Question:
I am interested in researching the history of asthma in ancient times.
Does anyone know of any English language texts that discuss asthma in
early man, pre-agricultural or early agricultural era? So far I have
only found one text, Histoire illustree de l'asthme (Peumery, 1984) but
cannot find an English translation.
Answer:
Info from 'The Asthma Self-Help Book' by Paul Hannaway c'92 Prima 'In the 1st century AD, Aretaeus, a Greek physician, noted that women
were prone to asthma, men were more likely to die of it, and children
had a better outlook of recovery. In his writings, he painted a vivid
picture of a panting asthmatic:
"If from running, gymnastic exercise, or any other form of work, the
breathing becomes difficult, it is called asthma. The cheeks are ruddy,
and the eyes protuberant as if from strangulation; a rale can be heard
in the waking state, but the evil is much worse in sleep......"
[from 'The Extant Works of Aretaeus, the Cappadocian' (London 1956),
printed for the Siddenham Society, translated by F. Adams.]'
In the drug section he mentions 'Ephridene, the first legitimate drug in
asthma therapy, was actually discovered by observant Chinese healers
more than four thousand years ago. These ancient practitioners found
that wheezing patients experienced marked relief after inhaling the
burning leaves of a Chinese herb called MaHuang.'
