The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-12-30
THE PEOPLES HEALTH
By Samuel G. PavlO, MD.

Asthma is disease of the reSplra-
tory organs. 1t consists of spasm OF
small branches of the bronchi, the
spasm causing partial closure of the
bronchial tubes. The patient can
breath in the air normally, but the
expiration is difficult due to the OBJ
struction. The oxygen from the air
has been properly transmitted to the
lungs through the bronchus, but the
carbon dioxide (impure air. cannot
be expelled into the exterior from the
lungs.
The patient has a sense of suffca-
ton, is gasping for air, and is dis
tressed. His muscles of the chest
labor excessively in an effort to ex-
hale the air.
These attacks usually occur early in
the morning, about two or three
o'clock, when the patient awakes from
sound sleep with shortness of breath
and wheeling. An attack of asthma
lasts a day or two and terminates by
the patient coughing and raising con-
siderble sputum. The bronchial
spasm and obstruction become less and
less pronounced until breathing re-
turns to normal.
The interesting thing about asthma
is that the patient feels perfectly well
and that he is able to attend to his
regular occupation when he gets
through with the attack, no matter
how i'll he has been during the attack.
This is miraculous in contrast with an
ordinary head cold or acute bronchitis
etc, which weaken the patient con-
siderably.
The treatment during an attack of
asthma is directed towards relieving
the bronchial spasm. An injection of
adrenalin hydro-chloride 1000 is an
excellent remedy The adrenalin
hvdrochloride can be SPRAYED into the
throat by special atomizer when a
solution of 1-100 is being used.
The further treatment, between the
attacks of asthma, consists in finding
the cause of the disease and removing
IT. if possible In this respect, great
discoveries have been made by medi-
cine recently.
Bv studying the history of the pa
tent very thoroughly, especially the
narlv history of the attacks, the ply
stefan with the aid of the patient and
his family can find that the attack of
asthma was brought about by eating
certain food (fish, eggs, wheat, etc
or by contact with some substances
An attack of asthma may be BROUGHT
about bv the exposure or contact with
a dog, cat, horse, etc. Not everybody,
of course, will get an attack of asthma
Unon the exposure to these animals
Only certain people, who have a
Snocial sensitivitv to these danders
will react in this manner. We saw
then, that these people are allergic to
the objects thew are exposed to. Wo-
men NAV be allergic to certain dives
of the hair, orris root in the powders
thew use, perfumes, etc. Children get
of asthma if they are allergic
to food thew eat. mostly egg, milk and
wheat. Seasonallv, people may suffer
from asthma when they are exposed
to the Dollens of plants. The trees
nnllenize in the spring. grass in the
summer and weeds in the fall. People
who are allergic to these pollens get
seasonal hav fever and NAV get asth-
ma if their susceptibility is very
strong to these pollens.
Having obtained GOOD history the
physician proceeds with special exami-
Notions Of the patient. These consist
OF injecting small doses of extracts
from oil suspected substances horse
hair, feathers, Orris root. vegetables.
eggs, pollens, dust etc.-to find the
reaction of the patient to them. The
stronger the reaction to a certain px-
tract the stronger is the possibility
that this substance is the cause of the
attacks of asthma. MANY times the
nhvsician finds that more than one
substance is the cause of the disease.
Having ascertained the cause of
asthma the treatment becomes quite
clear. Avoidance of contact to the
"ausativn factor is absolutely impera-
from asthma has a dog in the house,
tive. Thus, if the patient. who suffers
and the dog is the cause of his illness.
thore IS only one wav to get rid of his
asthma: he has to get rid of his dog.
People, whose sensitivitv to feathers
causes an attack of asthma. should
"void sleeping on feather cushions.
Instead of using wheat, if the patient
IS sensitive to it, one can use rye. rice.
cornmeal. etc.
IF avoidance of contact 70 al1nroic
substances is impossible the patient
is injected at regular intervals with
extracts from the causative factors.
Tho nntient then becomes desonsitiznd.
A number of drugs have been recently
evnorimnnted on in search for ono
which mioht be specific for asthma.
but as vet none has been found.
Proper nutrition should be main
tanned: good fod. healthvl surround
ines, nlentv of rest and avoidance Of
being ovnr-fatioued are essential fac
tors. Nervousness. irritabilitv and
worrv should be avoided.
Sometimes change of residence IN
n oioh pJtitudn is REQUIRED Peone
from Now EnOland find complete relief
from asthma in some parts of Arizona
where the climate is dry and free from
irritable impurities in the air. This
's esneciallv important for patients il
whom the causes of asthma are OBJ
scure.