The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-24
NATURE OF GANGRENE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DISEASE THAT
CAUSED MKlNLEY'S DEATH.

Since the autopsy on the body of
the late President gangreuc has be
come n familiar eNprcSsio to all
classes of people. While its general
! Specification is well understood. its
technical meaning for medical men
| and its limitations in the light OF re
| cent advances i'm surgery, and Cs-
pecially in bGctoriology. are not popu-
! larly realized. Gangrcnc, in the older
! pathology. followed the genealogical
! meaning Of the Greek root to eat, or
| gnaw, and referred to any process
| that caused destruction Of tissue. or
| late the term CanSUCue has been linn
| tied TO diseased conditions in which
| local death of tissue took place with
out the liQuefying process that con
| stitutes the formation CT pus.
J Medical observers have come to rca-
lie that pus formation is really
conservative operation on the part OF
nature. The material that is thus
| thrown of contains irritants. whose
retention would surely prove danger
Gus. The reaction that produces pus
is not merely local. 1t is not the
! tissues alone in the immediate vicinity
|
! the conservative puS formation. Most
Of the cells in purulent material are
/ white cells from the blood. These
white cells are the body'S great de-
! tenders against microbic invasion.
! Whenever microbes Of any kind gain
an entrance into the body these white
cells are attracted from I'll parts of
the circulatory system and begin TO
accumulate near the irritated part.
When the white cells arrive where
the circulation, because of the irritants
| present is somewhat slowed, they
make their way through the blood
vessel walls. Still retaining their vital
| activity they englobe microbes. or bits
OF broken down tissue, that may be
! present and proceed to digest them.
If the irritant material Ice a virulent
| poison, as for instance a living germ.
the white cells are killed by it and.
martyrs to duty, are thrown of as
the so-called pus cells. carrying the
irritants with them, however, and
thus sparing the system that much
annoyance.
The story of these white cells reads
like n fairy tale but is literally true.
/ Every part Of the human system
reacts to help dispose of the invading
cells that threaten destruction of any
portion. Therefore IL is that even the
healing OF small localized wounds de-
Ponds on the general condition of
health of the individual. Therefore
some persons tissues are. in the old
suggestive phraseology, more heal
NJ
man run down by overwork and
worry, or by some serious physical all
ment, is much less able TO resist the
invasion OF microbes Many n
physician has learnt the sad lesson
by practical experience. Some slight
wound becomes infected ut a moment
when he is overworn, and the result
is that complete failure of systemic
resistance we know as blood poison
ing.
Reaction is a vital manifestation
Where It occurs there is pus, hut no
gangrene. Gangrene is death IL the
blood supply OF tissues is cut off they
die, because deprived of nourishment
The blocking Of an artery causes gan
! creme, and this will be intensified by
| cells
are carried to the part, natures pro-
tective mechanism is shut out and
microbes will be unhampered in their
invasion OF the tissues. Gangrene may
arise from the blocking of a vein, for
blood must be in circulation to supplv
tissues with nutrition. and must be
constantly renewed itself in the large
organs. Disturbances of blood vessels
are the most potent factors In the pro-
duction OF gangrene. Hence it's most
frequent occurrence In old people
whose blood vessels are thickened
thus lessening their caliber. and con
sequently the amount of blood carried
The internal coats Of the blood vessels
in old people are also roughened and
so CLOTHING and interruption OF the
blood stream easily takes place. -
man is as old as his arteries" means
that even comparatively young men
may have old arteries. Men o. forty
TO nifty years of age often have the
arteries OF seventy. Such serious con
ditions as diabetes and Bugbrs dis
ease often cause the aging of arteries
before their time. and so make. rs
every surgeon well knows. patlcuts
or middle age liable 90 a gaugrcnp Of
tissues that IS really senlle in cha-.
Hcter
Besides blood vessels nerves have IN
power over the nutrition of tissues
Small nerves control the size OF the
blood vessels within certain limits and
so regulate circulation. How power
ful nervous influences over blood SUD.
ply may De those who blush easily
have good cause to- know. There is
at lou~, One form of gauacue due
entirely go nervous disturbance. This
is the symmetrical gaumeua chat at
times causes thc loss of fingers on toes
ON both sides of tha body. Nervous in.
huenccs $50 shut Mp small blood vc.
sells iu this affection that death of the
TISSUES results. Any interference with
tbs nerves Chat AFRO distributed to-
blood vessels - likely .9 oause serious
interference with uc circulation o.
q part
The Iife of TISSUES then Is dependent
ON thc heaItmucss of OBJ. blood vessels
leading to- Thorn oud ON tine nervous
mechanism that control ,ncir blood
supply THE problem 1f tho cause or