The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-23

/ them. lDsignificanL ns 10 appears In ite
first stages, 10 Is apt In it's progress 20 be-
come instrumental In causing the loss or
impairment OF smell, taste, hearing, and
sight, and In creating serious consultations
al arrangements, not unnequentIy ter
minating In consumption.
Az the commencement OF the complaint
the symptoms are those OF an ordinary
cold. A feeling OF irritation, sensitive
ness, heat, or pain IN experienced In the
nose, the edges of which AFRO red and swoll-
| en-, and which Il. stripped up sometimes on
one side. sometimes on the other, and oc-
easionaliy on both, rendering respiration
through 10 either difficult or impossible
This condition Is accompanied by fire.
qnent desire TO sneeze, and a discharge of,
&C f1rst. clear, aerid water, afterward OF n
profnse,, thiek, yblowish, and extremely
offensive matter. This secretion becomes
puruient and increased In quantity ~ the
complaint progresses, assumes an exceed
ingly fetid odor, ana forms one OF the most
characteristic features OF the disease, and
q source OF the greatest annoyance and
danger. IL escapes not only by the nose,
but passes into the. throat, producing, by
It's lodgHicnt, fochi Irritation, ana requires
frequent expectoration, hawking, or scrap
ing for It's removal. AZ It's passage into
tile throat Is very much facilitated by n
horizontal position OF the body, sleep IN
frequently disturbed by sensation OF
choking In consequence, aud many are
Obliged 10 lie IN IA semi-recumbent position
20 obtain,tha necessary repose.f "a hr
Owing To the Inflammation and heat In
the head, the watery portion Of the DIS
charge often evaporntes, and the rest, as-
snming q condition OF soiidity, Is deposit
Cd upon this membrane OF the nose and
upper part Of the throat Ia the shape OF
crusts or hardehed humps The accumula-
tion OF these incrustations produces "A feel
lug OF discomfort, aiid nhrrows the nasal
passages 80 Ms to einbnrrass respiration
Therefore, frequent eforts are required TO
remove them. either by forclbly blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking. pfao-
tice as disagreeabc TO the one affected ~
10 Is 70 those around MIN 8 That side ofthe
incrustation which adhered 10 the mucous
membrane, Will, after ~ removal, nOmc-
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
IL, therefore,. most Uncomfortable In the
the throat are futile until after breakfast,
or after some stimulant has been swallow
ed. liberation Of the mucous ncrnbrane
of the nose takes place frequently. some
times attacking the bone, when small par
ticlcs OF this substance Will occasionally
be found fnixed. with tho discharge tTiHD0
airbe breath assumes an excessively fotld
and sielkaning odor, and bedonnes. occa.i
4ionally so offensive AZ TO render the pa
tient ap object ofdisgust 70 himself ~ we'll
as 10 others.
The accumulation OF the discharge, to-
gether with the thicSened condition OF the
mucous membrape,> renders respiration
through the nasal PASSAGES very difficult,
and ofteutimes impossible, naeessitating
respiration principally through the
mouth--a method very .deieterious to the
general health, but morc particularly 10
TO the lungs, which become weak and irri-
table The voice loses IT'S musfc,tl quality.
and assumes discordant, harsh, and nasal
character; the sense OF smell BECOMES
much impaired or entirely lost, and the
same effect, though less frequent Isl pro-
duced on taste. Occasionally, while blow
Ing the nose, cracking or bnbbling
sound IL heard in the ears, and hearing
becomes quite thick or stopped UP, but re.
turns suddenly, with something like
swapping sound. This phenomenon.m may
be repeated several times, until hearing
docs not return, but remains permanently
injured IN other cases hearing IL lost 80
gradually that a considerable degree of
deafness may exist before the person "A
really aware OF the fact. Either condition
is often accompanied with nolses iii the
head OF every concei vable description, ma
terially increasing the distress OF the sur
ferer.
The eyes are apt TO become weak. irrlta-
bic, and disposed 10 water on exposure 60
cold and WIND, orator the slightest exer-
ton. pam, more or less acute, or d dis
tressinR 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 tt is very often mistaken. The |
distress In the head weakens the memory |
and produces irrilability and moroseness
OF disposition. The stomach generally
suffers more or less, and becomes weak and
irfllnDlei the appetite Is caprictOus, ana |
nearly always bad In the morning. In sc;
prostrated. This is manifested by dispo-
sition 10 drowsiness and sleep, an aversion
TO either physical or mental exertion, ana
a feeling of fatigue and weakness.
NOT unfrequently catarrh proves ptthl;
either by facilitating the system anu
wearing cut the patient, or by travelling
tpon ir hnd proSd9g 1aiEv cons9mption
10 may be safely asserted that, AFTER hered-
ltary predisposition, cntnrrh ~ the most
frequent and important cause OF thls iatal
complaint.
The symptoms OF catarrh vary consider
ably I'm al fferent individuals, the degree OF
their. severity depending upon consttu-
tionAl idiosyncrasies aud various external
Influences With SOME the complaint
continues for number OF years In mild
form and without causing any Of the in-
furious results above described, while with
others all the worst effects are produced In
a short space OF time, and, cases appar-
entity most harmless, may, through impru-
Dent exposure, additional cold, or unfl-
yorable changes OF the weather, suddenly
evince all the violence and Inalignity
which characterizes the severest ones.