9:00:00 AM
Dry Catarrh
Q. Is dry catarrh curable?
A. So-called dry catarrh is
a condition in which the secreting glands of
the mucous membrane of the nose have degenerated and in part disappeared, the
result of long continued inflammation and infection. There are two kinds
of these glands, those
that secrete serum, and those that form
mucus. The serous glands disappear first. The
result is that the thick mucus secretion accumulates and forms dry hard masses which decompose and cause erosions
of the mucous membrane and finally
ulcerations and after some years even
serious destruction of the nose. This condition is accompanied by a very bad odor of the breath, and often bleeding at the nose. There is an
uncomfortable dryness of the nasal passages
and of the throat due to the enlarged space resulting from atrophy of the
mucous membrane.
The complete cure of this condition is of course not possible, but much can be done to relieve its inconveniences. By daily cleansing and
disinfection of the nose, the fetor of the breath may
be largely removed. By application of a spray of vaseline, the sense of dryness may be
relieved. It is sometimes wise to introduce into the
widened nasal passages plugs of cotton to diminish the size of
the inlet. Every case of this sort should be
placed, for a time at least, under the care
of a good nose specialist.
A notable fact about nasal catarrh is that the disease is confined to house dwellers.
Wild people, who live in the open, do not suffer from nasal
catarrh. The same is true of civilized men
and women who live in the open air. Explorers and
soldiers in the field suffer little or not at
all from colds and catarrh. These are house diseases like pulmonary tuberculosis.
Many years ago the writer visited the tribe of Yuma
Indians living about the old Fort Yuma who at that time lived in their original
primitive simplicity. The men wore the G-string and the women little bark
aprons. The children were wholly nude. Catarrh was unknown. Some of the
children had been gathered into a school and were clothed. These all suffered
from catarrh. On inquiry, it was learned that the Indian parents attributed the catarrh
to the wearing of clothes.