144 DISEASES OF TEE PARENCHYMA OF THE LUNG. 



scribed, venesection is absolutely hurtful. Especially is this the case 

 with hyperaemia occurring in asthenic fevers, no matter how great it 

 may be, and though oedema threaten life. In these cases every thing 

 depends upon our supporting the depressed energy of the heart, as by 

 this means alone can its cavities be emptied, and blood flow away from 

 the pulmonary veins. Blood-letting weakens the energy of the heart 

 and augments the danger. As the latter class of cases are by far the 

 most frequent, as they close the scene in almost all tedious and exhaust- 

 ing diseases, strong soups, fiery wines, camphor, musk, are much more 

 frequently indicated for hyperaemia of the lung than is blood-letting. 

 The difficulty of distinguishing between approaching heart-palsy and 

 collateral fluxion in the course of pneumonia, which ? from its great exu- 

 dation, leads to intense fever, and at last also to enfeebled contractions 

 of the heart, has been discussed above. 



In addition to the procedures just spoken of, cedema of the lung 

 may require the employment of emetics, for reasons already explained, 

 as soon as the cough lacks energy, and the palsied bronchial muscles 

 cease to aid in expelling the serous contents of the bronchi. Should 

 the discharge of sputa be arrested, should the rdles in the chest be in- 

 creased, even if the patient cough, give an emetic of sulphate of copper 

 or ipecacuanha, with tartar- emetic, but only when hope of saving life 

 has not been extinguished. Traube recommends the use of acetate of 

 lead gr. j every hour and the application of a very large blister to 

 the chest, as a very efficient mode of treating cedema of the lung. 



(Edema of the lung, as a symptom of general dropsy, demands the 

 treatment of the main disease, but here, too, in the circumstances alluded 

 to, an emetic may be indicated. 



HEMORRHAGES FROM THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 



In the majority of cases in which blood is coughed up, the bronchial 

 mucous membrane is the source of the bleeding, but, as bronchial haemor- 

 rhage is almost always the attendant or forerunner of disease of the lung, 

 we have preferred to treat of this subject simultaneously with that ol 

 haemorrhage from the pulmonary substance. 



Under the head of haemorrhage from the respiratory organs, accord- 

 ingly, we shall discuss : 1. Bronchial haemorrhage (broncho-haemorrahie), 

 by far the most frequent cause of haemoptysis and pneumorrhagia. 2. 

 Hcemorrhagic infarction, a haemorrhage of the pulmonary tissue con- 

 fined within narrow limits, and which causes no destruction. 3. Pul- 

 monary apoplexy proper, an abundant haemorrhage of the pulmonary 



