The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-10

Dr.. HUNTER or BRoNcH,ris.--To The Edttor
Of the Dispatch The term Bronchitis has hither-
to been commonly applied To diseases OF tie
throat. and medical writers have confirmed this
popular error The windppe. at It's entrance
into the lungs. divides itself into two branches,
ana these are the beginning of the "Bronchla
Tubes one of Inch enters the right iuLg, the
other the left, when each subdivides itself into
innumerable small Ter tubes: like the branch ing Of
a tree. ramfy ing throueh the whole internal sub
saves 81 caea When esk OF
Bronchitis, therefore. speak of IA disease of the
LUNGS and not of the throat as has beea too COM
monty supposed.
Bronchitis Is r disease Of the linInk or mucous
membrane OF the Bronchls tubes This lining Is
very sensitive, and hence able to become IrrIta-
ted Nv sudden chahges OF Wea mr. b, impure air,
by the fine particles of matter which M the at
wind in dusty c.t.es-by the hundred irritating
oauses whch meet us almost every - &c. T1is
irritation de range lis healthy actt chtnses tie
character of It's secretIons. and sets a train Of
symptoms to which we apply the name oI IRON
chitls"
In Chronic Bronchitis there is sometimes sit ut
fever towards evening. The patient does not
tain his wonted strength flesh. hat becomes
little paler. He experiences it <horfneSs et lr atA
on exercising. and has SIG ht but continued sen
Of oppression IN the chest. Tbs couE n and expec-
toratlon dim,nish, or entlrei! dssppe1f. dnrink
again on the return of WINTER when the eXpeclo
ration becomes copious.
IL is very common to meet this disease, in a
mllder form, IN persons who speak OF II as - WIN
ter cough 1t comes each winter. ana as reg
uiary subsidies during the sumner, hu.
succeeding recurrence 1t maniiests Itself III siedt
severity, and the recovery IN the following
summer is not 80 complete. This form Of Bron
chltis, if neglected. will surely destroy life land
treated IN the usual manner, II 10 as Incurahel rs
consumption itself The mucous membrane,
sooner later, becon es altered III structure. and
rcurs forth matter which has all the qualities OF
pus. Hec'Ic fever superv6nes. and the disease
tends slowly, but surely. to fatal termination.
Another form of Bronchitis is peculiar to middle
life and Old age. 1t is distinguished by the quaint
y and the character OF the matter eHpectorated.-
Usually there are two fits of coug hing the day
the other IN the evening. There rs considerable
hing last but it passes of as soon as the lungs
are freed from the viscid secretion. The patient
is feeble he may however I've and md attend to lis 1t
gradually assumes a pale. blush lint. the BODY
wastes. the blood becomes thin, aud death ensues,
apparently from the constant drain Kept up hy the
discharge from the lungs. Some patient die from
exhaustion IN FIVE or SIX months; tut have known
OtheTs To survive Tor as many years.
There is still another form of this disease called
"Dry Bronchitis. from the quantity of matter ex
perforated. The essential character of Dry Bron-
by Il thickening OF the mucous membrane, by
which the air tubes are diminished In size, and
matter, of blush white color. by which they are
still further obstructed. The smaller bronchial
81 n snrs sx saa
with this matter. This aiectiaE is common n
hs innate that, IN some xd dasres t Is probable
most favored parts OF France, says Laennec.
iully one-hslf of those arrived ut adult age Will
he found careful examination, to present evil
dence Of a thIckening of some portion Of the mu
cous membrane ofthe lung"
The symptoms of Dry bronchitis are not marked
by severity. 1t is the most insdous of puimona-
r. complaints The subject of 1t is conscious only
Of being short hreathed when ascending an eleva
Of the lung 10 involved sense OF Oppre ssion is
experienced after meals aud on verv slisht exer
ton. By some this oppression 10 referred to the
opposite side of the chest that in which the dis
ease situated, or to remote part of the same
si0e or to the region OF the stomach. After
q time difficulty Of breathing comes on, and con
tnueS Tor several day the patient complaint OF
tightress in the chest WHICH 10 Ieieyed by cough,
stance. The cough ny which this matter is raised
Is a mere r9spins Uort to clear the throat, and
NAV probably occur not more than once or twice
daily, and almost unoonsciously to patients
themselves. On nquiring If they have a cough,
they will. almost hou' exception, answer NJ.
yet during your conve -sation they viii. perhaps
hack and raise little lellv like mucous half a
dozen times. At lntervss the cough is more
severe, and comes ON 10 iaroxys m when it is too
commonly regarded as sl!an'y Ns,r0us," 1.-THE
stomacn Dc a. All &c ea IS 20 TO-
caused by .iirsr dissSsc. while, in fact, the de-
Sanxements of the stomach, liver kidneys, and of
consequences Of this very coalition of the lungs
There is something 90 gratifying IN being assured
vii speedily pas: away # only left to ,tseif that
ovs,iooks the Important saot that no careful OK
smipstaon 81 the lungs has ever heen made to de-
tSis srstifsins opinion. therefore u. founded ON
uOthinr reliable, and, reduced to its Intrinsic
merits, 10 simply tampsrins with human life.
Most 'coughs Of long standing,n, unattended BY
ditioa sc the hF0ucha tubes or By incipient tuler
eiss - the lunEs. Ihs neslected cold, which so
a90ehes variety Of this disease.
The frequency Of this form OF Bronchitis, its
S5:Ov lnsoOua, and treacherOu pf0gress. aqd tho
olsasesous oQusequ0nces 20 which it 30 often leads,
snosM eMAlsp from. their lethavxy all who are
SHns1e esy ceugAs It l0ag sta.dina in the vain
alDAIepllp nliInoItanf sSrh o0ns - M seSin