Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-23
A DANGEROUS WAY.
Trodden by Many, Perhaps, Without Know
ing II.

Trodden by Many, Perhaps, without Know.
ing II.
When catarrh has existed in the head and
upper parts of the throat for any length of
time, the patient living in district where
people are subject to catarrhal affection, and
the disease has been lett uncured, the eatarrh
invariably, sometimes slowly, extends down
the windpipe and into the bronchial tubes,
which tubes convey the air into the different
parts Of the lungs. The tubes become affected
from the swelling and the mucus arising
from catarrh, and in some instances become
plugged up SO that the air cannot get in as
freely as it should. Shortuess of breath fol-
lows, and the patient breathes with labor
and difficulty.
In other cases there is sound of cracking
and wheeling inside the chest. At this
stage of the disease the breathing is usually
more rapid than when in health. The pa
tient has also hot flashes over his body.
The pain which accompanies this condi-
tion is of a dull character, felt in the chest,
behind the breast bone or under the shoul-
der blade. The pain may come and go
last few DAYS and then be absent for sew
eral others. The cough that occurs in the
first stages of bronchial catarrh is dry,
and usually most troublesome in the morn
ing on arising or on going to bed at night,
and it may be the first evidence of the dis
ease extending in the lungs.
At first there may be nothing brought up
by the cough; then there is little tough,
tenacious mucus, which the patient finds
great difficulty in bringing up.
Sometimes there are fits of coughing in
duced by the tough mucus-so violent as to
cause vomiting. Later on the mucus that is
raised is found to contain some particles of
yellow matter, which indicates that the
small tubes in the lungs are now affected.
With this there are often streaks OF blood
mixed with the mucus. In some cases the
patient becomes very pale, has fever and ex-
pectorates before any cough appears
In some cases small masses of cheesy sub
stance are spit up, which, when pressed be-
tween the fingers, emit a bad odor; in other
cases particles of hard. chalky nature are
spit up. The raising of cheesy or chalky
Jumps indicates serious mischief at work in
the lungs.
In some cases catarrh will extend into the
lungs in few weeks; in other cases it may
be months, and even wears, before the disease
attacks the lungs sufficiently to cause serious
interference with the general health. When
the disease has developed to such point the
patient is said to have catarrhal consumption.
With bronchial catarrh there is more or less
fever, which differs with the different parts OF
the day-slight in the morning, higher in the
afternoon and evening.
Sometimes during the day the patient has a
creeping. chilly sensation, which may last
from half an hour to an hour, the surface of
the body feeling dry and hot During the night,
near the morning, there may be sweats. Such
sweats are known as night sweats
The pulse is usually more rapid than normal,
and the patient loses flesh and strength. A
fresh cold is all that is needed at this point to
develop rapid consumption. IL some instances
the patient loses strength and flesh slowly.
The muscles gradually waste away. Then the
patient gradually regains some of the strength,
only to lose it again.
A weak stomach and dislike for food,
which seems to have lost its taste, causes the
patient to think that he has disease of the
stomach instead of the lungs. With these diar-
rhea usually occurs and there is some disturb
ance of the kidneys. In bronchial catarrh the
voice often becomes weak, husky and hoarse.
There is burning pain in the throat, with diff
ficulty in swallowing.