The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-25
OF CATARRH.
By DOCTOR FOSTER,
NOW PRACTIcING AT THE
PHILLIPS HOUSE, DAYTON.

CATARRn is disease of the mucous mem
brane OF the nasal passages and those eavi
Ties OF the head communicating with them
Insignificant as it appears In 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
consumption.
AT the commencement of the malady, the
| symptoms are those of an ordinary cold. A
| feeling of irritation, scnsitiveness, heat OF
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
sneeze, aud discharge of, at first clear,
acrid water, afterwards of profuse thick,
| yellowish and extremely offensive matter.
This secretion becomes purulent and in
creased in Quantity as the complaint pro-
gresses, assumes an exceedingly fetid odor
and forms one of the most characteristic
features OF the disease, and source of the
| greatest annoyance and danger. II escapes
not only by the nose, but passes into the
throat, producing by its lodgment local
irrltatton and requires frequent expectora-
ton, 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 a
sensation of choking in consequence, and
many are obliged to lie In semi-recupl-
bent position to obtain necessary repose.
Owing to the Inflammation and heat in the
head, the watery portion of the discharge
often eyapOrates, 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 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, 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, a fact which explains the force re-
9uired 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 patlcnt 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, necessitatng
respiration principally through the mouth
Ia method very deetcrious to the general
health, but more particularly so to the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumcs a discordant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; the sense of smell becomes much
impaired or entirely lost, and the same eff |
rect though less frequent, Is produced on |
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose, |
q cracking or bubbling sound is heard in |
the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick |
or stopped up, but returns suddenly, with |
like a swapping sound. This
may be repeated several times |
until hearing does not return, but remains |
permanently injured. In other cases hear
Ing is lost so gradually that considerable
legree 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-
Iion materially increasing the distress of
-he sufferer.
Theeyes are aptt become weak irritable.
md disposed to water on exposure to cold /
md wind, or after the slightest eXertion
\ pain, more or less acute, or q distressing
ceiling of pressure is experienced over the
yes, and sometimes on the top or back of
he head and also pain in the face, closely (
esembling neuralgia, for which il Is very
'ften mistaken. The distress in the head
yeakens the memory and produces irrita-
'ility and moroseness of disposition. The (
tomach generally suffers more or less, and {
ecomes weak and irritable; the appetite {
) caprieious aud nearly always bad in the
In severe cases the system .
ecomes feeble and prostrated. This is
by disposition to drowsiness
nd sleep, aversion TO either physical or :
rental exertion, and a feeling Of fatigue
nd weakness fE.. 4
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal,
lther by debilitating the system and wear
lg out the patient or by travelling DOWN u
ard and producing throat affections. y
ronchitis, and, finally, CoNsUMPrIoN. IL
lay be safely asserted that, after heredita- a
Y preiispOsition, catarrh Is the most ,
'equent and important cause of this fatal =
omplaint.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider u
bly, in different individuals, the degree ofl
leir severity depending constitution a
idiosyncrasies and various external in u
uences. With some the complaint con- u
nues for number of years in mild form,
nd without causing any of the injurious ,
asults above described, while with others ?
II the worst effects are produced In a short G
pace Of time, and cases apparently most =,
armless may, through imprudent expo =
are, additional cold, or unfaYorable II
langes of the weather, suddenly exhibit
] the violence and malignity which char y
,terize the severest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes a
attacking them regularly at GER
in seasons each year, as In the early part U
spring when the roses are in bloom, and el