The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-09-17
WEALTH HINTS
For Old and Young.

CNlN.
TIE ICE CURE.

messed the collapse Of the Koch dclusion, bat
also she compstc success Of an experiment that
bids fair 10 eject great aud permanent change
in the treatment Of summer diseases. About
two years ago contributor Of the North
Ansriegu Reriec predicted time whom sufferers
from climatic disorders and fcbriIc affections
would be cured by means Of artificial reigigcra-
ton, 4 prediction which the author of that
article t"Slmmcr Refrigeration ~ has fro
quently repeated IN the columns Of TIE Ma
TIONNL TRIBUNE. and which has now been
fulfilled ~ the results o! n test experiment.
10 seemed. indeed. au unaccOurtabIe fact that
Yankee ingenuity should have failed % act
upon the hint that year after year the first
night frosts put a sop 20 theasuos aud yellow
fever epidenies of our Southern lOwlands
Frost is Natures remedy for tho complaints
caused by an excess Of heat, but IN our own
country the general recognition Of that truth
was opposed by the dCep-FOOtcd decisions about
the ELECTS Of "uight-air ~ and cold drafts.
Hundreds of disorders caused by Ovgredting,
the abuse OF stimEIants. and the ytiated air Of
cur city teuemeuts are still confidently ascribed
10 4 lOyg temperature. Caught cold some
how or other" Is the first idea suggesting itself
% nine out Of ten patients whose lungs have
been affected by the dust and foul gases Of liz
ventilated buildings. A sweat-cuTe aggravates
the Affections Of countless sick rooms and
nothing could be more hopeless than To per-
suade the dupes Of the night-aiT superstition
that patient might need little fresh air after
dark Is we'll as ia daytime.
The mere idea Of a cold-a.r cure thus came
to assume the appearance Of paradox. IL is
true that in stress Of circumstances many resi-
dents Of our sultry coast towns consented 10
avail themselves Of the fact that contagious
summer cpidemics can be avoided, or even
cured, By removal TO highland resort, but
even in such eases the result was apt % be as
CTIgc1 less 10 the effect Of q lower temperature
than to the drugs oG the physician attending
the visitors Of that highland sauitarium, or 70
the remedial virtues OF some miraculous spring.
The absence If suCh highland resorts abOuta
year ago eau ed Spanish American physician
10 experiment on the possibility % an artificial
substitute. The mountains of Cuba, at several
points. exceed the hight 81 oIr Southern Ale
GAMES. but the summit REGIONS Of those SjerFas
are almost wholly uHinhabited. Ninety-uine
OF the hundred largest towns are situated either
on the coast or in the inland valleys; q few
hamlets cluster about the plateau Of the ter
race lands and the isolated hOmcstcad5 found
in every nook and Cove" Of our highlands
are hardly ever seen in the Serrls Of Spanish
America. The crCO.es are too gregarI0us 10
prefer the comforts Of e country home 10 the
social attractions Of the villages and towns, and
the inelicieucy Of the rural police would really
make isolation too risky for individuals unable
% surround themselves with az armed Tet.Hue.
I The ~icrTas swarm wish bandits, and more than
once in the course OF the last 10 years people
have heeu dragged from their homes ia the very
suburbs Of such cities - CIeGluesOs AID SautI-
ago.
physician OF the last-uam1d town had some
years ago Joined an expedition 90 the nights Of
the Sierra de San Tomas. aud had been struck
by the exuberaHt good health o! his party at
the yery time when the coast lands were ter
TOTiZed by the spread o. 4 yCilOg-tever epidemic
Santiago is situated on the coast, at the very
southern extremity Of the island, nearly q
Thousand miles further south than Charleston,
). G., near the northern border OF the fever
zone Santa Catalina, al the head Of aH estuary,
some % miles further inland, and the mining
town ii IL CJLrp. some 300 feet higher up,
were ravagod hy the same plague that turned
Santiago into iaztsetto bat at II CObrc the
average mortality was only OUe-hIl that OF the
coast REGION. aud Csc doctor seems 10 first to
have conceived the idea Of removing his own
relatives to the highland camp where bis COM
paniOus bad enjoyed continued good health.
Last year 30 Actually revisited the Sierra for
the purpose 90 selecting site for private sani-
tarium but was scared back by the report that
his steps had been doggel by the spies Of
Manuel Garlic notorious bandit chief Of that
ueiEhbOrhoOi.
Oae thing, however, remained clearly cstab-
| lisaed in the doctors mind The healthfujncss
OF tho mountain camp could moi be ascTibol %
drugs or mineral springs, aud must be due 20
the low temperature OG that altitude. The
nights had been NOS only COOL bag positively
chilly. aud tine doctor conceived the plan Of
/ reproducing that condition by Artificial means.
I lie mad a suburban garden house OF his own,
and set about turning one room Of that house
/ into n refrigerator. After constructing a set Of
/ wall closets Tor rather double walls with tiers
L II init
I OF the Cuban papers, he dug out a cellar yauIt
I and several smaller pits under and near the
s3uitaTium room. The shelves of the wall
I closet were then covered with sawdusJ, and had
\ bceu made 20 slope toward one corner Of the
I room, where an open tub constituted re-
ccptacle for drainage. Closets, cellar and ali
\ wcrG then filled with ice; shade trees and q
| large awning in front Of the porch helped to
/ exclude the rays Of the sun, and thc temPera-
I ture Of the room was thus reduced fnliy 40 de-
/ grces below that OF the outdoor atmosphere.
/ When the sun stool straight overhead, the
/ thermometer Iu the ice room indicated go GO
I Fahrcnheit; about sunset 1t sank 90 30 and at
midnight a little below 20 degrees. The night
/ bracZes Of the upper s terra could hardly match
! that record, and the doctor began to experiment
\ with members OF his own family who had been
/ suffering from chilis and levers. One night in
/ the Icc-rolm generally suliced b. break such
/ complaints. The patients were given COM
I Portable beds and abundant beG-Coyer but
! were instructed to keep their heads uncovered
\ and breathe the cool air 20 the full capacity Of
| their lungs Their drink consisted Of ice
\ water; their food Of ssmi-1uit cooling dishes
| and fruit.
| Last Spring the effects of the plan we're tried
/ on the first ycllow-iev patient. The man
/ was in a state of delirium, and had been twice
I seized with attacks Of the deadly COHi'O before
the doctor took charge Of him. Ice-wraps
/ about temples aud wrists were IN this case
\ added % the other reiFigerauts. The weather
/ was intensely hot aud the next night close and
/ sultry, but before midnight the desrium OF the
/ patient subsidized. He sat up in bed and began
1 Ia ask rational questions. Towards morning
| his ieycrish pulse became more regular. He
/ was still very weak, but his appetite had re-
\ turned, and he was easily persuaded TO limit his
/ diet to light lunches Of rice Cruel and fruit
/ irliies On the morning Of the fifth day he was
dismissed as cured. lie returned that evening,
/ but only to have a friendly chat with the doc
! tor aud ask some additional questions ia re-
| card TO his detetic regime. Two weeks after
/ the doctor found him M work, as usual, feeling
as well a. ever IN his life, ut least at those
| times OF the year.
Three other patisnts-Oae Of them girl Of
| IS. s0 far gone that she Lad been given up by
! other physicians were cured IN from four to
seven days, and the reports Of their experience
spread all over Santiago aud the adjoining
cities. Friends, "a hTst more than sEcPtical as
In the merits OF the new plan, now changed
their opinion aud induced the doctor To con-
stIuct "a similar but larger sJuitaEium in the
i l. ..rH H.. fUaF .Is0Hs