86 THE NEW PHYSIOLOGY. 



air rich in oxygen we can meet the pressing danger and 

 progressive damage from want of oxygen. To make 

 this administration practically possible it is necessary 

 to have proper apparatus, and I recently devised an 

 apparatus for the continuous administration of oxygen, 

 so that not more is given than is actually required, 

 and none is wasted. This apparatus is in successful 

 use in the clearing stations of our army, and I hope 

 that apparatus of a similar or superior type may soon 

 be applied in ordinary medical practice for use in the 

 numerous cases where oxygen is, so far as I can judge, 



required. 



Bv giving oxygen we do not cure the lung inflamma- 

 tion. It might, therefore, be objected that in the long 

 run oxygen is useless, and only prolongs suffering. I 

 wish to emphasise very strongly that reasoning of this 

 kind is radically fallacious, and strikes at the root of 

 practically all medical and surgical interference. What 

 we do by giving oxygen is to keep the patient alive, by 

 preventing secondary injury, until time has been given 

 for the natural processes of recovery of the lung. We 

 are breaking a vicious circle, for the want of oxygen 

 produced by the injury to the lung is hindering, or 

 making completely impossible, recovery from the injury. 

 When the want of oxygen is removed, recovery can take 

 place in a normal manner. 



Medical or surgical interference of almost any kind 

 amounts to the same thing. By treating a wound 

 antiseptically or aseptically the surgeon breaks another 

 actual or potential circle ; for it is the infection rendered 

 possible by the wound that prevents the wound from 

 healing. The natural healing process is free to go on 



