A systeme of anatomy, treating of the body of man, beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants illustrated with many schemes, consisting of variety of elegant figures, drawn from the life, and engraven in seventy four folio copper-plates. And after every part of man's body hath been anatomically described, its diseases, cases, and cures are concisely exhibited. The first volume containing the parts of the lowest apartiments of the body of man and other animals, etc. / by Samuel Collins ...

CHAP. LIX. Of an Asthma.

AN Asthma is a high Disease, full of Trouble and Terror, as it often threatens death by a speedy Suffocation, which to prevent, the Or∣gans of Respiration, do move in a most disorderly manner, and the Tho∣rax is very much dilated to receive free draughts of Air into the Bronchia, and Sinus of the Lungs.

So that an Asthma may admit this description, * 1.1 as being a difficult, and quick breathing, attended with violent agitations of the Breast, performed most of all without a Fever.

Respiration is very necessary for the preservation of Life, as making good the circulation of Blood through the Lungs, in whose inward Recesses, the Blood is impregnated with the Spiritous, Nitrous, and Elastick Particles of Air, which open the Compage of the Blood, and render it fit for Inter∣stine Motion, and assimilation of Chyme, into the nature of vital Liquor by comminution.

This curious Machine of Air, is made up of variety of Blood, and Air∣vessels, Nerves, Lympheducts, which some way or other are subservient to Respiration, or the Depuration of the Blood and Nervous Liquor, which are much enobled by the reception of Air into the greater and less Cylinders and Cells of the Lungs.

Whereupon, if the repeated acts of Inspiration and Expiration be di∣sturbed, and have not their regular course, the Oeconomy of Nature is very much perverted, as the motion of Blood (in which the flame of Life is conserved) is discomposed.

The great errors in Respiration seem to consist chiefly in Two things, * 1.2 First, That the Blood is not regularly injected out of the Right Cystern of the Heart, into the pulmonary Artery and Vein; or the Air is not freely received into the Bronchia and Sinus of the Lungs.

The defect of motion of Blood in the Lungs (which maketh a de∣ficult Respiration) is derived sometimes from the depravation of the Blood, * 1.3 as mixed with crude Chyme, or other gross Recrements, which render the Blood apt to stagnate, so that the Lungs are forced to double and tre∣ble the acts of Respiration, * 1.4 to attenuate and refine the vital Liquor, by the reception of a large proportion of Air, to quicken the slow motion of the Blood when it is depauperated, as made of watry, or gross Sulphur, and fixed saline Particles, when the more volatil are exhausted.

And other times the Compage of the Blood groweth Laxe, as burdened with too great a Source of serous Recrements, * 1.5 as in Dropsies, wherein the saline watry parts of the Blood, are not discharged by the secretion of the Renal Glands through the Urinary Ducts, Pelvis and Ureters into the Bladder; or when the serous parts of the vital Liquor are not in some de∣gree transmitted by the capillary Arteries into the Glands of the Skin, and thence discharged by their excretory Ducts; whereby the Blood groweth clogged with an exuberance of watry Faeces, which having recourse to the Lungs, do give them the trouble of frequent repeated Acts of Respiration.

Another kind of Convulsive Asthma may be caused by a depraved ner∣vous Liquor, infesting the nervous Fibrils of the Lungs, * 1.6 which being often contracted and relaxed, do hurry the Lungs with various irregular motions.

An Asthma also may come from the obstruction of the Origens of the Nerves, seated in the Cortex of the Brain, * 1.7 proceeding often from a quan∣tity of Blood (as in soporiferous Disaffections) compressing the extremities of the Nerves, whence the intercostal Muscles play with great difficulty, making a deplorable Asthma.

Sometimes an Asthma may proceed from the narrowness of the Blood-ves∣sels, as not able to give a free reception to the mass of Blood, * 1.8 which happen in Convulsive Asthmas, wherein the circular fleshy Fibres being unnaturally contracted, do lessen the Cavity of the Vessels, and hinder the motion of Blood, whence ensueth a great difficulty of Respiration: * 1.9 other times an Asthma may be fetched from a great quantity of Blood, distending the Blood∣vessels, which compress the neighbouring Bronchia and Sinus of the Lungs, and highly discompose Respiration, as the numerous receptacles of Air, be∣ing straightened in their Cavities, are not able to entertain a sufficient quan∣tity of Air in one Inspiration; whereupon the Lungs are acted with dou∣ble and treble Diastoles and Systoles, to make good Respiration.

Another Asthma may be produced by an ill conformation of the Breast, * 1.10 as affected with narrowness, hindring the free play of the Lungs in Respira∣tion.

Sometimes it proceedeth from the Organs of motion, consigned by na∣ture to the inlargment of the hollow perimeter of the Thorax, in order to celebrate Inspiration, made by the help of the Diaphragme, and interco∣stal Muscles.

The Coats are hindred in their Contractions, * 1.11 either in the interception of the Animal Spirits, not flowing into the Nerves of the said Muscles, caused by the compression of the extremity of the Nerves, in the ambient parts of the Brain, as it hath been hinted above in a former Discourse.

The intercostal Muscles are also hindred in their motion, in an Inflammati∣on, caused by a quantity of Blood lodged in the Interstices of Vessels, com∣pressing the carnous Fibres, which doth hinder their free play, and render Re∣spiration difficult.

