The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-11-26

the greatest factor in restoring
these patients to health. There
was q time when they were en-
couraged to take active exercise
which simply broke down their re-
sistance and helped spread the dis
ease further through the lungs.
Open Air Treatment
We were also using fresh, open
air, q practice that was introduced
about one hundred years ago BY
George Bodington, who broke with
the old tradition Of shutting these
patients in alright rooms and put
them out in the open air, no matter
what the weather. The public was
shocked when he did this, and
thought the exposure would kill
the poor consumptives, but they
improved greatly. Fresh air, and
if they can afford it, sanatorium
treatment and q good climate are
still important elements in treat
ment.
Plenty Of excellent food was .
great factor in the treatment
thirty years ago. These people
still need extra nourishment, but
We have found that 1t can be over
done. It Is easy, when they are at
.est in bed, with fresh air to give
them an appetite, to put weight on
these patients. But 1t gives sense
Of false security and after the dis
ease IL quiescent when they get
back to activity, they regain their
emaciated appearance quickly.
Semi-surgical Methods
The great advance in treatment
has been in the use Of semi-surgi-
cal methods, most important Of
which Is collapse Of the affected
lung and the introduction Of air
into the pleural cavity thus i'm
mobilizing the lung - pneumo-
thorax. This Is done on nearly all
patients nowadays, and it has re-
suited in q great increase in the
number Of healed cases. The lung
has to be re-collapsed every week
or so, but II Is not nearly as for
midable q procedure as it sounds.
Many other surgical procedures
are carried out for tuberculosis be-
sides pneumothorax, such as col
lapse Of the entire side of the chest
wall or cutting the phrenic nerve
so that the diaphragm does not
move. All Of these surgical pro-
cedures depend for their efficacy
on the great principle Of putting
the lung entirely at rest.
Improved ' k BY Week
I have before me the autobiog-
raphy Of 4 patient who was med
ical student when he found he had
. moderately advanced case Of
tuberculosis. He had radical sur
thoracoplasty-and he re-
cords his sensations and expert
ences during the years that have
followed. Here was a trained OBJ
server who had some knowledge
Of the methods of treatment and
elected to use radical surgery for
tuberculosis. 1t was a great salts
faction to him TO note week by
week the improvement in his
symptoms and the way in which
the collapsed chest kept the dis
ease from spreading. People with
tuberculosis who may dread TO
face these extensive operations
may take some comfort and cour-
age from his experiences. The
most hopeful thing Of all is that
with these methods Of treatment,
new and old, we are able to restore
many patients to complete health.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
W. W.T. have small boils and
pimples on the back Of my neck
and my barber says they are due
to ingrowing hair. What can be
done about ingrowing hair?"
Answer: The hairs on your neck
will not be ingrowing il you do
not shave them. Let them grow
long, wash the neck every morn.
ing with soap and water and apply
ammoniated mercury ointment TO
the pimples every evening.
Troptrttn yUavtonop,s rna>rk $40.