The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-22
CONSUMPTION AND ITS CURE
THE INsfDIoUs DISEASE CON-
QUERED AT LAST.

Physicians and Surgeons. Astonishing
h Medical Faculties of Europe and
IA Countrywide superheated Dry
Air Cure as Used in the Leading Hos
p~itals-Its Complete Extirpation OF
the Tubercle Bacillus.
From The Netc York World.
For many centuries phthtSis ptilnlon-
ais, or, as it is ordinarily termed, Con
sumption of the lungs" has been adread
disease, as mysterious as horrible, and to
be feared. 1t has been, and still is, one of
the greatest scourges of the human race.
OF the total number of deaths reported in
the United States during the last census
year the roll of consumption's yictimS
heads the list with o., 270 out of 756,S93.
This curse has been considered incura-
BILE, Certain climatic combinations, in
which temperature, rarity and hygro-
metric condition of the air are combined
in just the right degree and kind, are
favorable to the ~retardation of the adj
vances of the dread complaint; but the
million cannot move their habitat, and the
grave still receives yearly its sad quota,
furnished by the leading ailment OF the
nineteenth century.
OF the number of "curesn which have
been proposed, tested and examined, vol
INT have been written, and yet other
tones. massive and numerous. might be
compiled. Compressed air and rarefied,
cold and hot applications, various COM
binations of food lists for abstention as
well as others for excessive use, have
been eagerly tried and sadly abandoned.
The cure was lacking for the reason that
the cause was unknown.
But here, as in many other branches of
medicine and in many other lines of in
vestigation, the patient microscopic has
stepped in, and having made a most won
the true scientific enthusiasm, yet with
the modesty born of true merit. Prof.
Robert Koch, pursuing the almost In
visible demon of consumption into its
lair, has f~amiliarized himself with its APP
pearance and habits. He has announced
that the phthists patlmoRdtfs is caused by
bacteria-tiny vegetable organisms which,
increasing very rapidly by subdivision,
damage that organ in which they are
found, either by their mere presence or by
some specific disease induced or produced
thereby. 10 these special consumption
producing bacteria there has been given
the name of tubercle bacilll :.
That consumption is incurable, and
that ''every attempt to heal this insidious
disease is d battle between human impo-
tence and the might of an absolutely in
| vincible destroying principle" need no
longer be believed, when there has been
discovered a means of destroying this
bacillus and its millions without injury
to the tissues which support it. To dis
cover such means has, since the great dis
covery of Koch, been the end and aim OF
many noble minds; but in nearly every in
stance the drug to which the
bacillus would yield its life de-
stroyed the human body. This bacillus,
tiny though it be, is more tenacious OF life
| thar the most vigorous of other vegetable
organisms or even the higher animal
forms. 1t has remained for an American
physician-a graduate of the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons in this c1ty--to
discover O method, directed against this
bacillic canse Of consumption, which, IS
easily borne by the patient and which al
most without exception, produces most
favorable results.
It is well known that all kinds of bac-
terra, the tuhercle bacillus among the
number, a flourish only between certain
well defined limits OF temperature
The normal temperature of the tubercle
bacillus is that of the healthy human
body, say 3T.5 degrees Centigrade, or 99.5
degrees Fahrenheit. AT SS.5 C~entigrade
they hardly grow at all, n at AZ degrees
C~entigrade their development entirely
ceases, so degrees C~entigrade causing them
to die within a month.
Our townsman, DIR. Louis Weigert, con-
ceived the idea of attacking the tubercle
bacilli in their weak point by exposing
them in the lung to a degree of heat so
high as to weaken them and hinder their
development and multiplication. The
method chosen was the inhalation OF dry
superheated air. 1t Is known that the air
in the so-called Russian baths has a tenn
perature of 100 degrees Centigrade, and
| that even higher temperatures are borne
without danger, or even discomfort, by
employees of the of potteries, etc. Exper-
iments made by DR.. Weigert on his own
body proved that man could breathe
without difficulty and for %protracted
periods air heated to 1870 degrees Cent.
1856 degrees Fahr.)
Preparations being made for the treat
ment of consumptiye patients in this
ner, the results in almost all cases were
the removal of difficulty in breathing,
where it existed; lessening or total cesSa-
ton of cough, increase of e~Xpectoration at
! first, next lessening, n finally its disap-
pearance: cessation of fever and night
sweats. increase of appetite and bodily
strength; In most cases, after a short
period, an entire stoppage or the progress
of disease; less frequent occurrence and
then total disappearance of hemorrhage;
removal of catarrhal symptoms and clear
ing of the impervious portions of the
lungs; disappearance of the dilatations of
the bronchial passages, and healing of the
cavities in the lungs caused by the disease.
These results were so remarkable and SO
indisputable us to have occasioned recog-
milton at the hands of the leading mem
bers of the medical profession all over
Europe, and tests have been made by them
with the most rigid eXactitude. The re-
suits nave but confirmed those announced
by our townsman-Dr. Weigart, Profs.
Schnitzler, of Vienna; Huichard, of Paris;
Kohlschuetter, of Halle; Litten, of Berlin;
Fraenkel, of Berlin Christoph, OF Con-
stantinople Rattone, of Parma, being
among the eminent specialists who have
given il their adhesion to the new theory
aud treatment.
a description Of the simple form of ap-
paratus used to effect the cure, as now
employed in the leading hospitals of this
country, should interest the medical fra
ternity of our whole country.
A stand with gas burner Tor alcohol
lamp and reading desk carries a double
copper cylinder, the outer of which has
an asbestos shield and the inner of which
has two small chimneys piercing the
outer one. The air enters at the base of
the outer cylinder, is heated in the annu-
lar space, and is drawn therefrom through
an inhaling tube having an aluminium
check valve, d rubber mouthpiece and a
thermometer. There is not a superhuous
l.