Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-06-04
ON ASTHMA.

1T Is COMMON ERROR to suppose every
disease which is attended by oppressed breath.
ny to be ASTHMA or PnrHIsIc We have short
ness OF breath In Consumption, Bronchitis and
Pneumonia, Just as we do In Asthma only H.
these diseases 1t Is always present, whereas in
Asthma 1t occurs In parvxysnls.
Asthma Is a spasnote diseass OF the lungs,
which Inanifests itself In periodic attacks or
Hts II comes on suddenly, and Is attended
with great difficulty Of breathing while IL lasts.
but when the attack is over the patient breathes
almost as well as In health
The Asthmatc 1T m come at any time,
day or night but most commonly occurs after
midnight and before morning. The patient is
suddenly awakened by difficulty Of breathing.
feeling Of We ght, or construction Of the chest
1t feels as though 1t were bound. lie sits up In
bed, pants or gaps for breath. and In bad cases.
calls for the doors and ~indows to be thrown
open. Perspiration stands out In large drops ON
the forehead, the lace looks haegard, the lips
are ivid. the extrsmiles cold. and the heart
Persons badly afflicted with this disease are,
during the it, insensble to everything save the
dssire for air. have known them to rush to
the open window and hang over the sill for hours
In miJwinter, utterly regardless ri the cold.
The feeling is precisely that Of inpensing suifo-
cation, and the poor sufferer cndures for time
ULATlUN.
But happily for the patient, his confidence
never deserts him. lie feels that it will soon be
over, and then he will get relief. After longer
or shorter period, according W the severity q
the case--generally few hours--the TIGHT
NESS ut the bottom OF the chest relaxes. the
breathing becomes deeper, the patient can
SPEAK and COUCH without difficulty and be.
gins to expsctorate freely AZ length, worn % out
by the intensity OF his suerinRs, he falls asleep,
and the attack Ia at an end.
NERVOUS, HUMID and DRY ASTHMA are
names given 10 different forms OF this disease.
EMPMYSEMAi Is another and more inveterate
l. - A.<b xxl.i HuvR nr naoa enld Ia
a peculiar variety OF Asthma which occurs at
certain season OF the year. Each Of these forms
OF disease differ somewhat from the others IN
SYMPTOMS. but practically these distinctions are
OF very little vuiue. 1t docs net matter to the
patient which form Of Asthma he has since his
sufferings are the same in all In one case the
expectoration becomes yellow, and We call il
bronchial. In another it Is light, and we cali it
dry. When he coughs up clear water. with
white freth on the surface. we say he has humor-
al Asthma. In nervous asthma there Is very
little expectoration Of any kind. Hay fever al
ways begins a. q crying cold In the head or in
fuenza. and clear water runs from the nose
and the eyes for some time before the Asthma
1t comes on. Inemphysem tn. expectoration
10 generally thick. aud continues W in the inter-
val between the fits, while the shortness Of
breath Is increased ON the slightest exertion
There Is no rule which can be said TO be uni
form In Asthma. In one person the dsease will
entirely pass on after single attack, and re-
main well for weeks In another there will be
several fits In succession. with only short inter
walls between them. and then the patient escapes
for longer period. In some the hts occur regti-
larry at stated times. Some asthmatics breath
best In the ty, while Others cannot pass . night
In town without suffering an attack. One pre-.
feys the low laid as place Of residence, and an
other p; can only sheep on i hiEh % ground pa,ticu
ence, and have known people who could sleep
on one side Of street and not on the opposite.
The smell Of hay. roses and even Of the stable,
with many 10 sufiicient T. bring on q paroxysm.
Some cannot drive behind horses, or endure
cat In the same room.
All this must seem strange and almost absurd
to those who know nothing OF the disease by ex-
perisnce. but thoee who afflicted with il up-
derstaBd the matter So sensitive are some peo
pie that they cannot enter . drug store where
ipecscuanha 70 r. ut without experiencing an ep-
preston in breathing.
Asthma depends more on atmospheric causes
than other lung Diseases. The mucous mem.
braHe 10 morbidly sensitive to every change In
the air, In the excess deficiency Of its ozone
in the presence of smoke or dust; In its tempera-
tnre. humidity. or even impregnanes With ths
delicate fragrance Of flowers and plants. Few
people have any idea Of the powerful influence
exeTted for good or III by what we inhale. The
air Is the great source from whence we contract
most diseases and II IL only by employing IL as
the carrier Of remedies that many Of them can
be cured. This 10 peculiarly thu case with all
diseases q the cir passage and lungs Of none
more 90 than Asthma.
1t 10 foolish conceit Of many people 10 be-
lieve that II they have Asthma they cannot get
consumption. fhe truth Is the very opposite.
They ere more liable 10 fall into consllmption
because they have Asthma Another idea is
that Asthma lteslf In not dangs rous disease,
ann yet the published bills Of mortality for this
city prove 70 ell vho read them that great mum
bers lose their lives every year.
without courage and perseverance, nothing is
cHrsble. But With these. aided by proper and
skiIlfull treatment, Asthma can generally be
cured even after the lungs are extensively dis
eAsed. And this can only be done BY the proper
use Of Medicated Inhalations which reach every
part Of the deassased surfaces, thus rendering
lung diseases amenable 20 treatment and -
easily cured as any other class Of diseases.
N. HILTON WILLIAMS, NJ. ~,
275 North Main Street. Les Angeles. Cal
p s-OyfIcx Hours. from 10 A. n. to ar. NJ;
Sunday from to 8 D. n.