The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-27

and the profession throughout the United Sates atsw
explanations with reference to what Ia meant by inhaa
ton and the method Of its employment IN pulmonary
diseases, seems urgently to be called for.
If there be in the ills to which humanity Is liable one
which pre- eminently claims the attention of the public
and the profession, it that melancholy affection popu
larly known a consumption The evil is general,
that individual be found who has not in it,
either in his among his nearest relatives
or friends direct and painful interest surely then,
apology be necessary for asking prominent place
in the columns of the leading journals Of the day for
few sense observations its proper treatment
The object Of remarks will be mainly to bring under
the notice Of the unfortunate many who suffering
from pulmonary diseases, the great efficacy Of direct
application of medicines to the lungs by inhalation
The treatment OF chronic diseases having their seat in
the respiratory organs may DO divided into three me-
thods These are--Arst, by medicines administered
through the stomach and acting upon the entire SYSTEM
Second by counter irrants applied to the outside SUR
face the chest and, third by medicines applied to
the internal surface OF the lungs by inhalation whereby
they brought into immediate contact with the parts
diseased These the only avenues we can employ to
upon the affected organ and the merits Of each must
rest upon the which directly springs its EN-
ployment. The two former generally combined to-
gether and form what will CALL for the sake OF disnc.
ton the s'usual practice OF the profession.
tits scarcely necessary to aude to the various rene
dies that have been, from time to time, administered
through the stomach for the of consumption Mer-
cury antimony, taraxacum lactucarium, sarsaparia,
brought USE under the sanction of great name,
and after enjoying short lived popularity, have sunk
has % ihs pss %
ago the demand for this article that to
satisfy it every variety OF vegetable and fish oils was
cod and carefully put up in pint bottles and labelled,
'Pure Cod Liver OIL below which there para.
very excellent and orthodox remedy few years have
passed. and alas, this too like all its predecessors has
glect The day is not far distant when viii be regard
"a wholly without curative virtue and when to pre-
scribe 1t cure for consumption, will be considered
proof OF unmitgated stupidity and ignorance
In regard 10 these remedies false principles direct
ed their administration whsteyer their virtues might
complete failure. They were intended to act ON the
lungs, and yet were applied to the stomach Their
on intended TO be local. and yet they adminis
tered in such manner that they could only act consti
tutionaly, expanding their principle and immediate
action on the unofeudng stomach while the foul ulcers
within the lungs we're left unmolestcd
There is principle in medicine better established
than this Wis that all local diseases require local
upon the surface Of the body whether they arise from
local vtiated constitution. Who thinks Of
stomachs Again, in regard TO the mucous membrane,
which is the in the lungs in the eye, throat,
infammaticns and alterations of the eyer BY strn-
gent and Alternative washes applied directly to tho
diseased surface This practice Is orthodox and must
forever remain so, because it is successful
II this principle be true in regard to alterations in tine
mucous membrane in the bowels in the stomach and in
the throat must also be true in regard to the ucera-
ton Of the membrane in the lungs. 1t would b
illogical and therefore absurd to deny this selfevident
truth, If lacked facts to sustain it. But for
tunatcy, not only is this principle consonant with all
our ideas of the proper treatment of local maades,
s s ss
treatment OF consumption.
To return to the consideration of remedies admins
tered through the stomach. do not hesitate to say
that so long as this principle directs the treatment of
medical men, consumption will pursue its onward course,
and science seek in vain for an antidote sufficiently po.
tent to stay its desOlating
Of cod liver oil would remark that tits good whole
some nutriment and that seems particularly adapted
to that condition Of the system characterized by eac
alton, with loss Of tone in the stomach. When the
the power of absorbing aud assimlatng the oil and Of
deriving support from it. is applicable however, to
the same condition Of the SYSTEM arising from other dis
eases and in no case can properly be regarded in any
other light than as an article Of food.
1t has been the practice of medical to rub into the
chest alternately, "Tartar Emetc Ointment and 'Cro
ton OIL with the view of withdrawing the disease from
the lungs These applications, in great majority Of
cases. are positively injurious They depression
and irritation OF the system and unless there be pleu
rite palms. the torture they occasion not only
of much misery to the patient but of real and positive
sion Of the lungs -.
Before entering on the consideration Of medicinal
nhalations, will briefly glance at the influence Of
climate, falling, as 1t properly does under the head Of
remedial means, acting through the lungs Whatever
forests undoubtedly from the resinous and basa
mic carnations with which the atmosphere is impreg-
hese emanations Of undoubed advantage, but gen
rally they prove too stimulating; and in those cases
where any tendency to irritation Of the lungs exists
satisfied injury must result rather than benefit The
anne may be said Of the yapor Of the sugar house,
and the malaria of districts subject to the ague Benefit
having resulted in few instances, from these influences
has induced patients to rush to them without consider
ing that that benefit only to be expected under pre-
csey similar conditions of the lungs while injury must
inevitably result from all of different character
approach the consideration Of climate with
the preudces Of the public and the practice Of the pro
fession Without any regard to the circumstances Of
the patient or the stage Of his disease it has become the
custom to prescribe change of climate" Nothing cam
be more cruel to the sufferers than ths In even the
earliest stages of consumption, climate has but little in
Of blood After THIS symptom has made its appearance,
never knew case where anything beyond temporary
palliaton was derived from clmate-and rarely even
this If there is much cough if there be pains in the
chest, indicating irritation Of the peura II any
win only be FASTENED by the tedium and priya-
lions Of the journey. And even where of these
symptoms are present the change should only be
garded placing the patient under more favorable cir
cumstances for treatment.
In the advanced stages Of consumption after hectic
fever has occurred no act of ignorance and nhumany
can possibly be greater than to send the poor sufferer
wandering the earth. Many led to believe they
viii forget their Cares and nd for their
where the air bears healing balm to the lungs the
water quenches the hectic tRrs-an nature seeming to
unite in ministerng to their relief But alas esps-
rience soon disspates into air thin air." this vain
nor the cure for which they are in search but thew
learn amid bitter regrets that they must bear the ia
tgues and privatons Of and then hasten
Dr. Forbes, editor Of the British and Foreign Medical
Review, tells us that during residence Of i've years
tves he is to say that in the great majority Of
cases the change of climate not beneficial In no
case OF well-denned consumption did ne witness
temporary palation, that could be fairly at.
tributed to climate And Sir James Clark the present
physician to the Queen bears similar testimony to the
most favored resorts on the European continent.
Why then do medical men continue to disgrace their
profession by recommending to invalida in advanced
stages change of climate rs their only hope when In
reality it is their almost certain destruction
do not mean to be understood condemning the
Of medicines through the stomach in pulmonary dis
cases, when administered for the palaon particular
symptoms, but merely their remedy for the cure
Of those diseases. Their proper by no means in
consistent with inhalation. But whatever temporary
relief may be derived from such means it is only by
directly applying remedies to the diseased organ that
any permanent good can be reasonably expected
ut from treatment. 1t is surely rational to cx-
fect benefit from medicines that breathed into and
brought in contact with the whole internal cavity the
ungs than from those which administered through
he stomach.
Now, rational inhalation is but the application of this