The curability and treatment of pulmonary phthisis / by S. Jaccoud ; translated and edited by Montagu Lubbock.

  • Lubbock Montagu, 1842-
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The curability and treatment of pulmonary phthisis / by S. Jaccoud ; translated and edited by Montagu Lubbock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    391/464 (page 371)
    111 the first place, a pathological grou]! will be considered which is clearly defined, and with respect to which the cli- matic equivalent may be found with a relative facility which is quite exceptional. Allusion is now made to the so-called pneumonic phthisis when it has reached such a chronic stage as to be compatible with the patient's removal from home. With the one rare exception mentioned when the treat- ment by high altitude was being considered, this form of the disease always indicates the same climatic group—a group which includes but four stations, namely, Madeira,* Algiers,! Palermo,! and Pisa.§ Pau || could scarcely, in my opinion, be joined with them on account of the lai'ger extent of variation in the temperature, not only during the day, but from day to day, and from month to month. What is of the greatest import- ance both as regards freedom from danger and the benefit of treatment is, above all, meteorological uniformity; if combined with action which is tonic rather than debilitating, all is at its best, and the desirable ideal is realized. This fortunate com- bination is found in different degrees at Madeira and Algiers— not existing at Pisa, which is only favourable on account of its uniform climatic conditions, this uniformity, however, being notably less than at the two other stations. Whenever the physician is at liberty to select any station in the pathological group, which, unfortunately, is by no means usual, the preference should, in my opinion, be given to Madeira, for the following reasons. With a mean temperature of Gl-2° F. (17-88° C.) for the seven months between October and April, a mean variation of 6^ F. (3-33° C.) from day to da}^ so trifling as from 1-1° F. to 12'' F. (0 G5° d 070° C.) during the day, and a mean monthly variation of l o F. (0-83° C), or at the most 4° F. (2-2° C), Madeira realizes more than any * Sec note, p. 213. ' t See note, p. 297. t See note, p. 328. § See note, p. 320. || See note, p. 309.