DIAGNOSIS OF DISEASES. 15 



fore are noted only when certain organs are suffering. For 

 this reason local symptoms are of great importance in diag- 

 nosis. General symptoms originate from the sympathy of the 

 whole organism induced when varied organs are diseased. 

 General symptoms may arise from the primary disease and be 

 called (a) direct symptoms, or they may be due to complica- 

 tions or sequela when they are spoken of as (b) indirect 01 

 accidental symptoms. 



To determine the affected organ all symptoms are care- 

 fully reconsidered in the order in which they were determined. 

 The healthy apparatus are for the time being disregarded, 

 the diseased apparatus are given special consideration. 



A variation in the normal functional activity of an organ 

 does not in itself indicate disease, it may simply be a compen- 

 satory variation (one due to an opposite variation in a similar 

 organ) due to the primary morbid condition. The therapeut- 

 ist's object is to ascertain the primarily affected 

 organ, bring about a cure in this and secondarily cause the 

 sympathetically affected organ to regain its natural condition 

 and activity. 



To discover the primarily affected organ requires a 

 knowledge of the morbid processes that take place in each 

 organ and of the local and general symptoms produced by 

 them. This requirement is still more important for the final 

 aim or ultimate purpose of diagnostics, viz : 



The recognition of the disease itself according to 

 kind, etiology, intensity and duration 

 The method of examination of each organ will therefore be 

 followed by a short description of the most important diseases 

 of each. 



One who has not yet learned from his school training or 

 practical experience, to appreciate the various symptoms which 

 characterize each of the diseases and who has not a well- 

 defined mental picture of the appearance of each of the dis- 



