Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-04-20
For the Democratic Northwest.
DIR. W0LFE'S
C ON mon Sense
LETTER VIII.

BRoNCHITlS-I THE OILY REM.
EDY-INHILATIoN A PRACTICE. NOT A
MEDICINE-USE AND ABUSE OF SUGAR
/ VAPoRS
The intelligent reader need not be told
how,,inadequate the treatment of bronchi-
tis must be when it does not reach the seat
of the disease, and how utterly inefficient
all external applications to the throat
and chest are while the evil lies beneath
untouched.
The application of nitrate of silver to
the fauces as a remedy has doubtless had
its origin in the erroneous idea that
bronchitis was q disease of the throat.
This opinion is as untruthful as the prac-
tice is injurious. AS its name implies.
bronchitis is desease of the bronchial
tubes; which are not in the throat, but in
lungs. Hence, when the air tubes become
diseased, the lungs must also be more or
less affected.
| When the bronchial tubes are inflamed.
the lining membrane becomes thickened
and the caliber of the air-pipes very
much reduced in size. This prevents a
full supply of air passing to the cellular
structure of the lungs. If sufficient fresh
air is not taken into the cells to purify
the blood, the circulation will con-
tain an excess of carbon, than which
nothing can be more fatal to health. To
this excess of carbon in the circulation,
DR.. Callen ascribes the formation of
tubercles in the lungs. This depraved
condition of the blood frequently exists
without giving any symptoms of the
fearful change taking place in the sys-
tenn, till the details of consumption are
| made Dainftllly manifest
| have said that the treatment Of bron-
chitis hitherto has been proftless of
good, aud fraught with mischief. The
difficulty has been in getting remedies
to act upon the parts affected by di.
rect application. Now, how can you get
remedies into the lungs? Certainly not
by swallowing them into the. stomach,
for these reach the pulmonary structure
if all through the circulation, and then
so modified as to be worthless. Let us
appeal to common sense in this as we do
4 in other cases. for a solution for the
difficulty. The method most clearly
indicated is to inhale the medicine into
the lungs with the air we breathe.
Inhelation simply means the act of in
spring or drawing a breath, but when
applied to mode,of administering med
icineAit means to breathe it Thus l say
II inhale" instead of II taxi q medicine;''
the one is breathed into the lungs, the
other is swallowed in the stomach,
Remedies administered by inhalation
affect the system differently from what
they do when taken into the stomach.
For illustration. inhaling the smoke of
''jimson weed" (Datura stra-monium)
will ralax the spasm in Asthma and re-
lleve the patent; but this medicine will
have no effect on the same disease if ia
ken into the stomach. make this ex-
planation becuse many who write to me
respecting treatment have got the errone
GUS idea that inhalation, instead of being
a mode of treatment, is some specific
nostrum for the cure of the various dis
ease OF the pulmonary structure. If it
were only this, it would be no better
than the vile quackery which pours its
poisonous compounds into the stomach
with the silly conceit that they will
remove disease form the lungs.
The distinguished statesman of Ala
bama. VIM. r. King, undoubtedly had
his death expedited by the imprudence
OF his medical adviser, who sent him to
Cuba to inhale sugar-house vapors. This
advice was given when his lungs were
broken down and secreting pus. By fol-
lowing this advice the secretions We're in-
creased. and the disease assisted to do
more rapidly its fatal work. While SUI
gar vapors are highly useful in treating
tubercular consumption in the first
and second stage, they are equally in
| furious In the third, when abscess has
terminated in an ulceratiug cavity, Had
the midical advisers of Mr.. King known
how to distinguish the quality Of vapors.
and when to use them, it is only fair to
say the pineries of Carolina or Florida
would have been preferred for his con-
dition rather than the sugar-house of
Cuba.
In treating bronchitis. the first object
is to cleanse the air.tubes by the use of
expectorant inhalants, after which the
irritation must be allayed by soothing
the infiamed membrane.
Having considered, briefly the most
prominent disease of the throat and bron-
chial tubes, and pointed out Medicated
Inhalation as the only efficient mode of
treating them, will proceed to consider
| the maladies of the lungs.
Very respectfully,l
N. B. WOLFE, M. ID.
| 146 Smith ST., Cincinnati, O.
In referring to DIR. Wolfe, and his
mode of treatment, the EUening Record,
of Adrian, Mich, says: He is physician
of large learning and of twenty-five years
of successful practice in Cincinnati, in
the treatment of Consumption, Asthma.
Bronchitis, Loss of Voice. Bleeding from
the Lungs, and kindred diseases of the
Respiratory Organs. Though he has
been continuously located in Cincinnati.
o., since 1857, he has prescribed for, and
cured thousands Of sick people living ir
all parts of the United States and Canada
many of whom had previously been given
up by friends and physicians as incur
able. Those who live at a distance and
wish to consult him. but can not visit
him in person, should first write for his
circular of printed questions. By writ
ing answers to these, any one can send
as true q statement of his condition as if
hemade hisreport to the doctor in person.
From this circular statement the doctor
can accurately diagnose the disease and
prepare inhaling remedies for its removal.
This with the inhaler he sends quickly
by express. with instructions for using
them. to all parts OF the United States
and Canada His address is LAG Smith
n { Z