The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-26


creating serious constitutional derange-
ments, not unfrequcntly 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 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 teither
difficult or impossible. This condition
Is accompanied by q frequent desire to
sneeze, and discharge of at first clear,
acrid water, afterwards of a profuse thick,
yellowish and extremely offensive matter.
This secretion becomes purulent and in
creased in Quantity as the complaint pro-
crosses, assumes an exceedingly fetid odOr
and forms one of the most characteristic
features of the disease, and u source Of the
greatest annoyance and danger. It escapes
not only by the nose, but passes into the
throat, producing by its lodgment local
Irritation, and requires frequent cXpectora-
tion, hawking, or scraping for its removal.
As its passage into the throat is very much
facilitated by horizontal position of the
body, sleep is frequently disturbed by
sensation of choking in consequence, and
many are obliged to lie in a 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 a
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 q feeling of discom-
fort, and narrows the nasal passages so as
to embarrass respiration, therefore, fire.
quent efforts are required to remove them,
either by forcibly blowing the nose or by
persistent hawking, a practice as disagree
able tU the one affected as IL is to those
around him. That side of the incrustation
which adhered to the mucous membrane.
will, after its removal, sometimes be found
bloody, a 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 stimulant
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 sickening odor, and becomes OCCASION
ally so offensive as to render the patient an
object of disgust to himself as well as 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
~. Il
health, but more particularly so to the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumes discordant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; 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,
u cracking or bubbling sound is heard in
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,
until hearing does not return, but remains
permanently injured. In other cases hear
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
tion, materially increasing the distress of
the sufferer.
The eyes are aptto become weak, irritable,
and disposed to water on exposure to cold
and wind, or after the slightest eXertion.
A pain, more or less acute, or distressing
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 it is very
often mistaken. The distress in the head
weakens the memory and produces irrita-
bility and 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 cases the system
becomes feeble and prostrated. This is
manifested by disposition to drowsiness
and sleep, aversion to either physical or
mental exertion, and feeling of fatigue
and weakness.
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal,
either by debilitating 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
complaint.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
ably IN Inherent INDIVIDUALS, the degree OF
their severity depending upon constitution
al idiosyncrasies and various external in
fIuences. With some the complaint con-
tinues for a number of 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 mallgnity which char
acterize the severest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes
periodical, attacking them regularly at GER
tain seasons each year, as in the early part
of spring when the roses are in bloom, and
hence its name "rose catarrh y or in mid
summer during haying time, when il Is
known as "hay-catarTh." 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
ty during the intervals; but we have rea-
son 10 suppose that symptoms of the COM
plant are constantly present in some mild
form or other, which are reused into aetiv-
ity by the odor peculiar TO certain plants
with which the atmosphere Is impregnated