The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-30

WRITTEN o H SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Back to nature" the advice SO otter
quoted. is emphasized by the Congress OF
Specialists recently held in Berlin.
This congress had for its purpose the
study of methods for preventing tubercu-
losis.
All of the physicians who attended this
conclave agreed that through the strength
ening and building up of the general system
consumption is prevented or cured.
The average reade may not know 1t. but
not only in Germany. France. and Switzer-
land. but also in this country, where the
rest and diet cure has been attempted it has
met with marked success.
EASTERN DOCTOR WAS PIONEER
OF OPEN AIR CURE
1t is proposed to take up here the treat
ment in vogue in the Adirondacks.
Recently throughout the West, a similar
method has been followed.
The pioneer work in this country in the
treatment Of the white plague had its
origin nearly twenty-five years ago in the
heart of the great North Woods.
Nearly twenty-five years ago a young
physician. with his wife. left New York
City for the Saranac region in the hope
that his summers outing might restore him
to health.
He was an advanced ease" and being
weak and emaciated and well nigh discour-
aged, begged his wife at Albany to take
him from the train and let him die in
peace.
However. she persuaded him to accom-
pany her to a camp upon one of the lakes,
II not for his own sake. at least for hers.
mar recovered his strength and
health and has since been instrumental in
the cure of thousands of persons.
He first worked upon the theory prevalent
fhroIfrhOnf fha world that aYerciao .wa
necessary.
After a brief period OF observation he
abandoned this theory. even before the
m had announced the discovery of
the bacilli of tuberculosis.
He kept careful record of all patients and
acQ%uaintances. and as other physicians in
the Adirondacks became convinced Of the
correctness of his theory they did likewise.
They found that the lymphs and inhalers
and kindred aids to cure" were Of little or
no avail and few men or women became
improved by their use.
At the present time these records. cover
ing as they do thousands of diagnoses. can
be accepted as scientifically correct
There are to-day in that part of the Ad-
irondacks living within ten miles Of Saranac
Lake village some three or four thousand
persons (estimated) who came because or
some form of tuberculosis.
Many of these are permanent residents
and have engaged in business.
Others constitute a floating population
and remain for periods varying from siA
months to three years
practically all of them follow the rational
treatment outlined by the Berlin Congress.
IGNORANCE OF TREATMENT
IS APPALLING.
Ignorance regarding the treatment OF a
consumptive is something appalling.
The disease may be arrested by medicines
Dc n x,nC dlnpTanGA
bet ween an ARRESTED condition" and q real
cure.
any time suffer a relapse.
The hest cure is the simplest ana easiest,
and one in which nature does nearly all
the work.
And vet the average sufferer fills himself
with medicine or spends hours In the ihna-
lation of ~noxious m
Most invaiids have the pulmonary form OF
the disease, which form is here discussed.
Roughly. a layman may divide them INTO
First fever cases; second. hemorrhages
third. sometimes fever and hemorrhasic
combined.
Hemorrfagic cases are the most easily
cured: the fever is more difficult to ailay'
and a combination OF these w" ~
serious form.
The symptoms are generally known ana
need no comment-the cough. the expector-
alton. loss of sleep, night sweats, the geher-
al debility, the hemorrhages and the vary
degrees of fever during the afternoon.
These. in advanced cases, are apparent 10
even laymen. ao
NOT recognize the disease in its tncipiency'
and herein lies the chief danger.
All the experts in the sanator1a or the
states agree that physicians dag
nose hundreds of cases every year as IN
cipients that are really advanced cases
Consumption IN its incipiency need nave
no terrors for any one. as 1t is easily cured.
I know of more than a hundred persons
urbo went to the mountains. took the cure
and went home cured.
I know of scores Of other cases who were
sent there as "incipients" by physicians
should have known better and induced
Them to 60 six months or a year sooner.
Upon examination the experts often find
that not merely a small spot In each or
lungs is affected, but that a large
area of tissue is involved. ,,
When that is the case the patient must
remain three or four years before a cure
Is effected.
appliances it is nothing short of
criminal for a practitioner to wrongly dag
nose a case of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Far advanced cases are 50 rarely durable
It is cruel to send them away from
heir homes and friends.
HUNDREDS OF PERSONS ARE
CURED AT HOME.
The cure consists OF citing out from
seven to ten hours a day in some sheltered
SPOT, regardless of the weather.
One winter is equal to two summers. and
persons who begin taking the cure in Au-
rust and remain through until the next
June, faithfully observing the rules, are
likely to go home entirely cured.
While the air of the mountains Is natur-
lilly better and purer and more tonic than
hat of other sections Of the country, yet
many persons can be cured at home.
This is a godsend to those of slender
means.
The percentage is not so large against the
cure at home as the reader might imagine.
The mountains are preferable, but at the
time hundreds have been cured by
out on their own porches, whether
hey live in one portion of the country or
n another.
The fundamental principles may be
summed up thus:
To sit out eve-y day. well wrapped in
heavy rugs in cold weather. sheltered from
the rain and snow.