The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-20
SYMPTOMS OF CATARRH.
aY DOCTOR FOSTER,
NOW rRAclICING Ar rHE
PHILLIPS HOUSE, DAYTON.


PHILLIPS HOUSE, DAYTON.
.J4II 4lrt'----- i.ttI
CATARRu Is disease of the mucous mcm-
brane oi The nasal passages and those cavi-
ties of the head communicating with them.
Insignificant rs it appearsin its first stages,
Il Is apt IN It's progress TO become instru-
mental In causing the loss. or impairment
of SMELL taste, llearing, and sight, and In
creating serions constitutional derangc-
ments' not unfrequently terminating In
consumption.
AT the commencement of the malady, the
symptoms are those of an ordinary cold. A
feeling of irritation. sensitiveness, heat or
pain Us experienced In the nose, the edges
oiwhich are rcd and swollen. and which Is
stopped up sometimes on one side. SOME
times on the other, and occasionally on
both, rendering respiration through iteithcr
difficult or impossible. This condition
Is accompanied by a frequent desire to
sneeZe, and discharge Of at first clear,
acrid water afterwards OF u protuse thick.
yellowlsh aud extremely offensive matter.
This secretion becomes purulcnt aud in
creased IN quantity as the complaint pro-
gressee, assumes an exceedingly fetid odor
aud forms one Of the most characteristic
greatest annoyanCe and dagger. II escapes
not only by the nose. but passes into the
throat producing by It's lodgment local
irritation, aud requires frequent eXpectora-
ton, hawking, or stiWping for its removal.
As It's passage into the throHt is very much
facilitated by a horizontal position of the
body, sleep ls frequently disturbed by u
sensation of choking IN consequence, and
many are Obliged To- lie In semi-recum-
bent position to obtain necessary reposc,
Owing 10 the Inflammation aud heat In the
head, the Watcry portion of the discharge
Oilcn evaporntes, and tho rest. assuming u
condition Of solidity, Is deposited upon The
membrane of the nose AMI upper part OF
the throat IN the shnpc of crusts or hard
enod humps. Tie accumulation Of these iu-
crustatiois produces n feeling of discom-
fort, and narrows the nasal passages so ag
TO embarrnss respiration, therefore. fire.
quent efforts are required TO remove tlem
either by forcibly blowing the nose or By
persistent hawking, II practice rs disagreO-
able to the one affected ms Il Is 10 those
around him. That side of the ncrustation
which adhered to the mucous membrane.
Will, after It's removal, sometimes be found
bloody, fact which explains the force re-
quircd for its dislodgment. During sleep
these incrustatious accumulate more rap
idly, aud the feeling Is therefore most un-
comfortable In the mornng Sometimes
all efforts tuN'lCar the throat are futile un-
til after breakfast, or after somc stimulant
has been swallowed. liberation of the
mucous membrane of the nose takes place
frequently, sometimes attacking the bone,
when small i,2rticles of this substance will
occasionally DC found mixed with the dis
charge.
The breath assuming an excessively fetid
aud sckcning odor, and becomes OCCASION
ally so offensive rs to render the patient an
object of disgust to himself rs we'll rs to
others.
The accumulation of the discharge to
gcthcr with the thickened condition of the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and oftcntimes impossible, ncccssitatug
respiration principally through the mouth
IA method very deleterous 10 the general
health, hut more particularly so TO the
lungs Which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and AS
sumes n tliscorlant, 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.
n cracking or bubbling sound II heard In
the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick
or stopped up, but returns suddenly, with
something like II snapping sound. This
phenomenon may be repeated several timcS
until hearing does not return, but remains
permanently injured. In other cases hear
Ing Is lost 80 gradually that "a considerable
degree OF deafness may exist before the
person IL really aware of the fact Either
condition is often accompanied with noises
Ia the head of every conceivable descTip-
tlon, materially increasing the distress of
the sufferer
Theeycs are apt become weak, irritable,
and disposed to water on exposure TO cold
and wind, or after the slighteEi eNertion
A pain, more or less acute, or u distressing
feeling of pressure Is experienced over the
eyes, and ,ometimes ON the top or back ofI
the head and also pain in the face. closely
resembling neuralgia, for which II T. very |
often mistaken. The distress In the head
weahcns the memory and produces irrita-
bility and morosencss of disposition, The
stomach generally suffers more or less, and
becomes weak and irritable; the appetite
is capricious and nearly always bad In the
In severe cases the systeml
beoomes feeble and prostrated. This isl
by disposition to drowsiness
and sleep aversion to either physical orl
mental eNertion. and feeling of fatigue
and weakness.
Not unfrsqucntly catarrh proves fatal,
either by debilitating the system and wear
ing out the patient, or by travelling down
ward and producing throat affections. |
and, finally, CONSUMPTION. ltI
may be safely asserted that. after hcredita-
ry predispdsition, catarrli Is the most
frequent and important cause of this fatal
The symptoms OF catarrli vary consider |
ably Ia different individuals the degree oil
,heir severity depending upon constitutions |
Al idiosyncrasies and various external in |
lucnccs. With some the complaint con- |
.inues for uumbcrof years in mild form. |
and without causing any Of the Injurious |
results above described, while with Others |
all the wors effects are produced In a short |
,pacc Of time, and cases apparently most
mny, through mprudcnt expo
sure, additional colh, or unfivorable
'hanges of ile weather suddenly exhibit
NJ the violence and mallgnity witch char
lcteriZe the seyerest ones.
with some persons this disease becomes