Rational Treatment of Disease
By T. J. Evans
THE treatment of disease is one of the oldest sciences known to man; for there is a desire to relieve pain whenever it manifests itself. This may be done by changing the position, making a local application, or administering a drug that will deaden and stupefy the nerve-centers that have to do with this sensation. Our improvement over our ancestors lies in our being more rational than they. It was customary in years past to draw blood from the veins of those who were suffering with fever, but now we know that the flow of blood can be changed from one part of the body to another, accomplishing the same results without the loss of the fluid that is so essential to life. There are those living who remember when this practise was in vogue. We thank the Lord that light is shining from the throne of God, and is being appreciated and used by many in this generation. A thorough understanding of a disease is essential to the successful treatment of it. One should not only be able to name the disease, but should know the actual working of the system under its abnormal condition. A certain disease will not manifest itself the same in two individuals. Every individual has his own characteristics, and these characteristics cause the disease to vary in its manifestations; therefore a different line of treatment may be called for in the same disease. For instance, two individuals may have rheumatism; one may be strong and robust, the other may be weak and emaciated. The treatment that is essential to the first would be destructive to the latter. The thing, then, to keep in mind is the condition of the patient, and not so much the disease. It is the system that wages war against the disease, and it is the duty of every physician to see that the patient is provided with all necessary material during this time of trial. One eminent professor of Rush Medical College has said that all a physician can ever expect to become is a hod-carrier to nature. He, as well as other careful observers has recognized that recovery lies in sustaining and assisting nature. Tissue-building material is what the body wants, and not so many stimulants. Besides supplying the body with good food, it is often necessary to change the circulation so that there will not be too much congestion in one place. This can best be done by the application of heat and cold. The blood is a great germicide, besides having in it the white blood corpuscles, whose function it is to destroy or carry away any material that is working injury to the system. The application of heat draws the blood, causing the capillaries to dilate, or enlarge, so that they will contain more blood. Then, by applying cold, the small blood vessels contract, forcing the blood to another portion of the body, and in this way a pumping process is carried on which assists nature in carrying off diseased material. The blood in the body is constantly changing from one place to another, but sometimes, in case of disease, the congestion is so great that the blood can not flow freely without assistance. It is our duty to assist nature whenever there is a call, and we should act intelligently. In pneumonia the lungs are so congested that the blood can not flow freely through them. The heart, being forced to work against a full, hard lung, often fails as a result. Hot applications to the lower extremities would take the blood from the congested area, and the patient would be relieved from much labored breathing that always accompanies this trouble. A hot hip-and-leg pack is of great value in many of these cases, and relief comes almost at once. Sometimes fomentations are of great value, especially where there is much pain. Treat the patient in such a way that you meet all emergencies, and you will accomplish more than you will by treating the disease.