifce is at the wind
pipe. We will suppose it 10 be a bladder
inside of bellows--il VIC stop up the
hole or valve in the bottom board of the
bellows, and suppose the mouth Of the
bladder to come out at the nose, 1t is then
in precisely the same circumstances that the
lungs are within the chest. Raise the
handles, and the air passes in at the nose d
fills the bladder inside the bellows-depress
the handles, and the bladder is emptled.
But let us open the valve underneath the
bellows, and the air, when the handles are
elevated, will rush into this opening, instead
of the smaller orifce Of the nose. The
lungs arc in the same relative situation.
Make an opening in the inside OF the chest,
and when the ribs arc raised in the act
breathing, the air is drawn through this
new passage in preference to passing by
the more crcuious way OF the mouth ana
windrpe. AS the airis drawn in upon the
exterior surface of the lung, the latter
(Which we will suppose the bladder asa!n}
is pressed down and more and more emPleo
by every breath, until it is reduced 10 rs
smallest size, and all the cavity outslde OF
it is filled with air.
TIE lung flor these are cases which arc
not speculative, but Of almost daily occur
rence) is compressed in this manner TO
BODY not larger than the fist-whlch shows
the exceeding sponginess Of its structure.
THIS opening has sometimes been made
by accident, sometimes to give issue to
matter or air collected within the cavity,
and for various other purposes. 1t is
practicable as curative means only, from
the fact that the lungs are contained in two
separate and distinct apartments, divided as
before stated by an empcrv!ous. partition.
If they were both in one cavity, and the air
were let in upon their outside. there wou!t
be an end to life, as no breath could gain