History of the treatment of chronic bronchitis
Abstract
Although chronic bronchitis was first named and described in 1808, the disease has been known since earliest time, and numerous drugs have been utilized in its therapy. The basic historic theories of human function have readily been applied to bronchitis; thus in Greek medicine, the disease was appreciated as one of excess phlegm. Early remedies included garlic, pepper, cinnamon, and turpentine, whereas later therapies of choice emphasized coffee, ipecac, and potassium nitrate. Most of the favored bronchodilator drugs of today are derived from the traditional folk remedies, ephedrine, atropine, and theophylline. The most interesting historical drugs, however, are those that have given rise to modern mucokinetic agents such as bromhexine and iodides.
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- Authors
- Ziment, I.
- Corresponding author
- Ziment, Irwin
- Venue
- Respiration
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2009-01-20
- Volume
- 58 Suppl 1
- Pages
- 37-42
- ISSN
- 0025-7931 (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0356
- OpenAlex
- W2114804513
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 56.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Respiration (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › History of Medicine Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Historical Medical Research and Treatments
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › History of Science and Medicine
- Keywords
- chronic bronchitis, bronchodilators, ephedrine, atropine, theophylline, bromhexine, iodide, sputum, traditional remedies, ipecac, potassium nitrate
- MeSH terms
- Bronchitis, Chronic Disease, Humans, History, 17th Century, History, 18th Century, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, History, Ancient, History, Medieval
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