Diaphragm

“ Thus heart trouble, lung disease, brain, liver, womb, tumors of the abdomen and through the list of ef [Pg 125] fects can be traced to the diaphragm as the cause.
I am strongly impressed that the diaphragm has much to do in keeping all the machinery and organs of life in a healthy condition, and will try and give some of the reasons why, as I now understand them. First, it is found to be wisely located just below the heart and lungs; one being the engine of the blood, and the other is the engine of the air. ”

“ The diaphragm or midriff (Anglo-Saxon, mid, middle, hrif, belly) in human anatomy is a large fibro-muscular partition between the cavities of the thorax and abdomen; it is convex toward the thorax, concave toward the abdomen, and consists of a central tendon and a muscular margin. ”

“ Writers and professors advocating exclusively so-called diaphragmatic, or costal, or abdominal respiration, are incorrect and perfectly deceived. The diaphragm, the ribs, and the muscles of the abdomen must all do more or less their special work, in order to carry on a normal and healthy respiratory act. An eminent physician, Dr. Ed. Fournié of Paris, says: “He who respires exclusively by one or the other of these alone (diaphragm, ribs or abdomen) must be indeed a sick man.” ”

“ Hence an inflammation of the diaphragm is sudden death to those animals, as horses and dogs, which can only breaths by depressing the diaphragm; and is I suppose the cause of the sudden death of horses that are over-worked; whereas, in the human animal, when the diaphragm is inflamed, so as to render its motions impossible from the pain they occasion, respiration can be carried on, though in a less perfect manner, by the intercostal muscles in the elevation of the ribs. ”

“ Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is a downward perpendicular force just as ugly and as ineffective, besides being positively harmful, the pressure of the diaphragm, if violently exerted, often being injurious to the organs of the body contained in the abdominal cavity and especially to the female organs of sex. ”

“ The sympathetic nerves usually enter the abdomen behind the internal arcuate ligaments. The phrenic nerves, which are the main supply of the diaphragm, divide before reaching the muscle and pierce it in a number of places to enter its abdominal surface, but some of the lower intercostal nerves assist in the supply. The last thoracic or subcostal nerves pass behind the external arcuate ligament. ”

“ Mensuration shows that the sound side of the thoracic cavity is slightly enlarged by the extra work it has to perform in the first stage. The elevation movement is noticed to be restrained when the effusion has increased to the extent of overcoming the retractility of the lung, for the diaphragm is no longer drawn up by the lung, and the effusion rises and separates the parietal and pulmonary pleuræ. The diaphragm bags from the quantity of fluid, and contracts but feebly. This condition forces the liver and the spleen down in the abdominal cavity. ”

“ The chief organ of respiration is the diaphragm, and as years of teaching bring experience which is definite in results, we find that the diaphragm is the only muscle which holds the air column in check. That muscle situated within the body cannot be held by any visible power. The thought of holding it still will make us hold our breath. Trying to assist such holding by muscles of the chest, abdomen or throat, only defeats our purpose and makes the diaphragm give way. That large muscle will do the whole work if we will let it. ”

“ The diaphragm cannot rise of itself, and has no self-acting, self-lifting nerves or muscles, all flesh being composed of inert atoms. The rise is proof positive that pressure is greater on the posterior than anterior surface of the membrane, and the unchanged normal pressure beneath indicates reduced pressure above ”

“ The diaphragm is a musculo-fibrinous organ and depends for blood and nerve supply above its own location, and that supply must be given freely and pure for nerve and blood or we will have a diseased organ to start with; then we may find a universal atrophy or œdema, which would, besides its own deformity not be able to rise and fall, to assist the lungs to mix air with blood to purify venous blood, as it is carried to the lungs to throw off impurities and take on oxygen previous to returning to the heart, to be sent off as nourishment for the system. ”

“ Try occasionally to breathe with the diaphragm, that is, instead of first allowing the chest to expand, when inhaling, push the abdomen and diaphragm out first during the beginning of the inhalation and the chest during the latter half part of it. This is beneficial for all the digestive organs and their nerves. The most important thing is to breathe deeply, so that the air also reaches the bottom or points of the lungs. Of course, twelve or sixteen respirations can be taken per minute and the lungs become only half-filled just the same. ”

“ If, as is sometimes the case, the difficulty proceeds from a relaxation of the diaphragm, with general sagging down of the thoracic and abdominal viscera, so as to draw upon the trachea, then treat the whole trunk tonically, using the B D current. Place the N. P. low on back of neck, and treat with P. P. over the abdomen and thorax, and especially all around the edge of the diaphragm—along the lower line of the false ribs. Treat with medium strength of current, ten minutes, three times a week. The aim is to contract all the relaxed parts, so to relieve the larynx from the strain upon it. ”

“ These patients depend more or less completely on their diaphragm for obtaining enough oxygen to carry on their mechanical relationship to their surroundings which becomes more and more modified as the condition progresses. ”

“ I placed an assistant at each of his arms to manipulate them in order to expand his thorax, then slowly to press the arms down by the side of the body, while I pressed the diaphragm upward: methods which caused air to be drawn in and forced out of his lungs. ”