Wichita eagle., 1888-09-20
HOW NOT TO CATCH COLD.
SURE PREVENTIVE WITHIN EASY
REACH OF ALL

More Than HALF the Colds We Catch Are
the Result Of Draughts Upon the
Feet-Magic Virtues Of the Cold Foot
Bath.
would rather undertake to prevent 100
colds than 10 cure one Tenics, local appIi-
cations, cutting short tie complaint a. tie
outset, or chasing It up after it has got the
start Of you-au these plans may be tried,
and sometimes tkey succeed very nicely But
the trouole is thai cold is law unto Itself,
self limIted disease Ike any 0tcsr infiam-
matory fever, and tie chances are that if the
cold has even SIX hours the start of yotl it
VIII run faster than the spriesa doctor. So
viii say nothing here about curing colds, but
VIII be reasonable enough to point out way
that is little known OF preventing them
What IS the cause OF Geld. Il is usually
the effect OF cold draught upon limited
part Of the body, or Of lowered te.npera-
ture even where, as in the case of the feet,
the air does not directly reach the part that
is exposed to danger The protected parts Of
the body are Naturally the most sensitive. and
It Is through these that We catch cold. And
OF all other parts, tie feet, especially in the
case or the seoentary, are the most frequent
avenues OF approach for this complaint
The artificial tenderness OF the skin, which
IS the lot Of civilized man, Gauss ali OF Us 10
be more or less liable 10 an ailrlent which is
comparatively unknown 10 those inhabitants
OF warm climates who take no interest in
the fashions, and who have only heard from
the missionaries that clothes are good thing
But we cannot return to such a primitive
immunity as this. What shall we do mean
while, Il We would tougher ourselves against
the artificial tenderness that makes llfs dur
ing our cold winters for many Of Us grave
discomfort, and one that IS coupled with the
risk of pneumonia and Of other serious i'll
nesses? The question is, how TO cure the e1-
cesSive sensitivenesS of the skins Generally
cold baths viii do for tee healthy. bus they
will not do for all; and, indeed, almost any
one, strong or delicate will be the better for
the treatment that | will describe
II is cold foot bath OF two or three u1in-
utes. more or less, according TO the time re-
quired to make smart impression apon the
superficial nerves; this is the one thing need
ful in this matter. In the winter the water
as it runs from the faucet viii generally be
cold enough for the needed effect. if as in
New York, it flows at temperature Of from
well be colder than this; and in summer.
using ice TO cool the foot bath, there will be-
no harm in bringing it down 10 10 deSs The
point is to make decided impression of cold.
and a few minutes viii do this Let the feet
stay In the water or under the jet until tue
very bones ache; then rub them with crash
towel and wrap them up warmly, and it win
not be more than minute, as a rule. before
oh. la1fc f,,I
Seldom, even in the case of the most delicate
persons, does this glow fail 10 come The ad-
vantage of this treatment IS that it is not
severe, as the cold bath is for many The
amount of surface exposed to the cold is so
small that very little draft is made upon the
system; and the person who would never
have reaction after a cold bath is easily able
to profit by this local treatment. OF course
no bath must be used without regard to times
and seasons; but the fear which some delicate
persons have of this treatment is unfounded.
for the constitution rarely fails to honor so
light demand upon it as that which is made
by cold foot bath Of two or three minutes.
Ii the beginner is very timid, its duration
may be even less than this at the start, or
until the experimenter finds out what q safe
yet potent remedy is in hand.
What is the effect of this simple treatments
It gives the feet power to resist cold; il
toughens them, not exteriorly, but in the
tonic quality OF their superficial nerves And
1t acconlplishes this result with wonderful
quickness. | have known delicate ladies who
complained that their feet were never warm
and who wore subject 10 frequent colds re-
stored to their pristine birthright of warm
feet after two or three trials of this treat
ment, and after week of Il well fortified
against draughts, at least upon their feet. A
lady patient OF mine, though otherwise quite
healthy, was SO liable TO catch severe cold on
the slightest exposure OF her feet to the
draughts of the floor that she always man.
aged to perch them upon the runys of her
chair, or otherwise to curl them UP under her
in some way out OF reach Of the air current.
fearing even tue drauKht Of an August day
Ia her country house She let them down 10
the ground with secure temerftv after the
second trial Of the foot bath and since that
time, renewing the treatment two or three
Times q week, she has never caught cold. I
mention her case NOS because it is ex-
ceptioral, but because 1t Is typical She
suffered as thousands Of others suffer. La
,be whole range of hygiene | know Of no
simpler and more efficacious treatment than
he cold foot bath. Il will make the feet per-
warm, and it viii prevent large
proportion Of all colds because considerably
more than half Of all are the result Of draughts
lpon the feet. Il should be continued &C.
,asionally, as i. NAY bs needed
For those that take cold otherwise than
through the feet-aHd there are many other
Ways that are easy enough, as most Of Us
ave found out-the familiar precert Of baths
nd OF exercise in the open air must be re-
,eated ~Do you catch cold By exposing your
ace TO the ARR said an indian sachem TO che
4 the Puritan captains-Thonas Munson, OF
Sew Haven, I think
-Nsver,' said Munson-
@Well, our bodies ara ali facsr And in so
ar IS we can make cur bodies al face By
xposure 10 cold, we shall De free from tae
civilized allnent Of c0lds-Tttus Aunson
>oan, n D., IN RarperS Bszar