The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-02
A NATIONAL DISEASE.
DR.. S. Weir Mitchell on Climatic
and Social Drawbacks.
AMERICANS TOO NERVOUS.
Specialists - AealeiDs Only D1v1elso
oe Labss-DaDgesous Fees u
Health.


Copyrighted 1859. BY Edward waksneldl
PHILADELPHIA. June l9-[Special Cor
respcndence. Famous - DR.. Samuel
Weir Mitchell is as lecturer, he insists
that the pen Is his only trust
worthy medium Of expression. ''If /
know what Is wanted OF me. and may
put my ideas in writing, we'll and
good. only waste myself in speech. but
am . much-harassed mana much -har-
assed man." he repeats. smiling gravely.
Il am urged to write on subjects which
might I'LL volumes. when I have only
time to write prescriptions. All the
same, the doctor takes most
science 10 the public. and though hating
publicity for himself. he recognizes the
value Of il for his ideas--''if he may only
put them in writing DIR. Mitchell makes
IL as far a. possible . rule. however.
to take no part IN literary work
during the busy period Of his over
whesming practice. Every summer.
holiday, not a long spell Of idieness, but
rather change OF occupation whilst in
close contact with nature. For several
summers past he has gone to the Resti-
gouche river in Canada, but this year he
is going TO Labrador. He takes with him
ali the materials for bis literary work.
and il is TO this open air habit Of writing
that we owe his delightfully."- easy scien-
tiiic treatises az we'll as those dirty philo-
sophicai novels, fairy tales and poems
which have given him place in Literature
somewhere between Arthur Helps and
Matthew Arnold.
But for the purposes OF this article on
the national disease Of America we cannot
wait until he returns from Labrador. We
must take his ideas as we can get them,
and venture to think they will DO found
clear enough. First. as to this specialism
with which DR.. Mitchell's name il SO
conspicuously connected. Is it q fact
that any special science of nervous
diseases exists. apart from general
speciaiism. DIR. Mitchell says. Is or
should be merely matter Of division of
labor. Ii first arose by the wholesome
and gradual evolution of the individual
specialist out Of the general practitioner.
but today the special physician 10 too apt
TO select his branch before he Is weaned
from the breast Of his alma mater. He
would be . better doctor il he had behind
him moro years of general clinical labor.
Sometimes one branch of medical science
Is in advance Of the rest, and sometimes
another; and q man who narrows himself
down to speciality is likely to lose q great
deal of knowledge which 10 rs necessary
fields OF medical investigation overlap each
other. and no man can be . really good
specialist who 10 not also good general
practitioner. The physical system is 90
complex that the parts act and react upon
each other In q wonderful way. Nervous
phenomena may be only symptoms Of an
organic disease; or organic phenomena
may be only symptoms OF nervous DIS
case. The real value Of specialism to sci
ence 10 that it perfects knowledge in par
ticuiar branches, which knowledge after
wards spreads through the whole body Of
medicine. and SO all branches are refreshed
by new, advanced and precise ideas.
The general practitioner Is apt to SEQ
only the beginnings Of disease without
correctly interpreting them or asking
counsel early enough to be useful. He
coniuses with rheumatism the neural
gias due to the faint beginnings Of spinal
disease. or he vainly tries TO allay head.
ache by drugs when specialist would tell
him in an hour that it is the result Of de-
fective sight, or ear trouble or nasal dis
ease. But speciaiism ought to be a. broad
as possible. and the specialization Of prac-
tice Is to be feared in proportion as it
tends to become narrow. Even special.
lists in insanity, DR.. Mitchell thinks, in
stead OF living In eternal contact with the
insane ought TO come into relation with
neuroldg.sts aud others. He even goes so
become hospitals with An outside staff Of
attending physicians. 'Belieye me-" he
says, I'VE cannot safely permit any class
OF specialists to DRIFT away from general
and frequent contact with the rest Of u.s.
As to specialism in surgery, and most
particularly rs TO the use of the knife,
which has been the subject Of such fierce
discussion lately. DIR. Mitchell holds
strong views and expresses them freely.
The precision OF instruments in modern
times. by greatly diminishing the peril of
life In operations, has created vast
temptation for the younger surgeons. This
remark apples with peculiar force to fe-
male complaints, IN which 1t so easy and
so safe TO restore health by removing a
! part. II believe" he says, that too often
and too promptly the gyneco!ogist resorts
10 but one drug. namely, steel in the
srenchant form, and deprives the
patient OF the inestimable pos
siollities OF the wife and moth
er when they might be preserved
BY patient medical treatment" He illus
trases this by a startling story Of how he
once saw almost by chance, in consulta.
| ton with famous physician. girl OF Is
who had been condemned by the surgeons
| 20 undergo an operation next day which
| must necessarily have debarred her from
| domestic prospects. He recommended a
| further trial OF medical treatment. and his
| colleague alphabetically concurring. she
was spared. Today" he says. she is
| wholesome. happy wife and mother"
DR.. Mitchell considers II proved beyond
| dispute that nervousness is the character
| is;le maIady OF the American nation.
| growing upon them in frightiully accel-
| Grated ratio every year. and threatening
| them with disasters q, no distant date
| which the mind shrinks from contemp!at-
| ins. The number of deaths from
| this cause Is already appalling
/ ana Is steadily and rapidly IN
! creaSine. In some Of the busy ceniers the
/ tables OF mortality show that the pronor-
! tlon 81 nerve deaths has multiplied more
| than twenty times ia the last forty wears.
! and that nov the nerve deaths number
| mora than one-ioarth of all the deaths re-
corded. What - most shocking in these
I returns. this fearful loss Of life occurs
mainly among Young people OF both sexes
! lass means that the Americans are fast
/ becoming \ very sh0ri-.Iyed people. and
/ II they were shat II on ihenaselyrs for
/ oaly 4 few years and without aov ~, fiux
/ O! vitality by immigration. the pnh.lea-
ton OF the census would send - panc of
! horror and alarm throughout the land.
" la, Is the cause Of iaIse DR.. Mitchell
- clearly Of the opinion that tile first and
F most potent cause is tie climate. How or
/ why sae cll:n ate OF America produces the
/ effects that IL does. has never been ex
/ planned lls. Mitchell! SAYS the ooe-atjon
| oi climatic conditions N relation 70 heath
! ia this country IS utterly inysterioux. but
( he - quite persuaded that the deveior,-
! aaent 0f a nervous Temperament. i one Of
The race changes sh&ch are also giving III.
Americans tAs :agGa', vocal and othA-
yecugiaystles derived iron none of tnei-
ancestral stocks. Ssfne scientific on.
servers have affirmed tAa. there u an
electric quasstg IN TOE climate b.-.