New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
SOME CAUSES OF SUNSTROKE.
THE STRICT MEANING OF THE TERM DE-
FINED-FREE-LUNCH COUNTERS AND
HEAT PROSTRATION.

Judging from the newspaper reports OF rev years
ago as compared with those of the last season OF
two IT would seem as If there had been marked
decrease In the number of sunstroke cases IN 'hiS
city. While 1t is perhaps true that there mas peeh
some Improvement. owing to the cooler dress anu
more sensible habits OF eating Of many people there
Is another and a different explanation OF the APP
parent gain In this direction.
Until recently the word "sunstrokc" has been
used to cover n multitude OF ailments to which II
could not properly be applied. This Is still true 10
a large extent among people In general, but much
reoter care IL now exercised in the formal reports
of cases OF sudden illness In summer due directly
or indirectly % the heat, but not necessarily sun
stroke on that account. Formerly these were
classed rat Unfortunately under the latter
familiar head: hence the long lists IN the papers
which are not seen to-day.
Real sunstrokc or 'insolation. to use the medical
term is rare thing At the Hudson Street Hospital.
which, owing to its location in a crowded part OF the
downtown district receives more cases OF the sor'
than any other in the city. seven patients suffering
from actual sunstrokc were received during the
summer of 1896 Four have been treated there thus
far this season. two of them within the last fe"
DAYS At the Gouverneur Hospital on the East
Side there have been only two insulation cases since
the warm wea her began II Is understood OF
course. that great numbers of persons suHer1hB
more or less from the effects of the heat are taken
to the hospitals every day. They feel faint and Ill.
degrees above normal, but they are seldom in a
dangerous condition. They have, emphaticaliy' not
been sunstruck, and by no means such vigorous
restorative methods are USED upon them as upon
the real insulation patients
The condition OF the latter Is always extremely
critical If the abnormally high temperature OF
10 or III degrees to which their blood has been
heated cannot be speedily reduced they die within
twenty-four hours after the beginning or the
attack The modern heroic treatment of plunging
sunstruck persons into an icy bath. heaping ice
about the neck and head. and giving them all the
ice-Water they can drink when they have partly
recovered has been very successful. So persistent
Is the fearful heat Of the body that this ice bath
has sometimes to be continued for hours Occa-
sionally, though not often 1t ias 20 esct us pur
pose. Autopsies upon such patients have SHOWN
that the vital organs were sofened and In process
of being literally cooked by the intense fire in the
What Is called. in a general way. hat prosra-
exposed V to a high Temperature anywhere. whether
from the suns rays or not. As has been SAID, the
Patient is stricken outdoors it is commony said
that he has had sunstroke. the doctors decidr
differently when he Is brought before them. People
are frequently taken to the hospitals under the
suppostion that they have been overcome By the
heat when the real trouble IL attack of gas
tritis. acute Indigestion or som" other disease.
The causes which predspose to either sunstrokc
or heat prostration are several Too heavy cloth
ing and careless habits of eating and drinking have
a great influence: One physician said day or two
wrought a marked change for the better The food
offered on such counters. he said, was nearly al
ways indigestiblc stuff and the beer taken with II
in large quantities was anything but desirable
drink for a man who was to work all day under the
hot sun. Alcoholic liquors in general are con-
demned IN hot weather. unless taken In very limited
amounts, 1t having been proved that heavy drinkers
far liable than others to heat prostration
But in the opinion of some physicians lack of
sleep is a more fruitful cause than any other of
suffering from the heat.
"You will notice" said one doctor, that the great
est number OF these cases occur after q ong-cOn-
tinued spell of hot weather, unbroken by cool in
tervas or by showers. When the nights are as
warm as the days. people cannot get their accus-
toned rest and the strain soon tells on them fear
fully Their whole systems are weakened and
very slight additional exposure to heat is sufficient
to PROSTATE them. so far this summer we have
had a good many showers, particularly at night,
which have made the warm days bearable 1t Is
doubtless due chiefly TO this that there has been
less suffering than usual throughout the month OF
July"