The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-25
WHO CAN NOW BE CONSULTED
FOR A FEW DAYS
ATTHE
Sherwood House.
Evansville. Ind.

CATARRH ia a disease of the mucous
membrane OF the nasal passages and those
cavities of the head communicating with
them. insignificant as IL appears IN It's
first stages, it is apt In it's progress % be-
come Instrumental in causing the loss or
impairment of smell. taste, hearing, and
sight, and in creating serious constitutions
al arrangements, not unfreauently ter
minating ia consumption,
At the commencement of the complaint
the symptoms are those OF an ordinary
cold. A feeling OF irritation. sensitive
ness, heat, or pain is experienced in the
nose. the edges of which are red and swoil-
en-, and which ia stopped up sometimes on
one side. sometimes on the other, and oc-
casionally on both, rendering respiration
through 1t either difficult or impossible.
This condition is accompanied by fire.
quent desire TO sneeze, and discharge OF,
at first. clear. aerid water. afterward OF
profuse, thick, yellowish. and extremely
offensive matter. This secretion becomes
puruIent and Increased in quantity as the
complaint progresses. assumes an exceed
ingly fetid odor, and forms one OF the most
characteristic features of the disease, and
a source OF the greatest annoyance and
danger. IL escapes not only by the noaei
but passes into the throat, producing, by
its lodgment. local irritation. ana requires
frequent expectoration, hawking, or scrap
ing for It's removal. AS its passage into
the throat ia very much facilitated by
horizontal position OF the body, sleep Is
frequently disturbed by a sensation "
| choking In consequence, and many are
Obliged 20 lie In "A semi-recumbent position
| TO obtain the necessary repOse,
Owing TO the Inflammation and heat Ina
the head, the watery portion of the DIS
! charge often evapOrates, and the rest, AS
Stunning a condition OF solidity, In deposit
| ed upon the membrane OF the nose and
upper part OF the throat in the shape OF
erusts or hardened Jumps. The aeeumnla-
ton Of these incrustations produces "A feel
ing of discomfort, and narrows the nRsal
passages so as 10 embarrass respiration
| Therefore, frequent Efforts are required 10
remove them. either by foreibly blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking prac-
tice aa disagreeable TO the one affected as
| IL is To those around him. That side Of tie
| inerustation which adhered to the mucous
membrane, will, after its removal, some
| times be found bloody, fact which ex-
| plains the force required for its dislodg-
| ment. During sleep, these incrustations
accumulate more rapidly, and the feeling
IL, therefore. most uncomfortable in the
morning. Sometimes all efforts TO clear
the throat are futile until after breakfast,
or after some stimulant has been swallow
| ed liberation OF the mucous membrane
OF the nose takes place frequently, some-
times attacking the bone. when small par
ticles of this substance will occasionally
be found mixed with the discharge.
The breath assumes an excessively fetid
and sickening odor, and becomes oeea-
sionaily SO offensive az TO render the pa
tient an object OF disgust TO himself AS well
as to others.
The accumulation OF the discharge, to-
gether with the thicxened condition OF the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and oftentimes impossible, neoessitating
respiration principally through the
mouth--a method very deleterious TO the
general health, but more particularly so
70 the lungs, which become weak aud irri-
table. The voice loses its musical quality.
and assumes a discordant, harsh, and nasal
character; the sense of smell becomes
much impaired or entirely lost, and the |
same effect, though less frequent, Is pro- |
duced on taste. Occasionally, while blow
sound IL heard In the ears, and hearing |
becomes quite thick or stopped up, butFe-
turns suddenly, with something like a |
swapping sound. This phenomenon may |
be repeated several times, until hearing |
does not return, but remains permanently |
injured. In other cases hearing is lost 80 |
gradually that q considerable degree of
deafness may exist before the person Is |
really aware of the fact. Either condition |
Ia often accompanied with noises In the |
head OF every conceivable description, ma
terially increasing the distress OF the suf- |
ferer.
The eyes are apt TO become weak, irrita-
Bile, and disposed 10 water ON exposure to |
ton. pain, more or less acute, or a die-
tresaing feeling OF pressure Is experienced |
over the eyes, and sometimes ON the top /
or back OF the head, and, also, pain in /
the face, closely resembling neuralgia, |
for which IL Is very often mistaken. The |
distress IA the head weakens the memory }
and produces irrilahillty and moroseness
of disposition. The stomach generally |
suffers more or less, and becomes weak and
irritable; the appetite is capricious and
nearly always bad in the morning. In Sc
we're cases the system becomes feeble ana
Frustrated. This Is manifested by dlspo-
sition 10 drowsineSS and Sleep an aversion
TO either physical or mental exertion, and
a feeling OF fatigue aud weakness.
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal,
cAtheT by uebliitaitlhB the hSstph' nhN
wearing out the patient, or by tfaNelihg
downward and producing throat alice
lions, bronchitis. and finally consumption.
10 may be safely asserted that, after hered-
ttary predisposition, catarrh Is the most
| frequent and important cause OF this natal
| complaint
The symptoms OF catarrh vary consider
ably IN di tferent individuals, the degree OF
their severity depending upon constitu-
tlonM idiosynGrasies and various external
| Influences. With some the complaint |
| continues for number OF years In q mild
form, and without causing any OF the In
furious results above described, while with |
others all the worst effects are produced in /
q short space OF time, and cases appar-
entity most harmless, may, through impru- |
dent exposure, additional cold, or nnfa- /
| Vorable changes OF the weather, suddenly /
evince all the violence and malignity /
which eharacterixes the severest ones.