Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-05-23
A St, Louis Physician Asserts That
Consumption Is a Disease
That Can Be Cured.
SOME COMMON SENSE RULES
The Progress That Has Been Made In
Fighting tuberculosis Experiments
Made In Gsrmany-Fresh Air and
Good Diet Needful.

least its ravages can be stayed for
many years in a favorable climate. DR..
William Hahn, of st. Louis, in a news
paper article, recently said the very
same thing, and as he recommends a
change of air and climate his ideas
agree with those who have found that
New Mexico offers the most advanta-
geous change of climate that the on
sumptive can find on the western CONT
nent, if not in the world. DR.. Hahn
says:
Is consumption durable? Yes, certain
ly. Cures are effected every day. More
over, in thousands Of cases the disease
cures itself.
This truth should become part and
parcel Of every physicians stock in
trade; he should have it before him all
the time. It's a crime to give way to
the old pessimistic idea concerning the
i%ncurability of tuberculosis.
Let those suffering TAKE heart; let
their relatives and friends combine
with them to fight the dread enemy.
They will succeed If they only COM
mence early enough, If in their endeav-
ors they are persistent enough.
know some will refuse to believe me;
many physicians, grown old in preju-
dices and welded to certain hackneyed
methods, will assail me for an oppor-
tunist, but the facts as above stated
lose none of their belief-compelling
truth for all that.
Both anatomists and psychologists
have worked hard and successfully
during the century drawing to a close
to fight the ancient legend thai con-
sumption is incurable.
The pathological anatomist first fur
nished absolute proof to the contrary,
and the German law which permits sys-
tematic and classified dissection of dead
bodies enabled them to carry~out their
purpose on a large scale.
This law has been in effect some sixty
or seventy years; therefore it cannot be
charged hat the observations lack con-
clusiveness.
During these sixty or seventy years
dissectors found in the lungs of people
who died by accident or other non-con-
sumptive diseases, very frequently tu-
%berculosis civilizations, which, for n
reason or another. had lain dormant,
and had remained inactive, without
corrupting the rest of the body.
In fact, they had simply existed by
themselves, restricted in themselves,
without power to affect the health OF
the individual in which they had taken
up their abode.
What Ices this show? That the tu-
berculin poison in the lung does not
necessarily affect this life-giving organ.
That certain circumstances or condi-
tions paralyze it's angry and dangerous
activity.
That, il effect, consumption is cura-
BILE.
Durable not only when attacking the
strong-people enjoying general good
health-but durable also In weak bodies.
The tuberculosis civilizations found in
Tile pOultS vi So w ooAA'
were inactive. because they capacity
for virulence was gone, was as dead as
the proverbial door nail. A dead dog
bites no one
Now, if nature can kill off tuberculin
bacilli, science, guided by nature, an
do so also. 1t needs but close applica-
ton and observation to obtain this end.
That means time.
Nothing can be gained by telling an
audience of laymen how the internal
curing process is brought about. 1t suf-
fees to say that the lung particles in
fected by tuberculosis bacilli We're
found to be incased in fatty or cartilag-
nous tissues, which prevented the dan
gerous microbes from action.
Often the whole colony was found to
be dead, suffocated, but more often
there was life in a portion of them. OF
course, just as long as there is life In
a deadly microbe, just so long 1t re-
mains dangerous.
Those persons, therefore, who had live
tuberculosis bacilli in them were still
exposed to consumption, no matter how
heavy the fat coating that protected the
rest of their body against the danger
Gus microbes. The latter might escape
in the long run.
However, 1t was found that some of
these microbes had been isolated for pc
al, III tIo ny f,.oy, RI ton van PC
and longer. Hence it was not among
the impossibilities that they might have
remained stationary during the persons
natural life, which would amount to a
cure. And mind, a cure effected with
out medicining or special care.
In view of these facts, I repeat: Don't
lose heart; consumption is durable.
really believe medical men are on the
right track already. I have before me
the annual report of DR.. Brehmer's con-
sumptive home in Goerbersdorf. DR..
Brehmer is honest and not carried
away by enthusiasm or prejudices in
medical testimony about the consump-
tive state of numerous patients before
they entered his institution. Other med
ical testimony and indisputable facts
testify to the after"
There are army officers who left the
service on account of their consumptive
debilities, and who, after undergoing
treatment at Goerbersdorf, returned to
the service, having previously under
gone a satisfactory medical examina-
ton.
Furthermore, we hear Of several con-
sumptive women who, after being dis
charged as cured from Goerbersdorf.
married and had children-children
who live and enjoy, apparently, the best
of health.