How did they treat asthma before inhalers were invented?

Pills and injections: For acute asthma attacks, injections of Adrenalin (epinephrine) were used. For chronic treatment, asthma patients were treated with theophylline and combinations using theophylline such as marax, as well as oral steroids. Asthma treatment has come a long way!

Good question: In severe attacks an injection of epinephrine may have been used. Otherwise there were not too many options. Bed rest was probably the only choice for many sufferers.

Shots/pills/IV's: The great advance in asthma treatments over the past 4 decades has been the move away from Adrenalin shots, intravenous steroids, and pills with side effects like caffeine.(& seizures).The development of longer duration inhaled meds like albuterol & aerosoliszed steroids has made asthma more consumer friendly. However, poor compliance has led to a similar risk of sudden death today as then.