The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-24
Evansville. Ind.

AAAN1S
#nl Hf.H ailtiat 9lH fHll fatis tR
cATARRH is a disease of tie mucous
membrane OF the nasal passages ana those
cavities of the head communicating with
them. Insignificant as IL appears ia lts
first stages IL il apt ia its progress 10 be-
come instrumental In causing the loss or
impairment Of smell. taste, hearing. and
sight, and in creating serious consl.tution-
al arrangements, NOT unfreqnently ter
minating in consumption. ~
| At the com mencement of the complaint
the symptoms are those OF nm ordinary
cold, A feeling Of irritation. sensitive
ness, heat, or pain is experienced la the
nose, the edges OF which are red and syolI-
en-, and which is stopped up sometimes on
one side, sometimes on the other, and oc-
casionally on both, rendering respiration
through IL either difficult or impossible.
This condition is accompanied by a fire.
quent deaIre 10 sneeze, aud a discharge OF,
at first. clear, acrid water, afterward OF a
profuse, thick, yellqwish, and extremely
offensive matter This. secretion becomes
pprplept and. Increased. 10 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. It escapes not only BY the nose,
but passes into the throat. producing, by
IT'S lodgmept, local irritation, and requires
frequent expectoration, hawking, or scrap
ing for IFS removal. AS its passage into
the throat is very much facilitated by a
horizontal position OF the body. sleep is
frequently disturbed by sensation OF
choking in consequence, and many are
Obliged 10 lie in a seni-recumbent position
to obtain the necessary repose. lini ihf
Owing to the Inflammation and heat ia
the head, the watery portion Of the dis.
charge often evaporates, and the rest, as
Stunning a condition iof solidity, Is deposit-
ed upon observation-disclosures OF the nose aud
upper part os the tgiroat in tho stIaps of
crasts or hardened humps THE accumula-
| ton Of these incruslations producesa feel-
ing of discomfert, and narrows the,hasal
passages so AZ 70 embarrass respiration.
Therefore, frequent efforts are required 20
remove them. eitber by forcibly blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking, prac-
tice as disagreeable. TO the one affected as
10 is 10 those around him, That side OF the
inerustation which adhered to the mucous
nlembrane, will, inter It's removal. some
times be found bloody. fact which ex-
plains the force required for its dislodg-
nlsns. During sleep, these Investigations
accumulate more rapidly, and tile feeling
Is, 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. r. liberation oflthe mucous membrane
of the nose takes place frequently. some
times attacking the bone, when small par
ticleS of this substance will occasionally
be found naked with the discharge. 5f
The breath assumes an excessively fetid
and slckeDing odor and becomes occa-
sionally 50 offensive as TO render the pa
tient an object of disgust to himself as well
as TO Others.
i The accumulation OF the discharge, to-
gether with the thickened condition Of the
mucous meEnbrane. renders respiration
Through the nasal passages very difficult,
and ioftenlinaes impossible, inecessitating
respiration -, principally through % the
mouthl7a method very delhterious 10 the
geuerRl health, but more particularly so
20 the lungs, which become weak and irri-
! table. The voice loses liz musical quality,
and assumes n discordant, harsh, aud 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
/ Ing the nose, cracking or bubbllDg
sound Is heard I'm the ears, and hearing
beeomes quite thick or stopped up, but re-
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 so
| gradually that q considerable degree OF
deafness may exist before the person Is
really aware of the fact. Either condition
il often accompanied with noises In the
head of every conceivable description, ma
terially increasing the distress of the sur
ferer.
The ewes are apt to become weak, irrita-
BILE, aud disposed TO water on teXPosuae 70
| lion A pain more or less acute, or dis
| tressIng 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 u Is very oiten mistaken. The
and produces irrti ability and moroseness
| OF disposition. The stomach generally
suffers more or less, and becomes weak and
irrIfnbIe; the appetite is capricious, and
| nearly always bad in the morning. In Sc
we're cases the system becomes feeble aud
prostfaIed. This Is manifested by a dispo-
sition 10 drowsiness and sleep, an aversion
10 either physical or mental exertion, and
a feeling OF fatigue and weakness.
Not unfreqnently catarrh proves fatal;
either. by facilitating the system and
wearing out the patient, or by travelling
downward and producing throat afiec-
lions, bronchitis. aud finally consumption
II may be safely asserted that, after hered-
itary predisposition, catarrh is the most
frequent and Important cause of this iaiai
complaint. -
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
ably an di fferent indi viduals, the degree OF
Their severity depending upon eoltsy r,,ai
influences. with some the compltint
A. continues for n number OF years q q niiIo
| form, and without causing any Of the IN II
p iuriOiis results above described while WIN
others allthe worst effects are produces IN
| a short space of time, and, cases apPaI-
emily most harmless may, through lhlPs1u-
dent exposure additional cold, or unla-
vorable changes OF the ,weather, suuueni!y
which characterizes the severest ones.