The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-04-09
LETTER NO. 8.
DR.. Morse ON Consumption and itsy
Trenfment.
To tAe Editor q .tAe Portland Press.

To the Editor ef the Portland Press.
We learn from an of cial state ment made that in
the State Of Maine during the year is O. nearly 500
not sufficiently startling TO awaken in tho public
mind profound sen c of ibe utter useltssness ard
ipethciensy OF the usual modes OF practice adcpted
BY the profession Ia TIE u ment of these dsess
es! ask in the naIqe of humanity. is there to To
no progress. no Improvement upon the old rou,iIs
p7aeif; by our medical fathers two thousand yea
agos How long will mt dicsl men continue 20 cling
TO the old and sea sess dogmas OF past generatons
Tbs culver of d. ath has arr, 50 iafal as Con-
SUMPTION In all ages 1t has been the great foe of
human lie. Medical men have been so long in the
habit OF regarding this disease incurab e. that the
public have very naturally come TO tina eonelu-
sion. aud think 1t .'no use 10 Doctor" No wonder
then that lis very name sounds like death-knel1.
and sends such thrill of horror to ths heart But
We wherefore should You think il thing in
CREDIBLE that Consumption can be cared. Il IL he
cause physicians heretofore have filled lfhat prn
epie were universally adopted and carried out, wh0
does not see that he brilliant ard boosted progress
ofour age must soon come TO end. Medical truths
have always been OF slow Development We can
not but be struck with wonder that20 years should
have passed away alter the commencement OF hu.
dissection before the important discovery OF the
circulation of the blood was made known 10 the
world Aud il l. certainly no less surrris;pg that
even then the illustrous Harvey, who has the hon
or OF having made the important disco very, when no
declared II TO the world was denounced by hts con-
temporaries as charlaan and his name held In de-
rision. We might fer 10 later discoveries in the
arts illustrative II the same pripcipie-the sewing
machine the magnetic telegraph, and numerous 9th
inventions, when first announced staggered be-
lief in many sound aud honest minds, but row all
Of them fixed facis and to diseredt their ex-
istence would be TO discredt man : common sense,
at least TO questisn his sanity. The announce
ment OF lnha alton, too as enpls we'd in pulmt nary
diseases though bearing upon its very front The i'm
press of reason ald common sense, has met with
equally Jealous opposition. Narrow minded m,n
have thrown obstacles in the way and supereilious
ly condemned its use b. canss they supposed 1t WIS
omething new. We have only 10 say that we envy
neither the mans head nor heart who closes has
mind against any new idea OF improvement merely
because il Is newto him such man. Whatever his
antecedents, inevitably shows himself incapable of
further progress, hasing already reached the ulti-
matum of his earthly dsstiny. His mind evidently
has been stretched TO its utmost capacity and can
not take IN singe new idea. We can but regard
these "old foges" the last Of their time and more
THAI that was about TO say their time is pat shall
we grow angry then, and say hard things about
them! Nay, hardly; rather would we eommissefafe
their declining steps, aud hep them gently down TO
their qust rep,sa, singing over ihelr departure IN
that il Is soiling the ermiue of professional dignity.
TO explain our system Of prac, &c through the coli
umns of the press.
In this connection we will only add If an honest
endeavor to lessen suffering soche pain, and bring
JOY and gladness to the domestic circle BY saving
one of its members from Cousumpiiye's grave be
to "soil the ermine professional dignity then
admit the soft Impeachment and shall be content to
receive the warm-hearted hanks and cheerful cen.
gratalst ions of the thousands whom our ausacity
has reached beyond pale of procession al nodes
ty. Believing the practice tf ',Medieated lnhaia-
ten" alone, Is capable Of staying the wasting aud
desoiat ng march OF Consumption and being fully
convinced of the utter uselessness Of all the ordina
ry employ ed. for its arrest aud final cure
ielt impel.ed from solemn sense of duty, med
cal man. TO disseminate cur views In the widest pOs
sbe manner The doc rsnes l have advocated. and
the system of practice have abored so hard to es-
tablish. through the publicain of my series OF let
ters am happy TO say have been received in such
manner as to afford me every reason for congratula
ton.
We testify whereof we know. ScArce'ys day pas
es that we do not receive communications from
rious parts of the couatry bearing grateful Re tmo
ny TO the value of this mode of practice. Says ply
stefan from neighboring 5 ate. 10 reeeat commu.
ncltion who has been making some trials with those
remedies MY has b. such. in the few
es in which have as yet had opport unity to test
this mode of practice that coul scarcely ceiye
it possible. and had the statement come from anoth-
err, should have deemed it Incredible" Such, my
readers is the language of the candid physician and
this Is but of the many similar ins that
daily brought TO my notice
Persons at a distance can be treated BY letter.
Your 0b't servant,
CHARLES MORSE. NJ d,
Physician for Diseases of the Head, Throat, and
Lungs Office No. 2, Smith ST.. Portland, Maine.
dawlt