Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-16
CATCHING COLD.

Tor IN laSj Two weeks amply prove, tlcre Is
none hat physicians can DO - very Uftie 10
cure, except, OF course. 10y rsrim IA. OF
WtlCh the sufferers are impa tlClr. and there
i hone against which the population o. all
classes i more lUctaut u Ia @e rec l.fri 11S
The teaching 81 ID quarter o. a cen grg ua>
taught tie middle CLASSES some a...l.. lrv
truths about hygiene, and they have, "a, a
RUE vague idea uut bal Irall1E. pro-
dUcr> typhoid. that wet feet are not COOL Tor
n>umptlNe Pc pple, that cleanliness in tas
Lone - desirable. that whiteX..,rinr j. "A
good dISiUfeCtE Mt. and that TIE skin j. me
healthier Tor plenty az water. hlE .nay Know
very little more. We should not s9y the,
know cGat much, were % not tnat au ..lt.al
| ol Hiottfa, or a. outbreak of typhoid. or 4
! huTNJ OF scarlet fever seem 10 bring oaL in
hetr mines a SORT %! latent Hlpglstge.
whic1 dcy always pD~>CS>el, bar ,.,lfriy,f
| not to rem ember u.lil he urr~Sly, b,-trls
too >cVcrc jO b. reSl>t~i. T4ty do know = 2
| tie moreover, about bal Sm lis, apI som =
| thing of tic effect OF drinking. AMI "a Ittl~
| about heat apCpleNy, hut Of p-c-autino
| against cold they not only know nina, bur
are extremely disinclmei u Iearn Tnry dis
| Ike catching colds. OF course. and grow
de prc>>cl and stupid. and ia tempsrat " ~
| they have caught them, hut they Io,N ,,pl
colgS a. ml>tprtuuCS VIA ca must co-nn i1l
| Which 10 not signify, AMI iT urged II fsi,a
| precautions, regard the adviser even III a
| PROFESSIONAL man, A. slightly efitmiaata or
| a. they express IL, very much given -tp col
| I'll ne himself II does not strike them that
| cod wave kills a. many people A. a burst
| % cholera. Because strong children SurV i've.
| n daily bath in cold water they think cold
| water "hBrteus'' chill iron In yvi,ter a. ,,-,lf
~ Sumtnt T, and because air AMI cNerri>, ar,
| excellent thirg-, they -sUme tina. Iagis arr
| and long walk Ia a drizzlc beneficial l.
10y ar A'!tiHS on ia years. t3'r may admit
| tiHt they lk" warmth ana good Wis, b.f
| 'atN are wholly unaware that hnJ''l
| warmth means not only warmth tom
| pcr&ture-Say SiEty-Ipur degrees FaIr.--
| Htit-but temp 'rSIuTp steadily main
| tanned at that height cf.b.- by firr.
| or Clothes. Taa very use 81 2 tn.r.np.nrt.r
10 regulate tn t'!nunTafure of room, .-r.,r,l,
| L. be unknown ia most houses, AM ypl y.If
| see >etcAtiiTA men sitting i'm e room Tor hours
| WIN a hrr which brings the temperature uD
| 70 90 degrees. and then for hours more y.ll
| the ilT" nearly ont ANA the trmnprgfrlr. "a
| - degrees, or lower. They know, We sup
| pose, uiat sudden fan of eighteen drcrsa,
| viii XII of men of low Vitality in hunir. -.
/ viii give, perhaps. a third of mankind A
| .itouch oi tle liver, and will inlet o. hair
| thc remainder an "inllEraEa' nearly rs an
| nONing and almost as dangerous a a fever
| bUJ once indoors, they fall 20 rclliZ' FhaIT
| knowledge. Even when the circulation Is
| weak ana the old are aware Ia d cold is their
| enemy, they viii 20 from a lPHteI library q
| emily dining room. quite unaware that
| they might a. well 20 into a cold bath. and
having done II, viii ScOll their daughters for
| throwing on ihnIT wraps while heated from
/ ball-no doubt adaug"TouS practice. bus no.
| a bit more 80 thG8 tne sudden change, il
| which the scoltC.s habitually inluIg, Ia.
| contempt for IN" Thermometer. the ollv
| trustworthy guide in firema5iny. is positive
| ~ ptrvcr>c. and SO Is much OF the popular
| notion about hardening" The basis OF thpt
| notion, a. entertained by the middle
class - TIE working poor ar wis.,.
because they are educated by the acute main
Of rheumatism il that the worse tha
weather. or Al all events the colder ;an
weather, the more il harlenS you-an aSscr-
ZION which, when true ~ all. il only tr.lp or
persons with eNuberant vitality aud unuSu-
ally high circulation. For the average man
or woman i'm this country. exposure to "a,
weather during eight months of the year
may have a hrdcing or otherwise beneficial
effect, inded IL must have on ala but "a limited
class, but during the remaining four months
- lfs IL.
