The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-24
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9Y DOCTOR FOSTER. \
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PHILLIPS HOUSE, DAYTON.
BY DOCTOR FOSTER \

CATARRH is a disease Of the mucous MEM
| brane OF the nasal passages and those cavi-
ties of the head communicating with them.
Insignificant as it appears in its first stages,
IL Is apt In Its progress TO become instru-
mental in causing the loss or impairment
of Smell, taste, hearing, aud sight, and In
creating serious constitutional derange-
ments, not unfrequently terminating in
consumption.
AZ the commencement Of the malady, the
symptoms are those Of an ordinary cold. A
feeling Of Irritation, sensitiveness, heat or
pain Is experienced In the nose, the edges
ofwhich are red and swollen, and which is
stopped up sometimes on one side, some
times ON the other, and occasionally on
both, rendering respiration through Il either
difficult or impossible. This condition
Is accompanied by a frequent desire to
sneezo, and discharge of, at first clear
acrid water, afterwards Of profuse thick,
yeliowish and extremely offensive matter.
This secretion becomes purulent and in
creased in Quantity as the complaint pro-
crosses, assumes an exceedingly fetid OdOr
and forms one of the most characteristic
features of the disease, and a source of the
greatest annoyance and danger. II escapes
not only by the nose, but passes into the
throat, producing by its lodgInent local
irritation, and requires frequent expectora-
tlon, hawking, or scraping for its removal
AS Its passage into the throat Is very much
facilitated by o horizontal position Of the
body, sleep Is frequently disturbed by q
sensation Of choking In consequence, and
many are obliged TO lie In a semi-reeum-
bent position to obtain necessary reposes
Owing to the Inflammation and heat in the
mead, the watery portion Of the discharge
often evaporates, and the rest, assuming a
condition of solidity, is deposited upon the
membrane OF the nose and upper part Of
the throat In the shape of crusts or hard
ened Jumps. The accumulation of these in
crustations produces q feeling of dlscom-
fort, and narr0ws the nasal passages 80 aR
to embarrass respiration, therefore, fire.
quent efforts are required to remove them,
either by forcibly blowing the nose or by
persistent hawking, q practice a. Disagree
able to the one affected as 1t Is to those
around hlm. That side of the incrustation
which adhered to the mucous membrane,
will, after Its removal, sometimes be found
bloody, a fact which explains the force re-
quired for Its dislodgment. During sleep
these incrustations accumulate more rap
idly, and the feeling Is therefore most tln-
comfortable In the morning. Sometimes
all efforts to clear the throat are futile un-
til after breakfast, or after some stimtlant
mucous membrane of the nose takes place
frequently, sometimes attacking the bone,
when small particles of this substance will
occasionally be found mixed with the dis
charge.
The breath assuming an excessively fetld
and sickening odor and becomes OCCASION
ally so offensive as to render the patient an
object of disgust to himself IS well a. TO
others,
The accumulation of the discharge, to-
gether with the thickened condition Of the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and oftentimes impossible, necessitating
respiration principally through the mouth
---a method very deletcrious to the general
health, but more particularly SO to the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumes discordant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; the sense Of smell becomes much
impaired or entirely lost and the same ef-
feet, though less frequent, Is produced on
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose,
cracking or bubhling sound Is heard In
the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick
or stopped up, but returns 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 hear
ing Is lost so gradually that considerable
degree of deafness may exist before the
person is really aware Of the fact. Either
condition Is often accompanied with noises
In the head of every conceivable descrip-
ton, materially increasing the distress Of
the sufferer.
. Theeyesare apt TO become weak, irritable,
and disposed to water on exposure to cold
and wind, or after the slightest exertion.
A pain, more or less acute, or distressing
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 1t Is very |
often mistaken. The distress in the head |
weakens the memory and produces lrrita- |
bility and moroseness of disposition. The |
generally suffers more or less, and |
becomes weak and irritable; the appetite |
is caprlcious and nearly always bad in the |
morning. In severe cases the system |
becomes feeble and prostrated. This Is |
by disposition TO drowsiness |
and sleep, aversion TO either physical or |
mental exertion, and feeling Of fatigue |
and weakness.
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal, |
either by debilitating the system and wear |
ing out the patient, or by travelling DOWN
ward ana producing throat affections |
bronchitis, and, finally, CONSUMPTION. 1t
may be safely asserted that, after heredita-
ry predisposition, catarrh is the most |
frequent and important cause of this fatal |
I.t..s sHf.t
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
ably In different individuals, the degree Of
their severity depending upon constitution
al idiosyncrasies and various external in |
huences. With some the complaint con-
tinues for number Of years In mild form, |
and without causing any Of the injurious |
results above described, while with others |
all the worst effects are produced In a short
space of time, and cases apparently most /
harmless may, through imprudent expo
sure, additional cold, or unfaVofable |
changes Of the weather, suddenly exhibit 1
al the violence and malignity which char
acteFize the seYerest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes
periodical, attacking them regularly at GER
tain seasons each year, as In the early part /