The diagnosis and modern treatment of pulmonary consumption.

  • Latham, Arthur, 1867-1923.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The diagnosis and modern treatment of pulmonary consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Dettweiler's modification of Hrehmer’s treatment. animals have eaten, the larger the heart and the smaller the lungs. Brehmer argued that many tuberculous patients, who nearly always have poor appetites at the growing period of life, have small hearts and large lungs in consequence of their low body-weight. Such observers as Rokitansky, and more recently Hutchinson, support Brehmer in this view. On the other hand, some authors, amongst whom may be mentioned Meissen, deny that a small heart is at all common in tuberculosis. Whether this be so or not, it is at least certain that the heart is distinctly enfeebled in this disease, and Leyden, Striim- pell, and other observers, have shown that partial atrophy of the cardiac muscle is not infrequently met with, so that there can be little doubt that anything which tends to increase the cardiac power is of value in the treatment of the disease. Von Ruck further holds that it is necessary to increase the power of the heart in tuberculosis of the lungs, in order that it may be able to deal with the pulmonary obstruction caused by the disease. Brehmer, in accordance with his own views, insisted on his patients taking gradual and slow uphill exercise whenever this could be done without producing fever or other unfavour- able results, and this method of treatment is followed in many sanatoria at the present day. He held, however, that in many cases the exercise should be extremely moderate in amount, and should be often replaced by entire repose—that is, repose both of mind and body—a condi- tion which can be obtained only by more or less complete isolation. Dettweiler, however, introduced a modification of Brehmer’s plan of treatment, and substituted rest in