Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-13

w
on the seat Of Bronchitis, published in yester-
days paper) viz That 1t is irithin the lungs will
readily understand how inadequate for its cure
must be any remedy which does not penetrate the
lungs deeply as the disease itself Applications
Of Nitrate Of Silrtr TO the throat utterly use
less since they do not reach the foundation Of the
evil Here Is seen the cor sequence Of miscalling
a disease. Your physician informs you that your
affection is Bronchitis, and straightway you sub
nit to the cruel torture Of having caustic apple
''every second or third day to your throat IL
the unnecessary suffering you thus undergo were
the only consequences which spring from IL, IL
would be of less importance; but the disease
within your lungs is all the time gaining frmer
hold, the mucous membrane is becoming thick
ened and the smaller bronchial tubes closed Up.
These distractions go increasing until SUFFICIENT
air cannot be drawn through the air tubes TO pro-
duce the change in the blood from renous 70 drts-
real IL is the object of respiration to change the
blood from dark to bright red color. This
change is produced in the lungs by the air we
breathe, and cannot occur unless il is received
sufficient quantity.
When considerable distractions exist in the
bronchial tubes, the carbon which constitutes the
impurity Of the blood, IS not wholly removed,
but part is retained, and sent again through the
system, impeding the circulation, irritating the
brain and nervous system, and deranging diges-
ton. Under this condition of the blood tuber-
cules are deposited In the lungs. There is
wdrning given of the fearful change which Is
taking place. Without pain, or cough, or expec-
tordtion, the seed of this most insidious and mo
in the melancholy changes which mark the pro-
gress of Consumption. THIS Consumption arises
as consequence Of nestecting or nnnitreatfng
Bronchitis by placing reliance on applications 10
the throat or palliatives through the stomach. Ii
is a grand desideratum, in the treatment Of all
diseases, 80 get the remedy duect TO the organ or
part affected Washes, Injections blisters, purga-
lives and so forth are universally used on this
principle In Pulmonary diseases the same rule
holds good, but how is il to be applied. Solids
and fluids cannot be used for this is air cavity.
No. but by inhalation can be reached thorou2 bly,
and naturally all diseases situated within the air
tubes and cells of the lungs.
What, then, IS inhalation, The word itself
merely means the act of inspiring or drawing in
breath. In medical parlance it means a mode
Of administering medicines by breathing them.
Thus is said, 90 lnhale medicine would be
said. 90 take a medicine'-the difference being
simply that the one is inhaled, or breathed, while
tine other is swallowed. | am thus explicit, TO
show that ALL medicines inhaled into the lungs
not alike, any more than all medicines Il ken
into the stomach; and hence, that the benefits to
be derived from Limitations must depend upon
the experience and skill of the physician who pre-
scribes them. 1 should have deemed this ex pla-
nation unnecessary, but for the fact that many
who write to me regarding the treatment land
whose letters am always happy to receive) ap-
pear to have got the erroneous idea that - Inha-
lation''-iI s.ead of being simply mode Of prac-
tice administr5 ion of remedies-is some specific
remedy or no.trum, alike applicable TO the mot
opposite forms of pulmonary disease. To make
such is Ia degrade ii to the base level of Quack
cry. liz can never be honestly employed without
a full knowledge of all the symptoms and peculi-
arities Of each case, and the adaptation of the
remedies accordingly.
The first object Of treatment is TO unload e e air
tubes If the lungs by eXpectorant inhalation.
Having attained this object, next seek to allay
the irritation OH which The secretion depends, to
soothe and heal the infiamed surface. The man.
ner Of administering medicines by inhalation in
Bronchitis is as follows. The inhaler which is
made of glass, and holds about pint of fluid. is
half filled with cold, warm, or hot water, ord
ing to the nature of the case. The medicines pre-
scribed for dose are then added, and the patient
directed TO inhale gently, but deeply, into the
lungs. being careful TO expand the chest well,
without straining or violence. The fluid, beans
Dledicated, thoroughly impregnates the air with
its properties. On inhaling through the elastic
tube, vacuum is created, to I'LL " hich a current
OF fresh air rushes down the glass tube, and
breaks up in bubbles, throwing the whole into
intense agitation. Each inhalation is continued
for five, ten, or fifteen minutes, may be neces-
sary, and taken three times day, before meals,
or twice day, on rising from and retiring to bed.
la this manner eve Y effect that can be produced
by medicine 10 obtained in the lungs with a de-
gree of certainty uneq ualled. BY simply VARYING
the medicines put into the fluid, the vapor is rem
dered soothing 'erpectOrdnt, stimulating aItera-
tire asfringtnt, at pleasure. If faithfully and
properly carried out, this treatment will rarely
disaPpont the patient of speedy and radical
There is one point more TO which [ shall refer
before close, and that is, the unwillingness of
those suffering to acknowledge themselves I'm any
danger, until their disease has reached an adj
vanctd stage. This has, doubt, arisen in a
great degree from the presumed hopelessness Of
such cases. Still il is sulcidal-for all who have
frequent desire to clear the throat, and who be-
come fatigned and of 6r.afh on every slip bit
occasion, are oh the high road to those changes
and symptoms which constitute Pulmonary Con-
sumption. This disease begins, in the majority
OF cases, as "cOtd'' ending in "Sore fhroat',-
gradually it extends down the wind pipe render
hoarSp ind
observed on reading aloud; and, finally, il in
wolves the bronchial tubes and ar cells The seat
OF the primary disease is the mucuous membrane
o. The throat, windpipe and bronch;a. tubes tt e
tubercular matter is deposited on its surface IT.
therefore, you would avoid the dangers which
attend Consumption in advanced stage, YOU
Will not disregard these signs of impending evil
but by judicious and prompt means seek to re-
store tue offending organ to its former tone and
health.
You may think give undue importance TO these
affections, from which most persons suffer I'm some
degree; but go to those amongst your own imme.
dlate relatives and friends ho are notc in the asr
sage OF Consumption, and ask them, how th,j,
disease began. They will, in almost every in.
stance, tell you Of slight cold. a hacking cough
or ttttte soreness an tbs chest or throat which
were treated as scarcely worthy Of notice a f,1r
mo"'hs ago, and will add that this cough grew
worse; MISREPRESENTATION increased; that hectic
fever set in. and they began to lose flesh Still
they regard Themselves rs suffering from .tcglp a
S,ght 9roneh'dt affection. and utterly unconsciou,
OF Their true state, have journeyed onward to the
rink Of the grave, now vawning to receive them
as tributes from ignorant or iDjudicious practice
cannot too strongly impress upon the minds OF
those suffering from Catarrhal or Bronc hi al aff.c
nons The Importance of this connection Ii CatarrI
and Sore Threat were successfully treated how
lew cases of Bronchitis would be seen II Bron
chtt,s was generally cured, equally few would b.
the cases of Consumption heard of. All are links
IN the same chain, and hang upon each other as
cause and effect