Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-07-17

VVNSO" bON
Docs not begin, as people generally think,
with cough OF soreness Of the lungs but
dy s or cstsrrh. The most common
and most fatal form 10 that In which tuber-
cles are deposited la the substance of tue
lungs. These are small cheesy kernels. that
usually lie dormant for many mouths. even
for years, showing their presence only by
shortening the breath and weakening the
frame. aud inducing languor aud Inability
to walk fast. or far, OF work hard.
The young wife. settling iuto decliue.
leans more heavily on the husbands arm
Once she walked lightly with him step for
step; now she leans, anO complains that he
walks 50 fast, and puts her all out Of breath.
She gets better for while la brighter wealth
err, and then without evident cause sinks
lower than before; and thus rises and sinks.
perhaps. many times before the tnbereles
she coughs. at first and perhaps for long
time. q dry. hacking cough then 1t becomes
moist and softer. and she raises matter either
yellow or saitish. and perhaps offensive to
The white Of an egg. It is usually looked
upon "a OF no great account. but treated as q
common cold, the patient not deigning to
call IN even the family physician. But even
and advise some simple thing. The patient
waits and hopes, but Is annoyed to find she
does not get rid OF IL thinks II bad cold,
that hangs on worse than any she ever had
ings, and fears she has caught more cold,
but cannot account for H..
The following are the more com
mon signs OF this form Of consumption:
First, lassltude. or languor, or shortness OF
breath, with disposition to gasp or sigh or
catch fo~ breath. AT this stage II Ia easily
cured. II the patient tries the sperometer
he finds that he cannot breathe an average
amount. perhaps by forty or hfty inches
not that the tubercles fill so much space, but
that they weaken the power OF imitation and
expulsion OF air. Young girls. at this stage.
are prone TO lean on the parasol in walking,
as II for cane to support, and are disposed
TO loll and sit at ease, for any exertion puts
them out OF BREATH They like to reeline
on the sofa, or lounge in rocking chair.
They relinquish many OF their previous and
draw from the dance, OF skating. or ainuse-
ments requiring lively or vigorous move
ment, aud prefer TO look on, rarely dreaming
that the time Is fast approaching when they
shall even look on no more, and the dance
and the skates will go on just as meirily
carefully examined with the proper instru-
ments at this stage they sound dull under
through the stethoscope over some one spot.
more commonly over the middle lobe OF the
right lung; or instead of absence OF the
healthy sound, it Is changed int breaking
called crepitation-bnt very faint.
This sonnd cannot be detected through the
garments, nor through any Of them, nor can
the dizziness be detected through them with
the hammer. There isno resort In the prac-
tice Of medicine more absurd and pernicious
than that OF pretending TO examine the lungs
with the fingers OF one hand drumming on
those Of the other over the chest; and what
aosns SUI m ossr w garments .h as
would utterly obscure much louder sound
than the one for which the practitioner is
supposed to be listening. Such examine
lions beguile the patients, until the disease
IL an dQan n q N II homes nj
Still, up 10 this time the ordinary
duties Of life are carried on as usual only
with an increasing disposition to rest and
often considered more lazy than sick"
RI application be made TO physician in
common located practice. he declares after |
one OF those shiftless, faulty examinations
with his fingers, that the lungs are all right.
only q little Irritation OF the tubes. oh.
this fatal blindnessl rhe patient returns
c0mforted, and tries, perhaps. some cough
drops or expectofant 70 loosen the cough.
and begins TO raise the .phlegm" much
more easily; but after while complains Of |
some nausea after eating, and hollowness
when hungry--the early symptoms OF dys-
pepsia, brought on BY the depressing cough
drops, or troches, or expectorants, which
are all made Of some drug, which taken in
larger doses produce sickness at the stomach
as squills, ipecac. lobelia, etc. These ex-
pectorants hasten on the disease at a much |
accelerated rate; and complicste I With
others that make It much more dificult 70
cure. But even at this stage. by . judicious
system OF inhalation, proper diet habits,
tonics and change OF an. IL 10 easily brought
denim and deplore the free use Of troches.
cough drops, and expectorsnts Of all kinds
They hurry many to the grave, and In 9th
en- induce dyspepsia. rose catairh or fever;
perverted tone OF the mucous membrane
In the succeeding stages of the disease the
symptoms OF the Fectding ones are greatly
algravatsd, and 70 these are commonly add
I'd some or all Of the following: In the
woman the monthly discharges cease or be-
como scanty the mind becomes. so to say,
capricious, the hopes being at one moment
unduly elated. and perhaps the next more
ed disposition to shed tears over touching
scenes and stories. and 10 laugh hear tily at |
the slightest absurdities or wittfcisms; the
and this is most observable st night. when
. cold, ciammy sweat awakens the patient |
from u1qufet sleep, and gives reins TO the
widest fancies. fhe lips are often observed
TO be purple or black and dry 4 hush ire,
the eye becomes Of mother-ot-pearl ap-
pearance; the cough deepeng and extends
from morning till night. and from night TIL
through sleep that brings little refreshment;
the spit or sputa Is salt and yellow and of |
bad taste, and increases in quantity from
time TO time. when the patient is said TO
Caicu cOlu int tOi06 BcCOAu63 husky Ut hui
low, or snduly sonorous; the periods Of ex-
ercise grow shorter with the shortening
breath, and less and less frequently, the
walk Of few rods being su mcient TO induce
. slight percussion, and 1t is now generally
conceded that the patient Is in decline,
or wasting fever, OF perhaps the bold word
Consumption is used, and by or before this
who says Consumption oaunct Be- cured
recognizes the foe with which he
has SO long been dealing, and advises
codliver oil, or the -phosphates. or
folly In the treatment Of this dread disease,
and perhaps change of air to the south,
and probably sanctions plaster to the
chest or between the shoulders, or covers
these parts with croton oil or tartarized an
timony. Oh, 1t is pitiful :, see such help
lessness at such q time, the last precious
days in which there may be ground for
hopel This soon passes; the patient lies
the whole day is spent In bed; and now the
cough is so harrassing and the discharge so
copious that the nurse holds up the patients
head that the sputa may be thrown into
capricious, tine stomach feeble; probably
the tubercies ripen and slough In the bow
els, giving rise to persistent and exhausting
though mild diarrhna; There Is a constant
called being tired lvnd weary and is sttribu-
ted TO the cough. Even at this late stage the
patient will sometimes sit up In bed and
write words Of love and hope 70 some dis
tant friend, and make promises ofvisits and
talk of worldly affairs; IL woman, will
speak Of what she is to wear when she gets
we'll, and hoR she win dress her hair, etc.,
and the next minute may be found in tears.
as she suspects she may never recover. But
why follow this declining life into the deep
darkness TO which 1t 80 swiftly and surely
tends7 All ground for hope is long since
gone, IL toqk years Rernaps a, 70 40 inc
ton Is so seldom cured is that 1t is not rec
oenized till Its work is so far advanced.
Physicians close their eyes to II till too late
to master 1t, or having accidentally cured IL,
get crndif Tor Whaf they have dnne