Tcriniiialidii iii Recovery: Pcalli. loi 



their cure and for proph>laxis against them. Of course, no rem- 

 edy has been found for death, the inevitable end of development 

 of' all living beings, and the laws of nature can by no medica- 

 ment, whatever its power, be broken. Yet the skillful use of the 

 means of nature may hold ofif premature death and may assist the 

 injured body to regain its health. Medical art can prevent fatal 

 haemorrhages, it loosens adhesions, cuts away what is unfit, 

 dilates narrow canals, has antidotes at its disposal, can procure 

 rapid evacuation of the bowel or emesis, remove foreign objects 

 from the body, relieve promptly nervous strain, alleviate pain 

 directly, often correct irregularity of cardiac action, reduce dan- 

 gerous temperatures and accomplish a multitude of services with- 

 out which a given disease might well end unfavorably or be 

 protracted over a tedious course. 



After recovery begins at the close of a general affection, there 

 occurs a period, known as convalescence, the subject still evincing 

 muscular weakness and marked sensitiveness to external influences. 

 [During this period there are taking place various reparative and 

 reconstructive processes in the economy, looking to the restoration 

 of altered and destroyed elements, and, too, functional efficiency is 

 being re-established, and all remaining factors of the previous 

 disease are being finally eliminated from the system.] 



Recovery is regarded as incomplete where, after a disease has 

 run its course, there persist in the economy conditions preventing 

 normal functional efficiency of the organs or where there is evi- 

 dent some permanent impairment of tissue [sequelcc of disease]. 

 As illustrative of this may be mentioned deformities of bones, 

 cicatricial strictures of canals, kinks of the intestines, pericardial, 

 pleural or other adhesions by bands of connective tissue result- 

 ing from the previous disease, opacity of the normally transparent 

 media of the eye, palsies of muscles and nerves, or the defects 

 left after ulceration or burns. 



Termination of disease in death (e.vitiis lethalis or letalis, 

 from /t^f7/;;/, death; from Ky)et) forgetfulness, \avedvw to make forget- 

 ful) occurs when the organs which subserve the most important 

 and necessary processes of vitality suspend their function. Inas- 

 much as continuance of life depends in an important measure 

 upon the uninterrupted supply of blood containing oxygen to the 

 medulla oblongata through the action of the heart, underlying which 

 must be recognized the necessity for respiratory movements regu- 

 lating the efficiency of the pulmonary surface in the intake of 



