TEEATISE
ON THE CUBE OF
CONSUMPTION
       AT THE NORTH,
D. MCNEIL, M. ID-
WEST HOBOKEN, N.J.
Prioe XO Cents
           NEW-YORK:
JAMES EGBERT, PRINTER, 821 PEARL-STREET.

              1859. 
 
      CONSUMPTION  CURED

             AT  THE  NORTH.


  It is  not the design of the writer of this essay, to
enter on any  new theory, or discussion of the nature
of this  well-known disease.  Science has  unfolded,
books have described, medical men of all schools have
defined  its symptoms,  nature, and final termination.
Unfortunately, for individuals  and the race, success in
the treatment has not kept pace with a knowledge
of the disease.  Cases of consumption are on the in-
crease, especially in crowded cities, where causes exist,
over which medical or hygienic laws, have no control.
The first thing that meets the eye of a medical man,
grappling  with  this formidable, and  hitherto Uncon-
querable foe, is  emaciation, and  degeneracy of the
physical, and  sinking of all the vital powers.   The ne-
cessity of arresting the disease  is evident to all; but 
4
 this end is sought in numberless ways, which have but
 one thing in common—-their fatal termination, too often
 hastened by the very  means intended to cure the pa-
 tient, whose last days are thus uselessly tortured.   The
 skin that covers the body,—-whose healthy functions,
 it would seem, ought to be preserved,—is often injured
 by so-called counter-irritation,  to  such  an extent, as
 not only to  destroy its  healthy action, but even cause
 deep-seated disease in  the parts underneath; thus add-
 ing at least  one very serious difficulty to the existing
 disease.   So of the  Seton, used to change the seat of
 the disease, but which  serves only as  an additional
 drain upon the  sinking vitality.   The  inhalation  of
 medicated vapors, however beneficial they may  prove
 when received into  the  general system, (where they
 must act, if at all,) taxes the organs designed to relieve,
 beyond their natural powers, and  must help to  break
 down the already sinking force,

   Opiates which form  the basis of most patent com-
 pound^, and are too  often an ingredient  in the Physi-
 cian's prescription, if they alleviate present symptoms,
 must do so at  the expense of the  natural strength, so
important to preserve and build  up. 
5
  Tartar  Emetic, that deadly drug, antimonials, and
all pretended expectorants, disturb the appetite, weak-
en the digestive organs, and as far as they go,  tend to
add to the waste, steadily going on.

  Alteratives, mostly compound  mineral drugs, it is
pretended, absorb or disperse the disease;  but really,
their only effect is, to diminish the  powers of life.  Cod
liver oil, for the last ten years at  least, has had more
reputation for curing the disease,  than all other reme-
dies combined ; and no doubt it has been the means in
many instances, of promoting a cure, as it is now found,
to be nothing more nor less than nourishment, of a kind
which rapidly forms blood, to  supply the waste which
tubercle always makes on the subject.  But on account
of its extremely repulsive effects  on the stomach, de-
stroying the appetite for other food, many  Physicians
have discarded its use, and sought a substitute in other
nutritious food, which we fortunately have in new milk,
cream and butter, perfectly agreeable to all palates.
  Can  Consumption be cured 1   Undoubtedly in a
large  number of cases it can;—and  these  will be in
proportion to the Hygienic means, and atmospheric
causes, made use  of, and adopted, in  the cure.  " Vis 
6
medicatrix natura," so much overlooked in the cure of
all  diseases, but especially in this, clearly points out,
and furnishes the elements of treatment, and only needs
to be modified by the laws of hygiene, and guided by
the careful and studious Physician, who must regulate
each case.  It  is not pretended that this treatise, or
any other, should take the place of the ever-watchful
medical adviser;  whether he prescribe medicine, or
regulate diet, or exercise, he is the one  to give rules;
which ought as strictly to be obeyed, as the orders of
the commander are by the soldier.   Hope of relief, is
the most constant symptom of this disease, and the last
to desert the  patient, who is  too often  encouraged to
look principally to  artificial  remedies for relief; and
that medical system  is to  be preferred, which  tends
the least to destroy the natural powers, and at the same
time, repairs the waste of the vital energies.
   The immediate and exciting causes of disease, first
demand the Physician's attention; every thing that is
incompatible with present relief, must be removed.

