The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-04
sa5hrille @Anion.
WM. CAMERON a CO.. Publishers.
wEDNEsDAY. ocToRER 4. -
Dr. Hunter OF New YoFk on Dipthe-
ria and Bronchitis.



In my last letter give a brief description
os the organs Of resplra'ion, and explaine,
the nature 81 the treaInient of De sore throat
Is may De well to add, or tha euissnee n
those who sufer from the sore throat that
they are liable rot only 10 the extension 81
their disease % the lungs. but also 20 thsi
dreaded modern scourge digtisria, which
has prevailed 20 such an srming extent
over the whole Of Europe and America. d
Is from cases Of simple sore throat that this
malady recruits its ia'al ranks. Few wha
have not carefully observed the effects oi
disease Of the throat on the GENERAL health
can have any idea 90 the loss of hoailv viror
which very slight disease Of the isuc, E
produces.
In diP'heria the blood is impregnated
with specific poi-on, for which the pro
oxide Of nitrogen is the antidote. In the
treatment o. this disease, therefore, the pdy
sleian saould direct the patient . inhale
the protoxide from suitable apparatus, un
u its effects are manifesto IN considerable
exhiieration, and after an hours intermis-
sion chlorine Be inhaled freely 10 check the
tendency 10 disorgaailation in the mucous
membrane. Under the combined action of
these remedies a few hours arrests the dis
ease and saves the life Of the patient The
oxygen Of the prOtoxide puri6es the blood
while the auti-stePuc properties of the chlo-
rine arrests the tendency % sloughing and
gangrene. Besides these means. fhs throst
should be washed every few hours With a
strong solution Of chlOrinated soda, applied
with pornygeal syringe. Treated in this
manner, diptheria Is q simple di.ease, and
viii not prove fatal in one case Outof hun
dred.
Let US now pass from disease Of the threat
TO the consideration Of bronchitis.
The term bronchitis has hitherto been
c-mmonly applied TO the diseases Of the
throat, and medical wrters have too often
confirmed the popular error. The reader
viii bear in mind that the bronchial tubes
are not in the throat, but IN the lungs.
When ! speak Of bronchitis thereiora / sneak
Of a disease Of the lungs. and not of the
throat. The vital importance Of this dis
dnchon, wiz be seen when we come 70 dis
euss its proper treatment
Bronchitlf, then, Is disease. Of The lining
or mucous membrane Of the bronchial tubes
ramifying the substance Of the lungs. This
lining or membrane is very sensitive to ev-
cry external or foreign influence, aud is
hence liable % become irritated BY sudden
changes Of weather, by impure sir, BY the
fine particles OF matter which FL the atmos-
phere Of work shops, OF feat upon the wind
in dusty streets, BY the hundred irritating
causes viii h meet us in almost every place.
The irritation, from what ever cause. leads
20 Inclination Of the membrane, derangss
its heslty action, changes the charactsr 81
the secretiuns and sets up rial q symp-
toms to which we apply the name bron-
chitis.
In chronic bronrhitis there is sometimes
slight fever towards evening. The patient
experiences q shortnets of breath 0n exer-
ton, snd has q slight but continued seuse
OF oppression in the chest. The cough or
expectOratiOn may diminish OF entirely dis
appear during the summer, but manifest
themselves again on the return Of winter,
when Ike expectoration becomes increased
and often yellow. Hectic fever may then
supervene, with night sweais and rapid
wasting Of the aesh and strength, and the
patient dies with all the sympiome Of pre-
monary consumption.
Il is very common 90 meet this disease in
milder form. 10 persons who speak OF it as q
'.winter cough" It comes on each winter,
as regularly subsides during summer, but in
every succs ssive recurrcpce il manifests itself
in greater severity and the recovery in the
following summer IS not 81 complete. The
form Of bronchitis, if neglected, viii as surC
10 destroy life land treated in the usual man
ner it is incurablel as consumpt on itself
The mucous meahrane sooner or laler be-
comes altered 10 structure, and plurs forth
q matter which has al the qualities Of pus
Hectic fever supervenes aud the disease
tends slowly bus surely 20 fatal termina-
ton.
Another form Of Bronchitis is peeulisr q
middle life and old sge. u is distinguished
by the quantity and character Of the matter
expeetorated. Usually there are two fits o
]. H. l. -.
from sleep 10 the morning, snd the other in
the evening. There is considerable diff
heulty in breathing while paroxysms o
coughing last, but this passes off as soon a
the lungs are freed from the vescid secre-
ton. The patient is feeble he may, how
ever, live and attend 10 his duties for several
years. But the counteuance gradually as
sumes q psle blush tint, the body wastes
the blood becomes thin, aud death ensues
apparently frora the constant drain kept ur
by thed scharge from the lung Come pa
tients die from exhaustion In Eve or six
months; but We have knoWn others 20 sur.
vive for as many years
There Is still auoiher form Of this disease
called dry bronchitis" The essential
character of dry bronchitis consists Of chrou-
ic Inflammation, attended BY q thickening
Of the muc0u, membrane, by which the
air tubes ere diminished in size, and also IN
the secretion Of dense. giutinous kind Of
natter, Of 8 greenish OF blue white color, by
which they are still further obstructsd. The
smaller bronchial tubes are often entirely
closed, and occasionally tube Of consider
abie size becomes sealed up By this matter.
This affect on j. 50 common in this climate,
thai in some degree it is probable that two
out Of every three suffer from il. "ln the
most favored parts Of France" saws Laen-
nee, ''fu ~ one half Of those arrived at adult
age will be found, upon careful examine
ton, 20 present evidence Of q thick ming Of
the lungs.