A treatise of the asthma divided into four parts : in the first is given a history of the fits, and the symptoms preceding them : in the second, the cacochymia which disposes to the fit, and the rarefaction of the spirits which produces it, are described : in the third, the accident causes of the fit, and the symptomatic asthmas are observed : in the fourth, the cure of the asthmas fit, and the method of preventing it is proposed : to which is annext a digression about the several species of acids distinguish'd by their tastes, and 'tis observ'd how far they were thought convenient or injurious in general practice by the old writers, and most particularly in relation to the care of the asthma.

AN APPENDIX, Containing some Observations omitted, and one about Weighing of an Asth∣matic after Sanctorius's Manner; with an Account of the Weight be∣fore, and in, and after the Fits.

SOME Mornings the Asthmatic (who was betwixt 40 and 50 Years old) upon weighing fasting was 179, others 178, and 180, and 181. But the Day before the Fits in the Morn∣ing, May 2d. 1698, he was 180 Pound (including the weight of the Chair 33 Pound, and the Cloaths.) May 3d. the Morning weight was 178 Pound, after having passed by Urine a Pound and half, by Stool half a Pound. The Weather was very cold, and Wind N. E. and it Snowed in the Afternoon; the Asthmatic drank Ale, which with the change of

Weather, gave a short Fit with very lit∣tle Spit. The Observations I shall make are,

1. The Defluxion of Serum is very evi∣dent by the quantity of Urine unusual, and some Spit more than usual, and the Stools loose.

2. The change of the Air to Snow made the Air lighter, which less com∣pressing the Blood disposed it to the Asth∣ma Fit with the drinking of Ale, which occasioned an Effervescence.

3. The great coldness of the N. E. Wind affected the sense of the Skin, and that by its shivering Contraction com∣pressed the Circulation of the rarefied Hu∣mours inwardly, and occasioned the flux of Serum by Urine and Stool.

4. There was no unusal weight obser∣ved in the Asthmatic the day before the Fit, therefore the Matter of the Asthma is not any great quantity of Serum, since it cannot be observed by weighing; but the cause of it must be an Effervescence of Humours, which are flatulent and serous.

The Asthmatic took a spoonful of this Acid Syrup in lbss. of Water, and repeat∣ed it three times before Dinner time: Take Vinegar lbss. Aron Roots ℥ii. in∣fuse

them three Days, strain them, and add Sugar lbss. make a Syrup.

Orris, Enula Campane, or Horse Ra∣dish, or Fenil Roots may be infused in the same manner, or any Carminative Seed ℥i. in lbi. of Vinegar to make the like Syrup.

These cool things, Toast and Water, with an acid Syrup abate the Windiness, and compress the rarefied Serum; for the Humours are rarefied by Heat into Bubbles, which we call Wind. We find in Vinegar a cool Taste from its acid, fit for the cooling of bilious or o••ly Humours; the Acrimony in it makes it biting, and, as the Antients say, fit for Obstructions, from viscid Humours, where there is a Fever too because it cools and opens both. The Water drank in the Morn∣ing run off by Urin before Dinner.

The Diet of the Asthmatic on the Fit day was at Dinner two Eggs, Toast and Butter, Small Beer and Water after Din∣ner two Pound and a half in weight, the weight of Supper one Pound and quarter, Diet in all, three Pound three quarters. The weight lost on the Day of the Asth∣ma, three Pound three quarters; by Urine, three Pound; Insensibly three quarters.

By this 'tis evident, the Insensible is the fourth part of the whole weight lost on the day of the Fit; and it appears to me, that usually the Insensible Perspira∣tion in April last, when it was cold Wea∣ther, amounted to but a third or fourth part of the weight lost. The day follow∣ing the Asthmatic was the same weight as on the Morning of the Asthma 178, which is lighter than usually.

May 6. the former Fit being only sup∣pressed, the next change of Weather on this day towards Rain, the Wind West, and the Weather warm, raised a new Ef∣fervescence and gave a new Fit, rather worse than the former.

May 4th the weight was 178.

5th the weight was 178 three quarters, the weight not considerably increased be∣fore the Fit.

6th in the Morning, lost then by a Stool and Water lbiiss.

The weight was in this Morning 178 Pound, after the Evacuation mentioned.

The whole weight lost the day before the Fits was thus;

Breakfast lbi. 3 quarters.

Lost before Dinner by Urine and Stool lbi. 3 qu.

Dinner lbiiss.

Lost before Supper by Urine lbi.

By Perspiration lbss.

Supper lbi. 1 qu.

Lost in the Night and next Morning,

By Urine and Stool lbiiss.

