Nasal Patency and the Aerodynamics of Nasal Airflow: Measurement by Rhinomanometry and Acoustic Rhinometry, and the Influence of Pharmacological Agents

Ebers’ Papyrus, the only complete Egyptian papyrus, mentions the nose as a respiratory organ: “As to the breath which enters into the nose; it enters the heart and lungs; these give to the whole belly” (Ebbell, 1937). The Egyptians knew that the nose secretes mucus, contains arteries and veins, and is responsible for olfaction. Operations to repair nasal bone fractures and remove polyps were recorded (Pahor, 1992; Pahor and Kimura, 1991). Galen was the only Greek physician or philosopher on record to recognize the importance of the nose in respiration (Kimmelman, 1989).