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As respirations normally differ at the different periods of life, so abnormal respiration has a parallel difference as a manifestation of disease in the different periods of life. I may cite, for example, the puerile lung sounds in childhood and adolescence and the diminished and distant respiratory sounds of old age; also the rapid respirations in infantile life and the slower respirations of advanced age; the brief post-expiratory pause in early life and the longer post-expiratory pause in advanced age.
The respirations of exhaustion are in a manner influenced mostly by the age of the patient and partly by the degree of exhaustion.
The breathing of the ill baby or child in exhaustion is shallow, rapid and pauseless, indicating gravity and often impending death. If they fall into slumber while in this condition the respirations lessen in frequency, lengthen in range and are still pauseless. If they awaken unimproved the