Coughing, which is a forceful expulsion of air, has for its purpose the ejection of foreign substances from the throat and lungs. Sneezing, on the other hand, has for its purpose the cleansing of the nostrils. In coughing, the air is expelled through the mouth, while in sneezing it is expelled through the nostrils.
The amount of dust suspended in what we ordinarily think of as pure air is shown when a beam of direct sunlight enters an otherwise darkened room.
Some children find it difficult to breathe through the nostrils on account of growths (called adenoids) in the upper pharynx. Such children should have medical attention. The removal of these growths not only improves the method of breathing, but in many instances causes a marked improvement in the general health and personal appearance.
The weakest portions of the lungs appear to be the tiny lobes at the top. As they occupy the part of the thorax most difficult to expand, air penetrates them much less freely than it does the lobes below. In most cases of consumption (some authorities give as high as eighty per cent), the upper lobes are the first to be affected. Flat chests and round shoulders, by increasing this natural difficulty in breathing, have long been recognized as causes which predispose to consumption.
The following exercise, from Dudley A. Sargent's Health, Strength, and Power, will be found most beneficial: "Stand with the feet together, face downward, arms extended downward, and backs of the hands touching. Raise the hands, arms, and elbows, keeping the backs of the hands together until they pass the chest and face. Then continue the movement upward, until the hands separate above the head with the face turned upward, when they should be brought downward and outward in a large circle to the starting point. Begin to inhale as the arms are raised and take in as much air as possible by the time the hands are above the head, then allow the breath to go out slowly as the arms descend."
Colds may frequently be broken up at their beginning by taking a prolonged hot bath and going to bed. After getting a start, however, they run a course of a few days, a week, or longer, depending upon the natural vigor of the individual and the care which he gives his body during the time. In throwing off a cold, the following suggestions will be found helpful:
1. Dress warmly (without overdoing it) and avoid getting chilled. 2. Diminish the usual amount of work and increase the period for sleep. If very weak, stay in bed. Save the energy for throwing off the cold. 3. If able to be about, spend considerable time in light exercise out of doors, but avoid getting chilled. 4. Keep the bowels active, taking a cathartic if necessary. 5. To relieve pain in the chest, apply a mustard plaster or a flannel cloth moistened with some irritating substance, such as turpentine or a mixture of equal parts of kerosene and lard. Keep up a mild irritation until the pain is relieved, but avoid blistering.
Not only do the lungs remove oxygen from the air and add carbon dioxide to it, but they separate from the body considerable moisture and, according to some authorities, a small amount of an impurity referred to as "animal matter." Odors also arise from the skin, teeth, and clothing which, if not dangerous to the health, are offensive to the nostrils. If on going into a room such odors are detected, the ventilation is not sufficient. This is said to be a reliable test.
E.A. Schaffer, "Artificial Respiration in its Physiologic Aspects," The Journal of the American Medical Association, September, 1908.
Testing the prone-posture method by suitable apparatus, Professor Schaffer has found it capable of introducing more air per minute into the lungs than any of the other methods of artificial respiration, and more even than is introduced by ordinary breathing.