The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02
ADVANCES ~ MEDICINE AND SURGERY
strik Ing Progress Shown and Indicated at the
Internationa al Medical Congress.

For eight DAYS nearly seven thousand doc
tors. nearly FIVE hundred Of these from the
United States, have been attending the sessions
Of the Thirteenth International Medical Con-
gress here in Paris,
An interesting phase Of the discussions OF
the second days meeting concerned the ques-
tion of the Use Of fat in larger quantities than
il at present the custom. II was pointed out
that nature supplies the infant with a diet
containing n larger proportion OF TAT than the
individual IL liable TO take for himself later in
| life. The workman Graves fat 10 make up for
the heat lost by ~exertion, but those Of sedentary
| occupation are apt gradually to lose their taste
for Il. The result OF the comparative absence
Of fat from the dietary Is the occurrence Of In
| testinal torpor. The food residue is not
properly fabricated. and the state Of constipa-
tion so common In our times develops' For
It's relief recourse is had 10 laxatives, some new
and highly lauded form OF which makes It's ap-
pearance at least once a week, until now they
are the bane OF the generation. The mix
fats. cream. butter and milk itself are the most
suitable form Of fatty materials. They are es-
pecially well borne by those with disturbed
digestion. One Germ an observer noted that
the vegetable oils. olive oil and the like. not only
served a very useful muir tional purpose, but
we're actually curative in their Effects in many
painful disor ders Of the stomach.
A marked feature OF the discussion Of stom-
ach diseases was the confidence expressed on
all sides In the surgery Of the stomach II Is
only a little over a decade since surgical pro-
cedures. involvinR the stomach. became any
thing more than a great rarity. Now even
very conservative physicians counsel recourse
10 surgical Intervention when severe stomach
symptoms persist in spite OF medical treatment.
Tho result IL that the once hopelessly fatal con-
| Atttpp nannar nf the HTOmaph. Is now COUSl0-
cred TO be absolutely durable in many cases.
II has been the custom, 10 consider that OF
the three lowest forms OF plant life, the microbe,
the fermept and the mould. only the mlcrobe
produced disease In man. in recent years IL
has become clear that certain Oh ine ierinen,s
human race. az well as in some of. the higher
animals, especially those associated with man.
There has even been serious question whether
cancer was not due 10 a blastomyCete-thHt IL,
to a ferment not unlike the ordinary yeast
that splits up sugar solutions mo aIGohpl ana
the moulds. too, may be nathORenio FOR man.
Some wears ago certain cases OF an affection
were reported. There was doubt. however,
whether this was the real geological agent or
not. Now this doubt has been completely
set at rest by the report OF q number OF cases
from different observers. and II Is evident That
aspergillosis must be granted a place IN human
resemble ordinary abcesses, and II is probable
that many OF them have been mistaken for such.
The disease has escaped recognition SO far be-
cause of this resemblance TO well-known forms
Tobacco, came in for much, moro than its
ordinary ao4Se al te diT",SgsI nconddIItions bovs
been attributed TO its use. Certain nervous
symptoms have been well known TO be due 10
il. but they usually disappeared on me dlscon,
tinuance OF the weed and the patients recovered
entirely. A Turkish physician reported at
ense hg os Witch 6e s %ould ind no adequate cause,
except the excessive use OF tobacco; French
and German physicians, confirmed this report
- 81 80 an1 In tho HiznNCG1nn that fnl.
lowed 1t became evident that many physicians
are decidedly OF the opinion that the abuse OF
sa especiailv snsceptibic TO its effects, may
lead TO "A permanent Gripping OF the heart.
In the wonderful advances OF this last twenty
Ave years in surgery the t~horax- that Is, the firm
walled cavity within which is enclosed the heart
and lungs-has usually been considered TO, DO
quite beyond the realm Of surgery This im-
Mounds Of the heart, for instance, once thought
TO be inevitably fatal, are now within the proper
| years sutures have been inserted in wounds
Of the heart in nearly q dozen, cases, About
one-half the patients are still alive, with their
| repaired hearts doing excellent work. Even
the lungs are no longer the noll me tangere
they once were. ,operations on Them are n9t
and the after results In most cases have been
very satisfactory. There Is no reason 70 doubt
thai within the next three to five years the field
of.lung surgery will see a most promising new
II is interesting and encouraging TO- note
| look upon tuberculosis than they did only a few
years ago. One can scarcely fail TO gain the
impression, though 1t may not be, SAID, In so
many words, that now the medical profession
feels itself in a position to cope with the dis
sSse; dls ras if1 have not Changed nGe % %gCS N t iPS@
last few years, Pulmonary consumption still
carries on about one out OF every seven
the hideous nightmare that ii was in its uncon-
trolled and uncomfortable advance Tor the
| preceding generation Of physicians. The new
medical pODidpDCa In the mower to treat the
disease is not begotten 81 any trust in new
drugs. Certain COMPOUNDS OF arsenic that
have been used extensively here in Europe are,
II Is true, very highly recommended by trust
worthy observers, but the realization has come
lies the kew Of the mystery Of the therapeutics
Of the white, scourge q the, North Not
drugs. but fresh cir suitable food IN ,a6undsnce
for panacea, The doctor no longer advises
the tuberculosis patient 10 give up his occupa-
Exercise, esnecially NJ times Of high tempera-
ture. will almost surely be harmful. Every
moment Of the day Is regulated. Rain or shine,
inr apartment is omen 20 the air at night, an
exercise is forbidden whenever the tempcra-
ttRat the intake Of food materials shall more
than compensate for what the daily metaboilsm
For assured success in this treatment the
case need but come early. Here is where rapid
strides are being made In present day medi-
losis Is being approached from so many sides
TINT II can scarcely fail TO be recognized at n
very early period. Besides the ordinary physi-
cal signs NJ the disease in recent years the
R0ntRen rays have come to the assistance
OF the medical man, and are OF very great as
distance In doubtful casea
In these last few wears the medical world
has reioicod in the solution Of ono OF the most
dif1cult diagnostic problems Of all medicine.
In certain cases II was practically impossible
10 recognize with certainty typhoid fever. 4
Young French professor NJ the University Of
Paris, working NJ the Institut Pasteur. found
that when n drop Of the blood 81 y. patient
suffering from typhoid fever was added 70 a
dron Of some LIQUID culture containing typhoid
bacilli, II caused the hacili TO run together in
clumns and paralyzed their activity. II the
patient from whom the blood was taken did
NOT have TYPHOID fever. OF had not had II for
some years before. this. dumping or agglnti-
nation phenomenon did not take place. The
stroke Of genius In the matter was the realiza-
ton that this principle might be applied TO the
diagnosis Of typhoid fever. Widal's reaction.
as II IL called after its inventor, is. now the
ultimate criterion on which all physicians de-
pend for the diagnosis OF typhoid fever.
Another FrenChman. has now discovered
that this same dumping occurs In tuhercle
bacilli. II a drop Of blood from n man OF animal
suffering from tuberculosis he added 10 them.
This new method ~ diagnosis promises 10 prove
as beneficial for medicine as the. corresponding
reaction In typhoid fever. Already IL has