The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-03
FACTS ABOUT nay FEVER.
nature OF the Disease-Its Causes and
Crsre.


nature OF the Dissase-Its Causea and
Cure.
Or. Beard read paper last week be-
lore the American Public Health assOci-
stIon 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 sun
posed. The first element of the disease
is a nervo- bilious temperament, or. at
least, temperament in which the ner-
Vous element predominates. HAY fever
patients are the class of patients sub
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,
dnst, IN door and out door, fresh hay,
old hay. bright sunlight, gaslight, close
connned ar, smoke, clnders, hUlling of
corn, Roman wormwood, sneeHe weed,
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 well call a sick headache
a sausage headache, because it may be
at times caused by eating sRusages,-
The majority of the patients afflicted
with hay fever who are reported to me
are of American birth. DR.. Jacob. of
New York, whose experience and prac-
tIce among the better class of Germans
are ny large, says that lie has never
known 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 compaTa-
lively rare; just as among the same
classes nervous diseases Of all kinds are
comparatively rare. After a person has
once been attacked he seems to be for
all his life liable to be again attacked.
Now and then a person may go over a
year without the disease, but this is
rare. Sometimes the disease increases
in severity with years, and sometimes
dlminishes. A majority of my patients
have tried the local application of the
Helmholtz, and they report that it does
little or no good.
Among the regions which hay fever
patients visit with benefit, may men
ton 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
as soon as they land. A trip TO Europe,
the Adirondack region, and the island |
OF Ma'kinaw is very highly recon-
mended by some. DR.. DennisoD, of !
Denver, Col, sends me a pamphlet |
which reports that some cases of hav |
fever have been cured by a residence in |
that locality, Like other nervous dis |
eases, it is powerfully under the infu- |
eDce of the mind. The striking perio- |
deity of the disease, coming on as it /
does, in a 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 4
rs March or April the patient should |
begin to take course OF nerve tonic
treatment. would recommend it to be
arsenic, phosphorus in its various forms,
cod liver oil, iodofOrn and electricity,
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.
My friend, DIR. W. T. Hutchinson, of
Providence, had a case this year which
he broke up by central galvanization.
[ relieved decidedly one case and soEas-
what relieved another by local palvani-
zatiOn externally. The remedies should
be used thoroughly. The great trouble
with those Q who galvanize themselves is
that they do not completely and thor
0ughly bring the remedies to act upon
all the sinuous and tortuous lining
of the nasal passages.