The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-25
SYMPTOMS OF CATARRH
By DOCTOR FOSTER,
now rRACIICiNG AT THE
PHILLIPS HOUSE, DAYTON.

CATARRn is disease of the mucous men,
Drahe ot the nasal passages and those cavi-
ties OF the head communicating with them.
Insignificant rs 1t appearsi In its first stages.
II Is apt In its progress to become instru-
mental In causing the loss or impairment
OF smell, taste. hearing, and sight and In
creating serious constitutional derange-
+ ments, not unfrequently terminating in
consumption.
AT the commencement Of the maady, the
symptoms are those of an ordinary cold. A
feeling of irritation, scnsitiycness. heat or
pain Is experienced In the nose, the edges
of which 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 it either
difficult or impossible. This condition
Is accompanied by a frequent desire TO
snce2e, and discharge Of at first clear
acrid water, afterwards of proftlse thick,
lyellowish and extremely offensive matter
This secretion becomes purulent and in
creased In quantity as the complaint pro-
crosses, assumes an exceedingly fetid odor
aud forms one of the most characteristic
features Of the disease. and a source of the
greatest annoyance and danger. 1t escapes
not only by the nose, but passes into the
Throat, producing by its lodgment local
irritation, and requires frequent expectora-
tion, hawking, or scraplng for its removal.
AS Us passage into the throat Is very much
| facilitated by horizontal position of the
body, sleep Is frequently disturbed by a
sensation of choking IN consequence, and
many are obliged to lie in spmi-recum-
fbeht position to obtain necessary repose.
Owing to the Inflammation and heat in the
head, the Watcry portion of the discharge
often evaporates. and the rest assuming a
lpOnnitinn pf apli1ifts L. I.,,npst.l -
membrane Of the nose and upper part of
the throat in the shape of crusts or hard
ened Jumps. The accumulation of these in
| Icrustatlons produces feeling of discom-I
/ fort, and narrows the nasal passages so as
to embarrass respiration, therefore, fire.
quent efforts are required to remove them,
either by forcbly blowing the nose or bv
persistent hawking, practice as disagree,
able to the one affected as it is to those
around him. That side of the incrustation
which adhered to the mucous membrane |
Will, after its removal, sometimes be found |
bloody, fact which explains the force re-
quired for its dislodgmcnt During sleep
these incrustations accumulate more ran |
idly, and the feeling is therefore most nm
comfortable in the morning. Sometimes |
all efforts to clear the throat are futile un- |
I'll after breakfast, or after some stimulantI
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.
The breath assuming an excessively fetid
and sickcning odor, and becomes OCCASION
ally so offensive as to render the patient nm
object of disgust to himself rs well as to
others.
The accumulation nft lao
gethe" with the thickened condition of The
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult
and Oitcntimes impossible, necessitating
respiration principally through the mouth
IA method very dcleterious TO the general
health. but more particularly so to the
lungs which become weak and irritable 1
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumes discordant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; the sense of smell becomes mucb
impaired or entirely lost, and the same eff
feet. though less frequent, is produced on
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose .
cracking or bubbling sound is heard i'm +
the ears. and hearing becomes quite thick
or stopped up, but returns suddenly, with
something like swapping sound. This =
phenomenon may be repeated several times II
until hearing does not return, but remains a
permanently Injured. In other eases hear N
ing is lost so gradually that a 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. It
TheeyCsa are aptto become weak, irritable, It
and dispC Sed to water on exposure to cold /
and wind, or after the slightest eXertion.
"A pam, more or less acute, or Il DISTRESSING II
lpplinO nrpgSurp is a nprinnapI r.
eyes, ANA sometimes on the top or back of c
the head and also pain In the face, closely z
resembling neuralgia, for which It is very q
often mis- aiken. The distress in the head II
Neakens he memory and produces irrita-
Dility AMI morOseness of disposition. The
stomach generally suffers more or less, and
becomes weak and irritable; the appetite
5 capricinus and nearly always bad in the
morning. In severe cases the system
becomes feeble and prostrated. This Is d
manifested by disposition TO drowslness tt
md sleep. aversion to either physical or N
mental excrtion, and feeling Of fatigue IL
md weakness. N
Not unflequently catarrh proves fatal. A
lher by facilitating the system and wear #
ng out the patient, or by travelling down u
ward and producing throat affections, =
bronchitis, and, finally, CONSUMPTION. 1t
nay be safely asserted that, after heredita-
Iitulr iOslttoH, tdldfTn Is the most -
requent aad important cause of this fatal
omplainl.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
bly, In different individuals, the degree of a.
heir evelity depending upon constitution =,
! idiosyncrasies and various external in as
licences With some the complaint con- SI
inues for number of years in q mild form. "a
nd without causing any of the injurious
csnlts above described, while with Others 40
II the worst effects are produced In short n,
pace of time, and eases apparently most H.
armless may, through imprudent expo au
nre, additional cold, or unfavorable 80
hangcs of the weather, suddenly exhibit S5
Il the violence and malignity which char
cterize the seYerest ones. ~.
With some persons this disease becomes "a
attacking them regularly at GER ~
ain seasons each year, as In the early part on
( spring when the roses are In bloom, and
ence its name 'rOse catarrh I" or in mid nm
lmmer during haying time, when il Is so,
nown rs "hay -catarrh." Some claim to -