The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-22

are most liable to the disease. and this hai
led many physicians to hold that In q large
percentage OF cases consumption is led w
to by distractions in the air passages.
In fact, II Is suggested by many of them
that when the patient IL first examined II
is most important to ascertain the condi-
ton of the passages of nose and throat to
see II these do not constitute actual nests
of infection for the lungs.
The first step is then to clear these pas
sages SO that the source of infection shall
be more or less removed.
UPBUILDING OF SYSTEM
THE PRIMARY OBJECT.
| The upbuilding of the system is one of
the primary objects of the physician who
| treats consumptive patient. He knows,
especially in cases of hereditary tendencies
| In this direction. that 1t Is not the consump-
| ton that has been transferred from father
| or mother to son or daughter. but a weak
ness Of the tissues which renders the sub
| ject more open TO the attacks Of the fell
bacillus
| 1t Ii necessary then for fathers and meth
ers who have been attacked with consump-
ton to pay special attention to the develop
ment OF their children so that they shall
| not be as liable to this disease as they
would otherwise naturally be.
With the exercise OF proper care, there IL
no more reason for the child OF q consump-
the child Of a normal parent especially II
the attention Of the parent has been called
to the tendency and he exercise special care
which IL lacking in the case Of q enid whose
parents are not on the lookou. for anything
Of the kind. There has been an entire
change OF view the subject of heredity
Of consumption, and 1t is now generally con-
cedod that In most cases OF consumption
itself Is never inherited
The treatment of the disease has UNDER
gone q tremendous change within the last
hfteen or twenty years. 1t was formerly
called incurable. and all that the physician
did was to prescribe some sedativs cough
mixture to relieve the hacking cough. and
the diagnosis of consumption meant the
doom Of the patient.
Then q new era followed, and patients
were overloaded with cod liver oil. which
sote. which prevented their enjoying even
the small amount OF food which they could
before absorb.
or late years physicians have grown
wiser. and they find that they must study
each case separately and administer only
those things which will help the case most.
They control the night sweats when they
exist by atropine or camphor. Where the
patient Is extremely anaemic they admin
lister iron and use static electricity.
At times. when found necessary. they will
give strychnine, and creosote is still found
very useful in early cases.
1t is held that where a patient has fever
creosote should not be given, nor where the
patient shows marked loss Of appetite. Oil
of cloves and cynnamic acid are also adj
ministered by many physicians with vary
ing success.
ICHTHYOL ONE OF
MOST VALUABLE DRUGS.
One OF the most valuable drugs Cor the
treatment Of consumption is ichthyol. which
is administered now with great success, re-
suting in a change Of the character of the
sputum, substituting mucous for pus. and
thereby altering entirely the offensive odor
and character Of the expectoraton.
1t is also valuable as IL assists in the