CATARACT 



1224 



CATBIRD 



greatly diminish the tendency to its develop- 

 ment. 



The development of the disease is usually 

 slow, without pain or inflammation. The 

 vision is affected in greater or less degree, de- 

 pending upon the location, number, form, size 

 and density of the non-transparent areas the 

 cataract produces in the lens. When the 

 greater portion of the lens has become affected, 

 the pupil, which is normally black in color, 

 assumes a grayish or white appearance, and 

 such a cataract is designated as a ripe, or 

 mature, cataract; if only a small portion of 

 the lens is affected, the cataract is designated 

 as unripe, or immature. 



The vision of an eye affected with a mature 

 cataract is reduced to blindness, while that 

 of an immature cataractous eye varies in pro- 

 portion as the cataract is developed. If the 

 non-transparent spots or opacity of the cataract 

 be located in the center of the lens, vision 

 may be considerably affected, even though 

 the opacity itself be small in size, owing to 

 to the fact that an opacity in such a situation 

 interferes greatly with the entrance of the 

 light rays to the retina of the eye; if the 

 spots or opacities be located at some distance 

 from the center of the lens, vision may be only 

 slightly affected. 



Interference with vision is the chief, and in 

 the majority of cases the only, disturbance a 

 cataract causes a patient. These visual dis- 

 turbances manifest themselves in different 

 ways, such as fogginess of vision, seeing 

 double or multiplying objects, floating specks 

 before the eyes, etc. Often the development 

 in old people of the change in vision called 

 popularly "second-sight," permitting them to 

 read comfortably without reading glasses which 

 had previously been necessary, is an early 

 manifestation of a beginning cataract. 



There is no drug or medical treatment which 

 will "dissolve," "absorb," or "take off" a cata- 

 ract. The various advertised remedies claim- 

 ing such powers are snares and deceits, and the 

 exploiters of them are quacks and imposters. 

 In the early stages of a beginning senile cata- 

 ract, the patient may often be made comfort- 

 able by proper regulation of the demands 

 made upon his eyes and the wearing of 

 properly-fitted glasses, which require, as a rule, 

 frequent changing. After the cataract has 

 reached maturity, or is ripe, a surgical opera- 

 tion is the only scientifically-recognized method 

 of restoring vision. The operation is usually 

 successful. 



Each variety of cataract enumerated re- 

 quires a special management and treatment 

 suited to its particular type. See EYE. BJ.T. 



CATARACT. See WATERFALL. 



CATARRH, katahr', in the broadest sense, 

 the name applied to inflammation of any 

 mucous membrane. Such a condition is accom- 

 panied by profuse discharge of the natural 

 secretion and is designated according to the 

 seat of irritation, as gastric catarrh, intestinal 

 catarrh, catarrh of the bladder, etc. More 

 frequently the term is applied to chronic 

 irritation of the nasal passages. Acute attacks 

 of nasal catarrh have symptoms similar to 

 those of a severe cold spasms of sneezing, 

 watery discharge from nose and eyes, feeling 

 of weight about the forehead, etc. (see COLD). 

 Neglect of chronic catarrhal trouble is some- 

 times responsible for impaired sight or hear- 

 ing. This condition should be treated by a 

 competent physician. W.A.E. 



CATAWBA, kataw'ba, a formerly powerful 

 tribe of Indians who lived along the Catawba 

 River in North and South Carolina. When 

 first known they were the most important tribe 

 south of the Ohio River, next to the Cherokee. 

 They were agriculturists, but were constantly 

 at war with the Iroquois and other northern 

 tribes. They favored the British in the 

 French and Indian War, and aided the Amer- 

 icans in the Revolution. War, disease and 

 dissipation caused their numbers rapidly to 

 decrease, until now but very few remain, and 

 these live on a reservation in York County, 

 South Carolina. For their customs and habits, 

 see INDIANS, AMERICAN. 



CATBIRD, a common American bird of the 

 mocking bird family, so named because one 

 of its calls sounds like the mewing of a cat. 

 It is a creature of moods and attitudes. Some- 

 times it is seen proudly perched, tail erect, 

 singing the sweet- 

 est of songs, often 

 in imitation of 

 other birds; at 

 other times it will 

 be seen head and 

 tail down, with a 

 dejected appear- 

 ance. It is found 

 throughout the 

 Northern and 

 Middle states 

 and Southern CATBIRD 



Canada, in thickets and shrubberies, where it 

 lives an active existence, chiefly in the pursuit 



