Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-01-17
From the Boston urnal.
Medicinal InIisIatioa for the Cure OF


COnsmuptiOu.
Mr. Editor This mode Of treating Lung
Diseases, extensively praetised by myself for
more than six years, is justly attracting much
attention. 1t strike, the popular mind and
the professional mind, too, as being eminent
Ny reasonable and necessary. 1t CONVEYS the
remedy directly to the diseased parts; and l
claim that it comes with the highest of all
sanctlons-being armed with the power of
cure.
Whether it is so armed, is question of in
calculable interest, as a moments rejection
will convince any one. Small pox, yellow
fever, and cholera, are very terrible in their
visitations; but what are all their aggregated
slaughters to the ceaseless, silent march of
that fell disea,e which ever steals away in
their fresh prime the brightest and the best
Boston, from its population OF 100, 900. loses
by consumption about 10 per week, So per
month, or about 7S0 per annum. Massaehu-
sets loses about 5000 per annum; New Eng
land, not less than 10000; and with The State
of New York added. the victims of this sin
gle disease swell to 10000 year What an
army Picked from the choicest i AL sun
Jdered from life untimely, and leaving more
blight and sorrow behind than would per.
haps twice or thrice the number whom any
OAnCt pSotAACtCS hOutu lldN6 bei6CtCus ne
magnitude OF the evil places the question Of
the remedy before all Others that pertain to
the healing art.
shall speak of inhalation, therefore, very
earaestly,-not as a palliative merely, but as
far more,-as a remedy. 4 fler long and pa
tient use, my experience allows me to say,
know it to be SUCH and knowing this,
should be criminal not to present it to the
public. With no other feeling towards my
professional brethren than that Of respect,
shall yet address what l have TO say to the
popular mind for it is the great multitude of
sufferers, pressing fast through the gate of
death. who need to hear words Of hope.
1t is not deuied that consumption is a gen.
eral disease, needing constitutional treatment;
bat it has also local development in the
lungs, first i'll the form of albuminous tumors,
called tubercles, and then, after the softening,
breaking down and discharge of these, in the
more formidable shape OF ulcerous cavities,
which, beginning at the summit, devour the
lungs down 10 the base. Can 1t be reasona-
BILE 10 apply 20 remedy directly to this local
diseases Not so does our profession deal with
other local Diseases 10 an inAamed skin we
apply pouitices, cold congresses, solutions of
acetate OF lead, nitrate OF silver, Ne; to lep-
tous or scaly affections, eulpLuret OF potash,
bichlorde OF mercury, zinc ointment, nitrate
OF mercury ointment, sulphur. cIeosote, &c.;
to weak aud intanel eyes, sulphate of cop
per, sulphale OF zinc, nitrate OF silver, aud
opium; TO liberated gums sulphate Of ZINC,
myrrh, honey, &C.; to open chronic ulcers
upon tho skin, tannin, pulvelized Hubbard,
opium, or ciuchona; and to an inhamed
throat, nitrate of silver.
These are but specimens Of the thous
and cases in which we use local relnedies.-
Why, then, when the mucous membrane,
which lines the air tubes. becomes nlaned
through all its branches, should we neglect,
by the lnhalation OF 'inedicaed vabor, TO ap.
ply remedy dii ectly upon the whole iuham-
cd surface! Why when tubercular matter is
beginning TO be deposited upon the surface Of
the air cells, and OF the small bronchial tubes,
should not the yapor 20 right 10 those parts,
aud cause, rs 1t would, the immediate OK
pulson Of this offending and dangerous mat
terF Uneducated common sense sees the
reasonableness Of tho suggestions ut glance.
Many person, with pulmonary disease, dies
OF suiocaton, not because There is not museu-
lar strength to expel the matter which is
suangling him, but because the lungs bslow
tie large pellets Of mucous which plug up the
bronchial tupes, cannot bein1ated, aud have
therefore no means Of driving out the offend.
ihg substance. Yet u proper medicated vapor
drawn IN with tho breath, would either dts
solve the mucous, or rouse up the expiring
membrane TO cast il off.
II tho roaHcr wcrO To plato ono end Of