The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 170 of 653epidemic, adults are frequently attacked by a spasmodic cough inthe place of the light catarrhal cough.SytnjdomH and Course. In the management of whoopingcoughthe fact must not be overlooked that the anatomical changesit occasions are simply those of an ordinary catarrh, to which thchanges which are determined by the not unfrequently-occurringcomplications, have of course to be added. The supposed changesin the vagus are altogether hypothetical, although certain changehave indeed been discovered in a few isolated cases, but not suffciently numerous to enable us to build a reliable theory upon sucpost-mortem phenomena.In the majority of cases whooping-cough commences as an ordinary catarrh of the nose or of the larynx, trachea and bronchialtubes. This introductory catarrh which does not, properly speaking, form a component part of whooping-cough, may break out inall degrees of severity and extent without this circumstance justfying a conclusion regarding the approaching attack. Hence themost proper course would be to regard this preliminary catarrh asconnected with the epidemic only in so far as it furnishes a soila susceptible si)Ot VL\ycm which the whooping-cough miasm can begrafted, and in which it can germinate. This is shown by the casewhere the whooping-cough breaks out without being ushered in bya simply catarrhal stage, or where a simple catarrh exists for webefore it is converted into whooping-cough. At any one period ofthis first stage, in a few days or even after the lapse of weeksa harmlessly-sounding cough sets in, or else an actuallycough becomes more severe, and sooner or later assumes a paroxysmTussis Convulsiva, Pertussis. 195character which constitutes it whooping-cough. After this form ofcough has reached its full development, the simple cough ceasesentirely ; only in a few instances violent paroxysms and simple tof cough occur mingled together. A single paroxysm has the following characteristic symptoms: The children who had hithertobeen bright and cheerful, shortly before the setting in of a parobecome restless and anxious, or, if old enough, they complain oftitillation in the larynx or under the sternum, or of oppressionbreathing; it is very seldom the case that a violent cough sets iwithout any preliminary symptoms, which, after a short lapse oftime, is succeeded by a wheezing and labored inspiration takingturns with the single paroxysms without admitting of a full expirtion for the reason that all the respiratory muscles and more parcularly the glottis are affected by the spasm. While the exertionto cough is constantly increasing and the spasm of the glottis isgradually abating, the children finally succeed in raising or voming up a more or less considerable quantity of a tenacious, whitemucus, which terminates the attack. During the attack the childreexpress great anguish and restlessness; in consequence of the impeded respiration the face and tongue become blue-red, the eyesweep, a watery mucus is discharged from the nose, even blood isspit up sometimes and flows from the nose to the terror of theparents. The vomiting either brings up mere mucus or the contentsof the stomach. Involuntary discharge of stool and urine is a raroccurrence if the children are otherwise robust. After the termintion of the paroxysm the children continue for some time in a stahttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt