The pathology, or doctrine of diseases, is, as we have previously
stated, little understood. Many different causes have been assigned for
disease, and as many different modes of cure have been advocated. We
shall not discuss either the ancient or modern doctrines any further
than we conceive they interfere with correct principles. In doing so, we
shall endeavor to confine ourselves to truth, reason, and nature.
We entirely discard the popular doctrine that _fever_ and _inflammation_
are disease. We look upon them as simple acts of the constitution--sanative
in their nature. Then the reader may ask, "Why do you recommend medicine
for them?" We do not. We only prescribe medicine, for the purpose of aiding
nature to cure the diseases of which _they_ (the fever and inflammation)
are symptoms, and we do not expect to accomplish even that by medicine
alone. Ventilation, diet, and exercise, in nine cases out of ten, will do
more good than the destructive agents that have hitherto been used, and
christened "cattle medicines."
The great secret of curing diseases is, by accurately observing the
indications of nature to carry off and cure disease, and by observing by
what critical evacuations she does at last cast off the morbid matter
which caused them, and so restores health. By thus observing, following,
and assisting _nature_, agreeably to her indications, our practice will
always be more satisfactory.
Whenever the great outlets (skin, lungs, and kidneys) of the animal body
are obstructed, morbific and excrementitious substances are retained in
the system; they irritate, stimulate, and offend nature in such a
manner, that she always exerts her power to throw them off. And she acts
with great regularity in her endeavors to expel the offending matter,
and thus restore the animal to a healthy state.
Suppose an animal to be attacked with disease, and fever supervenes; the
whole system is then aroused to cast out this disease: nature invariably
points to certain outlets, as the only passages through which the enemy
must evacuate the system; and it is the province of the physician to aid
in this wise and well-established effort; but when such means are
resorted to as in the case of the cow at Waltham, (p. 98,) instead of
rendering nature the necessary assistance, her powers and energies are
entirely crushed.
Let us suppose a horse to have been exercised; during that exercise,
there is a determination of heat and fluids to the surface: the pores of
the skin expand and permit the fluids to make their exit: now, if the
horse is put into a cold stable, evaporation commences, leaving the
surface cold and the pores constricted, so that, after the circulating
system has rested a while, it commences a strong action again, to throw
off the remaining fluids that were thus suddenly arrested; there is no
chance for their escape, as the pores are closed; the skin then becomes
dry and harsh, the "coat stares," and the animal has, in common
parlance, taken cold, and "it has thrown him into a fever." Now, the
cold is the real enemy to be overcome, and the fever should be aided by
warmth, moisture, friction, and diffusables. If, at this stage, the cold
is removed, the fever will disappear; but if the disease (the cold) has
been allowed to advance until a general derangement or sympathetic
action is set up, and there is an accumulation of morbific matter in the
system, then the restorative process must be more powerful and
energetic; constantly bearing in mind that we must assist nature in her
endeavors to throw off whatever is the cause of her infirmities. Instead
of attacking the disease with the lancet and poison,--which is on the
principle of killing the horse to cure the fever,--we should use
remedies that are favorable to life. It matters not what organs are
affected; the means and processes are the same, and therefore the
division of inflammation and fever into a great number of parts
designated by as many names, and indicated by twenty times as many
complications of symptoms which may never be present, only serve to
bewilder the practitioner, and render his practice ineffectual.