Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-04
A New "curs" for consumption.


treatment have done much to lower
the death rate from consumption.
There Is, moreover, good reason to be
lieve that the advance of medical sci
ence will, in years to come enable ply
sicians to deal much more effectively
with this dread disease. So many
cures" for it have already been an
nounced that even the public. usually
credulous in such matters, has grow:
skeptical of them. Physicians natur-
ally and properly move with extreme
caution in the adoption of new reme-
dies. The responsibilities of their
profession would naturally re-
strain them from reckless ex-
perimentation in their practice or from
the endorse ment of any mode of treat
ment whose efficacy had not been fully
and conclusiveIy demonstrated New
ertheleys considerable interest has been
aroused in professional circles by
circular letter recently sent to all the
rbvsicians of New York City under tn,
seal of professional secrecy in which
the announcement was made by the
New York Post Graduate hospital of
the discovery of vegetable fluid,
which has been accepted as positive
cure for consumption. Most of the
vegetables in market enter into the
composition of the fluid. The circular
to the profession thus describes the
method of preparing it:
Equal parts by weight of raw vege-
tables scrubbed with a brush in fresh
water, then mixed and chopped until
the particles are small enough to GO
into The receiver of a grinding machine,
where the mass is reduced to a pulp
From the pulp are collected the juices.
which are squeezed out through a
coarse muslin cloth. The machines
are designed to tear and grind the
mass rather than to cut it up.
1.-THE vegetables first used are potato,
onion, beet, turnip, cabbage and celery.
later are added sweet potato, apple.
pineapple. carrot, parsnip. and later
still rhubarb, summer squash, tomato.
spinach, radishes. string beans, and
green peas with the pods"
This juice is prepared every day at
the hospital and kept on ice Each pa
tient receives two ounces twice day
after meals.
1t is stated that the results of many
months Of exhaustive and costly ex-
pertinent show complete cures in every
Instance. Eleven patients who. on be-
ginning the treatmen mt, were sufferers
from the disease, have been discharged
as fit subjects for a life Insurance risk.
and fifty others still under observation
at the hospital are on the high road t.
Recovery.
The discovery is this: That the
lcompound of raw vegetable juices is the
long sought for element of diet needed
to cure obstinate cases. where LESSONS
Iof the lungs have persisted after the
Iravages of the disease have been
checked apparently and the general
Health of the body restored. az testified
lby an increase in weight. The use of
the new compound has overcome this
difficulty to the complete satisfaction
CT disintcrested board of doctors.
1t IS believed, moreover. that this
may lead to means by which everybody
may be rendered immune from the
ideally tuberclc bacilli just as vaccina-
Ition safeguards from smallpox.
At the new York Post Graduate Hos
pital, DR.. John F. Russell has had
lcharga of the tuberculosis class in the
ldispensary since its inception i'm 1895
and the vegetable compound is DIR.
Russells discovery. Notwithstanding
the substantial nature of the tests to
which it has been put, he will commit
to his discovery.
Il am convinced" he says, "the veg
etable fluid is a valuable addition to
the diet. but feel that six months OBJ
servation is not a sufficient period of
observation to justify me in speaking
positively of its full value. AS an in
vestigator merely. it would be more
agreeable to wait until the end Of the
year. but do not feel justified in with
holding longer an account of it's use in
these experiments. because the results
SO far are so favorable. The number
of persons suffering with pulmonary
Tuberculosis is so enormous and the
need for relief is so pressing
Naturally enough physicians have
been careful in expressing their opinion
Of the new remedy.
DR.. Donald M. BarstOw and Dr.
Thomas w. Bickerton. who were APP
pointed a committee by the hospital au-
| fboritioc N ohcorya apJ ,aport ~, m