The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-23
OF GATARRH.
By DOCTOR FOSTER,
NOW PRAcrIcisa At THE
PHILLIPS HOUSE. DAYTON.

CATARRH is a disease of the mucous mem-
brane OF the nasal passages aud those cavi-
ties Of the head communicating with them.
Insignificant as II appearsin In Its first stages,
II Is apt in its progress to become instru-
mental in causing the loss or impairment
of smell, taste, hearing, and sight, and tn
creating serious constitutional derange-
ments, not unfrcquently 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 aud swollen. and which Is
stopped up sometimes on one side, some
times on the other, and occasionally on
both, rendering respiration through II either
difficult or impossible. This condition
is accompanied by a frequent desire to
sneeze, and a discharge of at first clear,
acrid water, afterwards OF a profuse thick,
yellowlsh 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 q source of the
greatest annoyance and danger. IL escapes
throat, producing by its lOdgment local
irritation, and requires frequent eXpectora-
tiOn, hawking, or scraping for Its removal.
AS its passage into the throat il very much
facilitated by u horizontal position of the
body, sleep is frequently disturbed by u
sensation of choking In consequence, and
many are obliged to lie in semi-recum-
bent position to obtain necessary repose.
nyVino to tho In nnu,a a tion aud haat In ~, q
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 la the shape of crusts or hard
ened humps. 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 forcibly blowing the nose or by
persistent hawking, n 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, a fact which explains the force re-
quired for its dislodgment. During sleep
these iiicrustations accumulate more rap
idly, and the feeling is therefore most un-
comfortable in the morning. Sometimes
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 oftcntimes impossible, necessitating
respiration principally through the mouth
"a method very deleterious to the general
health, but more particularly 20 TO the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
sumes II discOrdant, harsh, and nasal char
acter; the sense of smell becomes much
impaired or entirely lost, and the same ef-
feet, though less frequent, Is produced on
taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose,
Il cracking or bubbllng sound Is heard In
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. In other cases hear
ing is lost so gradually that 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 deserip-
ton, materially increasing the distress of
the sufferer.
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 a 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
neuralgia, for which IL L. very
often mistaken. The distress In the head
weakens The memory and produces irrita-
bility and moroseness of disposition. The
generally suffers more or less, and
becomes weak and irritable; the appetite
Is caprlciOus and nearly always bad In the
In severe cases the system
becomes feeble and prostrated. This is
by disposition TO drowsiness
ind sleep, aversion 10 either physical or
mental eNertiOn, and feeling of fatigue
md weakness.
NOT unirequently catArrh proves fatal,
Either by debilitating the system and wear
ng out the patient, or by travelling down
ward and producing throat affections.
bronchitis, and, finally, CONSUMPTION. ItI
may be safely asserted that, after heredita-
" predispOsition, catarrh Is the most
frequent aad important cause OF this fatal
The symptoms OF eatarrh vary consider
lbly in different individuals, the degree of
heir severity depending upon constitution
II idiosyncrasies and various external In
iuences. With some the complaint con-
.inues for number of years in mild form, |
md without causing any of the injurious
'esnlts above described, while with others
Ill the worst effects are produced In short |
pace of time, and cases apparently most
MAY. through mTrudent expo
ure additional cold, or unfavOrablel |
'hanges OF the weather, suddenly exhibit
III the violence and malignity which char
.cteri1e the seYerest ones.
With some persons this disease becomes
attacking them regularly at GER
ain seasons each year, as In the early part
II spring when the roses are In Bloom, and
renee its name ''rose catarrh :" or In mid
during haying time, when II Is
Known as "hay -catarrh." Some claim 20
20 able 10 predict the exact day and even
lour Of the attack. They usually consider
/. ~ -. - II