The New York herald., 1874-07-11
sUNsTROKE.
Views of Medical Men on the
Summer Terror.
General Treatment in New York
and the Tropics.
YESTERDAYS VICTIMS

Eo i E1Ll)A I - VIZ i 1Mo
Scarcely less fatal than hydrophobia and great
deal more likely to occur, is sunstroke Happily, as
yet, there have been comparatively few cases this
season, and those not OF o serious nature. Several
OF these might have been avoided by timely precau
tons and as much suffering may be averted by
more general knowledge Of this fell disorder the
following statements of some of our most eminent
physicians will be read with interest and, 1t is to
be hoped, with profit. II will be seen that the
perience or these gentlemen extends over wide
range. How sunstroke is treated East and West,
North and South, in the East Indies, during our
war, and right among u.s. is fully set forth
with all the care OF men who have
expended every energy OF research into this
as into other Ills which anlict humanity.
The HERALD representative did not, unfortu-
nateiy, find at home several whose views
would be most valuable, such as Drs. Gee
carni, Flint and others; but the subject is GER
tainy treated In the widest range by those whom
ne was fortunate enough to encounter.
AT THE PARK HOSPITAL.
Al this benefcent institution, on the walls Of
which appears winter and summer the legend,
"Hospital for sunstruck patients" Dr. M. B. Early
stated that there we're but lew cases as yet that
July and August were the worst months, and Q
good deai OF sO-called sunstroke was superinduced
Dy Wn1Skey. he OlO nOC DelleVe IN BClmulantS IN
warm weather. 1872 was by far the worst year he
had ever known. He had himself treated twenty
cases in day in that year at Bellevue Hospital,
and there were over 400 cases altogether, a large
proportion Of them fatal In May OF that year, ON
the day of the great German triumphal procession,
there were several bad cases, although so early in
the season.
THE TREATMENT ADOPTED.
The temperature, which ts usually excessively
high, II reduced. Ice water is applied all over the
body with sponge or douche. Dr. Woods appa-
ratus will be used shortly. This gives q continu-
GUS shower to which the patient is exposed for
ten or fifteen minutes, when he Is wrapped in q
wet sheet II that does not cool him the dose Is
repeated till normal condition Is reached. When
the weak pulse denotes exhaustion, stimulants
are cautiously administered. An ice cap Is placed
on the head. The Doctor thinks it unnecessary Tor
persons in health to change their diet in summer.
They should keep cool and protect the head.
VOICE FROM THE PAR EAST.
DR.. Silas ScuddeI, Of Grand avenue near Fulton
avenue, Brooklyn, in answer to numerous ques-
tions OF the HERALD representative. gave lumi-
nous exposition Of the entire question, and pre-
sented some novel ideas that will undoubtedly
engage the earnest attention Of the profession
He was Tor many years and until very recently
Chief of the American Mission Dispenssry at Ar
cot, IN the Madras Presidency, India. Lord Ma
pier, the Governor. formerly British Minister at
Washington, supplemented the funds OF the instl-
When Secretary Seward made his famous voyage
round the world Lord Napier took him to visit
great statesman's book
DIR. Scudder says there are two kinds OF sun
stroke, one by the direct ray OF the sun, whoh
oftenest AFFECTS Europeans in India, the other an
afection OF the brain indirectly occasiOned by
@ heat, often on drinking cold water while very hot:
be affected. These, like the African negroes,
seem able to bear the direct rays with impunity,
ha II fnr no
headed, with shaved scalps IN the planting fields,
without the slightest protection. In the first
often as dangerous on the mountains where the
atmosphere Is cool as on the arid plains. The
many people overlooking tins expose themselves
thoughtlessly the treatment is simple Stertor.
to the head IS Indicated, with stimaants cautiously
exhibited. Counter irritation IN the shape OF
to s ss %nas to He mss
towards the heart, IN order to get the veuous
blood back to the lungs as soon as possible. In
the brain, the shock being carried to the solar
plexus IN the stomach or 'litt'e brain"
to the brain. An AID TO convaescence is batning
in warm OH which nourishes the body, opens the
altogether very beneficial It Is especially good in
exanthematOus fevers. A diet largely composed or
vegetables Is good, and stlmulants are decidedly
anything but good, except as o remedy. The
accounts ior their exemption from the action Of
folds, through which the air percoates, is an ad-
mirable headdress. Darkened rooms and the air
Kept in motion by large fAns, or forced by wheels
through wetted mats. is very desirable.
VIEWS OF DIR. LOOMS.
Medicine in the New YORK University, SAYS the
first thing 10 be done is to bring down the temper
ature, which ranges from los degrees to ITO
degrees. SunstrOke Ia not necessarily due to the
direct ray, anu rarely becomes frequent till the
temperature has been hign for several days. This
would account for 80 few cases last Tuesday. 1t
occurs quite frequently in the evening However,
Of course, it 1s hotter in the than in the shade
and people should keep out of the sun as much as
possible. Unless the vitality Is lowered stimulants
are bad. The popular panacea Of brandy Is poison
to sunstroke cases. Animal food should be eaten
sparlngly in hot weather. The long hot nights,
when people cannot sleep and the bodily tempera-
ture gets ievered and rises to l02 degrees, are
be taken.
THE AFTER EFFECTS
OF sunstroke are peculiar. The mental condition Is
often abnormal for long time with curious unde-
fined nervous symptoms. Vertigo, disturbance Of
tne digestve functions inability to apply the mind
DR.. Looms has already sent Off numbers OF people
to the White Mountains to evade the danger OF the
city nov. In bathing the patient, II cold water will
not quickly enough bring down the temperature,
warm water may be used and fan waved to in
duce rapid evaporation. Sunstroke Is more likely
to attack people who indulge in alconol, labOrers
and persons undergoing great muscular exertiOns,
and people In the iull vfgor OF middle life than old
people. Cholera infantum IS o sort of sunstroke
which Affects the children and is no doubt due TO
heat.
STATEMENT OF DIR. ALLAN M'LANE HAMILTON.
The Doctor thinks the less fortunate classes as
to their worldly circumstances suffer most from
sunstroke. Their homes and hours OF toll and
greater exposure are all against them. The pro-
portion OF deaths is almost forty three per cent.
Exhaustion and drink are predisposing causes.
APPEARANCES AFTER DEATH.
poSt-mOrtem shows the lungs much conRested,
SO also the brains and all the central organs or the
body. The blood, as after stroke OF lightning,
becomes nuid, most striking feature. The tem-
perature Is extremely high. The treatment the
symptoms beng perhaps associated with syncOpe
or state OF congestion, indicated Is TO lower the
temperature by application OF cold water to the
entire surface OF the body. 1t would be excellent