Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-04
On the Influence OF Cold
In THE
Production of Diseases of the Lungs
AND ON THE
COMPARATIVE MERITS
OF THE
Different Plans of Treatment.


RYM. HILTON WILLIAMS. M. D., NJ. C.P.
ID s. o., specialist in diseases of the Head,
Throat and Chest, including the Eye, Ear and
Heart.
directly on the mucous lining of the nasal pas.
sages, throat windpipe, bronchial tubes and
air-cells of the lungs. Sudden changes in the
temperature of the air are immediately felt over
the whole of this extended surface. Goodness
and humidity render the air irritating to the
mucous membrane, irritation ends in conges-
tion, and congestion is the first stage of inflam-
mation--the parent of all those chronic catarrh-
al affections of the nose, throat and bronchial
tubes which ultimately end in consumption.
Nearly eighty per cent. Of the cases of con-
sumption begin by congestion OF the mucous
membrane OF the nasal passages, throat and
bronchial tubes produced by colds. To that
extent, therefore, consumption springs directly
from the damp and ehangeable weather. 1t is
in fammatory and purely local in its early stage
quite as much so as Inflammation of the eyes
or quinsy of the throat, and must be treated in
the same direct manner.
1t is rule of medical practice established by
ages of experience, that every disease which is
is to say has Its seat IN tnr any ny 9ne
| the direct application Of the remedies to suoh
organ or part When this can be done, the
| disease is generally durable, and when it can
not be done it is II serious, generally fatal. The
same mucous membrane is spread over the
globe OF the eye. lines the tear passage and in.
passes down the windpipe, and becomes the
| lining of the delicate and innumerable air cells
of the lungs. When cold produces infiamma-
ton of the eye in one person and acute catarrh
of the head in another, the cause, the disease
and the membranes affected are alike in every
| respect. When cold produces sore throat In
another, there is no difference in the diseased
action of Tie two cai es, or =, &c of
treatment required for their cure. 1t is mu-
| cous membrane that is involved in both cases.
| But many treat these similar diseases OF same
mem brane widely different, and, as a conse-
quence cure one and fail to cure the other.
For the eye they apply eyewashes and oint-
generally successful In the nose is applied
nothing to the diseased parts and catarrh be-
comes seated and is thought to be incurable.
For an infiamed throat they prescribe gargles
| and applications to the throat and generally
| cure. For the same disease a little lower down
| in the windpipe and bronchial tubes-they
make no direct application, but dose the pa
tient's stomach, and as a consequence often
| fail to cure Would it not be foolish to pretend
to cure an iniamed eye. or sore throat by dos
mistake to treat catarrh and diseases of the air
passages OF the lungs by dosing the stomach
Alone
The fatality of lung diseases is not due, as
many people suppose, to the malignity OF their
nature or the importance of their breathing
organs. 1t is the inevitable result of gross neg.
| lect of the means of cure within the reach OF
| all Properly treated by direct medication,
| lung diseases are as curable as other maladies.
II any satisfactory result were attained By
constitution treatment alone in lung cases-if
| they cured considerable proportion of such
cases-it might reasonably be doubted whether
the direct Treatment of inhalation could accom-
plsh better results. But tho fact is, they do but
| very little good. Even in hospitals, where the
| diet, exercise and general habits as well as
| their medical treatment are entirely under the
control of physicians, very few well defined
diseases of the lungs can be shown to have been
cured by the stomach treatment out of every
thousand cases SO treated. 1t has been so uni
| formly unsuccessful that most people have
come to regard consumption as equivalent to
the hand OF death In giving it up, therefore,
| those having lung diseases abandon nothing
save the certainty of an earthly grave for a hope
of life and health.
Now look at the results attained by the direct
treatment Of the lungs by inhalation. In all
| ordinary cases of catarrh, bronchitis and
asthma, improvement Immediately takes place,
and they go ON to complete cure. In consump-
| tion the disease is more obstinate, but these
cases ultimately get well. Even In desperate
cases benefits always result from inhalations
and we can point to hundreds of such cases
which were given over to die and pronounced
hopeless, and yet recovered and are now living.
These facts are easily certified to by thousands
of living witnesses at the present day.
M. HILTON WILLIAMS, NJ. D., NJ. C. so,
| H0LLENBECK BLOCK,
Corner Second and Spring sts., Los Angelas,
Jas 6m