The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-14
Taking Cold


This vague "househoid word +" indicates
one or more of n long varied train Of uni.
pleasant affections, nearly. always .traceable
to one or the other of only two causes; sud-
den change Of temperature and unequal dis
tribution Of temperature. No extremes Of
heat or cold can alsne effect this result; per-
Sons frozen to death do not stake cold" dur
ing the process. But If part Of the body
be rapidly cooled, as by evaporation from
wet article Of clothing, or by sitting In a
draught Of air, The rest of the body remain
ing at all even temperature; or If the temper
ature of the whole be suddenly changed by
going out into the cold,o especially by COM
ing into a warm room, there Is much liabili-
ty of trouble. There Is anold saying-"when
the air comes through hoe, say your pray
ers TO save your SOUL" and should think al
most any one could get "a cold" with a
spoonful of water, or the wrist held to key
hole. Singular ms IL may seem, sudden
warming when cold Is more dangerous than
the reverse. Everyone has noticed how so on
the handkerchief is required on entering
heated room on cold day. Frost bite is an
extreme illustration of this. As the Irish
man said, on picking himself up. IL was not
the fall, but stopping so quickly, that hurt
him. II Is not the lowering of the tempera-
ture TO the freezing point, but Its subsequent
elevation, that deyitalizes the tissue. This
Is why rubbing with snow or bathing in cold
water Is required TO restore safely frozen
part; the arrested circulation must be very
gradually re-established, or inflammation,
perhaps modification, ensues. General pre-
cautions against taking cold are almost self
evident N this light. There isordinarily lit
tie, If any, danger to be apprehended from
wet clothes, 30 long asexercise Is kept up,
for the "glow" about compensates the ex-
ira cooling by evaporation. Nor is a CON-
plete drenching more likely to be injurious
than wetting of one part. But never sit still
land In changing rub the body dry. There
is genearl tendency ,springing from fatigue,
Incidence or Indifference, to neglect damp
feet; that Is to say, TO dry them by the fire,
but this process is tedious and uncertain.
would say especially, of with the muddy
boots and sodden socks ut once-dry stock
ings and slippers after hunt,m make just
the difference Of your being able to 60 out
again or never. Take care never to check
pcrspiration; during this process the body Is
In n somewhat critical condition, and a sud-
den arrest of the functions may result dsas-
trously-even fatally. One part Of the busi-
ness of perspiration Is to equalize bodily
temperature, and II mnst not be interfered
with. The secret Of much that Is to be said
about bathing, when. heated, lies here. A
person oyerheated, painting 1t may be, with
throbbing temples, and dry skin, is In dan
ger, partly because the natural cooling by
evaporation from the skin Is denied, and this
condition Is sometimes not far from "sun-
stroke" Under these circumstances, a person
OF fairly good condition may plunge into the
water with impunity-even with benefit.
Butt the body be,already cooling by sweat
ing, rapid abstraction of heat from the sur
face may cause internal congestion, never
unattended with danger. Drinking icewater
offers somewhat parallel case; even on
STOPPING to drink at brook, when flushed
with heat, 1t Ii well to battle the face and
hands first, and TO taste the water before .
full draught. NE sh