The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-09-15
SYMPTOMS OF CATARRH,
By DOCTOR FOSTER,
rHILLRs house, DAYTON.
NOW rpAcrrcrSu At TIL

| III ls apt IN ltS progress to become instru-
mental in causing the loss or impairment
of smell, taste, hearing, and sight, and In
creating serious constitutional derange-
monts, not unfrequently terminating in
consumption.
AT the commencement of the malady. the
symptoms are those of an ordinary cold. A
feeling of irritation, senstiveness, heat or
pain Is experienced in the nOse, the edges
ofwnich are red and swollen, aud which is
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
snecze, aud discharge of ut first clear
acrld water, afterwards of prOilisc thick,
| yellowish aud 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 Il source of the
| greatest annoyance and danger. IL 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 u
sensation of choking In consequence, and
many are obliged to lie in scmi-recum-
bent position to obtain necessary rcposc.
Owing to the Inflammation and heat in the
head, the watery portion of the discharge
often evaporates, and the rest, assuming n
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 a 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 forelbly blowing the nose or by
persistent hawking, practice as Disagree
able to the one affected as IL Is to those
around him. That side of the incrustaton
which adhered TO the mucous membrane.
will, after its REMOVAL sometimes be found
bloody, fact which explains the force re-
qihred for its dislodgment. During slccp
these incrustatiOns accumulate more rap
idly, and the feeling Is therefore most I'M
comlortable in the morning. Sometimes
all efforts 10 clear the throat are futile I'M
ill 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 rs wen as 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
IN off Ia 4.
respiration principally through the mouth
"a method very delcterious 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 II dscOrdant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; the sense of smell becomes much
impaired or entirely lost, and the same cf-
feet, though less frequent, is produced on
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose,
n cracking or bubbling sound is heard Ia
the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick
or stopped up, but returns suddenly, with
something like n swapping sound. This
phenomenon may be repeated several times,
until hearing does not return, but remains
permanently injured. III 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 ofI
the sufferer.
Thccyesare apttO become weak irritable, |
and disposed to water on exposure to cold |
and wind, or after the slightest cXcrtiOn |
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 ii is very |
often mistaken. The distress in the head |
weakens the memory and produces irrita- |
bility and morosene>s 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 10 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. IL
may be safely asserted that, after bercdita-
ry predisposition, catarrh is the most
frequent and important cause Of this fatal
The symptoms of catarTh vary consider
ably In different individuals, the degree of
their severity depending upon constitution
al ldiosyncrasies and various external in-
iluences. With some the complaint con-
tinues for 4 number of years in mild form,
and without causing any Of the injurious
results above described, while with Others
ali the worst effects arc produced IN a short
space of time, and cases apparently most
may, through mprudent expo
sure, additional cold, or unfayorable
changes OF the weather, suddenly exhibit
all the violence and malignity which char
acterize the severest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes
attacking them regularly ut GER
tain seasons each year, rs i'm the early part
Of spring when the roses are In bloom, and
hence It's name crosse eatarrh - or la mid
summer during haying time, when IL is
known as "hay-cataFrh.' Some claim to
be able to predict the exact day aud even
hour Of the attack. They usually consider
entirely relieved OF the diilicul-
~ during the intervals; but We have re;I-
son to suppose that symptoms of the conf
plant are constantly present in some mild
form or other, which are reused intO actiV- l.
ty by the OdOr peculiar 90 certain plants