Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-08-14
DR. Hunter on the Cure OF Pulmonary Con-
sumption.
LETTER NO. XVI.


can he broughtio pass by some morning drought.
or the taking Of some precious drugs but that
,hcy would be assured that il must needs be that
this is work If labor, and consiste'l in many
remedies. aud TT connection al them among
themselves. For no man can be- 50 stupid a. t"
Imagine that what was never yet done can be
done. unless by such mems as were never yet at
teinpfed r-I.ofd Baron.
If fbe render has carefully followed me through
nv description of the many forms which Con
sumption assames, he will at once understand
the intimate copneotiun existing between this dis
case and Cafersh, Sore Throat aud Broaehifis
have already enforced. and would again
neat the importance Of taking steps tnarrest the
disease IN Is earliest stage, The treatment OF
CatarrlI--Sore throat. Bronchitis and Consunp-
ton il its commencing stage j. easy, aud the re-
suit certain in its success. But. unfortunately
we are seldom consulted until The disease Is fur
ther advanced. Too often our patient Mt the
very outset, is much emaeiated, has purulent ex-
poctoration, with harassing cough. and frequent
splitting Of blood. On applying the Stethoscope
we detect indications of alterations. and on per-
cussion find portions of the lungs stuffed with tu-
bercles In a word wa find our patient ia "A state
of confirmed Consumption. WHAT'S Ia be done
Are we. says Dr. FLOOD. after listening and per-
cussing, percussing and listening. again 70 shake
our heads and say My good friend, you are in
Consumption, nothing can be done TO save you ~
God forbid The physician who intimates
much though he does mol suy it in words, uLters
libel on his art. There is much to be done.
not by regarding the disease incurable, and
aiming merely at aifordng temporary ease not
by prescribing potion after potoE to aliay the
troublesome symptom-not by mereiv opening
the bowels when they confiDed and combining
them when they arc open-not by promoting ex-
pectoration when too seanty, and checking 1T
when too great; and yet, these constitute nearly
l. Il
ton They are well enough Far AS they go.
inasmuoh they relieve the present distress of
the patient but curative means they are ut
terly worthess-nay, they are cruel, because
this very relief lulls the patient into Il false secu-
rity. and induces him to think he is making way
Il guinst his disease, at time, perhaps, when he
i. at the very verge of dissolution No, we must
take up arms boldly against the great cause of
these complications, and not occupy time, of
which every moment is precious, i'll palhating
sl ymptoms, while the disease itself is extending
it ravages in the lungs. unchecked by the slight
es fort of our art. You inquire how this Is to
be dome! | will endeayor to make it so plain to
yc that it shall not be possible for the most
thong 'htless to ever again doubt the durability of
Cons lmption. In condemning the old routine,
wi ch has proved not only fallaoious in principle,
but ia tai in practice, have endeavored to give
you God reason for 50 doing; will now strive
to give you equally good reasons in support of
my oN II treatment.
The great point in the treatment of all human
ma lad les is first, to get at the disease in direct
munn err. All medicines estimated by their
otion upon the organ requiring relief. This IS
ia in portant fact upon which Inhalation is based
lf the stomach is diseased, we take medicines di-
re ell = into the stomach. If the lungs are dseas.
cd, NO should take medicine directly into the
Il ing. !. If n local Inflammation is set up, II
chronic affection established in the throat nose
or on the surface of the body, we make APP
plica tons directly to the part diseased The
50 an 4 principle of this treatment must be appa-
rent to every one Medicines are the nntdotes
to di sease. To apply medicines to healthy OF
gs,n, is in most to do injury. Health re-
qdire 40 medicine, while disease viii lead toward
ii solution, without it. Now, then, the great OBJ
10 ct of the physician ought ever to be the app-
o. alton of the proper remedy, to the proper place,
n the proper time and he fails curing disease
just rs he fails in carrying out this practical
p rinciple
When speak of Inhalation, I wish to be un-
d ,rstooG speaking of tho application of this
pl inciplo to the treatment of diseases of the
Il ungs; for it must at once be apparent that it
ri direct to those intricate air passages
M d cells, which lie out of the reach of every
OF her means of administering medicines.
1t win hence be seen that Inhalation is not a
M edic me, but merely mode of treatment by
w lltil ulfeCtiy " tue
MD urface Of the lungs in disease. Some medi-
cines, when inhaled, increase the quantity Of
m after expeetorated others diminish it. Some
ar g SOC thiRg to the infaned mucous membrane,
ard all ny cough while others are stimulating,
and increase it. Some act almost entirely on the
lungs; others are absorbed into the current OF
the crc ulation and extend their curative influ-
enee tn rough the medium of the blood, to every
part of The body. Now, in the treatment of any
particular case, the symptoms-the kind of dis
case--th nc stage to which it has progres the
peculin rites of constitution, and the habits of
life IN ust all be considered; for Inhalation can
never be honestly employed without the medi-
sines are adapted, in the kinds used and their
strength tothe circumstances of each case,
TO make this more clear, let take a case of
ce'nsu mption before tubercles are deposited, and
in VIII ieh the ar-tubes are iniamed, and secrete a
biuis h, jeHy-fike sticky Substance. This expec-
torat ion sticks TO the sides of the wndppe, and
requires the most violent respng efforts '.cledr
The throat :" and yet, no sooner is enc piece
fore I'd up than another fakes its place. BY CON
stanty STRIVING to free the wIndpipe from this ob-
siruetion the lungs become sore and fretted, and
The disease is increased. Now. in the treatment
of this case, two objects require to be fulfilled
LIST, TO allay the irritation of the lungs. and 2d,
to soften and dissolve the sticky mucu= and there
by TO enable the patient to expel it freely. By
uniting soothing inhalent with erptcfordnt
we are abio promptly 10 attain both OF these OBJ
iects, and to cut short the disease, before the
lungs have become seriously injured. Here,
then, you see, we have "Soothiag Inhalants'' and
"Erpectordnt Inhdidhts."
Now, let us take another case. the very oppo-
site of this one in which the discharge from the
la 1gs is very great and exhausting-for, bear in
mi nd. that profuse discharge from the lungs,
weakens and exhausts the strength of the body,
just so does profuse discharge from the bo,ceis.
Here we require to diminish the quantity of mat
ter expectorated, and hence inhale medicines that
produce this effect. These we call "Astringent