Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-11-16

better methods used in treating it,
The newspapers can do great good by
calling attention 20 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 be
of benefit to patients, and do good, but
it could not be enforced"
DR.. w. II. Amick, who resigned his
profcssorship in the Cincinnati College
of Medicine and Surgery, held for II
years, to devote himself to curing con-
sumption, 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: so il is very cv-
ident, in my opinion, that isolation
would accomplish no good.
You mean to say, then, that the in
haling of the dricd-up sputa, contain
ing these microbes, is not harmful?"
son the contrary" DIR. Amicb replied,
''any dust or eXtraneous matter would
pro luce mechanical irritation of the
parts and be likely to occasion lung
trouble--as the inhalation of the dried
sputa of u consumptive, Just as n
spcclk of dust irrltates the eye, the in
halation of any foreign matter irritates
the air passages.
Continuing. DIR. Amicll said:
"Nou may state as 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, | would have had ii long
since. as 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 ont the worst forms of it and
made microscopic examination of dis
eased sputa marked feature of my
professional work and research. Not
withstanding all this, and although
predisposed to consumption, | have in
hailed the diseased breath and germs of
tuberculous paticntsalmost continually
without i'll effect"
son what grounds, doctor, have all
these appeals for the isolation of con-
sumptivcs been made?"
"On the theory of some psychologists
that the disease is communicated by
microbes expectoratcd by the con
sumptivc."
Asked as to how mahy of the medi-
cal profession agreed with his theory
| to the contrary, DIR. Amick said From
all | can learn perhaps one-half and n
majority of the other half freely ex-
press their surprise that, considering
my treatment is not based on the bacilli
| theory. it proves SO cfiicacious. A year
or two was practically alone In advo-
! eating my theory, but to-day the pro-
gressive physicians agreeing with me
! are numbered by thousands, and
| prophcsy that In few years very few
| will contend that the microbc causes
| the disease. ! make no attempt To de-
stroy the bacilli in my treatment, for
| they disappear of themselves as the dis
| ease is conquered and this is observed
| in using the microscope by physicians
prescribing my medicines, consider
| his the strongest possible proof that
microbes are not the cause of the dis
ease, and that they can not exist un-
| der normal healthy conditions. IL does
not require scientist to understand
that inasmuch as the bncilli are not
!
purulcnt that they could not produce
! this purulent condition. No, unlike
! smallpox the disease does no. announce
! itself in any aggressive manner, but
| begins with gradually increasing weak
ness, loss of strength and appetite, and
| is firmly seated before the bacili are
produced, thus showing that the disease
precedes these germs, Suppose you
| 4 4 Il.
man. caught cold; suppose that cold
ran into catarrhal pneumonia, which,
in turn, resulted in consumption. | do
not think anyone could make you be-
| lieve it was n microbc instead OF u
draught or exposure which occasioncd
your catching cold, and yet you admit
! the cold produced the disease. No,
firmly contend, concluded Dr. Amiclt,
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 inhu-
man but unnecessary, and not only I'M
necessary but impracticable. Please
remember that they are numbered not
| by hundreds or thousands, but by hun
dreds of thousands. and that nearly
! everyone 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 pace beyond all hope. 1t will
require no argument to convince you
! that the relatives of these sick ones will
| vigorously protest against any such en-
actment, and the good citizens of this
country will help them prevent them
carrying out of the proposed cruel inn
| position"
! DR.. Drumming said:
Consumption IS increasing in cities
on account of the favorable conditions
which exist for it's dissemination. All
cases of the disease are communicated
There are no sporadic eases. The
germs are in the atmosphere which
everybody brcathes, but they only take
hold in a favorable soil, in the proper
type of human organism. Isolation
of consGmptives is difficult. People at
tending them should use great care in
disinfecting the discharges. The dis
ease is contagious from its start +"
''Do you thinl, that Ohio should imi-
tate the Michigan State Board OF
Iiealth's action in putting consumption
in the list of contagious diseases, along
with smallpox, scarlet fever, diph.
liberia and cholera?'
"Well. there is not quite the same
danger from consumption as there is
from smallpox. Most diseases are
contagious Consumption can never be
stamped ont by law. People suffering
from it can not be dragged from theiI
homes to q special hospital"
DR.. I. c Minor declared that he
took no stock in the theory that con
sumption is contagious.
1.-The death rate frol4i consumption is
always greatest on the sea coast and
gradually diminishes toward the inter
Tor. A moist climate develops lung
trouble. | do not believe it can be ac-
counted for by the microb, theory. II
would be the height of cirIely to isolate
consumptives from their friends and
j relatives, who are the only cnes who
will properly care for them"
DIR. +. Forchheimer said briefly:
Consumption is sometimes contagious,
but not always can not now dis
cuss the matter fully"
AMiCK'S THEORY.