New-York daily tribune., 1862-10-09
fCommuuicstedi
DR.. Robert Hunter the Cure of Consumption
LETTER no. Xxx

SIR: kt it is the aim OF these letters " iN"'0''
popular errors in regard to pulmonary oioease',
pelmit me to say few words on the e"'"O""y =
Consum ptioD. 1t is not, think, assuming 700 niuch
20 say that most persons entertain grave donots on
this suiiect while many are thoroughly convinced
of the mpossibility Of curing this disease that they
do not hesitate to characterize all medication having
that objectiu view as dishonest and "empIical.
TubeTcles in the urgs are Ia their opinion, eqnva
lent 10 the Hand of Death and the delusion is 30
deeply rooted and inve,erate that we can hardly
hope that commOn-ssHse, PfoiR frcts and un1npeoch-
able testimony will prove sufficient 10 dspel 1t Still
the obiec, is worth trial, and have not entirely
lost faith in the wisdom of the old Roman maxim,
Magma est rer1toS e prcraletH
Before l proceed TO give the testimony OF others
let me ondeav0ur 10 make my own views clear on
this point. The question Is Can conSrmpsoR be
cured? My answer Is unequivocally Yes, after
tubercles are depositeC-aiter they nave ytehtd
and broken down the rcells ana bronchia! tubes OF
the part in which deposited, forming carty the
lungs still be healed aud tue patient regain com
Portable health. Neither the presencs OF tuberces
nor the actual existence OF tuberculous abseess IN
the lungs precudes the patient from the hope of re-
covery. These are NY views, aud however much
they may appear at variance with the opinion gem
orally entertained venture to add taat there is rot
In the United States to-day one physician, OF respec-
table standing, bold enough to dispute Their tru.h
Let it not, however, oe inferred from what have
said that DO not regard consumption as a most
alarming disease nor that il can BE- cured as readily
an the last as IN the first stage. What mean Ia
that this disease lis not necessarily fatal IL any stage
that patients do actually after the lungs
have undergone partial destruction By liberation.
Hon does cure ta@t piGccf IL may take place by
absorpt,0n-that is to say the tuborcuar deposit
may be taken up by the absorbent vessels and ex-
PEELED from the System among tie eX'roions Of the
BODY. When the tubercuar matter is In the first
STAGE or net far advanced in the sscoHd gene
rally take place in this way. You have no doubt
often observed srsli3HgS disappear after they had
existed for weekt-have known persons TO regain
the natural size of the neck after years OF aicion
with GoE{re what is commonly called " lhlck
Neck"l-have seen DrOps.cd illusions removed,
and BOtis' which seemed about TO " come 10 a
head" fade gradually away. Whoever has seen
these changes has wtne ed the cure OF ds-ase by
absorption. Let me make this perfectly plain. Ger
tain vessels have the power OF taking up ana eX-
peiling from tue body impurities AID morbid deposis
3y the action of these vessels, the Ia ercaar matter
deposited the lungs IL removed, IN the same way
that tatT is removed when DTogsy Is cured WIN
out "t0ppiag."
Aud the way in which cure takes place is by the
softeniag aud expulsion OF the tobercuiaF matter,
snd the subsequent c,striZ,tOn of the cavity
fo med. When "A boil breaks, ats mater Is dis
charged, ana then the part heals up, leaving scar;
when abscess forms ia tie fesh and comes to
head il discharges quan,lty Of pus aud thea under
proper treatment the diseased part heals up aud be-
comes apparently sound; when carOuncle has
saieu large hole into the flesh the dead parts grad
uay separate from tbe living, the ca'ly ills up Oy
grdauiottO1 with new matter, caIlJCs !orms over
the whole, and health Is re.esteb!ished; when a
scrof0Us gland breaks IN the neck, and after dis
Charging lie contents heals up again; when burnt
surface granulates, throws out cOagul.ble lymph
and finally becomes covered win ki1d Of skin
which we call a cica.Iix-we have IN each case ap
example OF what Iakes place III the lungs when
tubercular abscess heals. The pats destroyed are
psver reformed, but Dew matter Is thrown Out
which draws the sides Of the cavity together and
Seals il up. When q J0H or ear6HHcie is completely
healed up, it ceases 20 sscree pps and 50 also when
a cavity in the langs heals, tho patient ceases 10
erpect0rate, because mater" Is no longer ioined
10 all nteuts and purIc the cure is s perieeg Ia
one case ae III the other.
Bat Il may he SAID ne blood is alwoys impure in
Consumption, ana hence cure VIII DOT IKE pace 20
readily ia this dis az rs III the other diseases
mentioned. That a. very true, but u docs not
follow that it will lot do il the physician restOres
she blood to lis ususl purity by proper inAaeons.
80 accomplish this should always be The nfet ann oi
treatment for aseUrCdy DO cure can Dc expected 20
long as the blood remains loaccd with carbolacious
impnrity. know oi means by wh ch the blood
can De deprived Of caI.on except The use OF highly
oxygenated iDhalations nor OF any method by
which we can eet directly upon an abscess IN the
lungs as we do upon a c..fboncle on the external
surface of the BODY, excep, Dy mcdicaiig tie air
which Tie patient bTeaiIes. When more rational
method OF treatment Is discovered, tie profession
will have reason 10 cOagfaiuale ilsei Ga having
presume there u be found among the medi-
cal men of this country come VINO, d. aing their
conclusions from tie results OF their Own practice,
,aay still feel disposed 10 deny that II Is Po-sli7 10
cure consumption. 10 q physician WHO has gown
gray in practice, and Sc, amoug tic hundreds who
have sought bis advice cannot recall 10 recollection
even consumDuve invalid saved through his
rninistratoDs, this skepticsm Ii perhaps natural.
Human nature Is irail, aud we must not I.and oi
il more than IL can be.T. Tho btteTest dose the pa
IA uI,fg
express the opiIi0n that rome other phys'eian is
able to accomplish what lie has failed TO perform.
But to return TO the durability Of Consumption
i will close with "A few quotations III PROOF oi VIC
correctness OF the opinions have e@Iiessed.
The late DR.. Sgeit remarks:
Alother iupo!tans que presents l.le is Contunp
sion curabe disease aud II 80 what Is TIE proportion oi
e..e c reeoyerl The general mpe'sioH ~ tie nedca
orefaan 4. tha patient With Consumpiou l. doomed
sss,s s,S:A have known nuIabsr q paiisns dar-
suunoT .nd somemes IN od-aneed stage who inally
recovered aud il the enjoyment Ci good health
Sir James Clark the Quesa's Physician, says;
Tha, Pulmonary CoHspmpton admit. Of . core Is no
By ihersesches ofLselnec aud other modern
Prof. Carswell Of London, observes:
"Psthoosic. anatomy has perhaps Afforded more
vdence IN proof Of ,as durability Of disease han
1t has IL that ol frb7eua, con.ump!~n CJe fiec Md
And aor nec that the of Consumption where
che lungs no. completely csoiganzed ought not to 10
looked upon at all in reference either The
dr,uc,ion Of Of tie snbaDoe OF tie luIgs by
mean, necessarily mortal" tPsgsa as).
Then lot us hear no more of the 'ncura6iity Of
1Lis disease or OF the " einpincsm" OF those who
strive ~ effect its cure but let all good men unite
~ encourage and stimulate 10 Increased exer,ion
thoee who are zealously laboring in the great
Of science and hum 4nity.
Ny next letter will DO on the treatment of
Consumption.
'''' '''1'Is I6BERT EUNTER. H. D.,