The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-02-25
ITO D, confinucdl
VALUABLE ADVICE.
Another Letter from Comradc j. n. Dye, 81. D.,
ON soldiers Diseases.


ON soldiers Diseases.
EDITOR NATIoNAL TRIBUNE: In recent
number Of your paper you did me the honor to
publish a paper written 10y me on chronic in
flammaton of the bladder, disease frequently
met with among old soldiers. In closing that
article mentioned n remedy that / was then
observing, but did not feel justified at the time
ia making il public, as my experience with 1t
had az that time been somewhat limited. Since
then have received good many letters from
comrades all over the country asking me Tor
some additional information, more especially
relative 10 the use Of the catheter; aud desiring
/ 10 give them all the benefit possible from my
experience / write YOU this that ] msy more
! fully explain upon this particular point.
Making use Of catheter as do every day,
! and sometimes many times day, IN various
kinds of cases, / find myself disposed TO fall
! into the error Of thinking that what seems so
simple TO mo ought 10 be understood by every
one without special explanation; but upon re.
Election ! realize that instead Of being trivial
matter IL is TO those wishing 10 profit by my
advice a very important affair.
Before the invention of the SOFT flexible,
| tough rubber catheter We were compelled 10
make uso Of metallic ones, which If not man
aged skillfully were capable Of doing great dam
age, aud were we compelled TO rely upon them
at present would not dare advise eomrade
at a distance TO undertake the use Of one or to
attempt washing out the bladder, however seri-
Gus his case might be.
But with the soft rubber instrument ] am
sure they can do themselves no harm, as was
| frequently done when the metallic instruments
were the only ones ut our command. When
those were used IL was impossible for anyone
without the most thorough instruction to in
troduce one without being in danger Of making
a false passage.
In fact have known physicians 10 make
! false passages with them, which often cost the
patients life but now have no hesitation in
sending an instrument 10 patient at a distance
/ and trusting 10 his ingenuity to Introduce IL,
I and this is one reason, perhaps, why have be-
come careless sometimes in my directions.
The instrument is TO be warmed and lnbri-
/ Gated thoroughly; vaseline. being always OBJ
| tanable and well adapted TO the purpose, is
usually employed for this purpose. By little
! patience IL readily finds its way along tho
urothra into the bladder unless there be a strict
! ure which Of course is foreign 10 our purpose
at present as that would necossitate surgical
treatment which could not possibly be carried
out by the patient himself
Even when the prostate has become so much
1 enlarged that an ordinary metallic instrument
could not be introduced without great difficulty
or danger OF causing false passage soft in.
! strument slowly twirled between the thumb
and finger while it is being gently forced back
wards will fnd its way along the crooked and
tortuous portion Of the urethra, rising over the
impediment and then bending backward again
until II reaches the bladder.
After a person has used one once they will
not he likely 10 experience any difficulty In
the use OF il a second time, unless on account
Of the acrid properties OF the urine tho urcthra
has been deHuded Of its mucous membrane and
rendered morbidly aud intensely sensitive, in
which case spasnOdic action and great pain
may be caused. This even may be allayed by
the use Of an injection OF about a teaspOoniul
or less OF four per cent. solution Of cocaine,
which can be obtained Of any druggist, or the
injection % a small syringeful Of sweet oil
glycerine, however, must not be used.
In selecting an instrument, always advise
as large a one as can be used conveniently, AS
think that il is apt 10 get around the prostate
better aud certainly admits Of a more free iioW
OF urine or water. In washing out the bladder
permit the catheter 10 remain in place aud use
any kind OF a syringe having a nozzle small
enough that il may be attached 10 the open
eud Of the cathetcT; the washing fluid may
then be injected.
By removing the syringe for a moment i
runs ont again through cathether. This process
Is 10 be repeated, unless il causes too much pair
aud nervousness, several times, or until th'
water returns clear. small bulb-syrnge f0
the purpose is made on the same principle as
medicine-dropper, that will contain three oi
four Ounces-abOut the amount 10 DO used at |
time.
/ II, after washing out all Of the decomposinJ
sediments it is decided 10 use medicated in
jection, IL can be done without the removal o
the catAoter and with the same syringe. Ate
, il has been thrown into The bladder, IL may b.
discharged through the syringe or urethra
Everything that is injected should be blOO'
warm. or perhaps At little higher temperatur
than that Of the body; otherwise il will caus'
pain. At no time should there be a suficien
quantity injected 20 cause the bladder 10 be
come stretched and painful.
think with this information any conrad
, will be able 10 succeed, aud any man who ha
, passed the meridian OF life and begins 10 lnt
that the calls 10 urinate are increasing in fire.
!, | qucncy or that the urine has tendency 20 lie
come offensive after IL has stood a few hour
will do well 20 make use Of such a method as
, / have described aud wash out the bladder abOu
! once a week, and IL he Is careful 10 do so, h
will save himself many years oil misery later i
life.
know that there is a great repugnance {
the use Of catheter, but it has grown out {
u the reputation Of the past, when only the har
4 metallic instruments were employed, an
: which 50 often did more harm than good. n
z Gan need have any fear whatever Of the sol
y cathetcr, as the process is not, under ordinar
- circumstances, al all painful or harmful.
The remedy which j alluded in the com
! mencemcnt of this paper. and which promise
d in the former one 10 give az some future time,
J. what is known IS SqJat Serrulatl. This remcd
= seems 10 possess the remarkable property Z
= reducing the enlarged prostate. ] have. sine
o writing the previous letter, had occasion
"a prescribe IL in nearly hundred eases. and a
!. though ID Is very slow 10 act and requires
, good deal Of perseverance. have seen enOug
, OF its action 10 convince me nat IL Is worthy
30 a further trial and the perseverance aud tim
e necessary to accomplish its full elect.
"a IN addition 10 my own experience with H.
- lave watched the Medical pres very CLOSELY
and have seen some exceedingly favorable 7,
ports about il. One physician wrote one Of Oh
, current Medical journals. saying that at b
ID age, which he gave as -, he had employed
with the most extraordinary success. II
more than 10 years 10 had been using cath,
a ter 30 wash out the bladder, aud taking yariOl
remedies 10 keep the inflammation uudeT COZ
troll hgt with only temporary benefit II
~ commenced tho use Of the slJll Seud'aia
d. connection with other remedies that he ha
&c employed, aud after a time thought that he la
a been improved 50 much that he could lay a
"a medicines aside. lie did so, b1t tAe lilicall
returned. he then resumed this nev remed
alone aud took ID regularly for six month
H.. with the result stated. lie also made 81
.yy additional statement that il had restored b
lg / while powers. j Was prescribing IL for III
10 latter purpose when ] observed its IuAueu
ou the prostate
The dose Of the fluid extrac; Is from a ha
10 one tCaspBOnlai in milk or water, repeat'
ps from three 10 six times a day. ltcan problb
- BE obtained 40 most any OF the principal drl
2 = stores Nv mCthUi OF cInpIgginp III lu blaad