Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-22
HAY FEVER HINTS.

1
| curing affection Of the mucous membrane
of the ocular and respiratory tracts" sa,
the authorities but there is so much un
certainty as to what really causes it tina
the authorities do little else but deveioI
theories that 90 far as finding the root o
the evil are practically useless. says o writer
in the New York Recorder.
Hay fever" is undoubtedly q misnomer
| for it is now known that the disease is mos,
prevalent long after the hay making is ovel
and the hay Is safely in the barns. "Rose
| cold" the early summer form of the disease
| generally comes in June. before the hay
making time, and though the rose cold" is
commonly attributed to floating pollen from
the flowers there Is no certainty about that.
Occasionally victims are found who suffer
both early and late, with cessation of the
disorder in July, and this only serves to
further puzzle the doctors. That humidity
causes the disease has never been proved.
In 1885, when there was an early drought,
with frequent and heavy rains in July, fol
lowed by revived vegetation in August, the
hay fever was the worst experienced in
years, and there is no certainty whether
this should be attributed to August humidity
or to the revived vegetation.
LEARNED doctors have held that a
wicked little bacillus is at fault, but if a bad
little bug does the mischief where does he
keep himself at seasons OF the year when
there is no hay. feverf Another theory. and
one which is perhaps better founded, Is that
the hay fever is an inherent nervous disor-
der associated with engagements of the mu-
cous membrane, and this has been so widely
accepted that the name Coryza Vasomotoria
to the sneeze, has been applied by the scien-
fists to the disease and pretty generally
adopted.
Awell- known New York doctor says that
he was brought to believe In the inherent
nervous disorder theory by observing o
patient who, though living in New York
one summer and In Savannah, Ga, the next
day in August both years and this in spite
OF the great difference in the climates OF
two cities and the marked difference in the
character OF the vegetation at that season
OF the year. He admits that vegetation may
have caused it, but he regards that as e1-
tremely doubtful under the changed condi-
tions, and he treats the disease as u nervous
argument he advances in support of the
theory Is that the sufferers are almost
all men and women who lead sedentary
lives. Cases of hay fever among the labor
under circumstances that would bring them
most in contact with floating nollen, are ex-
tremely rare, and it is for this reason that
the disease is regarded as fashionable, and
affected by foolish people who really never
have had 1t. There is great deal of'th1s
affectation among people who have slight
colds and who think hay fever1s "the proper
thing;' but real sufferers do not rejoice that
their disease is one iof the aristocracy like
gout, and physicians have no difficulty in
determining the real from the spurious
tor has proved to his own satisfaction that
hay lever is the result of anatomical NAL
formation of the nasal cavities. He oper-
ates upon his patients and uses electricity
with great success, it is claimed.
THESE are all mere theories and the
fact remains that no one really knows what
causes hay fever. The symptoms, however,
are known quantities though they vary
much in individual cases. About the middle
of August the eyes and pharynx begin to
itch like anything, and the sufferer sneezes
himself almost into a state of imbecility.
Sometimes the fun begins earlier and some
times later, but the middle Of August is the
average date. Citizens who are ordinarily
respectable looking develop redness of eyes,
redness of nose until they look like drunk
ards
sneezing seems to be provoked by most
trivial things. Bright light, cool currents of
air, hot currents of air and slight exposure
to the ordinary causes OF catarrh all set the
sufferer of into violent sneezing fits and
sometimes these fits occur when 1T is impos-
sible to assign any cause. They are most
when the victim is a guest at dinner, or is
being introduced to pretty girl upon whom
he is particularly desirous of making an im-
preston. The least exertion increases the
paroxysm. After the ordinary sneeze the
sneezer experiences a feeling Of relief, but
after the hay fever sneeze there is none
and the sneezer sneezes right along without
getting any satisfaction.
At the end of about a week after the first
attack the throat generally becomes as dry
as chimney, and the victim, II he hasn't
high moral principles. generally takes to
mean, tickish cough develops and rivals the
sneezing.
Fortunately hay fever patients never get
any further than this stage and suffer along
on the same old lines until the last part OF
September, but In very many cases asth-
matte symptoms of varying acuteness fol-
low, and, from the most severe, death some
times results. The asthmatic turn OF the
disease generally takes place about August
25 and is generally brought on by an un-
usually severe coughing spell, or exertion,
or by change of wind accompanied by
thunderstorm.
NOT the least puzzling feature of this
mysterious disease is the places that are
free from it. Not one OF them is altogether
free from pollen, and even the advocates of
the nervous disorder. anatomic malforma.
tion and organic change theories admit that
pollen, dust, heat, humidity and electric con-
dit1ons of the atmosphere promote the dis
ease. Seaside places that are free from the
scourge, and there are many of them, are
only those that receive no land breezes ex-
cept those that pass over long stretches of
water first, Every physician has his favor
ite spot.
the physicians in hay fever cases are as varf-
GUS as are their theories as to its cause.
President Chester A. arthur was sufferer
from the disease. Upon the advice of O
VorR nh ciau ha rod 10
nostrils with solution of tannin and al
ways found temporary relief. In the acute
cases with asthmatic symptoms, physicians
most m Isl valuable remedy Chloral, musk, cam.
phor, asafetida and stramonium have their
advocates and good results have probably
been obtained with all. Burning .saltpeter
papers and various cigarettes with which
anodyncs are Incorporated afford relief,
according to the anodynes used, and some
OF them are undoubtedly very valuable to
the sufferer both in the mild and acute
stages OF the diseases.
THOSE who go to the mountain or seaside
hay fever resorts to avoid their annual at
tacks should be careful to go before the at
tack has begun, for there have been many
cases where the disease obtained o start and
was aggravated by the dust OF travel to such
an extent that the relief expected at the re-
sort did not materia!i&e, and the victim SUI
The tourney should be made as much as
by boat, and if travel by rail is un-
ayoida BILE it should be taken on -ainY day
to avoid dust
Arrived at the retreat, care should by no
means be relaxed. The patient should eat
only simple, nourishing food and should
avoid all undue exertion. He should wear
light wooden clothing. with thin flannel
next the skin; and should bathe frequently
with water at an even medium tempe ature
The causes of ordinary colds and catarrhs
should be carefully avoided. Alcoholic
drinks should not be taken. but OH smoking
there is a wide difference of opinion. Some
phy sicians absolutely forbid hay fever pa
tients. particularly those Whose disorder