Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-04
Is 8 Cold a Fever |?
The New Theory of Biddeford Doctor The Effects of Indigestion and Impure

The New Theory of a Bfddeford Doctor ! The Effects of Indigestion and Impure ! Air.
 From the Philadelphia Recerdl
 1 The new theory that colds are the result of
 exposure to cold or damp air is generally &C.,
 cepted. Indeed, most persons afflicted with | this disorder are able to trace it's origin, sat- isfactorily to themselves at least, to some un- | due or unusual contact with outside air. 1 They seek no other explanation. In the col
 umns of the Popular Science News Dr. Page,
 of Biddeford, Me-, undertakes to show the l fallecy of such course of reasoning. That | his theory is new to most people is no proof
 that it will not hold good. Having made the
 subject of colds special study for ten years,
 he concludes that the ailment which is uni
 versally called cold is in reality fever, ! and is directly caused by indigestion or i'm pure air. He says: Foul air prevents the 1 purifcation of the blood hence the accumu- | lation of impurities which in their exit give
 rise to the symptoms popularly supposed to indicate cold. Hot iving-rooms render inn possible the digestion of more than little
 food, and that of the plainest sort, by mak- ing only little necessary. Indigestion re- suits from eating improper food or some de-
 gree of excess, the excess being either posi- | tive or relative, according CD as the skin is
 more or less sweltered with clothing, CD the
 lungs more or less outraged by bad air, and (3) the entire organism less or more invigo- rated by fresh cold air. It is unquestionably true that when, by reason of wrong condi- tions, the system has become i'll conditioned when, that is, there are impure matters to
 eiminate-some chance exposure to bracing
 atmosphere may so invigorate the organism
 by the presence of fresh air in the lungs and
 it's touch upon the skin, that the process of elimination begins, and but for the return to the close, overloaded atmosphere of the home this process would often be completed
 all unconsciously to the individual, who now
 makes the great mistake of 'confounding the
 cause of his recovery with the cause of his disease"
 Dr. Page is not in favor of wearing more clothing than is consistent with physical comfort. Is it not evident, he asks, that the less clothing we wear and the more we are exposed to cold the nearer we are carried,
 metaphorically speaking, to the polar regions,
 where ''surfeit fever" is unknown? And are
 not these the conditions, he adds, which
 stimulate the digestive system by creating
 legitimate demand for 8 greater portion of the excess which we always under temp tstion to swallow? He notes instances where his own patients have ''taken cold'' by putting on their winter flannels, '' and sar- castically remarks that the idea never oc-
 cured to them to cure the ''cold' by leaving of the undergarments which were the real
 cause of the disorder, and adds 1.-The last time (two years ago) that wore flannel
 drawers I removed them for this very pur-
 pose-to aid in relieving my system, which was oppressed by what is called a cold. I
 awoke with an increase of my disorder-sore throat, hoarseness, pressure at the lungs chilliness; dressed without my drawers skipped my breakfast. though my appetite
 was more than usually imperative in demand
 ing it's accustomed treat went directly out, Con cold, snowy day,) and, spending most
 of the day in the open air, actively engaged
 meantime, by night found my pipes pret-
 ty clear; in fact, removing the hannels and i fasting the entire day, meeting thirst and 'gnawing' stomach with hot water, with an extra sponge-bath st bed-time-taking an air
 bath, with considerable friction, on top of
 the quick sponge-bath, both morning and
 night, in this emergency-proved q radical and speedy cure"
 In conclusion, Dr. Page remarks that if it
 could become popularly known that the
 symptoms observed in cases of ttcold'' were
 evidences of an effort on the part of the or
 ganism to eliminate impurities which have
 been collecting perhaps for months, and that
 fasting, fresh air and exercise are nature's
 triple panacea" for the disorder, very great
 proportion of all severe sicknesses would be
 prevented. Without presuming to question
 the efficacy of the doctors remedies for
 colds, we think there are comparatively few people possessed of sufficient temerity to dis card the winter fanneIs with pneumonia or a
 kindred disease staring them in the face.