The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-09
THE NATURE OF ASTHMA

Difficult breathing, short-windedness and wheezng occur in various cases of chronic bronchitis heart disease and kidney disease Tn chronic bronchitis with emphysema (over- distended dilated air-cells in the lungs) the patient constantly wheeZes and has labored breathing the slightest exertion. In any form of heart disease when the heart muscle becomes too exhausted weakened to main- tain circulation through the lungs, there is manifest difficulty of breathing shortness of breath. In certain cases of chronic nephritis (Brights disease) with uremia difficult breath ing is serious symptom.
 None of these breathing difficulties is asth- ma. Physicians refer to such disturbance of breathing as dyspnoea, which means just that, difficult labored breathng old timers sometimes used such confusing terms as renal or cardiac asthma" when they spoke of this difficulty of breathing in cases of kidney or heart disease. That was only one of the many crudties and errors handed down by old time physicians to the present day laity--so you see how folks get that way. Remember it is only within the past few years that there has been even a. moderate demand-demand? I should say tolerance-thown by the public for efforts to educate or enlighten them in mat gensa in Yankeeland are and always have been wiseacres about such matters. Only quacks could tell them anything, and they told them principally things which were not so a good business policy
 True ashtma bronchial spasmodc asthma is not due to heart, kidney, lung or other or ganic disease. It is a functional Arrangement occurring in periodic seizures or attacks like epilepsy or mgraine, the attacks lasting for hours or days ana then passing. Ine most searching examination of the patient or of the chest in the interval between attacks fails to elicit any abnormality. One may be- sub iect to severe asthma, yet in the interval pres ent no sign or symptom by which a physician may discover the ailment.
 In most cases of long endured or neglected asthma the victims suffer with various com plications which, of course, persist between attacks. But even so, physician can diagnose asthma only when he examines the patient in the of the seizure. In this respect it is Dle tective may note little clues which arouse his suspicion. in respect to either asthma or epf- epsy, but he can't be certain till he catches the malady in the act.
 The important cause, if not the sole cause, of true asthma in child or adult is specific sen sitivity-don't run away, we'll translate 1t into words of one syllable right away-specific sem sitVity to some protein substance which is ab- sorbed or enters the body via some other route than normal digestion, and acting as a poison eXcitcs the typical reaction called asthma. In some persons this reaction takes the form of hives instead of asthma. In very young infants
 it manifests itself perhaps as violent diges- tive upheaVal.
 Everybody has heard of the peculiar indi- vdual who becomes extremely distressed if a cat enters the room unnoticcd Well, some persons are specifically senstized to cat hair or dander, and not just cranks.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Boy Should Raise Pigeons
 Four year old son has terror of pigeons which I can't understand. l have tried show ing him how to feed them so they will come he screams and becomes hysterical whenever | pigeon approaches (Mrs F. $. O. Answer-Iet him keep pair of pigeons in | cage or cote in which they will be separated | from him by a wire netting. When the eggs hatch he will become interested in watching progress and presently forget the old fear. Per- | haps he was frightened when pigeon swooped close over his head. Why WhisIsey is Given
 | If as you claim whisky is a dcpressant, why | is it given to people who have tainted or suf. fcrcd from shock or who half drowned OI half frozen? CD. K.) i,.Ss Answer-Probably because the fellow with | the flask gets there before the doctor. Condiments Kindly tell me which kind Of ginger ale con | tains no peDpcr Have been told that is the only kind I can drink. (W. A. P.)
 AnsWer-I do not know. l can't conceive why any who can take ginger may moi take pepper or other condiment. (Copyright John F. Dille Co)