HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 54

HEALTH COLUMN.

Another Sure Cure for Consumption.

Consumption is one of the most dreaded and deadly diseases afflicting humanity. It is therefore natural tlr.it everyone, high ur low, ignorant or wise, should be interested Ui anything which promises to cure, or even alleviate this dreaded scourge. Because of our very hope, we are more the credulous, vhich explains why so many vaunted cures are announced, widely accepted, enthusiasticeliy exploited ; but all, alas, sooner or later pass into oblivion, their claims for potency having been unsubstantiated. We are asked now to consider the claims of another cure, and a unique one, too, which appears to be a. little better introduced and under more respectable circumstances than same of its pi edeccs&ors, which have been little other than quackery.

At the recent annual meeting of the American uieclical Association, held at Denver, a Chicago doctor delivered an address on " The Surgery of the Lungs," in which he described some experiments with his methods of treat-

ment. It is the substance of his paper which his caused the publication of columns of newspaper reports. The author holds the belief that tuberculosis of the lungs has a tendency to cure itself if left to itself — in other words, if the lungs be kept quiet, immovable, the disease would quickly die out. But if one's lungs are kept without movement it of cour.se follows that life it&elt must cease. Bun this ingenious physician proposes to immi bili.se just that portion of the lung which is affected, and his method for doing this is decidedly original. He describes his theory and method oi treatment somewhat at length, it being in substance as follows: — "It has been found by experiment by myself and others that thereupon that a person is enabled (o live and breathe Avith a large portion of the, lung tissue gone is that the capability of the lung is fully ten times as great as the ajctual working surface — that is, there is nine times as much tissue in reserve as there is in actual use, and if a portion of the lung is removed, the remainder will expand and fill the plural cavity.' thus giving as much working surface as before. This t haw demonstrated, first by experiment on. dogs, and afterwards on humans. ' The sore snots in the' cavities and on the tissue?; of the lungs, while in constant motion as in breathing, are prevented from healing ju-t as any sore, if constantly irritated, will remain open. A sore on any part of the body wculd not heal if it were being continuously pulled apart. The tendency of the tubercular sore is to heal, and it left alone it will heal. '• The way to do this is by withdrawing the air. That 'the air can be withdrawn with safety is demonstrated pathologically in tho tieatment of pleurisy and other diseases in which air and fluid have been drawn off. Tlie veiy best way to get this effect is by compressing the lung or placing pressure upon lfc. There are two ways of doing this. One is by removino- the ribs and allowing the chest to collap.se. The pressure of the side, will prevent air from entering and prevent the spread of the disease. A far better way, and one which I adopted after much experiment,, is the introduction into the cavity of gas. Iho bist <?as for the purpose is pure nitrogen, tor, unlike air and oxygen, it has no effect, on the tissues, and will not be absorbed. Air might remain in the cavity for a week, or even longer, and then would find its way out by being absorbed, but the lung needs a longer rest than this, and nitrogen I find to be perteclly adapted to the purpose. "I have been working on tins subject foi three years, but during the past year T wye experimented practically with tins method I have tried it in five cases of advanced tuberculosis with unqualified success As a KMilfc T can with safety say that, unless the Kin* if entirely gone, a permanent cure can be effected. The action of the nitrogen compresses the lung and gives it an entire vest. The nodule of tho tuberculosis becomes cicatvfced or scarified into a solid substance and the tissue builds \ip around it. " In the five cases in which I have used this treatment cure was effected in from four to eight weeks. The nitrogen treatment is exceedingly simple. It consists mostly of introducing a "hypodermic needle through which nitrogen "is injected. The needle is supplied with a stopcock, by which the amcunt introduced can be regulated. lliere is o sensation of short-breathedness for a few moments in some cases, which immediately disappears*, and in every case is followed by relief, perhaps the first time in years. This is particularly noticeable in the absence of the tickling sensation which causes the patient to cough, and the cough disappears immediately. The patient is in no way affected, is not'reouired to take to his bed. and cai continue his usual business without inconvenience. At the end of a few weeks the nitrogen is withdrawn and air admitted, and the lung expands to its usual dimensions. If the cough returns, put in more nitrogen and give the lung another rest, which will surely cure it." We confess we hardly understand just the practical application of all this; how the air can be drawn out of a man's lungs by using a hypodermic syringe, nitrogen pumped in to take its place, 'and then the lung sealed up and Kept from expanding and contracting m unison with the other lung is a matter beyond our lay apprehension, lint perhaps the doctor knows how to do it. We are willing to believe it all until we are forced to believe otherwise. We < mnut mu^inie tiia habit of being sanguine V, hoi" vi-i a new cure is announced, and s<> v itb thi« imm., but " r ° are very careful to mitlior commend nor condemn, but mereh wait kr developments.-* The Pharmaceutical Et\