Inflammation has generally been considered the great bugbear of the old
school, and the scarecrow of the cattle doctor. But what do they know
about it? Let us see.
Dr. Thatcher says, "Numerous hypotheses or opinions respecting the true
nature and cause of inflammation have for ages been advanced, and for a
time sustained; but even at the present day, the various doctrines
appear to be considered altogether problematical."
Professor Percival says, "Inflammation consists in an increased action
of the arteries, and may be either _healthy_ or _unhealthy_[4]--a
distinction that appears to relate to some peculiarity of the
constitution."
We find inflammation described by most old school authors as disease,
and they treat it as such. Professor Payne says, "A great majority of
all the disorders to which the human frame is liable begin with
inflammation, or end in inflammation, or are accompanied by inflammation
in some part of their course, or resemble inflammation in their
symptoms. Most of the organic changes in different parts of the body
recognize inflammation as their cause, or lead to it as their effect. In
short, a very large share of the premature extinctions of human life in
general is more of less attributable to inflammation."
The term _inflammation_ has long been employed by medical men to denote
the existence of an unusual degree of redness, pain, heat, and swelling
in any of the textures or organs of which the body is composed.
Professor Curtis says, "But as inflammation sometimes exists without the
exhibition of any of these symptoms, authors have been obliged to
describe it by its causes, in attendant symptoms, and its effects. It is
not more strange than true, that, after studying this subject for, _as
they say_, four thousand years, experimenting on it and with it, and
defining it, the sum of all their knowledge and definitions is
this--inflammation in the animal frame is either a simple or compound
action, increased or diminished, or a cessation of all action; it either
causes, or is caused, or is accompanied, by all the forms of disease to
which the body is subject; it is the only agent of cure in every case in
which a cure is effected; it destroys all that die, except by accident
or old age; it is both disease itself, and the only antidote to disease;
it is the pathological principle which lies at the base of all others;
it is that which the profession least of all understand."
Who believes, then, that the science of medicine is based on a sure
foundation?
The following selections from the allopathic works will prove what is
above stated.
"Pure inflammation is rather an effort of nature than a disease; yet it
always implies disease or disturbance, inasmuch as there must be a
previous morbid or disturbed state to make such an effort
necessary."--_Hunter_, vol. iv. pp. 293, 294.
"As inflammation is an action produced for the restoration of the most
simple injury in sound parts which goes beyond the power of union by the
first intention, we must look upon it as one of the most simple
operations in nature, whatever it may be when arising from disease, or
diseased parts. Inflammation is to be considered only a disturbed state
of parts, which requires a new but salutary mode of action to restore
them to that state wherein a natural mode of action alone is necessary.
Therefore inflammation in itself is not to be considered a disease, but
a salutary operation consequent either to some violence or to some
disease."--_Ibid._ vol. iv. p. 285.
"A wound or bruise cannot recover itself but by inflammation_."--Ibid._
p. 286.
"From whatever cause inflammation arises, it appears to be nearly the
same in all; for in all it is an effort intended to bring about a
reinstatement of the parts to their natural function."--_Ibid._ p. 286.
_Results of Inflammation._--"Inflammation is said to terminate in
resolution, effusion, adhesion, suppuration, ulceration, granulation,
cicatrization, and mortification. All these different terminations,
except the last, may be regarded as so many _vital_ processes, exerted
in different parts of the animal economy."--_Prof. Thompson_, p. 97.
"Inflammation must needs occupy a large share of attention of both the
physician and the surgeon. In nine cases out of ten, the first question
which either of them asks himself, on being summoned to the patient, is,
_Have I to deal with inflammation here?_ It is constantly the object of
his treatment and watchful care. It affects all parts that are furnished
with blood-vessels, and it affects different parts very variously.... It
is by inflammation that wounds are closed and fractures repaired--that
parts adhere together when their adhesion is essential to the
preservation of the individual, and that foreign and hurtful matters are
conveyed out of the body. A cut finger, a deep sabre wound, alike
require inflammation to reunite the divided parts. Does ulceration occur
in the stomach or intestines, and threaten to penetrate through
them--inflammation will often forerun and provide against the
danger--glue the threatened membrane to whatever surface may be next
it.... The foot mortifies, is killed by injury or by exposure to
cold--inflammation will cut off the dead and useless part. An abscess
forms in the liver, or a large calculus concretes in the gall-bladder:
how is the pus or the calculus to be got rid of?... Partial inflammation
precedes and prepares for the expulsion; the liver or the gall-bladder
becomes adherent to the walls of the abdomen on the one hand, or to the
intestinal canal on the other; and then the surgeon may plunge his
lancet into the collection of pus, or the abscess; or the calculus may
cut its own way safely out of the body, through the skin or into the
bowels."--_Watson_, p. 94.
