The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-07-07
SunStrOke.
BY AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN.

ONE of the sacred promises to those
who are to inherit the better life is
"That the sun should not light upon
them, nor any heat" To the inhabitants
OF the "dry and thirsty land" it is wei
remarked by an author ON sunstrOke, this
promise was full If meaning. This dis
| ease, or rather accident, has undoubtedly
been recognized in some form from the
earliest periods of history The suffer
iDgs of armies in tropical climates or dur
ing the hot season in higher attitudes, is
| frequently due to the effects of heat.
LabOrers exposed to the steady action of
the suns rays in summer, and so situated
| or clothed as to interrupt free perspira-
ton, or by their habits raising the tenn
perature Of the blood, are liable to sun
stroke. 1t follows that so called sunstrOke
may occur without exposure to the sun,
and such is the case quite frequently. All
the conditions may be present in the
shade, and even when the person is in a
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 over
heated must be taken in a relative, and
not literal sense; for if the nervous sys
tenn is in good condition, and the func
tions OF the body otherwise well perform
ed, the temperature of the blood may be
very much increased, without dangerous
or even injurious results But if the in
dividual is greatly fatigued, or poorly
nourlshed, or weakened by disease, so
that the nervous system is depressed or
enfeebled, the effect of the sudden eleva-
tion of the temperature of the volume of
the DlOod may prove most disastrous
This result Is produced, not by Overstimu-
latlon, but by actual depression, for this
is the recognized effect of Overheated
blood upon the nervous centres. What
ever other and more subtle causes may be
operating upon the individual, this one
Will ce most apparent, and, if avoided,
Will save the exposed person from an at
tack.
BY far the larger number of victims of
sunstrOke are the Incorporate; they are
predisposed by an induced depression of
the nervous system, due to poor nutrition,
and by superheated blood from the use of
stimulants. They often fall dead in sum.
mer from the effects OF heat, even while
sitting quietly in the shade. Among la
borers and soldiers, the intemperate are
the subjects of sunstIoke. The aged and
intirM are liable to be prOstrated by heat,
due to the rise of temperature of the
blood, excited by the heated external air.
Feeble children, also, often sink from
pure exhaustion, due to the depression of
heat.
The premonitory symptoms are heat,
dizziness, great thirst, sufusion of the
eyes, followed by fainting, or insensibli
ty, like an attack of apoplexy.
As sunstroke depends upon several
conditions, ot ring intensity, So its at
tack may be slight or great, according to
these conditions. In some cases. 1T is but
transient fainting, or, perhaps, only a
feeling of slight depression, lasting for
several days, while in the severer forms,
death follows quickly, as though there
had been veritablc coup de SoleiI, or
stroke OF the sun.
In the management of this disease, pre-
vention is eminently important. 1t is an
affection which can always be prevented