296

ASTHMA.

lowed to dry up. We shall here, once for all, observe, that notonly in the asthma, but in most chronic diseases, issues are ex-tremely proper. They are both a safe and efficacious remedy ;and though they do not always cure the disease, yet they will oftenprolong- the patient's life.

This disease, though so common with us, is little known in mildclimates ; and, on that account, it is always advisable to trythe effect of a change of climate, which has generally beenattended with great benefit. I have already intimated what littleconfidence I had in the power of any medicine to perform a radi-cal cure of the asthma; but there are many things that will givethe patient ease, and, of course, tend to prolong his life. Much,also, may be done by regimen, when drugs are of little service ;and I would therefore advise asthmatic patients to procure andkeep by them rules for their management both in and out of thefit, adapted to their particular cases. By a proper attention tosuch rules a man may lire many years, and enjoy tolerably goodhealth.

I had a patient some time ago, -who was often carried home tohis wife in an apparently dying state. She felt little alarm, wellknowing what was necessary to be done ; and she always broughthim about. This good woman did no more than may be done byany woman of common sense, if the doctor will deign to instructher. General rules will not do ; they must, as before observed, besuited to the patient's case and constitution. For want of somesuch instructions, which a physician should take the earliest op-portunity to give, a patient may lose his life before the doctor canbe sent for, or any other medical advice or assistance procured.*

Apoplexy. (Apolexia.)

Apoplexy is a sudden loss of sense and motion, during whichthe patient is to all appearance dead ; the heart and lungs, how-ever, still continue to move. Though this disease proves oftenfatal, yet it may sometimes be removed by proper care. It chieflyattacks sedentary persons of a gross habit, who use a rich andplentiful diet, and indulge in strong liquors. People in the declineof life are most subject to the apoplexy. It prevails most in win-ter, especially in rainy seasons, and very low states of the barome-ter.

Causes. — The immediate cause of an apoplexy is a compres-

* Asthma is a disease more immediately alarming in appearance, than dangerous inreality. It is well to be aware that there is hardly an instance known of a person dyingduring the asthmatic paroxysm. The duration of life seems even rarely to be short-ened by this complaint. The celebrated Dr. Floyer, who wrote on asthma, althoughhe laboured under that disease during his whole life, died upwards of eighty years ofage. He was of opinion that he shortened and lightened his fits by drinking somecups of very strong coffee without milk or sugar. I have known more than one asth-matic, who never lay down in bed for a long series of years, and notwithstanding,during the intervals of the fits, enjoyed tolerable health. Much depends on adheringto a dry diet, taking regular exercise, and on abstaining from those things which areknown, by individual experience, to disorder the stomach. Considerable benefit isderived, in the nervous asthma, from occasionally taking as much genuine assafostida,made into pills, as is sufficient to keep the body regular. Smoking the herb Stramo-nium, shortens the duration of a fit, but does not permanently cure the disease, noreven diminish the number of paroxysms. See " New Domestic Medical Manual," byJ. S. Forsyth.