30 JOURNAL OF THE [January, 



III. The nasal membrane is kept moist by the secretion from 



the mucous glands. 



The mucous membrane is covered with ciliated epithelium, 

 the cilia being continually in a state of motion. Now if, from 

 any cause, these cilia are in a state of hyperactivity, it can be 

 seen how the mucous, instead of accumulating and keeping the 

 membranes moist, will be thrown off, as it accumulates, and the 

 membrane, becoming dry, is easily irritated by the presence of 

 foreign bodies. This, seems to me to be a possible explanation 

 of the fact, that Hay-Fever attacks only the favored few ; the 

 hyperactivity of the cilia depending on the Neurotic diathesis 

 of the patient. It is well known that the atmosphere is filled 

 with bacilli of different species, which are innoxious until they 

 find a mucous membrane favorable to their growth. The Hay- 

 Fever bacillus has not yet been captured ; and it is possibly 

 lurking in the air we breathe, waiting to pounce down on the 

 mucous meinbrane of those of us, who present a favorable pre- 

 disposition. The ideas presented are merely suggestive, there 

 being no space for their discussion in this paper. 



On starting this paper, I had determined to make no mention 

 of symptomatology. The symptoms are well known to most of 

 you here present. But certain circumstances have determined 

 me to speak of a very distressing one. The difficulty of breath- 

 ing, and tightness about the chest, and cough, are regarded by 

 many as the extension of the pharyngeal inflammation to the 

 air-cells of the lungs. When the cellular tissue of the lungs 

 becomes inflamed, something more serious than an asthmatic 

 attack is going to happen. In fact I do not consider Hay- 

 Fever to be accompanied by inflammation ; for inflammation 

 always leads to proliferation, and destruction of tissue. I 

 regard it merely as a congestion, which does not get as far as 

 inflammation. These chest symptoms are plainly due to irrita- 

 tion of branches of the pneumogastric nerve. As we know, 

 branches of this nerve are distributed to the lungs ; it has also 

 branches which form a part of the pharyngeal plexus. There 

 can be no question that stimulation of this plexus will excite the 

 branches which supply the lungs. 



The Treatment. — Numerous remedies are proposed every 

 year, but none of them do more than give partial or temporary 

 relief, A gentleman, visiting a suburban town, had occasion to 



