Article Text
PostScript
Correspondence
HH Salter (1860s): taking cold as original cause and provocative of attacks of asthma
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Henry Hyde Salter's pioneering contributions and unsurpassed descriptions regarding many facets of asthma and its treatments1 are increasingly recognised during the last 50 years.2 ,3 Indeed, reference to Salter is frequent in current discussions on asthma. However, Salter's intriguing observations inferring roles of respiratory infection in asthma remain little noticed. Yet, common cold, predominantly rhinovirus infections, is now acknowledged as leading cause of exacerbations of asthma. Respiratory viral infection is also major contender as original inciter of asthma (reviewed in ref. 4).
A centennial before discovery of cold virus5 …