New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-24

DIR. Robert Hunter on thc Cnu-e- al ton-ginI-
Iion-C onclnhrd.

LETTER 40 XVIII
To The Fdii, Of 1Ae y J. Haay Tr,lnre
Sir: II We except iHicrfaacf-which, "a cause
81 consumption, does not extend 10 those who's "a
rents may have died # Ills oi.case years after q ey
were born. but Is confined exclusively 10 persons
whose Iarcn's-oac or bo.L-were actually ri
with corsuml Son 30 iLe line Of their lirl--we ird
that an ether carsof, however apparently opposite
in character produce precisely tie same eject uaon
The SYSTEM sin: they fiuHrt tie quantity ~ ~ Jie
yitalizcd in tie lungs. nrd mcr6ae tie quantity Of
carton in the blood. The body r0s'rl away 10 pro-
portion to The dlrianfoH 81 Tie former, willie f4t1-
eI,s are deposited 10 proportion to tie .acrrg'r 81
the latter. Tie former gives 10 ibis di-ease ii8
tvf,c--corsurrion--a r1nsnmfnr 0Ir0V - f.s n-lh.
willie the fHtrrc,s in tle luugs produce That train
Of symu.lns iy which D. b. thaTuet Dr4et.
Ny frrg o' tie nature 81 consumption mny.
then. be- briefly stated lf follow. r. ,f-fl ere
M. consequence o. Ivrflf.f Ntrgff0faa 81 The
blood their tsrc is crrb'4. Hey nag cietrrfrf,
hui are general 81 orJnIfsf. Toy An ITfdr,rd IN
nonkfad and in bfaf. Ly Whatever dulinl..r- ttc
p1r.fgtf tlc ar, or he ffsriou 81 o. Idr if .on
into iio lungs. The body rashs ia thi- di.elae
because tie quantity o. ~ 'e accumulated j. lciu-
lated 70 the weish' Of gram BY tic quaint O. !, az
oxygen sui ploi 90 the luugs.
Tie sat Of cluuuulf0u h always DO he llnCs
and All csufes capable of producing thu diaeasc nc
by obstTuc INK respiration. isthe blood II rendered
u pIro b. thctc distinctions, DO ,r,rfs # the die
c4sc are seeu iu "a wide rance OF Hy0isic affr-
INNS 81 oier organs Of the body; bat tho danger 10
the patient dereuds, not on The severity Of these
ympalbier, but Oh The extent OF tie dasaso in the
lunge.
have said tha, the blood il always impure In
Consumption. What n the nature 81 the iinpurify ?
Chemistry demonstrates that the OrvgeH j. slways
diminished aud oort0H always in excess. Cnlbon
f..t IA ff.I. 4
element ~ the true cluse II iuhcrcle. What doe
chemistry tell NJ ~ the osrHf0i H1furcof Igbcrcle
/ be analysis OF SchrcTer proves that hny.t0ur per
cent oil il II pure carbon, and the remaining 40 Ter
cent made ny oil the elecus o.. disiItcg grated tissues
Of rhc lungs IN which it D. dcposited.
If the reader hiss atientiyely followed me- through
he causes Of consumption, he will now understand
that the llrt etcp toward d. must be az eforf
10 restore the functions Of tie lungs. Tie blood
cannot be restored to its purity until This is done
Hence If the air.tubes are oh-tiucied by mucu- or
diminished in slc by tlicleuins OF their lining mem.
brinc we must if-t attack thee. IL the iaticnt il
exposed 10 "A dusty atmOspiere, be must be removed
ont OF II, or the good accomplished iay will be
undone the next. II tie air he J. compelled TO
breathe be confined aud impure, proper ventilation
must be combined with the other n4chus employed
for his cure.
These are the plain principles upon which my
practice II baeed Will any physician pretend that
h. u wrong 10 eAIel the obsruclng mucus from the
iubes-to sooihe the iufamed AIR pnssagos, md H.
crcare the purity Of the blood | do not think So
unless you can find within the pale OF the profession
rome one who Is by nature both "a bigot and a fool.
will not be- unchTiiabe enough 10 think 30
meanly OF the undertaking OF even the humblost
Of my medical brethren; and yet, if they admit that
these objects are desirable all that claim n nd
mted, Tor by no Of or means can they be attained
except 10y the dtrrd 0ppiicoffOa n rcmecits 10 HE
lungs IN mciic0fed iHhaiofiOns.
Since | commenced the publication of these letters
many inquiries have been addessed 10 me regarding
the influence OF Tobacco" Ardent Spiriis," the
Dust Of Railway Travelling" &c, IN the produc-
ton OF Consumption. BY rendering The mucous sur
faces irritable, these often exciting OF thai
form OF Catarrhal disease, which 100 iTeqncny ends
III CODsumption but they never the dtTcct cause
Of Iubcrclcs. Whoever is addicted 10 the OF to-
bacco-smoking or cbewing-knows that II initiates
the throat and iuJures digestion. lntempcrance III
like manner, by rendering the system intlunmable,
strongly predispotes To Catarrhal disease Of the AIR
passages. Free indulgence in the use Of ardent
fprits IL given by most authors on thin disease as
Of ITS causes; but IL only an iudfrect caure,
like tobacco. There is IA prevailing impression
among tie people that alcoholic drinks prevent con.
sumption. This idea If iase and most pernciOus.
No one will escape this disease by adopting such
means, while some may produce II, and mol q lew
will certainly induce a moral malady more 10 be de-
pored than the physical disease they seek 10 avert.
Travelling by ears il beneficial, in the change OF
air and the cJcrc,sc it affords, but injurious by
reason of the coal dust to which it subjects Still,
1t il not IN this respect materially worse than other
modes OF conveyance.
Climate has undoubtedly much TO do in causing
consumption. This climate Is objectionable, lceause
OF ne sudden tranfitOns from heat 10 cold and
because the Winter months are damp raw and
chaugcabe. The beat climate IN the world 10 Solth
Australia where only one person IN thlrty-seven
dies of his disease, while here fully one IN every
fur. But persons having lubercies in the lungs
derive 40 benefit from gong 10 IA warm climate.
Indeed, they die sooner tLGn they would BY rcmain-
ing at home. Those vino are only MrtatcHed with
tubcrcles because OF their liability 10 take cold.
derive great beneDt flop d warm climate. AJter