Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-01
TAKING COLD.
The Important Relation of Clothing to
the Physical Condition.

the PhyS1cal COnultlOn.
from the Rhode Island State Bulletin.l
The relation of animal heat to health
and proper digestion is very close. Good
health is never secured except by proper
attention to clothing. This should be
neither too heavy nor too scanty. The
animal heat is too largely retained in the
one case and insuficiently held in the
other. External cold, in moderate de-
gree, acts as sort of stimulant through
the nervous system, when it comes in con-
tact with an exposed or thinly-clad part
of the body.
One of the chief causes of chill is a
sudden evaporation of the perspiration.
! Another is a sudden arrest of perspiration.
These are largely prevented when one is
clad in comfortable undertaking. The
bracing effect of cold is felt when one is
not too thickly clothed, and when at the
same time the surface heat is in dangerous
excess. Thus "the indiscriminate use of
the thick, heavy overcoat" cannot be too
greatly deprecated. To this may be
largely attributed the colds so common in
the cold seasons of the year. Warm,
thick undertaking and lighter outer
clothing-this should be the habit adopted
1t is in the intermittent use of the heavy
overcoat that danger turks.
This is particularly true in regard to
persons of sedentary habits; and such an
one should ever be on his guard in this
respect. He energies from a warm break
fast-room, clothed in his ordinary winter
garments, with probably warm underwear,
and over all the heavy ulster or top
coat. After a short walk he finds that
the sense of warmth he began with is
more than maintained. He arrives
at his Office or place of business,
and off goes the overcoat, though
the air of the newly opened room may be
nearly as cold as that without, and, per-
haps draughty in addition. During the
day, perhaps, he travels TO and from ad-
iacent business houses, moving in only his
house clothing The overcoat is laid
aside till closing time reminds him
of the Journey home The result is that
at times he is too warm at other times he
is chilled through, and he wonders how
he has taken cold The thickness of
clothing must be proportioned to the de-
gree of exercise, whether indoors or out
doors. One would not saw wood in an
ulster, even on a very cold day. The wise
man, however, would put it on when he
had finished his job.
Wooden Undertaking is the best pre-
ventive against colds, catarrhs and per-
haps worse diseases due to chills; and
this must be regulated according to age,
sex, constitution and amount of exercise.
Youth has great powers of resistance to
external cold, and runs many risks and
often escapes scot free. But this is but
exceptional. The weaker the constitution
the more clothing, without being, of
course, burdensome. The state of the
weather has much to do with the regula-
ton of the clothing, and so, too, the time
of day.
At night more clothing is required
than in the daytime. The bed clothing
should be sufficient to insure sleep. Ger
tain parts of the body should be covered
warmer than others, such as the chest legs
and feet. Thin-soled shoes and cotton
stockings, on most persons, should be
avoided, especially by women. Cold or
tepid bathing of the chest, throat and feet
is an excellent safeguard. Rub until
warmth of the skin secured.
More than all, when overheated from
exercise, especially during the sudden
changes of a New England climate, the
outer clothing should never be suddenly
thrown off unless in warm room. The
garment, instead, should be kept on until
the superintendent animal warmth has
disappeared. Neither should the under
clothing be changed for thinner as
warmer weather approaches until
the season for "a judicious change
has arrived. If one is too
warm, put on lighter outer-wear. Inac-
tivity requires more clothing than exer-
else. But every person should endeavor
to practice during every day sufficient
amount of active exercise to insure a
natural amount of bodily heat. This is
not saying that the exercise must of ne
cessity be vigorous or prolonged, and GER
tainly not violent.