Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-12-24
influence of Colds on Human Health,


The editors have often expressed the
lopinion that colds were one Of two Of the
most prolific causes of human disease and
premature death. Thus, let . person 6e
ipredisposed ever so much to consumption,
as long as he can keep from taking colds,
his cohsump:ive tendency will lie DOR
man. till he is old; yet even those Of
sound lungs often induce this disease by
severe and repeated colds. Those who
are afflicted or have afflicted themselves
with rheumatics, if they can keep from ia
king colds, get along comfortably; but
the momert they &c; cold, rheumatic
pain. torture them in exact proportion to
its severity and duration. Those whose
decayed teeth ache, at times, suffer only
ehen they hare taken a cold, and to break
up that cold, j. to kill such toothsche-
CONSTIPATION Of tie bowels, and all is
evils, are greatly aggravated BY eolds-
So are pslpitation Of the heart, indigestion,
SORES, boi!s, and. in fact, every species Of
/ disease. And what are the various forms
of feyers but coldsy No fever ever yet
occurred not induced, directly, by severe
GA. Not but that other causes of fevers
exist. Indeed, fevers are only fires, kin
lled by nature, to burn up morbid matters
in the system. and are friends to life, and
hence should not be broken up, but al
lowed to unload the system Of disease
yet, as long as the pores are kept open,
such morbid matter is unloaded about a.
fast as it sccumulates, whereas, just as soon
as this avenue of escape is closed by colds
II and in what else do colds consist but in
closing such avenues,-this morbid matter
accumulates to such degree as to essen
TALLY interfere With. if not threaten, the
life-p power, which power kindles up this
fever-fire to burn out this rubbish. Fevers
always greatly increase the respiration, or
amount Of air, and Of course, oxygen in
hailed, which is another proof of this theo-
ry. What does the oxygen we inspire do
but combine with the carbon elaborated by
the stomach? Nothing whatever. OF
course whatever increases the supply of
oxygen, thereby proportionally enhances
the consumption of carbon, which fsvers
do. My theory Of disease is, that almost
all forms and degrees of disease are conse-
qusnt on the dperabundance of carbon in
the system, and hence that the two chief
causes Of disease are colds and over-eating
the former arresting the evacuation Of
this carbon through the skin, and thus over
loading the system, and the latter supply
ing an excess Of this element. And this
theory Of disease is strengthened by the
fact, that Of all other means Of killing
colds, fasting is the most effec,uL Let
whoever has cold eat nothing whatever
for two days, and his cold viii be gone,
provided he is not confined in bed be-
cause BY taking no carbon into the system
BY food, but consuming that surplus which
caused his disease by breath, he soon car
ries of his disease by removing its cause
And this plan Of fasting will be found the
more effectual if be adds copious water
drinking to protracted fasting. By the
time person, able to be about, but suffer-
ing, however severely, from cold, has
tasted one entire day and night, he will
begin to experience relief, lightness, a
freedom from pain, and clearness Of
mind in delightful contrast with that men,
tai stupor and physical pain caused By
colds. And how infinitely better this
method Of breaking up colds and freeing
the system Of disease, than medicines, es-
pecially than violent poisons.
Several physiological facts and obsesva-
tons, Cleaned by intercourse with men
in different and opposite situations in life,
have greatly surprised me, yet are perfect
ly explainable in the above theory. One
Of these facts appertains to the lumber
men Of Maine and Northern New England.
From the time they go into the pine region,
In September or October, till they return,
in May or June, they are rarely ever sick,
or have the slightest cold or ailment Of any
kind: and ret they live in log cabins, full
of airholes, and a large opening on the top
for the exit Of smoke; sleep on aemlock
boughs, with cne large BLANKET under and
another over some eight Or ten Of them;
eat only before delight, mornings, and
after it, nights, live mainly on beans and
pork, with cot bread and strong tea; and
wallov In snow and water the entire wiz
tel, often wet by getting into swamps and
streams, and despccially when 'on the drive,'
that is, urging their logs along through
the water to their general rendezvous, OF
from that to their mills, soaking wet about
all the time, day sitter day, and night after
night What puzzled me most Was thai