The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-07-24
Facts About sunssrske.

PHYSICALLY speaking, dying must be easy il
many of its more dreaded forms-if we can tyds
the story of those who have been near this Dor
der land. While in India, Gen. Napier was at
tackled with sunstroke, of which he afterward
wrote: my hope is to die by sne. for never car
death como In an easier share was Just deadly
sick: it was deadly had I been left alone; bu,
| the only feeling Of Tile transaction would have
| been tiredness ike that experienced at being
! suddenly walked up before time. This was to 6
degree almost TO be called painful then came g
pleasant drowsiness with anger that the doctors
would not let me Sleep" Concerning its chem.
istsy and cure, the Scientific American says:
The effects and the treatment of sunstroke are
we'll understood in this country, where the NAL
ady is one OF frequent occurrence-more frequent
probably, in the hottest months than in any 9th.
er part of the world. But the cause Of the
sunstroke ID % yet . mystery. The intense heat
Of mischief. The human body may be exposed
to the Turkish bath of laos, and remain in it an
hour without injury. This is . much higher
range of heat than that of the atmosphere at
which sunstroke occurs, viz: from 100 to 10 deg
lin the sum- Men working in zinc furnaces or
iron foundriss are subject to q heat above 100
deg, but they are not Frustrated to the ground
with the phenomena of the sunstroke. The human
organization is fitted to endure much higher
pitch of heat than any we have named. Exper-
iments are recorded Of men sitting quite comfort
able in ovens while chickens were slowly getting
brown by their side. How does it happen, then,
that in temperature of the open air, comparativ-
ely go low, men melt away las the popular say
ing isl with heat.
A writer in the Journal Of Commerce says, the
reason must be looked for in the character of the
suns rays. The heat Of the sun differs from
every other heat, ss the light of the sun differs
from every other kind of light. This is fact
SO well known as to need no demonstration. The
effect of the suns heat upon plants-as contrast
ed with artificial heats the most familiar. and,
perhaps, the most striking illustration at hand.
All animate and inanimate things are subject to
precisely tho Same great laws of nature and the
solar heat which makes the flowers droop and
close their petals, as If to shut out the dazzling
rays ia not without its marvellous chemical effect
upon the sensitive brain of man. The effect, we
say. is chemioal-just like the effect of poison.
Stryehnine, cyanide Of potassium, arsenic, NOR.
phine, and the other deadly drugs do not work
more marked organic changes in the system than
a sunstroke. The oountensnce of the victim is
dark, cloaded and injected with blood, and
post ns0rsem examination discloses congestion Of
the brain, lungs, and heart These are the eff
fects, varying in degree of the administration of
poisons. The chances of recovery from poisoning
are far better, if remedies are seasonably applied
than from sunstroke. The latter is almost al
ways fatal with persons OF delicate health or full
habit.
As to remedies, there is no improvements on
the old ones. The application of ice to the head
and under thearmpits, brandy and water, or 9TH
er stimulants, administered internally, a mustard
plaster on the stomach, vigorous chatting of the
body, and especially the hands feet, tanning, and
and plenty Of air. these restoratives sicacious
where anything is of avail.