428 



sell' how iiuKli (If how little he cau bear. Exposure to extremely liad aii" 

 coiulitions, as going to a political meeting with spitters all about or riilin'j; 

 ill a dirty car, may bring on a prompt reaction, or the reaction may appear 

 under continued exi)osure to relatively good air. 



Since infected dust is a variable quantity there is more or less danger 

 of complications and Coniosis proper may ultiniately develop into what 

 !he physician regards as disease and perhaps well-detined specific disease. 



CoNiosis vs. Disease. — It seems a trait of human nature that the uk;- 

 nient a name is given to a thing or a phenomenon the mind is satisfied and 

 makes no further inquiry, except the scientitic mind. The physician con- 

 stantly sees this in dealing with his patients. What is the matter? h^' 

 will be asked by his patient, who often enough has his own diagnosis and 

 merely comes for a "little medicine." If told he has a cold, or bronchitis 

 or rheumatism, or stomach trouble, or heart or kidney trouble, etc.. he 

 usually asks no further, still more rarely about causes. If he does ask 

 about the cause or causes and is told his trouble is due to "cold" he 

 thinks he understands and rarely indeed asks further. And yet the physi- 

 cian has great difficulty in defining a "cold," just as he has difficulty l;: 

 defining nearly all the names current among the people or used in patent 

 medicine advertisements. 



As long as we look upon every reaction of the body as a disease, or 

 that a certain combination of symptoms constitutes a disease, the average 

 individual will make no effort to find the reason why he is not feelina: 

 well, nor will he make any radical attempts to get well. There are not 

 lacking those who denj" there is such a thing as disease, that it is all 

 imaginary; they must be taught that .iust as there is a reaction when th > 

 i,nnd is jiut info hot water or when irritating smoke is inhaled, so there 

 will be a reaction on inhaling dust. rerhai)S we had best not speak of 

 disease at all, only of a reaction, and that this reaction moreover depends 

 on what may bo called individual susceptibility, varying from slight to 

 marked. When the subject is once understood ea<'h one can determine for 

 himself to what extent he is susceptible; a good ithysician will help him. 

 especially to rule out other I'cacticuis, so-called diseases. 



Some individuals or ])atients nuist be keiit under observation for soni ' 

 time before a physician will venture on a diairnosis. some constantly, 

 "light for time." Kiseases that can be readilv and aciiiralely diagnose I 

 and about which the opinions of different men will not vary greatly ar;> 



