Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-27
CATARRH.

The term Catarrh is applied to peculiar dis
| order OF the nostrils and adjacent parts, which
prevails to an alarming extent, and is product
i've of very serious consequences.
The most prominent and characteristic fea-
ture is a morbid discharge from the head, vary
| ing In its nature at different times. In some
there is an almost constant flow of clear, acrid
| fluid, but oftener an offensive, purulent, or
| muco-puTulent, greenish -yell1w matter is Sc
creted, which accumulates in the nostris or
drops into the throat, necesstating its frequent
| removal by blowing the nose or expectoration,
and often by both processes. Son netimes pa.
| tients feel as though their whole head was in
state OF rottennesS, SO great is the amount of
matter discharged and SO fetid is its odor. The
patient is greatly annoyed by the constant drop
ping into the throat of the morbid natter from
| the head, and as a recumbent position natur
| ally favors the flow downward, his rest is fire.
quently disturbed from this cause. Many suffer
erf are obliged to lie with the head very much
elevated in order to sleep with some degree
| of comfort.
collects behind and above the soft palate, in
the passage between the throat and head, ad-
| herring to the parts with gluish tenacity. Its
| Judgement embarrasses respiration and creates
| sensation OF irritation and uneasiness in the
| affected locality, which gives rise to constant
and almost irresistible desire to relieve the dis
comfort by drawing the mucus into the throat,
| so as to eject it by the mouth. This practice
popularly known as hawking" is cha, acter
| istic OF catarrh, and proves as embarrassing to
the one affected as it is disagreeable to those
| around him.
Again, the offensive matter hardens and de-
posits itself on the membrane in the shane OF
dry, hard concretions, which are discharged by
| way OF the ostrils or throat in Jumps or frag-
Ments OF deep green tint In some cases
| these incustrations accumulate to such an ex-
tent as to form regular plug in the nose,
which obstructs breathing and produces serious
discomfort; So firmly do these incrustations
adhere to the point of attachment that their re-
moval usually requires the most violent efforts;
not unfrequently they have to be torn from the
mem brane. Occasionally solid cast of ncta.
ci 70 iC 1Qd tvhf hfo,tG tGnra
ly traces of blood, but in some cases the cast
presents tubular appearance, bsing of exact
shape Of the nasal cavity. This condition isin-
troy the bony structure of the nose and prOdu e
a subsequent fiattening of that organ.
Cases are occasionally met with in which a
thick, viscid, Shiny secretion coats the mem
brane of the nasal cavities. and then putrifes S,
giving rise to a stencil which is really Overpow-
eIing and sufficiently fetid to poison the atmos-
paere OF whole room; and there are others in
which all the secretiuns of the membrane are
suspensed, causing an unpleasant feeling of
| dryness, heat and feverishness in the head and
nose-a condition popularly known as 'Dry
| Catarrh."
The disease speedily extends to the air cavi-
ing rise to distressing sensation of heavy
weight or compression over the forehead, espe
| cially in the region above and between the
| eyes, ard to feeling of fullness, heat, irrita
ton, soreness, or pain in the nostrils near the
root OF the nose. as well as in the upper part Of
the throat, above and behind the soft palate
some particular part, as in the temple, on the
top Of the head, at the back of the neck, or be-
hind the orbits, and occasionally pain mani
tests itself in the face of SO severe character
that 1t is frequently mistaken for neuralgia.
The breath is always tainted and at times as
sumes an exceedingly fetid and sickening odor
| In some cases 1t becomes SO revoltingly offen-
| sive as to render the sufferer an object of dis
| gust to himself as well as to others.
The nasal membra-e is thickened and con.
| gested, causing the nose to be stopped up some
| times on one side. sometimes on the other. and
often on both, giving rise to ,disagreeable,
stuffy sensation in the head, and occasioning
| violent and prolonged paroxysms of sneezing.
| The voice is weak, indistinct and husky, or Of
nasal character, displaying a sort of shifting
hoarseness and discordauce. There is also a
sense of irritation In the throat, and frequent
attempts to clear the parts of phlegm, produc-
| ing the sound men," more or less forcfbIy In
| som9 cases patients complain of an uncomfort-
able feeling of fullness or a choky sensation in
the throat, and in others of distressing and al.
| OF which they have to swallow frequently,
| Others, again, speak of constant bad or nause-
GUS taste in the mouth or throat.
The stomach generally suffers more or less
| and becomes weak and irritable, the appetite is
caprlcious, and nearly always bad in the morn
ing The patient is langud, unable to perform
mental or physical labor with the usual facility,
ls nervous, depressed in spirits, at times fearful
| timid, agitated and inclined to drowsiness and
sleep, the memory weakened and perm anent
impairment seriously threatened.
L. The mucuous membrane soon becomes NOR
bidy sensitive to unfavorable influences :and in
| spite of the utmost care becom es affected from
the slightest causes, SO that breath ofwind upon
the Innings of the nose or throat becomes pro-
ductive OF cold, and gives rise to serious dis
turbances OF the respiratory organs. Thus the
patient is subject to frequent and repeated
colds each attack aggravsting the disease by
giving ita new impulse, and involving larger
| extent OF surface than its predecessor. In this
| manner the difficulty spreads from organ to or
gan, invading the throat, larnyx, trachea and
bronchial tubes, until, eneroaching further and
further. it reaches the finer ramifcations of the
bronchi, when but slight impulse is required
to send 1t to the lungs. Catarrh may, and often
does, affect other organs in the body, especially
those containing mucous membrane, such as
the stomach, bowels, kidneys. ETC.
BY the employment of proper inh alations and
Compound Oxygen treatment in the form of
medicated yapor (not steam or spray) we are
able TO- produce immediate and direct action
upon the diseased surface in the larnyx and
the nasal passages, for air will find Its way
into the remotest and intricate cavities, where
it is utterly Impossible to make fluid applica-
tions. By tat Sc means e iery ease cen be clred.
Persons desiring treatment by this system of
practice ca1 use the remedies at homo as we'll
as at our Office, and which will cause no incon-
venience or hindrance from business whatever.
have seen SO many of these cases cured that
do not consider any case hopeless, unless both
lungs are seriously involved. Even then the
inhalations aid us in dissolving the mucus and
in contracting and healing the cavities, which
nothing can do with the same success.
The very best reference from those already
cured.
Those who desire to consult with me in regard
to their cases had better call at the office for
consultation and examination, but If impos-
sible to do SO, can write foE copy of my
Medical Treatise, containing list of questions.
Address
M. HILTON WILLIAMS, M. D.,
HOLLENBECK BLOCK,
Corner Second and Spring sts., Los Angeles.