The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-11-01


/ l. 5 said c1ac everything which appears 70
affect the health Of mankind has ueeu alleged
/ to oe 4 cause Of pulmonary consumption,
such as deficiency and poor quality Of food,
lack Of pure air, light, warmth and exercise;
/ in fact, everything which impairs the rour-
| ishment ot the body, induces poverty q the
/ blood, OF depresses the nervous system This
! is true The waste Of the vial power, no
matter how produced, leaves the system IN q
| cc-dI-ion peculiarly susceptible 70 c1rSump-
/ tion; i, invites that disease I: Is general!
| believed By people at large that consumption
| Of tbs lungs Is q disease which occurs pri-
| marlly in the lungs themselves In other
/ words, that such disease q those organs may
! exist, az least in the early stages, il person
! perfectly sound in every other part Of his
! system There Grea: mistake is made.
| The lungs VIII never suffer from oonsump-
| ton as long - the rest Of the body IS in q
| good state Of health
II is generally accepted by physicians that
the d-rec; and exciting cause Of this disease is
germ. Now, this germ, il order for it 10
thrive AM do is destructive work. needs q
! peculiar soil, as j. We're. Ii introduced into
| aec--aR.s:l O.: healthy psrson, il would not
mutt .v. 51t would die. Il, however, that
SAM PERSONS general health were impaired,
/ either ~ CveTwC-s. disease. excessive intu--
I genes, or g @ co-ssg usnce u hSiuE denied
/ good AMI sufficient food, pure air. etc, then
| be would be in jus. such condition as the
I germ @. consumption needs for is growth
and multi. g.icatigL lie Is, as physicians term
| l-, il a condition q susceptibility This
! peculiar condition may not only Be acquired,
but Il may also exist IL q person al his birth.
| Il IS generally the Inheritance OF children Of
c0uSuMVtive parents, but the parents need not
! reces- arllv have had that disease to transmit
! susceptibility TO consumption. II either Of
| them are syPhlliric or suffer from any u.ali--
! naut disease. o. have what is termed g scr0f-
| ul0us constitution, their children are quite
likely TO come into the world stamped with q
decided tendency 70 consumption.
Very many infammatory diseases Of the
! lung Itself, especially those Of & catarrhal
| type and other affections, prominent among
| which are measles AMI whoopinC cough,
| create liability 20 pulmonary consumption.
| The term catarrhal must not Be uisuuGer-
! stood in this connection We do nor refer to
| catarrh Of the nasal passages. l. Is a popular
! delusiOn that nasal cararrh is liable % run
! into consumption There is absolutely no
truth in such theory. II & person 50 SUI
! tered from nasal trouble that he could breathe
only through his mouth, and If that conii-
tiol lasted for several years. be would be
likely to have SCI up bronchial trouble, but
that alone would never induce pulmonary
consumption.
People who have had pneumonia are quite
certain 70 fear for long time a;terwari lest
they become consump:ive. That acute Gfec-
ton, when recovered from, dos not leave the
lung in a condition susceptible 70 the graver
disease. In fact, Pneumonia, running a nat
ural course 10 recovery, never leaves behind
it any special weakness; in other words, if
one RECEIVERS he RECEIVERS completely. Con-
sumption is often attributed to catching cold
II we take a severe cold and neglect it, and
consequently are ailing for some time, during
which We suffer from cough, then we are in a
condition in which pulmonary consumption
is possible if exposure 10 the germs Of the dis
ease occurs. When one has severe attack
Of acute bronchitis he is likely, If improve
ment is not rapid, 70 grow uneasy and fear
consumption. But very few cases, however,
terminate in that grave disease. and none, We
may say, unless the general health becomes
much impaired or there is present the pecu-
liar susceptibility 10 it.
While acute affections Of the lungs create
q liability 70 consumption, the number Of
cases which 50 terminate are comparatively
small That disease, as a rule, comes on in
| sidlOusly, and usually exists for time BE-
| fore its presence is suspected Il Is q curious
| fact that among all the persons who consult
l-z'T.y-frrr 80 rl,,
sumption, in only q very small per cent, ara
the lungs found % be affected This shows
how common u is as an imaginary affliction.
4 reason Is, because people generally at
tribute 10 il symptoms which do not belong
70 II. As, Tor instance, II impreSslng the
ribs one feels sore spot which fingers for
a few days, then straight away be Is uneasy
about himself and fears consumption. Now,
really, the tenderness described Is not a
symptom q that disease Il Is simply in the
walls Of the chest and has nothing 70 do with
the lungs II fact, pain Is not a symptom OF
consumption: the lungs may b very badly
diseased before any pain is ever felt il them.
Again. II one coughs and finds his sputa
slightly streakei with blood, he !, as rule,
e. once alarmed, and imagines he has con
sumption. That srreakei appearance occurs
far oftener in bronchial troubles than in the
gravsr affection When blood Is raised from
the lungs, il Is generally nearly clear; the
other symptom, alone, has but little, Il any,
significance. Sometimes what appears 70 BE
hemorrhage from the lungs proves 70 be
simply bleeding from the nose, the blood
running hack AMI down into the throat, in
stead Of coming out Of the nostrilS And Vet,
IL all caSes where clear blood IS raised.
physician should Be consulted and al doubts
as 70 its origin set az rest.
One Of the earliest symptoms Of consump-
ton is short, hacking cough That rarely
sxciJeS uneasineSs until it has existed for
long time. In certain throat affections We
have q cough resembling it somewhat, We.
there Is quite q decided difference, which is
evident 70 q physician y hacking cough. If
persistent, although 1t only occurs OCCASIONALLY
during the day, should lead one 70 seek the
advice Of a physician Sweating az night,
people generally believe, points - disease q
the lungs Il does not by any means always
signify that. We expect might sweats-
only in consumption when the patients
strength has meaSurabiy failed They are
an evidence q general weakness, and may
occur il any form q debility.
\ persistent loss in weight j one Of the
characteristics symptoms Of pulmonary con
sumption, for the nutritive processes suffer
early impairment In al cases, whatever
appears 70 he the probable cause Of the los
iuE Of flesh If il IS continuous. even if very
gradual, q physician should be consultsl,