Expiration

“ Expire, eks-pīr′, v.t. to breathe out: to emit or throw out from the lungs: to emit in minute particles.—v.i. to breathe out the breath of life: to die out (of fire) : to die: to come to an end.—adj. Expī′rable, that may expire or come to an end.—ns. Expī′rant, one expiring; Expirā′tion, the act of breathing out: (obs.) death: end: that which is expired.—adj. Expī′ratory, pertaining to expiration, or the emission of the breath.—p.adj. Expī′ring, dying: pertaining to or uttered at the time of dying.—n. Expī′ry, the end or termination: expiration. ”

“ After an ordinary expiration, about 200 cubic inches are left in the lungs, but by forced expiration about one-half of this may be driven out. This is known as supplemental air. The lungs can never be entirely emptied of air, about 75 to 100 cubic inches always remaining. ”

“ The intaking of air is termed by physiologists inspiration, and its expulsion expiration, the whole process being respiration. Expiration takes a very little longer than inspiration, and the rapidity of respiration depends on the needs of the body. The more active the exercise, the more rapidly vital processes go on, the more ventilation of the tissues is required and the more is actually effected. When one is at rest breathing takes place at the rate of from 14 to 18 inspirations and expirations in the minute ”

“ When nature resumed the respiratory act I am unable to say, but the artificial breathing was continued in all its details for three-quarters of an hour, and then expiration was aided by pressure on the chest for half an hour longer. ”

“ Expiration signifies the coming to an end in the natural course of things; as, the expiration of a year, or of a lease; it is used of things of some consequence; we do not ordinarily speak of the expiration of an hour or of a day. Limit implies some check to or restraint upon further advance, right, or privilege; as, the limits of an estate (compare BOUNDARY) . A goal is an end sought or striven for, as in a race. For the figurative senses of end and its associated words, compare the synonyms for the verb END ”

“ It is very doubtful whether any special expiratory muscles are called into action during ordinary respiration. The internal intercostals may in man be exercised in ordinary expiration (although they are certainly not so exercised in the dog and the cat) ; but in laboured expiration many muscles assist in the expulsive effort. The muscles forming the belly-walls contract and force the abdominal contents against the relaxed diaphragm in such a manner as to drive it farther and farther into the thorax. ”

“ The process of breathing dispatches the blood on a cleansing process through the whole body, and, while traveling through this, it collects all the poisonous gases and carries them back to the lungs to be emitted with expiration. ”

“ If respiration be in the slightest degree hurried, these motions become so marked as to escape the attention of no one. The elevation of the chest walls is called inspiration, their depression, expiration. Inspiration is slightly shorter than expiration, and usually there is a slight pause or momentary inaction of the chest between expiration and the following inspiration. ”

“ The extraordinarily well protected position of the pituitary, its persistence throughout life, and its abundant blood supply, emphasize its vital importance. No other gland of internal secretion can adequately substitute for it. Complete expiration means death, in two or three days, with a peculiar lethargy, unsteadiness of gait and loss of appetite, emaciation, and a fall of temperature, so that the animal becomes cold-blooded, its temperature the same as that of the atmosphere it occupies. ”

“ Not infrequently a cavernous inspiration is joined to a bronchial expiration, the more intense expiratory sound representing adjacent solidification extending over the site of the cavity and drowning the weaker cavernous expiration. ”

“ In ordinary breathing the emission of air immediately follows the intake; expiration begins the moment inspiration ceases, and the respiration is completed. The elasticity of the lungs causes the diaphragm to rise and the walls of the chest to return to their natural position. ”

“ The inspiration is sakti, or strength. The expiration is siva, or death. The internal or Kumbhaka is a promoter of longevity. When the expiration is not followed by inspiration death ensues. A forcible expiration is always the sure and certain sign of approaching dissolution or death. Both these words soham and hanysha cause the waste of the animal economy, as they permit the oxygen of the inspired air to enter the lungs where the pulmonary changes of the blood occur. ”

“ Although the chief problem of resistance in gas mask design concerns inspiration, nevertheless resistance to expiration is an important factor. The expired air of the lungs contains carbon dioxide for which means of escape must be provided. ”

“ Very soon the expiratory movements become more marked than the inspiratory, and every muscle which can in any way assist in expiration is brought into play. The orderly expiratory movements culminate in expiratory convulsions; these violent efforts speedily exhaust the nervous system, and the convulsions suddenly cease and are followed by a period of calm. The calm is one of exhaustion ”

“ And between your first inspiration and your last expiration there will have been the process of respiration, that is, breathing in and out at an average rate of twenty times a minute. Twenty times a minute means twelve hundred times an hour, or nearly thirty thousand times a day, or over ten million times a year. If you should live to be fifty years old, you will have breathed in and out over five hundred million times. ”

“ From this curve, traced while the animal was tranquil, we see that its heart, as indeed is also the case in man, beats more frequently during inspiration than during expiration, the heart-beats being nearer to each other in the ascending portion of the curve, and further apart in the lower portion which corresponds to the end of each expiration. ”

“ They make from thirty-five to forty expirations during the period they are at the surface, which is about five minutes, and they thus consume about a fifth of their time in respiration, a proportion considerably greater than that of the adult males. ”

“ Hygienic Habits of Breathing.—Every one ought to accustom himself upon going into the open air to inspire slowly and deeply to the full capacity of the lungs. A slow expiration should follow. Take care to force the air out. Breathe through the nose, thus warming the air you inspire before it enters the lungs and chills the blood. Repeat this exercise several times every day. You will thus prevent certain of the air sacs which are not often used from becoming hardened and permanently closed. ”

