Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-01
Health Queries by DR.. Brady
E.Ew AhtllIiIi.

Subjects OF true spasrnodic bronchial asth-
ma, which is severe difficulty in breathing
occurring at irregular Intervals and not pcr.
hianent or constant difficulty in breathing.
are wont to blame our old friend the weather
or climate considerably. 1t is quite as ren-
sonabic to assume that weather climate mr.
atmospheric conditions generally may have n
bearing on the prccptatinr factor i'm nsihm,
as 1t is to think the state OF the weather mr.
the character of the climate has some innu
ence on ones t"mperamental behavior hut
'hat is as far as the weather or climate should
20 in the premises.
~ friend Of mine has asthma" writes n
lc"oer' lie AYERS he never has an attack
unless he has been near a cat. l think this
i"ca about eats Is largely imagination How
ever. am open to conviction II tho iJc,
is corrohoratcd by "A reliable or co,n,o,o,,
Physician
Here is an instance from recent scientific
essay on asthma by DR. Warncld r Long
cope. OF New York:
'rn one Of our asthmatics II boy aged G,
violent cutancous reactions chat is to skin
tcsts) were obtained TO the serums of many
domestic animals. 1t was thought, therefore.
that his asthma was probably caused by in
halation OF the hairs and cpdermal dust from
dogs arr cats. Even though lie treated
carefully from this pon, of view. the
asthma not relieved. \ further study
showed that he gave skin reaction. though
only after intradermul injections" chat is
injection into. not under, the skin. rather
than mere application OF the protein solution
to scratch) "to white of egg. Eggs were,
therefore" eliminated from his diet and the
asthma ceased Immediately. lie was then
treated by the feeding OF dried egg white in
capsules. egnning with one milliEram'' Gap
proXimatcly siXticth OF n grain) and in
creasing gradually until he took one cooked
egg q day. lie has been able now for four
years to eat egg daily without rcappcar-
ancc of the asthma
To he sure. the inhalation OF cat dandruT
may excite an asthm;,tic seizure in an indi-
vdual, who happens to be sensitiZcd to that
particular protein. and there is nothing imag-
mary about such an attack. Dogs, chickens
their feathers. geese feathers. Gas in feather
pilows), horses. parrots. canary birds, and
other creatures their emanations may ex-
cite asthma Physicians nowadays test indi-
viduals for the peculiar scnstization which
renders them susceptible to thcs. accidental
or casual protein poisons. not alone in asthma
but in hay fever (herc the skin tests are
made with pollen extracts from various plants,
10 determine the specific pollen Responsible.
IT is n common history, according to DR.
l.ongcopc. in asthma cases that as a child
the patient had eczema. possibly associated
with attacks of hives. Hives is certainly cX-
cited by this peculiar poisoning OF the SEN
sitzcd or susceptible individual with some
simple protein substance in food or from some
external source in asthma. Again. the
patient may have had hay fever at puberty
or thereabouts which grew 4 little worse an
nually and finally merged into characteristic
seizures of bronchial spasmodc asthma
Sometimes II Is learned that the patient In
infancy vomited the first egg white and was
invariably upset by egg, that egg was omit
ted. but few years later eczema or hives
occurred. when minute quantities of egg were
taken unwittingly, as in cake, salad dressing
ice cream, or some other dish.