The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-18
CLIMATE AND CONSUMPTION.
Some Health Resorts Less Desirable
than Places the Patients Have Left.

w. F. Waugh, NJ. p, in Medical Bulletin
When the first consnmptfve goes to any
climate that suits his case. where the pure
air inVigorates him or where he is able to
spend much time out of the house. he inn
proves Hope does much, the fact that he
breathes an atmosphere qncontaminated by
emanations from any other case does more,
and he RECEIVERS. OF those who follow him
1t may be said that the more favorable sub
jects recover the doomed ones die and, as
the place becomes more known and popular,
the latter predominant, and the death rate
mounts. Meanwhile, each newcomer as
Sists in polluting the place with his bacilli-
laden sputa, andsin time it becomes a very
hot-bed of tuberculosis, more deadly than
the localities from which the patients orig
inally came. 61e
From the Atlantic coast westward there
has been steady march of the one-lung-
ers. and a steady recession of the line at
which tuberculosis does rot exist First it
was said that tubercle was not known in
the Alleghenies; next, that it did not exist
in the Mississippi valley then. the prairies
were the goal, and finally the mountains
were scaled; for the -bacilli grew scarcer as
the sea-leyel became more remote. In all
these perfectly true observations no one
seemed to remark that, where the bacillus
was scarce population was scarcer; and, as
the country filled UP with inhabitants, pull
monary consumption increased III ire
quency. csc5s
The pure. cold air of Minnesota or Of the
Rockies will cure some cases to whom it is
well suited and kill the rest; the damp,
heavy air of the tropical shores will prOong
the life of some and hasten the death of
effect upon the general system and the re-
| lief of certain symptoms, such as cough,
the only good effect that can legitimately
be expected from any climate is the avoid
ance of reinfection by breathing air charged
with tubercle bacilli. stroptococc and other
micro-organisms. Beyond this there is
nothing specific in any climate, nothing
directly germicida even in the aromatic
emanationS from the pines of the Caro-
linas. In fact. unless in certain exceptional
conditions, the tuberculous patient will do
better at home. under. skilled treatment
than he will in any other locality.
The famous observations of Metschnikoff
gave to the world the amazing intelligence
of the phagocytic action of the white blood
corpuscles. These arnoeboid bodies, or crea-
lures, attack and devour lntruding bacilli
and other things that have no business to
be in the blood or TISSUES. 1t seems obvious
that, the greater the number and Vigor Of
these leucocytes,e the fybetter will they he
able to cope with an invasion of pathogenic
heterogeneous. Vaughan. already famous
for his discovery Of tyFo-toXicon, has fol-
lowed with the announcement that nucleinic
acid when introduced into the human body,
increases the number and activity OF the
leucocytes; and this statement has been
amply confirmed by other competent observ-
erS.
We seem to be here approaching one Of
the underlying principles of physiological
therapeutics. Given q, body for whose
ordinary needs the supply of leucocytes is
ample; but will, no surplus for reserve
an invading swarm of billions of tubercle
bacilj. The leucecytes rush to meet the
foe but their numbers. are Insufficient and
at the points from which the defenders have
been withdrawn the pathoEenic bacteria
always present, especially i'll the alimentary
canal swarm over the battlements and eff
feet Judgments in the tissues Hence every
assault by the tubercle bacillus is followed
by infection with other micro organisms
the streptococci being the most disastrous in
their effects and the subsequent history
of the case is one of the mixed effects of the
various forms of bacteria present.