, 1889-05-23
ALL ABOUT HAY FEVER.
FACTS CONCERNING THIS sINeU-
LAR AILMENT AND ITS CAUSE.

Other Animals.
h popular term hay fever gives but an
inadequate idea OF n curious complaint, the
very existence of which was not fully recog-
nized till the beginning of the present CEN
fury, when DR.. John Bostock published an
account Of his own symptoms and suferfngs.
At that time it was dimly regarded us a sort
OF fanciful hypochondriacal affection, of
which those who had little or nothing to do
became the subject; but cases have Of late
years been frequently recorded which prove
the disorder to DO one of great Interest on
account Of tho mystery attaching to Its carly
history; Its prevalence In all climates and
countries, and the painful pertiuacity with
which it clings to its victims
IN THE MERRY HAYING TIME
1t is called in Germany fruhsommer Ea-
tarrh, or early summer catarrh; and among
ourselves, hay fever or hay asthma, since
tho more usual kind begins and ends with
tho hay season, varying In the time OF year
during which it appears according as the
hay season is carly or late. As long as the
grass Is in flower, it persists; with that, it
ceases.
The complaint is, however, by no means
limited TO the flowers of tho field. The same
symptoms may be produced by very differ
ent causes; by sunlight, by violent exercise,
by the dust of rooms; and so capricious are
its ways that it is sometimes difficult to as
sign sufficient cause for its appearance.
Rose fever and rose catarrh nro well
known In the United States, where tho rose
Is largely cultivated. Peach cold is ON afTec-
ton Of n similar nature. In India the bios
som of the mango is said to produce It; and
Trousseau nflirms that he always had asthma
IL he remained for n few minutes In a room
with a bunch of violets. Tho neighborhood
of n privet hedge and tho pollen of tho COM
mon daisy are said to have given rise to
moro Inconvenience than even the scent of
now mown hay. We are told of n Indy who
could never remain in the room with a single
stalk of Indian corn without being seized
with shortness Of breath; and nn instance is
recorded of a man that could never pass the
shop of n certain ropemaker In his native
town without suffering from asthmatic symp
tomf, presumably owing to tho dust from
tho flax.
Cullen speaks of tho caso of n man who was
seized with fits of sncezing whenever rico was
thrashed In tho neighborhood of his house;
and the effect Of ipechcuanha dust Is well
known to hospital servants. Medical students
have declared that they are attacked with
shortness of breath If n bottle of ipecacuanha
powder is merely opened in the room where
they are, and that In none of them docs asth-
ma occur under any other circumstances; no
other irritant will produce 1t. 1t is related
that the vito of nm apothecary was seized
with asthma whenever ipccacuanha root was
powdered in the surgery, even IL she hap
pcncd TO DO in another part Of the house at
the time. People insensiblo to ipecacuanha
will experience tho same sensations from lin
seed, mustard or cammony and an epidemic
of sncczing was traced to the use of bitter
apple which had been powdered over O variety
of articles ms u preventive of moth. Scents of
all kinds may induce asthmatic attacks, and
thundery weather provokes them.
An American writer has remarked that
the complaint is patrician, occurring mainly
amongst those in high rank and social POSI-
ton, or who aro eminent for mental and
literary attainmcnts. Divines, poets, medl-
col mon and ladies' of fashion nro included
In the list of examples. 1t is certainly o
corroborating fact that farmers and field
laborers, who arc of necessity exposed to
the influence Of pollen, rarely suffer from 1t,
owing, it is contendcd, to absence Of predis-
position, which mental culture induces;
whilst it Is moro simply explained that they
nro rendered insusceptiblo to tho action Of
grasses by constant exposure to their influ-
cnco.
ASTHMA FROM ANIMALS.
Similar sufrcrings to those produced by
vegetable cfiluvia occur from contact with
many animals. DR.. Hyde Salter, In his
valuable work on asthma, relates that he has
met with many cases in which the efluviunl
from horses, wild beasts, guinea pigs, cattle,
dogs, rabbits and harcs would Immediately
give rise to u paroXysm One of his patients
always had n at of asthma brought on by tho
presence of horses. He was the proprietor of
an equestrian establishment, and WINS there
fore always asthmatic; but no had no sus-
picion of tho real cause of his symptoms till
he made his fortune and retired from bust
ness, when no almost Immediately lost them.
Cat asthma, from nursing q cat or kitten,
closely resembles hay fever, and the parox-
ysIns are even moro violent. Tho influence
seems to DO stronger in kittens from two
months old and upwards than in full grown
cats; but after tho removal of tho cause the
symptoms very quickly subside. Some
people are attacked with sncezing in tho
presence of all animals.
There is no invention or Imagination or
exaggeration in these things, and what may
DO an irritant to ono class of estimates
may not DO In tho least so to another. Ono
person Is Obliged to expatriato himsIlf In the
hay season; another cannot endure tho scent
Of flowers; another cannot sleep a dow
pillow, or uso mustard in any shape, or pass
n poulterer's shop. Even tho sunlight Is ter
rible to somo inveterato sneezers.
A sudden fright may induce q fit of
asthma, or, on tho contrary, may cure 1t;
indeed, n euro by violent emotion is moro
sudden and complete than by any other
remedy. A confirmed asthmatio states that
onco when no was suffering from an un-
usually severe attack, so bad that he had
been unable to speak or move oil day, no
was suddenly alarmed by the illness of a
relative. He rnn down two flights of stairs
and up again, administered the restorativcs
he had procured, and then observed, to his
nstonishment, TINT his asthma was gonci
Another sufferer relates that no was in bed
breathing with the greatest difficulty, and
unable to move, when a fire broke out OPP
posite his house. When the excitement was
over, he found that he had been standing
with others looking out of the window, and
that he had forgotten all about his asthma
Chambers Journal.
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