{|  Diagnosis. — There  is  no  difficulty  in  the  diagnosis  of   simple  acute

!  nasal  catarrh.     Healthy  new-born  infants  are  not  likely  to   suffer  from

snuffles.  This  affection,  when  associated  with  ophthalmia,  is  due  to  the
same  specific  infection.  When  due  to  syphilis  it  is  associated  with  charac-
teristic lesions.  Acute  nasal  catarrh  in  children,  due  to  the  lodgement  of
foreign  bodies,  is  prolonged,  and  the  discharge,  after  a  time,  is  frequently
admixed  with  blood.  Furthermore,  it  is  almost  always  one-sided.  In  such
|.  cases  a  careful  examination  of  the  nasal  chambers  must  be  made.     The

I  I  progress  of  a  case  of  measles  or  influenza  will  speedily  dissipate  any  uncer-

■  tainty  as  to  the  nature  of  the  acute  catarrh  with  which  each  of  these  diseases

begins.    The  coryza  of  iodism  ceases  upon  the  withdrawal  of  the  drug.
I


ii.  Chronic  Nasal  Catarrh.
Definition. — Chronic  catarrhal  inflammation  of  the  mucous  mem-
brane of  the  nasal  cavities.  The  cases  may  be  arranged  in  three  groiip.s —
rhinitis  simplex,  rhinitis  hypertrophica,  and  rhinitis  atrophica.
Etiology. — Repeated  attacks  of  acute  nasal  catarrh  may  end  in  the

chronic  form  of  the  disease.    Habitual  exposure  to  cold  and  draughts,  a

changeable  and  humid  atmosphere,  and  the  constant  inhalation  of  dust

are  among  the  causes  of  chronic  rhinitis.     Insuflficient  food,  inadequate

clothing,  improper  ventilation,  want  of  sunlight  and  fresh  air,  and  other

unhygienic  conditions  are  predisposing  influences.     Chronic  nasal  catarrh

is  frequently  a  manifestation  of  local  syphilitic  or  tuberculous  processes.
