The Republican., 1894-11-15
EFFECTS OF SEA AIR.
Usually Favorable, but There Are ExceI
tions From IA Medical Point of View.

according to latitude, prevailing winds,
and local conditions of shelter. have
certain more or less fixed characteris-
tics. Sea air is everywhere somewhat
moist, it is generally of relatively high
density, it is always more or less in
motion and it is to some slight extent
impregnated with saline particles: it
is, on the whole, much more equable in
temperature than inland or mountain
air.
As regards its physiological action
upon the healthy organism, sea air is
usually tonic-i. e.. it promotes the
/ process of nutrition; it is also very gen
/ orally stimulant-i. e., an eNcitant of
the nervous system-but to this rule
/ there are many exceptions. Warm and
moist sea air combined with conditions
/ of local shelter, may even be decidedly
/ sedative in character There seem to
be grounds for believing that sea air is
/ always more or less provocative of
metabolism and tissue change in the
/ organism. The influence of sea air
/ upon those who are in ordinary health
! is in the great ma iority of cases bene-
J AiNltlls 1 llNINt W ilo are well dI lltlIlt'
/ experience in most eases an accession
/ of vigor at the seaside: those who are
| languid and debilitated from overworll
/ or long-continued strain, apart from
actual illness, obtain like benefit
from sea air. On these two facts rests
the justification of the very common
/ practice of making a sojourn at some
marine resort part of the ordinary pro-
/ gramme of the year. In such cases
as the above the young benefit more
than the old, and growing children
benefit probably most of all.
The applica bility of sea air to states
of disease requires rather more care
/ full consideration. and the off-hand rec
/ Ommendation of a marine soiourn to
all sorts and conditions of patients is
much to be deprecated. The neurotic,
THE hypochOndriacal, the dyspeptic pa
tient will as often get injury as benefit
from such a prescription. The sufferer
from cutaneous disease should as a
rule avoid the sea Rheumatic and
equity patients do not commonly bene-
fit by sea air. On the other hand,
strumouS cases often do wonderfully
well at seaside resort, especially of
the bracing type. Cases of impaired
convaleScence after serious illness or
surgical operation do well at similar
resorts, provided that all acute symp-
toms have subsidized and all grave com
pIications have become inactive. Sim
pie debility and anaemia also usually
do well at the seaside, and so do many
| cases of incipient or quiescent phthisis.
Snch are, in our view, the broad rules
which regulate this important subject.
Let us look at d few of the points in
greater detail. The greatest successes
of sea air are, we believe, attained in
struma and in impaired convalescencc
from disc ase or operation. The ration
ale of this result is not difficult to con-
ceive. The key to the remarkable BEN
eticial effects of sea air in such cases is
to be found in its property of stinulat-
ing tissue change, by which it tends to
rid the organism of morbid deposits
and to promote healthy and normal
growth. Appetite is stimulated and
the digestive processes are rendered
more active, provided they have not
become SO debilitated as to fail to re-
spond to the tonic properties of sea air
The good effects of sea air in anaemia
and debility are not difficult to under
stand. The freshness and purity of
the air, the breeziness, and the large
average of sunlight are sufficient en-
PLANTATION. The effect of sea air uron
the nervous system is a much more
complex question, to which suffice ut
attention has hardly been directed 1t
is a matter of common observation that
in some cases the nervous system is
rendered more irritable by sea air.
with resulting insomnia, nervous de-
bility. and the like: while in other
cases sea air produces unusually deep
and refreshing sleep and a general sense
of bien etre. In some cases. again, the
effect of sea air is at first eXcitant and
subsequently scdative. These differ
cnceS can hardly be attributed to idiO-
syncrasy. Much depends upon the spe-
cial characteristics of any particular
resort, prevailing winds, shelter, etc.
The safe general rule seems to be that
where there is much irritability, par
ticularly of the sort that may be termed
Irritable weakness" sea air diSagrees.
Where the nervous system is simply
torpid or debilitated, without decided
irritability, sea air will often be found
beneficial. Hence. sea air is contra
indicated in hysteria and in most forms
of insanity: it is often indicated in
nervous debility, especially when due
to Ovcrwork or the wear and tear of
tedious illness.
The effect of sea air upon the diges-
tive organs is also somewhat complex
and cannot be summed up in sentence
or two. In simple atony of the stomach
and bowels its effect is usually bene-
to be involved, where there is a muddy
or slightly jaundiced complexion, a
deeply furred and brownish tongue,
and scanty, high-colored urine sea air
often does harm. 1t is probable that
in some cases of chronic dyspepsia sea
air is in furious by stimulating the APP
petite before the stomach and bowels
have recovered sufficient activity to be
able to dispose of the increased amount
of food consumed by the patient. In
such cases a regulated abstcmiouSncSs
is indicated. The i'll effect of sea air
upon many chronic cutaneOuS diseases,
especially chronic eczema, is a we'll
established and highly important fact