294

ASTHMA.

animals to that of old. All windy food, and whatever is apt toswell in the stomach, is to be avoided. Light puddings, whitebroths, and ripe fruits baked, boiled or roasted, are proper. Strongliquors of all kinds, especially malt liquor, are hurtful. The pa-tient should eat a very light supper, or rather none at all, andshould never suffer himself to be long costive. His clothing shouldbe warm, especially in the winter season. As all disorders of thebreast are much relieved by keeping the feet warm, and promotingthe perspiration, a flannel shirt or waistcoat, and thick shoes, willbe of singular service.

But nothing is of so great importance in the asthma as pureand moderately warm air. Asthmatic people can seldom beareither the close heavy air of a large town, or the sharp keen at-mosphere of a bleak hilly country : a medium, therefore, betweenthese is to be chosen. The air near a large town is often betterthan at a distance, provided the patient be removed so far as notto be affected by the smoke. Some asthmatic patients indeedbreathe easier in town than in the country ; but this is seldom thecase, especially in towns where much coal is burnt. Asthmaticpersons who are obliged to be in town all day, ought at least tosleep out of it. Even this will often prove of great service. Thosewho can afford it ought to travel into a wanner climate. Manyasthmatic persons who cannot live in Britain, enjoy very goodhealth in the south of France, Portugal, Spain, or Italy.

Exercise is likewise of very great importance in the asthma, asit promotes the digestion, and greatly assists in the perspirationof the blood. The blood of asthmatic persons is seldom duly pre-pared, owing to the proper action of the lungs being impeded.For this reason such people ought daily to take as much exercise,either on foot, horseback, or in a carriage, as they can bear.

Medicine. — Almost all that can be done by medicine in this dis-ease, is to relieve the patient when seized with a violent fit. Thisindeed requires the greatest expedition, as the disease often provessuddenly fatal. During the paroxysm the body is generally bound,a purging clyster, with a solution of assafcetida, ought therefore tobe administered, and if there be occasion, it may be repeated twoor three times.* The patient's feet and legs ought to be immersedin warm water, and afterwards rubbed with a warm hand, or drycloth. Bleeding, unless extreme weakness or old age should for-bid it, is highly proper. If there be a violent spasm about the breastor stomach, warm fomentations or bladders filled with warm milkand water, may be applied to the part affected, and warm cata-plasms to the soles of the feet. The patient must drink freely ofdiluting liquors, and may take a tea-spoonful of the tincture ofcastor and saffron mixed together in a cup of valerian-tea, twice orthrice a day. Sometimes a vomit has a very good effect, andsnatches the patient, as it were, from the jaws of death. This,however, will be more safe after other evacuations have been pre-mised. A very strong infusion of roasted coffee is said to give easein an asthmatic paroxysm.

*Take Compound Decoction of Marsh- of each,

/. " mallow, Castor Oil,

Mixture of Assafœtida, Mis for a clyster.

5 ounces.J ounce.