Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-06
On the Influence OF Cold
IN THE-
of Diseases of the Lungs
AND ON THE
COMPARATIVE MERITS
OF THE
Different Plans of Treatment.

DY NJ. 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.
The state of the atmosphere fmpresses itself
directly on the mucous lining of the nasal pas
sages, throat windpipe, bronchial tubes and
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 iDffam-
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 kprings directly
from the damp and changeable weather. 1t is
infiammatory 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.
II is a rule of medical practice. established by
ages OF experience, that every disease which is
local-that is to say, has its seat in any one
organ or part Of the body-reQuires for its cure
the direct application of the remedies to such
organ or part When this can be done, the
disease is generally curable, and when 1t can
not be done 1t is, If serious, generally fatal The
same mucous embrane is spread over the
globe of the eye lines the tear passage and in-
ternal surface of the nose, covers the throat,
passes down the windpipe and becomes the
lining Of the delicate and innumerable air cells
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 a sore throat in
one person and congestion of the lungs In
another, there is no difference in the diseased
action OF the two cases, or In the principles OF
treatment required for their cure. It is mu-
eous membrane that is involved in both cases.
But many treat these similar diseases OF same
membrane widely different, and, as a conse-
quence, cure one and fail to cure the other.
For the eye they apply eyewashes and olnt-
ments directly to the infamed parts ana are
generally successful In the nose Is appnHeo Ha
comes seated and is thought to be incurable.
For an infamed throat they prescribe gargles
and applications to the tnaoa; tta ann ar
in the Windpipe and bronchial tubes-they
make no direct application, but dose the pa
TENTS stomach, and. as a consequence often
fail to cure Would it not be foolish to pretend
to cure an infamed eye or sore throat by dos
ing the stomach? Well, 1t is just as great
mistake to treat catarrb and diseases of the air
passages of the lungs by dosing the stomach
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 durable as other maladies.
If 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 treatments of inhalation could accom-
plish better results. But the 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
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 we'll 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 covered and are now living.
Ihese facts are easily certified to by thousands
OF living witnesses at the present day.
M. HILTON WILLIAMS, NJ. n, NJ. c. P. So,
HoLLENBECK BLOCK,
Corner Second and Spriug Ees., Los Angeles.
Jas 6m