The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-12-15

Among civilized communities there IL no dls'
ease more prevalent more universally offensive,
more productive of discomfort, or more liable
10 give rise TO a variety of distressing and dan
cerous complications than Catarrh In its pro:
Trsssiye stages of development, the senses of
smell and taste are frequently lost, hearing and
sight often suffer severe injury. throat Anec,
tons Asthma and Bronchial Complaints are
successively introduced, and Consumption is
almost its inevitable result.
CatarTh usually manifests itself ut first IN the
cavity of the nose, but spreading beyond Its
primary seat il soon penetrates into every coil,
crevice and cavity of the head with which the
nasal passages communicate, and at length be-
comes diffused over the entire extent OF the
muco pulmonary tract.
The earliest, most prominent and character.
istic features of CatarTh is discharge from the
head, consisting sometimes of clear acrld huid,
| but oftener of thick purulent yellow OF green
| ish yellow matter which is usually secreted in
excessive abundance, and assumes very fetid
odor. This purulent substance is discharged
| "A a thick offensive fluid, or in hard flakes
| through the nostrils or throat. and frequently
| by both channels.
| In MANY instances the discharge is of very
| tenacious or gummy character, adhering to the
! diseased membrane with glue.like tenacity, and
| ia removable only with great difficulty. This
fact is more particularly noticed on rising in
| the morning, because during sleep the purulent
secretion hardens and accumulates with greater
! facility.
The efforts TO relieve the head at those times
, by hawking or blowing the nose, are, therefore
| frequently most distressing to the one affected
! and most disagreeable TO those around him.
Often they have to be 80 violent and persistent
that the lungs and chest become strained and
sore, nausea, retching, and even vomiting en-.
sues and severe headache or dizziness not unu.
sually follows and augments the general dis
| tress. In some cases even the most powerful
efforts may fail TO clear the head, until some
food or stimuant is swallowed and after which
| the viscid secretion becomes somewhat softened,
and is then discharged more readily.
! Again, the offensive matter concerts into dry,
! hard masses or crusts, which obstruct breath.
! ing, and are very difficult to detach, their dis.
| lodgment often requiring the most iolent
efforts. Sometimes these incrustations come
away in small hard Jumps or fragments of a
deep green tint, but occasionally broad and Hat
casts of notable size are expelled, on which
traces Of blood may at times be Observed This
condition is very liable to run on to serious
liberation, involving loss of the bOny struc.
ture of the nose, and subsequent tiattening OF
that organ.
In cases where the discharge is cOpious, and
! of loose and fluid character, il frequently dis.
turbs the sufferers rest by the necessity Of fire..
quent eXpeCtorati0n, because the purulent fluid
! is naturally more apt to run into the throat
when. during sleep, the head is thrown back.
| Should expectOration be neglected, as may coca.
/ sionally happen during heavy sleep, the invalid
| ia startled from his rest by sensation of Ch0k.
ing caused by the filing up of the throat with
/ the accumulated secretion from the head.
The nasal membrane Is usually very much
( thickened and congested, causing the nose to be
stopped up sometimes on one side, and some.
times on the other, and often on both, giving
rise TO disagreea bic stutfy sensation in the
head, and occasionally TO violent paroxysms of
sneezing.
! The thickened condition of the mucous mem
brane, and the collection of the purulent matter
in the nasal canals interferes with respiration
! through the nose and Oblge persons so affected
to breathe through the open mouth, practice
very deletel ious at all times but more particu.
larry so during sleep, which, under such circum.
stances, is always restless and aecompani cd by
n heavy snoring sound.
A feeling of fnllness, heat, irritation, soreness
or pain is generally experienced in the nOstrils
near the root of the nose, well as in the upper
part OF tine throat, above and behind the soft
palate, and headache is rsrel, altogether absent
A distressing sensation of heavy weight or com.
preston is usually complained of over the fore
head and especially in the n gion Immediately
above and between the eyes. Sometimes pain
is ebstinately fixed in some particular part, as
in the temple, on the top of the head, at the
back of the neck or behind the orbits and occa
sonally pain manfests itself in the face of so
severe character that it is frequently mistaken
| for neuralgia.
The voice is generally affected and becomes
hoarse, muthed, weak or uneven, and assumes a
nasal character, or an unpleasant shifting quail
ity Cough Of variable severity is not unfre
quently one of the symptoms and results Of
Cstarrh
The breath is usually tainted, aud assumes
az times, an exceedingly fetid and sickening
odor. In some eases it becomes 20 revoltingly
offensive as to render the sufferer an object OF
disgust 10 himself as we'll as TO otLer1.
The sense of smell is usually bluuted or en-.
tirely lost in Catarrh. aud a similar effect on
taste may be occasionally observed The eyes
are apt 10 become irritable, and disposed
10 water excessively on exposure To the cold or
wind and q sense Of WEAKNESS of sight is usu.
ally experienced after slight eIertions. Hear.
ing not unfrequently becomes more or less i'm.
paired, and noises in the head very often add
materially 20 the existing distress.
The stomach generally suffers more or less
and becomes weak and irritable; the appetite
ia capricious and is nearly always bad in the
morning.
The patients generally complain Of lassitude
and fatigue, IN incapacity for either physical or
mental e1ertions feeling Of weight and dis
comfort in the region Of the stomach, and a
constant disposition to drowsiRess and sleep.
The mental faculties are also sometimes slightly
affected, loss of memory being mere oil less
present.
CatarTh NAV prove fatal, either by de silitating
the system and wearing out the patient, or oy
travelling downward. and producing consump,,
ten. This fact has been so repeatedly notlced
that all experienced practitioners now look upon
Catarrh as one of the most frequent and imPor'
Iant causes Of this complaint, but according 10
sur extensive observation, 1t should always DC
i;ed as premonition, and one OF the very
EARNEST manifestations of Consumption.
systemat'c. judicious and well directed
course VI treatment, such as we have for years