Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1842-04-12
From the Woodstock Mercurv.
ADDRESS TO THE COMMUNITY. ON
THE SUBJECT OF CONSUMPTION. OR
PHTHISIS PUL MONAJIS

NoOmB M. [
| PHTHISIS PULMONALIS.
There is but little necessity at the present time,
of stating the ravages of this disease for thew are
apparent to every observing person; the dcstruc.
ton of human life by this disease is very great in
tins climate indeed so much so, that it is called
the scourge of New England as it has long been
OF Old England. Various statistical returns show
tiiat from one fourth to one fifth of ak the deaths
IN both the above places, are caused bv this dis.
ease
1t is subject greatly to be lamented that so lit.
tie attention is bestowed on the preservation of
health and so little progress has been made it the
treatment, or method of arresting the force of the
disease, and conducting it to a salutary termina-
tlon lhls may be imputed partly TO the insidous
character OF the disease, and partly to the neglect
oil those attacked by it, and partly again, to the
wrong views and treatment of physicians 1t NAV
be proper to bestow little attention more particu
larly on each of these subjects.
And first the approach of the disease is usually
very slow, and of slow and insidous character.
The patient has contracted a slight change in the
physiological condition Of the system, from the va
rlable state OF the atmosphere in which we exist
The sudden change of heat, cold, moisture, &c.
have induced contracted and rigid condition of
many tissues composing our system, but especially
of the skin. The functions of these tissues with
their capillary vessels, not performed in nat
ural, easy and agreeable manner as in health. vet
not attended with much uneasiness or pain so as
to arrest particular attention The symptoms or
tokens oil disease at first, not so prominent as
to appear in the form ofwhat is called fever, whilst
yet there exists a smothered state of disease, or
what may well be called mObrid habit
However extraordinary it may appear vet it is
fact that such state of arrangement may exist
for many months and even whilst the subject is at
tending to ordinary business but not so pleasantly
by far as in health. The affection is now gcner-
al throughout the system, but as all general dis
eased states sooner or later concentrate on some
particular organ, so the disease under consdera-
ton, from various circumstances in this climate,
concentrates to the lungs The subject has been
altered IN features for some time, has looked pale
has felt the cold air more than in health, has had
an increased frequency of pulse, has been weak
and very commonly little short in breathing SC
but now as the discas begins to concentrate more
to the lungs the shortness of breath increases and
there begins to be slight cough scarcely noticed
at first by the patient but oftener by his associates
This cough ought to be the signal of alarm, if no
alarm had been excited before This is the peri
cd in which turbercles begin to be formed. a cir
cumstance which renders the disease so difficult
ofcure by even the most proper treatment
1t is not because consumption is in its nature in
curable that so many are destroyed by it but, it
is on account of its true character not being
rightly understood by the subject, in its incpent
stage, so that he makes of proper measures be-
fore fatal secondary changes take place in the
lungs; or, it is because the medical adviser does
not understand its true character and misapplios
his treatment For instance, ifhis mind should be
imbned with the fashionable theory af the day. in
believing the disease to arise from local irritation
merely in the lungs and thence sympathetically
affecting the system whilst he does not look for,
or cannotdiscover primary general diseased state,
it is very certain his remedies will be misapplied
and improper.
There is always conflict in the mind Of every
person, attacked with disease, before he comes to
the final decision that he is sick, and must make
use of remedies; the circumstance is so revolving
that the determination is procrastnated from time
to time, when not impelled by the urgency of dis
tress So the unfortunate subject is cheated out of
the most precious time or opportunity for obtain
ing relief And, again. many have the belief that
consumption is never cured by medical treatment,
and it is certain death to enter upon such treat
ment. All these and many other other crcum-
stances usually existing in families, serve to pro-
duce procrasnation and fatal delay,
That the general treatment of this disease has
been for the most part radically wrong, cannot be
denied, for the common events sufficiently prove
this The treatment will continue to be wrong
until physicians can discover something more in
the character Of the disease than general debility,
and local irritation merely in the lungs The
practice Of exposing patients to exercise in the cool
atmosphere in the incipient stage of the disease is
extremely preposterous and improper Warmth,
rest promoting the secretions and excretions, to-
gether with various other means to relax the rig
id fbres and to eliminate the morbid habit in its
early stage ought rather to be pursued but, as l
did not intend in this short sketch to enter upon
the medical treatment shall stop short on this
subject and more especially as l have considered
it at some length in my late medical writings.
1t is much to be regretted that so great proper
ton ofcommunity are so prone to obtain and so
fearlessy make use of nostrums and patent medi-
cines to cure coughs and even conslmptions. The
most of these contain opium in various proportion
Il is true often times these medicines allay the
cough for the present, and the supplying effects
give ease from many unpleasant feelings, but they
are sure to increase the febrle state or morbid hab
it. and render the disease more certainly, and more
speedily fatal All such palliatives ought to be
Stunned as very obnoxious and not allowed to
waste time which ought to be improved In radi-