MEDICAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11200, 21 October 1899, Page 6 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

—— '•!§§! ASTHMA. >;|g , Asthma means a gasping for breath occur. i ring at intervals and dependent upon soma | spasm in the coats of the air tubes of the f breathing organs of the chest, chiefly of pi' bronchial tubes in the lungs. In some cases | the mischief is partly in the larynx or the § vocal cords of the windpipe. BI Properly speaking, asthma should not i» 'g considered the correct name if the dyspncea, or difficulty of breathing, is obviously i pendent upon some form of heart disease, or | if occurring in the course of acute inflanuuj. " tion of the lungs or windpipe, or if due to i dropsy of the chest or in the abdomen. |§§ I Asthma then should be looked upon as an ailment of the nervous system. Attacks? may last a tew minutes or many hours, an £ may be repeated at uncertain intervals for years. "Jfe : After many attacks the lungs become panded, too large, somewhat bloodless, and | lose their elastic contractile power, aud;»® : | state of emphysema or broken-windedness set up, which is incurable. It is also eo». l monly associated with chronic bronchitis, g and fits of asthma are often brought on bjf: § acute indigestion. An asthmatic attack" 1 may occur suddenly, as, for example, § patient may go to sleep in his usual health, i and tiien awake with difficulty of breathing, g winch rapidly increases in severity, until vj.; | real straggle for life is being carried oif | The sense of constriction in the chest andv K fear of suffocation make a man rush about a | | room, constantly seeking fresh postures to | afford relief. He also seeks fresh air at op?n windows. The pulse becomes small and feeble, the eyes are staring with dilated fS pupils, and the lips are purple through de-f. ficient aeration of the blood. The tempera.']? ture falls, and there is great exhaustion. At last, the spasm passes off, relief comes, and the patient falls asleep. Such attach are very detrimental to the valves of the heart : and to the lungs. They may also cause U rapture of a blood-vessel and produce apoplexy. During the intervals between art tacks the asthmatic patient may enjoy fair health, but he is apt to become thin and round-shouldered and stooping. It is often | hereditary. Asthma is a very capricious ! disease, and is sometimes curable by change: of climate, but each case requires separate I s : consideration and treatment.