The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-01-28
LETTER NO. II.
On the Prevalence Of Pull
monary Diseases.
ny. DIR. J. A. HUNTER.


attention. erclusireiy to the study end
treatment of affections Of the AiT Pas
saqcs of the Head, Throat, and Lungs, and
published extensively in the leading Sec
ular and religious journals of most Of the
large cities of this country, my views
upon the nature, causes, and the auxiliary
local treatment (by Mcdicated Inhalation
and other methods of topical medication
of the diseases Of these parts, in the form
Of LETTERS, propose placing them be-
tore the people of this city through the
same medium. trust and believe they
will aid those whose lungs have already
become seriously affected, in their efforts
to obtain knowledge of their true con-
iition. and awaken in the minds of those
suffering from manor maiad'es OF these re-
gions, sense of the Importance Of RENE
diving them before they advance into
more serious stages, or eliminate into
CONSUMPTION itself l believe that no
fact in medicine is better established by
the observations of all classes of physi-
clans in all countries than that which
proves TO Us that bronchitis and other ca
tarrhal affections of the air passages
generally result in disorganization of
the lungs, aud that fearful train ofsymp-
toms characteriZing condition to which
the term CONSUMPTION has been truly
applicd-the victim being literally con-
Sumcd a the disease prOgresses-if neg
lected or improperly treated. That a
want of knowledge upon these subjects
exists among the masses cannot be sue
ccssfully disputed. | am constantly be-
Ing applied TO 10y persons in advanced
stages of consumption, VINO assure me
with the utmost confidence that they are
laboring under ''broHchitis,' and who
"vincc an indisposition to be convinced
that it is OF more serious character.
When they first Experienced difficulty
in the throat or chest, their family
physician informed them that
it was only bronchitis or "catarrh,
mild and transient disorder, which would
"soon pass of But unfortunately for
thrpaticnt, the severity of the attendant
constitutional disturbances but became
mitigated, and the local disease in the
bronchial tubes stealthily and almost i'm
pcrceptibly progressed, until the health
aud strength of the lungs became under
mined, Cough, Prnlent EJpectoTat'o"
loss Of Flesh and Punctuation, FlnShsS or
Hectic Fcrcr, Night S'oeats, HcnOrrhage
or bloody sputa, etc, occurred, when the
same physician refused to express a diff
fercnt opinion, in order to cover up the
fault of his Own want of caution, care or
honesty, or disguise the fact that he did
not possess the skill or means to treat his
disease successfully.
In a long aud active experience with
these diseases, have met with thousands
Of cases similar to this, and am con-
WINGED that a want of knowledge upon
this subject has been fraught with painful
and fatal results to hundreds of thou
sands of the human race in this country
alone during the last decade. find as n
rule. no matter how well informed people
are upon the current topics of the day
in commerce, mechanics, political econ
omy. theology, or other departments of
soience and art, they are totally ignorant
of the laws of health, and the causes, in
dicatlons and methods OF remedying
some of the most prevalent diseases, par
ticu!arly Consumption.
A. long as this condition Of the public
mind exists, Consumption will not cease
to be the "yco,urgc Of tie race Until they
are taught to look upon Catarrh, Sore
Throat and Bronchitis and its most faith
full causes. its ravagcs will remain un-
mitigated. The published statements of
mortality in most of the large cities of
this country and England point us to the
fact that nearly One-tourth OF those who
die fall victims to disease of the organs
of respiration. Through the apathy OF
the medical profession and the ignorance
and fataLiStic tendencies of the unpro-
fe,sional classes, this disease HIS become
the most fatal in the long catalogue of
bodily ills which afllict humanity.
Few physicians in general practice are
able to detect Consumption in its early
stages. The sounds made by the air
passing in and out of the lungs during
the acts of breathing are called 'tnrm'nS,
and are diStiugulshablc upon placing the
ear to tie chest or listening through an
instrument called a StereoScopc. a
small amount Of disease produces
/ ligh change in their character, and to
detect them requires an ear educated by
/ constant practice to fneness of SEN
| sibility which few acquire. Professor
| Hughes Bennett, of the University Of
Edinburgh, very justly observes at is
not that medical art is destitute of the
means of detection, but the necessary
skill is not sufficiently diffused among the
medical men, for it must be acknowledge
ed among ourselves that comparatively
few have sufficiently educated their ears
to detect the finer thoracic Chest muir
murs." Again he says; "We Jatality Of
consumption IS, IN a great measure, o'ciny
10 its inSidiotS progress, 10 its reGchimg
confirmed stage before it IS detected, or
IN carcieSMcSs IN medical examination,
rothcr Than to any pec"liar rir"teHce !"
the disease ITSELF
The series of letters will consist of
about twenty-five in number, and present