New-York tribune., 1868-03-25
Communicated
IMMEDIATE. AND PREDISPOsING CAUSES OF DIS
EASE.


10 1> Edtor or1A> T5tsm,
SIR; In nv interviews with patients, almost
invariably find that local disease is attributed to some
known immediate cause while nothing IS Thought Of the
possible pJ6dspOSiHg Even ply ysicians pay but
little attention to this important matter our neighbOr
across the way, for instance, has pulmonary dsease
with big Oyercoat" In the cars would keep the win
dow open, and our neghbor caught an AWFUL cold ihs
10 the immediate cause. But If he had escaped
same diculty because his system was a condition to
predispOe him tO just such an attack Perhaps the pre-
djsposipg cause was heredtary-cOnsumptO may have
been hereditary disease in the family perhaps IL was
incurred by impure vaccination TO prevent the much
dreaded smallpox; possibly it was contracted in
youth by dssipated habits; maybe the invalid had
scrofuOus ancestry Whatever the predsposlng cause
II ne cannot discover Il ntutiyely and then like good
marksman aim at the body OF the bird instead OF the
feathers and tail on investigation it will often be found
tba dypepc had on one side line OF ancestry affected
with liver complaint, and on the other an unmlsakaDle
manifcsy are hillary deIangemcnts and impure blood
II will not do 10 simply give attention TO the ver ana
stomach The latter indeed. may he left out entirely;
for the liver and blood alone require treatment Remove
the bilious scofulous properties from the blood and
or inlammatons which affect the lining OF the stomach
will disappear just as the tree dies when ITS roots are cur
away. But instead OF dong tls IL Is te uors couo
custom 10 load the already weakened stomach Wlth ali
sorts OF drugs FOR dyspepsia ,,,
sporsInen fire at Some shoot as1ngent LIQUIDS into
the nostrs Others play 1ne streams OF medeated spry
into the breathing passages Another attempts 70 nan
the enemy by throwing dust into ms eyes IN the iorn OF
he Will smoke or steam him ont with some newly
fumes yapOrs. will not dispute that some OF THESE
inventions may prove valuable as ddhHcre agents Dut
thev shonld only be so employed The very fact that
certain OF catarrh Is chrome Is evidence III ltseI
that some constitutional cause exists to make It so
have seen case OF chronic caarrh III Wen lne
blood was not at fault But because some well remem-
uppos that was the cause and he satisfied fire
away the local trouble without giving any attention 10
The condition parents at the time OF conception and
birth exercises very controlling influence upon the
n. . ID .lusau
cropping about with disease which may be traced to tenn
porary physical dcrnsemens OF parents az he %
moment they were given germ life. Many cnlu
has been conceived when the merchant the lawyer, or
artisan has 9sen dRS apOa Cc nome npou ~ The "pSG some
constitutional weakness which unless eIadea!ea ~ Tue
him 10 disease To-day IL may be bronchitis; next year
nervous irritation next something else ana tlo snOrt
ibe beadSnarisrs Of the enemy The enemy may be
ntrenchod in the SYSTEM or 1t may De ia the
blood 1t is success only attend that treat
ment which finds the stronghold OF the enemy and at
tacks him there If that enemy be oIgqnle disease OF
there be but little hope OF cure put such u not
generally the Usually the blood IS at iah ana TINS
iuid should be understood rs suscep.IDJi, i, VI M t
change, from bad to good eondltl9 as wen ~
good a bad condition. Inherited nervous derahge
ments may also in most cases be completely reIneded
by administering such remedies as VIII inpart her-
y0us vitality or by giving electrical applications Tor
eduazing the nervous circulation In concuson let me
say II deaf peop would do less loL Ine ears 9i % s
for their eyes rheumatic and parayte nNads ess ior
tomachs and eonsnmpyes less for their lungs; If all
these win first seek out the underlying and predsposns
dlaely prec pitatcd the difficulty with which they suffer-
and having found the former, patiently ana thor
OughV nj work their eradication the world would De
less filled ith inyads whom the skmmilk doctors pro
nounce curable IL is not surprising that there are SO
many discouraged sick people when doctors are so gen
orally pruners instead Of dggers-when sufferers are SO
almost universally disposed 70 economlse present tne
and money by having the weeds cut on instead of having
them dug up by the II there any great secret OF
my success, will OF with the apron, and TINS moment
diynlge In III IL this: / am satisfied 10 know
simply the apparent disease, nor do l attempt 10
cre paticnt until ascertain the predspOslng, as well
as Immediate cause Of any aictiou under which he or
she may be labOring. Yours truly, j.. B FooIE, NJ D
atN Ne