The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-30
Sherwood House.
Evansville, Ind.

Evansville. Ind.
CATARRH is a disease of the mucous
membrane OF the nasal passages and those
cavities of the head communicating with
them. Insignificant as IL appears in it's
first stages, IL is apt IN It's progress to be-
come instrumental in causing the loss OF
impairment OF smell, taste, hearing. and
sight, and in creating serious constitution
al arrangements, not unfrequently ter
minating I'm consumption.
At the commencement of the complaint
the symptoms are those of an ordinary
cold. A feeling Of irritation, sensitive
ness, heat or pa1n is experienced I'm the
nose, the edges OF which are red and swoll-
en-, and when 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 fire.
quent desire TO sneeze, and discharge OF,
at first, clear, acrid water, afterward of n
profuse, thick, yellowish, and extremely
offensive matter. This secretion becomes
puruent and Increased In 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. IL escapes not only by the nose'
but passes into the throat, producing, by
Its Judgment, local irritation, and requires
frequent expectoration, hawking or scrap
ing for It's removal. AS It's 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 TO lie in a semi-recumbent position
TO obtain the necessary repose.
Owing TO the Inflammation and heat in
the head, the watery portion OF the dis
charge often evaporates and the rest, as
Stunning n condition of solidity, Is deposit
ed upon the membrane of the nose and
upper part OF the throat I'm the shape of
crasts or hardened Jumps. The accumula-
tion of these incrustations produces "a feel
Ing OF discomfort, and narrows the nasal
passages so as to embarrass respiration
Therefore, frequent efforts are required TO
remove them. either by forcibly blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking, prac-
tice as disagreeable 10 the one affected as
IL is to those around him. That side of the
incrustation which adhered 20 the mucous
membrane, Will, after It's removal, some
times be found bloody, fact which ex-
plains the force required for Its dislodg-
ment. During sleep, these incrustations
accumulate more rapidly, and the 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 liberation of the mucous membrane
of the nose takes place frequently. some
times attacking the bone, when small par
ticles Of this substance will occasionally
be found mixed with the ,lisehFfge.
The breath assumes an excessively fetid
and siclxening odor, and becomes oeca-
sionally so offensive ny TO render the pa
| tient an object of disgust 10 himself as wen
| as to others.
The ACCUMULATION OF the discharge, to-
! gether with the thickened coiIiitibn OF the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very dlfficult,
and oftentImes impossible, necessitating
respiration principally through the
mouth--a method very deleterious 10 the
general health, but more particularly 10
to the lungs, which become weak and irri-
table. The voice loses its musical quality.
and assumes a discordant, harsh, and nasal
character; the sense OF smell becomes
much impaired or entirely lost, and the
same effect, though leaFfreq gent,eis pro-
duced on taste. Occasionally, whfTe blow
ing the nose, a cracking or bubbling
sound is heard In the ears, and hearing
becomes quite thick or stopped up, but re-
turns suddenly, with something like n
swapping sound. This phenomenon may
be repeated several times, until hearing
does not return, but remains permanently
/ injured. In other cases hearinRiSlost 80
gradually that a considerable legree OF
deafness may exist before the person is
really aware of the fact. Either conditlon
is often accompanied with noises In the
head of every conceivable Description ma
terially increasing the distress OF the suf-
| ferer.lf,o1 - .,f y e7f, ,suffs ~
| The ewes are apt 10 become weak, irrita-
! HE and disposed TO wafer on exposure 10
| cold and wind, or af!ef The slightest exer-
! ton. A pain, more or less acute, or q dls.
ttessine feeIin9-of pFersupe N experienced
! vert he ewes and sometimes "0n The top
I or back OF the head, and, also, pain in
| snr which il is very often mistaken. The
distress in the head weakens the memory
and produces irriiability and moroseness
OF disposition.,,f Ilei stomach generally
4 suffers more or less, ana becomes weak and
irritable; the appetite Is capr.aious, and
| nearly always bad In the morning. In Sc
we're eases the system becomes feeble and
Frustrated. This Is manifested by a dispo-
sitiOn 10 drowsiness and sleep, an aversion
! 10 either physical or mental exertiQn, and
4 n feeling of fatigue and weakness.
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal,
either by facilitating the system and
! wearingout the patient, or by travelling
! downward and producing throat alice
! lions, bronchitis, and finally consumption.
I IL may be safely asserted that, after hered-
I ttary predisposiuon, catarrh IL the most
I frequent and important cause OF this fatal
/ complaint. .,it-'.t ~
/ The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
! ably In different individuals, the degree OF
| their severity depending upon conSuLu-
| tional idiosyncrasies and various external
J Influences. With some the compialnt
| continues for "A number Of years ~ 2 miIu
| form, and without causing any OF the IN
/ furious results above described, Whlle Win
others all the worst effects are produced ia
| a short space of time, and cases apphI-
| entity most harmless may. through lmpIQ-
dent exposure additional cold, or unfa-
| oh ~ lnla a the NRealner. huGQeulY