The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-03-02
PROPER BREATHING.
iNHAlE THROUGH THE NOSTRlLS,
AND NOT THE MOUTH.

Nat nature iHitiiQtu iu'ih A'i ga
climates is ungucStion2d. but II man
live other than nature intended he
should he must be content with dire
consequences so far as health is con-
cerned. And why is it that certain in
dividuals enjoy better health in GER
tain climates than in others?
To my mind. the reason in major
ity of cases is that they are mouth
breathers and bear better the mild
than the severe climate.
Who are afflicted with chronic nose.
throat and chest affections? The mouth
breather always, and we will new
er stamp out such conditions as pull
monary tuberculosis, together with
numerous other affections OF the re-
spiratory tract, until we. the human
family. have learned to take every IN
spiration through the nose.
I have taken the liberty to divide
mouth breathers into two classes. con-
firmed and moderate The first breathes
almost continually with open mouth.
The second is not conscious that he
breathes other than through the nor
NAL channels and will not admit that
he does otherwise until you convince
him such is the case 1t is my custom
to engage the doubling one in conver-
sation or have him read for me. When
he will be surprised to- learn that he
has spoken several sentences or reao
many paragraphs without once closing
his mouth. He it is who. after iectur-
ing or reading aloud or perhaps sing
ing, is dry of mouth and husky or
speech and wonders why.
Treatment: Restore the nose to as
nearly a normal condition. physiolog-
icaIly speaking. as possible, and then
insist upon your patient using it. SO
long as the spray. douche and solution
treatment generally are patronlzed
just so long will we fail to get good re-
suits, for. as DIR. Leland remarks. the
nose wants air and not water.
Douching and spraying are contrary
to nature and should never be prac-
ticed.
When the patient is a mouth breath
er through habit. and this may be de-
termined by having him breathe first
through one nostril and then through
the other. it is my custom to order him
to breathe forcibly through his nostrils
at the rate OF one respiration per Sec
ond for ten seconds. this to constitute
one exercise. to be repeated often. per-
haps eight or ten times during the day.
He will find that this more than conf
pensates for his spray. for having used
the spray in the morning he is filled
up," as he expresses it, long before
noon. His nose he can exercise at will
and thus keep it free. The exercise
prescribe for all patients during the
process of repair following operations,
to be continued until they are confirm
ed nasal breathers. A mouth guard
should be worn at night for few
weeks.
If we are going % cure nasal catarrh
and other respiratory difficulties. the
respiratory tract being freed of all OBJ
structions and irritable areas. the pa
tient must he taught to breathe nor
mally.
Irritable areas are not always de-
tected by the probe; therefore we can
not depend upon that method. but
must notu that these patches have a
characteristic appearance. They are
found not only in the nose. but OTTER
times in the nasopharynx and pharynX
as we'll and are of a pale. waterlogged
appearance. They may be obliterated
surgically or by cauterization. and If
the nose thereafter is properly used
like areas do not return. This may be
said for all hypertrophic removals. To
bring about permanent patency Of
the eustachian tube the individual must
become nasal breather. Therefore it
is absolutely essential to overcome or
permanently improve most varieties OF
deafness and tinnitus auriunl that the
patient breathe through the nose at all
times. The eustachian catheter is of
ten harmful. acting as mechanical ir-
ritant and thus assisting the progress
of an already thickened and perhaps
irritable membrane.
The dilatation Of the cheeks Of the
patient and the imitation perhaps for the
first few treatments Of air medicated
and thereafter with air in it's purity, OF
Professor Politzer's method, the pa.
tient being careful between times to
continue his breathing exercise. are
vastly superior to other forms of infia-
ton. Air is what the thickened eusta.
chan orifce needs to return it to a
normal state. and this applies to the
thickened or collapsed eustachian tube
and middle ear as we'll, also the acces-
sory nasal cavities.
The oxygen treatment is familiar.
but why use oxygen artificially when
air breathed normally will supply it?
Your patient can go to a milder eli
mate and breathe with open mouth
and be benefited. but would it not be
far better for him to remain at home.
breathe through his nose and fully re-
cover?