The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-07
LECTURE ON ACUTE DIARRHEA,
CHRONIC DIARRHEA AND
CHOLERA INFANTUM.
New and Infallible Cure for These
Common and Dangerous
Ailments:
Treatment That is of Vital Interest to
All Glasses and Ages.

OCn6T SpdSOu VI IHe year. "A DTloI QUIZ
line of the digestive tract elementary
canaD is necessary in order to explain
the different diseases to which it is
liable. The upper portion of the ali
Dementary canal consists OF the stomach
and duodenum. Emptying into
/, the duodenum (Which is just below
4 the stomach) is the duct which con-
& veys the bile from the liver to this Or
gan. Below the duodenum and con-
tinuous with it is the small intestine
(bowels), coiled up into many folds,
which abruptly becomes expanded
into what is known as the large in
testine, terminating below in the
4 rectum. All of these organs have for
their lining mucous membrane, which
\ is continuous throughout their entire
length. The difference in the
symptoms produced by the inhamed
states of the mucous membrane in
different portions of the alimentary
canal is explained by the fact that
each portion of the canal has a
function different from all other por
tons it, which function is suspended
when diseased, and the symptoms
differ in the same degree as the
function of the various parts differ.
Infiamed or congested state of thi
mucuous membrane is what gives ris e
to the various diseases of the digestive
tract. The diversity of names given
to the diseases of the alimentary canal
do not indicate Gas is commonly
thought) different diseases really, but
only the same disease located at diff
erent places in some part of it. Il the
infamed mucous membrane happens
to be in the stomach the disease
is called gas tritis. If the
mucous membrane of the duo
denum and liver be the ones in
famed it is called cholera morbus; if
it be the lining membranes of the in
testines, large and small, it produces
what is called diarrhea in adults, in
children cholera infantum but if the
Inflammation be confined to the lower
part of the large intestine it is called
dysentery. 1t is easy to see, there
fore, that all these ailments are OF
similar nature, the principal difference
i being the place of their location
.&sher than any essential difference in
n u causation.
z Ahall moi in this lecture attempt to
s@3ribe all of the acute diseases of the
limentary canal, but will confne my
ESemarks to one, namely, diarrhea,
This common disease is the result OF
3 an infamed state of the mucuous lin
ing of the small and large intestines.
CAUSES.
Irritation of the intestines by an
x improper amount or quality Of food,
impure drinking water, cathartic med
icines and pOisons, biliousness and in
Y digestion are all capable of causing
diarrhea. Again, changes of temper
ature excessive cold or heat, checking
4 of the perspiration suddenly, foul air
of crowded rooms, bad hygienic con-
x ditions of any sort, excessive fatigue
and malarial exhalations, have each
4 been the frequent cause of diarrhea,
especially during the summer months.
Cases that are due to other diseases,
viz, typhoid fever, consumption, can
Ger, ETC., can not be properly classed
among ordinary diarrheas, and only
palliative treatment for them is pos
sible. With some who are especially
liable to this affection certain articles
of food are sure to cause looseness OF
the bowels, which is more or less apt
to end in diarrhea.
Infants are much more liable to
have diarrhea than older children or
adults. This is partly due to the i'm
proper quantity and quality OF food
they too commonly receive. The dis
bpase is much more severe in small
'Echildren, its fatality exceeding any
other disease in the first two years Of
infantile life. The extreme fatality
and some other peculiarities OF diar-
rhea in infants has led to Its being
generally called cholera infantum, but
there is no essential difference be-
tween the diarrhea of adults and
cholera infantum. In either case the
lining mucous membrane OF the
bowels are infamed, which is the
same in diarrhea as in cholera IN
fantum, except that the latter Is
more severe and dangerous and more
often complicated with dysentery.
Cholera infantum (summer com.
plaint) rarely becomes chronic, as II
either destoys life or ceases in a te"
weeks; but the diarrhea of adults
unless properly treated, is liable tc
become chronic, in which case it be-
comes very difficult disease to cure
especially under the ordinary treat
ment. Soldiers who are subjected &c
the many exposures incident to camp
life are the most frequent victims o.
chronic diarrhea. Thousands OF the
survivors of the late war OF the REBEL
ion are still afflicted by chronic dlar'
rhea, which was acquired during the
war. A..
/ have thus described together the
ordinary acute diarrhea OF summer
the cholera infantum or summer com
plant of infants, and chronic diarrhea
s%ecause for all practical purposes they
are identical and require for their cuie