Respiratory exercises in the treatment of disease : notably of the heart, lungs, nervous and digestive systems / by Harry Campbell.

  • Campbell, Harry, 1860-1938.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Respiratory exercises in the treatment of disease : notably of the heart, lungs, nervous and digestive systems / by Harry Campbell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    anything that accelerates the puhnonary flow is beneficial. Wherefore it is of the utmost importance to remove every impediment to free respiratory movement in this disease. I have already observed that obesity constitutes such an impediment, and that is, I believe, one of the reasons why bronchitis is so common in the obese. Now, respiratory movements are useful in reducing obesity, and they are therefore clearly indicated for stout bronchitic patients. I have seen cases of chronic bronchitis benefit most remark- ably by cycling, the result being doubtless largely due to the increased activity of the respiratory movements. Otto L. Hoist recommends the following procedure for clearing the air-passages of mucus. The patient assumes a semi-reclining position, and an assistant stands in front of him, and lays both hands flat upon his chest. ' The patient is told to take a deep breath, and during the expira- tion a vibratory movement is given by the operator's hands as long as the expiration lasts, and a little longer ; then the hands are moved lower down on the chest, and the same performance is gone through till the operator's hands have covered consecutively the whole surface of the chest, front and back.'* (h) Phthisis. In all but the very acute forms of phthisis I advocate the employment of respiratory exercises ; the more abundantly the lungs are flushed with blood, the more capable are they of resisting the bacillus. We should, of course, proceed cautiously if the tendency to haemoptysis is great, but a small degree of haemorrhage does not contra- indicate this treatment, for, as pointed out by a writer in the Lancet, pulmonary haemorrhage does not show a special tendency to follow upon exertion, being, on the contrary, comparatively frequent at night and in the early hours of * ' A Contribution to the Rational Treatment of Phthisis in its EarHor Stages,' Otto L. Hoist, St. Bart.'s Hospital Journal, September, lb96.