428 " 



self liow much or how little he cau bear. Exposure to extremely bad air 

 comlitious, as going to a political meeting with spitters all about or riding 

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

 under continued exposure to relatively good air. 



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

 ol" complications and Coniosis proper may ultimately develop into what 

 the physician regards as disease and perhaps well-defined specific disease. 



Coniosis vs. Disease. — It seems a trait of human nature that the mo- 

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

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

 stantly sees this in dealing with his patients. What is the matter? he 

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

 merely comes for a 'iiftle metlicine." 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 undorstiuuls and rarely indeed asks further. And yet the physi- 

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

 defining nearly all the names current among the people or used in i)atent 

 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 feeling 

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

 lacking those who deny there is such a thing as disease, that it is ail 

 imaginary; they must be taught that just as there is a reaction when th^ 

 hand is put info hot water or when irritating smoke is inhaled, so then^ 

 will be a reaction on inhaling dust. Perhaps we had best not speak of 

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

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

 marked. When the subject is once understood each one can determine for 

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

 especially to rule out other reactions, so-called diseases. 



Some individuals or patients must be kept under observation for som ^ 

 time before a physician will venture on a diagnosis, some constantly 

 "fight for time." Diseases that can be readily and accurately diagnoped 

 and about which the opinions of different men will not vary greatly aro 



