Sir: I take this opportunity of expressing my opinion of the generally accepted existing management of asthma by the medical profession as outlined in the booklet “The Management of Asthma” prepared by The Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Asthma Foundations of New South Wales and Queensland. The general and therapeutic views expressed in this booklet go no further than the considerations reflecting contemporary medical science in the aetiology, pathology and treatment of asthma.

The existing management of asthma, and the prejudice in considering it mysterious and incurable, appear as outdated, scholastic, artificially elaborated, abstract and useless theories in the light of my discovery of the cause of asthma, and therefore in finding its cure. By exclusive concentration on drug therapy, contemporary medical science, ignoring the simple facts in understanding the origin of asthma conditions, is ineffective in the main therapeutic aim of curing asthma. Fully understanding the classical textbook definition of asthma as chronic bronchitis, complicated by spasmodic dyspnoea, it is not difficult to realize that the breathing factor is of prime importance in asthma conditions, and in studying this factor thoroughly I found:

(i) no asthma without bronchitis; (ii) no bronchitis in asthma without (or because of) defective breathing. (Statistics show that the average Australian contracts three colds a year, and that more than half have defective breathing, in most cases breathing not through the nose, but through the mouth due to nasopharyngitis or bad habit.) In most cases of defective breathing, the chest is almost unused, becomes very limited in operation, and finally reaches the point of practical immobility and stagnation. This is the cause, purely mechanical, producing asthma conditions.

Writers of medical textbooks mention the following as possible contributory factors creating asthma conditions: (i) allergic, (ii) psychological, (iii) infections, (iv) nasal, (v) gastro-intestinal; but do not, as a rule, include the breathing factor. Those who do, do not appreciate the real significance of this “breathing factor”, in spite of its predominance in asthma conditions as outlined in the definition of asthma as a “paroxysmal dyspnoea”. Medical scientific explanations of this phenomena by complicated theories based on prejudiced scholastic concepts and complete misunderstanding of the case of asthma, considering it a “ sui generis ” disease, collapse before the symptoms of a very ordinary pathological condition of bronchitis, greatly aggravated by dysfunction of breathing with “spasmodic dyspnoea” as its consequence.

Bronchitis is a dominant feature always existing in asthma conditions; another finding always present is stagnant chest-sometimes even immobilized and “cemented”. This fact deserves the fullest attention and consideration of physicians in their understanding of the cause and treatment of asthma. Why neglect this visible, mechanical cause of dyspnoea: lungs squeezed by the usually immobilized chest? Thus, by logical consideration, as soon as this physical interference to the expansion of lungs congested by bronchitis is removed, no asthma conditions remain.

If my theory is incorrect, the results of my method of treatment could not be so successful in curing asthma by bringing the breathing function to normal in its main purpose of keeping the chest moving and expanding adequately to the needs of lungs congested by bronchitis. This is impossible when there is no room in the cavity of the chest for the expansion of congested lungs-but as a rule, immediately movement, or expansion of the chest, is made possible, asthma conditions disappear, as is usual in almost 100% of asthma cases treated by my system of breathing exercises and mechanical vibratory stimulation. I succeed even after one treatment, in increasing the mobility of the chest from one to four inches, and this result can be achieved, if not in one treatment, in the first week of treatment.

Because of improved mobility, steady progress in the treatment of remaining bronchitis and general health is assured; the patient ceases to starve from oxygen as breathing is steadily restored to normal. The time for the complete cure of asthma and its bodily harms is comparatively very short, and lasts only two to three weeks if there are no lung complications and depending on the extent of damage by long-standing, unattended bronchitis, antiasthmatic drugs, and lung infections due to decreased bodily resistance, especially when steroids have been used. If the patient then continues proper breathing exercises, mobility of the chest and no asthma conditions can be assured by these measures.

If, by further logical conclusion, there is as a rule no asthma without bronchitis, and no bronchitis in asthma without defective breathing, it follows that asthma can be eradicated by the teaching of correct breathing in physical education. This could be implemented by the Government department concerned - the simplest and most effective way would be to introduce real physical education in schools, paying particular attention to the instruction of correct breathing in all sport and physical culture. If, by Government instigation, correct breathing were achieved, it would prevent not only asthma, but many other physical ailments, ensuring real fitness as a national heritage, because the adequate supply of oxygen is of prime importance, not only for fitness, but for the existence of all phenomena of human life. The consistency of my findings in the cause of asthma conditions, and my successful treatment are the most convincing arguments for their acceptance.

To summarize: the fulfilment if these logical considerations for the greatest benefit of suffering asthmatics would be the establishment of district clinics, using these natural, physical methods of treatment, with specially trained medical personnel: (i) physicians, expert in thoracic medicine for the treatment of always existing bronchitis and other lung complications such as emphysema, infections,etc.; (ii) ear, nose and throat specialists attending always existing nasopharyngitis as well as other defects of the upper air passage; and (iii) physiotherapists, specially trained to ensure the correct performance of breathing exercises, a vitally important part of this therapy in bringing defective breathing to normal.

Because long-standing asthma conditions, specially in children, are usually complicated by deformation of the skeleton, to increase the efficiency of the breathing exercises, contemporary physiotherapy installations must be provided.

These ideal conditions for the prevention, treatment and curing of asthma can best be instituted through Government Health Departments or authoritative benevolent organizations dedicated to the most efficient means of alleviating human suffering.

7 Bourke Street, A James.

Wollongong, N.S.W., 2500.