Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-23
Theory of Medicated Inhalation.
DIR. RAMSAY
HeEaOrrhage from the Lungs ana Spit.
ting of Blood.
To the Editor of the Leader

tell us that the lungs are DISTRACTED and
congested, and in a very precarious con-
dition. The quantity of blood brought
up from the lungs may vary from q few
streaks to n or more pints of blood, but
quantity does not increase the danger to
the patient. The danger lies in the
tuberctes, which this symptom tells US are
now, or about to be, deposited in the
delicate air tubes and cells of the lungs.
and a few streaks Of blood in the sputa.
are as strong a proof of this as the loss of
a pint. 1t is very rare, indeed, that life
is shortened by reason of the loss of blood
from the lungs. The alarm which pa
tients feel, at first sight of blood. is
natural enough, for they cannot know
what Is the fact, that those qcAo spit blood
from time to time hare a better chance of
care than those who do not lose a drop.
Splitting of blood is sometimes the first
symptom Of Consumption, apparent to the
patient. More commonly it does not oe-
cur until the disease is fully established.
Many consumptives never spit blood at
all. Baron Louis found hemorrage in
Wty-serea cases, out of eighty-seoen, An
dral in FIRE cases out of every sir, and DR..
Walshe in cighty-one cases out of every
hundred, so that we may set it down as a
rule, that the loss of more or less blood
from the lungs occurs during some period
OF the disease, in about foar cases out of
fire.
What Is the cause of splitting blood ? 1t
is caused by whatever o6structs the free
passage Of the blood through the pulmo-
nary cappillaries. Every pulsation of the
heart pumps into the lungs, to be distrib-
uted over the air cells, a certain quantity
of blood. AS the heart never ceases its
action, and could not without stopping
the whole machinery oflife, it will be un-
derstood that a steady stream of blood is
flowing from the heart 10 the lungs. Now.
therefore, if the lungs are healthy, this
blood becomes purified and uitalised BY
exhaling its carbon into the air-cells, and
absorbing Oxygen from the air we breathe,
and Is then returned again to the heart,
from whence it goes to nourish and sus-
tain the system. But let US p the
lungs obstrHcted by the presence of tuber-
eLes, or what is quite as preiudicial,
VIZ sticky, tenacious DlucUs in the air
tubes. In the first case, the vessels throueh
which the blood must pass are INSTRUCTED.
and in the second the tubes through which
the air passes. The consequence is. that
the impure blood, flows with difficulty. and
stagnates in the delicate vessels, of the OBJ
structed parts. We physicians say the
lung is eOngested; by which we mean that
the vessels are full almost to bursting, like
the vessels Of the eye when it is bLoodshot.
This condition continues for a longer or
shorter period, and then the vessels relax,
and allow the blood to ooze through their
coats, as fluids do through a filter, and the
patient coughs it up. If the congestion is
conside: able, the quantity of blood will be
greater; but no matter how much or how
little, 1t indicates that the lungs are in an
unhealthy condition-in a word they are
o~bstructed. 1t is the business and the duty
of the physician to discover the nature Of
the obstruction, by a careful examination
of the chest, and then prescribe proper
means for its removal.
1t is a common belief, that the blood
m from the breaking of blood vessels
and this idea is entertained BY many
physicians. This is no more true than It
would be to say that bleeding from the |
nose come from the breaking of a blood
vessel. The blood merely oozes throuqh
the coats Of the RELAXED UesseLs-in medi-
cal phrase We say it is exhaled. Should A
vessel of any size actually break, and such
cases do occur, though extremely rare
the patient necessarily bleeds to death.
because neither medicine nor surgery, af-
fords any means by which we can either
apply a stgptic, t~ortion, or the HgataTe.
But as this misfortune has never occurred
to me in the treatment Of many thousands
of cases Of eonsumptive disease, its dan
ger is not worth considering.
From what l have said it will beunder-
stood that splitting Of blood is an alarming
symptom, as showing the progress of a
treacherous and most fatal disease, within
the lungs. Either ~fu5ercles are already
deposited when it occurs or from this time
the deposition will commence. The stop- {
ping of the blood gives no assurance of G
for It seldom continues more than c
q few days at a time, nor does its reoccur- ]
renee indicate any increased danger to the I
patient. Its cause lies deeply within the :
chest, and no remedy which does not 90 l
to the root of the evil and remove the OBJ 7
structions within the lungs, is of the least :
permanent value. s
Physicians too often cheer their patients \
by the assurance that the blood oatv comes :
from the throat. Let me warn the invalid 4
being deceived. The throat sell \
dom bleeds-never unless it be struck by :
hard substance and wounded! If I
blood is coughed up, however small the
quantity, It comes from the lungs and de-
lay Is dangerous. Fortunately, it gener-
ally occurs before the disease is far ad- =
vanced, and if proper treatment be en-
1t can generally be arrested. The I
great error committed by physicians is in Pc
treating the symptom itself, whilo the =
which produces it is left in undis- n
turbed possession of the limos n
1t will be asked if hemorrhape never
when the lungs are not diseased p.
Yes, there are three causes which NAV =
produce it: First injury to the lungs, as !
from a violent blow; second, organic dis :
OF the heart and third, in females
t may occur every four weeks, instead of
he usual periodic exertion. But if a per-
on spits blood, in whom none of these 6
,auses exist, set it down as a sure sign \
hat the lungs are unsound. Bear in
mind, too, that palpitation of the heart and
regularity are far oftener the effect than
he cause of splitting of blood. Patients
will understand the fearful import of this
ymptom, when I tell them that Baron
louis, an eminent French authority on
consumption did not meet Nth a single in Is
tG7ee, out Of tt0elre hundred cases in lrhieh
loss Of blood Io1s not preceded or fol-
'ioed By the dereIopenent of tn5ereIss. a,
With this l close my observation on the H,
yDPtoms Of Consumption, and shall in nv
letter, describe the varieties of this q
Your obedient servant, =
NoTE-Dr. Ramsay, of the firm of Drs. -
lunter & Ramsay, of New York and 90
Philadelphia, can be consulted either per- 90.