234 BROKEN WIND ; ITS VARIETIES. [BOOK II. 



order to the end of his days ; and, agreeably to the 

 part which may experience the attack, has it been 

 the practice to denominate chronic cough either 

 roaring — broken wind — thick in the wind — or 

 asthma. Hereupon, however, the doctors disagree. 

 How this difference arises may be worth a mo- 

 ment's investigation here, although so large a por- 

 tion of the second chapter has been already devoted 

 to the subject, and the reader must absolutely turn 

 back to it. At page 109 the thickening of the mid- 

 riff, in consequence of inflammation attacking the 

 adjacent viscera, was minutely described : this 

 thickening of the membrane also extends to every 

 other part of the lungs, wind-pipe, &c. whenever 

 cold or inflammation prevails ; and in the event of 

 its continuance, the thickening of the membrane 

 remains long after the virulence of the disorder may 

 be subdued. If this state of the organs of respira- 

 tion extend over them generally, the patient may 

 very justly be said to be " broken winded ;" when 

 this extends to the thickening of the 'pleura only, 

 he would then be thick winded, or short in the 

 wind, as he would also in case of adhesions of the 

 midriff, as described at page 109, already referred 

 to. Neither affection, however, can fairly be set 

 down for broken wind ; though both those mem- 

 branes being affected might properly enough be con- 

 sidered " a broken manner of drawing in and ex- 

 pelling the wind," for the inspirations and expira- 

 tions are in this case extremely irregular, broken, 

 or variable ; whereas, when the air-cells are really 





