84 DISEASES OF THE TRACHEA AND BRONCHI. 



cough so well," as the best they have hitherto taken. The application 

 of strong, cutaneous irritants, sinapisms, and blisters to the chest, is 

 especially adapted to the form of disease in question. 



2. Sometimes a periodically-recurrent dyspnoea, with extensive 

 sibillant rhonchi, indicates that the muscles of the finer bronchi are in 

 a state of spasm, and that a part of the dyspnoea is to be attributed to 

 this circumstance. In these cases there is often great irritability of the 

 mucous membrane ; hence, the narcotics are most useful in relaxing 

 the bronchial muscles. The nauseants, too, do good service by caus- 

 ing muscular relaxation, and we may prescribe infusion of ipecac., or 

 small dpses of tartar-emetic. Above all, I recommend the iodide of 

 potassium in such cases. Its effect is often brilliant, relief following 

 the very first spoonful ; indeed, having once learned its efficacy, many 

 patients require constant warning against the abuse of this some- 

 what overactive drug. 



3. Sometimes an opposite condition prevails, the bronchi being 

 dilated, their walls relaxed, and their muscular coat half paralyzed. It 

 is in just such cases as these that the secretion is apt to be profuse, 

 and (owing to the imperfect cooperation of the bronchial muscles) 

 difficult to get rid of by coughing. (As already stated, large and soft 

 moist rdles indicate blennorrhcea of the bronchi.) The appropriate 

 remedies in such cases are the stimulant expectorants an important 

 class among the so-called expectorants namely, senega, squills, pim- 

 pinella, carbonate of ammonia, benzoin, liquor ammonias anisatus, and 

 the like. A very favorite prescription is an infusion of senegae 3 ij 



? ss to water vj, with liq. ammon. anisat. 3 ss. The elixir pectoralis, 

 consisting of sacc. liquiritiae ij, aqua fceniculi vj, h'q. ammon. anisat. 



ij, to be taken by the teaspoonfuL Finally, the use of ptisanes, con- 

 taining more or less of aromatic substance, is suitable in these cases, 

 although their virtue lies mainly in the warmth they give out when swal- 

 lowed while very hot Preposterous as it may be to prescribe pectoral 

 teas to all classes of patients, those who are suffering from bronchial blen- 

 norrhcea with relaxed bronchial muscles almost always expectorate with 

 greater ease after having drunk a few cups of hot ptisane. Besides the 

 oflficinal expectorants, a mixture of mucilaginous, sweet, demulcent (sooth- 

 ing ?) articles are ordinarily prescribed as a pectoral tea : rad. althaea, 

 flores malvae, flores et herba verbasci, radix liquiritiae, with the seed of 

 plants which contain an ethereal oil, such as semina anisi vulgaris, sem. 

 anis. stellati, semina fceniculi, semina phillandrii aquatici. The latter arti- 

 cle, which also contains resinous matter, and therefore belongs among the 

 remedies to be spoken of in the next class, is in especial repute in bron- 

 chorrhcea, ta which it is said both to facilitate the expectoration and to 



