New methods in nasal therapy. Studies based on animal experimentation.

Abstract

Animal experimentation, of recent years, yielded some unexpected results, opening new aspects for clinical rhinology when applied to humans. It was observed at the institute of Dr. Sellye during large-scale stress experiments that at a certain stage of the stress reaction and independently of the applied stressor, all animals developed a rather abundant hemorrhagic secretion from eye and nose. The flow started a few hours after the initiation of the stress exposure, but it usually lasted for only a limited time. Similar stress reactions, as undercooling, lead, as a predisposing factor, to various acute diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In this way, the question arose as to how far a similar, general stress reaction may dispose the mucous membranes to different diseases. The experiments were done on rats, with immobilization used as the general stressor. The animals were taped with adhesive to a wooden board for 12, 24, or