Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-08-10
mcr Complaints

certain complaints, the newspapers, according
to custom, are publishing their various modes
of prevention and cure; and these are quite as
numerous as their authors, no two agreeing up
on any mode Of practice. Such things remind
us Of cures for a cold or toohache, things which
have become proverhisl for infinite series in
number. The story books say that If a man dis.
closes cold or toOthache TO company Of eld-
erly ladies', married or single, he will be fur
nished with score Of different recipes from
each. The fact proves both the bencvo'ence
and the extensive curative resources OF the
worthy advisers A journal before us ascrbes
all such complaints to unripe fruit, and recon-
mends cold bath in the morning as an eifec-
tual preventive. We must look little deeper
than this journal into physiology, pathology and
therapeutics, if we would not have the elderly
ladies of both sexes denounce us for quackery.
BY summer complaints we mean dysen'ery
and other complaints in which the stomach and
bowels are principally effected. The principal
cause of such complaints in hot weather is
cold. The system being dcbitated by hot
weather, is less able to endure sudden changes
Of temperature in July and August, than at
other seasons of the year; and at this season,
such changes are more frequent and sudden,
and the system is less defended against them
by clothing. In August especially, drafts of
cold air are common in hot days; aud sweep
ing over skin of copiouS perspration, and
thinly clad, they produce sudden paralysis of
that important organ. The cons, quence is a
check To the insensible perspiration, which i,
healthy ADULTS, varies from two to four pounds
daily. And as hot weather, by promoting per-
spiraton. producers thirst, and as thirst creates
desire for drinking, and as the momentarily
refreshing sensation produced by iced water
stimulates this desire, pcrsplration is necessari
ly greater, and its sudden arrest more injurious
in sumaer than in winter. Then as this mat
ter, which must be discharged from the sys-
TEN, cannot escape through the skin when that
organ is parayzed, it must escape through some
other avenue /; and as this new avenue is over
taxed, disease is the consequence. Then ifit
escapes through the nose, it produces catarrh ;
through the lungs, cough and expcctora,ion ;
through the bowels, dysentery. The more the
system be debiitated, the nearer will disease
approach the organs most essential TO vitality :;
and Of these the stomach and bowels are first,
as patient soon sinks under disease of them,
| while he may live much longer under disease
ofthe lungs. Then as the system is more de-
bilitated in summer than in winter. the insen-
IShln Nor trat,, tod gr,,tY a,i.,
through the skin, will fall sooner on the bowels
than on the nose or lungs; aud hence catarrhs
and coughs are most common in winter and
dysenteries most common in summer. We may
add that through intemperance in eating or
drinking, whether Of fruit or s,cohol or any
thing else, the bowels may he debilitaed and
as the nsensbe perspIration, impeded by the
natural channel, always falls upon the weakest
part it would, in summer, most probably fall on
the bowels. Therefore we trace bowel com
plants TO cold, and consider intemperance as a
secondary, not n primary cause.
What then, is the best mode OF prevention
We answer, defence of the bowels by clothing
and other means of avoiding exposure, aud
maintaining the healthy activity of the skin
Therefore, we say TO ALL and especially children
and elderly people, wear an additional covering
on the region OF the bowels, avoid exposure tC
cool drafts, especially when in perspration, and
rub the skin daily with brush or towel. We
also advise temperance in the use of fruit, ice
and meats, and total abstinence from alcoho
by the healthy. Stimulan's may be necessar,
TO some cOnvalescents, and the spices are in
finitely more salutary than alcohol.
The recommendation of a cold bath is no
good for all, as some cannot endure it. The
whole efficacy of cod baths depends upon re
action, or driving the blood from the surface Il
the centre, for the purpose of having il driver
more et'ectualy from the centre TO the surface
BY this process a more active circulation in tn
skin is procured, if the system be vigorous 9
nough for the purpose. But in any feeble sui
jects, the cold, which is the greatest Of all de
bilitating causes, would dcbllitate still NOR,
because not counreracted by reaction, for whic
> the system is not strong enough.
: But when bowel complaints exist, know
y ledge of the case will sugges, the cure. Iftf
= cause is parayzed skin, that function mu
be excited and for this purpose, warm bal
- and mild stmulants to the stomach are bcs
y The food should be soups easily assimllated, a,
!. well peppered. Bleeding, opium, calomel, q
~ debltating agents, should be scrupuously