Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-08-18
The Cure Of Consumption.
Practical Advice From One Who Has
Been Cured Of the Disease.

written during the past few years on the
prevention and cure of consumption, an
amazing amount of ignorance still exists
among otherwise intelligent people in re-
gard to the nature of the great white
plague" and the simple means which may
be employed to check, If not wholly stop
its devastating course. The writer of
these lines has had three years ex-
perience in struggling with the disease,
with exceptional opportunities for learn
ing and knowing In a practical way of the
various lines OF treatment now devised
for its prevention and cure, including
finally a sojourn Of some months in one
of the best known sanatoriums devoted
to this purpose. He is now restored to
health, and though a layman, feels i'm
PEELED to give a bit of advice, based on
his personal experience, to others who
may fan under the shadow Of this dread
malady.
The first and most important step in
the general treatment of tuberculosis is
an early recognition of its presence fol-
lowed by prompt application Of the right
methods of cure. The popular and wide
spread idea of a consumptive applies, in
fact, to a person who is in the advanced,
II not in the last and hopeless, stage of
the disease. Unless the victim has be-
come emaciated to pitiful degree, with
such symptoms as persistent and
distressing cough, hectic cheeks, night
sweats, and high temperature, he is not
thought to be consumptive in the popu-
lar conception of the word, one whose
condition calls for, and justifes, radical
measures. But tuberculosis, a term now
more frequent as applied to this disease,
may have a strong grip upon a person
long before 1t has manifested itself in
such symptoms as those just mentioned,
and 1t is in this earlier period, easily and
Enthusiastically discoverable by any regular
physician, that remedial measures should
be applied. Thus taken, the disease is
undoubtedly durable in the great majority
Of cases.
The thing to do therefore, is not to wait
until cancellation, night sweats, and high
fever have set in, but to go as soon as a
reasonable suspicion exists (aroused, per-
haps, by a persistent cough) that the
malady has begun its work to a physi-
clan competent to examine and discover
from an examination of the sputum, and
in other ways whether the suspicion is
founded in fact. Too much stress cannot
be laid upon securing this early recogni-
ton of the disease which may appear
while the afflicted person has yet many
of the outward appearances of robust
health. Delay Of a few weeks, or even
n few days in some cases, may mean all
the difference between early and com
plete recovery or a long hopeless fight
against the enemy Be wise in time. The
methods Of examination to determine the
presence of tubercle baclli are now so
common and within the reach of all ply
sicians that no difficulty need be ex-
perienced in arriving at a positive and
unmistakable conclusion in regard to the
matter.
The presence OF the disease being estab-
lished the next thing is to take prompt
advantage of the curative methods which
modern medical science investigation
and practice have proved to be efficacious
While not encroaching here with advice
into field which properly belongs to the
medical profession, n layman who has
been through the process and knows its
benefits may properly give a few hints
and suggestions which will be useful for
the guidance OF others afflicted as he has
been. The three chief factors in the cure
of tuberculosis now recommended and
relied upon by regular practitioners the
world over are these: fresh air plenty of
nutritious food. and freedom, as far as
possible. from exhausting effort either in
work or exercise. Except in certain
phases or complications of the disease no
medicines are given.
And, of the three factors mentioned, the
most important is the open, fresh air.
In former days the consumptive patient
was kept confined in a room carefully
| protected from the outside air. especially
at night and in the cold weather. Now
| the practice is the reverse of this. In
| Vestigation and practice have proved be-
| yond doubt that life in the open air day
and night, the year around, in all tenn
| peratures has a more certain effect in
overcoming tubercAlar symptoms than
any other one agency. The reasons for
! this are simple and obvious even to
| layman, but they cannot be reviewed here,
| High feeding with wholesome and nu-
| tritious food, such as milk and egg. is,
| perhaps, the second factor of Importance.
! The patient should force himself to eat
! heartily of such food, even though his
| appetite at times does not demand it.
| The waste of tissue in tuberculosis is
very great, and fresh air in the lungs and
! plenty Of digestible food help to Offset and
| overcome this waste. In the third place
! II is highly important that the strength
and vitality stored up by good food and
| an outdoor life should not be dissipated
| by worry, work, or too much exercise for
| the sake of exercise. The patient needs
| all the vitality he can summon to his aid
| to overcome the inroads OF the disease.
| He should be as careful as possible not
to expend it needlessly in other directions.
| The great advantage of these curative
| agencies of which we have spoken is that
they are simple, cheap, and easily ac-
cessible TO most people There is no
| mystery about them and they are not
patented To apply them and receive
| their benefits, IT is necessary only for the
| sufferer to act with promptness, per-
sistence, a resolute will, and according
to a systematic plan. Where these ele-
| mentS are lacking In the treatment tne
most expert physician can do but little
| The patient must necessarily act largely
| for himself II he would be cured. AS a
| leading authority on this disease once re-
marked to us: UNLESS a patient has
brains and uses them, there is little hope
for him. Force of character and strength
OF will, conjoined with the exercise Of
common sense are essential factors in
| every case" The treatment should be
followed, of course, under the guidance Of
a physician, and preferably of one who
has made a speciality of tubercular
| diseases.
The probabilities for an early and per-
manent recovery from tuberculosis will
be greatly enhanced II the patient will
put himself as soon as possible under the
treatment of one of the regular sanator-
iums maintained for this purpose. Among
the chief advantages of such treatment
are the constant care and oversight of
experts in the disease and the systematic
and continuous application OF the curative
agencies of fresh air, good food, etc,
under conditions most likely to effect the
desired results. Pure air, nutritious food,
and freedom from overwork may often
be found at home, but human nature is
such that these things are rarely sought
and applied with as much Vigor, system,
and perseverance as they should be, and
as they are applied under the rules and