New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-17
Communicated
Dr. Robert Hunter ON the Causes Of Consump'
toni Continued.


lCommunca,edl
Gr. Robert Hunter on the Causes Of Consunp.
ton 4 ontinued.
LETTER NO. XVII
TO ne E.iar Of The y. y. Daily I,itsHe.
SIR: OR 0ppet,tcs and the strength OF our bodies
depend On the air we breathe. The stomach may
prerare the chyle to blood, but the chyle
is no, blood. nor has it any power Of impar;ing
strength TO the system until it has been vtaii.fd
in TIE lungs II must be sent TO the lungs first and
there receive last change from the oxygen of the
mir we breathe Hence IT is that the size of the
lungs and the purity of the air, by determining the
quantity Of oxygen received, determine also the
quantity of chyle which can be assimsted. The
annette generally keeps pace with the wants Of the
BODY; for were ohyle prepared by the stomach
than tie Lungs could transform Into blood, 1t would
clog and derauge the System.
Let the following facts then be ever remembered:
/. No matter how large our lungs may be, if
tie ar we breathe he IMPURE the appetite fails, tie
lace grows DQ!c and the breathing becomes hWfF!co
H. The same symptoms follow wherever TIE air
though pure, is d,miHJted IN quantity a. Is awGys
tie casc after recent " c0td,' or during seated
" Chr0nic Br0Aclsfis.'
III. Whatever clog, the lungs and obsirucis
the freedom Of respiration, causes the blood 10 be-
come charged with carbouaceous impuriiy, and lays
the foundation Tor Consumption.
Will cause consumption ia ANY Hnimal creature
Luuian or brute-that walks the earth
When am asked " What il the cause Of Con
sumption o. ny answer Il, whatever VIII produce
tu a., he in the lungs oi men and the lower aal-
.ials with uniform certGin'y 20 maN-r iof- Nr1ag
fsev man be by Nature or how free from fele fcTg
prCiisDOnf.OH. AS a deficient supply 81 oxygen
will 60 ihis-as all known causes at hy hri pro.
Gucinx deficient Fupply-aud q. nothing ~ nailio
las ever been known to produce THE ois'ase % We
81 e IL
tive IT tie tine Of their Dir,ht without deiceuoy
OF oxygen a.so existing regard tls a. the tue
cGu,e Of Consumption.
1T well-known fact that cows. when shut up
in close, badly ventilated rtnll. all become consam-
tive. 1hs some pefsOns will tell you, is because
ihey are generally "6td on sioPS, bui tell sou
that Il is DO such thing. Ju may feed them on dry
food and give them plenty of pure water, and they
i'll -ii ken and ole Of tbis disease. Give them
Miy wel.-senlilaied sials, aud sou will find CONF
Iaraiiyely few OF consumption among them. no
mt, e. how YOU iced them. Mr. Owens, Assistant
Curator Of tie Museum OF the Royal College Of Sur
peons London, found tEbercics ard c0rifirs IN
he ungs Of most Of the animals which died
in the Gardens of the Geological Society the im-
pure air OF their cagcs caused them TO die Of
consumption, notwithstanding they were fed on
the beet OF food in great abundance, and had
the utmost care bestowed upon them. Monkeys
are par iculaIly liable TO consumption when
Gagged; Dr. Regraud OF Paris found tubcrcles in
every OIL development III tlifT iuNBr. III
many cases lie tells there we're distinct cavities
filled WITH soened tubercles, while others had ul
cefetioa Of the bronchial 9landr iayyHr and epeot
fis the same as found IN larynlea consumption
in man. Professor Csrswell Of the London UnIver-
slty, the eminent psychologist found that he could
rea lis prod ace fuicrcics 10 rabbits By simply
nning them in mpur. air. know Of no exceptions
10 ,lns rule in the animal kingdom.
If the reader viii 20 over again tie several
causes given preceding letters he viii lind that
II - - ~.
uroIer oxygenalion Of the blood and tho-e which
do 20 in lie greates degree the chief Of
HIS dl ea,e But few cases can be traced - fnter
,ioace or even TO prcdSPOS,LloA. In Tie face OF al
these facts physicians who have grown gray without
making one contribution 10 medical science and old
,vomeu who have grown wise upon their precrpt-
wi. doubtless still continue TO harp on g hc,eat0ry
ta,t ~ tie Li0od bot il IL neXcusable gIecnncss
In int lireut people 10 be JrghfrHef by the gnls
fatuua OF byg0he age, or TO hulld up any hopes o.
immunity because OF Their presumed freedom from A.
All observation and experience mite prove that
the yooL OF this maady Is IN tho hhPe, aud that
tuJfrcIeA are but the fruit Of fmpc, jed TesDtr0-
nm II we would cure il, we must attack it
here: we must iremOvc tie inncus when obslrncts
the iDbss, and restore the purity Of the blood by
ac,ino unon IL through the alr cells. / nn aware
that his j, different, from the theory generally held
by NV proie. siOia brethren, but then also know
t6a the treatment based upon 1t s spcces@tH while
,heirs--ti0stHg me SfOrt{ch 10 care me W"ga-is
little better than mel1HchOiy iWpOSiHTf HpOH hO1c-
ss fq,serg The only test Of the truth or ialsiy
Of medical doctrine il the practical results 10 which
/, e.d. The results 10 which their prHc'ice has led
are the uriyeyeal dread with which Consumption is
re0arded aud the almoet universal conviction That
h ecessaTilv an incurable disease. Thus II Is that
or,ss,onnf error Joins hands with pubi'c credafty,
and barr the road 10 truth. -,
In order 10 fairly estimate the causes winch pro-
dnce tnbercles in the Lungs c; Us take gwen num-
her of those who apply for advice. What do we
Gndl Why, that the great majority are oil persons
leading a sedentary hfe merchants VINO conhhe
tbe,seycs very closely the duties OF The counting
bonse. clerks and book keepers who are compelled
10 cramp the chest and limit rs expansion by tiilnR
day after day over the desk mechanics VINO WORK on
tho bench in close rcnfotcd T00ms, or VINO pIea'io
an atmosphere loadei with dust, aud the poor "!o
live niserably IN damp cellars or tho close AR
Of " Ten,menE housts." ] am aware that mauy who
lead active life in the open ar are also cut on Vy
it, but in them it always arises from neglected eOius.
Tim shoes, insufficient clothing, end exposure 10
ret deprive them Of the immunity they wouid oinci
wise ENJOY. la private drawing rooms IN Tue street.
at Church everywhere in fact, where men and women
meet together, we hear the "Dc0th hcL' OF Con-
sumption in the hawking and rospiHg efforts Inauc
10 clear the windpipe from sticky mucus. lhey
may 20 on thus Tor time, but unless the caise DC
removed the blood soon becomes carbonaceous ana
they slowly but surely fall into Consumption. .,
The great Importance of nightly understanding the
causes Of this Disease, has led INC to extend my Oh