The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-06-15
COOL AND COMFORTABLE.
a DOCTOR TELLS HOW TO KEEP SO IN
THE HOT WEATHER.
What You Must Eat and What You Mustn't
Drink if You Want to Remain in Good
CONFEDERATION to Get Sleep on Hot
Nights.

"If you want to keep moderately cool and
comfortable these hot days" said a physician
to a HERALD representative, land avoid dis
comfort and the danger of sun-stroke, you will
have to do more than put on flannel shirt and
a light coat. l don't mean that you will have
to dose yourself with medicine, or any thing of
that sort, either. The great aim of people in
summer should be to live regularly in every
way. There is much greater need in this eli
mate of care as to eating and drinking in sum
mer than at other periods of the year.
Gas far as summer clothing is concerned, the
average man knows what makes him feel most
comfortable in the way of underclothng and
will wear it, without regard to what the doctors
say. But people who are predisposed to throat
and lung disease, or who have weak kidneys,
are even more apt to catch cold in. summer than
in winter They get overheated readily, per-
spre freely, and then the first thing they know
a cool wind comes along, against which their
thin clothing affords no protection, they are
chilled in an instant, and the cold settles
in the weakest spot. This sudden checking of
perspiration is especially dangerous to people
who have kidney trouble, or whose kid
neys are weak. 1t was a chill of this
kind that caused the very sudden
death of Dr. Beall here couple of
summers ago. The pores of his skin were
work beyond its powers to discharge was thrown
on the kidneys. Severe congestion followed,
the urea was not eliminated from the blood,
uremic couvulsions followed, and although Dr.
Beall was seized il Providence Hospital, with
several other physicians around him, nothing
could be done for him. and he died in a few
minutes
''What would you recommend, doctor, to
avert dangers of this kind?n
1.-The first thing, of course, is to avoid
This narticnlarlV
in summer, when all windows and doors are
opened. The next thing is to wear under
clothing OF a kind that will not permit too
rapid cooling off, The best kind for this pur-
pose is sleeps wool or the light weight of
what is called camels hair, which is mixture
of wool and the spun hair of the camel. This
material absorbs a large quantity of mois-
ture, taking the perspiration up from the skin
and keeping the pores of the latter free and in
healthy action. 1t is hardly necessary to say
that regular daily bathing and rubbing with
rough towels is particularly beneficial in hot
weather.
''How about drinking, doctor ?" asked the
reporter.
''While believe in the moderate use of
whisky, wine and beer,n the doctor answered,
II must say that the less we drink of them
| in hot weather the better we are able to keep
| ourselves in good health and comfort. The
worst effect Of the use of these stimulants in
| hot weather is their effect on the appetite.
Most people are not inclined to eat much in hot
weather any way, and the effect of drinking is
to destroy the inclination altogether. This is
| dangerous, for while we do not need as much
food to keep going in summer as we do in cold
weather, we must eat moderate quantity of
the right kind, or the strength quickly leaves
us and we are prostrated. Alcohol, you know
does not undergo the slow process Of digestion
of foods before it is taken into the blood. Al
most Immediately on entering the stomach i
passes into the circulation, giving temporary
bracing effect to the system, and at the same
time deadening the craving for substantial
nourishment. This, as it were, throws tht
stomach out of work and deranges its func
tions. Smoking has very similar effect, an(
to greater extent in not weather, think
than in cool. OF course, alcoholic drinks
when first taken produce heat, and this in
creaseS the discomfort"
''And now as to eating ~
Foods that contain a good deal Of carbon
should be avoided in summer. These are fatt
and oily substances and vegetables that contain
much starch, such as potatoes, peas, beans, rice
etc. Corn is also heating. A good deal of hea
is generated in digesting these foods and a
there is plenty of heat outside, we do not nee
to get up any internally to maintain the he alth
full temperature of the body
"On very warm nights" the doctor con
tinued, IL find it frst-rate thing to take
; shower bath before retiring This has soott
ing effect on the nerves; and when get out G
the bath, without drying myself, | wrap my bi
bath robe, made out of Turkish towelng, abou
me and lie down on my bed. The bath rob
} absorbs the dampness from the body, and in
few minutes l usually fall into refreshin
| sleep, even in the most oppressively hot night.
If wake up during the night have my nigh
shirt handy, and exchange it for the bath robe
: In this way, with proper dressing, regular batl
} ing, by avoiding the use of stimulants, and b
: eating only small quantities of lean meat an
} ! vegetables that do not contain much starch,
l man can keep himself in good health and con
) fort even in the hottest weather.
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