The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-10-23
On. Catching Cold.

lQ6 1QCIedS6 VI CdGdIIu ICmou1CS An
alarming, if the demand is indicated by
the abundance of the supply. The cold
once caught-or, more properly, having
caught us-we willingly submit to
every kind of remedy, but if any one
hints at precautions against colds in
climate which within q month has more
than once varied thirty degrees in q
dozen hours, heis accused of "coddling'
is requested not to "fuss and soon
finds there is nothing against which the
population of all classes is more ayerse
to take precautions. Some one has
said there are only two classes in the
community who understand anything
about catching cold-doctors and peo-
ple who suffer from face-aehe and
rheumatism. Very few of us have the
slightest conception that when the ther-
mometer stands at % deg. "a much
higher temperature than the average of
the past january the warmth of every
breath of air which finds its way into
our bodies has to be raised 70 deg. The
mere effort of the vital forces to per-
form this work is of itself exhaustlng.
The changes hourly taking place be-
tween one room and another, the rise
and fall of the heat in our stoves and
furnaces, dependent on the Judgment
of our Bridgets or Johns, may involve
does involve-sudden falls in the
temperature to which only a strong
and perfect vital apparatus can ad-
just itself without difficulty. Chilli
ness kills from Maine to Texas.
in twelvemonth, as many victims as
last years visitation of yellow fever.
and chilhness lis what we seldom un,
derstand. We sit patiently in bad
draughts-draughts under doors-at
our backs-in church-and we expose
ourselves to unnecessary draughts for
ventilation, which, however, should
never blow upon ourselves. It may be
doubted whether our own total aban-
donment of the night-caps and bed-cur-
tains of our forefathers in winter-time
is altogether sanitary improvement.
The air of a bed-chamber should be
pure air-purer than a furnaced house
commonly provides, but, with precau-
tions for keeping the air pure, we think
we might safely trust ourselves with the
screens and night-caps of antiquity.
Another modern idea is not to sleep in
flannel. True, flannel may most ju-
diciously be changed at night, and thus
avoid the dreadful state of things which
we are continually warned about under
the head of aexhalations;" but does a
bear take of his warm coat when he
goes to sleep in hollow tree, or q fox
undress himself in his burrow' An
other trouble is cold feet, and we may
get damp feet from shoes that do not
let in water. A child sits for hours in
school with a chill creeping up him
from the soles of his feet, arising from
wetted shoe leather. Itwould probably
be safer to run barefoot through the
streets and dry our wet feet on warm
carpet when we get home, than to sit
hours with this dampness rising through
our soles. A mother of family who
has successfully raised healthy children
told US that her plan while her boys
were young was to dress them
warmly, especially their feet and
chests, and let them take free
exercise in any weather. But she al
ways exacted that they should come
home when damp or chilled. She
ordered them to run home through any
rain rather than take refuge anywhere
after they had been rained upon, and,
upon reaching home, if cold or damp,
she always superintended their putting
on warm stockings and dry shoes. We
can offer no better suggestion. Fresh
air with due care" is the precaution
against consumption. The late Charles
Sumner WINS q member of a consumptive
family; all of his brothers and sisters,
but one, were attacked by it as
they reached manhood and woman
hood. The disease began to de-
velop itself in Mr.. Sumner very
early in his public career. He was ad-
vised by his physician in Boston to dress
warmly, protect his feet and body, and
live in the open air, saving wood, and
as far as possible in manual
labor; leading, in short, the life labor
ing man would lead out of doors, and
supplementing this regimen by sanitary
precautions in temperature. diet and
personal habits when no longer in the
open air. In conclusion, we will add,
for the benefit of that class of the COM
munity who, as We have said, delight in
remedies and precautions, the recipe for
a cold given by Gen. George Washing
ton to an old lady in Newport when a
very young girl, in 1881. He was
lodged in her fathers house-the old
Vernon mansion--a as she was sent
early to bed with bad cold, he re.
marked to Mrs. Vernon: "My own
remedy, my dear madam, is always to
eat, just before I step into bed, a hot
.oasted onion if I have cold. Balti-
more american. ~