The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-31
FOR A FEW DAYS
AT THE f
Sherwood House,
Evansville, Ind.

Evansville, Ind.
cATARItH Is disease Of the mucous
membrane Of the nasal passages ana Those
cavities OF the head communicating wiz
them. insignificant as it appears In f.
first stages, II is apt ia It's progress 10 be-
come Instrumental In causing the toss
Impairment OF smell, taste, hearing, an.
sight, and ia creating serious constitutions
al arrangements not unffequently ter
minating la consumption.
AZ the COMMENCEMENT the complaint
the symptoms are those of an ordinary
cold. A feeling OF irritation. sensitive
mess, heat, or pain n experienced In the
nose, the edges OF which are red and ewoii-
en-, and which II stopped up sometimes on
one side, sometimes on the other, and oc-
eaAionally on both, rendering respiration
through IL either dificult or impossible.
This condition IL accompanied by "A FREE
auenf desire 20 sneeze, and "a discharge Of,
at firet. clear. acrid water, afterward of a
profnse, thick. yeliowish, and extremely
offensive matter. This secretion becomes
puruient and increased ia quantity AS the
complaint progresses, ASSUMES an exceed
ipgly fetid odor, md 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 noRe'
but passes into the throat, producing, by
its Judgment, local irritation, ana requires
frequent expeatoration, hawking, or scrap
ing for Its removal. As its passage into
the throat Ii very much facilitated by a
horizontal position ~ the body, sleep ~
frequently disturbed by a sensation OF
choking In consequences. and many are
obliged 20 lie In a sefni-reGumbent position
to obtain the necessary repose.
Owing 10 the Inflammation ana heat in
the head, the watery portion OF the dis-
charge often evhporates, and the rest, nsT
suming condition OF solidity, Is deposit
ed upon the membrane OF the nose aud
upper part OF the throat In the shape Of
crusts or hardened Jumps The aecumula-
ton OF these incrustations produces feel
ing Of discomfort, and narrows the nasal
passages no AS 10 embarraaa respiration
Therefore, frequent efforts are required TO
remove them. either by forcibiy blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking. prac-
tice as disagreeable 10 the one affected as
| 10 IN 70 those around him. That side OF the
incrustation which adhered 20 the mucous
membrane, will, after It's removal. some-
times be found bloody, fact which exs
plains the force required for It's dlaIodg-
ment. During sleep, these ihcrustations
accumulate more rapidly, and the feeling
IN, therefore, most uncomfortable In the
morning. Sometimes all efforts 90 clear
the throat are futile until after breakfast,
or after some atimnlant has been swallow
ed. liberation OF the mucous membrane
OF the nose takes place frequently. some
times attacking the bone, when small par
ticiea OF this substance will occasionally
be found mixed with the discharge.
| The breath assumes an excessively fetid
and sickening odor, and becomes occa-
aionally so offensive az TO render the pa
tient an object Of disgust TO himself as well
as 10 others. N
The accumulation OF the discharge, to-
gether with the thielxened condition OF the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and OF, entimes impossible, necessitating
respiration principally through the
mouth-=n method very deleterious TO the
general health, but more particularly so
70 the lungs, which become weak and irTi-
table. The voice loses It's musical quality.
| and assumes discordant harsh, and nasal
character; the sense of smell becomes
much impaired or entirely lost, and the
same effect, though less frequent, ~ pro-
duced on taste. Occasionally, while blow
| ing the nose, q cracking or bubhling
sound IN heard In the ears, and hearing
becomes quite thick or stopped up, but re-
turns anddenly, 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 IN lost so
gradually that q 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 description, MAJ
torially increasing the distress of the suf-
ferer 3Er HiHl HHf q
The eyes are APT TO become weak, irrith-
| BILE and disposed 10 water on exposure TO
| cold and wind, or after the slightest exer-
| ton. A pain, more or less acute, or dis
tressing feeling OF pressure IL experienced
or back OF the head, and, also, pain In
| the face, closely resembling neuralgia,
| for which IL Is very often mistaken. me
distress In the head wealSens the memory
! of disposition, The stomach generally
| suffers more or less, and becomes weak anu
| irritable; the appetite IN capricious, ana
nearly always bad In the morning. In SO.
| we're cases the system becomes feeble hnd
prostrated. This is manifested by dlspo-
! sition TO drowsiness and sleep, an aversion
| 10 either physical or mental exertion, and
n feeling of fatigue and weakness.
Not anfrequently cntarrh proves fatal,
either by facilitating the system anu
wearing out the patient, or by travelling
downward and producing throat hHec-
tons, bronchitis, and finally consumption
10 may be safely asserted that, after hered-
itary predisposition, cntarrh ~ the most
frequent and important cause OF TINS iatni
complaint.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
ably In different individuals, the degree OF
thelr severity depending upon consttu,
tional idiosyncrasies and various external
Influences. With some the complaint
continues for u number of years In mild
form, and without causiMg any OF the tn-
furious results above dea6Gibed, while with
Others all the worst effects are produced In
short space of time, and, cases appar-
entity most harmless, may, through impru-
dent exposure, additional cold, or unfa-
J vorable changes of the weather, suddenly
evince all the violence and malignity
which characterizeB the severcst ones.