Diseases of the Nose, Throat, and Ear, and Their Accessory Cavities (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ...hours, but in other cases the duration may be five or six days. Diagnosis.--Membranous croup may be mistaken for laryngeal diphtheria, acute laryngitis, or laryngismus stridulus. It may be difficult sometimes to distinguish croup from diphtheria. In croup the constitutional disturbance is less profound than in diphtheria. Obstruction to breathing is really the principal symptom of croup. Slight catarrhal symptoms and indisposition may exist for several days before the attack of croup, but the diphtheric attack is sudden and accompanied with severer symptoms. Croup is neither infectious nor contagious; diphtheria is both. In nearly every case of diphtheria there is a false membrane in the pharynx, but this is not true of croup. The difficult breathing of croup appears suddenly, while that of diphtheria is more gradual and lacks the spasm of croup. No other member of the family or community catches croup; diphtheria spreads to others, and has paralysis as a sequel, while croup has not. In case of doubt a bacteriological examination should be made. Acute laryngitis resembles croup in some respects, but it is attended by more pain in the larynx, less difficulty in respiration, and by no formation of false membrane. Croup is a disease of childhood, while laryngitis is generally confined to later years. The peculiar crowing sound of croup does not occur in laryngitis. The cough of the two diseases differs, that of croup having a deeper hoarseness and not being so short and hacking as in laryngitis. Laryngismus stridulus does not present the symptoms of sickness like croup. There is no fever and the labored respiration comes on quickly and subsides in a few minutes. The voice remains normal between the attacks. Prognosis.--Membranous croup is a...