The Wilmingtonian., 1883-06-23
HEALTH HINTS.
DROPSY-ITS CAUSE AND TREAT
MENT.

Among peisons hoJ iaiiiliihr WIN bhe sbiu
ure of the human frame, and its condition
in health and disease, to look upon Dropsy
Pas complaint in itself, instead of regard
ing it in its proper light as the result of
a serious organic affection of some one of
the great internal organs. Strictly and
truly speaking there is no such disease as
Dropsy, but it is common sequel of dis
ease, and can only be nationally treated by
reference to its cause. Of the various
causes of drOpsy there are three which hold
prominent place; viz interference with the
1t may occur under few other conditions,
but in nine cases out of ten when we find a
person in dropsical state, we shall discov-
er SOME grave affection of one of the three
great organs mentioned, to have proceeded
it.
A common sense illustration of the ma
ture of dropsy may be afforded by simple
experiment. II we procure pipe say two
or three feet long constructed of canvas OF
some similar porous material and enclose
this in stouter and loosely fitting pipe OF
rubber or some non psrmeable material, and
then allow a current of water to flow
through the inner pipe we shall find that as
long as the current passes through freely,
very little or no water will pass through the
pores of the pipe, because the liquid natur-
ally takes the easier and quicker passage
through the tube. But if now We compress
the end of the pipe and still continue To
force water through it, the fluid being de.
prived of its natural outlet will transude
through the canvas walls of the pipe and
accumulate in the space between the two
pipes causing the outer bag Or casing t.
distend in exact proportion to the amount
of water forced through.
This is precisely the condition of a dropsi
cal patient The commonest form of drop
sy is produced by compression of the grea
vein of the liver known as the portal vein
generally as the result of organic disease o
the liver or heart. The serum or water,
matter of the blood is, SO TO speak, squeez
ed through the coatings of the blood yes
sells and naturally gravitating to the loves
part, gathers in the lower abdomen, or tn
legs, constituting the condition of dropsy
Precisely the same result follows diseased
condition OF the kidneys. The peculia
office of the kidneys is to separate the ex
cess of the watery matter of the blood, an
when their action is deranged, as happen
In Bright's disease or after Scarlet fevei
the water accumulates in the loose cellula
tiasue of the body and dropsy ensues.
We see then that Dropsy never arise
spontaneously; that it is by no means dii
ease in itself but only an indication (and
very grave one) of disease elsewher,
Hence to hope to effect its cure by takin
the drenches and mixtures so freely adve
tised in the columns OF our newspapers,
Kidney cures, Liver cures etc, is about
sensible as to attempt to stop up burste
water pipe by pouring more water into IL
reservoir supplying it.
For the same reason the operation
tapping" for the dropsy can never be c.
peoted to perform cure of the disease.
removes the collection of fluid for the tin
being, at the expense of an operation by |
means free from danger, but the cause r
mains and the water soon accumulates
before. Some patients have been tapped
many as fifteen or twenty times, and qua
titles of water equal to twenty pints or mo
removed on each occasion, but without al
result In removing the disease, which ever
ually turned the tables by removing Il
patient.
DIopsy is commonly divided into tN
kinds, the GctiOe and the pdssiUe, of the act
kind is that which follows an attack
Scarlatina, and it is this variety alo
which offers reasonable hope of cure.
fact scarlatinai dropsy though often We
extensive and alarming, is not usually fat
unless the water is effused into the pleul
sac, investing the lungs. When this hs
pens the condition known as hydrothroax
established and great danger to life immt
lately ensues.
For the purposes of medical diagno
other divisions are made in the descripti
of dropsy-in the one case as to its orig