   Climate and atmospheric  changes, are thought to
exert a powerful influence on  this disease, both as its
cause and as a means of cure.   A changeable climate, 
7
 like that of this region, is supposed to be one of the
 great causes of this complaint; for which reason, a mild
 one, of uniform temperature, not subject to these vari-
 ations, is  eagerly sought  after in order to promote a
 cure—but this hope fails, and  the  patient only sinks
 more rapidly in consequence of the change.  This seems
 to confirm the law of cure.

   " Similia similibus curantur," that changes of atmos-
 phere, and low temperature, being the cause of disease,
 must contribute to its cure;  and experience has con-
 firmed the truth of this  principle, when modified by
 hygienic laws and  medical science.

   The breathing  of  air,  filled with dust, smoke and
 gas, which must always be the case in the city, is per-
 fectly  inconsistent with even present  relief, to say
 nothing of a permanent cure.   This, the writer him-
 self experienced, when, a few years ago, in the pursuit
 of his profession in the City, he contracted a bronchial
 disease ; a cough was one of the attendant symptoms
 which  could not be removed until after breathing for
a few weeks, the air  on these heights, it entirely dis-
appeared and  has never returned 
8
  It is highly necessary to protect the surface of the
body with flannels, and outward clothing sufficient at
all times, and  in  all weathers, to render  the  patient
comfortable in the open air.

  Whatever have been the premonitory symptoms, or
how long soever continued, when tubercle is developed,
a waste commences; and if this cannot  be  supplied,
no matter what medical treatment  is adopted,  the pa-
tient will inevitably sink more or less speedily,  in pro-
portion to  the rapidity of the  tuberculous formation.
The production and diffusion of blood, into all  parts
of the animal economy, is the only  way discovered,  to
supply a Waste going on at all times, in all living ani-
mals.  Now, how can blood be the most surely, rapid-
ly, and naturally formed \

  The first  requisite is pure air, above the  tempera-
ture that prostrates, or relaxes the muscular  system,
and at an elevation as near mountain air as possible,
that it  may be invigorating to the body, and  exhilarat-
ing to the mind ;  and this pure  air  should be breathed
as much as possible when the body is in motion.   The
very best mode of exercise in this disease, is found to
be walking as far as the strength will permit, or riding 
9
on horseback, by which the body is kept in motion and
the mind stimulated, without overtasking the muscular
system, already enfeebled by waste.   Riding in a car-
riage, is of but little use.
   The Palisades  of  the  Hudson, opposite  and over-
looking New-York, furnish the air described,  with
scenery unrivaled for beauty and variety.
   Air and exercise, enjoyed under  such circumstan-
ces, answer three objects indispensable in the cure of
the disease:

   First. The oxygen inhaled by that  portion of the
lung yet undiseased, is of a nature to produce  those
changes on the blood, necessary to promote health.

   Secondly. The motion in exercise, gives an appetite
for such food  as is required to sustain the body and
build up the waste.

   Thirdly. The vigor of the digestive organs is pre-
served and increased, so that food  after being taken
into the stomach,  to  satisfy  the appetite created,  is
quickly assimilated into blood, and other fluids so de-
sirable to sustain a healthy condition. 
10
   "In the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eat bread," is
 not only a Divine law, it is also a law of nature, which
 means simply, that he who expects to have a good ap-
 petite, and enjoy the  good things of this life must work.
 This may seem hard to those who seek for health and
 its concomitants, in the  luxurious ease which wealth
 may procure; but we did not make this law, nor can
 we substitute others for it, without being ourselves the
 losers.

   A Physician,  now in his eighty-fifth year,  was sup-
 posed while a student, to  have consumption.  He was
 advised by his Preceptor,  to accept the office of depu-
 ty sheriff of the county, which  required  almost con-
 stant riding on horseback, in a mountainous region of
 country,  One year of this kind  of duty, restored him
 to robust health;  he  has practiced his profession in
 that same region for fifty years, his present age shows
 how permanent the cure.

