The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-12
s ONO Causes of Colds.

At this season in almost all cities there is
al epidemic Of colds. Gods may be at
tlibuted to q great many causes, but it is
| Frequently impossible TO determine how a
cold was contracted.
The unusual prevalence of the malady in
| New York at this time has caused some of
| the new spaLers of that city to interview q
number of physicians on the subject. and
| some Of the statements made will be doubt
less Of interest to the public.
For instance Dr. Lewis A. Sayer thought
that in great many instances colds were
caused by the sterches arising from streets
W ich have been torn up for repairs. These
gases attacked and weakened the system,
ard rendered people much more liable to
contract colds.
A other statement made by DR.. Saver
was that colds were due largely TO cigarette
smoking. The smoke irritated tie bron-
chial tubes until they became infamed, and
in that condition the smoker was more sus-
ceptible to the malady
DR.. Anthony Ruppauer agreed with DR..
Sayer in both OF his statements, but be WAS
inclined to attribute colds to the smoking
Of good cigars as well as of bad cigarettes.
With regard to this point, he said: "When
you get up some morning, sit before your
mirror and look into your throat. You
will find that it is the color of boiled sal
mon, which is natural. Then smoke cigar
for five minutes and look again. You will
find that the salmon color hes given place
to deep red. Smoke for fifty minutes and
you will find your throat has the appear
ance of raw beef. In that condition it is
susceptible to climatic changes" DR.. Rup-
pauer was very emphatic, however, in the
opinion that what he called the 'vile ciga-
retten was more harmful in this respect
than cigars or pipes.
One of the physicians who was inter
viewed thought that bronchial affections.
such as bronchitis, bronchial catarrh. ton
siltis and larYngitis, were mistaken fire.
quently for colds, while another thought
carelesSness in dressing was responsible for
the greatest number of them. "A man
comes home from his business at night" he
said, throws off heavy suit of clothes,
jumps into full dress, although the tenn
perature has fallen co., and starts for the
IHeulST. his Wllt IlSS OUT III SClIle
costume that does not keep her half warm,
and accompanies him. They stop in the
lobby of the tbeater and remove their
wraps so that the audience may have full
view of their splendor as they promenade
down the aisle. Meantime they are in a
chilling draught. Between the acts the
man comes out and stands about smoking q
cigarette or else he ruus across the street to
get drink. After the theater it is a little
supper, where they have to wait in a
draugbt half an hour for a table Then
they will probably sit by a half-open
window. The next morning they wonder
how they could have caught cold and grum-
BILE at the doctors fee.
Some physician has said that, after cold
has become well developed, it will run its
course in seven days, if no remedies are
used; if it is "doctorod," however, it will
continue ten days. While this admission
might not be to the pecuniary advantage
of physicians, there is probably a good
deal of truth in it. The fact will hardly be
disputed that medicine has very little
beneficial effect in cases Of cold unless it is
used at the Inception of the malady.