The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-09
BRONCHIAL CONSUMPTION.
From DIR. Hunters Lectures In the Pro-
gress of Medical Science In the Treat
ment OF Lung Diseases.


Of the many forms of bronchitis the one
most alarming of all is that in which the symp-
toms closely resemble those of consumption,
and hence called consumptive bronchitis, or
bronchial consumption. You must not, how
ever, understand from its name that it is really
tuberculous in character, or produced by the
bacilli which cause true consumption.
In all lung cases / require a portion of the
expectora ed matter coughed up by the patient
to be brought to me, or sent in small bottle
by express, before giving definite opinion of
the disease. II, on examination, L find the
tubercle bacilli present, the case is consump-
ton; and if no bacilli-Bronchitis. A large per-
centage OF those who die of a lung disease,
supposed to be consumption, really deaths
by chronic bronchitis resembling consumption.
A remarkable instance in verihcation of this,
recently occurred. A lady was brought to me
in what appeared the last stage of consump-
ton. Her physicians had told her husband
that she could not live week. She had a
bad cough, puriform .expectoration, night
sweats, and was wasted almost to skin and
bone. Judging by her symptoms and appear
ance it was impossible not to fear that she had
come too late. On sounding her chest, how
eyer, was su prised to find qualification
by tubercl s, and on examining her sputum a
total absence of the bacilli. The history, too,
of her sickness revealed that it had followed
an attack OF whooping- cough and grippe. So,
although her pulse was 100 minute, and so
feeble as to be hardly perceptible, and the
wasting OF her body so extreme that she could
not stand without support, / did not hesitate to-
pronounce the disease bronchial, and give it as
my opinion that il we could sustain her strength
long enough for the remedies to act she would
be saved. She was Immediately placed under
| medlcated air treatment, with tonics to impart
appetite and digestives to help the enfeebled
stomach to transform nourishment into chyle
| and blood. Within week she showed signs
| OF amendment. Her progress was necessarily
slow, as the healing powers of the body were
nearly exhausted before the first inhalation
was given, but she gradually acquired more
and more strength, and within six weeks was
able to take short walks in the open air and il
alive and well to- day.
This case shows the Importance of correct
diagnosis and proper adaptation of the treat
ment of the conditions to be remedied. Had
the true nature of her disease not been dis
covered just when it she would have lost
! her life through wrong treatment, and been
recorded as another death by consumption.
In these bronchial cases we sometimes have
a false membrane form on the inside of the
tubes, just as false membranes are formed in
the throat in diphtheria, and in the larnyx and
! windpipe in Group. | have recently had a case
in which the patient, while recovering coughed
up hollow cast OF the right bronchus, with
casts of several smaller bronchial tubes at
tached. 1t came up out of the lungs looking
like the branches of tree.
Every form of bronchitis is durable by local
antiseptic and healing remedies applied di-
rectly to the lungs by medcated air inhaations,
but none of them by stomach treatment. The
stomach is not the part affected The air
tubes and cells of the lungs are the seat of
every bronchial disease, and unless remedies
capable of changing their bad secretons and
healing the inflamed tubes are applied to them,
cure is impossible To treat bronchial and
other lung diseases through the stomach and
hold out hope of cure by that treatment is
malpractice, and ought to be punished a
crime against the sick.
(SigneD, ROBERT HUNTER, MD,
Specialist in Lung Cases,
III West 45th St.,
New York.