The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-22
SUNDAY, OCTOBER p, 1865.
Dr. Hunter, Of New York, on Con-
surnurfou.


10 TIE k1ltQT Of the Na.AfAAir NAtVAs
However interesting the study Of Con-
sumption may be to physicians themselves
The ouiv ma Ter Of any real interest o. i'm
rortapcs % the public IS involved in ths
Question. Is Consumption curableg II not,
why not ? There must be some good and
sufficient reason why this malady should
form an exception TO all other diseases. Il
IL be durable. then BY what means cau cure
be Reconnaissance ] take Il this Is What
the public desire &c know, and what the
physician should endeaEor % explain. II
! entertained the opinion, general IN my
profession, and almost universal among the
people. that Consumption is beyond the skill
Of man 10 uproot, the task Of explaining its
treatment would indeed be easily accom-
plished. Il would consist in mere emu
merstion Of the different remedies which
have been found most efiecutual in pallia-
King tie distressing symptoms which char
scterize though, pam, fever, perspiratione,
etc.-for Il may be truly said Of most physi-
clans that they have striven 10 devise the
best means 20 mask the disease and make
the patient comfortable, but the very worst
20 effect his recovery. But, believing as I
do that Consumption Is durable, il becomes
Necessary to point out with accuracy what
mean BY the term Consumption.
The term Consumption" was originally
applied 70 many diseases situated in differ
emf organs, and having no symptom in
common, except the wasting or emaciation
Of the body. They were called comsump-
tions because the body consumed away.
This use Of the term led TO great confusion
among writers, and II was soon found nee
essary TO designate the kind Of consumption
mesnt by prehxing the name Of the affected
oTgsn.
LsenEee, the great discoverer Of the Ste
Telescope, in the course Of his extensive re-
searches into the pathology Of ihe Lungs,
found that small granular bodies always
exist in the Lungs 10 genuine consumption.
These bodies are called tubercles and since
the time Of Laennec, the term consumption
has been restricted, and understood to apply
10 a disease Of the lungs characterized By
their presence. Whens therefore, ] speak
OF consumption, I mean not ouly q disease
OF the luBgs, sut tubercular disease. / am
particular that this should be understood /;
Tor the changes which these tubereles IN
dergo prodnee the destruction Of the lungs,
and al that melancholy train Of symptoms
which mark the progress Of consumption,
while their seat--the air tubes and cells Of
the lungs-indieates the treatment for their
removal.
The tubercles regulate the stage Of The
disease BY the changes which they undergo
We say consumption il in its frst stage
Of q grayish eolol--half transparent. In
this condition they resemble millet seed,
aud hence are called military tuberclez.
This tubercuiaT matter is eecreied from the
blood. Il is not only poured out into the
air cells; sud on the free surface Of the
mucous lining Of the air tubes, but deposit
ed IN tho delicnte structures which 20 10
make up the lungs. Whateyer inter eres
with decarboniEsti0n Of the blood will pro-
duee subeTcies. They are always the pro-
duct u d detective performances Of the func-
ton OF the lungs. CaiarTh produces them
by inducing and feeding irritation Of the
lhrynX ana windp pc. Irritation in the
iarynx and windpipe il always followed By
bronchitis. Bronchitis Is Always attended
BY the secretion Of q Yiscd mucous or
phiegm, hich blocks up the sir tubes, sud
p eVeuts the admission Of air. The mo
ment the air Is shut of from 9 cluster Of air
cells, these cells become the centre Ofim-
perfect decaFbonization, and sooner or later
val become tubereulous. Here, then, YOU
see Q cha d q Irritation beginning in a sim
pie cstarrh, sad ending IN consumption. It
= Hoi the irritation that produces the tuber-
cles-iOf irrliaileu IN any other organ THAI
ths lungs would not be followed BY their de-
velopmeut-but il Is The obstruel0n which
tie Fiscid mucous causes IN the cir tubes
The hawk nag up Of this sticky kind Of ma
cous may be the only symptom Of eonsump-
uon Ia the fret stage. From this you will
understand what fatal mistake those make
who wait for more serious symptoms 10
arise.
ln the second stage Of consumption, the
tubercles become much increased in size.
In the first they were Of the size Of millel
seed; they have nov become OF sizes vary
ing from q small pea 10 a flbeft. They
have aiso undergone q change in color, nom
pearl gray 10 yellow. When taken from
The lungs 81 persons who have died, and
pressed between the fingers, they break
down just like Jumps Of cd cheese. These
cheesy turberclei, from their size, increase
the abstraction 10 the lungs, causing short
usss OF breath, aud generally considerable
ambition to the cough and expectosstion.
The lest stage of consumption is caused
by these eheesy tubercles becoming soa-
ened down into pua, and by their prOduc-
Jog liberation VI circumstances OF the lungs.
When the process Of liberation commences,
We have ali the worst symptoms inaugura-
raied-hoctie fever, night sweets. severe
cough, approximations Of yellow matter,
splitting Of blood, loss of flesh and strength,
eud pleuritie pains. These, by slow de-
grees, wear out the powers Of lie, and the
patient sinks
Here, then you have an outline Of that
discs to which We apply the term econ
sumption"
Ny next letter vii bs on the Symptoms
Of tensumpt on. Your ohedi.nt servant,
JAHEs HUNrER. NJ. d.
CRY Horn, Nashyillepoct n, 1868.
NorE-DF. hunter and his associate, Dr..
Wells, can be consulted at the City Hotel,
Nashville, npon all diseases embraced IN
their speciality, via; Camrrh, Bronchitis,
Asthma, Consumption, aud Heart Disease,
to which branch Of their profession their
nrrrfice is fvetsfvgl,- s,,,, F,,sI