Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-07-08
sunStroke-so.calIed

The kilograms in TIE STAR for the last week
have shown an unparalleled number Of cases of
suDstrOke in the principal cities of the country
or rather, cuTiOusly enough, in the northern
cities. Dropping in to-day upon DR.. Toner,
who has made health and mortuary sta
tistics somewhat of a study, we found upon
his desk a table he had prepared, showing
from the census returns the mortality of the
United States by sunstroke for 1870, with the sex
and age of the victims. The census figures,
though doubtless imperfect as to the number of
deaths serves to give the data for estimating the
ratio for different parts of the country and
the different ages and the sex OF those effected.
From this table and from the views and observa-
tions OF DIR. Toner on the general subject of sun
stroke We gather the following particulars that
will have an interest for the readers of TIE
STAR at this time. The whole number of
deaths by suDstroke reported for 1870 by the
census was 397, and the percentage of males to
females attacked was about to 1; there being
of this number $40 males and 81 females.
Alabama had cases; Arizona, none; Arkansas,
2 California, 3; Colorado, none; Connecticut, 4;
Dakota, none; Delaware, 1; District Of
Columbia, 8; Florida, Jour most tropical
stated nonei Georgia, 8; Idaho, none; Illi-
DOis, AZ; Indiana, Z; Iowa, Z; Kansas,
3; Kentucky, 10; Louisiana, IL; Maine, 2;
Maryland, -; Massachusetts,, 10; Michigan, 2;
Minnesota, 1; Mississippi, 2; Missouri, 80; Mon
tana, none; Nebraska, none; Nevada, 2; New
Hampshire, 1; New Jersey, Z; New Mexico, 1;
New York, 81; North Carolina, 8; Ohio, 81; Ore
gon, none; Pennsylvania, 80; Rhode Island, 1;
South Carolina, 6; Tennessee, Z; Texas, east of
the Colorado river, 8; west of the Colorado
river, I; Utah, 2; Vermont, 1; Virginia, 10;
Washington (Territory), 1; West Virginia, 2;
Wisconsin, 8; Wyoming, none. OF the total
39 there were 80 under five years of age.
The most fatal period seems to be from 80
to 40, there being 90 deaths between those
years, and the number falling OFF beyond that
decade rather more rapidly than its rise to that
eliminating point. The proportion of deaths OF
children under five years of age is, it will be |
seen, surprisingly large. and of these there were
eleven deaths under one year of age; a warning
to parents and nurses.
1t is a Popular error that what is called sun
stroke is caused, only, by the direct rays of the
sun. The medical term for the attack is "inso-
lation," meaning the action OF extreme heat on
the system, whether by the direct rays of the
sun or otherwise. 1t is styled, also, "retaned
heat" People employed in hot rooms-Iaun-
urles, sugar refneries, engine rooms, &C., are
as liable u II as those exposed to the sun, and
very many cases occur in the open air after sun
set The victim suffers from sudden arrest
of perspiration, and great heat of the skim
The class OF cases that never recover are those
where the pupil of the eye is greatly contracted
Among the first and most available remedies
when person is attacked is to lay him in a
horizontal position, open or remove his clothing,
and dash cold water on his face and breast.
Dashing the water on is better than bathing the
sufferer. To avert sunstroke, temperate habits
in eating and drinking of the first Importance
White clothing is much better than black or
dark clothes, and if dark under clothing is worn,
the exterior clothing should be white In India the
percentage of deaths against dark clothes is very
large; and there also it is usual to wear cap of
white linen with flap at the back to protect
the back of the neck and the spinal cord the
part Of the body particularly susceptible to the
rays OF the sun. A moistened sponge or hand
kerchief is an excellent thing to wear in the hat
to keep the top of the head cool.