Old, tor children, and for persons Of low vital
ity is probably greater. Agric IlturaI labor
ers are far from being healthy OF long-IiveI
class ol the community, nor do policemen.
who are OUT in all weatheTS and wen fJAI en-
JOY any marked immunity from disease Il,
the Old and 10 children warmth is life n 81
deed il may broadly b. said to be Ia every
Dolly, chillineSS injuring nj! alike, though in
different degrees. 1t is chillinCss which
the English seem not 10 under>t and. They
viii sit, not in the air, hut in draughts OF the
bad kind-draughtS. for example. such -
come under badly fitting doors in railway
carriageS-with the utmost Indifference. and
put themselves straight in front Of a firs
which would not draw ii il were not con
stantly repleniShcd with "A stream Of colder
air Theoretically scaled rooms are ofcour,e
injurious, hut that admitted fact is 40 proof
that stream OF cold air Oh Il no; skin must
be beneficial The same Ignorance governs
nuch OF English practice a. 10 clothing. The
anxious mother will protect her chiIdS breast
with care which, If he is not cOnSumDtive
and wears flannel, he probably does not
which, IL they keep out the wet do not when
he Is seated, keep out the deadly chi arising
from the thoroughly wettei sole. Many a
child, and woman. too. would be 81 fer wa K
Ing with bare feet through wet grass tlau
walking in London in shoes supposed 10 n,
water tight They are not cold light aud n
Is not water on the sole OF the foo. or any-
where else which harms people, but the chill
which the water induces, and which is as in
urious through the sole Of the foot as through
the chest or lOins. The equableneSSo Of t,In-
perature which is SO valuable in Il room is
Just as valuable out of doors, and can br Sc
cured only 10y warm wool. or thinner wool
covered with the most efficient enemy of
chillineSS, "A wash leather vest, which i i'm
penetTi bic To draughts. 1t NAV be doubted III
Iur Is by any means so good protection
as Is sometimes imagined to be. Ii keeps 40
the circulation when the thcrmom eter is FAR
below zero, and is therefore invaluable in
very cold climates: but in England fur heats
the wearer too much, requires TO be worn
constantly. and unless the rooms are yerv
warm Superinduces chillncss indoors. This
point is diSregarded by the men who wear
fur. almost as much as care of their cxtTami-
ties is diSregarded by women, who cover their
bodies with seal skin jackets, while their
legs are protected by silk ant flannel worn
too far from them to I've protectors and their
feet Icy boots which i'm summer do not keen
them from the wet and i'm the winter do nor
keep them from the cold. No dress can do
less To keep up eQuable Temperatures. and
none Is IN less accordance with the teachings
OF nature, which has enabled some beasts n
shed their coats in warm weather, but has
rot enabled them TO put them or when they
retire TO their nests. The fox does not IN
dress himself in his hole. any more than tb,
bear when he gets into his hollow tree.
\ change of diet according to weather il of
course nearly hopeless. An EnglShman will
sometimes drink port instead OF claret in
winter, because he is glad OF the excuse or
because lie does not know that clare, is i'm
proved by being slightly warmed; but he will
not reflect that food, and especially meat is
more wanted in winter than summer. that
an ESquimau keeps out cold by blubber as
wei as bear skins. and that IL a man goes
through the same amount of exercise. an
extra meal day in winter will. unless he
already strains his digestion. do him no
harm Whatever. On the other hand, an extra
quantity OF hot drink, such as tea. the effrc.
OF which X To diminish the heats force will
DO MN no good, but rather harm. more eSpe-
claIly III he Is not man living habitually in
the open air We are not, of course. arguing
that an Englishman Of ordinary health should
be always watching the thermometer. or
should attempt to live by rule, or should sac
rlflce TO mere living the things wi thout which
life is worthless. But he might make his life
more worthy as well As more comfortable by
attending TO a few broad rules for avoiding
colds which at present he habitually neglectS
and which may be reduced 10 two easily
remembered principles. The secret of tempe