The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-15
OFFICIAL SURGERY.
4 Now and Successful Plan of Treating
Chronic Diseases.

4 Now ana Successful Plan of Treating
Chronic Diseases.
Lat Sundays Times contained long
article on the subject OF diseases being
caused by "refexes," or in other words,
the physicians of today are treating
symptoms. and do not stop to think OF
the cause OF the various diseases. This
is certainly new idea to most of us,
and one that 10 of interest to all OF our
readers.
Thu new plan OF treating chronic
diseases originated ia Chicago about
eight years ago, and in rather a peculiar
way. 1t was by treating patients for
rectal diseases, and to the surprise OF
the physician that made the discovery
he found that other diseases were cured
by the rectal operations. As an exam
pie. he noticed that patients who had
been suffering from rheumatism, asth.
ma, bronchitis, throat and lung troubles,
insomnia, neuralgia, nervous headaches,
nervous prostration, stomach troubles,
chronic constipation and diarrhea, in
fact ali forms OF chronic diseases, were
almost invariably cured.
This naturally put him TO thinking
and investigating. lie was q man that
had a very extensive practice
and after making these discov.
cries it led him to making
examinations Of patienta he considered
incrrable. In questioning them they
would almost invariably ssy that they
had no such troubles. but on ezamina.
ton he would find that they were mis-.
taken, and by operating he cured caeee
that medicines would not even relieve.
This physician Yves DR.. Il. FL. Pratt,
who has made himself famous all over
the world. In 1883 his followers organ
lied the American Association OF ORR
fetal Surgeons, with. small charter
membership. DR.. Pritchard OF this CITY
was one of the charter members, and
came to Los Angeles five years ago. the
pioneer CRITICAL surgeon OF Southern
California.
A HERALD reporter called ON DR..
Pritchard at his Office, 155 N. Spring
street, to get come of his ideas ON the
subject.
The doctor says that he was ridiculed
on all sides in the beginning, but now
he can count his friends by the hun
dred. We will use his words 10 express
it properly. He says: "At tirst 1 could
not get the doctors to listen to my views
on the subject, they said it was not con-
sistent with common sense; they would
not even accept an invitation to witness
one of my operations. But now / can
say that 1 have operated on II physl-
clans in and around this city. / have
performed over 300 surgical operations
since I came here without single
fatal result; and when l hear
OF death from an en@sthetc /
know l am perfectly safe in saying that
the physicians in attendance are not
posted in CRITICAL surgery.
"a great many patients put off the
operation year after year, thinking they
cannot take the an@sthstic, on account
of heart trouble or that they are too
weak, but that ia where they make the
mistake, for their heart action will i'm
prove during the progress OF the opera
ton, and continue to improve afterwards,
and to their great surprise in few
weeks the heart action is perfect.
II have found that consumptives even
in the last stages can take All ansesthetic
III properly given) without any danger.
1.-The greatest drawback in OFFICIAL
surgery is inexperienced physicians try
ing to operate. They will tell their pa
TENTS that they can do it as we'll as any
one, and the result is failure. When
ever the physicisrs get to looking for
the causes OF tho troubles. and remove
them, and stop prescribing for svmp-
toms, they will cure more caees and sign
fewer death certificates"