“ An adult man on a average breathes about sixteen times in a minute and at every inspiration takes in about thirty cubic inches of air, and at every expiration exhales about the same amount. Hence, it follows that about 16-2/3 cubic feet of air are passed through the lungs of an adult man every hour, and deprived of oxygen and charged with carbonic acid to the amount of nearly five per cent. ”

“ If aspiration be repeated long without respiration, it will be no better than expiration, or simply losing one's breath. In the healthy, for every aspiration there will be a respiration which is to make his idea take shape, and give its tone to the character. ”

“ Cases have occurred in which a much longer time has been required, and numberless cases have occurred in which human beings have been born several weeks before the expiration of the usual time, as stated. ”

“ The mechanism whereby expiration is effected is equally simple; just as, when the upper board of the bellows is depressed, the air is forced out through the nozzle, so, by the return of the breast-bone to its former position, the inspired air is again forced to pass through the lungs and make its escape by means of the windpipe. ”

“ It is greater when the temperature is low, than when it is high; and during digestion the consumption has been found one half greater than when the stomach was empty.
483. Can it be ascertained with accuracy how much air is taken into the lungs at each inspiration? Why not? What is the probable quantity that an ordinary sized man inspires? How much can be thrown out of the lungs at a forcible expiration, and how much remains in the lungs? From these calculations, how much may they contain in their quiescent state? 484. In whom is respiration most frequent? How in disease? How in health? ”

“ METHODS OF ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION.
Sylvester’s Method.—Lay the patient upon his back; kneel above the head, take firm hold of the arms above the elbow, and move them horizontally—first away from the body, then over the head until the hands touch behind; pull them backward for a few seconds. This process expands the chest cavity, and the lungs are filled with air, inducing inspiration. Return the arms to the first position, and make strong pressure on the sides of the chest and epigastrium to expel the air and effect expiration. Movements should not be too rapid ”

“ In these cases the legs and feet of the patient began to swell and mortify at the expiration fo three or four days; men are said to have lived in this state for a fortnight, and at last they expired from fatigue and mortification. ”

“ With longer intervals we take the feeling of our inspirations and expirations into account. With our expirations all the other muscular tensions in our body undergo a rhythmical decrease; with our inspirations the reverse takes place. When, therefore, we note a time-interval of several seconds with intent to reproduce it, what we seek is to make the earlier and later interval agree in the number and amount of these respiratory changes combined with sense-organ adjustments with which they are filled. Münsterberg has studied carefully in his own ease the variations of the respiratory factor. ”

“ This circumstance illustrates, in a very remarkable manner, the effects of passing from a hot, or vapour-bath, into cold air or water. The immunity is nearly certain. The hotter the medium from which we start into the cold, the less danger there is of suffering any inconvenience. This principle in Hygiene is more understood than practised. It will be adverted to farther on.
[42] Lest I should be suspected of exaggeration, in this account of the Baths of Pfeffers, I shall here introduce a short extract from “Reminiscences of the Rhine,” &c. ”

“ If cold, which is the commonly received opinion, (and which is true,) is the cause of fever, to repeatedly bleed the patient, and administer mercury, opium, nitre, and other refrigerants, to restore him to health, is, as though a man should, to increase a fire in his room, throw a part of it out of the house, and to increase the remainder, put on water, snow and ice! ”

“ Our design is not to enter into a critical inquiry into the nature and immediate causes of fevers, but to mark their most obvious symptoms, and to point out the proper treatment of the patient with respect to his diet, drink, air, &c. in the different stages of the disease. In these articles the inclinations of the patient will in a great measure direct our conduct.
Almost every person in a fever complains of great thirst, and calls out for drink, especially of a cooling nature. This at once points out the use of water, and other cooling liquors. ”

“ SANITARIA.— I come now to treat of medical certificates, and the different plans resorted to by European officers when change of air is thought advisable. To an invalid labouring under chronic disease, and exhausted by slow but long-continued fever, change of air, as it is commonly called, brings about the most wonderful effects. ”

“ Oct. 19th.—The packet came in last night, but just in time to save the fine of 50l. per diem, and I got your welcome letter this morning. I have been coughing all this time, but I hope I shall improve. I came out at the very worst time of year, and the weather has been (of course) ‘unprecedentedly’ bad and changeable. But when it is fine it is quite celestial; so clear, so dry, so light. ”

“ The most common exciting causes of consumption are slighted colds, neglected inflammation of the chest, long continuance of influenza, sleeping in damp beds, allowing wet clothes to dry on the body, unhealthy employments—such as needle grinding, pearl-button making, etc. ”

“ Dear Sir,—I have seldom made a greater sacrifice and gratification to prudence than in the determination most reluctantly formed, that the state of my health, which requires hourly regimen, joined with the uncertain state of the weather and the perilous consequences of my taking cold in the existing weakness of the viscera, renders it improper for me to hazard a night away from my home. ”

“ Animals that have been working in cold rains should be dried and cooled out and not left to dry by evaporation. When the temperature of the weather is at the extreme, either of heat or cold, diseases of the organs of respiration are most frequent. ”

“ Fever, Influenza.—This is a slow, smouldering kind of fever. For treatment, pack the feet and legs in hot fomentation over the knees, and apply cold cloths over the stomach and heart, taking care in applying the cold if the patient is weak. In such a case only moderately cool cloths should be used. Carry out these two processes effectively, and a cure should soon result. Give light food—milk and water, and milk diet generally. Give small quantities frequently rather than a good deal at once. ”

“ What is more common, with a patient who is the subject of some chronic organic disease, than to be suddenly cut off by the occurrence of acute inflammation in the affected organ after exposure to cold? Every medical practitioner can answer. In remarking upon the influence of cold as a cause of mortality. ”