The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-19
ALL ABOUT HAY FEVER.
eAcTs CONCERNING THIS 5INGU-
LAR AILMENT AND ITS CAUSE.

Flowers and Grasses Bring - Fits Of
sueesing In Some Persons - The Cat
A.,bmn and the Troubles Caused by
other Animals.
The popular term hay fever gives but an
inadequate idea Of curious complaint, the
very existence OF which was not fully recog
nized till the beginning Of the present cen
fury. when Or John Bostock published an
account Of his own symptoms and suiferinss.
Al that time IL was dimy regarded n sort
Of fanciful hypochondriacal affection. OF
which those who had little or nothing 10 do
became the subject but eases have OF late
years beeu frequently recorded which prove
the disorder to be one Of great interest on
account Of tho mystery attaching TO its early
history. It's prevalence in all climates and
countries. and the painful psrtinaclty with
which II cings to is victims
IN TUE MERRY HAyIyG TIME
fl is called in Germany fruhsommer IA.
farrh. or early summer catarrh. and among
ourselves. hay fever Or hay asthma. since
the more usual kind begins and ends with
the hay season, varying in the time OF year
during which it appears according as the
hay season is early or late. As long as the
grass IS in flower, il persists, with that, It
ceases
The complaint is. however, by no means
limited TO the flowers of the field. The same
SYMPTOMS may be produced by very differ
ent causes, by sunlight, 10y violent exercise
by the dust Of rooms. and 50 capricious are
lis WAYS that it is sometimes difficult to as.
sign sufficient cause for its appearance.
Rose fever and rose catarrh are well
known in the United States, where the rose
Is largely cultivated Peach cold is an alice.
ton of similar nature In India the bios
som Of the mango Is said 10 produce il. and
TrouSseau ailirms that he ;Syays had asthma
if he remained for few minutes In room
with bunch Of giOlets. The neighborhood
Of a privet hedge and the pollen Of the com
mon daisy are said to have given rise to
more Inconvenience than even the scent OF
new mowu hay We arc told of lady who
could never remain in the room with single
stalk Of Indian corn without being seized
with shortness Of breath. and an instance =
recorded OF a man that could never pass the
shop OF a certain ropemaser in his native
town without suffering from asthmatic symp
tomf. presumably owing to the dust from
the flax.
Cullen speaks Of the case Of a man who was
seized with fits Of sneezing whenever rice was
thrashed In the neighborhood Of his house,
and the effect Of ipecacuanha dust IS well
known 10 hospital servants. Medical students
have declared that they are attacked with
shortness Of breath if a bottle Of ipecacuanha
/. Inf I'm t,n
they are. and that in none OF them does asth'
ma occur under any other circumstances, no
other irritant will produce It. 1t Is related
that the wife Of an apOthecary was seized
with asthma whenever ipecacuanha root was
powdered in the surgery, even II she hap
pcncd 10 be- in another part OF the house at
the time People in>ensible 10 ipecacuanha
will experience the same sensations from lin.
seed mustard or scammony; and an epidemic
Of sneezing was traced 70 the use Of bitter
apple which had been powdered over variety
Of articles Us u preventive Of moth Scents Of
oil kinds may induce asthmatic attacks and
thundery weather provokes them
An American writer has remarked that
the complaint Is patrlcian, occurring mainly
amongst those in high rank and social posi-
ton, or who are eminent for mental and
literary attainments. Divines, poets, medi-
cal men and ladies Of fashion are included
in the list OF examples. Il Is certainly a
corroborating fact that farmers and field
laborers, who are OF necessity exposed TO
the influence Of polleie rarely suffer from it,
owing, it is contended to absence Of predis-
position, which mental culture induces;
whilst il IS more simply explained that they
are rendered insusceptibe to tho action Of
grasses by constant exposure TO their influ.