The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-10


mental in causing the loss OF impairment
of smell, taste, heating, and sight, and in
creating serious constitutional derange- |
ments, not unfrequently terminating In
i
At 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
otwhich are rcd aud swollen. and which is |
stopped mp 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 q frequent desire to
snecze, and a discharge of at first clear,
acrid water, afterwards of proflse thick,
yellOwish and extremely offensive matter.
This secretion becomes purulent and in
creased in Quantity as the complaint pro
gresscs, assumes an exceedingly fetid odOr
and forms one of the most characteristic
features of the disease. aud source of the
greatest annoyance and danger. II escapes
not only by the nose, but passes into the
throat. producing by its lodgment local
irritation, and requires frequent eXpectora-
tion, hawking, or scraping for its removal.
As its passage into the throat is very much
facilitated by a horizontal position of the
body, sleep is frequently disturbed by a
sensation of choking in consequence, and
many are Obliged to lie in semi-recum-
bent position to obtain necessary repose.
Owing to the Inflammation and heat in the
head, the watery portion Of the discharge
often evapOrates, and the rest, assuming q
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 a feeling of discom-
fort, and narrows the nasal passages so "a
to embarrass respiration, therefore, fire.
quent efforts are required TO remove them,
either by forcibly blowing the nose or by
persistent hawking. practice as Disagree
able to the one affected as 1t is to those
around him. That side of the incrustatlon
which adhered to the mucous membrane.
will after its removal, sometimes be found
bloody, fact which explains the force re-
quired for its dislodgment. During sleep
these incrustations accumulate more rap
idly, and the feeling is therefore most un-
comfortable in the morning. Sometimes
all efforts to clear the throat are futile un-
til after breakfast, or after some stlmulant
has been swallowed. liberation of the
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. .~T 5t
The breath assuming an excessively fetid
aud sickening odor, and becomes OCCASION
ally so offensive as to render the patient an
object of disgust to himself rs well rs 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 deletoii0;is to the general
health, bnt more particularly so to the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumes a discordant. harsh. and nasal char
acCer; the sense of smell becomes much
impaired or entirely lost, and the same eff
feet, though less frequent, is produced on
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose,
"A crackling or bubbling sound Is heard IN
the cars and hearing becomes quite thick
df stopped up, but returns suddenly, with
something Ike swapping sound. This
phenomenon may be repeated several times,
until hearing does not return, but remains
permanently injured. Iii 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 suffer er.
Theeyes are apt to become weak, irritable
and disposed 70 water on exposure to cold
and wind, or after the slightest exertion.
A pain, more or less acute, or Il distressing
feeling of pressure Is experienced over the
eyes and sometimes on the top or back of
the head and itlsO pain in the face closely
resembling neuralgia, for which it Is very
III -
weakens the memory and produces irrita-
bility aud 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 severe eases the system
becomes feeble aud prostrated. This is
manifested by disposition 10 drowsiness
and sleep, aversion to either physical or
mental exertion, and feeling OF fatigue
and weakness. = III y
Not uhfrequently catarrh proves fatal,
either by facilitating the system and wear
ing out the patient or by travelling down
ward and 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
o''p'"'''' .sot .' I.toi"a rtt
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider |
ably in different individuals, the degree of
their severity depending upon constitution |
al idiosyncriisies and various external in |
fluehees, With some the complaint eon- |
tinucs for nunsber of Y 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 unfavorable |
changes of the weather. suddenly exhibit |
all the violence and malignity which char
acteriZe the seyerest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes |
periodical, attacking them regularly atcer-
tain seasons each year, rs in the early part |
of spring when the roses are in bloom. and |
hence It's name "Tose eatarrh - or In mid
summer during haying time, when Il is |
known ~ shay-eatarrh." Some claim To |
be able To predict the exact day and even |
hour of the attack They usually consider |
themselves entirely relieved Of the Difficult
" during the intervals; but we have rea-
son To suppose that symptoms of the COM
plalnt are constantly present in some mild |
form or other, which are reused into activ-
ity by the odOr peculiar 10 certain plants
with which the atmosphere Is impregnated
dllrinp the seasons mentiOned. The com-