People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-11-17

] AAAAANAANNh hioNuoNs AANCA NetoG OhNo ANN
origin to communication. Many eases
Of consumption are contracted at bed
sides. One patient can give it to
twenty well persons. Strong men,
with no predisposition that way. get it.
Why, one of the worst places to con-
tract consumption is in q postoffiee
corridor A eOnSumptive coming in
spitS on the floor. lie spreads the
germs Of his disease to be inhaled by
others who enter. There should be
euspidOrs in postOfiieeS. in market
houses and in all other public places
Splitting by cOnsumptives upon side
walks is not SO dangerous, as the open
air disseminates the germs more widely
than in building"
DO You think that consumption is
increasing, or dec-easing?"
Probably decreasing, on account Of
better methods used in treating it.
The newspapers can do great good by
calling attention to the great dangers
of consumption and noting the neces-
sity for great care in guarding against
the disease. People are too careless
No doubt isolation would be of benefit
to patients. and do good, but it could
not be enforced"
DR.. W. K. Amick, who resigned his
/ professorship in the Cincinnati College
Of Medicine and Surgery. held for Il
years, to devote himself to curing con-
sumption, said:
Il am, OF course, opposed to isola-
ton, because my theory is that con-
sumption is not directly produced by
any outside cause. | hold that the
bacillus microbe is the effect, or prod
uct. and not the cause of the disease,
so it is very evident, in my opinion,
that isolation would accomplish no
good"
you mean to say, then, that the in
haling OF the dried-up sputa. contain
ing these microbes, is not harmful?"
lon the contrary" Dr. Anicll re-
piled, "any dust or extraneous matter
would produce a mechanical irritation
Of the parts and be likely to occasion
lung trOubic-as the inhalation of the
dried sputa of a consumptive. Just as
speck of dust irritates the eye, the
inhalation of any foreign matter irri-
tates the air passages"
Continuing, DR.. Amick said.
"You may state rs my opinion that
the natural secretion of the healthy
mucous membrane either destroys the
germs so inhaled or renders them of no
effect, so far as any intrinsic power to
produce the disease is concerned. If
consumption was either contagious or
infectious, l would have had it long
since, as l am daily closeted with the
worst possible cases. and during the
investigation leading to my discovery
of the cause and cure of the disease, |
sought out the worst forms of it and
made microscopic examination of dis
eased sputa a marked feature of my
professional work and research. Not
withstanding all this, and although
predisposed to consumption, | have in
hale1 the diseased breath and germs
of .uberculous patients almost continu-
ally without i'll effect"
"On what grounds, doctor, have all
these appeals for the isolation Of con-
sumptives been made?"
ION the theory of some bacteriolo-
gists that the disease is communicated
by microbes expectorated by the con-
sumptive."
Asked as TO how many of the medi-
cal profession agreed with his theory
to the contrary, DR.. Amick said "From
all | can learn perhaps one-half and a
majority of the other half freely ex
press their surprise that, considering
my treatment is not based on the bacilli
theory, it proves so efficacious. A year
or two l was practically alone in adj
vocating my theory, but today the
progressive physicians agreeing with
me are numbered by thousands, and !
prophesy that in a few years very few
will contend that the microbe causes
the disease. make no attempt to de-
stroy the bacilli in my treatment, for
they disappear of themselves as the di-
ease is conquered, and this is observed
in using the microscope by physicians
prescribing my medicines. | consider
this the strongest possible proof that
microbes are not the cause of the d.
sease, and that they cannot exist under
normal healthy conditions. 1t does
not require a scientist to understand
that inasmuch as the bacilli are not
found until the expectOration becomes
purulent that they could not produce
this purulent condition. No, unlike
smallpox, the disease does not announce
itself in any aggressive manner, but
begins with gradually increasing weak
ness, loss Of strength and appetite, and
is firmly seated before the bacilli are
produced, thus showing that the disease
proceeds the germs. Suppose you your
self" said DR.. Amick to The Post man,
caught cold; suppose that cold ran
into catarrhal pneumonia, which, in
turn, resulted in consumption. l do
not think anyone could make you be-
lieve it was a microbe instead of a
draught or exposure which occasioned
your catching cold, and yet you admit
the cold produced the disease. No.
firmly contend" concluded DR.. Amick.
that the isolation and separation of
these poor sick consumptives from the
only ones who for affections sake
would care for them, is not only in
human but unnecessary, and not only
unnecessary but impracticable. Please
remember that they are numbered not
by hundreds or thousands, but by
hundreds of thousands. and that nearly
every one who reads The Post has near
and dear relatives in consumption who
properly administered to can be re-
stored to health, but whom isolation
might place beyond all hope. 1t will
require no argument to convince you
that the relatives of these sick ones
will vigorously protest against any
such enactment, and the good citizens
] Of This country will haln fhau, ,,rara,,t