ASTHMA.

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unless sometimes a little tough phlegm, by the mere force ofcoughing.

It rarely appears before the age of puberty, and seems to attackmen more frequently than women ; particularly those of a fullhabit, in whom it seldom fails, by frequent repetition, to occasionsome degree of emaciation. When the disease is attended with anaccumulation and discharge of humours from the lungs, it is call-ed the humid asthma ; but when it is unaccompanied by any ex-pectoration, it is known by the name of the dry or spasmodic asth-ma.

Causes. — The asthma is sometimes hereditary. It may like-wise proceed from a bad formation of the breast •, the fumes ofmetals cr minerals taken into the lungs ; violent exercise, especial-ly running ; the obstructions of customary evacuations, as themenses, haemorrhoids, «fee, sudden retrocession of the gout, orstriking-in of eruptions, as the small-pox, measles, «fee, violentpassions of the mind, as sudden fear or surprise. In a word, thedisease may proceed from any cause that either impedes the cir-culation of the blood through the lungs, or prevents their being du-ly expanded by the air.

Symptoms. — An asthma is known by a quick laborious breath-ing, which is generally performed with a kind of wheezing noise.Sometimes the difficulty of breathing is so great, that the patientis obliged to keep in an erect posture, otherwise he is in dangerof being suffocated. A ñt or paroxysm of the asthma generallyhappens after a person has been exposed to cold easterly winds,or has been abroad in thick foggy weather, or has got wet, or con-tinued long in a damp place under ground, or has taken some foodwhich the stomach could not digest, as pastries, toasted cheese, orthe like.

The paroxysm is commonly usbered-in with listlessness, wantof sleep, hoarseness, a cough, belching of wind, a sense of heavi-ness about the breast, and difficulty of breathing. To these suc-ceed heat, fever, pain of the head, sickness and nausea, great op-pression of the breast, palpitation of the heart, a weak and some-times intermitting pulse, an involuntary flow of tears, bilious vom-itings, &c. All these symptoms grow worse towards night ; thepatient is easier when up than in bed, and is very desirous of coolair.

After some nights passed away in this manner, the fits at lengthmoderate, and suffer more considerable remissions, particularlywhen they are attended by a copious expectoration in the morn-ings, and when this continues from time to time, throughout theday ; and, the disease going off at last, the patient enjoys his usu-al rest by night without further disturbance. The pulse, duringthe fit, is usually not much affected, but in a few cases there is afrequency of it, with some degree of thirst and other febrile symp-toms.

Regimen. — The food ought to be light and of easy digestion.Boiled meats are to be preferred to roasted, and the flesh of young

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