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ments to the common multitude, that by their medicines, their contrivances, or their skill, the cure of fixed Consumption is an event of common occurrence, for in any given case it is possible, not more; while it is in the highest degree probable in any given case, that such case will die, and that at no distant day. A cure, that is, a permanent arrest of unmistaken Consumption, ought in all cases to be striven for, resolutely, hopefully, to the last day of life, but assurance of probable success in any instance is a wrong done to a weak and trusting fellow man.

CLUSTERS OF TUBERCLES.

I here give the reason for the statement just made, that the permanent arrest of consumptive disease in its advanced stages should be always striven for to the last. To a person in actual Consumption, what I am about to say will afford more solid, rational comfort and encouragement than will repay him for the trouble of reading this book. And knowing as I do the full truth of the statements, and which too will be corroborated by any intelligent physician, I will make them in a manner not capable of misapprehension, every word has its full natural meaning, there are no mental reservations, nothing to be "understood" in the sense of the agreements of nominatives and verbs, so inscritable and perplexing to the young grammarian.

I wish to direct very special attention to these remarks in reference to Consumption, since many have been hastily abandoned, and have died in consequence of their neglect, who otherwise might have lived.

A person never dies from a first or single attack of Consumption. Persons generally get well of one, two,

three, or more attacks of this disease; but each attack weakens and impairs the constitution, and these continuing to follow one another, there is at length a wreck and ruin of the whole. I mean by an attack of Consumption, as follows:

From causes previously named, tubercles, which may be termed the seeds of Consumption, form about the lungs: not over the lungs generally, but in small patches or clusters, as large as a half dime piece, and many times larger; between these patches the lungs are healthy and sound; these patches of tubercles would produce no inconvenience, if they did not ripen; that is, enlarge, turn yellow, and run together a liquid mass, as small shot if laid side by side on a shovel in the fire, will run together, when melted. When this ripening process commences, by the tubercles beginning to increase in size, preparatory to softening, the person begins to cough more, and he thinks he has taken a fresh cold; as the mass becomes more liquid, it moves more or less by change of position, or by the air, in breathing, passing through it; this motion causes it to act, as any other foreign body would act in the lungs, a crumb of bread for example; that is, produces a tickling sensation, which causes irrepressible cough; this cough is an effort of nature to rid the lungs of this foreign, irritating, inflaming substance; it is an effort of nature to cure the patient; as soon as it is all out, the cough subsides, and the patient begins to get well; just as a boil begins to get well when all the matter is removed from it, and never before. Tubercles ripen in spots, as berries do in a berry patch. But, unfortunately, no sooner is the patient rid of one ripening process, feels better, and begins to hope anew, when another cluster begins to ripen, and the same pro

cess has to be gone over again; and thus it is in ceaseless succession for months and even years sometimes, until the poor suffering body is wearied and worn to a skeleton, and death at last ends the tedious conflict.

This is the case where there are a number of clusters of tubercles, in different parts of the lungs. But sometimes, from causes unknown to us, there is but a single cluster, while the lungs are in every other part perfectly sound. In a case like this, a person goes through all the symptoms of regular Consumption, more or less violent, according to the size of the patch, and strength of his constitution; and when the last remnant of matter is coughed up, the cough ceases, the system gets repose, gains strength, and the man gets permanently well, because there is no other cluster of tubercles to carry him through a similar process. The most of constitutions are able to go through several such attacks; any one, on reflection, will find that those whom he has known to die of Consumption, did not do so until they had gotten better and worse many times, and the appearance of the lungs after death confirms this view of the case.

From this we may see the propriety of resolutely battling with Consumption to the very last, in the hope that each may be the last cluster to contend with; for very often, even if a final cure is not effected, a year or two more of life is added, in a considerable degree of healthfulness and comparative enjoyment. And although I would not say anything to excite strong hopes of life in a person who is already confined to his room and bed from Consumption fixed in the system, yet what has been stated in reference to clusters of tubercles, should not be lost sight of, as the following case will show, taken from the London Lancet, p. 185, March 1852, giving a report

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of a medical lecture by T. Thompson, M. D., F. R. S., where the patient having all the prominent marks of Consumption in May, 1848, was treated accordingly, and to all appearance was cured, and remained so for two years, when she died of bilious diarrhoea. There was naturally a strong desire to see her lungs, to decide whether she did really have Consumption, and whether or not the disease had been permanently arrested. The lungs were taken out and carefully preserved by Dr. Quain, in London, and may now be seen at any time as an example of what in conventional language may be termed a 6 CURE' of Consumption in the THIRD STAGE. The full account is given in the "Transactions of the Pathological Society for 1851-2." The lungs have five lobes or divisions, three on the right side, two on the left; nearly the whole of the upper lobe of the left lung was destroyed by tubercular disease, but it was so contracted as to present a cavity about the size of a large walnut, containing about half a teaspoonful of a wheylike fluid. The left lung displaced nine inches of water, while the right lung displaced twenty-three inches. This shows how large a portion of the lungs may decay away, and yet recovery may take place, and good health be enjoyed. Giving ocular proof, as Dr. Quain observes, "of the great extent to which the ravages of Consumption may extend, and yet be stayed."

The whey-like substance contained in the cavity, is in the nature of a lubricant thrown out by nature to keep the parts from becoming rigid and dry, and which may keep up through life, in persons who have been cured, some cough and expectoration, which in such a case are of healthful tendency.

The reader has perhaps had opportunities of noticing in his own sphere of observation, proofs of the fact stated above, that persons do not die of first attack of Consump tion, in dialogues of this kind: 'How is such an one? He is quite well now, but sometime ago we thought he was going into a decline.' Such cases are where the cluster of tubercles was single, and limited; they softened, decayed away, emptied by cough and expectoration, and a little fever or hectic; a cavity was left, which being small, soon healed up, and health was restored; and dozens of such attacks may occur before the lungs are sufficiently impaired to cause loss of life. Therefore

It is rational and right to make determined and hopeful efforts to arrest Consumption in every stage.

TUBERCULAR DISEASE HEREDITARY.

Consumption, scrofula, insanity, are hereditary diseases, as much so as peculiarities of constitution or personal appearance.

"A peculiar thickness of the under lip has been hereditary in the imperial House of Hapsburg, ever since the marriage, some centuries ago, with the Polish family Jagellon, whence it came. The thick and hanging under lip, is in this case, alike the sign of royalty and animalty, all such persons being dear lovers of the good things of this life, especially of good eating. In the English royal family a fullness of the lower and lateral parts of the face is conspicuous in the portraits of the whole series of sovereigns, from George I. to Victoria, and has been equally marked in other members of the family. The females of the house of Gordon have long been remark. able for a peculiarly elegant conformation of the neck. The Clackmannanshire Bruces, who are descended from

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