Daily Republican., 1881-07-16
The TOrrld W0Ve.

The meteorological Phenomena OF on
earth appears to be undergoing wonder
full changes, and the entire globe is un
dergoing certain climatic changes whicl
are supposed 20 be periodical. From
Sunday, July 10th, to the following
Wednesday night there were reported
to the Cincinnati authorities one hun
dred and sixty-th-ee deaths from the
excessiye heat, and this startling total
we are informed by Cincinnati papers
NV M means covered the mortality
from that single cause. Only the most
rrominent cases we are told were re.
corded. There was a panic amongst
the people and confusion reigned
amongst the doctors, owing to the un-
usual demand for their services and for
hospital facilities. The mercury ranged
from one hundred up to one hundred
and three and half, and the pavements
and brick walls of the buildings became
heated like ar oven. Persons pros
trated on tie streets were left in charge
of policemen for hours and such unfor-
tunates for the most part perished. The
torrid wave must have originated Oh
the plains Of the far southwest and
travelled northwestwar1 at a slow pace.
In 1879 q similar torrid wave swept
over st. Louis and thence eastward, but
its force was broken before it reached
the Atlantic shore. 1t was very de
structive to human life, but not so mnch |
so as the wave which struck Cincin-
l.ati. The heat seems to have been so
severe and unexpected that even Ven
nor was puzzled and could not see it in
his prognostications of the weather.
1t would seen that with the vast ad
ditions being made to scientific knowl-
edge, some better defence might be
made against these extremes of heat
and cold. "Sunstroke,' as it is called,
isbecoming more and more formidable
and fatal every year. With the knowl-
edge people profess TO have there should
not have been so many as one hundred
and sixty persons fallen victims to the
hea' in single city during the period
of four DAYS :.
"Sunstroke' does not appear to be
the term which meets these cases of
sudden mortality. 1t will be noticed
that they occur even when the rays of
the sun are largely absorbed by the
clouds, and in fact when the sun does n
not shine at al, and they often occur
in the evening when the SUMS obscured
behind the western hills. In almost /,
every case of sudden plostration from
the excessive heat. the skin has sudden
y ceased to perform is functions and u
the blood ru>Les TO the vital organs -,
which are gorged and refuse to do their :,
accustomed duty, and Of course death =,
IL nst soon enSue. ;;
1t is singular that the common sense ;,
IF man operates tu drive ineu TO shelter =,
rom sudden storms of rain but exer. L.
,iscs no influence over them when the .,
orrid wave approaches, which is more u,
le>tructive tlIan storms Of rain. When =,
uch torri0 waves arrive, men whose h
locations expose them to their fatal ~
Influences should suspend labor until n
he worst is over. Men have learned to 81
10 this in countries where The sirocco
J., Is at certain seasons, but he has not
.r,. to defend himself against the st
=, ro7. which sweep over the West D
~ n.,t,,, lere every summer. Out tt
Or worx oco many kinds of indoor c
.,r,. o,rr, 3, h. 7e been suspended in t,
ooiunat; fno,n Nh, day forward until C
:e torrid wave pa,se, by. There is tt
l,rty in doing that but '"',0 I'D N' u
Itti for men who disregard "'0 'i"' "
= remedy. A good defence lies A.. '''-'' :"
'.sc >nAdeu attacks of heat by ke> 7 "
!, the functions of the skin in a nor,
III condition.. 80 matter how much a 90
an lLay sweat, the more the better, un
Ierspiring man is generally safe from
snae attacks. Above all things all
vcr-d draught of ice water should be pl
,rupulously avoided land under no con- tn
iiions should man who has been tn
erspiring freely sit in a draugAt how tn
yer pleasant it may be- ha
II