The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-10-26
SYMPTOMS OF CATARRH.
BY DOCTOR FOSTER,
Now rnAcrIcINa Ar rnN
rmLLIrs HOUSE. pAYroN.

CArARRH Is a disease of the mucous mem
brane OF the nasll passages and those cavi-
ties of tic head communicating with them.
Insignificant as il appears in It's first stages.
| u rs apt IN its progress To become instru-
mental In causing the loss or impairment
of smell, taste, hearing, and sight. and In
crchting serious constitutional derange-
mentS not unirequcntly terminating in
consumption.
At the commencement of the maladv, the
symptoms are those of an ordinary cold. A
feeling of irritation, scnsitiVeness. heat or
pain Is experienced I'm the nose. the edges
otwhich are red and swollen. and which is
stopped mp sometimes on one side some
times on the other. and occasionally on
( poti, rendering respiration through il either
diiheult or impossible. This condition
rs accompanied by frequent desire to
snee1e, and q discharge Of at first clear.
afrid wafer afterwards Of profuse thick,
NelloWish and extremely offensive matter.
rms secretion becomes purulent and in
creased in quantity as the complaint pro-
@rcsscs, assumes an exceedingly fetid odor|
and forms one of the most characteristic
features OF the disease. and q source of the
greatest ANNOYANCE aud danger TteescaDes
not only 10y the nose. but passes into thc|
lhrolt, producing by its lOdpment local
irrilatiou and requires frequent eXpectora-
loli. hawking. or scrlpng for its removal.
As ii7 passage into The throat is very much
Facilitated by q horizontal position of the
body. sleep is frequently disturbed by a
sensation of choking IA consequence. and
many are obliged to lie in u sem-rccum-
pchF puSluoh io obtain necessary reposc.
Owing to the Inflammation aud heat in the
mead the walciY portion of the discharge
often cvapuratrs and the rest assuming n
condition Of sOlldity. Is deposited upon thc
menibNue oftbc nose and upper part of
the throat IN the shape oi crjsts or hard
ened humps. The accumulation of these in
produces feeling of discom-
inrl. and nHrrows the nasal passages so as |
to embau0sS respiration. therefore, fre |
quehl efforts are required to remove them, |
either by forCibly blowing the nose or by |
persistent hawking, u practice as Disagree
able to the one affected as It Is to those
around him. That side of the incrustntion
which adhered to the mucous membrane.
viii, after It's removal, sometimes be found |
bloody. fact which explains the force re
qulrri Tor its dlslodgment During elern
these incrustatlons accumulate more ran
Idly. and the feeling Is therefore most ui-
ccmlurlAhlo in the morning. Sometimes
all eDurts to clear the throat are futile nm
III after breakfast or after some stimulnnt
hns been swallowed. Liberation of the
mucous membrane of the nose takes place
frequently, sometimes attacking the bone.
when snail PARTICLES of this substance will
occasionally be found mixed with the dis
charge.
The breath assuming an excessively feiid /
and sickcning odor, and becomes OCCASION Il
ally 50 offensive as to render the patient an
object of disgust to himself as well rs to
others.
The accumulation of the Discharge. to-
gcther with the thickened condition of the
mucous membrane, renders respiration Il
through the nasal passages very difficult,
and uitentimcs impossible. necessitatinp
respiration principally through the month II
"a method very deetcrions to the general
health. but more particularly so to the
lungs which become weak and irritable.
The voice loses its musical quality, and as
'umes discordant, harsh. aud nasal char L
icter; he sense Of smell becomes much
mpalled or entirely lost, and the same eff h
ect, though less frequent, Is produced on
aste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose
l cracking or bubbling sound is heard In /
he ear. and hearing becomes quite thick |
N stopped up, but returns suddenly, with !
omethiJg like swapping sound. This
)hcnomrnon may be repeated several times, t
lntil hearing does not return, but remains :
'cmancntly injured. In other cases hear {
ne Is lost so gradually that a considerable v
iegrec nf deafness may exist before the
'crson j. really aware of the fact. Either c
ondiiiou Is often accompanied with noises [
n the head of every conceivable despxin- n
ion, materially increasing the distress of 4
he suilDer.
Iheey "sare aptto become weak. irritable,
nd disposed to water on exposure to cold
nd wind, or after the slightest cXertion.
pain, moro or less acute, or n distressing
ceiling Ut pressure Is experienced over the
yes anH sometimes on the top or back of
he heat aud also pain in the face. closely II
esembliu@ neuralgia, for which it Is very ,
iten mistaken. The distress in the head Il
.eakens ac memory and produces irrita- d
liity aud morOscneSs of disposition. The a
-onmcl generally suffers more or less. and
ccOmCs weak and irritable the apDetite "
capricihus aud nearly always bad in the b
forming, la severe cases the system \
ecomcs feeble and prostrated. This is h
lanilestrii by n disposition to drowsness b
nj sleep aversion 10 either physical or
Irhtal c\rrtion' and a feeling of fatigue n
ld weakness. $,
Not uoirequently catarrh proves fatal,
ther by facilitating the system and wear NJ
Y out the patient, or by travelling down fC
ard and producing throat affections.
ana, finally, CONSUMPTION. 1t y
ny be safely asserted that, after heredita- r;
predis position, catarrh is the most r.
cqueni a9d important cause of this fatal 81
'mplaiul. ISL
The symptoms of catarrh vary consider IA
by Ia different individuals, the degree of a
cir severity depending upon constitution \
idipsynorasies and various external in 81
lcnces. with some the complaint con-
nues for % numbrrof years in mild form. a.
id without ca.sng any of the injurious G,
suits above described, while With Others Il
the worst effects are produced in short P'
,ate 0f time, and cases apparently most
irnlcss may, through imprudcnt expo sl
ne. additional cold, or unlayorablc 3j
.angc, oi the weather, suddenly exhibit la
the violence and maiignity which char
tcrizc the scvercst ones. in
50
With some persons this disease becomes
attacking them regularly AT GER