Difficulty in breathing, caused partly by kapha and partly by Vayu, is the symptom of this disease. The attack is usually felt towards the end of the night.

When the ane bronchial tubes through which air flows to the lungs hecome full of phlegm or mucus due to weakness of the glands connected to the Anahata Cakra, * the passage of air becomes obstructed. Due to contraction of the weak bronchial tubes, the carbon dioxide of the body cannot come out as it should, and that poisonous gas, trapped in the body, is to a large extent responsible for the breeding of disease germs.

The weakening of the glands connected to the Anahata Cakra cannot alone be responsible for permanent respiratory trouble. When weakness of the glands related ta the Manipura Cakra ?as a primary cause ?and of those related to the Vishuddha Cakra* ?as a secondary cause ?is added to the weakness of the glands of the Anahata Cakra, then only does a respiratory disease express itself. If, due to weakness of the digestive fluids, the blood gets contaminated by acids, or if one is sulfering from constipation, then different organs of the body also become weak. In such a condition, due to weakness of the lungs, the nervous system controlling the lungs also suffers from debility and finally the bronchial tubes as well become weak. That is the time when asthma becomes fully manifest.

* Psychic-eneergy centres located at the mid-point of the chest, the navel and the throat, respectively.

For breakfast patients should eat local sweet or sour fruits, or meoya fruits soaked in water for a few hours. A little lemon juice should be consumed a number of times during the day. The patient should nevver completely fill the stomach. The bowels should be cleared carefully, because constipation aggravates asthma. As for food, a small quantity of hot boiled rice or ruti, toeether with sufficient leafy-vegetable soup, milk, curd (yogurt) or curd-water should be used. In fact all alkaline foods are beneficial in this disease. Ghee, oil, rice, pulses, rutis, and all non-vegetarian foods are acidic, therefore the less these are taken the better.

Milk should be the main drink for asthma paticnts. It is better for them to fnish the eveniag meal as early as possible, cerlainly by an hour and a half after sunset, that is, by 7:30 or 8 PM, because it will keep the stomach light, having digested the food well before dawn. Then acute asthmatic spasms cannot occur. Remember that asthmatic spasms cannot occur when one's stomach hungers for food, so in a severe attack of asthma, the more one fasts, the better.

Asthma patients should strictly abstain from all sorts oi intoxicants. Anyone who drinks less than three-fourths seer of milk a day should not drink even one cup of tea. Also, all non-vegctanan types of food are to be rejected.

For a person who cannot avoid eating non-vegetarian food, a little soup of small and freshly-caught fish is permissible. In those countries where it is almost impossible to obtain vegetarian types of food, patients should use myrobalan or some other laxative agent after meals in order to save themselves from constipation. Sweet and fried foods are also harmful for asthma patients. In summer, winter and in all seasons; patients should take a long walk in the open air.