The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-02-04
SPLITTING OF BLOOD
LETTER NO. Xxx.

LEIIER NO. Az.
TO The Editor:
SrR-9Pulmonary Hemorrhage (bleed.
ing Of the lungs is a subject Of fearful in
terest to the physician, and Of serious,
nay vital Importance to the patient" So
declares DR.. Henry William Fuller, an
eminent English physician and author,
upon page 955 Of his work published in
London, in 1862
Under this head are included those APP
pearauces Of 1treaEs and spOeks Of blood in
the mucus or matter expectOrated, rs well
Us those prOfuse out-pourings Of the vital
fluid which, for the time, strike terror to
the breasts Of the stoutest-hearted.
Yet how frequently are these warnings
UNDECIDED, or entirely forgotten as soon
as the evidences Of immediate danger arc
passed, unless accompanied, or rapidly
followed by several or all Of the distress
ing symptoms OF an advanced stage Of "a.
tai consumption, too significant or per-
sistent to permit either the most diShon'
est or ignorant medical practitioner to
deceive his patient, or OF the most skep.
teal victim TO remain longer ID doub.
concerning his true condition.
In reply to tho patients anxious and
earnest inquiries, he generally receives
prompt assurance that the blood comes
from the head, throat, bronchial tubes, or
stomach, ind ia ridiculed il he expresses
apprehension that it comes from his
lungs, and thus beguiled into feeling Of
security by one whose vigilance shodld
ever DO on tho alort to discover all enc.
mics lurking about the citadel Of life, he
fails to take those precautions, or resort
to those remedial means which, in most
cases, will avert the disease and restore
the lungs to a healty condition.
will not deny the possibility Of The
blood in the oxpectoration coming from
these parts, which are looked upon as
less apprehensiye sources, but let me as
sure you that such Ia comparatively
seldom tho case, according to my own
experience and the testimony Of the best
authors who have written upon the sub
ject.
Whatever Its source, it is always a
symptom Of the gravest Importance, and
indicates that some latent mischief Ia
lurking, and incubating within the chest,
either the heart or the lungs, as they OK.
ert apowerful influence upon each other,
and disease Of either soon deranges tho
others physical condition and functions.
Splitting Of blood sometimes precedes,
for years, the full development Of con.
sumption, particularly in those predis.
posed to the disease, but this oozing out
and discharge Of blood Is caused by those
changes which constitute the progressive
steps Of the decadence Of the health. II
these changes are checked by proper
remedies, timely applied, the patient Is
saved from an attack Of this terrible
malady. Yet few physicians have the per.
cepLion TO detect and interpret correctly
these indications, or the moral courage
and honesty to warn their patients Of the
inevitable and fatal sequel.
In Milnoss "Life and Letters Of Keats"
he states that the poet, finding blood In
his expectorution after a severe coughing
at, said to his friend, Severn, the artist:
l know the color of that blood; II Is
arterial blood; I cannot DO deceived in
that color. That drop Is my death war.
rant must die" His prophecy was full
Gllcd, for his brilliant genius soon dimmed
and then went out forever, rs the coils Of
the destroyer frightened around him.
Who has not heard the sad story of the
melancholy failure Of health and ulti.
mate death Of tho Scottish poet, David
Gray, just at the period when his brilliant
talent was becoming known and recog.
nized in the field Of letters, and the future
promised the fruition which his genius
deserved? He remembered the words Of
Keats, 80 appropriate to his own case,
and thus versifed the incident:
"GASt night, on coughing allshtiy, with sharp pain
There came arterlal blood and with sigh
OF absolute grief, cried, In bitter vein,
THAT drop Is my death warrant must DIE"
In this brief communication have
sought to convey knowledge Of few
vital truths Upon this subject. 1 trust
that they will take root in the convictions
Of some, and bear useful fruit.
There is no subject Of greater sanitary
and social Importance than this, and ere
another decade shall have rolled into the
past, thousands Of the iuirest, purest and
most precious OF our race will sink into
lintimely graves through negligence Of
This warning, yet the hope that a few
stray grains may find popitious soil
me to cast them upon the waters,
Notwithstanding It may be melancho.
y satisfaction to realize with the poet
hat I
The good die Arst,'
here Ia no reason why an effort should
lot be made to save them from crossing
hO dark river ere they have blessed the
world with full measure Of their good.
lesS. Very respectfully,
JAMES A. HUNTER, Md
No. 1917 Market street,
WhEELtSa, W. Va Feb, 4th 1876.