   The balmy air of the South, and some of the Islands
of the Sea, which are eagerly resorted to for  the cure
of this disease, only, in many instances, lures to death;
because, while the effect may be, to  mitigate some of
the symptoms, and so, for a time, flatter the patient, 
11
yet the inclination to repose, and indolence, is such as
cannot be resisted by persons in  health, much less by
one wasted, and weakened, by disease.

   Next to exercise in mountain air, and varied scene-
ry, is a voyage to sea;  because sea air is exhilarating,
excites an  appetite  and invigorates  the digestive or-
gans, and is vastly to be preferred to city life ; but the
sea voyage is apt  to become too  monotonous, and de-
pressing to the mind, and cannot  be  long enough con-
tinued to produce a cure.

   There is no disease in which nourishment is so much
depended upon as in consumption ; the supply of blood
is the great thing to he  kept in view.  The Physician
must watch over this particular, and advise such arti-
cles of food as will supply the greatest amount of blood,
with the least injury to  the assimilating  organs.

  Milk is so important and  indispensable an article of
nutriment,  in the  treatment of this  disease, that the
writer cannot pass it over, without giving his views on
the subject.
  In  speaking  of milk, he will be understood not to
mean that produced by  distillery  swill.   Scientific bo- 
12
dies, chemists, and some medical men, he cannot but
think, have given themselves much useless trouble on
this question during the past year.  If the whole sub-
ject had been submitted to  a committee of dairymen,
in some of the distant counties, where the quality of
milk, butter and  cheese, is  more an  object than the
quantity of fluid produced  ; facts and results would
have  been obtained,  which, for truth and practical
benefit, would have been far more interesting and in-
structive to  the masses, who are deeply interested  in
this subject, than all that has yet resulted, or is likely
to result, from  the  investigation.  Indeed, it is ex-
tremely doubtful whether a pure standard has ever
been obtained for experiment and analysis.  It would
be safer now, to trust the palate of an epicure, than
anything that has been  settled by scientific investiga-
tion.  It does  not require much learning  and  experi-
ment, to arrive  at the  fact, that milk obtained from
swill feed, is increased  in quantity, at the expense of
quality.
   Pure milk is produced from healthy cows  fed  on
clover and timothy hay, and  grass : pure grains—corn,
oats, buckwheat,  rye : with  a mixture of vegetables—
pumpkins, carrots, beets and potatoes. 
13
   How  much milk, thus produced,  is obtained for
 market, within one hundred  miles of New-York, the
 writer does not pretend to say;  but the materials can
 be obtained, and pure milk can be produced, and  it
 would be safe to say, that one  quart of this,  to make
 blood, in cases of Marasmus and Consumption, would
 be worth more than six from swill-fed cows.

   It is contemplated by the writer, if he  can obtain
 the co-operation of medical men, and others believing
 as he does, to provide an Institution on these heights,
 where all the suggestions contained in this treatise can
 be carried out.
   He has, during his  residence  here for a few years
 past, observed the influence of the atmosphere of this
 locality, (elevated, as it is, about two hundred and fifty
 feet above tide-water,) with a special reference to its
 effects on diseases of the lungs;  and certainly, the re-
sults of his observations, have been very favorable, as
the cases of  this diseases, that have come under his
care, where the plan could be carried out, have all yielded
to treatment very satisfactorily; and in most instances,
a cure has been effected.
   The writer is very desirous of attracting the atten- 
14
tion of medical men, to  these facts; and as the  place
must be seen, to be properly understood and appreci-
ated, if any one feels an interest in this matter, and
can spare a few hours, the writer will be most happy
to point out the locality, and make such other ex-
planations, as his observations shall have enabled him
to offer.

   The village  is a  mile and a  half from Hoboken
Ferry,  on  the Patterson  Plank Road.   A  Stage,
marked  "West Hoboken," leaves the Ferry and re-
turns frequently through the  day, at the rate of ten
cents, each way.
West Hoboken, N. J.
D. McNEIL. 
 
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