Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-05-24
\ Consumptivc hindGlc.

The VeXed question as to whether OF
not tuberculosis is contagious and he.
reditary was well aired before the
morning session of the State Medical
Society on Thursday. Although DO de-
termination was reached, the testimony
of the physicians must have a strong
bearing on the subsequent treatment OF
the disease.
DR. \. NJ. Cooper read the first paper
on physical Phases in Married Tuber-
cular Folk. in which he made light OF
Its great coutagiousness. and declared
that it was largely due to heredity.
Dr. Lawrence f. Flick, who is firm
believer in the contagious quality OF
consumption, read Il long paper, in
which he affirmed that no new case
could arise without having an old case
10 arise from He called tuberculosis a
constitutional disease with a local
cause.
A. paper on colorado Climate for
ConsumptiVes, . by Dir. William Num-
of Denver, was most interesting. He
declared that the old notion thar tuber-
culosis was incurable was now over
thrown, for the majority of consump-
tivcs now in Colorado are undoubtedly
cured The cure, he said, was in the
dryness OF The atmosphere, which
caused the bacilli TO lose their vitality.
The fact that tuberculosis was not he
reditary was proved by the healthy
children of consumptive parents in Col
orado. DR.. Mum said that one quarter
of the population in Colorado had gone
there because Of tuberculosis, and had
experienced permanent cures.
In speaking on the "Curability and
Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculo-
sis, DR.. :. S. Cohen, ofthis city, agreed
with Dr. Mum as to the general cura-
bility ofthe disease. But 'galloping con-
sumption" must unfortunately be rank
ed as incurablc. 1t was the nutri-
ton, not the drugs, that effected a cure
of consumption. Several other papers
on "Tuberculosis' followed, and Dr. j.
H. Wilson read a valuable paper on
"Hygiene Speaking OF tuberculosis,
DR.. Wilson said that the annual NOR
tality produced by that disease was
l65, 600, or an average of $50 per day.
The society was entertained at lun
chen at the Polytechnic Hospital, and on
reassenib bling for the afternoon session
an adress on "Ophthalmology" was de-
hvered by DR.. George L. De Schwein-
itz, and in the same line DR.. S. Lewis
Xiegler read paper on the Treatment
of the Corneal Ulcer
A paper on "Fibroid Tumors,' by
DR.. Charles Z. Noble, aroused a bitter
discussion. DR.. Noble claimed that
the use of electricity in removing
tumors was productive ofno permanent
good. Dr. Massey asserted that more
deaths were due TO operations than to
the disease, and he SAID that out of So
cases he had effected 76 symptomatic
and anatomical cures by the use OF
electricity. DR.. j. VI. Fisher and DR..
". 4. Ashton Joined in the discussion,
and Or Price said that any physician
who claimed that the tumors were re-
moved by electricity was simply mis-
taken in his diagnosis.
After the excitement had suhsided
DR.. J. NJ. Baton. of Pittsburg, read an
amusing account Of 'Some Unique
Cases in Practice. One of the
strangest cases he cited was that Of a
Young woman who would always be-
come paralyzed when certain young
man called on her: and she was unable
to move hand or loot until he departed
Later Dir. Baton said she married
another man, and was never troubled
in that curious way again. nor were
her children allected.-Phiia. Record