Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-12


From the New York Medical Specialist
The term Bronchitis has hitherto been com.
monty applied 70 diseases Of the throat and medi-
cal writers have TOO often confirmed this popular
lungs, divides itself into two branches and these
are he beginning Of the |" Bronchial Tubes - one
of which enters The right lung, the other the lef,
smallpr tubes, Lie the launching Of a tree rami-
fyine through the whole Internal substance of the
lungs, and ending In little clusters or cavities
the Bronchial S0bes, or Bronchitis, therefore,
speak of disease of the lungs, and not Of the
Bronchitis is a disease Of the lining or mucous
membrane Of the Bronchial tubes. This lining or
membrane is very sensitive to every external or
foreign influence, and Is hence liable 70 become
irritated by sudden changes Of weather, by impure
air By the hns particles OF matte, which sn a the
the wind in dusty cities-by the hundred irrita-
ting causes which meet US in almost every place.
This irritation leads to inflammation Of the men,
brane, deranges its healthy action, changes the
character Of its secretions, and sets up train Of
symptoms, to which apply the name Of "Bron
chits."
In Chronic Bronchitis there is sometimes slight
fever towards evening. The patient does not re-
gain his wonted strength or flesh, but remains
little paler than before attack He experiences
shortness of breath on exercising, and has slight
but continued sense Of oppression In the chest
The cough and expectoration diminish, or entirely
disappear, during the summer, but Immediately
manifest themselves again on the return Of winter
when the expectoration becomes very copiou..
H. etc fever often supervenes, with night sweafs
and rapid wasting Of flesh and strength, and IT.
patient may die with all the symptom, of Pulmo-
nary Consumption.
1t 10 very common to meet this disease i'm mild
er form, In persons who speak OF 1t as winter
cough" 1t comes on each winter, and as regu-
lirly subsidies during the summer, but at every
succeeding recurrence itmanifess itself in greater
sevo rity, and the recovery in the following sum-
mer is not SO complete. This form of Bronchitis.
If neglected, will surely destroy life land treated
in the usual manner it is as incurable) as cen
sumption itself. The mucuous membrane, sooner
or later. becomes altered in structure and pours
forth a matter which has all the qualities Of pus.
Hectic fever suPervenes, and the disease tends
slowly. but surely, to a fatal termination.
Another form of Bronchitis is peculiar to mid
die life and old age. IL Is distinguished by the
quantity and the character Of the matter exPecto-
rated. In color and consstence, the expectoration
is very much like water, and varies fro m one
to several pints i'm twenty -four hours. recently
had gentleman under successful treatment who
assured me that he frequently raised pint and
half i'm the course of the morning. Usually Il ere
two fits of coughing in the day-one on awak-
enng from sleep in the morning, and the other I'm
tue evening. There is considerable difficulty of
breathing while the paroxysms of coughing last;
but it passes of soon the lungs are freed from
the viscid secretion. The patient is feeble he NAV
however, live and attend 10 duties for several
years. But the countenance gradually assumes
pale BLUSH tint the body wastes the blood be.
comes thin. and death ensues, apparently from
the cont ant drain kept up by the discharge from
the lungs. Some patients die from exhaustion in
hve or six months; but We have known others to
survive for as many years.
There is still another form of this disease
called DRY Bronchitis" from the fact that i'm the
quantity of matter expectorated il is the very op-
posite of the variety have just considered The
essential character of Dry Bronchitis consists in
chronic inflammation, attended by a thickening of
the mucous membrane, by which the air tubes
are diminished in size, and also In the secretion
a oil md .,f 81
or BLUSH white color, pv which they are still
further obstructed. The smaller brol iis tn hes
are often entirely closed and occasionally tube
of very considerable size becomes scaled iIp with
this matter. This affection is SO common In this
climate, that, in some degree IL is probable that
two olt of every three suffer from il. ain the
most favored parts of France" says Laenp.c.
fully one-half Of those arrived at adult age, will
he found, on careful examination, TO present evil
dence of a thickening of some portion of the mu-
cOus membrane of the lung"
The symptoms OF Dry Bronchiti tbs are not marked
by severity. II is the most insidous of pulmonary
complaints. The subject of Ii is conscious only
of being short breathed when ascending an eleva-
on or attempting to run. When a large portion
of the lung is involved, sense OF oppression is
experienced after meals and very sill ht exer-
ton. BY some, this oppression is referred to the
opposite side Of the chest to that on which the
dsease is situated, or to remote part of the same
side, or even to the region of the stomach After
time difficulty of breathing comes on and con-
tinues for several days-the patient complaining
Cough and the exPectorstion Of tough .Iiy ny
substance. The cough by which this matter 10
raised Is mere rasping effort to clear the throat
and may probably occur not more than once or
twice daily, and almost unconsci ously To the ma.
tlents themselves. On enquiring IL they have a
cough, tney VIII almost without exception, an
swet, NO" yet, during your conversation, they
VIII, perhaps, hack and raise little ielIy-like
mucus half dozen times Atinteryals the couyh
is is more severe, and comes on in paroxysm, when
IL is TOO commonly regarded simply ssneryous ,,
III the stomach be at all deranged ii is sbionable
70 regard IT as . mere stomach coughs or as
6eing caused by liver disease" which, in fact
the arrangements Of the stomach, liver kidneys
and OF the uterine functions which exist IRE mi
SO many consequences of this very condition Of
the lungs There is something SO gratifying in
oelng assured by the kind, attentive and intelli-
gent FAMILY physician that there is s'no danger of
consumption that 81 this cough il mere tri Ae
ana Will speedily pass away IL only left to itsef'
that IL is not surprising the fattered patient en-
tre!y overooks the important fact that no careful
examination Of the lungs has ever been made 10
determine the health or disease of this organ.
that this gratifying opinion, therefore, is found
on no.hing reliable and reduced to its intrinsic
merits, Is simply tampering with human life
Most coughs Of long standing" unattended by
Tree eXpectoratIon, caused either by this condI
mon or the bronchial tubes or by incfpient tuber-
cles IN the lungs. The neglected cold - which
SO often proves the herald of Consumption ia hut
another variety Of this dis ase
The frequency Of this form of Bronc bitis-its
Sow. lpsldious, and treacherous propress-and
tue disastr us consequences to which IL 40 often
leads, should awaken from their letbarpv all v,bo
are nursing dry coughs Of long standing, I'm the
s yam nope OF growing out of them. However
slight and apparently unimportant such coughs
may seeln, they lead on by sure graduation 70
premature grave
In addition to these varieties Of Bronchitis. all
OF which, 1t will be remembered, have their seat
IN the mucous membrane Of the lungs there are
several others which are less common, and there
lore OF less importance. OF these is a form of
Plsstlc Inflammation, characterized by kind of
raise membrane forming on the inside of the
tubes sometimes only in the larger branches and
lain extending through the smallest ramifca-
lions 1t is. in fact more commonly seated I'm the
smaller tubes, diminishing their size consider
ably. Again, there is found the very opposite 10
this state, namely: an enlargement or iatlon of
the air tubes. This occurs in several forms The
bronchial tubes i'm one lobe, or in a whole lung
may be enlarged uniformly, or they may be
merely swollen out at the extremity in a gobular
form, or there may be alternate contraction and
dilafations along the tubes
On Tomorrow will appear the SEQUEL to the
foregoing article, also from the New Sorh Meds.
cal Specialist, entitled s'Dr Hunter on the Treat
ment Of Bronchitis,