The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-13
THEORY OF INDICATED INHALATION,
DRs. HUNTER AND RAMSAY
DURABILITY OF COEsUMPTIuE,


we will say few words on the durability of con-
sumption. 1t is not, we think, assuming too
much to say that most persons entertain grave
doubts on this subject, while many are so
thoroughly convinced of the impossibility of
curing this disease that they do not hesitate to
characterize all medication having that object
in view as dishonest and empirical" Tuber.
cles in the lungs are, in their opinion equiva.
lent to the hand Of death and the delusion is so
deeply rooted and inveterate that we can hardly
hope common sense, plain facts and unimpeacha-
bic testimony will prove sufficient to dispel it.
STILL it Will not do TO lose faith in the wisdom of
the old Roman maxim, Magma est oeritas ct pre-
UdIebM
Before we proceed to give the testimony of
others, let us endeavor to make our own views
clear on this point The question is, Can con-
sumption be cured? Our answer is unequivo-
cally, Yes, even after tubercles are deposited
after they have sottened and broken down the
aircells and bronchial tubes of the part in which
deposited, forming a cauity, the lungs can still
be healed and the patient regain comfortable
health. Neither the presence of tubercles, nor
the actual existence OF tuberculous abscess in
the lungs, precludes the patient from the hope
of recovery. These are our views, and however
much they may appear at variance with the
opinion generally entertained, they are borne out
by experience.
Let it not, however, be inferred from what we
have said that we do not regard consumption as
a most alarming disease, nor that it can be cured
readily in the last as in the first stage. What
we mean is that this disease IS not necessarily
fatal in any stdge-that patients may recover
after the lungs have actually undergone partial
destruction by liberation.
HoU does cure take place? 1t sometimes takes
place by dbSo7pttOn-that is to say, the tuber-
cular deposit is taken up by the absorbent ves-
sells, and expelled from the system, among the
excretions of the body. When the tubercular
matter is in the first stage, or not far advanced
in the second, cure generally takes place In this
way. You have, no doubt, often observed
stoeuihgS disappear, after they had existed for
weeks; have known persons to regain the natu-
raj size of the neck, after years of aliction from
gOitre; have seen dr0pstcdL etustons removed;
and bOis which seemed about to come TO head
fade gradually away. Whoever has seen these
changes has witnessed the cure of a disease by
absorption. Let us make this perfectly plain.
Certain vessels have the power of taking up and
expelling from the body impurities and morbid
deposits. By the action of these vessels the tu-
bercular matter deposited in the lungs is re-
moved, in the same way that Wdter disappears
when dropsy is cured without tapping.
Another way in which cure takes place is by
the Sottening and expulsion of the tubercular
matter, and the subsequent ccatrization of the
cavity formed. When boil breaks, its matter is
discharged, and then the part heals up, leaving
scar; when an abscess forms in the flesh and
comes to a head, it discharges a quantity of pus,
and then, under proper treatment, the diseased
part heals and becomes apparently sound; when
a carbuncle has eaten large hole into the flesh,
the dead parts gradually separate from the
living the cavity granulates and fills up with
new matter, a callOus forms over the whole, and
health is reestabllthed; when a ScrofuIous gland
breaks, and after discharging its contents, heals
up again; when a burnt surface grauulates,
throws out coagulable lymph, and finally be-
comes covered with kind Of skin which we call
a cicatrix-we have in each case an example OF
what takes place in the lungs when tubercular
abscess heals. The parts destroyed are never
reformed; but new matter is thrown out, which
draws the sides of the cavity together, and seals
it up. When bOGl or cGrbltlcle is completely
healed, it ceases to secrete pus; and so also when
q cavity in the lungs heals, the patient ceases
to erpectordte, because paS is no longer formed.
To all intents and purposes, the cure is as per
feet in one case as IN the other.
But it may be SAID the blood is always impure
in consumption, and hence cure will not take
place so readily in this disease as in the other
diseases mentioned. That is very true, but il
does not follow that 1t will not do so if the ply
sician restores the blood to Its usual purity by
proper inhalatiOns To accomplish this should
always be the first aim of treatment for assuredly
no cure can be expected so long as the blood re
mains loaded with carbonaceous impurity. We
know of no means by which the blood can be
deprived of carbon except by the use of highly org
genGted ir,halGtiOns; nor of any method by which
we can act directly upon an abscess in the lung:
(as we do upon a carbuncle on the external sur
face of the body, except by medicating The ain
lohich the patient 6redthes. When more success
full method of treatment is discovered, the pro
fession viii have reason TO congratulate itself OF
having effected an Improvement upon nature!
We presume there are to be found among the
medical men some who drawing their conclu
sions from the results OF their own practice
still feel disposed to deny that it Is possible tC
cure consumption. To physician who hal
grown gray in practice, and yet among the
O. hundreds who have sought his advice, canno
recall to recollection ever one consumptiv,
invalid saved through his ministrations, this
skepticIsm is, perhaps, natural. But let us SCI
what those who have carefully Investigated the
matter say on the subject.
The late DR.. SWEET remarks -
Another important question presents itself
Is consumption a durable disease and if so