The Baptist headlight., 1893-11-17

could not be enforced"
| DIR. W. r. Amick, who resigned his pro
| fessorship in the Cincinnati College OF Medl-
| cine and Surgery, held for IL years, TO devote
himself to curing consumption, said:
Il am, of course, opposed to isolation, be-
| cause my theory is that consumption is not
directly produced by any outside cause:
| hold that the bacillus microbes. is the effect,
or product. and not the cause of the disease,
so it is very evident, in my opinion, that $50
| lation would accomplish no good.
'You mean to say. then. that the inhaling
| of the dried-up sputa. containing these MI
| crObes. is not harmful!
ION the contrary DIR. Amick replied,
| ''any dust or extraneous matter would pro-
duce a mechanical irritation of the parts ana
| be likely to occasion lung trOuble-as the
| inhalation of the dried sputa of consump-
i tive Just as a speck of dust lrrltates the
eye, the inhalation of any foreign matter IT.
ritates the air passages.
Continuing. DR.. Amick said:
| ''You may state as my opinion that the
| natural secretion of the healthy mucous
membrane either destroys the germs so IN
| hailed or renders them of no effect, so far as
| any intrinsic power to produce the disease Is
I concerned. If consumption was either con-
| tagiOus or infectious, | would have had II
| long since. as | am daily clOseted with the
worst possible cases, and during the lnvestl-
cation leading to my discovery of the cause
L
worst forms of it and made microscopic eX-
animation of diseased sputa marked tea-
ture of my professional work and research.
Notwithstanding all this, and although pre-
disposed to consumption, l have inhaled the
diseased breath and germs of tuberculous pa
tients almost continually without Ill effect
"On what grounds. doctor, have all these
appeals for the isolation of conSumptlVeS
been made!'
ION the theory of some psychologists
that the disease Is communicated by microbes
expectorated by the cOnsumptive."
Asked as to how many of the medical pro-
fession agreed with his theory to the contrary,
DR.. Alnick said :''From all can learn perhaps
One-half and majority of the other half
freely express their surprise that, consider
ing my treatment is not based on the bacilli
theory, it proves SO etficacious. year or
two | was practically alone in advocating 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 mlcrObe causes the dis
ease. l make no attempt to destroy the bac-
ILL in my treatment. for they disappear of
themselves as the disease Is conquered. and
this Is observed in using the microscope by
physicians prescribing my medicines. l con-
slider this the strongest possible proof that
microbes are not the cause of the disease,
and that they cannot exist under normal
scientist to understand that inasmuch as the
bacilli are not found until the expectoration
becomes purulent that they could not pro-
duce this purulent condition. No, unlike
smallpox, the disease does not announce IT.
self in any aggressive manner, but begins
with gradually increasing weakness. loss OF
strength and appetite, and is firmly seated
before the bacllll are produced, thus showing
that the disease precedeS these germs. Sup
pose you yourself" said DR.. Amick to the
Post man, caught cold suppose that cold
ran into catarrhal pneumonia, which, in
turn, resulted in consumption. | do not
think anyone could make you believe it was
a microbe instead of a draught OF 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 affection : sake would care for them,
Is not only inhunan but unnecessary. and
not only unnecessary but impracticable.
Please remember that they are numbered
not by hundreds or thousands, but by hum
dreds of thousands, and that nearly every
one who reads The Post has near and dear
relatives III consumption who properly ad-
mlnlstered to can be restored 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 Wig
OrOusly protest against any such enactment,
and the good citizens of this country will help
them prevent the carrying out of the pro-
posed cruel imposition"
DIR. Drumming said:
Consumption is increasing in cities on
account of the favorable conditions which ex-
lst for its dissemination. All cases of the
disease are communicated. There are no
sporadic cases. The germs are III the atmOs-
phere which everybody breathes, but they only
take hold IN favorable soil, in the proper
type of human organism. Isolation of con-
sumptives is difficult. People attending
them should use great care in disinfecting
the discharges. The disease is contagious
from its start
"Do you think that Ohio should initiate
the Michigan State Board of Health's action
in putting consumption in the list of conta-
! gious diseases, along with smallpox, scarlet
fever, diphtheria ane cholera?'
'Nell, there is not quite the same danger
from consumption as there is from smallpox
Most diseases are contagious. Consumption
can never be stamped out by law. People
suffering from it cannot be dragged from
their homes to special hospital"
DR.. II. t. {. Minor declared that he took
no stock III the theory that consumption is
contagious.
The death rate from consumption is al
ways greatest on the sea coast and gradually
diminishes toward the interior moist
climate developeS lung trouble. | do not be-
lieve Is can be accounted for by the microbe
theory. 1t would be the height of cruelty to
isolate cOnsumptiveS from their friends and
relatives, who are the only ones who will
properly care for them
DR.. +. Forcheimer said briefly: "Consump-
ton Is sometimes contagious. but not always
| can not now discuss the matter fully"
AMlCK'S THEORY.