Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-02-10
BRONCHIAL CONSUMPTION.
From DIR. Hunters Lectures on the
Progress of Medical Science in the
Treatment of LUG Diseases.

OF the many forms of bronchitis
the one most alarming of all is that in
which the symptoms 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 portion
of the expectorated matter coughed
up by the patient to be brought to me,
or sent in a small bottle by express,
before giving definite opinion of the
disease. If, on examination, find
the tubercle bacilli present, the case is
consumption; and if no bacilli-bron-
chitis. A large percentage of those
who die of a lung disease, supposed
to be consumption, are really deaths
by chronic bronchitis resembling con-
sumption.
A remarkable instance in yerifica-
ton Of this recently occurred. A lady
was brought to me in what appeared
the last stage of consumption. 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 appearance, it was inn
possible not to fear that she had come
too late. On sounding her chest, how
ever, | was surprised TO find no solidi-
fication by tubercles, and on examin-
ing her sputum total absence of the
bacilli. The history too of her sick
ness revealed that il had followed an
attack of whooping cough and grip.
So, although her pulse was 100 min
ute, and so feeble as TO be hardly per-
ceptible, 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
medicated air treatment, with tonics
to impart appetite and digestives to
help the enfeebled stomach TO trans
form 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 ex-
hausted 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 is alive and well
today.
This case shows the importance OF
correct diagnosis and proper adapta-
ton of the treatment of the condi-
tons to be remedied. Had the true
nature of her disease not been dis
covered just when il was she would
have lost her life through wrong treat
ment and been recorded as another
death by consumption.
In these bronchial cases we some
times have false membrane form OH
the inside of the tubes, just as false
membranes are formed in the throat
i'm diphtheria, and in the larnyx and
windpipe in Group. have recently
had case in which the patient, while
recovering, coughed ups 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 reme-
dies applied directly to the lungs by
medicated air inhalations, but none
of them by stomach treatment. The
stomach is not the part affected. The
air tubes and cells of the lungs are the
scat Of every bronchial disease and
unless remedies capable OF changing
their bad secretions and healing the
infiamed tubes are applied to them,
cure is impossible. To treat bronchial
and other lung diseases through the
stomach and hold out a hope of cure
by that treatment is malpractice and
ought to be punished as a crime
against the sick.
(Signed) ROBERT HUNTER, Md,
bpNSAoiiSt IA OocCsg
III West 45th ST.,
New York.
Note.-Readers of this paper who |
are interested in DR.. Hunters re-
searches and treatment of lung mala-
dies can obtain this book by writing
to him at the above address.
South STAFFORD.
Miss Minnie Bartlett is visiting friends
in town.
Miss Minnie Blodgett returned to her
home in Randolph Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. II. E. Kendall OF Pompa-
noosuc were the guests of Mrs. Charles !
Lane the first of the week.
A. l.. Blake was very seriously burned 1
by steam at the Elizabeth mines ten days
ago and is still confined to his bed.
There were two runawsys in this village |
Sunday, Charles Swift's and Chauncey
Beebe's horses, but no damage was done.
There we're no services at the Baptist
church last Sunday on account of the
quarterly meeting which was held at Tun-