Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-07-14
DISEASE.
BY r. C. RUNNER, NJ. d.

BY X. C. RUNNER, NJ. ID.
BY the term disease is now under
stood condition opposite to that Of
health. And this may be simply of
functional character, or may extend
to a change in the structure of Or
gans or parts, constituting what is
known as organic disease. The latter
is of much more serious nature than
the former. In the early history of
medicine disease was supposed to be
some morbid or effete substance in
the blood called "bile," black humor,
&C., which could be elected from the
body by bleeding, emetics, cathar-
tics, &c. @-~
That theory of disease is now ex-
ploded, but the practice continues as
before (although it must be confessed
that it is somewhat modified), and
hence that system has heeh truthfully
charged with being relic Of barbar-
ism. ...
Whatever may be SAID about the
orig iginal "Fall Of Man, aud the ORR
Gin of Disease" it is now evident
that it is condition which, if not
natural to him, is certainly very near
TO it. Zeal. .. d. -.,...-
The seeds of. or rather the suscep-
tibility to disease, is implanted in his
nature and is born with him, as it
shows itself st all periods after intro
duction into this world, and some
times before. Children are occasion
ally born with diseases already de-
velopcd.
1t lis claimed by some superficial
observers that all diseases is unnec-
essary; that people never have it un-
less they have violated some law Of
nature, and hence, as may be known
from the fact the laws Of nature are
not in harmony, and man has to live
in the world subject to all the muta-
tons of the weather and elements,
and it is only by the exercise of skill
and judgment, with Divine aid, that
he does not succomb to their vicissi-
tudcs.
An unreasonable frost takes nature
unawares, and destroys in q night
the entire product of a summer.
The mighty oak which has reared
Its lofty head for a century, Is over
taken by the tempest and is uprooted
in moment or dashed to pieces by
the relentless lightning.
Man has his abode in the midst of
all these contending forces, and it
would be wonder indeed il he was
exempt from this influence.
There is, too, long list Of epi-
demic and contagious diseases which
are liable to overtake him when least
expected. Many of these find in his
organism an element so congenial
and natural that by no foresight can
he prevent them. For instance !:
scarlet fever, small.po &c.
Fortunate it is, however, for him
that, like many other evils, these dis
eases destroy themselves, or rather
the element in his system upon which
they depend, and he is exempt from
a second Gf he survives the first)
attack.
1t is not claimed here that if man-
kind better understood and obeyed
the laws of nature, rs lar rs was pos
sihle, there would not be less disease.
On the contrary, there can be no
doubt that if such was the case, sick
ness would decrease by one-half at
least.
There is often expressed by inquis-
tive persons a desire to know what
disease is. This is laudible desire,
but il is difficult to crafty. When
it is explained and understood wha,
life is, then We may be able 20 CON-
prehend the interior nature of disease.
Like life itself we know much of its
laws and forces which modify and
control it, but further than that it is
difficult to 60.
1t is often said, too, that if we
know the causes of diseases the treat.
ment would be easy. This is, in q
great degree, mistaken impression.
The physician has to do more with
effects than with causes.
The causes of disease are ephem.
eral and have passed beyond the con.
troll of the physician but the effects
are permanent, and are what be has
to deal with. Causes have mainly to
do with prevention of diseases and
accidents, but little with their cure.
We shall hereafter attempt TO ex-
plain the principle or law Of "Like
Cures Like" by which diseases are
cured, and however successful it may
Oe done, there will yet remain another
process, the explaining of which is
more difficult still. This is as to
how medicines remove disease. 1t
is known that all drugs are poisonous
in greater or less degree-that they
cannot in the normal or healthy con-
dition sustain lite..
How, then, when the organism is
laboring under violent disease, with
the life forces nearly exhausted, can
a poison do aught else than compli-
cate the difficulty and render recov-
cry less certain.
In the first place we know that they
do cure, hut the exact modus oper-
andi has never been fully explained,
nor has it ever been explained how
articles of food from the animal, veg
ct hles and mineral kingdoms, when
taken into the human stomach, are
converted into bone and nerve and
muscle, and go to build up the sys-
tenn and give the person life ami
strength. These are processes of .
vito-chemic nature which no human
eye can fatllom. .+'' ''-"''. -,
Man knows and can fulfill the con.
ditions on which life is given to him,
but further than this he cannot go.
So in disease it is given him to know
the principle or law by which il can
be removed, but not the interior pro-
cess by which it is done, However,
men will speculate on such subjects,
and Of the several theories hroached,
l will aliade briefly to two or three.
| 1t is claimed oy some that .lnedi.
cine or poison is neutral to disease,
or sustainst the same relation to, il
that food does to the body when in
health that dissase 10 . kind Of mon.
/