, 1863-10-19
DR.. James Hunter on Pulmonary
Consumption

.-... Consumptzon.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
obecrvations Oh the Diseases Of The nose. throat
and bronchial tubes, shall now proceed to speak
OF pulmonary consumption. that dread ma1ady in
n Which M ths affections invariably end not proper
Pulmonary consumption is caused by tutercles
IN he 3ans For 9Dg the TIT
Ing or eruaciat,on Of the body. They were called
eonsunntions ~ b because tho body slowly consumed
that IL. to cay the anatomy Of The organs il
dlssaseHbecame s ~. more general, It was soon dis
quentIy the cause Of wasting than all other chronic
diseases combintd d, and hence from this time con
sumption Of the lapEa attracted more attention,
apd a Of came t. limit TIE term
the term consumption, I wish the reader to ro-
member that mtnu rot only. disease Of tha
innge. bnt aphsticnlaz kind Of disease character
lied By the deposition Of tuhezcles in their sub
stance.
Tutercles arc little granular bodies deposited
% ION re 20 nlooa: Ihey are most frequently located
but they are nlto deposited In the ar.cels and on
the free surface Of the mucous membrane when
hey ate formed On the mucous membrane Of the
air.tubes, II Is not uncommon for small particles
TO become detachtd and expectorated bg the pa-
tient long before any liberation has taken placo in
the lnng: T9beEeles are found In three different
ttagce. In the h1st. hcy are Erayish, half traus-
passed oyer them.
They ya1y In size from mi11et.seed to common
pea, and arc known in medical parlanca by the
name Of military tubercles. In this stage they
every little disturbance OF the sYstem. All We
md persS as5 ts s.fs s ssby
back and clear tie throat frequently, but beyond
these indications the patient had no warning Of
Second stase.-Tho military fubarc,es Increase
In size BY the acc elton Of fresh particles thrown
ef 1om time TO time by the blood, and also IN
stage half transparent; they are now Opaque. and
becoming yellow. II We cut through a portion Of
lung In which tnbenles In tho eecond etage exist,
we ind it studded here and there with what looks
precisely like lamps Of cheeee, You can separate
these and hey break down between the fingers
Just like bits Of old cheese. In eize tubercles ii
il is aito COMMON to aid he1s and thsre tabercIc
tubeIcles there viii be good deal Of shortness Of
be1c1es cause ehortneee of breath by closing the
and cells Of the part Of tho lung in which
they arc situated There may also be cough and
,aa maeoaa S3pectofaton arising from the irritation
Third stoge.-!HayiDg reached tho stage Of
cheeay tubercle, the disease may remain Stationary
for Week9: months. Or even years, awaiting fnhi-
Change s O. Sa 70 51e -
Z stsa s g fsh TISSUES 6
whole breaks down, forming :aa ulcezuus excava-
st.s 1s + Pus II osa a e s. e. g. S1 sfsse d
the walls Of the air tubes and cells. and by the
softened tubetcie IL poured out into the bronchial
tie aie not formed II he ssme time but
plase j. ~ At ths sa@s ti@e Ai;ef ths arse shosf
70 the system caused By the liberation and break
mg down of part OF the lungs has passed, con-
eicerable improvement takca place ID the ey1pp-
toms and the patient thinks be getting
and then part Of the lung breaks GOWN Tbis suc.
eessiVe sofienfng, followed By temporary amend
ment, aioHly but surely undermined the strength
tn6eFcle takee Place. VIC have all the worst symp.
toms inaugu1ated-heotic ferer, night sweats,
neseaee nc M eonGh psoiase puruent e1pectoraton
such is brief outline Of what takes place In the
lungs 1n the three etages Of Consumption.
Ss y eaed b
IT'S necessary that this question should be an
swGled % before you eau clearly understand how It
produce this dresd ms!sdy. In f foFmeF s letters 81 I
pointed out the danger OF neglectiug Catarrh, Sore
Thfoat and Bronehitis ard told you that these are
satd that they are tie common consa Of turbe1cles
snd that turbe1clea arc the cause Of Consumption
TIT M iss sIs canssd 5y Imperfect
mission Of pure air 10 the ali cells will produce
them. eottened tu1berc1e il nothing more than
carbon united with the elements Of the tissues in
catarfh in its influence Oh the lungs. I have told
ION that eatsf1h ia 2 chronic inflammation Of tho
mnsGne ts membrane lining the nose. The secretion
the thsoat rapidly extends the irritation to tho
entrance Of the wtEdpipe. Once 1t has reached
this point. every slight change In the weather.
every exposure to dust, increases the irritation
and carries 1t down into the larynx, produc-
tnE slight hoaIsenese, and into the bronchial
white mucas. Yon sec, then, thst d eatarrh
produces the irritation on which this mucus do
pendt. The wtndpipe and bTonchIa in which 1t
ioIms, are the tubes through which the lungs re-
a nj th0 e0r
bon from the blood Do ron suppoee you can OBJ
etrnct those tubes and yet not diminish the air
Through them at each inspiration! stick.
mucous not only obst1ucts them. bnt often COM
Pletey ssnIs up bronchial tube Of considerable
ai1,cclls you eause portion Of the carbon to re.
Of from a cluster Of aircells, tho caplllaries
OF those cells become gorged with imper-
to become tnberc9lous. Kind nature il very
tndulgent, and may bear with rs for long time,
but econeE or latar q deposit Of carbon takea
place IN the obstrocted part, and from that mo-
ment the disease has changed from simple CT
tanh Or bronchitis TO the most fatal diseases
causes the formation Of tubercles, and
ally formed. the patient has no warning Of his
danger beyond The evidence Of thepresence Of the
stlcky nucus produced BY hawking 1t up from time
My ne1t letter will be on the sSymptoms Of
Consumption, Your obedient servant;
JAMES HuNrEn, n. D.,
Physician for dfseases Of the Throat and Luuge.
g. 81 AWash,1g.on street. Chicago between cla1k
The practice Of DIS. r. :, Jas. HnnteE Is e1-
clusivefy confined TO the treatment Of ali affections
Of the Throat and Lungs. Chicago office, No. 85