The Washington herald., 1909-03-11
ADVOCATES REST
FOR CONSUMPTION
DR.. Flick Decries Talk of ViO-
lent Physical Exercise.
HELPS HARMFULLY APPLIED
Swift Progress in Wrong Direction
by Too Much ExertiOn-Diet Of Milk
and Eggs Largely Misinterpreted.
One DeIusiOn of Physicians Is @Fat-
teninE"-Paris and London.


10 exercise. You could not give him
more dangerous counsel Death often
follows from the consequent overstrain. {"
This was the crux of a lecture given by
DR.. Lawrence Flick. Of Philadelphia. be-
fore the Washington Medical Society last
evening. The speaker is one OF the fore
most authorities on tuberculosis in this
country.
Rest Required.
What the tuberculous patient requires
IS rest-rest for his overworked muscles.
his overworked brain. his overworked
heart. You could not err greatly in d.
recting him to take to his bed for six
weeks. That is the natural way to attack
his malady- Thus the reeuperatIve and
regenerative powers OF the body are given
full sway
Whenever a sick man forces himself
70 take exercise you may be sure that
deep wrong is done. When a patient
literally Obeys an order 10 walk in the
open. from morning until night, swift
progress IS being made in the wrong di-
Tection- The theory upon which the ad-
vice was given is all right. but its ap-
piicati0n all wrong.
There are many popular misconcep-
tions about the treatment Of tuberculosis
Many of them have been spread abroad
by medical authorities themselves. They
have been carried TO an extreme. and
thus defeated their own purpose. The
simple rules and methods Of the present
day are excellent when one knows when
and when not 70 apply them.
MIX and Eggs.
The diet OF milk and eggs is largely
misinterpreted in the popular mind I
know Of nothing more harmful when
rigidly applied. that is, when absolutely
limited. have found patients starving
through overfeedlng Of milk and eggs.
with nutrition at a minimum.
The fact is that when the physician
finds a condition obviously pointing TO
lack Of nutrition. he should set 10 work
10 find the food elements which. properly
balanced, VIII change that condition. and
should not pin his faith 10 any single
diet when it is not producing results.
Another delusion Of the physician is
found upon the question OF fsttening his
patient When he proceeds on the as
sumption that greater weight means
greater vigor and health he holds TO A
uduBeIpuS lHeofy- W hen the patient has
reached his normal weight. no attempt
should be made to press him beyond it.
His food allowance should be immediate
" decreased He should be given only
sufficient to keep him at the weight he
has attained. This is the conservative
method and It produces the best results.
Steady Decline.
In London there has been steady
decline in the tuberculosis death rate
because the municipal authorities have
established hospitals and sanatoriuns.
The poor are in a wretched condition. and
1t is natural to find tuberculosis prevalent
among them Yet the prompt action OF
the health officials has kept it largely in
check
In Paris, on the other hand. the same
diminishing death rate is not found. Paris
Is far more eleanly and sanitary city
than London, but the same scientific
facilities for fighting the white plague
are not found there"