The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-17

DIR. Hunter ON Catarrh-Letter a.
TO THE EDITOR HERALD.
sR,-I now come to the consideration Of catarrh.
From the frequency Of catarrhal affections
Of genuine tnbercular consumption the relation
ship between colds, coughs and consumption" IL
questionaby that Of and effect Too much atten-
ton cannot be given to this fact.
By "catarrh" commonly called % cold In the head, -
mean an IL nammatory affection Of the mucous mem.
brane that lines the nose. This membrane extends
bronchial tubes weibreathe through the nose; hence
that part Of the mucous membrane which lines the
sal passages first receives injury from sudden changes
OF temperature In the air or from any irritating matter
1t may contain There two kinds Of catarrh,
"acute" and " chronic.n
The symptoms Of acute catarrhn are first, o sense
OF heat and stufng in the You find it impossible
to breathe through the nostrils although there is
examine the lining Of the nostr you would find it red
swollen increased in thickness and very irritable Try
nhale the cold air through it, and the attempt exces
This irritation may extend from the lining of the
to the frontal sinus, when we have 'pain" the
forehead 1t may also extend through the lachry
NAL canals which convey the tears from the eyes,
closing them as it has done the In that event
quence Of the closing Of the tear passages will
the cheeks The skin is hot the pulse is increased in
body After time clear, irritating water is sscreted
in large quantities. by the nfamed membrane, and
almost runs from the nose and eyes producing redness
and smarting wherever In contact with the skin
Gradually this acrd water becomes thicker, and less
irritating, Of straw color, and then yellow Az this
change takes place the irritation subsidies the nostrs
again become free, the stung in the head passes of
and the secretion diminishes until the health the pa
tent is fully established This Is the usual course
Of what is called "cold in the head" "catarrh
when confined to the nose But 1t may possibly extend
them sS s
swell very much the disease is called "quinsy.n A
simple cold in the head may also proceed along the
tachian tubes Of the and cause Deafness
down the gullet to the stomach derangng DIGESTION
The most common Of catarrh however, Is to creep
known as "cold in the chest and professionally BY
the name of " bronchitisi"
Chronic catarrh follows the "acute FORM and is gen.
orally the direct consequence of leaving smple cold
to itself. 1t is met with in several forms In the
"aIst We have merely discharge Of yellow or straw.
mares, or above and behind the soft palate, and is
hawked and cleared out from time to time during the
day. In the 'second, +" there small formed
the inside Of the nose and the ions become dry
and hard requiring almost constant attention keep
the free. In the third fals SO membrane is Sc
creted from the diseased lining, which the patient
moves from time to time In the "fourth the secretion
"from the head" drops down into the throat and the
patient is frequently observed to s'snu up and hawkn
Often the mucous membrane becomes liberated and the
discharge is then thin yellow, and Ike "pus In this
torm too there is often loss of smell and the discharge
has offensive odorespecialy is this the when
the liberation eats through the membrane to the bone
among them little girl only six years old. Generally
during the summer months, the active symptoms Of
aggravated form the approach winter Those suf
frng from chronic catarrh subject to take cold
and will have one or more attacks every winter.
Consumption has several stages Il has a first, or
forming stage; middle or 'confrmed" stage; and
last or liberated stage The lungs do not become
Immediately stuffed with tubercles corroded by foul
ulcers 10 only after months and often years. Of rr
tation- OF Slow nsdious progress-rom the slight sea
tarrh to the seated bronchitis, from bronchts" to
the first deposition of little speck Of tubercIous mat
teri in single lobue; from the first deposons of tu
bercle to the filing up Of whole lobe or whole lung
with this matter, and its fostering and burrowing
among the delicate air cells until the whole of the lung
diseased becomes reduced to Of hopeless disor-
ganizationthat this dreadful maady reache, its last
and final stage The 10 too widespread among
people, and too general even among physicians. to
'cough" but BY the expectoraton Of pusU by hectic
fever" might sweats,' and wasting of flesh and
strength In other words to apply the name eonsump
otherwise we should not have to listen with feelings Of
pity and sorrow, to such expressions as, ''t's only
catarrh 1.-THE disease IL all in the throat or is opy
"a slight bronchial Affection Alas there are few who
suffer from these affections, tring unmport ant as
they may seem, that do rot sooner or later I'LL
TREArxEST-Chronic ca.arrh, like asthma and COO.
sumption, has hitherto had no remedy. 1t remains a
stain and reproach the page Of medicine. Nor ha.
failure resulted from the want Of Of relief within
our reach or from the seat Of the disease the mag
ity OF ITS Dature-for reach the diseased parts
all the forces Of the materia msdica-soids fluids
mp gasesand the disease itself only simple chronic
Inflammation. Physicians have failed because they have
not triyen to succeed earnestly and nationally They have
generally been satisfied with squirting little
the stomach, which, Of course does no good Caarrh
Is rarely found as disease of the alone, but
generally accompanied BY more or less show
in the nasal membrane also involves the larynx and
i7ing Of the wndpipe. We cannot therefore, hope TO
emove BY applications to the nose only The
have pursued with almost invariable success, ~
folows-A mild astrngent vapor Is directed TO be in
baed two three times day, from the inhalng in
s;rument described in my treatise-the patient being
careful TO exhae through the nostris BY this
the diseased surface acted upon In every part Ia
addition to the OF the inhalations daily shower
the nostrs with solution adapted to the condition of
the membrane, by silver showering syringe, which
have had constructed for the purpose. The
tremty Of the syringe is passed into the throat and
then the curved part Is turned up behind the
curtain Of the palate, and jet Of the solution thrown
against every side Of the posterior at the
instant Early in practice, finding the Of such
instrument, was in the habit Of using elastic
tube, sealed at the extremity with wax and perforated
with small holes 10 this fitted piston, and used IL
a~syringe. There 10 neither pain Inconvenience in
making these applications. Even little children submit
TO them from day to day, and get from the chair laugh
ing BY this simple treatment am able TO break up
the most inveterate chron: catarrh in from four
ten weeks and generally successful has IL been that
doubt II il will fail in Of hundred, when pro.
pery and faithfully employed.
Unfortunately catarrh IA too generally treated with
equal neglect by both physicians and patients until IL
becomes lost sight Of in the disastrous
TO which IL gives rise. We know that IL exists, in
greater less degree in AL forms Of pulmonary disease
that usually exists before any symptoms Of disease
consequence Of those colds the head which become
practically inown 10 most Of u.s. two three times
every year regard caarrh the great feeder Of pull
monary irritation and do not believe can, by any
other enectually guard the lungs from disease
by cult ng Off Il catarrhal affection Your obsdent
servant. ROBERT HUNTER, NJ. d.,
Physician for diseases OF the Iuags,
s2s Broadway, View York, January 2, 1855.
DIR. sanborn's Treatment or Lung Diseases
Lung Institute No. Bond street During thirty years
OF actual professional life have made IL a rule