Chest (container)

“ Every house should contain a medicine-chest, where the necessary boxes and bottles containing the family medicines may always be found in time of need. Chests may be made in any size and shape, and adapted to the spaces they may occupy on a wall or in a bath-room closet.
A convenient chest is shown in Fig. 16, and in Fig. 17 is given the plan of construction. For the average household it should be made eighteen inches wide and twenty-four inches high, with two shelves arranged so that the space between the lower one and the bottom of the box will be eight and a half inches. ”

“ Now for it: the wind, hardly felt before under shelter of the banks and trees, strikes the chest like the blow of a strong man as you rush against it. The chest responds with a long-drawn heave, the pliable ribs bend outwards, and the cavity within enlarges, filled with the elastic air. ”

“ If a person is watched, it will [30] be seen that the chest expands during inspiration, and that its calibre diminishes during expiration. What happens is this. The lungs are contained in a cavity which contains no air. This cavity can be increased in size in two directions. When the ribs are moved out—which they can be by the movements of the muscles called intercostal, which lie between them—the cavity of the chest from before backwards is evidently enlarged. On the other hand there is the diaphragm, which we have already spoken of as bounding the chest cavity below. ”

“ The chest is not only most expanded at its lower part, but the portion of the lungs that occupies this space of the thoracic cavity contains the greater part of the air-cells; and, from the lower two thirds of the lungs the greatest amount of carbonic acid is abstracted from the blood, and the greatest amount of oxygen gas is conveyed into the circulating fluid. Hence, contracting the lower ribs is far more injurious to the health than diminishing the size of the upper part of the chest. ”

“ I have seen patients with chest complaints literally labouring under the weight of clothes placed in exactly the wrong place. In illness, as a rule the feet need extra covering, and the breathing organs no more weight of clothes than is absolutely necessary. The upper-sheet being light, may be allowed to turn over for neatness, but blanket and counterpane must only come up to the patient’s neck. ”

“ Take, for example, the frame-work of the chest, in the cavity of which are situated those organs which seem especially to suffer whenever the recruit and the young soldier are subjected to over-exertion. Next to the inspiration of bad air, the imperfect, or continuously obstructed inspiration of the chest, tends more than any other cause known to bring about disease of the lungs and heart. ”

“ The dropsy of the chest commences with loss of flesh, cold extremities, pale countenance, high coloured urine in small quantity, and general debility, like many other dropsies. The patient next complains of numbness in the arms, especially when elevated, with pain and difficulty of swallowing, and an absolute impossibility of lying down for a few minutes, or with sudden starting from sleep, with great difficulty of breathing and palpitation of his heart. ”

“ The chest may be kept too warm as well as too cold. The hare-skin heats the chest too much, and thereby promotes a violent perspiration; which, by his going into the cold air, may become suddenly checked, and may thus produce mischief. If the chest be delicate, there is nothing like flannel to ward off colds. ”

“ More usually it comes on insidiously, the lung accommodates itself to the gradual increase of the fluid and it is only when the accumulation has become excessive that the symptoms become prominent. In heart or kidney disease the filling of the legs and infiltrations of the eyelids and of the skin beneath the chest and abdomen are precursors or early concomitants of the disease, but in all cases the accumulation in the chest is to be measured by the height of the line of dulness on percussion and the extent of chest surface giving forth no respiratory murmur on auscultation. ”

“ Where the recuperative powers are weak a wet-sheet pack which covers the entire body, may tax the vitality too much and under such circumstances a chest and abdominal pack may be used. This is really a partial sheet pack covering the trunk of the body from the hips and abdomen to the line running round the chest just under the arms. A hot pack of this kind is in itself very effective, although where there is fever the pack should be applied cold. ”

“ Whoever has a defective chest capacity not only possesses a smaller allowance of organs fitted for respiration and circulation of the blood, but as a result of such anomaly of development he is also predisposed to attacks of special maladies, such for example as chronic catarrh of the bronchial tubes or pulmonary tuberculosis. Whoever, on the contrary, is overdeveloped in abdominal dimensions, will be subject to disturbances of the digestive system and of the liver. ”

“ But it is not only in the ordinary routine of daily life that this relationship between the chest-girth and the conditions to which it is subjected is manifested. In the treatment of consumption the author had obtained increases of from two to three inches and upward. This increase of the chest-girth is accompanied by a corresponding increase of the range of movement and of the vital capacity, and by a change in the type of chest from that of disease to that of health ”

“ A japanned cash-box makes as good a medicine chest as anything. One about twelve inches long, six inches broad, and six inches deep, makes a capital medicine chest. Certainly it is quite large enough! What would you have? What is the good of a medicine box that you cannot carry about?
We keep a medicine chest of the size above mentioned. We find it quite large enough for when we are travelling “off duty.” It is quite sufficiently large to carry all that we require for emergencies. ”

“ In most instances consumptives have not large enough chests, and in every instance they do not take in enough air. Stripped to the waist, there is found to be a flatness of the upper chest, a lack of depth straight through from breastbone to spine; and the girth about the chest itself, and especially at the lower part of it, is often two or more inches less than it is in a well-built person of the same height. Now, to weed out these defects, to swell up and enlarge the chest, and bring it proper breadth, and depth, and fulness, this will go far towards insuring healthy and Vigorous lungs. ”

“ When we are about to take a long breath, the muscles pull upon the sides of the chest in such a way as to draw them apart. At the same time the diaphragm draws itself downward. By these means, the cavity of the chest is made larger and air rushes in through the nose or mouth to fill the space. ”

