Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-02-12
copyright. 1914. by A. S. Gray) y
HAY FEVER.

Hyperesthetic rhinitis. commonly
known as hay fever" rose cold"
"autumnal catarrh," and so forth, is
a condition characterized annually by
paroxysms of sneezing. accompanied
by varying degrees of coryza tcold in
the head) more or less prolonged. 1t
Is acute catarrhal Inflammation of the
mucous membrane of the nasal cavi
ties, the eyes and the respiratory
tract, sometimes accompanied with
fever and asthma.
Hay fever RACES during August
and September. and the popular belief
is that the pollen of the goldenrod is
responsible for it; but ragweed, trees,
grasses and other plants, including the
cereal grains, also cats. dogs. sheep,
chickens. horses and cows all do their
part in adding to the atmospheric dust
to which so many are representative.
Besides these dusts, chemical fumes
and many pungent odors also have
their victims. But it is not necessary
to the condition that even the irri
tant should enter the nose. Tor exam
pie. there are probably few persons
who have not under certain temporary
physical conditions experienced sneez-
ing violently several times immediate
ly on stepping from a dense shade
into the bright sunlight-that is a re-
fiex irritation - and unfortunately
many individuals are so adjusted that
under certain conditions the irritation
of any, area supplied by the fifth
nerve sutfices to create distress;
hence, bright light entering the
eyes may irritate the hyperesthetic
ciliary nerve filaments and for a long
time maintain reflex symptoms in the
nose.
In addition to the dust. light, heat,
cold and other external agencies.
there are more immediate local irrita-
tons so frequently to be found in the
neurotics, consisting of turbinal en-
largements, ethmoid, frontal or maxil-
larry sinusitis, detected septum, polypi
and eyestrains. But generally these
must be considered concomitant to the
fundamental physical condition and
not the immediate cause of the explo-
sions. Many patient has been treat
ed and operated upon with a view to
the removal of the irritation through
the correction Of one or more Of these
local morbid conditions. only to have
the hay fever paroxysms continue
from year to year without abatement:
while others have been relieved. .
1t is generally accepted that only
two factors are necessary for the
causation Of hay fever; namely, first.
an internal condition which will in
sure an abnormal sensitiveness Of the
nerve centers and fllaments; and. sec
ond, an external irritation.
We take it quite as matter Of
course, because 1t is universally
known, that an i'll nourished or
hungry baby will be fretful and pee
Wish, and we are not at all surprised at
very marked evidence of irritability in
a convalescent formerly noted for gen.
eral calmness and self-possession.
Hence it should require no great
strain or stretch of ones imaginative
powers to be able to apply. the same
principle to the individual cells com.
posing our bodies and to comprehend
that the neurotic temperament IS fund.
amentally a matter OF defective
metabolism, because of which the In
dividual cells are not properly nour-
ished. The universal remedy for a
fretful infant is proper nutrition; the
universal remedy for the irritable con-
valescent is proper nutrition, and so.
too. the remedy for the hay fever vic
tim is to build up stable nervous
system by means of proper nutrition.
The authorities are agreed that
among the personal habits which pre-.
dispose to hay fever are the habitual
use of narcotics and alcoholic stimu-
lants, excessive excitement and over
exertion and what are known as the
rheumatic aud equity tendencies. This
all points in the direction of defective
metabolism. Moreover, Sajous rec
ommends as preventive the use of
thyroid extract, commencing four
weeks before the onset of the periodic
attack. Obviously, if the use Of the
thyroid extract for four weeks prior
to the expected attack is of any value
as a preventive, 1t is reasonable to
assume that such hygienic steps as
will lead to an increased activity of
ones own thyroid secretion, begin
ming right at this time and continuing
without interruption up to and
through the next season, must inev.
itably produce some modification in