Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-07-07
An Essay ON Sunsrroke.


Another illusien OF youth has vanished.
We are now told by ''an eminent physician"
that cases of sunstroke may occur in the
shade an we'll as in the sun. Here is what
the physician in quest on says in Hearth
and Home:
lone of the sacred promises to those who
are to inherit the better life is: That the
sun shall not light upon them, nor any
heat To the inhabitants of the dry and
thirsty lnd,' it is well remarked by an au-
thor on sunstroke. this promise was full OF
meaning. This disease, or. rather
accident has undoubtedly been recog-
nized in some form from the earli-
est periods of history. The sufferings of
armies in tropical climates, or during the
hot season in higher ATTITUDES. is frequent
ly due to the effects of heat Laborers ex-
posed to the steady action of the suns rays
in summer, and so sitnated or clothed as TO
interrupt free Precipitation, or by their hab-
its raising the temperature of the blood,
are liable to sunstroke 1t follows that So
called sunstroke may occur without expo
SIRE to the sun, and such is the case quite
frequently. All the conditions may be
present il the shade, and even when the
person is in state of rest.
Though not strictly correct, sunstroke
may, for practical purposes, be defined to
be an affection of the nervous system, due
to overheated blood. The term overheated
must be taken in relative and not literal
sense; for if the nervous system is in good
condition, and the functions of the body
otherwise well performed, the temperature
of the blood may be very much increased,
without dangerous or even injurious re-
suits. Bpl if the individual is greatly ia.
tigued, or poorly nourished, or weakened
by disease, so that the nervous system is
depressed or enfeebled, the effect of the
sudden elevation of the volume of blood
may prove most disastrous. This result is
produced, not by over-stimulation, but by
actual depression, for this is the recog-
nized effect of over-heated blood upon the
nervous centers. Whatever other or more
subtle causes may be operating upon the
individual. this one will be most apparent
and if avoided. viii save the exposed per-
son from an attack.
'.By far the larger number of victims OF
sun-stroke are the intemperate; they are
predisposed by an induced depression OF
the nervous system, to poor nutrition, and
by super heated blood from the use of
stimulants. They often fail dead in sum-
mer from the effects of heat, even while
sitting quietly in the shade. Among labor
ers and soldiers the intemperate are the
subjects of sun-stroke. The aged and in
firm are liable to be prostrated by heat
during the rise of temperature of the blood,
excited by the heat of external air. Feeble
children, also, often sink from pure ex-
haustion, due to the depression of heat
'The promonitory symptoms are heat,
dizziness, great thirst, suffusion OF the
eyes followed by fainting or insensibility,
like an attack of apoplexy.
GAS sunstroke depends upon several
conditions of varying intensity, % its at
tack may be slight or great, according to
these conditions. In some cases it Is but q
transient fainting, or perhaps only feeling
of slight depression, lasting for several
days, while in the severer forms death fol-
lows quickly, as though there had been a
veritable coup de sOltel, or stroke of the sun.
s1n the management OF this disease pre-
vention is eminently important 1t is an
affection which can always be prevented by
| proper precautions, and the preventive
The one prime object must be to keep
cool, and above all. to keep the head, the
seat of the great nervous centers cool. 1t
viii not do to cool the extremities simply,
for thus the blood is driven in upon the
brain and lungs and fatal mischief may
thus be created The whole body
should be kept in as nearly the
normal temperature as possible. This
may be done by dressing in
light and loose clothing, which allow the
cooling process of perspiration to go on un-
checked The Chinese fan their shaven
heads, and so. if we create current of ali
around us, we reduce temperature. We
should avoid all stimulating draughts
which excite circulation, and for the same
reason very active exercise becomes dan
gerous The feeble and exhausted should
be placed in airy rooms, and be gently
| famed. The lsborer should rest during
the heat of the day. drink cooling fluids.
and when at work frequently bathe the
head. neck and hands in cool water -
'sWhen the attack comes on the sufferer
should be taken to shade, a mustard
plaster should be applied, and over his
bare head, neck and chest cold water
should re dashed This is all that car
safely be Sone without medical advice"
4 A NICE STATE OF ApFA1Rs.-A San Fran.
cisco excursion party discovered, while or
their return, that tEeir steamer was drift
ling ont toward the Heads. and some o.
| them, on going to the wheel-house, found
the officer at the wheel TOO drunk to perform
his duty. They displaced him and put
deck-hand in his place. They then wen
below and found the engineer also intoxi
Gated, the boiler without water and in
critical condition. They installed new
/ engineer, let off the steam, lowered tn
fires and finally filed the boilers, got uI
steam and came safely into port
The last of the Canadian emigrants Il
the season sailed in the ships Ganges ana
Tweed, from LiverpooL0