By Perspiration lbss.

Add the weight to the Diet which was lbvss.

The Morning weight May 5th, 178 lb. 3 qu. both 184, 1 qu.

Lost sensibly by Urine and Stool lbv. 1 qu.

Insensibly lbi.

Lost in all lbvi. 1 qu.

The weight next day after the Asthma, by which we perceive the loss of weight in the Fit, 177 Pound, which is the least weight, lesser than usually.

Note, The Perspiration was the sixth part the day before the Fit. Therefore the sensible Evacuations are five times as much as the Perspiration the day before the Fit.

I weighed a Boy of Fourteen, the weight lost in one day, May 2. was two Pound 3 qu.

• Diet in all lbii. 3q.
• By Urine lbiss.
• By Stool 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3 qu.
• By Perspiration lbss.

which is about the 4th part of the sensible Evacutions, and of the whole weight lost the fifth.

If we consider the different weight of our Air, and the grossness of our Diet, in respect of the Italian Air and Diet, we may well suppose a difference in England, where the sensible Evacuations are three or four times as much as the Insensible: But, by Sanctorius, in Italy the sensible Evacuations are exceeded by the insensi∣ble, and they amount to five Pound, if any one eats eight Pound every day; but much the contrary happens here, the sen∣sible commonly exceed the insensible three or four times.

The following Purge was communi∣cated to me by a Spitting Periodic Asth∣matic, by which he usually cured his Fits, and he takes it any time of the Night the Fits happen.

Take Sal Prunel gr. x. Tartar Vitriolategr. vi. Diagryd gr. iv. Lenitive Electuaryʒii. make a Bolus.

An Ingenious Physician in London, whose Name I have forgot, inform'd me that he gave ℈i. of Merc. Dulcis in a Fit, which by giving two or three loose Stools, i•• soon relieved.

If any Lenitive Purge may be admit∣ted in a Fit, non•• so convenient as Pur∣ging

Salt ℥ss. or ʒvi. and Laudanum at Night after.

This following bitter Acid never fails to give a Stool next Day, if two Drams or half an Ounce be taken at Night with Toast and Water a draught.

Take Squills dried ℥ii. one Orange Pill, steep them in Vinegar lbi. for a Week, and strain it out. It ought to be Sunned four∣teen Days.

Strong Purges I have observed both in the Fit and out of it, to be injurious to the thin Hysterical and Hypochondriacal Asthmatics.

June the 4th, I Dissected a Broken Winded Mare, who was exceedingly troubled with that Disease, and sold for the Dogs Meat, being much Emaciated: I found all the Viscera in the Belly very sound, the Liver had very little of any Schirrosities dispirsed in it, the Spleen had none; there was no Water in the Belly nor Breast; the Diaphragme had no Injury, but was pressed by the Guts much up towards the Thorax: And the prone Posture of Horses makes the Guts more subject to press on the Diaphrag me, than it happens in Men, whose Belly hangs below the Diaphragme, and this occasions the Breathing very short in Horses, as soon as they have been Water'd, or full ••ed.

In the Thorax the Lungs appear'd very much swelled or puffed up, and appea••'d much big∣ger in the Broken Winded than usual▪ the

Out-side of the Lungs seem'd like Tubercula, but upon pressing I found those only Bladders very much distended with Air, as I found by cutting them. I blew up some Lobes of the Lungs, and found the Air would no•• come out again, nor the Lungs subside of themselves; by which it was plain, that the Bladders of the Lungs had been extended or broken by some Strain in Running, and that the Air remaining either in the over-distended Bladders, or else passing through some Breach of them, betwixt the Fibrous Substance of the Lungs; that caus'd a continual Inflation of the whole Lungs, which compressing the Bronchia and Blood-Vessels, produces a continual Dyspnaea, in which the external Air cannot pass freely thro' the Trachea and its Branches in Inspiration or Expiration; and this difficulty occasions the great Labour and Nisus of the Respiratory Muscles. There was no Polypus in the Heart, or the Blood Vessels of the Lungs; no Adhesion of the Lungs to the Sides, nor any signs of any quantity of Phlegm in the Trachea and Bron∣chia, nor no Decay, Tumor, or Corruption or Obstruction in any Part of them, only the Blad∣ders seem'd to make the Superficies of the Skin of the Lungs unequal, and the whole spungy Substance of the Lungs seem'd swelled with Wind; for no quantity of Humour appear'd any where. This Mare had not been Broken Winded above one Year. By this Observa∣tion it appears, that the Broken Wind depends on an Injury done to the Membranes, rather than to the Humours of the Body.

FINIS.