Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-02-25


which will be of great assistance in the
failure towards eradicating this dread
nalady.
xUBERGULosIs Is A CURABLE DISEASE.
Hippocrates-twenty five hundred years
ago said that all consumptives die. The
world has kept on saying the same thing
sver since. Even the medical profession as
body, has subscribed to the verdict.
The verdict is wrong It is based on
incomplete evidence. 1t was reached at
the bedside Of the dying consumptive.
Bippscrates did not know tuberculosis
except in the form of consumption. He
did not recognize the disease in its larval
and chrysalis stages, but only when it was
full-fedged butterfly.
His conclusions were based on dying
eases. OF the dying stage of the disease
his verdict still holds good and eyer will
because the disease does not prove fatal
until 50 much tissue has been destroyed
that life is no longer possible.
The world has accepted Hippocrates'
verdict because it has been able to verify it
al the bedside of the dying consumptiYe.
No one has seen a dying consumptiye get
we'll, therefore tuberculosis always is fatal
Such is the reasoning.
When person with symptoms of tuber-
sulosis has recovered, it has been accepted
as evidence that he did not have tuber-
sulosis. A consumptive cannot recover,
therefore person who has recovered could
not have had consumption.
From time immemorial the medical pro-
fession, as a body, has abandoned the con-
sumptiye to his fate. 1t has snoothed his
downward path with palliatides and has
kept him in blissful ignorance of his doom.
To pretend to be able to arrest that down
ward course and to suggest measures for
such an end were cried down as bragga-
aocio aad heresy. Men who did such
things were Stunned by their bretheren.
/ Here and there in the history of medicine
stands out man who held out hope. He
was as one crying in the wilderness, how
ever, and he went down in oblivion. He
was forgotten with his generation, and the
verdict Of Hippocrates lived on.
With more exact knowledge Of the cause
sf consumption and Of the course of the
disease from its beginning to its end science
has at least convicted Hippocrates Of his
error. It remains to convince his followers.
Tuberculosis is one of the most durable
Of all diseases. The tendency to recovery
is so great that even without medical aid
and in spite of disregard of all laws oi
nature more cases recover than end fatally.
Among the very poor in large cities
nearly every one gets tuberculosis About
sne-third Of all who get the disease die o.
il. The others when they die show evi
aence of having had il and of having re-
covered. This has been demonstrated on
the autopsy table in charity hospitals
The discovery Of the tubercle bacillu;
has brought US clinical proof also of the
suitability Of tuberculosis. 1t now nc
longer can be said that recovery is ar
evidence that tuberculosis did not exist
because the existence Of tuberculosis il
proved by the presence Of the tubercle
bacillus
Living examples of cured consumptives
in whom the diagnosis has been scientif
sally established, are now to be encountered
everywhere. The process # cure, more
ever, can be seen on a large scale in sana
aoria in every part Of the world.
Seeing is believing with most people
Every cured consumptive becomes on apOs
tie Of the new doctrine among the people
with whom he associates. He raises ths
banner Of hope.
Advanced medical science now holds out
. strong helping hand to nature in it
efforts TO cure tuberculosis. Much has
been learned about the treatment Of th'
disease.
In the incipient stage practically al
cases can be cured-the majority ever
without leaving home or giving up employ
nent. Relatively few, however, are dis
covered early enough for this.
Ii She more advanced staRes the maiorit,
han BE- cured il proper conditions for treat