The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-11


brane OF the nasal passages and those cavi- |
ties of the head communicating with them.
Insignificant as it appearsin It's first stages, |
1t 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
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 s
stopped up 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 frequent desire to
sneeze, and a discharge of at first clear,
acrid water, afterwards of q profuse thick,
yellowish aud extremely offensive matter
This secretion becomes purulent and In
creased in qhantity as the complaint pro-
crosses, assumes an exceedingly fetid odOr
and forms one of the most characteristic
features of the disease, and 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 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 al
sensation of choking la 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 feeling of discon-
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, practice as disagree
able to the one affected as 1t 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 dislodgment. During sleep
these inerustations accumulate more rap
idly, and the feeling is therefore most un-
leomfortable 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
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, necesstatlng
respiration principally through the mouth
"a method very deleterious to the general
health, but 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
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,
cracking or bubbling sound Is heard in
the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick
or stopped up, but returns 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 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
| i'm the head of every conceivable descrip-
tion, materially increasing the distress OF
the suffer or.
Theeyes 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-
lbility 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 OI
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. II
may be safely asserted that, after heredta-
nv predisposition, catarrh is tho most
frequent and important cause of this fatal
complaint.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
ably In different individuals, the degree OF
their severity depending upon constitutions
al idlosyncrasies and various external III
fuences. 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 short
! space of time, and cases apparently mOst
harmless may, through imprndent expo
sure, additional cold, or untavorablC
changes of the weather, suddenly exhibit
all the violence and malignity which char
acterize the severest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes
periodical, attacking them regularly at Ger.
tain seasons each year, rs In the early par
of spring when the roses are In bloom, anC
hence It's name "rOse catarrh y or in mid
summer during haying time, when Il Il
known as "hay-catarTh." Some claim Il
be able 10 predict the exact day and even
hour of the attack. Phey usually conside
themselves entirely relieved of the difllcul
ty during the intervals but we have rea
son 10 suppose that symptoms Of the com