Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-02-21
a STITCH IN TIME.
Cases In which Medical Aid Is OF Most
Value In the Early stages.

Cases In which Medical Aid Is OF NJ
value In the Early Stages
IN the earliest stages of consumpti
Of the lungs. it is possible to arrest 4
progress of the affection and secure
return to health by change of china
and of habits of life, together wi
wisely directed diet, exercise and h
gieno generally. But this stage
often permitted to pass without an
serious attention being given to it i
the patient or his friends. One reaso
of this is the unreasonable hopefulne'
that is mental characteristic of mo-
consumptives Besides the insight
cant cough and slight symptoms of dc
:. teriorating health. which are often onl
to be noticed and given their true yalu
by the experienced physician, do no
carry with them any such degree o
alarm as they merit. When protus'
hemorrhage occurs the feeling OF Sc
curity may give way to the alarm thai
has been felt before. Any persistcnI
cough should be attended to before ii
is too late to do good. As in all dis
eases depending upon special cause
or miero-organism, consumption is not
TO be cured by drugs alone. 1t is pos
sible that, rs the late Prof Flint taught,
it may be disease that has tendency
to recover of ITSELF but if it is "self-lim-
itcd,n it can only be so under the best
possible sanitary and hygienic condi-
TONS -, pvor Is not, as
az, Dangerous to life. But any case
Of ague may develop into Il pernicious
(congestive) intermittent or remittent
fever at any time. This it is that rem
ders prompt arrest of the common aguc
of such great Importance, For this
reason also treatment by nostrums and
domestic remedies too often results in
an attack which no form of medication
will be competent to cure. The per
nicious attacks arc almost invariably
preceded by ordinary chills, so tina
when the "congcstive" paroXysm doe
come on no one can say that there wa
any excuse for calling the doctor to
late, Even if pernicious attacks ar
not developed, the subject of long-cor
tinued ague becomes broken in healtl
is pale, sallow and full Of pains of
neuralgia character that makes Ii
miserable; and the longer the disea'
persists without interruption, the mo
difficult it is to stop its progress and
cure the results of chronic malarl
poisoning
A largo proportion of cases of val,
lar diseases of the heart originate
acute rheumatism. This disease
taclIs the joints and such organs
most resemble them in structure. i
heart from its continual moveme
and the white iibrous materials Fl
which it is lined and covered bear:
very strong resemblance to a la
Joint. In rheumatic fever GnflamT
tory rheumatism) the main dan
arises from the tendency the inilaml
tlon shows to attack the covering
the heart or the valves to be found
tween the cavities and Mt the entra
of the great artery that takes
blood to distribute it all over the be
Experience has demonstrated that
best method to prevent the disc
from attacking the heart is to
large quantities of alkalies-the bi
Donates of sodium and of potass
being the best-uutil the acid mater
which appears to be at the basis
rheumatism, is fully ncutralized.
is shown by the secretion of tho kid
becoming alkaline in reaction. As
rs this is not done and kept up
sistently there is danger of h
trouble setting in ut any moment.
Younger the patient the greater
danger of these complications. Ii,
the necessity, in every rheumatic {
of prompt and rational treatment
In nervous, sensitive children, 81
causes are sufficient to bring on NJ
tack of commissions. Thus, some
indigcstible material swallowed, OF
presence of worms in the dige'
tube, is often enough responsible
these always alarming symptoms.
the cause can be removed, of co
this should be done, and the sooner
better. One very cogent reason fo
last remark is the fact that after
vulsions have occurred humble
times morbid habit becomes es
lished in the nervous system, whic
strong enough by itself to produ,
return of the spasms, even after
original exciting cause has been
onghly removed. Whom the "Iits'
return from time to time withou
parent reason, VIC say that the pa
has epilepsy, one of the most intri
BILE of diseases. 1t is in cases Of
description, where the cause Of the
vulsions can be removed, that the
stefan should not be called too late
consulted sufficiently early life
of misery, ending in insanity, perl
might be changed into one of us
ness.
There arc many surgical aflec
which exemplify the warning this
Gle Is intended to convey. OF
cancer and sarcomas afford the
examples. When small, and b.
they have iniiltrated the surroun
tissues or sent colonies into distan
gans, If removed by the surgeons
they may or may not return.
chances vary a good deal, accordiI
the variety of malignant growth "
is under observation and its locf
But removed, and that at as ear
date as possible after discovery
the best schance for life and free
from suffering. st Louis GIobe-D
0crdt.