BRONCHITIS, inflammation of the air tubes leading to the pulmonary vesicles, accompanied by hoarseness, cough, in crease of temperature, and soreness of the chest anteriorly. The natural mu cous secretion is at first arrested, but increases afterward, and is altered in quality, becoming more corpuscular. Its forms are: (1) Acute bronchitis, (a) of the larger and medium sized tubes; (b) capillary bronchitis, and bron chitis of the tubes generally—the peri pneumonia notha of the older writers. (2) Chronic bronchitis. (3) Plastic bronchitis. (4) Mechanical bronchitis, such as knife grinder's disease—car bonaceous bronchitis or black phthisis. (5) Bronchitis secondary to general diseases, such as measles or typhoid fever. (6) Bronchitis secondary to blood diseases. (7) Syphilitic bron chitis. All varieties are generally pre ceded by feverishness, but oftener by "a cold in the chest." The uneasy sensa tions begin about the region of the frontal sinuses, passing from the nasal mucous passages, trachea, and windpipe to the chest, with hoarseness, cough, and expectoration; but in capillary bron chitis the cough is dry and without ex pectoration. In acute cases the sputum
is first thin, then opaque and tenacious, lastly purulent; the breathing is hurried and laborious, the pulse quickened, and the skin dry. The danger increases in proportion as the finer bronchial tubes become involved, and, instead of the healthy respiratory sound we have sharp, chirping, whistling notes, vary ing from sonorous to sibilant. Chronic bronchitis, or bronchial catarrh, is ex tensively prevalent, especially among the aged, recurring once or twice a year in spring or autumn, or both, till it be comes more or less constant all the year round.