“ We continued still at our lodgings, but in the afternoon visited the ship in consequence of their telling us that our chest would be examined, as indeed took place. There were some passengers on shore whose chests were broken open, because they did not attend to them, and the inspectors would not wait. They cut to pieces the cords of their berth under which they found some things ”

“ In a simple case of this kind little or nothing is effused into the cavity or secreted from the membranes of the chest, which will interfere with the processes which may have happily begun, and which it is desirable should be aided by the absolute quiescence of the patient, to whom no medicine should be given which may render any movement of the body necessary. ”

“ The other chest is made about three inches larger than the inner one, and so as, when put together, it will form the outer part or crust of the safe, and leave a space between the inner and outer chests of the safe of about three inches; which space may vary a little, more or less, when the chests are put together, but should be the same all round, and in every direction. ”

“ Diseases of the chest are generally confined to heart, lungs, pleura, the pericardium, mediastium, blood vessels, with nerves and lymphatics. As we open the breast we behold the heart, a very large machine or engine, situated conveniently to throw blood to all parts of the body. To it we see hose or pipes that go to each organ, all muscles, the stomach, bowels, liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder and womb, all bones, fibers, ligaments, membranes, and its body, lungs and brain. ”

“ In children, who have never worn close garments, the circumference of the chest is generally about equal to that of the body at the hips; and similar proportions would exist through life, if there were no improper pressure of the clothing. This is true of the laboring women of the Emerald Isle, and other countries of Europe, and in the Indian female, whose blanket allows the free expansion of the chest. ”

“ But before you lay open the chest, pull the diaphragm up and down as you did before you made the hole in the diaphragm. You will find that you have no effect whatever on the lungs. They remain perfectly quiet, and do not swell up at all. By working the diaphragm up and down, you only drive air through the hole you have made, in and out of the cavity of the chest, not in and out of the lungs as you did before. ”

“ If it is laid on its stomach, as is far too often the case, breathing is rendered difficult, the breast-bone is compressed, and the chest lessened in its dimensions, while the action of the diaphragm is hampered by pressure on the abdomen. ”

“ Of course, as the diaphragm descends the capacity of the chest becomes enlarged to a considerable extent, while at the same time the abdomen is pushed outwards to make room for the inflation of the lungs. ”

“ In severe forms of the disease the patient comes to acquire a peculiar puffy or bloated appearance, and the configuration of the chest is altered, assuming the character known as the barrel-shaped or emphysematous chest. ”

“ To add five whole inches of chest; and nearly that much of lung and heart room and stomach room; and the consequent greater capacity for all the vital organs, is a matter, to many men, of almost immeasurable value. Hear Dr. Morgan, in his English University Oars, on this point:
"An addition of three inches to the circumference of the chest implies that the lungs, instead of containing 250 cubic inches of air, as they did before their functional activity was exalted ”

“ In adults with well-formed chests he considers 1800 or 2000 grammes as the amount demanding surgical interference. He candidly acknowledges that he cannot make this an absolute rule, because the capacity of the pleural sacs must necessarily vary in different individuals according to their height, breadth, development of thoracic muscles, sex, etc.; consequently, the inconveniences and functional disturbances produced by a given quantity of fluid in the chest must be different in different persons. ”

“ The chest seems to be actually growing larger; and it really is, for you are stretching out every corner of it. But the heart and stomach—indeed, about all the vital organs—feel the new pressure, and better digestion, brisker circulation, and a warmer and very comfortable feeling over the whole body are among the results. ”

“ Apply strong counterirritant to chest and put seton in dewlap. (See "Setoning," p. 293.) If collapse of the lung is threatened, a surgical operation, termed paracentesis thoracis, is sometimes performed; this consists in puncturing the chest cavity and drawing off a part of the fluid. The instruments used are a small trocar and cannula, which are introduced between the eighth and ninth ribs. The skin should be drawn forward so that the external wound may not correspond to the puncture of the chest, to prevent the entrance of air. Only a portion of the fluid should be removed. ”

“ He at that time laboured under an inflammatory affection of the chest, and it was feared that when this abated, an effusion of fluid into some part of the cavity of the chest might take place; but it was believed that, though his recovery might be slow, and not complete, he would ultimately recover, and enjoy life on terms on which it would have been a blessing. ”

“ Dilatation of the chest is usually an early symptom, although a considerable effusion may exist without it, or with but a slight elevation of the intercostal spaces. When the complaint is distinct, these spaces are elevated to a level with the ribs, so that the surface becomes perfectly smooth and equal; a farther protrusion is a very rare occurrence. Effusion indeed of serous fluid to a considerable extent, so as to displace the heart, may take place without the intercostal spaces being elevated, which is only believed to occur when the intercostal muscles have become paralyzed. ”

“ The thoracic organs may readily accommodate themselves to a pressure that simply squeezes out some residual air, the abdominal viscera must be displaced. Accommodation can only be favored by expulsion of blood from the cavity and reabsorption of the gases distending the intestine. Let us first consider the cavity of the chest. ”

“ I found the following symptoms: the pulse frequent, hard, and rather full; the skin hot; cheeks flushed; the tongue much furred; the urine high-coloured, not depositing sediment; the bowels torpid; cough rather occasional than constant, but for the most part violent; the expectoration copious and muco-puriform. In the upper parts of the right and left sides of the chest, the indications afforded by the stethoscope were, very sharp and strong sounds, both in inspiration and expiration, conjoined with the mucous rattle. ”