The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-04-04
Written for the Galaxy.
TIE PREVENTION OF SCROFCLA.
No. II.

NO. II.
| We cannot expectto succeed in the prevention
Ct scrofula, unless we understand lis causes. II
may be derived from two sources, viz: Hereditary
faint, and exposure TO certain unhealthy influer-
COS. The unhealthy influences which tend to ex-
cite Scrofula arc, will be hereafter more par
| tcularly described. Of 4 particular class they
are facilitating. Universally. the cause ofdiSease
in the human family is the violation of the condi-
ton of health. n perfectly healthy child, if sub
| iected to none but favorable influences, would
| live in perfect health till the vital functions
ceased from the debility Of old age. Indeed, for
all that science can discover, he would live
forever: for human investigation has not
found in the organization Of man or in the
laws that govern the vital processes, any nee
essary cause of death, anything thai limits the
continuance of the functions of life. We
know that by the sentence of Heaven such
limit exists: but whether it be in some in
scrutable cause of decay, or in the impossibili-
ty of perfectly fulfilling the conditions Of
health, We are ignorant. In the present age
there exists universally in the constitution Of
the individual the cause of decay and death,
in the Inheritance from his ancestors of
physical imperfection and proclivity to disease.
This undoubtedly. except rs it is counteracted
by the medical art and other (more impor-
tanO influences, is perpetually on the in
crease from the successive addition of the re-
suits of the violation of the conditions of
health by each successive generation. And
it is an Interesting subject of speculation, if
speculation be admissible on such topic,
whether the short life of the post-diluvians,
when compared with the longevity Of the an
te-diluyians, be not due to the inheritance Of
the accumulated seeds of decay and disease.
L. e ec-ol,,lo -,
consumption, enlarged Emphatic glands, &C.,
is undisputed; it Is familiar to the common OBJ
server. Indeed, Lugol an eminent French
author, who has devoted a lifetime to the in
vestigation of this subject, holds, with many
others, that the disease IS always hereditary
and incapable of being generated in 4 healthy |
system by any combination Of circumstances.
| shall hereafter state reasons for a contrary |
opinion. 1t is believed that the scrolulous
diathesis is often inherited from grandparents |
Sc, when the parents of the individual have
given no indication of it. So strongly hered- |
itary is it, and so common among the people |
of temperate ATTITUDES, that the proportion |
here is small who are perfectly free from the
There are comparatively few |
who would not suffer from scrofulous disease
Il placed under circumstances favorable for its
ueNelOplnenl- MANY ESCAPE "hic ubuOi
influences calculated to support the constitu-
ton in vigor who would yield in different
situation. While in many more the disease
is sure to show itself, however wisely and for
tunatelv the person may be managed. There
is reason to believe that other causes, ante
rior to the birth of the child, besides scrofu-
lous diathesis in his progenitors, may predis-
pose to scrofulous disease. Mere feebleness
of constitution in tho naran+c whether Orini-
nal, or from disease, or excuses, or age, or the
of ancestors, will have this eff
feet The child may acquire ii, too, with the
milk he draws, from his nurse.
The differences TO be drawn from these |
facts are obvious and important. Wherever
any Of these causes of the scrofulous constitu- |
ton exist, the anxiety and care of parents |
should be doubly awakened to prevent the |