The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-11-27
FACTS ABOUT Hay FEVER.
nature OF the Disease-Its Causes and
Cure

FACTS ABOUT Hay FEVER.
nature of the Disease-Its Causes and
Cure.
DR.. Beard read a paper last week be-
fore the American Public Health associ
alton on the subject of hay fever. The
/ following Is an interesting synopsis OF
information obtained by addressing
| competent persons in all sections of the
country
Hay fever is a complex and not a SIM
| pie disease, as has been generally sup
! posed. The first element of the disease
| is a nervo- bilious temperament, or, at
/ least, a temperament in which the ner-
vous element predominates. Hay fever
| patients are the class Of patients SUBJ
| iect TO other nervous diseases. The
second factor in this disease is heat fol-
/ lowing cold. The heat of hot climates
| does not seem to act as a cause, but the
! heat of temperate climates following
| the cold weather. The disease is found
only in that belt where there are ex-
tremes of temperature. Third-Vari-
Gus exciting causes, twenty or more IN
number, such as perfume of flowers,
dust, in door and out door, fresh hay,
old hay, bright sunlight, gaslight, close
confined air, smoke, cinders, huIling of
corn, Roman wormwood, sneeze weed,
over exertion, etc. In order to get up
a case of hay fever, two of these three
factors, certainly the first two are nee
essary. The exciting causes are named
under the third head, and have been re-
garded as the disease, hence the name
hay fever, peach cold, rose cold, etc.
One might as we'll call sick headache
a sausage headache, because it may be
at times caused by eating sausages.
The majority of the patients afhicted
with hay fever who are reported to me
are of American birth. DR.. Jacobi, of
New York, whose experience and prac-
tice among the better class of Germans
are very large, says that he has never
known a case of hay fever among Ger
mans in this country. I suspect that
among the foreign population not born
in this country hay fever IS compare
lively rare just as among the same
classes nervous diseases of all kinds are
comparatively rare. After q person has
once been attacked he seems to be for
all his life liable to be again attacked.
Now and then person may 60 over a
year without the disease, but this is
rare. Sometimes the disease increases
in severity with years, and sometimes
diminishes. A majority of my patients
have tried the local application Of the
solution of Guiniue, as recommended by
Helmholtz, and they report that it does
little or no good.
Among the regions which hay fever
patients visit with benefit, I may men
tion the White Mountains and the ocean
everywhere, at least in cold climes for
those who take sea voyages almost never
suffer while at sea, but may be attacked
EE,ovT 1aT,5 A AVsfVa 10 ElrzrNv1n
the Adirondack region, and the island
of Ma ekinaw is very highly recon-
mended by some. DR.. Dennison, Of
Denver, Col, sends me a pamphlet
which reports that some cases of hay
fever have been cured by a residence IN
that locality, Like other nervous dis
eases, it is powerfully under the infiU-
ence of the mind. The striking perio-
deity of the disease, coming on as it
does, in certain case, at precisely the
same day or hour, IS probably the result
in part of expectation of the patient
that it will come then.
The plan of treatment that would
suggest for hay fever, is as follows /:
First, to prevent the disease. AS early
as March or April the patient should
begin to take a course of nerve tonic
treatment. I would recommend it to be
arsenic, phosphorus in its various forms,
cod liver oil, iodoform and electricity,
especially the methods of general gal
vanization and general faridization.
When the disease appears the great de-
pendence must be on local treatment,
combined with general tonic treatment.
Ny friend, DR.. ". F. Hutchinson, of
Providence, had a case this year which
he broke up by central gaIvanizstion.
I relieved decidedly one case and some
what relieved another by local galvani-
zation externally. The remedies should
be used thoroughly. The great trouble
with thoee who galvapize themselves is
that they do not completely and thor
oughly bring the remedies to act upon
all the sinuous and tOrtuous lining
membrane of the nasal passages.