HAY FEVER, HAY COLD, or HAr Asnittn, an affection characterized by a subacute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages, the eyes, and the bron chial tubes, with moresulless febrile disturbance, headaches, and occasionally asthmatic paroxysms. The indicate that the emanations from hay were the sole cause, but this is not so. The odorant matter of many flowers is as potent a cause, perhaps, as any other. Different persons are no doubt affected by different substances, the more profound cause of the disease being rather the predisposition or idiosyncrasy of the person than the peculiarity of the impinging emanation. The disease appearing only in the summer and autumn, would indicate that the idiosyncrasy requires the stimulus of some peculiar emanations only produced by nature during those seasons; but there is probably a peculiar state of the system which is only developed at those times, and only in certain persons. That the presence of the peculiar matter is as important as the idiosyncrasy is indicated by the fact that the affection soon declines after the appearance of frost. The disease will continue to annoy the patient for sev eral weeks unless he removes to a locality where the external cause does not exist, or succeeds in cutting it short by medical treatment, which, it is held, may sometimes be done. The complaint is rather more prevalent iu America than in Europe. It will not
be developed at sea, and, it is said, neither in northern Canada or the southern United States. Prof. Morril Wyman, in a work on hay fever (1872), says there are two forms, one called the rose cold or June cold, corresponding to the affection known in England. The other form he calls autumn catarrh. Dr. Wyman states that goino. to cool moun tain regions to any altitude above 800 ft. above the sea level, will give relief. Iodide of potassium, iodide of bromine, and strychnia are said to be useful as medicines, but it would be preferable to limit the treatment to removal to some locality where the disease is not developed. Prof. Helmholtz discovered minute vibrios in the mucous secretions of the air passages, upon the presence of which, it has been thought by some, the disease probably depends. The motions of these organisms have been arrested by quinine, and this drug has been suggested as a remedy, but no definite results have been obtained, and it is probably better, as above stated, to depend upon hygienic measures, including removal.