An Asthma also may be fetched from variety of Air, either on the tops of high Mountains, where we hardly breath in an Air not impregnated with store of nitrous Particles: Or when it is gross and stagnant in Fenny places (whose watry parts depress the nitrous) where persons affected with ill masses of Blood, labour with great difficulty of Breathing; which is also celebrated in a close hot room, and in a Church filled with a great croud of People, spoiling the Air with fuliginous steams.

The Cure of this Disease is chiefly managed by three Indications, * 1.12 the one in reference to the Blood, and the other in relation to the motive Organs of Respiration; and a Third in point of Convulsive motions, belonging to the disaffections of the Brain and Nerves.

If the Blood offend in quantity, * 1.13 a Vein is to be opened in the Arm with a free Hand; and in case of an Effervescence of the Blood, temperate Pe∣ctorals, and cooling Emulsions are to be advised.

If the Blood be gross, as confaederated with a crude Chyme, (product∣ives of an Asthma) by reason the Phlegme is thick, lentous, and clammy, it indicates attenuating, inciding, and detergent Pectorals, made of the Roots of Iris, Enula-Campane, Asparagus, Dogs-grass, Hysop, Horehound, of

which, some may be boiled in Water; to which, Four Ounces of White Wine may be added, and being strained, it may be sweetened with Syrup of the Five opening Roots, of Hysop, Maidenhair. A Linctus may be made of Oxymel of Squills, Saffron, Gum Armoniack dissolved in Hysop water, which is good in this disaffection; as also Spirit of Harts∣horn given in a pectoral Decoction.

Sometimes an Asthma may proceed from a gross Blood, * 1.14 as being stagnant in the Interstices of the Vessels, and afterward its motion is again procured upon Bleeding, which taketh off an Inflammation, and giveth freedom of Breathing, by making good the circulation of Blood,

An instance may be given of this Case, * 1.15 in Mr. Ainsworth a Dyer, who being in the Sixty seventh year of his age, was roughly treated by a rude fellow (who had more of Drink then Wit) tripping up his Heels, and breaking his Ribs by a great fall, as being a fat heavy Man; whereupon he being let blood, he seemed to be partly well for a day or two, and then was highly oppressed with a great difficulty of Breathing, and ratling in his Throat, even almost to a Suffocation, attended with an intermittent Pulse, proceeding from the gross Blood: In order to his relief, I immediately order∣ed him to be let Blood Twelve Ounces out of the Arm; and pectoral Apo∣zemes, and Lambitives, made of Oil of Linseed, and Sugar-Candy; as al∣so of several sorts of opening pectoral Syrups, and various Oxymels; and af∣ter letting him Blood the Third time, his Asthma, and intermittent Pulse were wholly quieted, and the Patient (God be praised) hath enjoyed his Health these many years.

In case of great store of watry Humors afflicting the Bronchia, * 1.16 and Sinus of the Lungs, gentle Hydragogues, may be advised with Pectorals; as also pectoral Apozemes, mixed with Diureticks, and Antiscorbuticks, which speak a great advantage in an Asthma, accompanied with a Dropsy, with which may be mixed Spirits, endued with volatil, as also Millepedes added to the former Medicines.

As to the Organs of Respiration, as the Diaphragme, &c. (which being disaffected) I refer you to their particular Cures.

The Third Indication of an Asthma, * 1.17 relating to Convulsive motions, pro∣ceeding from an ill Succus Nervosus, denoteth Cephalick Medicines of di∣stilled Waters, made of Lime-Flowers, Lilly of the Valley, Peony, the ce∣phalick Water of Langius, Compound Paeony, and Briony-water, dulcifi∣ed with Syrup of Lime-Flowers, Lilly of the Valley, Paeony; to which may be added some drops of Palsey-water, Spirit of Salt, Salt Ammoniack, Harts∣horn, &c. distilled with Gum Ammoniack; Vesicatories are very beneficial in this, and all other kinds of Asthmas, which do much alleviate a difficulty of Breathing, which is also effected by the application of Cupping-Glasses.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The descri∣ption of an Asthma.
• * 1.2

  The errors of Respiration.
• * 1.3

  The cause of a difficult Breathing.
• * 1.4

  The Air quickneth the motion of Blood.
• * 1.5

  Gross Recre∣ments, mixed with the Blood, cause frequent acts of Respira∣tion.
• * 1.6

  A Convulsive Asthma may be derived from an il ner∣vous Juyce.
• * 1.7

  An Asthma may come from the Ori∣gens of the Nerves ob∣structed.
• * 1.8

  An Asthma flowing from narrow San∣guiducts.
• * 1.9

  An Asthma may proceed from a great quantity of Blood.
• * 1.10

  An Asthma may come from an ill Conformati∣on of the Breast.
• * 1.11

  The interco∣stal Muscles cannot play when the ani∣mal Spirits are intercept∣ed. The interco∣stal Muscles are hindred in their moti∣on in their inflammation. An Asthma coming from ill Air.
• * 1.12

  The Three Indications in an Asthma.
• * 1.13

  Bleeding is proper in an Asthma.
• * 1.14

  Bleeding is good when the Blood stagnates in the substance of the Lungs.
• * 1.15

  An Instance of this Case.
• * 1.16

  Gentle Pur∣gatives may be proper to discharge the watry Recrements of the Blood, clogging the Lungs.
• * 1.17

  Convulsive motions in Asthmas, may be cured by proper ce∣phalick Me∣dicines.