The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-11

reporte1 at this meeting series Of cases
or true heart disease, TOR which he could
1inu no adequate cause, except the ex-
ceSs1ve use OF tobacco. French and Ger
man physicians confirmed this report by
other cases, and in the discussion that
followed il became evident that many
physicians are decidedly of the opinion
that the abuse of tobacco, or even it's
moderate use in those who are especially
susceptible to it's effects, may lead to a
permanent Gripping of the heart
In the wonderful advances Of this last
twenty-five years in surgery the thOrax
that is, the firm walled cavity within
which is enclosed the heart and lungs
has usually been considered to be quite
beyond the realm of surgery. This I'M
preston is now being rapidly dispelled
Wounds Of the heart. for instance once
thought to be inevitably fatal. are now
Within the proper domain of surgery.
During These last three years sutures
have been inserted in wounds OF the heart
in nearly dozen cases. About one-haIf
the patients are still alive, with their
repaired hearts doing excellent work.
Even the lungs are no longer the noli me
tangere they once were. Operations on
them are not only undertaken, but sue.
ceSSfully carried out, and the after results
in most cases have been very satisfactory,
There is no reason to doubt that within
the next three to five years the field of
new development.
Tt is Interesting and encouraging to
note with how much more confidence
medical men look upon tuberculosis than
they did only few years ago. One can
scar3ely fall to gain the impression,
though Is may not be said in SO many
words, that now the medical profession
feels itself in a position to cope with the
disease. The STATISTICS OF the mortality
from the disease have not changed much
in these last few years, Pulmonary con-
sumption still carries off about one out OF
every seven human beings who die, but
the disease is not the hideOus nightmare
that it was in its uncontrolled ana un-
comfortable advance for the preceding
I generation of physicians. The new medi-
cal confidence in the power to treat the
disease is not begotten of any trust in
new drugs. Certain compounds OF arsenic
that have been used extensively here
and in Europe are, it is true, very highly
recommended by trustworthy observers
but the realization has come that In the
sanitarium treatment of tuberculosis lies
the KEY OF the mystery of the therapeutics
Of the white scourge of the North. -
Not drugs, but fresh air, suitable food in
abundance and a properly regulated life
are the long sought for panaoea. The
doctor no longer advises the tubercu-
losis patient to give up his occupation
and take plenty of exercise in the open
air Exercise, especially at time of high
| temperature viii almost surely be harm
| full. Every moment of the day is regu-
lated. KAHN or shine, long hours are
passed in the open air. the sleeping apart
ment is open to the air at night, all ex-
ercise is forbidden whenever the TEN pera-
ture is above normal, and the diet is so
arranged that the intake Of food mater1-
ais shall more than compensate for what
the daily metabolism consumes.
For assured success In this treatment
the casa need but come early. Here is
where rapid strides are being made in
present day medicine. The diagnosis of
incipient tuberculosis is being approached
from so many sides that it can scarcely
fall to be recognized at a very early
period. Besides the ordinary physical
signs of the disease in recent years the
| ROentgen rays have come to the assis-
lance of the medical man, and are of
very great assistance in dOu btful cases.
In these last few years the medical
world has re1O1ced IN the solution OF one
of the most difficult dlagnOst1c problems
Of all medicine. In certain cases it was
practically impossible to recognize
with certainty typhoid fever. A young
French professor at the University OF
Paris, working at the Institute Pasteur,
found that when a drop OF the blood OF
patient suffering from typhoid fever
was added to q drop of some liquid Gull
ture containing typhoid bac1lh, it cause q
the bacilIi to run together IN clumps and
Daraly zed their activity. If the patient
from whom the blood was taken did not
have typhoid fever, or had not had it
for some years before, this dumping or
agglutinati0n phenomena did not take
place. The stroke of genius in the mat
Ter was the realization that this principle
might be applied to the diagnosis OF
typhoid fever. WidaI's reaction, as 1T is
called after its inventor, is now the ulti
mate criterion on which all physicians
depend for the diagnosis of typhoid fever.
Another Frenchman has now discovered
that this same dumping occurs in tuDer-
Gle baciIli If a drop of blood from man
or animal suffering from tuberculosis be
added to them. This new method of
diagnosis promises to prove as beneficial
for medicine as the corresponding reac-
t1on in typhoid fever. Already it has
been tried in Prof. Won Leyden's clinic
in Berlin, and the results obtained by It's
d1scoverer in France have been substan-
t1ated. There is a medical pro7erb very
current throughout most Of Europe to
the effect that when they find thing to
be true on the banks of the Seine, it is
very probable that there is some thing in
If