The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-27
COUGHS AND COLDS.

4 drop Of ten degrees III the thermometef
from daybreak on Wednesday 10 daybreak
on Thursday, coupled with an exchange Of
a bright, clear cold atmosphere for an at
mosphere charged with moisture. means an
increase 10 maladies Of the respiratory sys-
TEN and a harvest for the doctors. 1t is
curious to observe on the leading thorough
fares how many people herald their ap-
proach with a resounding cough.
AS one-haf the mortality in this city re-
suits from diseases of the lungs and air
passages it is never superfiuous to reiterate
the rules by which such maladies may be
prevented OF mtigated. A cold is such
slight thing that few people ever take the
pains to investigate its causes, and as the
doctors say it is incurable. but will cure
itself in time, lots of people carry it along
all winter without making IN effort TO check
it. They know that in the balmy air of
summer it Will vanish of It's own accord.
Yet every cold aud cough tend to dilate
and weaken the bronchial tubes. They be-
come more susceptible to disease, and
sooner or later the respiratory system
! breaks down and the man dies before his
time.
What is A cough? 1t is the outward and
audible sign Of an irritation Of the delicate
mucous membrane which lines the air pas
sages. That irritation produces infamma-
ton. and consequently suppGration. a
deposit of phIegm accumulates on the
mueu0uS membrane and causes such an
noyance that the lungs contract and try to
! expei it by violent explosion of air. That
/ is called coughing. 1t is hardly necessary
/ to say that the effort of coughing is exhaust
/ ing. and that the expulsion Of the accumu-
/ lated phlegm has tendency TO further irri-
/ tate the infamed membrane. Thus the dis
/ ease works in a circle. The larger the de-
/ pOsit the greater the annoyance and the
/ more vigorous the sDasmOdc effort to eXpei
! it. and the more violent the effort the more
/ the membrane becomes infiamed and the
! more active the SuppuratiOn. person
/ y no can resist the tendency to cough will
( get cured sooner than one who yields To 1t.
/ What causes irritation in the mucous
membranes OF the air passages? There may
| be many causes. 4 person with a delicate
/ membrane may irritaie il by iuhaling sharp,
cold. and especially damp air. 1t is par
+ ticuaTy liable to irritation when the appli-
cation Of cold or damp to the feet repeiS the
blood 10 The upper parts Of the frame. II
those portions Of the body Ia which the
veins and arteries are close 10 the epideTmis,
as ID the nape Of the neck, or along the
s.iBe, are exposed 10 draughts, the circula-
ton is disturbed, and the disturbance may
take the shape Of Inflammation Of the air
/ passages. People may contract cough
/ without exposure to cold by freqnenting
! crowded asSemblages in which the atmos-
pheTe Is Oreathed by many persons and
enters the lungs Of a healthy subject after
passing through tie lungs Of one who is
diseased or is an habitual consumer OF spirits
or tobacco Il is often difficult for the most
! experienced practitioner 10 decide what was
the real cause Of a cough; though even lay
men know that ii viii LEAD to bronchitis or
pneumonia or even consumption If it is
/ neglected and the conditions are favorable.
There is no cure for q cold. The various
medicines which are sold by the druggists
are all alike; they owe their value TO the
SENECA which they all contain. That Is
/ powerful eXpectoTant l. is generally mixed
with some soothing syrup which hos a ten
dency TO alay local irritation. The best
course foI sufferer TO pursue IS to guard
-agsh.s. contracting fresh colds on the top O.
the old me. and to strengthen the system so
Is 10 help It's efforts 10 throw CT the disease.
In that r Of the United States which lies
west Of the rivers Quinine is generally given
for colds. That can only be to ailay the
I fever consequent upon a cold n the acute
stage; quinne can have DO effect on tie
mucous mem 5ranes.