Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-07
THEORY OF KEDICArED INHALATION
Das. HUNTER AND RAMSAY.
on TIL
SYMPTOMS OF CONSUMPTION.

1t IS no unusual thing to hear designated
as " as a mere eold,' or "a slight bronchial
affection symptoms which should excite
the greatest anxiety, as indicating the
commencement of tuberctIar deposition.
When the physician prescribes anything
by the stomach to allay such symptoms,
he only masks the danger, and gives tenn
porary relief, while the disease itself pro-
crosses in the lungs, and becomes more
firmly seated. Thousands in this
way mislead themselves, until the
ravages made by the disease render
self-deceptiOn no longer possible. In
stead of the promised return to health,
the poor invalid finds all his symptoms
steadily growing worse, and grows i'm
Fortunate for relief. He finds that the
least exertion increases his shortness OF
breath, and that he is slowly, but surely,
tossing flesh To quiet his fears he is now
advised to "rtsit the country" to " take a
sea UQyage,' or 10 go to a lCarBs climate for
a season" If 1t be spring, he is told
he will get well so soon as he
can enjoy the "pure Braei,lg air of the
country and if it be Wiater, that he must
be patient and wait for the "eas,aao
Nff 'Eg Aub aAa14 4OI LI2SC WHO Dul
faith in these de,usive promises Too
many learn when toe late that the "coun-
try referred to lies beyond the grave,
and the "sprig' is a season which
"cometh not until life's flful fever is
over"
Permit US, then, by q simple narrative
of the signs by which consumption may
be known in its early stages, to point out
the danger while there is yet strength
enough in the system TO throw off the
disease, and under proper treatment to re-
store health. If the invalid waits for
"psrUteat efPectoratiOH," hectic fever
" and night %Sl0eGts," he waits for the ar
rival of the third stage; and we need
not tell him that when disease is far
advanced, cure is always difficult,
and the results uncertain. II, on the other
haEd, he Is treated IN the early stage,
while the system is yet strong, and the
lungs not broken dotcH, he can look for
ward to cure, under proper treatment,
almost with certainty.
One of the earliest signs of consumption
is cough. For a considerable time this is
50 slight as to be entirely overlooked by
the patient and may scarcely be noticed
by his nearest relatives, it being in
reality little more than an occasional
IRA hack 1t is most commonly observed
IN the morning, on first getting out of bed,
but it may also occur during the dGy-after
meals and after tCaLkjHg or conUersing.
Some weeks or months later, varying with
the progress of the disease, the morning
cough is attended by erpeetoration of a
clear fluid ike saliva, and generally trothy.
After a little points o. pale yeLioU or gray
ISL yellOiC matter make their appearance
IN the trothy mucus, and as the disease
advances this increases, until it almost
lakes the place Of C ear mucus. There is
no uniformity in the amount expectorated
in this disease. Occasionally the quantity
is very small, even where there is an ex-
tensive disease of the lungs; while, on the
other hand, it may be rrofuse, steadily in
creasing from the commencement until
it reaches, in the last stage, half a pint or
more in twenty-four hours. In many ad-
vanced cases the sputa looks like little
balls Of cotton or irooL, and in others is of
q 9 reenisb yeUow color. Now, when u dyV
hacking cough steals upon a person in ap-
parent health, and without the occurrence
Of a cold, it should always excite apprehen-
sion, and lead to an immediate examina-
ton ofthe lungs. 1t may possibly proveun-
important, for dry cough does not always
end in consumption; but it Is suspicious,
and no man who values health will dis
regard its warning. When consumption
follows chronic bronchitis the expectora-
ton is in the early stage, a bluish-colored
sticky mueas, or phlegm, mixed with more
or less Of frothy Saiir1.
ShortaeSs Of breath is first noticed by
the patient on running quickly up a fight
Of stairs, or walking up a hill. In the
carly stage this is very slight, for the
amount Of obstruction in the lungs is small;
but it keeps pace with the progress of
the disease. In some it is less a shortness
Of breath than a n of tightness and og-
preston in the chest on any active exer-
ton Many persons, when questioned in
to this symptom, will draw a deep
breath and forcibly strike the chest with
he fist, remarkng, " there's nothing the
there But, unfortunately, this
5 no test Of the strength of the lungs.
Persons who have small lungs experience
he sense Of shortness of breath much
more than those who have naturally large
lungs, because the latter can better bear
he loss of capacity. This term, shortaeSs
# breath, is used in the same sense as
tu5ried or rapid breathing, or rant of air, |
md is often indicated by Slqhinq. Ali
persons have their breathing hurried by
,%1ertion, but it is easy for the patient
distinguish between the amount of
,xertion he is now able to undergo and
hat he could endure with perfect health.
The number ofrespirations in health varies
rom sixteen to seventeen in the minute.
f a person, supposed to be healthy, is
ound to breathe more frequently than
when quiet and not aware that the
lumber of his respirations are being
ounted, set it down as a sur sign that
lie has, more or less, ShOrtHeSS of breath.
The blood required for its publication that
We should take into the lungs a certain
uantity of air in a given period of time.
he union between the Oxygen of the air
he carbon of the blood is a chemical
Mon, and can only take glace in definite
rOportion-that is TO say, we require
efficient air to cause the removal of the
arbonaceous impurity of the blood, and
|, owing to distractions in the lungs we
o not respire in from fifteen to sevent, en-
aspirations a minute, the required guam
ty, we must make up the deficiency by
reathing more often; and if we increase
lie number of breaths taken in a minute,
e necessarily shorten the length of each
reath. This, then, is what Is meant by
Of breath.
Each additional respiration, as q rule,
icreases the pulse about ire beats.
.ence, in consumption, the pulse keeps
ace with the shortness of breath. If a
srsOnis found to take twenty respirations
u minute, his pulse will be about eighty
eighty-fve. If the number of respira-
be increased to twenty-five, the
will range from n hundred and
re to one hundred and ten. This is not
variably the case, but the exceptions
9 rare. In health, the pulse should
nge from sixty to sixty-eight, the aver
Re being sixty-four beats in the minute.
therefore, you have a hacking cough
d slight shortness of breath, on exer-
N, accompanied by an increase in the
equencv Of the pulse of ten or fifteen
ats per minute, you cannO doubt the
istence Of mischief in the lungs, and
ould instantly set about its removal.
In next issue we propose to continue :
T remarks in a second letter on the
mptoms of this formidable disease.
NoTE.-Drs. Hunter & Ramsay have
W opened & permanent Office in this
at Wackerling's Block, No. 20 south
st corner of Monument Square, where
800 L. ..n-1to5 ill.,