The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-15
FEAR OF CONSUMPTION.
some OF THE ABSURD DELUSIoNs
ABOUT IT DISPELLEo.
The Condition OF susceptibility """
How IL Is Induced-symptcms which
sbouid and Others which should Not
Csusc ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


IL is said that everything which appears 10
affect the health Of mankind has been alleged
IN be a cause Of pulm0lary consumption,
such as deficiency and poor quality OF food
lack Of pure air, light, warmth and excrciSe'
in fact. everything which impaDs the nour-
ishmcnt Of the body, induces poverty OF the
blood. or deprcsses the nervous system. ms
is true. The waste Of tho vital power no
matter how produced, leaves the system III a
condition peculiarly susceptible TO consninp-
tion: II invites that disease 1t IS generaiiy
believed by people al large that consumption
of the lungs Is a disease which occurs PIT
marily in the lungs themselves. In o'her
words. that such disease Of those organs may
exist. NJ least in the carly stages, M lrIsph
porfectlv sound in every other Part OF Us
sys.cn There a Great mistake Is maze
The LUNGS viii never suffer from cois'hiP-
ton os long ,s the rest Of the body Is III
good state Of health
II is generally accepted by physicians 'ha'
tho direct aud exciting cause OF TINS disease -
q germ. Now. this germ, IN oiaer - II !"
thrive and 10 its Destructive Work, heeuS "
peculiar soil as it were. II introduced mo
tboorganism of healthy person, il would not
m,ltiplv. but would die. II, however, that
Same persons general health were impaired
either by overwork, disease, excessive maui.
penccs. or a. a consequence Of beng deleH
good and sufficient food, pure air etc, 'lcn
he would be in Just such a condition as the
germ of conslmptica reeds for It's growth
and MULTIPLICATION. lleis, as physicians Term
81 in n condition OF susceptibility. ms
peculiar condition may not only be acquired
but it may also exist in a person at Eis oir'h:
II is generally the inheritance of children oil
consumptivc p1reuts. but the parents need not
peces arily have bad that disease to transmit
a susceptibility to consumption. II either OF
them arc syphilitc or suffer from any maiiS
pant disease. or have what is termed scroi-
ulous constitution. their children are quite
likely 70 come INFO the world stamped with
decided tendency 10 consumption.
Very many inhammatory diseases OF the
hung itself. especially those OF catarrhal
typo and other affections, prominent among
which are measles and whoopinS cough,
create "A liability to pulmonary consumption
The term catarrhal must not be uisunder-
stood in this connection. We do not refer 10
catarrh Of tho nasal passages. II is popular
delusion that nasal catarrh is liable 10 run
into CONSUMPTION. There is absolutely no
trutb in such q theory. Ii n person 50 SUI
tered from nasal trouble that he could breathe
only through his mouth, and II that conul-
tion lasted for several years, he would To
likely 20 have set up n bronchial trouble, but
that alone would never induce pulmonary
consumption.
People who have lad pneumonia are quite
certain TO fear for n long time aiterward lest
they become consumptive. That acute alice
tion. when recovered from, does not leave the
hing i'm a condition susceptible 10 the 9raver
disease. In fact. Pneumonia, running nat
sral course to recovery, never leaves behind
it any special weakness; in other words, II
one RECEIVERS lac RECEIVERS completely. Con
SUMPTION is often attributed 10 catching cold
II we take a severe cold and neglect 1t, and
consequently are ailing for some time, during
which we suffer from cough, then we ore III q
condition in which pulmonary consumption
is possible If exposure to the germs OF the DIS
ease occurs. When one has severe atiaci
of acute bronchitis hc is likely, If improve
ment is not rapid, TO grow uneasy and TEA
consumption. But very few cases, however
terminate in that grave disease, and none' :"
may say, unless the general health become
much impaired or there Is present the pecu
liar susceptibility 70 It,
While acute affections Of the lungs creat
@ liability to consumption, the number o
eases which so terminate are comparativei
small. That disease, as a rule, comes ON III
sdiously, and usually exists for time o'
- tod "A
fact that amongall the persons who consul
physicians believing themselves to have col
sumption. in only a very small per cent, al
the lungs found TO bc affected. THIS shoN
how common II is as an imaginary aIilctioi
A reason is, because people generally q
tribute to il symptoms which do not DeioA
- IT, rs. for instance; If nnpressinS IL
ribs one feels sore spa. which fingers fC
a few days, then straight away he Is une''
about himself and fears consumption. Nov
really. tho tenderness described Is not
SYMPTOM Of that disease. 1t is simply IN IL
wills OF the chest and has nothing 10 90 wit
thc lun-S In TACT, pam is not symptom
consumption; the lungs may be very bad
diseased before any pain IS ever ieii Ia thcn
Again. if ono ,hs and finds his spu'
slightly strcaked with blood, he l., as mi
at once alarmed, aad masines be has co
SUMPTION. That streakcd appearance occu
far oitencr in bronchial troubles than N Il
pravcr affection. When blood is raised fro
the lungs, II is generally nearly clear l.
other symptom, alone has but little, II an
significance. Sometimes what appears 10
a hcmorrhagc from the lungs proves 10
simply bleeding from the nose, the bio
running beck and down into the throat, !
stead of coming out of the nostrils. Ana y'
in all cases where clear blood Is raised,
physician should DC consulted and all doul
as 70 its origin set at rest.
One of the earliest symptoms OF consuni
ton is short, hacking cough That rare
excitcs uneasincss until it has existed foi
long time. In certain throat affections
have cough resembling il somewhat, y
there is quite a decided difference, which
evident TO a physician 4 hacking cough,
persistent, although it only occurs occasional
auring the day, should lead one 10 see" !
advice Of a physician Sweating at nisi
people generally believe, points to disease
the lungs. It does not by any means a4"a
signify that We expect might sweat
only in consumption when The pauen
strength has measurably failed. They
mn evidence 81 general weakness, ana ID
.,,.,,,. Co, .,,v fol..., 81 debility