BRONCHIECTASIS (see also RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, DIS EASES OF), dilatation of the bronchi, a condition occurring in many diseases of the lungs. Bronchitis, both acute and chronic, chronic pneumonia and phthisis, acute pneumonia and bronchopneu monia, may all leave after them a bronchiectasis whose position is determined by the primary lesion. Other causes are tracheal and bronchial obstruction, as from the pressure of an aneurism, new growth, etc. It is chiefly a disease of middle age, but may occur in debilitated children after measles, whooping cough, etc. The dilatation is cylindrical or saccular, and the medium and smaller sized tubes are generally affected, except where the cause is mechanical. The affection is usually of one lung only. Emphy sema is a very common accompaniment. Cough is paroxysmal, and though severe is intermittent, the patient being entirely free for many hours at a time. The effect of posture is great. If the patient lie on the affected side, he may be free from cough the whole night, but if he turn to the sound side, or if he rise and bend forward, he brings up large quantities of foetid bronchial secretion. Where the dilatation is saccular it may come up in such quantities and with so much suddenness as to gush from the mouth. When the disease has lasted long, clubbing of fingers and toes is common. The diagnosis between this condition and a tuberculous cavity in the lung is often very difficult. Often the patient's condition can be greatly alleviated. Creosote vapour baths are eminently satisfactory. A mechanical treatment much recommended by some of the German physicians is that of forced expiration and, more recently, surgical drainage of the cavities has been adopted.