St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-17
The Doctors in Council.

we find in the BuiiHgtOn Free Press,
we make extracts which we think of in
tercSt: DR.. ii. S. Browne of st. Johns
bury, presented IL report on the subject
of the so-called Gastric Fercr, which
has been prevalent in Caledonia and
Orleans counties. After describing the
symptoms of the disease by detailing
two typical cases, noting very particu
larly its peculiaritics and quoting sew
eral authorities upon the subject. the
Doctor declares himself "yet unconvinc-
ed of the existence of any malady in
our midst to which Il sound pathology
will justify us in applying the term
Gastric Eerer"
To the same purport was the more
elaborate report of DIR. A. }. Hyde, of
the same place. Responses to inquiries
from different members of the society
elected the facts that it did not occur
us an epidemic. was fatal in hut few
cases. emitted Il peculiar penetrating
odnr of an acidulous character. attach
ed to the person and not to the vomit.
has little attending fever. presents
vomiting rs the most prominent Symp-
tom and persists. in spite of all RENE
months. The reports elected consider
able discussion and were referred to the
committee of publication.
In the discussion upon typhoid fever
DIR. Goldsmith of Rutland made clear
and intensely interesting exposition Of
the new theory he cntcrtainS upon the
Hti"logy of the disease. His view we
understand to hc briefly as follows:
Typhoid fever is specific disorder
The malaria which produces it produces
that disease only. Whatever the cir
cumStanccS under which it exists. il fol
lows the law of continuous succcS>inn
A. small poX virus produces nothing
but small poX. 50 the virus of typhoid
fever produces only that fever. This
malaria is capable of independent pro
'''i' tl'h- ll' s'A'ltN'l HliN NJ lfl>>t'tl
into IL large reservoir. Vet if carried
away from that will produce the disease.
The medium of this malaria is in the
t;rcal matter, not demonstrated 10y the
microscope hut will still infect. and j.
only produced in human cNcrcta. The
examinations from the sewers of Il large
city inevitably produce the disease in
families coming under its influence.
The malaria of yellow fever ur cholera
added to human eNcIcta has the capa
bility of converting the whole mass to
the poison of cholera and yellow fever.
These views are sustained by the best
medical authority, which the Doctor
quoted. How does it get into the syS-
ten BY drinking it as i'll the schools
where the fever has broken out ! by
breathing it and 50 injecting the blood /?
This is the common opinion. Does it
enter the air-ccllS? Tyndall says aS To
animal matter, the air in the air-cclls is
chemically pure. We may swallow it
with the saliva and it may enter the
system i'll that way, and it is not de
monStrahlc that it enters in amy other
way. Has any one seen any of this fer
mcnt in the blood Has its existence
there ever been demonstrated Hos
pital gangrcnc WAS once supposed to he
il constitutional disease, but the local
application Of hromine to gangrcnoIS
sores in the army. exploded that idea.
and zymosis disappeared with the cure.
When We abortcd the local we abortcd
also the constitutional disease.
The alterations of Pcycr'S glands. al
ways present in typhoid fever, are the
result of Il specific poison introduced
from without. The disease begins with
disturbance of the bowels. generally in
the lower part of the small and the up
per part of the large inteStines. extends
in the line of the frees, and the ulccra-
ton begins when the fTcal matter is
the most perfect. The tehrilc state has
no relation to the intensity of the ulcer
alton, but is independent of it. 1t is
not the Yeast plant itself that produces
intoXication. The plant for that matter
may he swallowed with impunity and
carried along the alimentary canal. 1t
is the educt of the Yeast plant that pro-
duccS the mischief. So it is the cduct
of this ferment along the intestines that
produces typhoid fever. To abort the
disease we want Il remedy that will do
in the intcStincS what it will do for the
t;rcal matter i'll the stool. Its operation
will he that OF IL diSinfcctant.
DIR. II. ID. Holton of Brattlcboro made
an earnest appeal in behalf of a State
Board of Health:
Our duty las Il profession, to the COM
munity), is not only to aid nature in
her efforts to eXpel disease, but to
watch carefully for its causes and re
move them. These public duties are
in most instances not only thanklcsS
ones. but they require 50 much time to
make the thorough examinations and
experiments, often necessary in order to
accurately determine what the causes
are and under what circumstances they
produce their peculiar manifestations.
| that the private practitioner cannot af-
| ford the time or money necessary Ia
| pursue the Investigations which 1t would
/ lie his pleasure to make and which the
interests of the people of this common
wealth require. For this reason de
sire that this Society as the representa-
tive of the medical profession of this
state, shall take such measures aS will
result in the establishing State Board
of Health. Such board should hav,
ample power to investigate every thing
that iniuriouSly affects thepublic health
and i'll whatever portion of the State i
may be found. to remove it. 1t shout,
| L.. ,n.,nnirnL II nInrn s1Ich il,fnrnln inn II,