Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-08-25

GALVANIC-CAUFERY IN CHRONIC
NASAL CATARRH.
By wN. C. PIPING. \. NJ. NJ. D., MEXICO, 30.

GALN NANlC-CAtTEhA IN SHkON1t
NASAL CATARRH.
BY WIN. C. PIPING. A. NJ. NJ. D., MExIco, 80.
The treatment of chronic nasal ca
tarrh, and its slowness in yielding
good results, has, like some other
affections, become bugbear to phys
iclans at the present day few ptysi-
clans have hope of ultimate recovery
from chronic catarrh. The douche,
sprays, injections and vapors have
been applied and used indiscriminate
ly, regardless of their effect, until the
physicians as we'll as the patient be-
come disguised, and cease to resort
to further trials. Too often do we
hear patients say they have been adj
vised 10 let their catarrh alone, that
it twill wear itself OUT that ''there
is no cure for it, etc.
Why is this? 1t is because their
physicians fail to recognize the true
character Of the trouble. If Bigelow
is correct IN his conclusions from ex-
periments and dissections made by
him, the turbinated bones are imbed-
ed in erectile corpora cavernosa (my
observations leading me to the same
conclusions), then any method of
treatment except the destruction of
the tissues will be Of temporary bene-
fit only. DR.. Beverly Robinson, in
an article on Turbinated Corpora Cav
ernosa iu the american Journal Ned
jcal Science for April, 1877, has evil
IDENTIFY come to the same conclusion.
"Real hypertrophy, when II exists,
has different seat from the bone
itself. 1t is situated in the erectile
stroma, or recticula. structure, which
lies between the periosteum covering
the bone directly, and the mucous
membrane which bounds the outer
walls of the nasal fossae.'
Here we have a formation anal
agous or almost similar to that Of the
labia maiora, or penis, which is read
lily irritatcd and capable of rapid
augmentation in size and equally
rapid collapse" In consequence he
has devised forceps for the cvulsior
OF the mucous membrane, his method
is to obtain firm hold of the mem
brane and ''twist the forceps once o.
twice on its long axis. ever holding i
; tightly shut before Withdrawing il
Rarely do We thea fail 10 accomplish
the teoriag away fairly large strIl
of the lining membrane.
The result of such an operation,
have no doubt, is excellent. and vii
do all that is claimed for the galyant
cau,ery in destroying the tissues bu
: the method is exceedingly painful an'
, too severe. Besides, he says, ION
operation will not usually suffice, an,
is often obliged To recur the sccont
or third time 10 the use of the for
ceps.' In the January number, 1880
of the same journal, Harrison Allie
recommends the use Of a iile-knil
devised by him, which ''cuts or file
. down the spicula like projections.
This is scarcely less painful than til
G preceding method.
Hoppe employs hollow housies q
dilators, and 4 pair OF thin Ion
) hrmed torceps, by the opening {
, which the ahnormally approximate
bones are to be driven apart from on
another.
Rupprochep describes q pair {
- biting torceps, similar to the instrt
mcnt with which railroad conductor
- punch tickets.
| DIR. Wagner, Of New York, employ
gradual dilatation with sponge tint
or soft metallic bougics OF ditierel
sizes.
There are very few patients, 81
cording to my experience. who Al
willing 10 submit To very painful OF
erations on the nasal passages will
: out the aid Of an anesthetic. In II
|, use of the electro-cautery we owe
come many of the chief obstacles t
the former method and derive as goo
results. 1t is less painful, easi,
handled, quickly done, the resul
are more permanent and rarely +,
, quire 10 be applied more than once
n Very few patients complain of Il
pain caused bp the heated wire.
In treating chronic nasal catarl
. where there is an hypertrophy of Il
mucous membrane over the turh
mated bones, l have used Gottstein
d method, which he recommends higl
iy, of plugging the nostriis alternate
with wad tampon, but with temp
rary relief only.
1 Among the hundred agents Ell
] ployed are the various cosmetics,
nitric acid, chronic acid, London al
Vienna pastes, nitrate of silver al
glacial acetic acid. The latter h
come quite recently into use.
The application of a saturated s
luton OF nitrate of silver 10 the poin
of contact, gives better results thu
any other treatment, and Is mo
y lasting. Iodoform in powder a.
ointment has been applied to the a
terror and posterior mares by mca
of the powder insutllator and holde
IN without any decidep relief. | ha
become convinced that no amount
plugging the nostrils, spraying,
pors, ointments, or the douche W
permanently cure chronic catarrh
, nasal passages. In the galyano-ca
|u terry we possess never failing rem
dy, one that we can rely upon; it
only necessary for trial to be CO
vinced of It's superiority over Oil
agents, as l believe all who have /
Il. sorted to it will testify.
DIR. f. Shurley, In the St. Lo'
"e Medical and Surgical Journal, Ja
-, ., 1880, says she expresses the ho
that the galvano-cautery my be INC
extensively employed for the relief
C, these common and morbid conditi0
of the nose and pharynx.'
The cases in which we derive
IS greatest benefit from the Applicant
of the galvano-cautery, are those
which there is great structural chan
C as hypertrophy of the mucous me
~ brane over the inferior and mid'