The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-11
Two Radical Reasons Why the
Medical Profession Has AL
ways Failed to Cure
Catarrh.
Also, Why 1t Can Now be Easily
Cured-A Terse, Phllosophic
and Convincing Essay.
LCOpYrighted.(

First, the method of applying locally the
| various medical agents that have been
used, and second, the lack of permanency
of these applications.
The nasal cavities nave very irregular
and extensive surfaces, extending from
the front of the nose backward, from the
anterior mares to the pharynx, or back of
the soft palate; and reaching from below
upward, from the floor of the nose up be-
tween and higher than the eyes. This
surface is made very irregular by three
turbinated bones on each side; it also
connects with other cavities the antrums,
the frontal sinuses, the lachrymal canals,
the Eustachian tubes leading co the inter
| nal ear, etc.
1t would be waste of time for me now
to give description of the many inven-
tions that have been brought out for the
purpose of making complete local ap-
| pllcation to these very irregular surfaces
of the nasal cavities; and it must be kept
in mind that diseased or catarrhal nasal
surface is much more irregular than a
healthy one, as many of the natural pas
ssges are almost entirely closed by con-
gestion, mucous secretions and iptlamma-
tory deposits. The nasal dOuche forces
medicated water into one nostril and out
of the other, touching only the lower por-
tions of the cavity, tearing away the scabs
and other offensive secretlons; then there
are steam and various mechanical atom
izers for throwing medicated spray into
the head; various shaped syringes to use
through the throat (snterior and posterior
nasal syringes) bottles and jars with
breathing tubes for inhaliag air that
passes through medicinal liquids, and DIFF
ferent kinds of snuff, almost without num-
Der, used in various ways. l have seen
snuff put into little rubber balls or pulled
out of a tube as we use insect powder. l
have even seen it tied up in rag in
the shape of a ball with a
little spring to snap the rag ball
and sift the snuff through while
the patient shifts it in. But with all the
exp erimentswith thousand medicines and
the hundreds of ways of using them, what
has the medical profession done in find
ing a cure for catarrh? You will get the
answer to this question from any good,
honest physician, even if he be catarrh
specialist. He will say: "Catarrh cannot
be cured" Why does the honest physi-
clan say it cannot be cured? Be-
[
that they have hitherto pursued have failed
and they answer honestly: "Catarrh can
not be cured" 1 will now ask this ques-
, ton: If disease similar to catsrrh in
any of its forms was on some external
part of the body, the thigh, arm or back,
could it be cured?" And the medical
| profession would answer: eyes, it could be
cured, because we can easily reach the dis
ease with our remedy" This you will see
answers conversely why we can't cure ca
tsrrh. Because all the previously named
treatments have failed to reach the dis
eased mucous membrane of the nose, es-
pecially the upper portion of that cavity.
This is one radical reason.
The second is this All do1ches, atomic
ers, sprays, ETC., are watery and aqueous
solutions of medicines, and, for the sake
of argument, if we admit that they could
be placed at the desired part of the nasal
cavities, they would stimulate the mucous
membrane so that it would throw out or
secrete a large amount OF saineous or
watery substance of its own, and thus
dilute and wash away in ten minutes all
the medicines we might have applied to
the catarrhal surface This is my second
radical reason.
Now that we know what they are, how
shall we overcome these two difficulties
l mean, get theremedy to the diseased part
and then have it stay there. 1t is very
simple after all, and 30 at last we can cure
catarrh as easily as we can an externa
sore or ulcer.
In the vernscular, will put the cart
before the horse and deal with the second
proposition first. What sort of vehicle
or substance shall we mix our remedy in
so when nee thoroughly applied to the
catarrhal surface it will not be washed
away at once, but remain In contact with
the diseased part for many hours, as we
would treat an externally diseased surface
| to cure it. You have seen al
engineer on a hot summers day with
black grease on his face and hands; ht
would perspire hour after hour, the sweat
actually dropping from his face and bach
of his hands and running all the time
right through the black grease, and yet il
remained there all day without Its being
washed away, because the'grease and wa
ter we're incompatible and would moi
mix or unite one with the other. So VIZ
must mix our remedy in suitable grease
or ointment, and then it will not bC
washed away by the secretions of the
nasal cavities. Now, how shall we get il
there? The easiest thing in the world
If you wanted to fill your boot with {
fluid, you would not turn it upside dowI
and use syringe, or blow it up with al
atomizer; no, you would sit it in proper
position and let the fluid flow or gravi
tate into the boot; and to get our remedy
| into the head, we also make use of gravity
by placing our soft medicated ointment
the size of pea, in each nostril, ther
lean forward and tip the forehead down
ward so it is lower than the point of tn,
nose; or lay on the stomach, or hands anC
knees, and fix the chin against the breast
bone so the forehead is lowe
than the point of the nose. Snuff
in the ointment in this position during
the time you repeat the LoHl's praye
slowly. No matter how irregular or con
gested the passages may be, in this wa!
the ointment runs to the upper from
part of the head where most needed. Th
ointment, having once covered the nasa
surfaces, remains for many hours, for i
will not mix with the mucous or water!
secretions which pass right through it, al
does the sweat on the engineers face, anC
so the medicine is held in constant con
tact with the diseased surface for at leas
twenty -four hours, which can be proved
by twisting the corner of a linen handker