Nose and Throat

Membranous croup is diphtheria of the lower part of the throat (larynx), in the region of the Adam’s apple. If in a case of what appears to be ordinary croup the symptoms are not soon relieved by treatment, or if any membrane is coughed up, or if, on inspection of the throat, it is possible […]

Children often put foreign bodies in their nose, as shoe buttons, beans, and pebbles. They may not tell of it, and the most conspicuous symptoms are the appearance of a thick discharge from one nostril, having a bad odor, and some obstruction to breathing on the same side. If the foreign body can be seen, […]

Tonsilitis is a germ disease and is contagious. Exposure to cold and wet and to germ laden air renders persons more liable to attacks. It is more likely to occur in young people, especially those who have already suffered from the disease and whose tonsils are chronically enlarged, and is most prevalent in this country […]

( including Adenoids, Chronic Tonsilitis, Deviation of the Nasal Septum, Enlarged Turbinates, and Polypi ). Any obstruction in the nose causes mouth breathing and gives rise to one or more of a long train of unfortunate results. Among the disorders producing mouth breathing, enlargement of the glandular tissue in the back of the nose and […]

The consideration of diphtheria will be limited to emphasizing the importance of calling in expert medical advice at the earliest possible moment in suspicious cases of throat trouble. For, as we noted under tonsilitis, it is impossible in some cases to decide, from the appearance of the throat, whether the disease is diphtheria or tonsilitis. […]

Chilling of the surface of the body favors the occurrence of colds, in which lowered bodily vitality allows the growth of certain germs always present upon the mucous membrane lining the cavities of the nose. Dust and irritating vapors also predispose to colds. Overwarm clothing makes a person susceptible to colds, while the daily use […]

When there is a cavity in an aching tooth it should be cleaned of food, and a little pledget of cotton wool wrapped on a toothpick may be used to wipe the cavity dry. Then the cavity should be loosely packed, by means of a toothpick or one prong of a hairpin, with a small […]

Croup is an acute laryngitis of childhood, usually occurring between the ages of two and six years. The nervous element is more marked than in adults, so that the symptoms appear more alarming. The trouble frequently arises as part of a cold, or as a forerunner of a cold, and often is heralded by some […]

There are various forms of inflammation of the mouth, generally dependent upon the entrance of germs, associated with indigestion or general weakness following some fever or other disease. Unclean nipples of the mother or of the bottle, or unclean bottles, allow entrance of germs, and are frequent causes. Irritation of a sharp tooth, or from […]

This is an acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx. The larynx is that part of the throat, in the region of the Adam’s apple, which incloses the vocal cords and other structures used in speaking. Hoarseness is commonly due to extension of catarrh from the nose in cold in the head and […]

An “ulcerated tooth” begins as an inflammation in the socket of a tooth, and, if near its deepest part, causes great pain, owing to the fact that the pus formed can neither escape nor expand the unyielding bony wall of the socket. This explains why an abscess near the tooth is so much more painful […]

The milder sore throat is commonly the beginning of an ordinary cold, although sometimes it is caused by digestive disorders. Exposure to cold and wet is, however, the most frequent source of this form of sore throat. Soreness, dryness, and tickling first call attention to the trouble, together with a feeling of chilliness and, perhaps, […]

A small, shallow, yellow ulcer, appearing on the inside of the lips or beneath the tongue during some disorder of the digestion. It is very tender when touched and renders chewing or talking somewhat painful. Treatment consists of touching the ulcer carefully with the point of a wooden toothpick which has been dipped in pure […]

Quinsy is a peritonsilitis; that is, it is an inflammatory disease of the tissues in which the tonsil is imbedded, an inflammation around the tonsil. The swelling of these tissues thrusts the tonsil out into the throat; but the tonsil is little affected. Quinsy involves the surrounding structures of the throat, and usually results in […]

Nosebleed is caused by blows or falls, or more frequently by picking and violently blowing the nose. The cartilage of the nasal septum, or partition which divides the two nostrils, very often becomes sore in spots, owing to irritation of dust laden air, and these crust over and lead to itching. Then “picking the nose” […]