The Hickman courier., 1878-07-05
CONSUMPTION.


Successful Treatment Of the Disease.
Almost every one can name in the
circle of his acquaintance one or two
instances where persons have been cured
of consumption, and most doctors can
plume themselves on a few such cases as
illustrating their own successful practice
of the healing art. But all are willing TO
admit that recoveries are rare, when the
disease is thoroughly developed. In the
last number of the Medical Record, how
ever. physician of New York city gives
details of his. method of treatment Of
this disease in extreme cases, with the
happy result of curing from so to rs per
cent. The methodsand the theory of the
cure are in some respects quite new; they
are published-as is the noble custom Of
the medical profession-so that other
doctors can try and test them and the
benefit, whatever it may be, is open TO
are. deecribe0 all had
been treated By good physicians accord
ing to customary methods. At least hal
Of the patients had vainly tried residence
at the west and south. Their lungs were
deeply diseased. They were steadily
growing worse, and seem to have been
advised that their malady had become
serious. Under the new treatment, four
of these patients recovered, and are again
actively engaged in their business pur.
suits. One, whose case was greatly com
plicated by other diseases, after making
good progress toward recovery, suffered
fresh misfortune from pleuritic sbscesi
breaking into the lungs, but has since be
gun to regain health. One, that had beer
supposed ts present the mos
favorable case of the six whel
first presented for treatment, failed af
terwsrd to gain strength, and died gen
| uy while asleep. The time taken for re
| covery, under the nsw treatment, seem
I to vary from six months TO a year, bu
relief from the more distressing symp
toms was obtained in all cases in a mucl
shorter period. The theory OF cure
to clear the lungs by a mechanical treat
ment, chiefly of manipulating the mus
! cles of the throat, so as to cause NOR
forcible breathing second, TO establisl
perfect digestion third, to promote
/ process Of healing the tubercles, so tina
they shall become chalky or calcifie,
masses fourth, to compel the patient
to take plenty of fresh air, sunlight ant
outdoor exercise. Te secure perfect di
gestion, special diet is ordered in eacl
case, and the fool is changed as tn
power of assimilsting it improves tina
part of the treatment was fully success
full in each of the six instances described
To promote the calcifying of the tubel
cles, the salts of lime, which are foun,
in most valuable and animal food, mus
be supplied in q soluble condition; tn
theory IS that too much heat, in ordinar
cooking, destroys the natural combins
ticn of these salts with albumen, an
renders Them insOluble to a weak digel
tion. In regard to outdoor exercise
this is regarded so important that tn,
patients must go out in rain, snow
dampness, or even night cir or dew; ant
in the twenty years of the doctors praC
tice, he knows of no instance of catchin
cold from such exposure. Only stron
head winds and extreme hot weathe
need TO he guarded against. The patient
sleep with the windows open, summe
and winter