- BOTANIC PHYSICIAN. 2 
unless sometimes a little tough phlegm, by mere force of coughing. 
Asthma is either periodical or continual.. ionlv 4 ogbweag@e. 
The cause of a continued asthma is acompression of the lungs by 
a serum or dropsy in the breast, empyema, corpulence, adhesion of 
the lungs to the pleura: in a word, by whatever compresses the lungs, 
impedes the circulation of the blood through them, or prevents ther — 
_ being duly expanded by the air. P10 90t 
; ~The cause of a periodical asthma is a compression of the vessels 
_ and air cells of the Jungs, owing to'slow fumes, or an acid gas, arising 
- from fermentation in a foul stomach, and which impedes the course 
of the nervous influence into the lungs, leaving an insufli¢iency of 
vital heat to distend the vessels to their usual extent. This may come 
_ from a bad conformation of the chest, straitening the lungs too much; 
also exposure to cold easterly winds, sudden change of air, foggy 
ital 
weather, &c. The immediate cause of the asthmaisaspasmodic-con- 
_ ifritation of the organs of respiration, is-yerndlgae 
‘oms.—Anasthma is known by a quick, labourious breathing; 
Vis generally performed with a kind of wheezing noise: Some- 
mes the difficulty of breathing is so. great that the patient is obliged 
to keép in an erect posture, night as well as day, otherwise he isin ~_ 
| danger of being suffocated. A fit of the asthma generally comes 
on after exposure to cold, easterly winds, damps,-fogs, wet feet, eat--_ 
ing indigestible food, &¢: © . 1 ¥ oe IgOO 
_ the paroxysm -is commonly ushered in with listlessness, want of 
sleep, hoarseness, a cough, belching . of wind, heaviness “about the = 
2 breast, and difficulty of breathing. "To these succeed’ fever, heat, 
pain in the head, sickness, nausea,’ great oppression of the ‘breast, 
_ palpitat ‘the heart, a weak, and sonietimes intermitting pulse, — 
ty flow of tears, bilious vomitings, &¢. “All these symp- 
veworse towards night ; the’patient is easier when up than 
x: and is very desirous of cool air.: 3 Bee 
_ After Soine nights passed away in’ this manner, the fits atJength 
‘oderate, and suffer more considerable remissions, particularly whem 
¥ are attended witii a copious expectoration in the mornings, and 
hen this continues from time to time throughout the day; and: 
he disease going off at last, the patient enjoys his usual rest by night 
hout further disturbance. In some severe cases; the patient is 
0 abstain from sleeping on a hed altogether.) © 1 7" 
£4 x 
EN.—The food ought to be easy of digestion, solid, and now 
—all windy things'are to be avoided. The body should be kept = 
warm, and particularly the feet, which should be kept dryyand pew 
_ Spiyation promoted. Nothing is of so great importance in the ast 
as Pure and moderately warm air. Asthmatic people can seldom bear 
either the close, heavy air of a large town, or the sharp keen atmos- 
phere of a bleak hilly country: a medium, therefore, between thes€ 
is to be chosen. — — 
Exercise is likewisé of very great importance’ in the asthm 
it promotes the digestion,’ greatly assist# in the preparation © 
he blood, and helps to’ prevent the’ acéumelation ‘of the serum 
he chest. The blood of asthmatic persous is seldom duly” 
