The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-07-22
THE HOME DOCTOR.

INFLAMED THRoATs.-A sore throat is
no more evidence of cold than a sore
finger, though it may be one of the in
dications. A cold is attended by a
shiyering chill, dryness of the skin,
with more or less of contraction of the
surface and general commotion of the
whole system, and may be attended by
a sore throat, or tightness across the
lungs, or bowel arrangements. feverish-
ness, etc. Such cold closes in an un-
usual amount of morbid waste matter,
ordinarily escaping through the pores,
and may be the first stage of many
forms of diseases. The remedy is plain
opening the pores by sweat, by
warmth of the body, by friction of the
surface. with cram, fesh-brush and
the ike-simply removing the causes.
But sore throat is not removed, neces-
sarily, by these means, simply because
| it does not always or generally originate
in cold. Most of these inflamei throats
in my opinion, are produced by derange-
ments of the stomach, in consequence of
dietetic errors and abuses. These in
fame and even ulcerate this organ, and,
by law of the system based on sym
pathy, all similar surfaces, if contiguous,
are more OF less affected similarly.
Hence the physician looks at the tongue
to learn of the state of the stomach. If
this is ''coated." so is the stomach; if
this is red and angry, the mucous sur
face entirely removed if it is cracked,
that is in similar condition. And If
surface SO far removed from the
stomach is thus affected by sympathy,
it is not strange that one between-the
throat-should show signs of irritation
and be sore. Indeed, it is not only true
that the whole course of the food-pipe
is thus infamed and diseased, but that
the stomach, even more diseased, gives
less evidence in the matter of sensation,
in consequence of a merciful provision,
that of having less sensitive nerves. The
cure of such throat is found in the care
of the stomach, mainly by reasonable
fasting, the use Of plain food in moder-
ate quantities, etc. Gargling alum water
will be of some service. Also only very
moderate use of salt and the irritating
spices will effect much by way of pre-
vention, which is much better than
cure.-Dr. J. H. Hanaford.
is reported to have died of disease of
the heart, we are in the habit of regard
ing it as an inevitable event, as some
thing which could not have been fore
seen or prevented, and it is too much
the habit, when persons suddenly fall
down dead, to report the heart as the
cause this silences all inquiry and in
vestigation, and saves the trouble and
inconvenience of post nortens. A truer
report would have tendency to save
many lives. 1t is through report of
disease of the heart that many an opium
eater is let off into the grave, which
covers at once his folly and his crime.
the brandy drinker, too, quietly slides
no more in short, this report of disease
of the heart is the mantle of charity
which the polite coroner and sympa-
thetic physician throw around the graves
of generous people. At scientific con-
gress at Strasburg it was reported that
of sixty-six persons who had suddenly
died, an immediate and faithful post
mortem showed that only two person
had any heart affection whatever-one
sudden death only in thirty three, from
diseases of the heart. Nine out of sixty
die of apoplexy one out of every seven
while forty -six-more than two out of
three-died of lung affection, half of
them congestion of the lungs, that is,
the lungs were SO full of blood they
could not work there was not room
enough for air to get in to support life.
It is then of considerable practical in
terest to know some of the common
everyday causes of this congestion of
the lungs, disease which, the figures
above being true, kills three times as
many persons at short warning as apo
plexy and heart disease together. Cold
feet, tight shoes, light clothing, costive
bowels, sitting still until chilled through
after having been warmed up by labor
or a long, hasty walk going too suddenly
from close, heated room, as lounger
or listener, or speaker, while the body
is weakened by continual application,
or abstinence. or heated by long ad-
dress these are the frightful causes of
sudden death in the form of congestion
of the lungs but which, being falsely
reported as disease of the heart, and re-
garded as an inevitable event, throw
people off their guard instead of point
ing them to their true causes, all of
which are avoidable and very easily SO,
as general rule, when the mind has
once been intelligently drawn to the
subject. Halls Journal of Health.