The National tribune., 1885-03-05
Who Wa Brishtl

| Who was Bright
The name of Bright is frequently On the
| tongues of people who know nothing, or little,
| Of who Bright" was or the nature of the pc
! culiar arrangement Of vital functions with
which his name has long been linked. DIR.
/ Bright was a famous British surgeon and auat-
| omist. lie made the kidneys and their dis0r-
| ders his special study He FIRST pointed out the
nature of the granular degeneration OF the
Tissues of the kidneys, aUd showed the dcmor-
| alization of these organs when in such condi-
| tion that their seCreting powers 50 impaired
] that the urea is not sufficiently separated from
| the blood. In the unpleasant condition of the
| internal economy which Is known as " BTights
/ disease albumen is carried OF with the watery
| excrcti0ns from the bladder. This impover-
| iShes the system almost as greatly as would
| copious and systematic bleeding, for the aibu
men is needed in the body, being, in fact, one
Of the great agents in nutrition Those who
| labor under the disadvantage Of BTighbs dis
ease" are liable to Crievous congestion and in
! fammation, not only of the kidnoy5, but OF
! other important organs. Coma, convuloions
and apoplexy may occur rs part Of the progress
of the disease. Thus it will be seen that the
malady is not a mere kidney ailment, but one
| involving the decay OF the vital forces Of the
| body.
| Bright's diseasc" Is proverbially hard to
| cure Nay, more than that, ii is generally pro-
nounced ncurable. As soon as the patient be-
| guns TO show clear evidences Of being afflicted
with this malady the doctors give him up and
tell him to prepare for death. They eau allie
vIate his suferings and do something to tenn
porarily arrest his inevitable decay, but beyond
| this they give him no hope An eminent ply
sician in recent address before the New Jersey
Medical Society said: THE modern physi-
clan, in his mu,titudinous drugs, fnds few
remedies. 8 Medicine finds its highest
triumphs in the prevention, not in the cure, Of
disease. Who cures rheumatism, or
typhoid fever, or chronic Bright's diseaseF
a8dyet. who refrajns from pteScribingF p
Now we Will all agree that prevention Is a
great deal better than cure. But when We fad
some fellow mortal actually III the power of
terrible disease, Bright's" for instance, it is
too late to talk OF preventive measures. Some
thing must be done towards cure, if cure be
possible. To thousands of anxious men and
women the vital question today is, Cdg
Brighfs disease be cared ?" To others. means of
prevention may have interest, but TO those on
whom the disease has its grip the question of
cure is personal matter of life or death. All
who are thus concerned will be greatly inter
ested in the experience of a gentleman well
known in Philadelphia who was so severely
afflicted with "Bright's disease" that the ply
sicans gave him up. His present condition OF
heartiness is such Is naturally to awaken Curl
osity as to how his recovery was effected.
Mr George ". Edwards is a well known
Phiiadelphizn. now in middle life. His father
was one of the most puhlic-spirited citizens OF
the Quaker City, who did much to improve the
place by the erection OF a number of hotels and
other edifces of public value and permanent
adOrnment. Mr. Edwards, ST., died about 20
years ago, Of Bright's disease, and SO did his
wife. The present Mr.. Edwards thus inherited
the disease from both father and mother and
at an early period of his life was under its
power 10 such an extent that be became a cou-
firmed invalid, with but little nope OF recovery.
One of our editorial stat, who had himself
been threatened with Bright's disease, and was
nxoUs TO see man who had been brought
out OF it, recently satisfied his curiosity by
visit to Sir. Edwards. On being introduced to
that gentleman at his place of business, he
thought there must be some mistake in the
person. so hearty and robust did Mr. Edwards
appear. But Mr.. Edwards assured him that he
was indeed the man. and gave the account OF
his experience much as follows
"Yes, had Bright's disease. Ny father and
mother died of it: so did two Of my brothers.
1t came on me slowly and gradually. l passed
much alhumen, and many epitheiial casts,
which are the surest indications of the
ages of the disease. For three years was so
Frustrated as to be unable 10 attend to buSi-
ness. | was utterly exhausted. Not only was
/ unable to walk with comfort, but ! could
scarcely walk at all. IayeTaEed hard Y an hours
sleep in 81, and even that little was broken and
unsatisfactory. Nearly all the time / suffered
with severe neuralgia pain In my head and
rheumatic pain ia my joints. My digestion
was miserable. | was nervous aud continually
disturbed. at the ST. Georges Hotel, where |
lived, ! found it impossible to take my meals
at the table. for my nerves were III such a state
that the rartliug OF the knives and forks dis
tressed me and compelled me TO leave the din
ing-room. The little l was able to eat was
brought to my room. / could take little meat
but vegetables; and l can assure you that
eating was not pleasure 10 ne
:" Did ] take much medical treltmcntf Oh,
yes, but / cannot say thai il did rGe any appar-
ent good, unless, perhaps, IN case OF the last
physician who attended me. He brought me
up 20 condition in which there was some
thing in me for the Compound Oxygen to take
hold Of"
Compound Oxygen? Did you try that;
and what did it do Tor y0u?"
Yes that was what brou ght me 10 whore you
sec ice now. II was this way: ] was in very
exhausted condition and my friend, Mr. Ha-
gan, Of Front street who had been made new
man by it told me that he thought there would
be some chance for me if l would try Com
pound Oxygen. The prospect did not at first
seem very encouraging, yet / Thought | would
make the trial. So Frustrated was / that walk
ing from the St. George hotel 10 -tarkcy d Pa
| lens Office, which is not over half 4 mile. COM
pleteiy used me up, and | had to rest for t.fo
hours after making the effort This was my
first attempt at going cat. Afier this, when /
went 10 the once Tor Treatment, ! took cab,
for the first few visits. But the necessity for
the cab did not last great while: The Com
pound Oxygen did not begin TO do its work
suddenly, but what it did il lid we'll In about
ten days TIE severe pains in nay head were
greatly relieved, and before many more days
they were gone. Then ] began TO gain il
strength. Gradually the rheumatic pains went
away, my digestion improved, so that eating
was not the torment ii had been. / soon be-
added TO my comfort and gave new
strength.
For two months I took the Oxygen Treat
ment at starkey & Paien's OfiCe, daily gain
ing. When / first began to take It / was SO
weak that / could nos iuhale for more than ten
! or fifteen seconds. BY steady practice and
with increasing strength / found myself able
! TO inhale Tor nearly minute at a tIma. be-
| gan in March, 1857 and finished in May. By
| this time l was 50 we'll that ] needed nc mors
! treatment"
Have you ever had occasion TO resort 70
! the treatment sgain2"
Never but once. Then I bhouqnt ! felt
/ some indications Of q return of my Old trouble.
! The use OF the Compound Oxygen fer very
! short time setm 10 rights. hOw / aLn able 10
| attend 10 business regularly and checrfully. !
! live IN the country and come 10 town every
! day ! sleep s0undiy take good deal of &C
/ i've exercise. eat pretty much gTerythlDg 1
/ want, and nay digestion is good What mere