Vomits frequently repeated have been found of considerable utility, and their advantages have been variously explained. Those who consider the source of the disease to be in the stomach, think the frequent evacuation useful; while others consider them chiefly as expectorants, or as determining very powerfully to the skin. All, however, confess their utility, and we have known them given every other morning for a considerable length of time, without appearing in the slightest degree to injure the stomach: on the contrary, they seemed to restore its action. The emetic has generally in these cases been assisted by mustard whey, and sometimes by the volatile alkali added to camomile tea, and occasionally by the infusion of the seeds carduus benedictus.

The steady action of the warmer purgatives is also of great importance in this disease. The connection of asthmatic paroxysms with flatulence and costiveness has been already pointed out; and obviating these has greatly contributed to extend the intervals of ease. The rhubarb and aloes appear to be the most useful; nor have we found any distinction in their merits, except that the former seems more applicable when the skin is dark and yellow, indicating an affection of the liver; and the latter, when these appearances are absent. Those subject to piles find aloes inconvenient; but in asthma, haemorrhoidal inflammations are said to be advantageous. We know no subject in medicine less understood than the nature of haemorrhoids, and their connection with the general health; nor can we promise to elucidate, though we shall notice, the more important facts relative to it. In the case before us, if the asthmatic feels advantage from these swellings, or the discharges of blood which sometimes accompany them, such is the distressing nature of this complaint, that he may assist both by aloetic purgatives; yet so painful and disagreeable is the disease, that in scarcely any other, apoplexy and palsy perhaps excepted, would the change be considered as advantageous. Some authors have preferred the saline and the acid purgatives. In the earlier and more robust periods of life they may perhaps be more useful; but asthma is seldom the disease of youth and activity. The predisposition is, however, in some constitutions, so strong, that we have known its attacks commence so early as sixteen years of age.

There is another circumstance which renders the more cooling purgatives sometimes proper, which is the alternation of mania with asthma. We have seen some cases of this kind, and suspect that they are more common than authors have supposed; and in these, unless the maniacal affection be of the melancholy kind, salts and acid purgatives are better adapted to the complaint.

A remedy of peculiar importance is said to be a perpetual blister, or an issue; and we think that we have found a perpetual blister on the back, or on the breast, highly useful in preventing the return of fits. Of issues we have less experience; nor can we confirm by our observation the remark, that this discharge is as useful from the arm or thigh, as from parts nearer the chest. In affections of the chest, it has not been uncommon to employ blisters on the thighs and legs; or, in the more chronic complaints of these organs, issues. This remaining scion of the old doctrine of revulsion is now decaying, yet the practice has been very lately recommended by physicians of eminence; and, with all our theoretical prejudices alive, we cannot help adding, that we have seen these applications apparently useful.

Diuretics have been sometimes recommended; but as the principal remedy of this kind is the squill, it may be of service as an expectorant. If the nitre and sal ammoniac be ever useful, they must chiefly act by preventing the accumulations of those salts, which, previous to a paroxysm, appear to be retained by the urine becoming colourless.

Expectorants might be supposed a very useful class of medicines; yet, if the view we have taken of the disease be correct, we shall find it not occasioned by any accumulation of mucus, and we shall soon perceive on what foundation they have been advantageous.

The great object, in the interval, is to restore the tone of the system, and to support it. With occasional vomits, the steady and continued use of eccoprotics, sea bathing has been found highly useful, and it is strongly recommended by Dr. Ryan. The bark has been found of equal service; and, with the same view, Dr. Withers has recommended the flowers of zinc; and other authors, a mild alterative course of mercurials. Perhaps all the metallic tonics will be found useful, except perhaps the iron, which seems to combine too great a share of inflammatory stimulus. This idea may appear probably too hypothetical, and it is hinted only to suggest a little caution in its use.

These are the principal remedies of convulsive asthma; and we shall next consider the humoral asthma, as the accumulation in the bronchial glands acts often as an exciting cause of a convulsive fit, and in the old asthmatic, they are often united. The symptoms are the usual ones of a laborious and oppressive breathing, but accompanied with a wheezing noise in the respiration, which indicates an accumulation of mucus in the bronchial. The fit also, instead of lasting a few hours, is kept up many days, and at length terminates imperfectly, leaving the patient for a long time weak and languid; and, after various attacks, usually occasioning hydrothorax.

In this form of the disease the sputum is at first frothy, or of a gluey consistence, admitting of being drawn out in threads; and little or no relief is obtained till it is expectorated in rounder masses, is of a yellowish white, less tenacious, and more soft. Bleeding is here also employed to relieve symptoms, as suffocation is more frequent than in the true asthma, yet its repetition soon produces all the bad effects attributed to it in the convulsive species; and if' the necessary quantity is at all exceeded, the weakness occasioned will render it difficult to bring on the proper expectoration. Vomits are more useful, and the squills given in such doses as to vomit or nauseate, produce the best effects. If there is much fever, they are assisted by antimonials, particularly the kermes mineral; if little or none, by the volatile alkali. In general, except in the very early stage, there is little fever; and the quickness and hardness of the pulse are the effects of the laborious breathing.