For the irritated larynx or trachea nothing is more soothing than the inhalation of steam. Nevertheless, the methods of administering this time honored and simple remedy commonly used seem to me not to be completely satisfactory.
The patient is usually invited to insert his or her face into some sort of cone of paper or cloth, communicating with the hot water receptacle. In this way the skin is exposed to the steam no less than the oral and nasal orifices, and this is not only unnecessary but unpleasant, for the skin tolerates the hot vapor less well than the mucous membrane.
To avoid this objectionable feature, the present method was devised. The innovation is merely that the patient breathes the steam throught the mouth by means of a tube, as shown in the illustration.
There is no necessity of providing access to both the nose and the mouth, as few persons respire