Catarrh

ka-tar', in medicine, an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the air passages of the head and throat. The membrane throws off an offensive discharge of matter freely. Catarrh differs from diphtheria in that the surface of the membrane is not destroyed, nor does it become covered with patches of false growth. Like bleeding, catarrh is not a disease; but it is a symptom of some general cause--some general disorder of the mucous membrane. It arises frequently from a severe cold. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach or other tubular organs may also occur, and is also termed catarrh. See Disease