Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-03-18
THE BODY AND ITS HEALTH.

Of linen or cotton fabric, about eight
inches wide, folded several times, and
long enough to reach from - to ear,
should be wrung out OF the wafer Of In
winter, and if in summer put directly
upon the ice, and then applied external
" to the throat, and as fast as one cloth
gets warm another should be ready to
take its place, writes c. @. b. Klopbel,
NJ. d.. in contemporary. If the child
complains of being cold, its feet and
hands should be bathed in as hot water
as it can stand. When the child is very
young, it may readily be ascertained if
it be cold or not by feeling its hands and
head. Under no circumstances should
hot applications be made to the throat
If the child is old enough, it may be
given broken ice to suck constantly, even
If the water is spit, out. The cold APP
plications inhibit the growth of the mi
crobes. The patients hands should
be washed frequently-and here let
me say so should those of the attendants
and the vessel used for the purpose
should not be used by any one else
The patients clothing needs protection in
front. This may be done by pinning back
of the neck large piece of linen or cot
ton fabric, which will cover the whole
front of the child and reach as far as the
knees. A material should be used which
can easily be boiled or burned when
soiled. The little patient, if old enough,
will want to spit, and for spittoon a
small wooden box, with an inch of saw
dust on the bottom, is capital Fresh
sawdust should be supplied at least once
day-three times day would be better
and that which has been used should be
emptied upon a good hot fire, and thus
burned at the time the change is made
If there are any flies about, the box
should be kept covered, and as matter
OF course, only uncovered when the pa
tent desires to spit; otherwise, the flies
alighting upon this spittle, would carry
the germs of the disease with them, and
then alighting upon the family food and
drink, necessarily infect them, and thus
indirectly infect the whole family. This
is by no means chimerioal, but a we'll
established fact.
HEALTH AND LdvING.-The prevalence
of pneumonia and consumption, as
shown by the mortality records of large
cities, is startling fact which ought to
arrest the attention of medical societies
and of the public, says the Tribune
This is year when sanitary questions
will be constantly discussed, owing to
widespread apprehension of an outbreak
of cholera. Public opinion will sustain
the most radical measures for the protec-
ton of the country against the Asiatic
scourge. 1t is not our purpose to call in
question the necessity for a rigorous
quarantine and systematic regulation of
immigration as safeguards against pesti-
lence. What we desire to emphasize is
the fact that whether cholera is let in or
kept out, New York and other cities are
already ravaged by scourges which escape
public observation. In proof of this as
sertion we have only to refer to
the mortality statistics for this city dur
ing the last decade. The average annual
mortality from pneumonia, phthlsis and
bronchitis is 10, 245, or 294 per cent. of
the entire death list. That is an alarm
ing exhibit, which ought to be seriously
considered in the sanitary discussions of
cholera year. The first inference to be
drawn from the increasing prevalence of
these diseases is that they may be re-
garded as infectious or contagious under
certain conditions. Certain forms of
pneumonia have indeed been shown to be
communicable. Recent reports of medi-
cal officers to the Local Government
Board in London have tended to confirm
this opinion. There was moreover, a
striking illustration of the spread of this
disease in Vienna year ago. The Grand
Duke Heinrich died of pneumonia;
his room attendant was seized with the
same disease; then his e-de-camp,
Colonel Copal, and finally his physician.
This instance of pneumonia in an in
fictitious form is vouched for in "Public
Health Problems" a recent English
work. As for phthsis there is steadily
growing opinion among medical men
that it is contagious disease. One of
the best-known cases was that of French
dressmaker who had three apprentices.
The young women took turns in staying
overnight and shared her bed with her.
She had consumption and died of it.
The apprentices, who had been vigorous
young women in perfect health, all con-
tracted the fatal disease. Such instances
as these point to infectious or contagious
conditions which are ordinarily disre-
garded. Another deduction which may
be grounded upon the terrible mortality
of these diseases is that their develop
ment is promoted by existing conditions
of living. The reforms in sanitation OF
houses, which have had a marked
effect in diminishing the ravages Of dis
seases like dipthera and typhoid fever,
do not appear to have affected pneumonia
and phthisis. These reforms have been
confined mainly to improvements in
plumbing and drainage and to facilities
for ventilation, especially in tenement
houses. If there has been any marked
change during the last thirty years in
the conditions of living and ordinary
business in cities, IL is in the climate in
doors, especially fiom Octooer to May.
BY means of Steamboat, hot-water sys.
TENS and improved furnaces the temper.
allure of houses, Offices and stores hai
been considerably raised during the win,
ter months. II is at least an open ques
ton whether overheated houses and Of
fees are not &c large extent responsible
for the prevalence OF the class Of diseases
which we have been considering. II