The Springfield herald., 1900-05-11
CONSUMPTION CURED.
FRESH AIR THE SOLE REMEDY
-OR THE DISEASE
Fatisats Required to sleep Outdoors,
Ignoring Dampness and showers
Some Remarkable Results 'ttaiued
By This Treatment

Remarkable results in the treatment
of consumptives are revealed by DR..
G. s. Millet of Brockton, Mass The
remedy is a most simple one and
within the reach OF every victim of the
disease. 1t is simply to sleep out
doors. No matter where the sufferer
may live, in the balmy south or the
bleaker north, sleep outdoors. Dews
and summer showers will do the sleep
er no harm, he asserts, whereas the
close and poisonous air of a room
would be sure to accelerate the prog
ress of the disease DR.. Millet says
that he now practices sleeping out
doors himself, and he laughs at the
popular idea regarding "dampness"
and ''draughts." They are. he says.
mere bugbears. Many times, he con-
tinues, my patients have found their
bed coverings and night clothes wet
with dew, and once in while a sum-
mer's rain has disturbed their health
full slumbers, but with no harm be-
yond the necessity of drying the bed
clothes before another bedtime. l am
quite ready to believe that IL people
could be taught to fear impure air and
overheated rooms as they now dread
slight increase of moisture or lit
tie air stirring in the house, tubercu-
losis would become as infrequent as
smallpox. 1t is now nearly two years
since l was called to see a young man
whose family history is most re-
markable, his brother, father grand
tyu,N o{t th1r ctl
and an uncle all having died tf
chronic phthisis. He was suffering
from cough wheeling and dyspnea.
and had temperature of los degrees.
Throughout that winter he continued
to lose ground. in spite OF the rene
dies ordinarily used in such cases, un-
til in the spring he had lost nearly
fifteen younds. l urged this young
man to try sleeping outdoors. He be-
gan the last Of June. 1898, and slept
with no awning or roof over his head
for five consecutive months, with the
exception Of only nine nights. when
rainy weather prevented. Within the
first two weeks one could see that he
was making progress in the right di-
rection. AT the end OF month his
temperature was normal, his cough
and wheeling had almost disappeared,
and he was apparently on the road to
recovery. At Thanksgiving time. on
the day before the great November
storm of 1898, when he came into my
office. his weight was 144 pounds. he
having gained 20 pounds in four
months. The only medicine which he
took was the tincture of nux vomica.
He has continued perfectly well ever
since. and now tips the scales at 147
Tais man has worked in shoe fac
tory nine hours day without the
loss Of a day since his treatment be-
gan. While sleeping out of doors he
wore a soft felt hat and cotton night
shirt and was covered with the ordi-
nary bed clothes. He usually went to
bed at O'Clock because the sun awak-
ened him early in the morning. Sim
liar treatment was also tried by man
Of Ga who was suffering from the dis
ease. He slept on an outdoor platform
and has gained eleven pounds and Is
markedly improved. He works every
day. and chops wood for living.
The treatment was further tried ty
sue involved in this boys case is too
extensive to justify the expectation of
permanent arrest. but he gained 1917
pounds during the summer. | have
for several reasons not allowed him to
attend school. His mother Is not con-
tent to let him sleep alone under the
stars. and she has placed a second cot
beside his own on the platform. AL
though no invalid herself. the out
door treatment has done her much
good, for she has gained very decided
| ly in weight. strength and color.
/ My instructions in regard to diet are
for patients to eat whatever they de-
sire. Some of the patients have had
two baths day, one has a cold sponge
bath in the morning. and another a
tepid bath at night followed by
good rub. When not at work they
have spent the greater part of the day
in the open air. The patient is in
structed to keep a record of the num-
ber of hours he spends in the house
and to give good reasons for not hay
| ing spent them out of doors. He Is
| urged to eat all he can in three ordi-
| nary meals. No hard and fast restric-
| tions are placed upon the diet. Milk,
eggs and vegetables are recommended
and the use of pastry and confection-
cry is discouraged. All those who can
| spare the time are required to take
cold sponge bath in the morning, and
another bath at about 80 degrees be-
| fore going to bed.