The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-05
"ueat is Life-Cold is Death"

| There is no greater fallacy than the
opinion of many, particularly the young
and strong and vigorous, that winter
especially sharp, frosty one, with plen-
ty of snow-is the most healthy season
of the year. Very few seem to realize
the fact that cold is the condition of
death, and that in warm and cold eli
mates il is our unconscious effort to main
tain our bodily heat ct temperature of
ninety-eight degrees, that wears us out.
10 this temperature, called "blood heat"
every cubic inch Of oxygen that serves to
vitaiize our blood must be raised by our
own bodily heat or life ceases. Since in
cold weather the maintenance of suf-
ticiently elevated bodily temperature YER
ry often becomes difficulty too great for
our strength, the advent of severe win
ter is really more TO be dreaded than a
visitation of pestilence. The saying,
"Heat is life-cold is DEATH" has u stri-
king illustration and confirmation in the
reports now regularly submitted by DR..
Russell to the Glasgow Sanitary commit
tee. The death rate rises and falls with
tho regularity Of the thermometer. So
many degrees less heat, SO many more
deaths, and rice rersd. In one of his fort.
nightly reports, DIR. Russell says: "The
death rate in the first week of the fort
night was twenty.one, and in the second
week twenty-five. The mean tempera-
ture in the former week was 40.S degrees
Fahrenheit, in the latter 1915 degrees"
He attributes the low rate of the first
week to the high mean temperature of
the preceding fortnight, which was 47.O3
degrees, and adds: This is good illus
tration of II law which we frequently
observe in these reports of temperature
and death rates, a week oflow temperature
produces a rise in mortality the week
following" In our climate, it would
probably be difficult to find n more fire.
quent cause Of serious ailments than ia
king cold Whatever weak place we
have, whatever constitutional disorder
we be subject to. cold will surely discover.
We take cold because our vitality s too
low to ward of the effects of the reduced
temperature around us. AS Il matter of
first importance, then, to resist cold and
the various arrangements of the system
consequent, it is necessary by proper nu-
triton TO maintain our natural amir. al
heat; second, to retain this heat by 9
sufficient quantity of clothing; third, to
regulate with care the temperature of
the air we breathe. Contrary to the
opinion current among lovers OF cold
weather, fire in bedroom in the win
ter is cheaper and better than doctors
bill for, owing TO our inactive condition
! during sleep, the circulation OF the vital
izing blood is both slow and imperfect,
and hence the danger Of taking cold by
| breathing cold air is greatly Increased.
A cold is the beginning of everything
that is bad. Ifany one conscious Of hav-
ing caught one, feels cold chills running
up the back, let him apply n mustard
plaster to the bottom of the spine and
lower part of the back at cnce; and by
80 doing he may avert dangerous i'll
ness before it is too late and medical ad.
vice can be procured. 1t should never be
forgotten that cheat is life-cold is
death.-.Scientific american.