42S 



It needs scarcely be added that nature makes transitions and natural- 

 ists make divisions, and that divisions overlap. A reaction of the body 

 may become so marked that we speak of the presence of disease. More- 

 over some oi-gan or part of the body may be weakened and here the first 

 evidences of abnormal functioning, or ill health or disease, may appear. 



Types of Coniosis ob Dust Infection. — Coniosis can be considered as 

 an entity. It shades off on the one hand into health and on the other into 

 disease. By studying a large number of "dust \actims" one can distinguish 

 certain more or less well-defined types or varieties, briefly characterized 

 about as follows : 



liospiratory Type : This type manifests itself mainly by symptoms 

 or conditions that we commonly regard as colds and catarrh ; in more ad- 

 vanced cases with more or less active inflammation by affections with all 

 sorts of names, rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pul- 

 monitis. (Often there is much adventive tissue in the upper air passages 

 — adenoids, hypertrophied tonsils, etc; removal of such tissues may greatly 

 benefit.) 



Peripheral Type : This is marked by the appearance of more or less 

 ill defined pains and aches, at times by acute pains, especially at the site 

 of an old injury. The pain is variously referred to as rheumatic or neu- 

 ralgic. Pain may occur in anj- part of the body but may be localized in 

 the arm or leg or toe or in the head or chest. (So-called living barome- 

 ters are often dust victims who react acutely to dust influences.) 



Alimentary Tract Type: Under such a head may be grouped indi- 

 viduals with more or less marked digestive tract disturbances, notably by 

 conditions commonly regarded as dyspepsia and constipation. In some 

 there is an excess, in others a deficiency of hydrochloric acid; mucus may 

 be greatly in excess. (In studying the life histories of individuals one 

 may find that what at first was an excess of free H CI in time becomes 

 a deficiency, there may even be a total absence. So-called laboratory 

 examinations become highly important.) Where dust infection manifests 

 itself as more or less constant constipation during the closed door season 

 attention to diet, to exercise and the use of a proper laxative become 

 imperative. (The best laxative and the best tonic or alterative is pure 

 air — something many can not afford.) 



Nervous Type : Here one can distinguish between nervous and men- 

 tal symptoms. The ini]iortance of symptoms is largely dependent on the 



