April 25, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



257 



general state, weight 9 stones 4 pounds, and I am well satis- 

 fied with his progress. 



" Case VII. — On May 21 first saw this patient. Father 

 and his brothers had died from consumption. Occupation 

 dust-inhaling; liable to colds, slight cough, hectic, frequent 

 diarrhoea, voice changed, and face pale; height 5 feet 5^ 

 inches; chest girth at ensiform cartilage, on inspiration 27^ 

 inches, expiration 25 inches. Commencing disease of- right 

 lung. June 26, appetite fair; air entering more freely; 

 ctiest-girth, on inspiration 28^ inches, expiration 26 inches. 

 July 24, looks very well, sleeps well, appetite good, no 

 cough, voice natural, te'nperature normal, air entering 

 freely everywhere, good movement; chest-girth, on inspira- 

 tion 29| inches, expiration 27 inches, showing an increase 

 of 2:^ inches. The patient has .practically recovered. Still 

 well. 



"Case VIII. — Patient's mother's family consumptive. 

 Dust-inhaling occupation. Has had cold upon cold, pale, 

 appetite bad, fingers clubbed, pain over middle of third right 

 rib, cough troublesome; temperature 99.1°. Disease of both 

 lungs. Heights feet 9^ inches; chest girth, on inspiration 

 36^ inches, expiration 33^ inches. June 18, says he is first- 

 class, looks better, appetite good ; no cough, no pain in chest; 

 air entering freely, more movement, apices higher; and 

 chest-girth, on inspiration 37f inches, expiration 35 inches. 

 July 17, sleeps well, eats well, and looks well. Tempera- 

 ture normal; weight 10 stones 9 pounds; no pain, no cough, 

 no expectoration ; air freely entering everywhere; and chest- 

 girth, on inspiration 38 inches, expiration 34f inches, being 

 an increase of If inches. Patient has nearly recovered, and 

 returned to work. Continues well. 



" Case IX. — This patient has been getting thin, feels 

 weak, pale, and appetite capricious. Occupation in a base- 

 ment partly lighted by gas always. Commencing disease 

 ■of left lung, breathing generally feeble, and very little 

 movement. Temperature 96.6°; height 5 feet 8 inches; 

 -chest-girth, on inspiration 35 inches, expiration 32 inches. 

 Aug. 29. says lie feels quite well, and looks it; air entering 

 freely everywhere, movement good ; chest-girth, on inspira- 

 tion 375 inches, expiration 32:^ inches, showing an increase 

 of 2^ inches; temperature normal; weight 10 stones 3 

 pounds. This patient is practically well. Still well. 



"Case X. — Patient has been losing weight for about 

 twelve months, appetite very bad, cough very troublesome, 

 hectic, perspiration at night; temperature 99 4°; height 5 

 feet 5 inches ; chest-girth at ensiform cartilage, on inspira- 

 tion 26|^ inches, expiration 25^ inches; very little move- 

 ment, very little air entering; disease of both lungs. Sept. 

 18, has been to Hastings. Looks well, sleeps well, cough 

 only occasional when exposed to cold, appetite wonderfully 

 good, voice greatly improved, air entering freely, fair gen- 

 eral movement; chest-girth, on inspiration 29^ inches, ex- 

 Ijiration 26f inches, showing an increase of 3 inches. Mak- 

 ing splendid progress. 



" Case XI. — Saw this patient on the 10th of July. JDis- 

 sease of both lungs. Temperature 99°; expectoration 

 colored, cough very troublesome, had been losing weight; 

 chest-girth, on inspiration 26 inches, expiration 24f inches. 

 Sent to Hastings. Sept. 29, looks very much better, little 



cough, appetite good, steadily 'putting on flesh, air freely 

 entering, movement good; and chest-girth, on inspiration 

 28i inches, expiration 25^^ inches, being an increase of 2^ 

 inches. This patient is making most satisfactory progress. 



" Case XII. — Patient has extensive disease of both lungs. 

 Hemoptysis six years ago, and from time to time up to 

 date. Has tried Madeira, Torquay, etc. Height 5 feet 7f 

 inches; chest-girth, on inspiration 25 inches, expiration 25:|- 

 inches. Sept. 27, decidedly better, breathing much easier, 

 more air entering generally, moist sounds clearing up; chest- 

 girth, on inspiration 27i^ inches, expiration 26f inches, show- 

 ing an increase of 2^ inches. Going to Hastings. There is 

 a little hope for this patient." 



Further, the literature of consumption supplies us with a 

 mass of evidence that clearly and unquestionably x^oints to 

 the accuracy of the above results. In the first place, an 

 examination of the circumstances in which the numerous 

 recorded cases of arrest, whether for a longer or shorter 

 period, have taken place, shows that conditions that tend to 

 obtain compensatory action by one or more of the other 

 organs, those that tend to develop the lungs, or both associ- 

 ated together, were always present. Formerly arrests were 

 sometimes obtained by the induction of an ai-tiScial skin- 

 disease, by the use of counter-ii-ritants, by bathing and 

 sponging, and by preparations acting on the skin, kidneys, 

 and digestive tract. Patients sent to hilly districts in the 

 country, to the seaside, to warmer climates, where more 

 time was spent out of doors, or to the mountains, have ob- 

 'tained an arrest of the disease, and similar results have fol- 

 lowed the taking-up of the trade of testing wind-instruments 

 or practising various methods of inhalation.' 



Not only have such conditions been invariably present 

 where a temporary arrest has been effected, but they also, 

 and especially those that tend to develop the lungs, have al- 

 ways been for a long time present in all the cases in which 

 a complete cure has been obtained.'' We know that men 

 have completely recovered after following an occupation in 

 the open air for many years, after long residence in moun- 

 tainous districts, after many years spent in constant travel- 

 ling, and after leading an active life on the borders of civi- 

 lization in all parts of the world. Such are the thousands 

 of happy results that have been so correctly described by 

 Walshe as "Nature's cures." But there was a physician 

 who could, and did, cure consumption by a definite method 

 of treatment, as distinguished from the accidental nature of 

 the recoveries above referred to, and that was Sydenham. 

 He ordered his patients to continuously ride on horseback 

 till they got well. This exercise was to be taken in the 

 country, where the air was good; the riding was to be in- 

 creased from seven to one hundred and fifty miles a day; 

 and the patients were only to stop for food for themselves 

 and horses, and not to remain more than one night in a 

 place. And of this method of treatment he said, "I have 

 put very many upon this exercise, and I can truly say I 

 have missed the cure of very few." 



^ Euehle (Ziemssen), Meckel, Powell, Ewart, Hanot (Jaccoud), Hirtz, 

 Magnus Huss, Blake, Roger and Boudet, Heitler, Laennee, Cotton, Clark. 



2 Frieund, Case in Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh (Lauder-Brunton), Cruveil- 

 hier, De Mussy, Fuentes, Harrhy, Stokes, Ewart, Herman- Weber, Andrew, 

 Austin Flint, Fuller, MacCormac, Germain SiSe, Hastings, etc. 



