The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-11-30
CONSUMPTION.
Some Curious Statistics Collected by a
Physician.


The Toronto (Canada) Mail, in a recent
issue, says: Consumption causes many
more deaths than any other disease, and
any statistics bearing upon its causes the
conditions of its development are OF much I'M,
portance to-boththe medical profession ana
the public. With the view ofobtaini2g lnfor'
nation concerning the etiology OF the dis
ease, DR.. PIayter, of Toronto, sent out
| list of questions to each of many hundreds
of physicians, having cases in practice in
Canada and the states of New York, Ohio,
| Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Louisiana.
The questions related to the age, sex and
general structure of the patients, and TO
| their ancestry, general habits, etc.
About $50 physicians answered the ques-
tions and the doctor has made up from
these $50 cases u concise report OF much
practical value. The average age OF
the, patients was Y years; 40 per cent; oo were
males and "a per cent. females; only ~ per
cent. were married. The circumference OF
| the chest was in every case much below the
average of vigorous persons of the same
height, being only 81 inches; the average
height being 5 feet 81 inches. Persons oil
such stature should have chest clrcum1er-
ence of about 81 inches. About Do per cent.
had light-blue eyes and light hair, and the
nervous temperament largely prevailed.
Two-thirds of the patients had been en-.
gagged in indoor, sedentary occupation, and
| spent but little time in the open air. Much
the greater part of them had slept in small
unventilated bedrooms, two in bed, had
not usually worn flannel next the skin, nor
used habitually any form OF bath,
and nearly all had had been
small or very moderate eaters, and
used but very little fatty food except but,
ter. The general habits of nearly all had
been good, and but very few had used alco-
holic spirits to excess. In only 36 per cent.
| of the cases had ancestors died of the dis
ease. while nearly three-fourths had resided
in locality faYoring humid, cool atmos-
phere
Mr.. Playter draws some important deduc,,
| tions: Marriage III certain conditions ana
| certain stages of the disease Is probably
Iunfavorable to the development and
progress of consumption. Heredity is not
of such constancy and importance as a
cause as appears to have been commonly
believed, further than in so far as contigu-
ration and structure of the body, the rela-
ton, and the relative size and vigor OF the
different organs to each other are intiu-
enced by parentage-i. G., in want
of general stamina from de-
fectiye construction. With the
small lungs and consequent imperfect res
piratory capality. the individuals could not
consume enough oxygen to utilize the d.
tested products OF generous or full diet, les
necially that containing much carbona-
ceous matter, while there would be In all
probability accumulations in the body Of
unused and waste substances which should
have been thrown off through the lungs.
The one means which will best tend to pre-
vent the development of the disease in
those thus predisposed to it is apparent
enough it is that of increasing in early lie,
| by iudicious physical exercise, the size and
capacity ofthe respiratory organs. The doc.
tor draws attention to the desirability Of
taking into consideration the respiratory
capacity of patients suffering from tubercu-
lar phthsis before prescribing full or toe
carbonaceous diet.