Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-06-03
ON ASTHMA.

1T Is A COMMON ERROR to suppose every
disease which Is attended by oppressed breath
ny TO be ASTHMA or PiIrJiisIc. We have short
ness Of breath In Consumption, Bronchitis and
Pneumonia, just ~ We do In Asthma, only Ia
these diseases 1t Is always present. whereas In
Asthma II occurs In paroxysms.
Asthma is spasinotie disesss Of the lungs,
which manifests itself in periodic attacks or
" fits" II comes on suddenly, and Is attended
with great difficulty Of breathing while II lasts
but when the attack Is over the patient breatlies
almost a. well as In health
The Asthmatic 1T IN y come on 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 weight, or construction Of the chest.
II feels as though 1t were bound. He sits up In
bed, pants or gasps for breath, and, in bad cases.
calls for the doors and windows to he thrown
open. Psnpiration stands out In large drops on
the forehead. the face looks haggsrd. the lips
are livid, ihs extFemties cold, and the heart
Persons badly afflicted with this disease are
during the nt. insensible to everything save the
desire for air. ] have known them TO rush to
h inIdwinter, utterly regardless oi the cold.
The feeling u precisely that Of impending Yuifo-
cation, and the poor sufferer endsres for = time
al the agony Of DRowNDiNG or slow STRAND
But happily for the patient, his confidence
never deserts him. He feels that II will soon b.
over, and then he will get relief. After longer
or shorter period, according 70 the severity q
the case-generally few hours-the TIuHT.
N less ct the bottom Of the chest relsxes. the
breAthIDg becomes deeper, the patient can
SPEAK and COUCH without difficulty and be.
aims TO expectorAte freely. Al length. worn out
by the intensity OF his suffernKs, he falls asleep,
NERVOUS, HUMID and DRY ASTHMA are
names given to different forms of this disease.
EMPMfbEhA II another and more inveterate
kind Of Asthma. while Hay Fever or Rose cold is
peculiar variety Of Asthins which occurs at .
Certain season OF the year. Each Of these forms
OF disease differ somewhat from the ethers In
syfntoins, but practically these distinctions are
Of very little value. II does nst matter to the
patient which form Of Asthma he has since his
expectoration becomes yellow. and We call 1t
bronchial. In another II 10 light. and we call IL
dry. When he coughs up clear water, with
white frsth on the surface we say he has hum0r-
81 Asthma In nervous asthma there is very
little expectoration Of any kind Hay fever al
ways begins - q crying cold in the bead or in.
nuenza, and clear water runs from the nose
and the eyes for some time before the Asthma
ht comes on. lniemphysen tn. expectorAtion
Is generally thick. and continues 70 10 the inter
val between the fits. while the shortness Of
breath Is inersased on the slightest exertion.
There Is no rule which can be said 10 be uni.
form In Asthma. In one person the disease will
eDttreiy pass Cd after single attack. and re-
Inhin Ntii tOr H&ek9. III nuOInoK tuefB Will De
several fits In succession. With only short inter.
walls between them. and then the patient escapes
Tor longer period. In some the its occur reRu-
lnrly 1t stated times Aome asthmAtics breath
best In the city, while others cannot pas . night
iers the low land as pisoe Of residence, and an
other can only sleep on high ground. I partIci-
lar exposure Of . room will often make di6er-
ence, and have known people who ctuld sleep
ON ono side Of . stress and not on the opposite
ho ~ kanr srrA ~ - -H-kf
with many ID sufficient ts bringon . paroxysn
Some cannot drive behind horses, OF endure
cat In the same room.
All this must seem strange and almost absurd
perisnce, bat those who are afflicted with it un.
derstand the matter. Be- sensitive are some peo-
pie that they cannot enter drug store where
ipecacuAnha b k. pt without experiencing al ep-
preston In breathing.
Asthma depends more on atmospheric causes
than other lung Diseases The mucous mem.
braHe is morbidly sensitive 70 every change In
the air, In the excess or deficiency Of its osone-
In the presence u smoke or dust; In its tsmpera-
ture. humidity. or even imprsgnanee with the
delicate fragrance Of flowers and plants. Few
people have any idea Of the powerful inhuence
exerted for good Or III by what We inhale. The
air Ia the great source from whence we contract
most diseases and Il 10 only by employing it As
the carrier Of remedies that many Of them can
be cured. This is peculiarly ths case with all
diseases Of the air passage and lungs, Of none
more 20 than Asthma.
II 10 . fooliah conceit Of many people TO be-
lieve that II they have Asthma they cannot get
consumption. The truth 10 the very opposite
They are more liable TO fall into consumption
because they have Asthma. Another idea Is,
that Asthma itseIf h not = dangerous disease,
ann yet the publishe1 bills OF mortality for this
city prove 70 al who read them that great num-
bers lose their lives every year.
without coungs and perseverance, nothing Is
cwrabIe. hut with these. aided by proper and
skillfull treatment, Asthma can generally be
cured even after the lungs are extensively dis
essed. And this can only be done by the proper
use of Medicated lnhalations whicn reach every
part Of the deaseased surfaces, thus rendering
lung diseases rs amenable 20 treatment and a.
easily cured - any other class Of diseases
N. HILTON WILLIAMS, N. D.,
s75 North Main Street. las Angcits. Cal
p. .s--OvvIcE HoUss. from 10 A. =. to- NJ:
Sunday from to 8 .. \.