The Dickinson press., 1888-12-22
ONE OF NATURES LAWS.
COMPENSATION FOR THOSE WHO
SUFFER PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENrs.

| SUFFER PHYSICAL lMPAIRMENTS.
Ono May Live Long Time with Heart
Disease-One Lung May Do the Work
of Two for Many Years-Nature's Jus
| tice.
Nature has imposed upon the world of life
her storms, earthquakes. etc., which are
called sublime manifestations o. her su-
preme power" She has exposed her children
to accidents, which through no effort of their
own can they escape She has also fixed
penalties for voluntary transgresson and
violation of her laws. But, beyond that in
her infinite mercy, she has established law
OF compensation for all unfortunates who
suffer, and nowhere else is its application
moro clearly evident than in the victims of
physical impairments. She has provided
that, within certain limits, il any part Of
the system or function of man becomes dc.
ranged or disabled-unable to do its work
properly-other parts, through their reserve
power, shall do additional work, and so com.
pcnsate for the infrmity.
Take, for instance, the heart. When dis
ease, say of the valves, first begins to show
itself, ut once other changes in that organ
commence to obviate, in n great measure, the
impcrfection. In using pump, il tho valves
are sound, less effort is required by us than
If they are imperfect, and allow some of tho
water to fall back into tho we'll. Inasmuch
as they are inefficient, just SO much harder
| We must work and take so many moro strokes
OF the pump If We would keep pup tho same
| How OF water which We could raise it the
| valves were IN perfect condition. So it is
| When tho valves of tho heart do not close
| lightly, but allow some of tho blood to re-
| ceue; 1T must labor all the harder For such
condition rs this nature has provided, She
| causes tho walls of tho heart to grow thicker,
ana hence makes that organ more powerful
by thus compensating for the valvular dis
ease, the general condition of the person NAV
for a long time be but lttle changed. He
may even enjoy comparatively good health
for years, and his intirmity only be discoy.
cred by accident.
This law of compensation is clearly evi.
dent i'll what arc called hunchbacks. AS
rule, they arc SO frail looking ono would NOT
expect them to bo ablo to fight severe dis
ease, and yet they have resistant and reno.
tive power which is simply wonderful
Strong, robust children taken down with
disease often succumb when these deformcl
unlortunates, Frustrated with an attack of
the same and of equally severe type, recover
Where there are two like organs in the
body, If ono is injured tho other takes OH n
greater activity and strength, and assumes
additional burden. If one lung is crippled
by an accident, in time tho other may bo SO
changed it will do very well tho work de-
signed Tor both. Cases arc not infrequent
where one kidney has become absolutely use-
less, ana has even been removed, and yet tho
person suffered little or none, apparently,
from its loss. This law Of compensation tho
physician and surgeon "meets at every turn
as he labors for his patients. 1t is ono on
which he must rely much. We have said
that perfection of health Is purely ideal: that
1t never actually exists. Tho average man is
far from tho enjoyment of perfect health
Wero human bodies transparent, there would
| he revealed abnormalities in oil, and even i'm
sono of those apparently fairly well there
would he found diseases which it would seem
must soon provo fatal, and yet the victims of
them resist death for years.
1t is popular belief that IL tho lungs once
become even i'll slight degree affected, con.
sumption is sure to result, and yet it is safe
to say that there is scarcely u person living
VINO has perfectly healthy lungs. Nearly all,
II not all, havo some time or other during
their lives suffered from trouble in those
important organs, which have healed and
become perfectly sound again. The extent
to which the liver may be diseased, and vet
the general health remain fairly good, is
something to marvel at. For instance, cir
rhosis of tho liver, or, us it is sometimes
called, "gn liver" is n tlegencrative change
III that organ, which, If not arrested, which
is rarely possible. ultimately destroys it and
life. Tho disease is usually very far ad-
vanced before tho victim fully realizes that
he is failing in health. Tho other organs in
tho system do the liver's work, and its par.
tial loss Is scarcely felt Diseases of tho
stomach, as n rule, soon make themselves
apparent, and yet some remain concealed or
their presence is merely suspected, for years,
Physicians who are employed as examiners
Tor insurance companies, endowment socic-
ties and tho like will testify that diseases of
the kidneys-as Bright's dsease-are in very
many cases first disclosed by their analysis,
and while tho victims believe themselves to
be i'll good health, never having had q symp-
tom which led them to even suspect that
dread complaint.
And so we might go Oh, calling attention
to each organ of the body separately, and
telling how little evidence Of even serious
impairment is sometimes offered to the vic.
did nature less faithfully observe her law of
compensation and conceal existing infirmi-
ties, it might be better for some, but certainly
not for Others "Where ignorance is bliss.n
etc. 1t is sometimes we'll that we should not
know our weaknesses. If wo wero tho victim
Of an incurable disorder many of us would
prefer to live on in ignorance until the fact
dawned upon us.
There arc but few diseases which, if recoe-
nized early and proper treatment is applied,
cannot be permanently arrested, If not
wholly cured None is moro dreaded than
consumption; yet that disease-popularly
supposed to be fatal-can positively be cured
if taken in time. Those who do die Of it
rarely consult physician until ''too late"
being kept back from doing SO through fear
of being told tho worst;" they prefer the
condition Of doubt to that of q grave GER
tainty. One who Is deaf, and, still moro so,
one blind, excites intense pity in all Still
specialists in diseases Of the ear and eye will
testify that in almost all their incurable cases
tho victims are long sufferers before they
seek relief Truly, 'procrastinatlon is tho
thief Of time," and when health is threatened
there are but few who do not give evidence
that this grievous fault for once, at least. is
theirs.
Aswe have said, the average man is COM
PEELED to travel through life in condition of
health far below the perfect standard. The
devlations-tho ailments-are not only in
very many instances self inflicted, but they
can, in great measure, be overcome. The
one fault lies deep. Tho knowledge Of how
to live. to husband our forces, and to keep
ourselves near the ideal state-perfection Of
health-should be engrafted into our natures
In early youth; it should be among the first
lessons taught us. We should realize from
the first that We cannot wrong ourselves by
vicious indulgence without being obliged to
suffer therefor. Her "books are well keptn
perfect Justice is done all, and we must meet
and satisfy every charge which nature
makes against us.-Boston Herald.
Vital Question.
Young Wife-Doctor, am about to pre-.
pare for trip to Ostend, and have come to
ask your advice