New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-10
DIR, Z. HUNTER
ON DISEASES OF THE LUNGS.

Posts and aoyeIists have described CONSUMPTION
as a disease Of little sutfering-one IN Thich the
in the enjoyment Of q tranquil mind, dlfusing
around him. like the whitening flower, an atmos'
rhere of sweetness. But alas! poetry is but fiction,
and. in this instance. not true to nature. The mis-
cradle sensations produced by the chills during the
day, and the death like proetrat!en which follows
perspirstion at night; the harrassiug cough and diff
fc1it expectorstion: the torturinS pains IN the
log: she exhaustion produced by diarrhes: the dis
appointed hopes, and melancholy conviction that
united make up sn amount of bodily and mental
agony which is not surpassed By any other disease
Taeu, too, we must Still add tie ofieious intsrier.
ence OF missuided frienos, who are ever ringing IN
80 eE ears the knelI or their doom, TO rob them. as 1t
were, OF even the consolation or hope.
Such is oonsufD pticu. stri ped OF all fancy, when
aols way oneifjh OF the human raoe perish. Surely
il il the duty OF every conscientious pny stefan to do
shis soourge, By warning them OF its, earliest symp-
toms, and pointing out a means OF relief before 1t lie
TOO late, 1t was with ms 7 PuLpfss that snd | began egs w che
to enforce tne preoeptsl have repeatedly gwen by
showing that they are those OF the most learned and
expei fenced physicians throughout the world
Ignorant snc Inexperienced practitioners are IN
the b Abjt Of treating with levity sy mptoms which
health Of the lungs. lake, for example, splitting
OF blOod." This thsy tel he patient : only GENES
breath are produced BY a little fresh cold; Loss
of e ssh is caused % Dyspepsia Pain in the chest
so on. Every hing is proposed. until. deception is
no longer possibis and the truth etRres them in the
face. When they nave robbed the patient, through
theIr ignorance, of proper treatment, and the DIS
ease is too frAly established to be arrested BY
human skill. they awaken TO tbs tact.
Let me. by = few brief quotations from the
most eminent teachers of medicine. sgain warn the
afflicted OF the utter falsity OF ali these opinions.
Sir Thomas Wsteor Gays:
IF, vi hout any apparent csuse, a person grows
thin. and his pulse is quicker tban natural and his
breath At all stort, these are intim sticns which sei.
dom prove unfaithfui that consumption is at WORK
In the iungs."
Lsenrec, the great French authority. says:
"Il has frequently appeared quite clear TO me.
f fna1 q, Gs tse are apr nnum66er Of Uses So tSo 4 fifst attack
is mistaken for q cod, while others ara quite latent
and o. nnsf ssasf y ~ s tbs Ii GoTen GT Fdp1 Ssw Toph.
says: % ,,ood - ,vo,h.- s,seass
of the chest, that II points most uneQulvoca!Iy TO
the true nature of the case. Wherever 1 am called
to a patient who has had splitting of blood, l always
mark him IS probably q tubercuiar case
If, then, q patien: takes cold. which settles on the
lungs, and begins to lose Assb. and feels short of
the luz gs are in danger. the spits blood. in add
ton. it is almost certain tnat tubercles have formed.
sible that these facts can be too widely known, for
probably the he of the patient depends on uhs
The affections which tend most directly TO under
mine the health of the lungs, and produce con,
SUN otion. are catarrh of the nose. granular sore
thr AT, elongated revuls and bronchitis.
Professor ,+ross gays:
"Ulcsrs of the nose of a strenuous nature are
sufficiently common. aud of a source OF great an;
| noyance both to the patient end physician. Seated
origin ally on the mucous membrane, they PrhOu-
ally extend. Thickenngo of the mucous membrane
is chiefly observed n persons OF 3 weakly sorotus
lous constitution. The more frequent e5scts or
elongated eVula are obstinate, protractad coughs,
pitn a frequent desire to clear the throat. Nnen
those affections continue long. tuburcufes some
times form in the lungs, and the patient, ultimately
dies WITH all the symptoms OF confirmed con-
symptom
"The lining Of the nose Is extremely irritable and
| liable to copious. thin and acrid seoretlons. Many
| cases Of o,ena take their origin in tubereu'sr De-
| posits. Chronic inflammation OF the mucous lining
of the nose is a frequent affection ana 4 have found
is loaded with tuberculer matter"
Or. EDWARD Smith. of the Brompton Hospital,
d~The chief sources Of secretion in the early stage
of consumption are chs nose and throat. ui+h
| There Is usually some etopeation OF the 0rui8 VIVID
| enlarged vessels and grsnulstions on the sides and
back Of the iauces QhroatL'
sUloeration of the larynz is 6 frequent }oreranuer
of tuberculsr disease of the Lungs. Louis found 1ls-
case OF the larynS N one fourth OF MS GASES OF con-
sum ption."
tBroachisi is regarded as a cause of consul N ption
by Hufeland. Tissott, Baumes. tronsa,s and a
host of uractiuonera in this country, Il glandl
DR., Williams. speaking Of Bronchitis, Gays: III
| veloped from local Illumination OF the bropchia;
tubes, without any evidence Of prior constItutlonal
disorder Chronic Bronchitis. either by It's own
local efecte, or its decreasing influence. or both
combined. be9omss sufficient cause OF pulmonary
And Professor Hughes Bennett, of Edinbnrgh,
says: lie has pointed ont the Importance OF ex-
| CLliulL6 Gil C2-ih VI ~ H"oN HN"N,
ges. He has seen numerous cases wkich recovered
after discovering that the disease originated IN tbs
rose and directing tire 4tnent to it
Such. then. are the highest professional opinions
on the dangerous tendency OF cstarrn. granular
throat ard bronchitis, as fcrerunners of consump
ton. Ia urging those afflicted with them Go lose
not O moment in placing themselves under propel
treatment, 1 an but giving them the benefit OF IN,
knowledge and experience on q subject winch L nave
carefully studied in all it's bearings.
Now, the only remaining question IS as TO tns
perfectly durable when properly treated In TIT
early stage ] regard 1T as q very carable disease. Il
is only when it is neglected and has become hrn'j
seated that 1T is difficult and dangerous. Every
thing depends on the manner in which 1t is treated
and the stage at which that treatment is begun.
Professor SWEET says:
evidences Of consum ptlon, and sometimes IN an sd
vanced stage. who finally recovered. and are now II
thu enjoyment OF good health"
Sir james CLARK observes:
"What consum ption admits of cure is 10 longer
m sitter OF doubt; it has been clearly demonstrated
by. the researches of Laennec and other pathoi
ogists:''
Professor OaSswell, OF the London Universal. &c
marks:
Pathological anatomy has never Afforded NOR
conclusive evidence of the durability of q diseas
than 1t has in that OF tubercuiar consum ption.
Then is it not time that ideas which begun in 81
age of ignorance, and before these diseases vers
properly understood, should be given up and NOR
eulishtaned ones take their place? 1t is humiliatins
to have to listen to the cant Of half.educated doc
tors and old women who have grown wi 3 on theiI
preoepts, about the INCyRABUrrY of consumption
Those who never yet cured u case may doubt thei
owo skill. but they have no right to misrspresen'
the progress of science or the skill and experience
of those who have made these diseases 2 specis
study. ROBKRT HUNTER, Nd.
NNtUTE.Epr. r. Hunter will close his visit 70 Ne.
Orleans on the first of May, after which date Dr. Z
B. Ruuter will take charge of the practice. Thss
DESTROYS OF consulting him in person shouid 90 80 a