Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-12
CAUSE AND TREATMENT OF
SUNSTROKE.
Views OF a PhysIeian-TemDer.
ance and Light clothing
Advocated.

Advocated.
The house physician at Bellevue
Hospital, in speaking to a New York
Tribunereporter recently of sunstroke.
Its prevention and treatment, said:
The reason we have had SO few
cases this year is because of the al.
most unprecedented GOODNESS which.
with the exception Of warm day now
and then, prevailed until week ago.
1t takes some days or even weeks of
really hot weather to prepare people.
so to speak, for this disease. Before a
man can get sunstrOke he must be
more or less exhausted by prolonged
exposure and vigorous bodily exertion
In the direct rays of the sun, or weak
ened by succession of very hot days.
Costume is an important factor in
the causation of sunstroke, as has been
so often illustrated in early Anglo
Indian history. In Madras a parade
was held In 1885, during which more
than 10 per cent Of the soldiers were
stricken down, is remembered to this
day. They were called out to attend
the funeral of SOME high civil official
In the hottest hours of one of the
warmest days Of that season. Tight
uniforms with broad leather belts to.
gether with heavy felt helmets, com.
eined to form about the worst costume
for the climate. There are remembered
also many instances of great loss of
life IN prolonged marches. Now the
precautions taken to guard agaist sun.
stroke, together with better general
idea OF its treatment, have reduced the
mortality very considerably in India
as elsewhere. 1t is much easier than
is generally supposed to avoid an att
tack OF sunstr0ke, if one understands
only the means Of prevention and will
heed the earlier warnings. Loose
clothes which do not interfere with
tull play Of the lungs are of the first
Importance, as free respiration is i'm
peratlve. A proper head covering is
almost an impossibility in New York,
as no one will wear the 'pith' helmets,
and nothing else has been found which
is really efficient substitute. Cutting
the hair very short is of doubtful
utility, the hair in its integrity being
good non-cOnductor OF heat. -
Another very import
temperance In dri- -,ant thing is
there il ...uKlng. In hot weather
- 40 question as to the influence
alcoholism has in the production of
sunstroke. More than three-fourths of
the, patients admitted to Bellevue are
under the influence of liquor. Then.
TOO, man when drunk is likely to
expose himself recklessly. which
added to the congested condition of
MS brain, tends toward sunstroke.
Men suffer more frequently than
women; not from any inherent differ.
ence IN the sexes as regards the dis
ease, but because men are more ex-
posed to the exciting causes.
A sunstrOke is profound prostra-
tlon Of the nervous force, which may
vary from slight vertigo and feeling
OF lassitude to complete coma and
almost instant death. The modern
method of treatment offers good
chances OF recovery in the great ma
lorlty OF cases, while thirty or forty
years ago, when the disease was not
well understood or properly treated,
the mortality was very great.
Now when a man is brought
here we strip him, place him on a bed
protected with rubber blankets, and
reduce the temperature as quickly as
possible. We use ice bags for the
head, and either wrap the patient in
wet sheets or use the cold douche. If
he Is not suffering from alcoholism and
the pulse is weak, we give stimuIants;
aspoontul of brandy every hour or
half hour, as the symptoms demand"
The higher the temperature. as a
general rule, the more delirious the
case, although have known man to
make q good recovery with tempera.
ture Of ITO degrees, the normal tenn
perature being 9S3 degrees. Sunstroke
Is likely to leave its traces in a patient
OF weakened and generally run down
condition. ltFanders him more liable
to future attacks and in some cases it
originates serious and perhaps fatal
disease of the brain or its mem
branes."