The great white plague, consumption : cause, treatment, prevention / Willis Barnes.

  • Barnes, Willis, 1843-
Date:
[1897], ©1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The great white plague, consumption : cause, treatment, prevention / Willis Barnes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    '4 so web-like and delicate in texture, that when the atmosphere is drawn into the tubes and cells, the oxygen of the air passes through the membrane into the blood vessels which are every- where present in the lungs. These bronchi-tubes and air cells are held in place by a connective tissue made up of fibrous material, so closely bound together that the lungs present to the eye externally an almost solid bod)-. Throughout all of the lung tissue there are blood vessels and lymphatic ducts. Thus every precaution has been made to supply the lungs with nutrition and to remove from them the waste incident to wear and tear. The lungs not only perform an important service for themselves, but more importantly than any other organ, they perform a service to the whole bod}-, which, when inter- rupted entirely, produces immediate death, or when partially interfered with by disease, cause disorder throughout the entire system. The lungs perform a wonderful service in the economy of human life. They take in the oxyg;n contained in the atmosphere and pass it into the blood, where it per- forms a two-fold service. It purifies the dark venous blood by converting it into red arterial blood which in turn carries the oxygen to all parts of the body, where coming in contact with the carbon of blood, heat is created, and carbon dioxide results from the combustion, which is taken up by the venous blood circulation and carried back to the lungs from whence it is breathed out as carbonic acid gas. The lungs also regulate in a measure the circulation of the blood and the heart's action. But the most impressive act performed by the lungs, begins at the moment of birth and continues until the eyes are closed in death; this is inspiration and expiration of air. Deprivation of food may exist for many days, certain portions of the body may be removed and yet life will go on; but deprive the lungs of air, but for a few moments, and death will ensue; or supply the lungs with impure air in which the percentage of oxygen is less than it should be and death will quickly follow. That health may be sustained and life continued at the best standard, it is an important necessity at all times that the strength of the lungs and their natural action be fully maintained. The absence of this standard is why disease of the lungs causes such a very large percentage of all deaths.