ISSN:
1420-908X
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Whenever pharmacologists work experimentally on cough and antitussives, they will clearly distinguish between their aim and their tools. The aim, at least the final one, will in some way or other be the clinical process denominated as cough. And the tools will be models, which may represent partial but actual elements of a clinical cough or even hypothetical elements only. An artificially induced bronchogenic seizure of expiratory thrusts in cats is an example of the former type; the models 1–3 as described in this paper ar examples of the latter. There is always a gap between the clinical cough and the parameters of the model. The more closely the model will imitate the clinical phenomenology, the higher will be the probability that a substance screened out with the model will be of some therapeutic value-the smaller, however, will be the chance to know why. On the other hand, with models which focus on elements which are only potentially relevant for the clinical process of coughing, a prediction as to the clinical usefulness will be less certain; a gain in scientific information, however, will be more or less guaranteed. Both kinds of approach may be useful. As for us, we like the more scientific one better than the more empirical one.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01964940
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