Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-02-10
No. 6


portant a part In unloading the system
of irritant poisons in health as swell
as disease.
And here is suggested the fourth
, rational indication. AS we shall far
ther show the bad effects of the
disease is not so much from the local
condition in the lung as from the gen.
eral poisoning from the germ through
the blood of the tissues Now it is
the function of the blood and the tis-
sues to antagonize and resist this
poison by neutralizing or destroying
it. and through the agency of various
glands unload it. Besides whatever
remains undig sted and unassimilated
within the bowel or unexpelled from
the blood by the kidneys reacts upon
the tissues rs a poison and adds that
much to I'll Dad of poison already
within the '"om the effects of
the life of Sc germ. There
fore to ma t..o tden for the organ
ism as light as possible, and further
to aid in nourishing the patient suit
able medic,ne nes should be given which
move the bowels, increase the liver
and gidney function, and also act as a
disinfectant to the alimentary canal.
Such an agent we have.
have said that the poisons made by
the germ circulating in the blood are
the principle cause Of the symptoms
and will say death also. They act
doubtless in several ways, principally
through effect upou the nervous sys-
tenn to destroy the functions of the
centers of life, bringing about fever
and weakened heart action. To COM
bat this exhaustion we have the fifth
indication for treatment which is the
administration of such foods and
drinks as have the maximum nourish
ing qualities with the minimum vital
effort to digest and the least residue
to undergo Preventative or putrifac-
tive change within the alimentary
canal So doing to hold up vitality
to a successful end which one extra
burden would have proven disastrous
to.
By far the largest per cent of deaths
from pneumonia are from heart fail
ure, heart exhaustion. and to combat
this successfully saves many lives.
That we have powerful medicines cap
able to imhue the heart with new life
SO to speak will not be denied. | have
said that through the effects upon the
nervous system the body temperature
is raised and this at times becomes
very high and prolonged. Now living
tissues will not tolerate excessive
temperature but for limited time
when thew undergo change which is
expressed first in impaired function
and then in cessation of function. In
other words high fever may and often
is a means of death. Now fortunately
we have several ways of influencing
body temperature, as by lessening the
chemical activities in the tissues
through drugs acting upon the nervous
system, care being ken not to de-
press vital function; and in other ways
by causing elimination and absorb
tion of heat, preferably by cold intel
ligently applied Many recover being
spared the exhaustion of high tempera-
ture who ould otherwise die.
Besides all this the intelligent
physician acts as a watchman standing
guard awaiting the approach of any
new enemy in the form of some COM
plication as of abcess of the lung or
plural cavity, inflammation of the
kidneys, inflammation about the
heart, etc. Unfortunately we have not
in pneumonia as in diphtheria. hydro
phobia. etc. specific agent acting
upon the germ or its poisons but are
compelled in this as in many other di-
seases to depend upon the reaction of
the life functions of the body to an
tagonize the invading foe. But the
competent physician by knowledge
of the manner of operation of the foe
may apply the means to reinforce the
patient at the point of assault through
the power of drugs to influence the
body functions, and relieving him
of all extra demands upon his vitality
by supplying him the most favorable
conditions in which to assail his
enemy render him conqueror. Who
would deny the giving of every ra-
tional help to the sufferer though even
then he be insufficient and succumb.
l.. nj. Small, NJ. D.,
Castalia, Iowa.