Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-08
On DEAFNESS. DISCHARGES FROM
g THE EAR, AND OATARRB.
And ell the various diseases of the "a
Throat and Air Passages.
sYMPToMs OF CATARBH.

The first sensation is usually a feeling
Of dryness and heat in the nose and 8 fre-
quent inclination to sneezing. There Is en-
inability TO breathe freely, as the nose be-
comes stopped up, sometimes on one side,
sometimes on the other.
Soon q clear, wstery, scrid discharge
makes its appearance, excoriating the nos
trils, and edges of the lips, which become
red and somewhat swollen. After q few
days the discharge becomes thick, yellow
ish, extremely frequent, and continues to
be marked feature of the disease; and
source of much danger and the greatest
annoyance. After more or less time, it
becomes purulent, highly offensive, and as
sumes an extremely fetid odor. It is
usually SO profuse as to require, when con-
fined to the nose, the frequent application
of the handkerchief, or, if It drops into
the throat, which is more particularly the
case while the body is in horizontal po-
sition, constant e1pectorstian, and some
times both.
Sleep is frequently disturbed by sensA-
ton Of choking caused by the presence Of
the discharge IN the throat Owing to the
heat in the head, the wstery part of the
secretion often eVaporates, sndi sssuJning
a condition Of solidity is deposited upon
the membrane of the nose and upper part
of the throat, in the shape of crusts or
hGrdened Jumps. The accumulation og
these incrustations produces feeling OF
discomfort, and nsrrows the nasal passages
so as to embarrass respiration, Therefore
frequent efforts have TO bs made TO remove
them, either by forcibly blowing the nose,
or by persistent hawking RrantiaA- As
dlsagreeable to the one affected as It Is 10
those around him. After the removal,
that side of the ineruststion which adhered
to the mucous membrane will sometimes
be found bloody, 8 fact which explains the
force required for its dislodgment. During
sleeep these incrustations accumulate moro
rapidly, and the feeling Is therefore mosk
uncomfortable in the morning. Sometimes
all efforts to clear the throat are futile uR-
til after breakfast or after something warm
is swallowed. Some patients state that
they are not successful until they have
swallowed some whisky or brandy. The
| discharge which "a at first without smell,
assumes, in the progress of the complaint
an excessively fetid odor, the breath par
ticipates In this, and becomes occasionally
so revoltingly offensive as to render the
patient an object of disgust to himself as
well as 10 Others. liberation of the mu-
cous membrane of the nose takes place fre-
| quentiy, sometimes even attacking tia
bones, when small particles of that sub
stance will occasionally be found mixed
with the discharge. The accumulation of
the discharge, together with the thickened
| condition of tine mucous membrane,
renders respiration through the nasal pas
sages very difficult, and oftentimes imDos-
sible, necessitating respiration principally
| through the mouth, method very delete
rious to the general health, but more par
ticularly so to tie lungs, as will be shown
hereafter. The unpleasant noise produced
during sleep, known as snoring, originates
| from the same cause. The voice lOoses its
musical quality, and assumes q diseordant
harsh, and nasal character; the sense of
smell becomes much impaired or entirely
lost, and the same effect, though less fre-
auent, is produced On the sense of taste.
J Occasionally, while blowing the nose, q
cracking or bubbling sound will be heard
in the ear, and hearing viii be found
quite thick and stopped up, but utreturn sud-
denly with something Like q snspping
sound. This phenomenon Is usually re-
!
return, and remains permanently injured
Noises in the head Of every conceivable
description will make their appearance
and add 10 the distress Of the sufferer, and
hearing may be lost 50 gradually that q
considerable degree Of deafness may exist
before the person is really aware of the
fact. The eyes are apS to become weak,
irritable, and disposed to water on expos
ure 70 Geld and Wiud, or after the slightest
exertion. A pain, more or less acute, or a
distressing feeling Of pressure, is expert
| enced over the eyes, Rnd sometimes on the
top or back of the head, and also pain in
the face, closely resembling neuralgia, for
which it is very often mistaken. The dis
tress in the head weakens the memory and
produces irritability and meroseness OF
| disposition. The stomach generally suffers
more or less, is weak and irritable; the ap-
petite is capricious, and is nearly always
bad in the morning. In severe cases the
system becomes feeble ana prostratsd. and
here is an aversion or inability to either
| physical or mental exertion. Not unfre-
ouently catarrh proves fatal, either by de-
bilitating the system and wearing out the
patient, or by travelling downward and
producing throat affections, bronchitis, and
finally consumption. 1t may be safely
asserted that after hereditary predisposi-
ton, catarrh is the most frequent and i'm
portant cause of this fatal complaint.
Cstarrh has been considered an ineura-
bic disease, and on the strength Of that
sapposition has been neglected by both
the profession and the public. As It is the
exciting cause In full half the cases of
Deafness, Drs. Lighthin have for years
past made its proper treatment their
special study, and have by their success
fully established the durability of this Of
fensive complaint.
DR.. L1GHTHLL is now at RussalPs For-
est City House, Cleveland, where he viii
remain until Saturday, December 10th,
1884,