The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-11-18

| tFlgFH 10 t-hulN taSts
of consumption are contracted at bed
sides. One patient can give il I,
twenty well persons. Strong mer
with no predisposition that way get il.
Why, one of the worst places to con
tract consumption is in a postotiice
corridor. A consunptivc coming in
splits on the floor lie spreads the
germs of this disease To be inhaled 10y
Others who enter. There should Ice
cuspidors in postotlices. 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 IA building.
do You think that consumption is
| increasing. or decreasing
Probably decreasing. on account q.
better methods used in treating il.
| The newspapers can do great good by
calling attention Ia the great dangers
of consumption and noting the neces-
sity for greater care in guarding against
| the disease. People are too careless.
No doubt isolation would he of benefit
Ia patients. and do good. but it could
not be- enforced.
DR.. ". H. Amick. who resigned his
proftS>or>hip in the Cincinnati College
Of Medicine and Surgery. held for seven
teen years, to devote himself to curing
consumption. said
Il am, of course opposed To isolation.
because my theory is that consumption
| is not directly produced by any outside
cause. hold that the bacillus microbe
| is the effect or product. and not the
cause of the disease. 81 il il very evil
dent in my opinion that isolation would
accomplish no good.
"lou mean 10 say then that the
inhaling IF the dried up sputa. con-
tanning these microbes, is not harm.
ful?''
"On the contrary" DR. Amicll re-
piled. any pus o. eNtruneous matter
would produce a mechanical irritation
of the parts and be likely To occasion
lung trouble as the inhalation of the
dried sputa of a consumptive. just as
Il spcck of dust irritatcs the eve. the
inhalation of any foreign matter irri-
tate> the air passages.
Continuing. DIR. .\mick said:
You may state as my opinion that
the natural secretion of the healthy
mucous membrane either DESTROYS the
germs 50 inhaled or renders them of no
effect, 80 far aS any intrinsic power To-
i
consumption was either contagious or
infcctious.I would have had il long
since. a. am daily closeted with the
worst possible eases. 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 miscroscopic examination Of |
diseased sputa marked feature of my |
professional work and research Not |
withstanding all this. and although |
prcdisposcd to consumption. | have in
hailed the diseased breath and germs of |
tubcrculouS patients almost continu-
ally without i'll effect
'On what grounds. doctor. have all |
these appeals for isolation Of consmnp-
tivc> been mader'
ION the theory of some bactcriolo-
gists that the disease is communicated
by microbes cNpectorated 10y the con
Sumptivc.
Asked as to how many of the mcd-
cal profession agreed " it'll his theory
To the contrary. DR.. Amick said: From
all can learn perhaps onc-half. and "a
ma jority of the other half freely eN-
press their surprise that. considering
my treatment is not based on the
bacilli theory. il proves So ciiicaciouS
y year or two ! was practically alone
in advocating my theory. but to-day
the progressive physicians agreeing
with me are numbered by thousands.
and prophcsv that in II few years
very few will contend that the
microbe causes the disease. make no
attempt To destroy the bacilli in my
treatment. for they disappear of them
selves aS the disease il CONQUERED. and
this is observed in using the microscope
by physicians prescribing my mcdi-
zines. consider this the strong
est possible proof that mi
crobcS are not the cause of
the disease. and that they can not en-
isl under normal healthy conditions. 1t
does not require II scientist to under
stand that inasmuch as the bacilli are
not found until the cXpectoration be-
comes Iurulcnt that they could not
produc, this purulcnt condition No.
unlike smallpox. the disease docs not
itself in any aggressive man
ner. but begins with gradually in
crcasing weakness loss of strength
and appetite. and is firmly seated be-
fore the bacilli are produced. thus
that the disease prcccdes
these GERMS. suppose you Yourself.
said DIR. Amicll to the Post man.
caught cold: suppose that cold ran
into catarrhal pneumonia. which. in
turn. resulted in consumption. | do
not think amy one could make YOU be-
licvc il was n microbc instead of Il
draught or exposure which occsisiuned
your catching cold. and vet
YOU admit the cold produced the
disease. No. firmly contend" con-
cludcd DR.. Amick. that the isolation
and separation of these poor sick CON
from the only ones who for
affections sake would care for thcmis
not only inhuman but unnccc>s:iryand |
not only unnecessary but impracticablc.
Please remember that they are num-
bored 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 CON
who properly administered to
can lie restored to health. but whom
isolation might place beyond all hope.
IL will rCuuirp M IN com |