The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Chronic Ilisensna

"A ii;enu mas called our attention :,
an editorial published nearly a." 10
ago IN the keystone Medical ,Jou,.at year
chronic diseases. In the words o. On
editor "One OF the great therapen,;,anne
Proniems II not the greatest of sn"a
Propiems before the profession is ~
treatment OF chronic diseases and tbo ene
constitutional faults which nndaS'.e
chronic diseases. The article ;"
main is quite suggestive, but w a , or
tlrely disagree with the writer IN GU
point. He says: 1--WE assert tho. one
stead of the body being liable to Ill IN
| diseases and that these ii neolectaS Iu u
come chronic as is the common Note oc-
the reverse is the truth; that general,
speaking diseases are chronic and
towards the close an acute affection u
liable to be set up" Again the writas
says that he believes that ..much 81
the disease that threatens and emh;i
tiers life is chronic degeneration ratbar
than disease; that there is reason 70
believe that the rate of such deoenar
alive processes admits of being ouict-
ened or retarded; that the indefinite
retardation of a degencrative process
is practically the extention of life to
its natural limits and the next hest
thing to complete cure; that this re-.
tardation has come to be primal
function of scientific and practical
medicine"
Now, let us state this matter ia orr
way: From some inherited tendencv
which this writer in the Keustous
Journal recognizes, or from some bad
no n ri 70
Sumo great mental disturbance, the de-
generative process is awakened in the
system. This process attracts but lit.
tie attention at the outset and it goes
on. Finally it reaches a stage which
is attended with acute manifestations.
and at this moment there occurs what
is called an acute disease. The victim
for the first time comes TO the concu.
sion that he is sick and that he is in
need of physician. The ply stefan is
called. This is the family physician"
and such is the character of his prac-
tice that when he gets his patient out
of bed he thinks he will do to leave
He has little patience and still less
skill to remove these conditions which
have not already yielded to his pre-
and his patient becomes
sufferer from what is called a chrome
disease. 1t is not entitled to be called
chronic until it has thus established
Itself in the system. Consequently,
there may be said to be three stages
The stage of degeneration, that of
acute manifestation and that of chronic
disease. The medical profession at /
arge do little else than anchor
ite those diseases which are
called acute. If they recognize they
10 not attempt to relieve either the
iegenerative process or the chronic
disease. The great body of hygienists,
many of whom are not physicians at
vi, are coming to the relief of suffer-
ng humanity in the first or degenera- ]
i've stage. They are showing how,
" good living and otherwise, this
process may be arrested or retarded.
1any of these writers are so extreme
n their ideas that they say that doc
ors are unnecessary altogether They
weigh against the use of medicine.
hey fail to perceive that their meth
DIS are only suited to those who have.
ntered upon the first stage mention
d. That is to say, their old school
octor who resorts to his heroic rene
les and as heroically attacks all man
'estations of the acute stage, but who
ooh poohs at the specialists who.
ctually profess to take their wrecks,
nose who have survived their heroic
,eatment, and make sound men and
Iomen of them. Both are wrong;
he hygienists think there is nothing in
ne vegetable world that is capable OF
olng more than keep up the waste OF
lie system, and the old school prac-
toner who imagines he must go out .
the vegetable kingdom to find az
smedy powerful enough to overcome
n acute disease. Both eclecticlsm
nd homeopathy are gradually edu-
iting the profession and the people
} right views regarding these matters
n acute disease, well treated, will t.
ave no chronic ailment in its wake.
ut when by wrong management The
lronic stage is allowed to follow the
cute, the hygienists are quite in the
ay when they step in between q pa
ent and the specialist and urge that
} medicines are needed. Medicines
e indeed required, but they should
of that preparatory character thai =
ely will put material in the hands OF
lture to restore the enervated sys'
m. All these remedies may be de-
ved from the vegetable world. All
cd Immediately or remotely has TO-
me from the vegetable kingdom
stands between the animal kingdom
d the hard brown earth, ana lifts
pm the grim soil that which sup =
pports life. Fortunately, it also ex-
icts from the same source that which
II in cooperation with the natural
rces OF the body eradicate disease