Diseases of the Air Passages. —I.—Croup.—

Otago Witness, Issue 2669, 10 May 1905, Page 68

Diseases of the Air Passages. — I. — Croup. —

In children acute laryngitis produces more severe symptoms than a similar condition in adults, owing apparently to incieased tendency to swelling of the mucous membrane and the smallness of the opening between the cords (glottis). Not only is tho ohink smaller, in fact, which is to be expected, but it is smaller than the proportion of the size of the child to that of the adult. Then the inflammatory processes olog up the muscles of the larynx to a greater extent, and produce a greater los% of power than in the adult. And in ohildren spasm of the larynx is more ape to occur, owing to the diminished nerve resistance in children. For these reasons an attack of laryngitis which would be mild and by no means dangerous is much more serious in a child. For the first two years of life this is specially true, and the risk decreases in proportion to the increase in thd child's age. The temperature may be moderate (lOOdeg to lOldeg), and the breathing quick and laboured. The cough is apt to be loud and harsh, and after the cough there may be a catch in the breath. The symptoms and the temperature are apt to become worse at night, but they do not come on with startling suddenness nor disappear from time to time. To this may be added a spasmodic character. The typical case of this is one where the laryngitis is of a mild type, and the breathing is slightly interfered wiOh towards evening, but not enough to prevent sleep, although ifc is interrupted occasionally with a dry. hard cough. In the night the child suddenly awakes, gasping for breath, with a loud, hard cough, and great noise in. drawing breath, owing to obstruction in the larynx, lasting in the more severe cases till death appears to be certain from choking. Before this occurs the spasm of the glottis yields, and breathing becomes easier, and allows sleep to be resumed. As the morning approaches the symptoms gradually decrease, but are apt to recur on the siibsequent nights, as a rule, however, with deeieasing violence, although the hard cough and other symptoms of laryngitis may last for several days. This is commonly called "croup" or "spasmodic croup."

The treatment for adults in laryngitis of a simple character should consist of rest in a warm room, avoiding the use of the voice, tobacco, and alcohol.. An ice compress may be applied to the front of the throat, ana. steam inhaled from boiling water, into which a few drops of compound tincture of benzoin, or camphor, or eucalyptus may be put. After the acuter stages have passed, advantage may be gained from simij&r. inhalations to w.bieb, a, te.asjjoQulu.l of

the oil of Scotch or Swiss pine has beett added.— Liverpool Mercury.