The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-23
DOCTORS DIFFER
I ONDUST QUESTION
Do Filth and Dust Help Business
Of Eye and Throat
Spccialists1
FIGURES POINT THAT WAY
The Specialists Seem to Be Max
ing More Money Than
Other Doctors.
FIGURES POINT THAT WAY

Perhaps people who have not made
| q special study OF the subject would be
surprised to know how mitch money Is
paid by sufferers In this city to doctors
who make a speciality Of treating eye,
| car and throat trouble. There Is no way
is paid annually in this city for the ser
vice of these indispensable members OF
the medical and surgical profession, but
the books in the offices Of the commits
sloner of revenue and the tax collector so
to show that as class they are MAILING
more money than the other doctors CT
the city. According to these books they
confess to incomes, over and above the
six hundred dollars limit. ranging all the
way from seven hundred to seven thou
sand dollars.
That Is a much better average than the
general medical practitioners report Not
only this, but 1t Is much better aver
age income than Is made by tho same
class OF specialists in any other Southern
city. from which accurate information
can be obtained.
Why Is It So.
one naturally gets to asking questions.
rs Richmond worse on the eye the throat,
the ear and the nose than other cities?
The revenue of the doctors would AZ least
suggest an affirmative answer L hen 10
what extent Is the poor system OF street
cleaning here responsible for TINS as
tinCtionT
A half dozen specialists have been
interviewed within the past day or Two
by Times Dispatch representative, ana
It may be remarked in parenthesls that
1t has taken two days to lnterVle" lhehi'
for they were too busy curing sore eyes
and diseased threats to talk 70 news
paper men and the reportorial interroga-
ton man had to lode his time ana eaten
the busy doctors In off hours.
The specialists who make handsome IN
comes working on defective eyes stopped
I'm ears, bad throats and plugged hasal
organs are not agreed on the questlon
as to the responsibility Of Richmond DUST
for the good incomes they enjoy. but they
all talked, however, on the ground thit
they were modest and especially op-
posed to talking shop; In print names
will not be called.
A Franklin Street doctor said.
II am sure that ninety per cent. OF the
people of Richmond are suffering 70
greater or less extent from catarrhal
trouble, and 1t Is my honest opinion that
nine out Of ten of them would not be
sufferers from catarrh but for the dirty
condition In which the streets are kept
All kinds of germs are In the dust that
the street cleaners stir up along Frank
lin Street, and, of course. these germs
njure the eyes. the ears and tho throat.
They are particularly productive of ca
tnrrh If Franklin Street was washed
off twice a day by hose attached to plugs
Franklin Street people would save lot
of catarrh doctors bills, to say nothing
of suffering and inconvenience"
A Grace Street doctor said:
'Why certainly. Dust-laden germs In |
crease and irritate any trouble OF the
eye, nose or throat. Fine dust cuts the
mucous membrane. Dust in eye causes
chronic conjunctivitis drrltatlon, and
makes way for more serious diseases.
Dust enlarges tonsils, which, according
to DR. Osler. the tho point Of entrance to
the lungs for tubercular Infection
A large per cent. of the patients have
their diseases made longer continued and
more intricate on account of dust rrita-
ton and infection. !
There is no specific disease caused ny |
dust as far MS | know, except the occu-
patton asthma Of glass iron Orders, etc. |
street dust is the greatest encourager |
of asthma. The ear Is also affected |
through dust irritation in the throat.
street dust" said another well known |
specialist "cnlarges all mucous mem |
brancs, which are always open to germ
diseases.
1T has n mechanical effect on bron- !
chia tubes which, If kept up, produces
asthma. and chronic bronchitis. 1t also |
produces II cough, which is very liable
to develop into consumption, etc. The !
cough Is generally caused by dust irrita- |
ton in the nostrils. which spreads down
into the throat and lungs"
The doctor above quoted published an
interesting article on THE very inter-
Testing cause of coughs in a madca |
magazine some time back, in which he |
said, among other things:
Dust may not be the direct cause Of, |
but prepares the soil for tubercular in |
fiction. Likewise 1t prepares the eye |
for any Infection"
Yesterday this doctor added.
"Richmond street dust Is alive with |
germs, waiting to enter on this prepared |
soil"
AS stated in the outset, tho doctors |
differ, and three specialists Interviewed |
declared it to be their belief that the
unclcan streets and the dust have moth |
ing whatever 10 do with the prevalence |
of catarrh, sore eyes and bad threats |
In this good town. They did not give n |
reason for the faith they expressed. but |
they were very emphatic in the opinions |
set forth