History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

142 History of Medical Practice in Illinois"capillary cholitis" as a pathologic rather than a clinical terminology.Dr. Everett Brown, Decatur, gave a good paper on "Milk as a Medium ofContagion in Typhoid Fever." He described an epidemic traceable to milksupplied by one dairyman, and he gave the Bacillus typhosis of Eberth asthe exciting cause of typhoid fever. He stated that the germ was derivedfrom a previously existing case of typhoid and never developed de novo.Typhoid, he said, entered a man in food or drink, as in milk, water andice, but never from the air. He considered it a preventable disease, and recommendedas treatment complete and thorough disinfection of all thedischarges from the patient, and absolute cleanliness.Dr. Charles Warrington Earle, in discussion of this paper, told of 180cases of typhoid fever in Cook County Hospital. In his treatment he avoidedcathartics and advised rest and a milk diet.Dr. J.F. Percy, Galesburg, then gave a dissertation on "Should CatharticsHave a Place in the Treatment of Typhoid?" He greatly favored their use.Chicago reported its highest typhoid death rate during this year, namely173.8 deaths per 100,000 population.1892At the annual meeting of the State Society this year, there was muchdiscussion concerning insanity in general practice. Dr. Katherine Miller,Lincoln, spoke on "Medical Use of Ergot." In a dissertation on "Treatmentof Self Limited Diseases," Dr. Carl Black of Jacksonville discussed uselessmedication, overmedication, promiscuous use of antipyretics,the importanceof hygiene, and sanitary protective measures. "Infantile Paralysis"was discussed by Dr. D. R. Brower of Chicago; Dr. E. Fletcher Ingals, Chicago,spoke on "Diphtheria: Empiric Therapy versus Intubation," and Dr.N. S. Davis discussed "Oxygen Inhalations in Respiratory Affections."Dr. C. Warrington Earle reported an influenza epidemic in Chicago. Hetold how it affected the respiratory, gastro-intestinal and nervous systems,and called attention to the variation in mortality in different epidemics.He finally asked the rhetorical question, "Does immunity occur?"Construction of a new drainage canal was started in Chicago. This wasto be 2814 miles in length and would be completed in 1899.(It was.)The annual address at the meeting of the State Society was presented byDr. J.M. G. Carter, Waukegan, on "Bronchitis and its Relation to Bronchopneumoniaand Other Diseases of the Respiratory Organs."Dr. Ludvig Hektoen summarized his paper on "Acute Ulcerative Endocarditis:A Brief Resume of the Pathology of Eight Cases" as follows: Thedisease is caused by localization of microbes in the blood upon the endo-