The record-union., 1892-08-22
ABNORMAL BREATHING.
We Should Breath Through the Nose
and Not the Mouth.

and Not the Mouth.
Neither man nor animal breathes
through the mouth normally. The only
natural way for respiration and lnsplra-
ton is through the nose. When we
breathe through the nose, the cold, dry,
impure, outward air is sufficiently
warmed, supplied with watery vapor and
freed from dust. When we breathe
through the nose, smelling at the same
time through our organ of smell, which
assists respiration, we become aware OF
the presence of an injurious or Of a gen
orally abnormal mixture drawn in by the
breath, and can then either correct so I'M
favorable an atmosphere or escape from
II. Furthermore, only in the nose are
found those fine arrangements which can
prevent the entrance OF Injurious SUBJ
stances into the deeper respiratory or
gans Qarynx and lungs and thus stop the
further advance Of the hostile body (paln-
ful smoke, irritating Gampness, thick
dust, etc., besides defying that which has
already slyly effected an entrance. This
is done by the so-called nasal reflex
breathing, to which class belongs sneeZ-
ing. Ii we breathe through the mouth the
air is neither sufficiently warmed nor sat
lstactorily moistened, and laden with all
its bad mixtures of dust of mineral, ami
NAL and vegetable origin, added to injuri-
Gus gases, reaches the larynx, the air.
tn bes and the lungs.
Snoring is only the least among the
evil consequences OF breathing through
the mouth. The swollen, sore. constantly
chapped lips, bad condition of the front
teeth and decay Of the back ones, defect
i've development of the sense of smell,
frequent inflammation of the throat, at
tacks of fever, diphtheria and catarrh,
and soreness of the larynX and lungs are
consequences of breathing through the
mouth which have been frequently OBJ
served. In children one often sees an
habitual and peculiar weak or even stu
pid expression of countenance. 1t has
also been found, through the experiments
of different trustworthy observers, that
there is q casual connection between
stammering and breathing through the
mouth. On the other hand, however,
certain forms of nightmare and asthma
are caused by breathing through the
mouth. That infants are sometimes
brought almost to deaths door when
prevented by cold from breathing
through the nose is fact well known to
physicians.
When child or a grown person begins
to breathe with the mouth open, there
must exist some sufficient cause for the
occurrence in the uppermost air passages.
No one would voluntarily exchange the
only healthy, comfortable manner of
breathing through the nose for the
burdensome and unhealthy breathing
through the mouth. Let anyone attempt
to breathe through the mouth for five
minutes, instead OF, as one is accustomed.
through the nose, and he will soon be
convinced that it is almost impossible.
Almost of itself, that is, without muscular
force, through the mere pressure of the
air, the mouth closes and the original
manner OF breathing Is resumed.
Whoever SHORES can, as rule, no
breathe through the nose. That it would
be useless in such cases to desire to close
the mouth mechanically is entirely COM
prehensible. Every mother, who fire.
quently gives to her child the useless
command "Close your mouth" is aware
of this. Here it is better to seek, without
delay, the advice of an experienced
specialist, in order to determine the cause
Of this mouth-breathing. In the caseof
children in particular an unnecessary de-
lay might prove fatal.
Now there are certainly cases in which
the cause of this habit may be deter
mined and the habit still remain. But
these are the exceptions; as rule normal
breathing results as soon as the air en-
tiers the correct passages; if the snoring
and breathing through the mouth re-
turns as an evil habit. then and only
then can mechanical means be used with
advantage to stop this opening of the
mouth.
The simplest and oldest of these is to
place band from the chin to the top of
the head. This often suffices. AS the
mouth remains closed by pressure of the
air, some of the mechanical appliances to
produce this effect might be used. Some
times it is even sufficient to place piece
of celluloid plate between the teeth, but
one would not lightly decide to place a
foreign substance in the mouth of a
sleeper, particularly restless child.
All OF these apparatus must be put on
every evening and worn over night, until
the normal position of the lips and lower
jaw is regained. But the most important
thing is to remove the Instructions to
normal breathing.-Fromt the German of
DR.. y. Bloch, in Schorer's Familienblatt
(Berlin).