ations of fatty material, or changing of muscle into
fat, cause this, especially if about the chest and heart. To reduce the
fat, and grow healthy muscle instead, will perfectly cure the
difficulty of breath. Moderate open-air exercise and simple food, such
as Saltcoats biscuits, oatmeal jelly, and barley puddings will largely
help this. Avoid also all alcoholic liquors, the use of which is often
_the sole cause_ of the trouble. Keep the skin active (_see_ Skin).

The hot FOMENTATION (_see_) to feet and legs is a truly powerful remedy
for all lack of force in the system, especially if followed by the
massage treatment described in MASSAGE (_see_).

Breath, Hot.--This may be felt either because the breath is actually
hot, or because the membranes of the tongue and mouth are unusually
tender, and _feel_ the breath hot in consequence when it is not really
so. This latter case is usually accompanied by a sore tongue. To heal
the tongue, it must be soaked freely with vinegar or weak ACETIC ACID
(_see_), so diluted as to give only a very slight feeling of smarting
after even prolonged application. Apply it with a good camel's hair
brush, and brush with a little fine almond or olive oil after the acid.
The mouth may be rinsed with the acid, but brushing is best.

But where real heat is found in the breath, it arises from an
overheated state of the body internally. This frequently arises from
failure in the stomach to digest properly. If the hot breath arises
from this, small drinks of hot water, frequently taken, will usually
cure it. A warm bran poultice, placed on the back at bedtime opposite
the stomach, will prove a more powerful remedy in addition to the hot
water. More powerful effect still will be found in such stimulus to the
skin as washing it all over twice a week with vinegar or weak acetic
acid. On other days let the patient be rubbed over with good olive oil,
mixed with enough CAYENNE "TEA" (_see_) to cause a slight burning
sensation. Let this also be done twice a week, and twice a week also
wash all over with M'Clinton's soap and hot water. A plain diet of
course, should be observed (_see_ Digestion; Dyspepsia; Food; Teeth,
etc.).

Breath, and Muscles.--Sometimes difficulty of breathing is due, not to
anything wrong with lungs or windpipe, but to failure in the diaphragm
(or large muscular "floor" of the chest), and the other chest muscles,
which work the lungs. A feeling of sinking and weakness round the