The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-07-14

the AffEictkOn.
According to all authors except Dr. Beard,
this peculiar form of catarrh is caused by
carnations from certain plants. OF course
there must be special cause for each variety
of the disease, if it lies in the pollen of
Towering plants as has been supposed.
Some are affected by roses, some by Indian
corn, others by the giant rag weed appar-
emily. DR.. Beard thought the cause to be
in peculiarly irritable state of the nervous
system, and brought many facts to support
this idea. One of the most striking of such
facts has been recorded in the January num-
Der of american Journal Of Medical
Science. This was the case of q lady who
invariably became affected with the symp.
ID in room with roses, no matter what was
the season of the year. DIR. J. N. Mackenzie,
of Baltimore, writes the account, together
with number of very interesting historical
notes.
The Doctor obtained an artificial rose OF
exquisite workmanship, every petal of which
was carefully wiped off, so that no outside
material was concealed within its construe-
ton. The lady was feeling unusually well
and showed absolutely no sign of catarrh at
the time the experiment was made. Being
sure that no catarrh was present, he pro
duced the artificial rose, held it on his hand
and continued the conversation ON an indif.
ierent subject. Within one minute she said
ihe must sneeze. Within two minutes her
voice became hoarse, the eyes becames red
dened and watery and the nose INSTRUCTED.
Then oppression in the chest began, and
within five minutes she had fully developed
attack of catarrh of the nose, eyes, throat
and lungs. When told of the deception she
could scarcely believe it, but was convinced
by examining the specimen. The influence
of the nervous system upon the production
of hay fever was never more thoroughly de-
monstrated.
The symptoms of hay fever begin exactly
ike those of u common cold in the head
except they are apt to be felt in the mucoui
membrane covering the eyelds very early.
and soon produce asthmatic attacks inquite
q large proportion Of cases Some patients
predict with certainty the day ON which the
symptoms win appear. They generally con-
tinue for five or six weeks. The majority
appear first in August and last until the first
trosts of autumn. Those which come on ii
spring last until the hot weather. The
attack may continue all summer. Certain
regions are exempt from disease Patients
are never attacked while at sea or in the
mountains above q certain elevation. But
the peculiar rich network of blood vessels
found in certain parts of the nasal passage
seem to be at fault In oil cases. Under inn
pressions made upon that part of the nory-
GUS system that controls their size, these
veins and arteries suddenly swell and irritate
the nerves with which they are mixed.
These, in turn, send an irritating influence
back to the brain, when II travels to the
eyes, throat and lungs, there producing
swelling and increased secretion from the
mucuous membrane--hence the wide spread
catarrh.
The treatment consists In Destroying THE
| obnoxious network of vessels and in toning
up the nervous system generally. The ap-
plication Of solution of cocoaine gives i'm
mediate, though temporary, relief. The
same material removes sensibility from the
parts to be removed by the galvanic cautery
or by strong acids. OF course but little Of
this troublesome tissue can be taken ava,
at one time, but persevering in the remoya
cures hay fever SO it can never come back
The sense of smell is not interfered with
by this operation.