The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-02-17
Or Cntching Cold.

One Of the lectures to the public al
Gresham College, London, was delivered
by DEE syu'cs Thompson, F, h, c, p, on
the reasonable topic Of catching cold
After description Of the symptoms and
the pathological conditions induced by
cold, DR.. Thompson passed on to the
more interesting points Of It's prevention
and cure. In regard to prevention, lie
deprecated too much fear OF catching
cold and tho dread Of the least exposure
to cold mir as being very likely to bring
about that tender hnthOuSe-p plant cOndi-
ton 80 favorable to inducing the evil one
wished to avoid. Exposure 10 cold air,
he insisted, does no harm, except under
the condition Of ia moving rapidly IN n
small space Thus exposure to strong
wind In the open air does no harm
while a Portuguese proverb said with n
great deal Of truth, II you catch cold
from u draught through kcyhoIe sou
had better make your will. " was
draughts coming with great rnpidity
through small openings which were 80 es.
pccially injurious. Living constantly in
impure mir made people very sensitive
to cold, and ill.yrmilatcd bedrooms had
much to answer for in this respect. II
was mistake 10 suppose that night air,
except IN aguislI places, was obnoxious.
In London night mir Is purcr thAn
in the day, and no advised cv-
cry one, while avoiding II direct
draughk to keep the bed room window
slightly opened. The effect Of want Of
ventilation was strikihgly illustrated In
the ease Of horses When left to run In
the fields they were hardy, aud did not
suffer at all from cold; but cooped up In
warm stablrs'they become very sehsitive
To cold and prone to scrions and fatal
affections Of the chest. That was lesson
To lls 10 keep our bed rooms cool and well
ventilated. In clothing the great thing
was to vary the character md amount
according to. the season and weather,
avoiding tho extremes OF always being
swathcd In flannel, no matter what the
Cmperaturc, or Of never wearing flannel
ut all. As IA rule we might initiate with |
advantage in cold weather The example |
Of Russians and Canadians, who were
careful to put on very warm outer cloth. |
ing when leaving the house, and 10 re-
move II the moment they came In. Of
fla SssI,.N lIn1 /
the ''tlry method" had once been int
great vogue. This consisted Ii abstain.
Ing from all fluids for twehly-funr, thir.
ty.six or iorty.eiglh hours, and where
vigorously followed at the outset the
cold was generally stopped, He would
not, however, recommend this treatment
to any but those IN thoroughly good
health, for in the delicate or the sickly
the arrangement Of the vital organs,
especially the liver and the digestive
organs, by this nlstention from fluids
brought about evils more serious than the |
cold. Another method was maintenance
Of III equnhlc warm temperature, and
where this could be done The skin was
soon restored to more natural condition,
and the evil was relieved. The mucus
lining, however, could bc more rapidly
relieved by inducing the skin to per.
spire vigorously, and II this was done at
the outset the cold would be checked, !,
'ThiSrwould be done ~ a hot bath ii,
very much better, by Turkish bath, for
while ina hot water bath II was not pOa.
siblc to endure n greater heat than 100 to
1903 degrees, In Ntfntkish bath a tempera.
turc OF 100 10 200 degrees could 10 AHA.
tainel without discomfort. Vigorous
Precipitation was in this why induced, the
blood was drawn from the internal or.
gans to the surface, much Of tn iHipurity
and II The dOuchc waS avoid.
ed and the skin was got thoroughly to
work the patient walked away III an
hour and left his cold behind,