306 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR, 
come from the inflamed part. The bronchial breathing will 
be more manifest. In advanced consumption there will often 
be heard hollow sounds, between blowing and whistling, over 
certain parts; this denotes a cavity. If the patient whispers 
while the eat is overt the place, the voice can be heard in it: 
when the disease is situated in the lower lobes, the sounds 
can be heard better at the sides and back. Percussion is 
the third method cf diagnosing the chest complaints. To do 
it the forefinger of the left hand is laid on the chest, between 
the ribs, and tapped upon by the fore and middle finger of 
the right hand. In a state of health, the sound pro- 
duced will be semi-hollow, or as the Scotch would say, 
boss. Tapping down the right side, when you come to 
the edge of the last mb, the sound will change to dull solid; 
this is over the liver. On the left side dulness will be found 
over the regicn of the heart; these sounds agree with 
those heard by auscuitation, and are generally taken 
as confirmatory. In pleurisy it often happens that there isa 
secretion of water in the chest Careful percussion will enable 
the height to be ascertained to which 1t has risen This 
condition is called in simple language. dropsy of the chest. 
We might make this plainer if our space permitted us, but it 
is only practice that can enable any one to note with certainty 
the difference between the heaithv and abnormal conditions of 
the chest. 
i 
INFLAMMATION OF THE LARYNX (Laryneitts). 
This 1s not a very common trouble, but we have seen 
several fatal cases of it, that 1s, where it became eventually 
chronic and ended the life of the patient. It is known as 
consumption of the throat. When it is of a tubercular order 
and hereditary there is not much hope of a cure, alleviation,. 
under these circumstances, is about all that can be expected. 
CAUSES are such as are common to all inflammations 
with generally a few predisposing ones: mercurial druggings, 
tartar emetic. and some kinds of employment where there is 
much irritating dust. 
