El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-19

BY WOODS HUTCHINSON. A. VI. VI. ID.
,The Worlds Most Popular Writer on
Medical SubJects.)
I'VE decline TO take anything for
M granted and summit TO 1t as
matter of course nowadays
Twenty years aEo-or even ten
everybody expected to get more or less
stiff and rheumaticky and achy in their
bones after they passed their fortieth
or fiftieth year.
Now We know that almost every
t.ainfuI OF acutely uncomfortable
change in middle or later life in the
course Of growing old is due not to ma
ture. but 10 disease The only ques-
ton is How can we best prevent IL
OF course the term rheumatism is
very vague and wholesome sort OF
name. and covers a multitude OF sins
against our bodily comfort.
Any ache OF pain or soreness IN
Joint or limb or a muscle which is with
out clear excuse for existence is dubbed
rheumatism. And perhaps We are right
half the time. which is a fairly high
average in any but the most expert
diagnosis
We knew % or even ~ years ago
that the term was used too loosely, sun
we continued to apply it 10 all sorts OF
painful conditions OF which we did not
know the cause
Correct surmIse.
Although the disease had no notice
able tendency to spread from one per
son to another. and. also. in spite or the
fact that ARCHAEOLOGICAL examination
of both the inflamed Joints and the
blood failed 10 disclose rheumatic
germ" il was felt that germs or in
d a
Of the difficulty.
This surmise was correct-"buEs
sure enough were the cause or rheu-
u1atisn: only they did not act directly.
but AT long range. so to speak, and IN
the second place. not Immediately. but
only at second hand, or, to put II more
accurately, in the third or fourth gem
Grafton.
serious and Gripping form of rheuma-
tisnl. usually involving either the knee
or the elbow joint. which occurs after
an attack of venereal disease and Is
called gonorrheal rheumatism
Second Hand Germs.
Here the germs were found 70 be
either not present at all in the injected
.ofnt or only IN small mum bers, but 10
nave reached It by pouring their toxins
OF poisons into the blood IN such large
quantities that finally the Joint olazed
out into an Inflammation under the
continued saturation.
Just as soon as the local tTouole was
cleared up the inflaumation in the
joint faded away as II by magic An
even swifter effect was produced by
injecting into the patients blood
germs Of the disease
Evidently here the germs were caus-
ing the trouble. not at first mana, ouI
at second hand; not in person, nut oy
marcel post. through the common car
rier Of the body, the blood.
Carried BY other Ills
About the same time. or little later
il was discovered on going very care
fully into the history of A large num-
Der Of cases of rheuma tism. that al
though they showed no signs OF any
form OF acute infection either IN the
form Of a cold in the head or sofS
throat or an infected wound or scratch
in the skin at the time that the FONTS
began TO swell, nearly % per cent o.
them gave clear and definite history u
having had and apparently recoNeleu
from an attack of some mild acute IN
lection within from one TO three weeks
OF the outbreak Of the rheumatism
The curious part Of it was tnat II
didn't seem 10 make much difterehGe
where or what this infection was II
might he ordinary tonsilitis or other
1 form of sore throat. simple ooId IN
the head an attack Of diphtheria, pneu-
monia. scarlet fever, typhoid fever. or
a whirl of dysentery. diarrhea or sum
mer sickness Any one or them VS.
apparently capable of letting IN OF pre-
rheumatism
II was noticed that several patients
with chronic rheumatism in one or
more joints who happened 10 nave
gum boils or other assesses ABOUT the
roots of their teeth OF pus pockets IN
their tOnsils. or offensive catarrhal
! discharges from the nose. found their
rheumatism improved when these an
scesses were opened up. drained, ana
given thorough antiseptic treatment
The germs IN these Assesses appeared
TO be merely the ordinary pus germs,
stepoccoci and staphylococci- We did
not in the least know why they shoulo
show a special appetite for the JOINTS
but there was the helpful fact and We
Jumped at II eagerly. The results soon
showed that we were on the rlght
! track at last
Hidden Bugs the Cause.
And for the last five or six years
almost every case Of rheumatism
which has come into the hospital or
the doctors office has been gone over,
figuratively speaking. with bacterlo-
logic fine toothed comb to see whether
some pocket OF pus or concealed ao-
scess or tiny robbers roost of bugs
hiding away in some nook or corner
Of the bOdy's premises, could be dis
( covered.
In probably two-thirds OF all the
cases. some such focus. as il is termed.
can De found, and when 1t is found
and emptied, providing. OF course, Il
ir the only or chief one concerned.
there is most gratifying improve
ment in the condition Of the joint or
joints