The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-27

L
| CATARRH is disease of the mucous
membrane of the nasal passages and those
cavities Of the head communicating with
them. insignificant as IL appears ia its
firEt stages, IL is apt In It's progress to be-
| come instrumental in causing the loss or
impairment OF smell, taste, hearing, and
sight, and In creating serious constitution
al arrangements. not unfgeqaently ter
minating in consumption.
| At the commencement of the complaint
| the symptoms are those of An ordinary
cold, feeling of irritation. sensitive
ness, heat, or pain is experienced In the
nose, the edges OF which are red and swolI-
en-, and which is stopped up sometimes on
one side, sometimes on the other, and oc-
casionally on both, rendering respiration
| through IL either difticult or impossible
This condition is accompanied by a fire.
| quent desire 20 sneeze, and q discharge of,
at first. clear, acrid water, afterward of a
| profuse, thick, yellowish, and extremely
offensive matter. This secretion becomes
| purulent 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
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 its removal. AS its passage into
the throat il very much facilitated by a
horizontal position of the body, sleep is
| frequently disturbed by "a sensation of
choking In consequence, and many are
| Obliged TO lie in 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 condition OF sOlidity, is deposit
ed upon the membrane of the nose aud
upper part of the throat in the shape of
| crusts or hardened Jumps. The accumuia-
ton OF these incfustationg produces feel
ing OF discomfort, and narrows the nasal
passages so as 10 embarrass respiration
Therefore, frequent efforts are required TO
remove them. either by forcibly blowing
the nose or by persistent hawking, prac-
tice as disagreeabie 10 the one affected as
IL IN 20 those around him. That side OF the
incrustation which adhered TO the mucous
membrane, will, after it's removal, some-
times be found bloody. a 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 stimnlant 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 discharge.
The breath assumes an excessively fetid
and sickening odor, and becomes occa-
sionaliy SO offensive as to render the pa
tient an object OF disgust TO himself as well I
an to others. b
The accumulation of the discharge to-
getheF with the thicxened condition OF the
mucous membrane, renders respiration
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and oftentimes impossible, necessitatfng
respiration principally through the
mouth-a method very deIeterious to the
general health, but more particularly so
to the lungs, which become weak and irri-
table. The voice loses its musical quality.
and assumes q discordant, harsh, and nasal
character; the sense of smell becomes
much impaired or entirely lost, and the
same effect, though less frequent, Is pro-
dnced on taste. OCCASIONALLY, while 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 a
swapping sound. This phenomenon may
be repeated several times, until hearing
does not return, but remains permanently
injured. In other cases hearing IL 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 description, ma
terially increasing the distress of the suf-
ferer.
BILE, and disposed TO water on exposure TO
cold and wind, or after the slightest exer-
ton. A pain, more or less acute, or a dis
over the eyes, and sometimes ON the TOP |
or back of the head, and, also, pain in |
the face, closely resembling neural gia,
for which IL is very often mistaken. The |
distress in the head wealSens the memory |
and produces irriability and moroseness |
OF disposition. The stomach generally |
suffers more or less, and becomes weak and |
irritable; the appetite is caprieious, and |
nearly always bad in the morning. In Sc,
we're cases the system becomes feeble and |
Frustrated. This is manifested by a dispo- |
sltion TO drowsiness and sleep, an aversion |
10 ellher physical or mental exertton, and /
Va AdilSuG anu WchAuesS.
MOI unfrequently catarrh proves fatal;
either by facilitating the system ana
wearing out the patient, or by travelling
downward and producing throat anec-
lions, bronchitis, and finally consumption
IL may be safely asserted that, after hered- \
ltary predisposition, catarrh Is the most
frequent and Important cause OF this iatal
complaint.
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider
| ably In different individuals, the degree of |
| their severity depending upon constltu- |
| tional idlosyncrasies and various external |
| Influences With some the complaint |
j continues for number OF years In a mild
| form, and without causing any OF the tn-
| furious results above described, While with
| others all the worst effects are produced In
| q short space of time, and, cases appar-
| entity most harmless, may, through impru-
| dent exposure, additional cold, or unfa-
| vorable changes OF the weather, suddenly
| evince all the violence and malignity
which characterizes the severest ones.