The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-18
Consumption.

. The eminent physician, DIR. Felix L.
Oswald, in the course of an article in
the Popular Science Monthly upon "The
Remedies of Nature" with an applica-
lion to the cure or alienation of con-
sumption, lays down generic principle
broad enough, as it would seem, to be
the foundation of a new system of
medicine. 1t is to the effect that Nature
always tries to relieve itself, and that
the sensOry symptoms attending the
process of reconstruction are in reality
plea for non-interference. Hence the
best way to assist Nature is to forbear
from meddling with the restorative pro-
cesses and to seek To remove the predis-
posing cause. In his own words:
There is strong upward and health
ward tendency in the constitution of
every living organism. Natures re-
venge is but an enforced condition of
peace. Pain, discomfort and even the
premature loss of organic vigor, are
the attendant symptoms of Iecon-
structive process, and their permanence
is a presumptive proof that, in spite of
such admonitiOns, the process is a
struggle against permanent obstacle,
or coastantly-repeated Illustration of
its eferts."
1t is this general rule that DIR. Oswald
applied to the treatment of cons,lmp-
ton, evidently singing out that disease
because it is the most terrible destroyer
OF human life. even as compared with
the alcohol habit and the diseases that
grow out of it. His statistics prove that
the proportion of deaths from the
latter cause, compared with deaths
from pulmonary consumption, is as
three and half to ten in North
ern Europe and as four to ten
in the United States and Canada.
Tubercular consumption alone claims
yearly aggregate of 10000 lives in the
United States, 10000 ia Great Britain
! and Ireland, $4,000 in France, 1850
in European Russia and $1,000 in North
ern Germany. 1t is another peculiar
| ity of the disease that il selects its vic
Tins from the industrial classes. "North
or South East or West" saws DIR. Os-
wald, .fhe death-rate from lung dis
eases is found to bear an exact proper
tion to the percentages of the inhabitants
habitually engaged in sedentary and
indoor occupations. Towns suffer more
than the rural districts, cities more than
country towns, manufacturing more
than commercial and semi-agricultural
| cities, weaver towns more than foun-
| dry towns" In this quality and
locality of the diseases was found the
error Of the theory that ascribed con-
sumption to the influence of low temper
ature- On the other hand, it is declared
! to be house disease, and this DR. Os-
waldproves by numerous illustrations,
showing that in communicating re-
| giOns low temperature is protection
against pulmonary disease, andthat cold
| sections of country are remarkably
| free from it. while on the other hand il
is abundant where vitiated sir is con-
| Stamly breathed, or where in cities
large numbers of persons aps confined
to INDOOR occupations.
DIR. Oswald's theory does rot conflict
with the parasite theory of DIR. Koch,
for he claims that Initiated air, or air
breathed over and over again, fills the
lungs with indgestible elements, which
gradually accumulate until they cor
rupt the tissues and favor the develop
ment of parasites. But, saws Dr. Os-
walG, .'cease 10 feed the lungs with
azotie gases and Dr. Koch animacula
will starve and disappear as surely
as maw worms will starve and dis
appear if we change a pork and
sauer-kraut diet for bread and APP
Piles. DIR. Oswald, therefore. lays it
down rs certain that lin AL latitudes
of the Temperate Zone tie disease
known as pulmonary consumption is
caused by breathing of Initiated air, and
can be subdued by outdoor exercise"
He does not claim that wasted tissues
can he reproduced. but he does claim
that IN all but its last stages the progress
| of the disease can be arrested by out
door fife alone. and that three-months'
moun ain trip with or without cents, and
even attended with all possible discom-
forts, will cure all the symptoms of the
disease. His detailed recommendations
are SO pertinent and practical that we
make aR extract from them:
In stress of circumstances, an hosc GER day
of active exercise will help to keep the lungs
cdtG,ri proof, and that hour may even De sub
divided Buy a large umbrella and make ii a
rule to walk on your way to market. To your
place Cd business, or 10 church: or al least
part of che way if the distance is great and
your tine limited. In the evening take large
satchel end go mile on of your way to pat.
roniZe good fruit-dealer or a yender OF old
books-or fill the satchel9t home and ears the
blessings ola poor family in the factory sub
urb. Street rambies should have n pruyiRate
object; the regulation wax on general pIinci-
pies is too apt to he shirked on very slight
preteNts. III you have garden of your SSn.
fence of digging corner and prospect FOR ge-
illogical specimens. If you have a wood shed
import an old stuUp-lcg hickory preferred.
and do not be too particular about keeping
Npsltliltp n
stove and an overcGat in your workshop. and
open the windows every now and then. Open
the dining-roOm wipdowS in the forenoon and
the kitchen windows in the afternoon: no
fOrce-ventilator can compete with the effect of
a direct influx of atmospheric ar. IL you teach
class of work in Il warehouse or counting.