The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-11-23

complained or. . c patient so affected was con-
stantiy trouble d by an offensive smell of burnt
leather, and the life of another was made miser-
able 10y the imaginary smell of rotten fish
When smell is materially impaired the sense of
taste also suffers to some extent, losing its deli
cacy and acuteness In some cases OF catarrh
it even becomes affected independently of smell
ana occasionally 1t is entirely lost, so that even
sugar canot be distinguished from salt. How
much such condition of things will interfere
imagined.
DEAFNESS.
One of the most deplorable features of catarrh
Is the readiness with which it spreads through
the Eustachan tubes to the important structure
OF the middle ear, and, by its disorganizing ef-
Iects, lmpairing or destroying hearing This un-
fortunate result takes place so frequently that i'm
nearly every case OF deafness which presents
itself for treatment the difficulty can he clearly
traced to the effects of catarrh, aud even i'm the
lew cases which originate from other causes the
presenGe OF catarrh seriously apgravates the
aural disease and renders Il permanent recovery
Impossible until the catarrh is removed.
. IN some cases the approach of deafness is so
lnslulous that IL is almost impossible to fix the
time when the difficulty first commenced. In
others the deafness at first comes only by spells
more especially during an attack of fresh cold or
after sncezng or blowing the nose, Al such
times the hearing will be found suddenly OBJ
structed and will as suddenly return with some
thing OF swapping sound aud sometimes with
ioudstartling report. the whole process giving an
idea OF valve in the head which closed and
opened the aT' nue. to hearing. BY degrees, how
ever; these spells of deafness occur oitener and
last longer until permanent deafness is the re-
suit. In all cases of catarrhal deafness il is an
unfortunate feature that the ,iifliculty grows
slowly but steadily worse until the hearing is
seriously impaired or entirely DESTROYED discs
III tne mead OF every conceivable description are
also apt TO make their appearance during the
proeress OF the disease, adding materially TO the
existing distress.
WEAK AND INFLAMED EYES.
The mucous membrane of the nostrlls extends
through the tear passages to the eyes. where it
lines the eyelids and covers the anterior portion
OF the eyeballs. Through this channel the ca
tarrhal Inflammation is often transmitted to the
eyes, obstructing the tear duct and intiaming the
eyes or eyelids In such cases the tears overflow
the cheeks, or the eyes are weak and water upon
the slightest exposure to the cold or wind The
eyes are thus Kept in constant condition of dis
comfort irritation, and distress, predisposing to
more serious disorders, from which the loss Of
sight might result Experience has proved
that many chronic infiammatory disorders OF the
eye owe their origin and persistency entirely to
the effects of eatarrh and cannot be cured with
out tile removal of the catarrh itself.
GASTRIC CATARRH- DYSPEPSIA
Disorders of digestion are not an uncommon
consequence of catarrh owing to the large
amountof offensive secretion which is constantly
conveyed TO the stomach by the food and drink.
or is otherwise swallowed, causing irritation to
that organ and the intestines. while the saliva and
other secretions of the glands of the mouth are
wastedin eXpectoration and become deteriorated
in quality from the catar, hal disease. In conse-
Quence of this the appetite becomes i'm pair ed or
deranged the tongue is coated, IA bad and unpleas-
ant taste in the mouth is experienced, and dys-
pepsia, with its thousand ills, makes its appear
ance, which nothing but the judcious treatment
OF the catarrh can etfectually alleviate
NERVOUS AND MENTAL DERANG G ENIENTS.
The nasal cavities and the sinuses connected
with them are situated Immediately under that
portion OF the brain which performs the mental
functions. In fact, only very thin plate of bone
separates the two and even that is perforated by
innumerabe apertures for the passage of nerves
and blood vessels. In catarrh these blood vessels
become greatly congested and increased to an
abnormal size, constructing the nerve fibres and
injuring their vitality Hence we often find that
catarrh impairs the mental faculties and that pa
tients complain of an impairment of memory and
difficulty of concentrating their attention or
following a fixed line of thought. They cannot
perform their usual mental tasks without serious
dscomforts, such as headache, dizziness, confu-
sion OF ideas, or excessive fatigue. and at times
they are entirely disqualified tor mental labor.
change IS often noticed in the elements of their
character. They become fretful. morose and
depressed in spirits, sometimes sufficiently so as
TO lead to insanity or suicide. number Of. in-
stances are on nrecord-Some even having obtained
public notorlety-where these disastrous conse-
quences were clearly the result of catarrh
DEVELOPMENT OF CONSUMPTION.
The great mortality arising from diseases of
the respiratory organs is conceded fact, but 1t
Is not generally understood that nearly all the
graVer diseases OF the lower air passages take
their origin and rise from catarrh and affections
OF the throat, and yet such is the case. neg
lected catarrh of the head speedily extends it.
self to the throat from the throat the irritation
is carried onward and downward toward the
bronchial tubes, and once arrived there none can
tell when tubercles may form or how soon bron-
chltis may end in consumption. These pernici-
Gus results take place. SO frequently that the
hghest medical authorities of the day agree in
considering catarrh as one of the chief and most
frequent causes OF consumption. Some contend
fatal activity any latent predisposition which
may lurk in the system favorable to the develop
ment OF tubercular disease, while others regard
catarrh IN itself as the very first manifestation
OF consumption. All sides admit that diseased
CONDITION OF the nasal passages and throat ser-
ously lmpairs the functions of the lungs and ult-
mately lays the foundation to pulmonary trou-
bles, and my own experience fully confirms
these views.
Aside from its irritating effects upon the lungs
catarrh exercises depressing, debilitating, and
enervating effect upon the entire system, under
influence
constitution will in time break down. The patient
is unable to endure, resist, defy the changes of
the weather and temperature and other unfaVor-
able influences. and thus one by one the vital
powers give way. The mucous membrane be-
comes morbldly sensitive and, in spite OF the
utmost care, becomes affected from the slightest
causes, so that at last even breath of wind upon
the lining OF the nose or throat becomes produc-
tive OF cold and gives rise to q serious disturb
ance OF the respiratory organs. Thus the patient
Is subject TO frequent and repeated colds, each
one aggravating the disease by giving it new
impulse, and attacking a larger extent of surface
than It's predecessor. In this manner catarrh
spreads from organ to organ, invading the throat
ana lower air passages until l,encroaching further
ana further, 1t finally reaches the lungs and ends
IN consumption. This lamentabe result takes
place so frequently that 1t exhibits in a most
iorclble manner the great importance of attend
ing 10 tne catarrhal disease while il is yet con-
hned to the nasal cavities and throat. TO disre-
gard TINS warning is to invite the fatal inroads
OF the most deadly scourge known to the human
race, whereas judicious course of treatment
Dy uprootlng the catarrhal disease and restoring
the affected parts to their normal condition.
TREATMENT AND CURE.
Having shown the offensive character of ca
tarrh, the variety of forms under which it may
appear, the dangerous complications to which il
gives rise, and the pernicious effects it exercises
over the entire system, it will be readily admitted
that It's proper treatment is matter of para