What is Bright’s Disease

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2073, 27 May 1887, Page 2

What is Bright’s Disease

So much baa recently been said re garding '• Bright’s Disease " that we give o*nr reader* a diagnosis of the disease express’,y prepared by a medical man : Bright s disease of the kid'jey* consists of such a degeneration of th e tissues of the kidney that it losses its fall power to separate urea or urine from lire blood. The flow of blood through the kidneys is retarded in the minute vessels, congestion follows, and, instead of the urine only passing through the walls of these minute cells, the albumen and tibrme, " the life properties of the blood,” escape, the poison remaining. Eventually the entire blood becomes thoroughly corrupted, aud ruins every organ in the system. There are various name-, given to disordered conditions of the kidneys, such as albuminuria. micmia, nephritis, fatly degeneration of the kidneys, Ac., but they are all allied to the dreadful Bright’s disease, and will eventually terminate in that dreadful malady. Indeed, many persons are carried off by insidious kidney diseases without really ever knowing what ailed them.

“ Bright’s disease has no symptoms of its own, but has the symptoms of every other disease you can think of.” Albumen aud casts may or may not be present, and the specific gravity is not an absolute test. If a man breaks a limb he will expect to feel pain iu the injured member, but in kidney disease he may chiefly suffer in the other organs of the body. The secondary symptoms of Bright’s disease are among the commonest ailinuuts of humanity, and their ordinary occurrence disarms popular suspicion. “ Oh,” exclaims the man of active life, who does not foei as well as ha used to, “ I haven’t auy Bright’s disease 1 ” Precisely 1 You do not feel as well as formerly. Your bead aches oflenet and your eyesight suddenly proves faulty. The verdict of a celebrated authority on the subject is—" These symptoms are a sure forerunner of Bright’s disease." You have had a recent and mveteiious attack of asthma ; you have a hard cold on your lungs which you have been unable to dislodge—yon have spit bloody mucous ; you have felt a new aud singular sensation of heaviness in the region of the heart; you have a great depression of spirits without any known cause ; you have found it impossible to eat whatever and whenever yon wish ; your stomach bos been very sore, your appetite feeble, your bowels irregular; a mysterious weariness comes upon you ; yonr muscular system seems utterly helpless. The highest authorities tells us that all these symptoms are sure indications of Bright’* disease ! Whatever disease affects the kidneys produces the same effect in the liver, and the purging of blood, nausea, vomiting of bile and food, indigestion, constipation, piles, dizziness, persistent diarrhma, coming on to a person who has always been robust, are certain premonitions of Bright's disease. Having made a tour of the body, and finding no other organs which it cun destroy. tU „ the disease returns to the kidneys , the ► A aches intolerably, the uriue is dark, p ~ , brickdust deposit, and ropy ; casta anuear albumen is abundant; then oomea mu »oulap relaxation and nervous psostraP on . pa j g appear under the eyes, the t i>a,aoe i* pale and wears an appeare.uc, of fright convulsions ensue, the fp.tal diartb®* or pneumonia sets in, and death is the end. With some patients the disease runs slowly and for years. With others it comes as * thief in the night. Note these facts Mote adults are carried off in this ooi'Mrr by chronic kidney disease than by any other malady except consumption.—Thompson. Deaths from such diseases are increasing at the rate of 230 per cunt, a decade Edwards. Bright s disease Las no ej mptoms of its own, and may long exist without the knowledge of the patient or practitioner, as no pain will be felt In the kidneys or their vicinity.—Roberts, In the fatal casus, and most cases have hiUierto been fatal—idle symptoms of dieeased kidneys will hist appear in extremely different organs of the body, as stated above. —Thompson. Only when the disease b*s reached its dual and fatal stages may me usual symp* toms of albumen and casts appear in the water, aud will great pyj n racked the diseased organs.—Tbomp- ou _ There is b u t o ue remedial agent iu the world which has ever cured s pronounced W’: of Bright’s disease, aud has thus inspired the confidence of the physician, the patient, aud the public, aud that is Warner's sale cure.