Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-13
no GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
! CATCHING COLD.

atcbing cold is as as easy as lying" but to
lain the pathology thereof is. by no means
;adily done. 10 fact, until the recent re-
hes of Dr.. Rosenthal, whose work on the
It's attracting much notice in Europe, al.
thing was known about it except the
t;that the ailments popularity ascribed
= az are liable 70 occur after the body, or
part OF; it.: has been suddenly chilled, that
cooled below the normaltemperature. There
two factors concerned in this chilling pro-
8; the nature of the external medium-such
r or water-in contact with the body; and
addition Of the blood vessel.
air has very little power to abstract heat
be still; but slight wind, from the con-
Surface OF the body, soon carries off its
Ifthere is much moisture in the all, it
fly increases its power of abstracting heat,
iwhen wind and moisture are combined, the
filing effect reaches its maximum. Expert
ice has shown that it is not 80 much the ab-
plute lowness Of temperature which gives rise
b colds, as sudden changes from higher to a
lower. The reason OF this was not understood
until DR.. Rosenthal explained it. When the sur
face of healthy animal is exposed to cold the
cutaneous vessels contract, and by thus couhning
the blood to the interior Of the body, preventits
COOLING and preserve the temperature of the vital
organs, upless the application Of cold be con-
tnued for considerable time. This is not the
case, however, when the animal has been pre-
yiously exposed to warmth. The cutaneous
vessels become paralyzed by the heat, aud re-
main dilated even after the cold has been APP
Piled. The blood is thus exposed over large
surface and becomes rapidly cooled, even though
the temperature of the surrounding medium Is
not very low In Rosenthal's experiments,
animals were kept at temperature from about
81 to l040 f. The temperature of the animals
themselves quickly rose during their conhne-
ment to III or ll30. Alter their removal 1t
not only sank TO The normal temperature but
even below it, so that an animal which was
from 1852 to lll0 in the warming apparatus
fell to 96 50, and remained at that tor several
days, although the room in which it was kept
was moderately warm. Confinement in close
Office, hot theatre. or crowded ballroom, will
have similar effect On man. From such places
people pass out inse the cool open air, or some
times even purposely station themselves 10 a
draught. The blood, which is coursing through
the dlated vessels Of every part Of the surface,
is rapidly cooled, and, on its return to the In
ternal organs, cools them much more quickly
than it could have done had the person simply
been exposed to cold without dilatation Of the
vessels by previous warmth. Rosenthal lays
much stress Oh the great effect Of sudden cooliLg
10 bringing on cold, the sudden change IN the
temperature of the blood producing an irritating
effect, and inducing Inflammation 10 any weak or
ganin way that gradual alteration would not
do. 1t would seem, however, that the altera tlon
must be form temperature above to one oelo"
the normal temperature of the blood, and not
mere reduction from one considerably above the
normal to one at or near it. When much heat
al TO- chort in
mosphere with impuuity; but if We stand long
enough to produce a shiver, we run a great
risk of catching cold. The fact that it is more
dangerous to;sit for long than a short time
in wet clothes, appears to indicate that con-
siderable and more gradual cooling, such as
then may occur, viii produce similar effects to
slight cooling suddenly effected by exposure to
a cold draught after being 10 warm room.
The effect OF chill in causing inhammatlons
may be partly due to the effect of cold on the
tissues themselves, and partly to the coDges-
tion which will occur In some parts when the
blood is driven out of others by the contraction
of their vessels Rosenthal is inclined to ascribe
the chief power to the former cause. Every
body knows the beneficial effect of cold baths,
could sponging, ETC., in hardening persons,
as it is termed, that they are able to face al
most any weather, and to endure sudden
changes oftemperature without injury. Rosen.
thai considers that the frequent application OF
cold water or cool air increases the tone OF the
cutaneous vessels, so that they do not become
50 much relaxed BY heat as to be unable to cou-
tract with sufficient force when necessary. The
power of regulating the temperature is thus
preserved and the person prevented from catch
ing cold.-yourna1 of Commerce. .-.. It !, &
READING SERMONS Richmond En-
Quirer has been pitching into the Rev. u: Ds
of that city for reading their sermons, and the
high price of pew rent. Suppose he make
calculation of the amount 1t costs marrled
man who eats oyster suppsrs every other nlght
in week at 50 cents each, and the addition
thereto of cigars, brandy tickets to the concert,
etc. Perhaps reformation here would enable
the person to hire pew for bis family and
then have surplus left to educate them. As
to the practice of reading sermons by the
preachers the late VIM. G. Rives said to an
Episcopalian clergyman now living, that the
practice was q very great evil, and ought TO pe
abandoned. " II
" know clergyman in this county who
for years has preached from written sermons
aud on one occasion, as he was about to enter
The church, discovered that he had lost MS
sermon. Thinking that be bad perhaps drop
ped II 90 the roaO, ne ,senC hassensel " 'oon
Tor it; but. alas the messenger was unable to
ind 1t What shall do p said the clergy
man to one Of his congregation, i have never
preached without notes" There was no reme-
dy, however; the hour had arrived to COM
ueDce services, and he eDtere ! the pulpit and
tired TO do as well as be could by an extempore
talk. After the service was over, his TREND,
10 whom he had communicated the tact OF haV:
iioog lost his sermon, approached, and glvl1g
nim hearty shake OF the hand SAID, Mr. B.,
you had better lose.your sermon every ouooay'
S the one you gave us this morning was the
osst that l ever heard you preach That
Clergyman does not DOW always preach written
oleourses. Charlottesville Jeferson'dn.
Special Notice! .,~
Mehaye fine stock of BOYS, YOUTHS