The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-06-02
For The Bulletin;
DIR. WOLFE's COMMON SENSE.
LETTER NO. XIV.

llI. EultoIs
When asthma ruptures the air-cells it is
called Emphysema. Fortunately the part
of the lung affected in this way is usually
small, though sometimes the whole of a
lung becomes permanently distended or
disorganized Persons suffering from
Emphysema can not lie down with ease,
because the breathing is almost wholly alb
domlnal, and in the recumbent position
the stomach, spleen, and liver press against
the diaphragm or floor of the chest, and re-
strain the freedom Of its movements. For
the same reason full stomach, either from
hearty meal or wind, always adds greatly
to the difficulty of breathing. The expec-
toration is frothy, and when collected in q
| cup looks like gum-water OF slippery-elm
tea covered with foam. The most common
cause Of Emphysema is dry bronchitis. The
| viscid mucus secreted in that disease is
often found adhering 10 the sides of the air
tubes in such q manner as to form kind
of valve, which offers less'resistsnce to the
entrance of the air than to its expulsion.
The air rushes in and finds it's way to the
air-cells with but little difficulty, but when
il is to be expelled the obstruction is 50
great as to require forced effort to effect
it. This labored expiration would of itself
gradually bring about the dilation of the
air-cells; but it is probable that this effect
is greatly fastened by part of the air re-
naming imprisoned after each expiration
| till the air.cells are blown up and rupturet
or remain permanently distended. Tha
you may understand this, suppose we have
six little lndiarubber bags attached b!
short tubular stems to larger tube that 81!
cubic inches Of air will just fill. Now
when filled they bear some resemblance t
a cluster of aircells in the lungs. If VI
force six cubic inches of air into them anC
expel five, and continue to do this, in
short time they will have swelled up t
two or three times their former size, and il
the end will burst and be destroyed Thi
is a mechanical illustration of what take
place in the lungs in most cases of Empty
sema. This form Of asthma often ends il
consumption.
Humoral Asthma is another form of thi
disease, arising from the very opposite con
| diton TO that | have described under tht
head of dry asthma. Instead of the secre
ton being small in amount, thick, anl
sticky il is thin and watery, and flows il
large quantities. The attacks come on a
q common cold, with stuffing in the nos
followed by great want Of breath ,wheeziD
in the chest and expectations, amounting
often to one or two pints Of thin, CLAIR
secretion, which looks like the white of ra,
eggs when beaten into froth. Humore
asthma bears the same relation to Huml
Bronchitis that Dry Asthma does to DR.
Bronchitis. Both forms of asthma ar
caused by corresponding varieties of bror
chitis. Humoral Asthma is most commo
in old people; but it occurs at every az
oflife. In the intervals between the attack
there is usually some cough and expcctora
ton, with a strong liability to becom
wheezy from every slight exertion and c!
posure.
Ia addition TO these there are sever
: other forms Of asthma which we intende
: to describe, but find that our limit will n,
permit. Still there are q few facts we ha,
overlooked, to which we will briefly ref
, before proceeding 10 speak Of treatmen
The occurrences of paroxysms of asthn
6 are extremely various. In some we have
!. single fit, and when this over, the disea.
II ceases indefinitely Sometimes two
'uree attacks will occur night utter nigh