The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-01
Lung Diseases.

Al IIllS season OF the year There IL
danger that, from carelessness and i'm.
proper exposure, the foundation Of Sc
rious lung diseases will be laid by many
persons who are now. rejoicing in
health. We are now subjected to great
extremes of heat and cold-heat in the
house and cold out of doOrs-and in
making sudden transitions from one to
the other, we encounter no slight dan
ger. The lungs are peculiarly sensi-
tive to these changes, and are very liza
ble to become diseased and it, should
be borne in mind that the most fatal
disease of the lungs often commences
with q common cold. Frequently the
progress of disease is so slow as to Gre
ate no alarm until it has gone so far as
to be beyond the skill of man to cure.
First there. is little cold and cough,
then weakness and a harder cough,
succeeded by fever and might sweats,
with all the marks of fatal disease
Thus the "slight cold" in short time
becomes seated lung consumption,
which leads to an early and inevitable
grave. Therefore, / say, beware of
colds; avoid them as much as possible,
and when one is taken, rest not until
it is cured.
As "an ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure" a few simple and
practical directions for avoiding colds
may be useful to some Of my readers.
l. Keep the feet dry. 1t is better for
a young lady to wear thick shoes, and
to have warm and dry feet, than to
die an early death from consumption,
induced Vy having the feet cold and
wet. A Young man had better wear
hides" and be well, than to wear
thin shoes and be continually suffering
from colds and coughs. At,Cdys, after
getting the feet wet, dry them by the
fire as sOon as possible.
>. Wear clothes enough to keep ,cdi'nl.
Do no not gosout in the cold bareheadf Z
ed, or unprotected in any other way
1t may not be fashionable to dress
warmly, but that should have nothing
to do with the matter. "The body is
more than raiment," and its protection
ought to be of more importance than
fashion. It is better to be little rustic
than to die before reaching half the al
lotted age of man, from disease occa-
stoned by fashionable dressing.
8. Sleep sCaTnlly. Do this with as
little covering as possible, but do 1t at
all hazards, even if it takes twice as
MANY clothes as you think it ought to.
Neper GO to bed with cold feet. If you
cannot keep them warm in any other
way, get u soapstone, heat 1t every
night, and keepit near your feet. Bet.
ter be "effeminate, or "old>.naidishfp
than to have the sleep disturbed, and
thus the foundation laid for disease, by
trying to sleep with cold feet. So much
for the ordinary home life. But the
greatest danger is not at home, but
away; concerts, lectures, parties and
furnish excellent Op.
portunities for taking cold. To leave
q crowded room, which is generally ILL
heated from seventy to
ninety degrees above zero, and go at
once into an atmosphere from five to
fifteen degrees below zero, is not very
safe operation for any person, and is es-
dangerous for those who have
any tendency to lung disease, unless
they are well protected. ego ,sl
1t is always best when going to such
q place to take an extra garment to
put on when going out, and always re-
when leaving heated room
to go out into the cold to shut the mouth,
and keep it shut for several minutes
The chill will be taken from the air by
breathing through the nose, and the
lungs will thus become gradually ac-
customed to the cold.
If the above simple suggestions are
needed, many a cough and cold will be
Remember that health is
one of the greatest blessings of this
earthly life, and that when it is once.
lost, its full restoration is matter o
very great uncertainty. Let "a word
to the wisen be " sufficient"
McDoNALD.