The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-08-11
-. .--@z 5.95sI
Treatment OF Consumption.


more discussion and controversy than
sphthisis. This has been the case emf
3nsntly since the ackno wledgment Of the
germ theory Of disease by medical ex-
perts. The inventors Of specifics, Of
whom Koch is the most interesting ex-
ample, have had the fullest swing, and
still the problem presents a face no less
terrible and destructive. To combat. this
dire malady still engages the energies of
physicians, but they have ceased to ex-
pect any radical curative agency in
drugs, though some Of these may be
very helpful.
Sir Samuel Wilks, an eminent Eng
lish specialist, sums up the conviction
OF his experience in a few words, The
only remedies I know are air and sun
yshine-air, air, fresh air. = It makes no
difference whether these curative pow
sers be sought for on mountain tops,
amid snow and ice, on the parched ,des-.
ert, on the billowy plains Of the sea, or
the grass clad plains of the land. IF the
air is absolutely sweet and pure, that is
the thing to be sought. The choice of
location, too, should be determined by
the conveniences Of living in the sun
light-in other words, in spending as
much time out Of doors as possible.
This view cannot be said to be a novel
discovery. It has for some time been
embodied in what is known as the En-
gadine cure liz Switzerland, as the Ad-
irondack and Colorado and southern
California cure in the United States.
The special interest in the pronounce
ment Of Sir Samuel Wilks is that it
carries with it the establishment Of san
atoria for the afflicted who have not the
means to pay large hotel bills and to
take extended journeys. --. -.
The great draw back Of such class Of
medical prescriptions is that only the
we'll to do can avail Of them. How many
patients have felt the satire of the suave
advice to seek change of climate and
living, which involves cessation of in
come and increase Of expense The pro-
posed sanitarium system provides for
establishments at proper places where
living may be made very inexpensive
and yet all the conditions kept perfect
~ consistent with the end in view. It
would have been practicable to carry
out such a project, but it would need
the preliminary help Of rich philanthro-
pists to endow the institutions. It would
require, too, trained and skillful as
we'll as conscientious supervision in
managing all their departments. If by
such convenient resource the fresh air
cure can be made available for the poorer
classes, it. would be quite worth the
while Of the generous rich thus to ex-
pend some Of their surplus money in
this country also, where consumption is
scarcely less a scourge than in England.
China since her war with Japan has
suffered seriously as a grab bag'' for
the European powers. But new and
possibly far more serious thing has
come to the helpless and unwieldy en-
pire. The insurrection making rapid
progress in Kwang- tung, the province
of which Canton is the capital, has all
the show of recrudescence of the ter
rible TAPPING rebellion. It has started
among the same turbulent people, vaunts
the same symbols and xarcries and
propagates itself by the same methods.
It has the look Of being much more
than the mere local tumor always fes-
tering in some part Of China. The Tai
ping deluge of slaughter and rapine,
which devastated the country for "a
years (from 1841 to 1860, it is esti-
mated by Demetrius Boulger, we'll
known authority, cost the empire $780,
600, 900 and the loss Of 5000, 900 lives.
It planted pseudo emperor, originally
Hakka schoolmaster, who protested at
first to be a Christian convert, on a
throne at Marking for a period Of Is
years. It came within hairbreadth
Of discriminating the Mantchu dynasty
and filled China with Understandable woe
and horror. With the increased interest
which European ambition has in China
Of course no rebellion could conquer
such Roadway now. But it's further
progress, unless it can be quickly stamp
ed out by the Chinese authorities with
out assistance, will make the further
partition of China almost inevitable.
It is one of those opportunities which
Russia, Germany and France are nat
urally watching for and Of which they
would have no scruple in availing to
the uttermost when the situation be-
comes ripe. Perhaps it is only the logic
Of history that they should do SO, for
civilization marches oftener with the
sword than with the olive branch.
English author-reader do not meet
II. L L.