"The salutary acts of restoration and prevention just adverted to, are
such as nature conducts and originates. But we are ourselves able, in
many instances, to direct and control the effect of inflammation--nay,
we can excite it at our pleasure; and, having excited it, we are able,
in a great degree, to regulate its course. And for this reason it
becomes, in skilful hands, an instrument of cure."--_Ibid._ p. 94.
The above quotations are not complete. They are selections from the
sources whence they are drawn of those portions which testify that fever
and inflammation are one and the same thing, and that this same thing
consists in a salutary effort of nature to protect the organs of the
body from the action of the causes of disease, or to remove those causes
and their effects from the organs once diseased. That the same authors
teach the very contrary of all this in the same paragraphs, and often in
the same sentences, the following extracts will clearly prove:--
_Inflammation produces disease._--"When inflammation cannot accomplish
that salutary purpose, (a cure,) as in cancer, scrofula, &c., it does
mischief."--_Hunter_, p. 285.
"Inflammation is occasionally the cause of disease."--_Ibid._ p. 286.
"In one point of view, it may be considered as a disease
itself."--_Ibid._
"It may be divided into two kinds, the healthy and the unhealthy.... The
unhealthy admits of a vast variety," &c.--_Ibid._
"Inflammation often produces mortification or death in the inflamed
part."--_Ibid._ vol. iv. p. 305.
"In the light of such authorities, it is surely not strange that no
definite knowledge can be obtained of the nature, character, or tendency
of inflammation. Of course, no one will dispute the proposition, that
medicine, as taught in the schools, is a superstructure without a
foundation, and should be wholly rejected."--_Prof. Curtis._
If the regulars have no correct theory of inflammation, then their
system of blood-letting is all wrong. This they acknowledge; for many
with whom we have lately conversed say, "We do not use the lancet so
often as formerly." One very good reason is, the sovereign people will
not let them. Would it not be better for them to abolish its use
altogether, as we have done, and avail themselves of the reform of the
age?
The following remarks, selected from an address delivered by our
respected preceptor, Professor Brown, ought to be read by every friend
of humanity.
"The very air groans with the bitter anathemas the people pronounce upon
calomel, antimony, copper, zinc, arsenic, arsenious acid, stramonium,
foxglove, belladonna, henbane, nux vomica, opium, morphia, and
narcotin.
"Hear their bitter cries, borne on every breeze, 'Help! help! help!' See
the dim taper of life; it glimmers--'tis gone! Vitality struggled, and
struggled manfully to the last. The poisonous dose was repeated, till
the citadel was yielded up.
"The doctor arrives and attempts to comfort and quiet the broken-hearted
widow, and helpless, dependent, fatherless children, by recounting the
frailties of poor human nature, and reminding them of the fact that all
men must die.
"And thus the work of death goes on: the tenderest ties are severed;
children are left fatherless; parents are bereaved of their children;
families are reduced to fragments; society deprived of her best
citizens, and the world filled with misery, confusion, and poverty, in
consequence of an evil system of medication....
"The ball is in motion, the banner of medical reform waves gracefully
over our beloved country. Hosts of the right stripe are coming to the
rescue. Poisons are condemned, the lancet is growing dull, the effusion
of blood will soon cease, the battles are half fought, and the victory
is sure.... While we would have you adhere to the well-established,
fundamental principles of reformed medical science, as taught in this
school, we would have you recollect that discoveries in knowledge are
progressing.... Never entertain the foolish, absurd, and dangerous idea,
that because you have been to college, you have learned all that is to
be learned--that your education is finished, and you have nothing more
to learn. The college is a place where we go to learn how to learn, and
the world is the great university, in which our educational exercises
terminate with our last expiring breath."
The author craves the reader's indulgence for introducing Dr. Brown's
remarks at this stage of the work. It is intended for a class of readers
(_the farmers_) who have not the time to make themselves acquainted with
all that is going on in the medical world. We aim to make the book
acceptable to that class of men. If we fail, the fault is in us, not in
our subjects.