Abstract
Following a short description of the history of tracheotomy a schematic survey is given of the most important causes of respiratory obstruction other than pseudocroup. The diseases that in the last decennium have increasingly become the object of interest to otolaryngologists are particularly stressed. The necessity for close cooperation with other specialities (internal medicine, anæsthesiology, pædiatrics etc.) in the treatment of respiratory obstruction is mentioned, and basic principles of treatment are discussed.