Nasaler Atembeschlagtest bei Zwaardemaker und Glatzel vor über 100 Jahren und in Paestum vor 2 300 Jahren

A mirror from the 4th-century BC tomb of Paestum, Italy, reveals an ancient method to test breath obstruction. This discovery connects historical practices with modern medical techniques developed over a century ago by Hendrik Zwaardemaker and Ernst Glatzel. In 1889, Zwaardemaker introduced a hygrometric functional test using a cold mirror under the nose to estimate airflow during exhalation. A decade later, Glatzel refined this method by engraving equidistant arcs on a metallic mirror to quantify condensed vapor in expired air, a technique used in Germany until post-World War II. The study highlights the continuity and evolution of medical diagnostic tools from antiquity to the 20th century.

Pirsig, W. (2014). Nasaler Atembeschlagtest bei Zwaardemaker und Glatzel vor über 100 Jahren und in Paestum vor 2 300 Jahren. Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie, 93(11), 739–745. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0034-1382027