INHALA′TION

Syn. Inhalatio, L. In medicine , the drawing in or inspiring of vapour with the breath. Inhalations ( INHALATIONES ) are vapours or gases imbibed for the purpose of medicating the mucous membrane of the air-pa ages. The substances that are to furnish the vapours or fumes are put into a ve el called an ‘inhaler’ (see Inhaler ), which may be simply a small covered pot or mug of metal or gla , furnished with a short flexible tube, terminating in a small mouth-piece. In many cases even this simple apparatus may be dispensed with, and the fumes inhaled by holding the head over a ve el containing a little of the substance furnishing them; or, as with chloroform, a little may be dropped on a handkerchief or napkin, which is then held to the nose. The following are the principal substances that are employed for inhalations at the present day:— 1. Carbonic acid gas and nitrous oxide; occasionally used in phthisis, by means of a bladder and mouth-piece. 2. Chlorine gas; exhibited by adding 5 or 6 drops of aqueous chlorine to the water (tepid) of the inhaler, which should be, in this case, of gla ; employed in France for phthisis, but seldom used in England. 3. Chloroform; as an anæsthetic. 4. Vapour of iodine, administered in the same way as chlorine; occasionally used in phthisis. 5. Oxygen and hydrogen gases, either alone or diluted with air; employed in asthma and phthisis, by means of a bladder and mouth-piece. 6. Tar vapour, obtained by heating tar, mixed with a little carbonate of potash, over a spirit lamp, occasionally employed in bronchitis, and recommended by Sir A. Crighton in phthisis, but appears of little value in the latter. 7. Steam of hot water; in bronchitis, and to allay the cough in phthisis; small quantities of the seeds of henbane, opium, poppy-heads, ., are frequently added to produce an anodyne effect. See Cigars (in pharmacy), Disinfectants , Fumigation , Vapours , .