Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-02-10
Stop Thai Cold.
Or. T0dhunter Tells of Pre-.
ventives and Cures.
[Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.

| lCincinnati Commercial Tribune
Notwithstanding the severe wealth
er the rooms of the Hygienic Society
were crowded last night to hear DIR.
TOdhunter's lecture on Colds
Their Prevention and Cure"
The society meetings are informal,
questions and suggestions being in
vited from those present. This priv
| ilege was freely exercised last night,
perhaps because the subject of colds
Is one of SD much personal interest to
all. DIR. Todhunter said in part:
Most every one knows from expe-
rience how cold feels, but few
know what a cold is. The term cold
is a very elastic one, covering many
symptoms and conditions. In order
to understand what u cold really is
one must have some knowledge of
the skin and mucous membranes and
their functions.
Avoiding all technicalities and
scientific terms, 1t may be said that
the skin is the covering of the outside
of the body, while the mucous MEN,
brane is the lining of the inside cav
tiles of the body, and that the two
membranes join or blend at the OPEN
ing of the body as at the mouth, nose,
etc. Being thus joined, and so SIM
liar in character, it is not surprising
that they were more or less identical
or sympathetic in function.
1.-The skin has several functions,
but only one of these need claim our
attention this evening. The text
books inform us that the skin of an
average person is supplied with
about twenty-one miles of tubing or
drain pipe. These tubes find their
openings in the pores of the skin,
which are numerous almost beyond
exact estimate. Now, it must be
supposed that, since nature goes to
the trouble and pains of placing this
very elaborate drainage system in
the skin, it's function is of cores
ponding Importance.
"All are more or less familiar with
perspiration that passes off through
the pores of the skin. The opening
of each of these little pores is guard
ed by an infinitesimal circular mus
Gle called IA sphincter, the contraction
of which closes the pore while it's
relaxation opens it. So long as these
sphincter muscles act freely the
function of perspiration goes on nor
mally, but, If for any reason they do
not act, perspiration is checked, and
the elaborate sewer system of the
skin becomes clogged and the effete
matter that should be thrown OF is
retained in the circulation.
when this happens the mucous
membrane endeavors in a neighbor-
ly way to do the work of the skin in
addition to it's own work. The result
is that more effete matter is carried
to some part of the mucous men,
brane than it can discharge. The lit
tie vessels i'm this membrane, in the
lining of the nOstrils, throat, lungs or
elsewhere, become clogged up, and
the circulation is impeded and local
congestion sets in. The presence of
the effete and poisonous matter in
the membrane causes first a dis
charge of an extraordinary amount
of mucus, accompanied by inflamma-
ton, which leads to suppuration.
"What is to be done under these
circumstances? Evidently the nor
NAL action of the skin must be re-
stored, the extra amount of blood
must be derivated from the congested
portion of the mucous membrane,
and an equilibrium established. This
is most easily done by the judicious
application of hot and cold water, the
method to be adapted to the particu-
lar conditions present in each case.
"If the case is of such character as
to require it, vapOr baths or other hot
baths or body packs may be used to
secure profuse and continued per-
spiration. This carries oil the accu-
mulated etfete matter and relieves
the cOngested membranes and tls-
sues, and the cold is gone.
Under the drug system of medical
tion so popular with the medical pro-
fession and the people symptoms,
rather than causes, are considered A
fever is present-nature's method of
burning up the etfete matter accu-
mulated i'm the system-sOme anti
febrine, some drug which retards or
lowers the circulation by partially
paralyzing the nerves which govern
that function, is administered, and,
of course, the temperature is lower
ed. If pain is present, some drug like
opium is administered, which rObs
the nerves of their power of sensa-
tion, and, of course, the pain disap-
pears. Meanwhile, nature is left to
relieve herself as best she may of the
accumulated matters, and must now
also rid the system of the toxic drugs
that have been administered.
Under the proper application OF
water, heat, fresh air and other SIM
pie natural agencies, almost every
cold, even where 1t has taken the