Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-04
ONE OF NATURES LAWS.
COMPENSATION FOR THOSE WHO
SUFFER PHYSICAL iMPAlRMENTS.
One Nay Live Long Time with Heart
Disease-One Lung May Do the Work
of Two for Many Years-NatUre's JUS

| Nature has imposed upon the world of life
her storms, earthquakes, etc, which are
! called sublime manifestations of 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 transgression and
violation Of her laws. But, beyond that, in
| her infinite mercy, she has established a law
! Of compensation for all unfortuLates who
| suffer, and nowhere else is its application
| more clearly evident than in the victims of
| physical impairments. She has provided
| that, within certain limits, if any part of
| the system or function of man becomes de-
ranged or disabled-unable TO do its work
| properly-other parts, through their reserve
! power, shall do additional work, and SO com
pensate for the infirmity.
! Take, for instance, the heart. When lis
ease, say Of the valves, first begins to show
itself, at once other changes in that organ
! commence to obviate, in great measure, the
inpcrfection. IN using pump, If the valves
are sound, less effort IS required by US than
! if they are imperfect, and allow some of the
water to fall back into the well. Inasmuch
as they are inefficient, just SO much harder
we must work and take SO many more strokes
Of the pump. if we would keep up the same
flow of water which we could raise if the
/ valves were in perfect condition. So it is
| when the valves of the heart do not close
tightly, but allow some Of the blood to re-
cede; it must labor all the harder. For such
q condition as thlsnature has provided. She
/ causes the walls of the heart TO grow thicker,
and hence makes that organ more powerful.
/ By thus compensating for the vaivuIar dis
ease. the general condition of the person may
! for a long time be but little changed. He
may even enjoy comparatively good health
! for years, and his infrmiCy only be diScov-
cred by accident.
This law of compensation is clearly evi-
/ dent in what are called hunchbachs. AS a
| rule, they are Sc i-ail looking one would not
! expect them to be able 10 fight severe dis
ease, and yet they have resistant and reac-
! tive power which is simply wonderful.
/ Strong, robust children taken down with
( disease often succumb when these deforned
unfOTtunates, Frustrated with an attack Of
! the same and Of equally severe type, recover.
u here there are two like organs in the
! body, if one is injured the other takes on q
! greater activity and strength, and assumes
! additional burden. If one lung is crippled
! by an accident in time the other may be so
! changed it viii do vert well the work de-
! signed for both Cases ares not infrequent
where one kidney has become absolutely use
! less, and has even been removed, and yet the
! person suffered little or none, apparently,
! from its loss. This law Of compensation the
! physician and surgeon meets at every turn
Is lie labOrs for his patients. 1t is enc on
! which be must rely much. We have said
that perfection Of health is purely ideal; that
Ii never actually exists. The average man is
! far from the enjoyment OF perfect health.
Were human bodies transparent, there would
be revealed abnorinalitles in all, and even in
some of those apparently fairly well there
would be found diseases which it would seem
must soon prove fatal, and yet the victims Of
them resist death for years.
! 1t is a popular belief that If the lungs once
! become even in a slight degree affected, con-
sumption is sure TO result, and yet it is safe
to say that there is scarcely a person living
who has perfectly healthy lungs. Nearly all,
If not all, have 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 yet
the general health remain fairly good, is
something to marvel ct. For instance, cir
rhosiS O, The liver, or, as it IS sometimes
called, gin liver" is 4 degeneTative change
in that or@ran, which, if not arrested, which
is rarely possible, ultimately destroys it and
life. The disease is usually very far adj
vanced before the victim fully realizes that
he is failing in health. The other organs in
tie system DO the Hver's work, and its par
tial loss is scarcely felt. Diseases Of the
stomach, as 4 rule, soon make themselves
apparent, and yet some remain concealed, or
( their presence is merely suspected, for years.
/ Physicians who are employed rs examiners
/ for Insurance companies, endowment socie-
/ ties and the Ike VIII TESTIFY that diseases of
the kidneys-as Hright's disease-are in very
many cases first disclosed by their analysis,
and while the victims believe themselves to
/ be in good health, never having had a syrnp-
tom which led them to even suspect that
dread complaint.
And 50 We might go on, calling attention
! 10 each organ Of the body separately, and
/ telling how little evidence Of even serious
! impairment is sometimes offered to the VIC
| tim. Were this condition of things changed,
! did nature less faithfully observe her law Of
/ compensation and conceal existing inGrIni-
/ ties it might be better for some, but certainly
not for Others. "W here ignorance is bliss, -
/ etc 1t is sometimes wei that we should not
/ know our weaknesses. If we were the victim
/ Of an incurabie disorder mary Of Us would
/ prefer TO live on III ignorance until the fact
/ dawaed upon US
! There are but few diseases which. if recog-
nizad early and proper treatment is applied,
/ cannot be permanently arrested. if rot
wholly cured. None is more dreaded than
consumption; yet that disease-popularly
4 supposed TO be fatal-can positively 30 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 the worst they prefer the
condition CT doubt to that of a grave GER
taiuty. One who is deaf, and, still more so,
enc blind, excites intense pity in all Still,
specialists in diseases of the ear and eye Will
testify that III almost all their incurable cases
tho victims ere long sufferers before they
seek relief. Truly, 'procrastinatIon is the
thief OF Ui-ne," and when health Is threatened
there are but few who do not give evidence
that this grievous fault for once, al least, IS
theirs
As we have SAID, the average man is COM
PEELED TO travel through life ina condition of
health far below the perfect standard Tho
devi2tions--the ailments-are not only IN
very many instances self inflicted, but they
can, in a great measure, be overcome The
one fault lies deep. The knowledge Of how
70 live, 70 husband cur forces, and 70 keep
ourselves near the ideal State--perfectiol Of