Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-09-02
Daily EMPIRE.
fgom the clncipnst Rhquirer9
DR.. Wolfe on Consumption and Medioa-
ted Inhalation.
~ LETTER V.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Soar THYoAF.

. LARYNOiris--CnERorMAN's sORE THYokr.
7 In approaching the subject OF the Laryne,
tits | have a disease Of a much more for
midable character than any hitherto pre-,
7 sented II was from nm acute attack OF this
: malady, superinduoed by exposure to dren,
ching rain, that the illustrious Washington
died, and few indeed, there are, who have
been subjects Of its ettack, that have not also
' been its victims.
The llrynx may be called the head Of
trachea or windpipe, and is situated imme,
diately behind, and descending from the
base Of the tongue IL is in shape not unt
like an inverted cone, the apex being larger
than the base, and is composed of four oar
tileges, held firmly together BY ligaments
and muscles. IL varies in length from one
and half to two inches, beginning at the
base OF the tongue, and extending down be-
low the prominence on the neck. (pomum
Adami) known as Adams apple, and has
two openings the upper one of which is
called the glotis, situated at the base of the
tongue This opening is covered by little
sensitive valve, called "epglotts," which,
} like faithful sentinel, on the approach OF
food or drink, shuts down upon the entrance
to the lungs, and allows the nutriinent to
pass into the stomach for If the smallest por'
,, tion of solid or fluid obtains access to the
windpipe, it exctes violent cough and great
distress, until the offending matter is eiee,
. ted.
About three quarters of an inch below the
CLOTHS we have the second aperture, resemr
bling slit, called the "rhimo glotidis," the
sides Of which ore formed by lgamenss
! known as chloride vocales, or vocal chords,
enclosed in fold of mucuous nembrane -
The air We inspire and expire through this
aperture in the act Of talking, renders these
chords vibrative, producing that infinty of
tone by which language is made intelligible
to express the ind~elling thou ht of the
soul.
When the larynx is attacked with infam-
nation it is called the "Lsryngitis, and if
tho attack is acute in its character the dan
ger is imminent, frequently terminating in
death in a few hours The symptoms char
acterizlhg this for14 Of the disease are easily
distinguished, the patience complaining of
sore throat, with an iudescribable restless
ness and anxiety Of countenance. The
breathing becomes observation-disclosures sterto
rious-and there lie such difficulty in swa-
] lowing. The voice is at first husky, gradu-
ally becoming more indistinct until it set.
I ties into a low whisper The horrors of
strangulation then commence, the breathing
! becomes more difficult, the face becomes
livid, the eyes stare and start an indeseri'
bable sense of oppression or suifocation is
, felt and the patient grasps his throat con-
} vulsively, as il he would tear the obstruction
,. from it, for he feels that his vital powers
are not destroyed by disease, but that he is
J strangling-dying for want of Dir, as man
dies who is gradually strangled with rope,
and his windpipe closing slowly, slowly,
slowly-the damps of death now bathe the
,, forehead--ihe eye grows gradually dim
} from every chamber of the brain springs an
electric thought by gone years, and that
this trial is the last of earth.
Cases like this make us deplore the inns
puissance Of our art, bnt when we can save
victim Of this "fell destroyer from impcn,
ding death, then indeed have we achieved u
victory more worthy of monumental renown
a than oil the Victories of blood stained sol
diers, who burn cities, and desolate the land
, by rapine and murder. Cicero says that
'nothing brings men nearer the gods than
by giving health to their fellowsmen
The physician, to treat this disease, must
; have no coward spirit He must be prompt
= in his decision, and act with enerty If
the usual antiphlogistic treatment fails, then
no time should be lost in making the local
: application, as advised by Drs Belloc and
Troasseau, with the probang, and using an,
odyne and emolient inhalations. This can
be done by depressing the tongue 80 as to
elevate the epiglottis, and open the entrance
J into the larynx. Repeat the operation evl
} cry few hours and if unattended with relief
and the patient is still sinking, then employ
the knife and open the windpipe below the
seat Of disease. The relief Is instantaneous,
! and the effects almost magical; the patient
is surprised and looks around him as If he
had actually arisen from the dead
Chronic Laryngitis is modified type Of
the disease we have Just attempted to de.
scribe, and though not so startling in its
manifestations, is more common, and often
leads to quite as fatal results. Persons of
scrofulous habits are very liable to its at
tacks, though none can claim exemption
. from it IL is frequently found among cler'
; gymen, lecturers, singers, actors and others
who make any forensic effort The disease
is sometimes called "clergymens sore
throat As general thing however, chron-
10 Laryngitis comes on as a sequence to com
sumption, superinduoed by the matter ex-
perforated from the decaying lungs. This
: matter, on being thrown from the lungs, ,ad-
heres to, and produces more or less ucera,
ton about the vocal chords, beginning on
the lower sides and gradually extending up
! wards A neglected cold in the head or
sore throat are also fruitful causes in produ'
cling it, for the very obvious reason that the
unhealthy secretion from the head are con-
stantly dripping into the throat from the
posterior mares, producing an irritation
which extends rapidly into the larynx, ira
chea, bronchi, and finally into the lungs, all
of them being connected by the same mem-
brane. Yn
cause and form Of the disease. Where it is
secondary to affections of the head or throat
to much public speaking or the use of to-
bacco, it is perfectly manageable in a month
or two as all these faulty conditions may be
corrected, but medicines taken into the stom.
ach will do NJ good When the disease is
primary, however, then there is but one