The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-18
HOW WE TAKE COLD.
Fatigue and Anxiety Have More to Do
with 1t than Bad weather.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
zone of my patients could not understand
why he took such a severe cold, said
doctor, who is especially familiar with
throats and lungs.
He said he had ample warm clothing.
macintosh, umbrella. and rubbers, and
that his exposure didn't compare with
many he had undergone, and from which
he suffered no i'll.
when 1 questioned him. he remembered
that he was very much fatigued the last
time. That was the secret of it, 1t requires
very little exposure for one to take cold
when he is weary or anxious or depressed.
The condition of the nervous system has
more to do with it than the condition of the
atmosphere.
power to resist diseases of this kind de-
Ponds on the temperature of the body. You
can sometimes stop bad cold short by hot
drinks, and getting your back warm. The
temperature of the body is maintained by
the nervous system, and the least trouble
with the nerve centerS lowers the temper
allure and invites cold. II is an interest
ing fact that the bodily temperature is
wholly independent of outside conditions. 1t
is a little more than 9S degrees at the equa-
tor and at the north pole, If Prof. Andree
happens to be there. This is because the
nervous system regulates it. But for it's
Watchful care the temperature or the DOuy
would rise with every muscular movement
and would rise or fall with the outside tenn
perature. When anything is wrong With
the nervous system, it does not perform
it's work as 1t should, just as clock cannot
keep good time when anything is wrong
ing will entirely compensate Tor the uis-
turbance of the nerve ceDterS by work car
ried SO far as to bring WEAKNESS, or by anX-
iety, fright, and so on. When a man Is de-
pressed in spirit or faugued. he should be
most careful about exposing himself to bad
weather.
at is this nervous origin of colds that
accounts for the shocking suddenness with
which robust men in apparent good health
are attacked and carried off by pneumonia.
In nearly every case, If we could know the
truth, we should find unfavorable state
of mind The nervous, pushing Americans
are more often the victims Oh pneumonia
than any other people, not because our ell
mate is SO much worse. but because we arc
less serene and less moderate IN our work.
"At this season exposure TO WIND ana
dampness causes an acute catarrh III most
cases or q bronchitis; but it may easily re-
suit in pneumonia. the best preventive Is
cheerful mind. and that can be cultivated.
1t is largely within a mans own power 10
be cheerful glum. determination to
shed anxiety, to look on the pleasant side
of everything will sometimes save mans
life, and very often enable him 10 escape
a bad cold. We may pay big price Tor
anxious.
1T is a remarkable thing that SO few set
to work deliberately to be happy. Men
have an idea they pursuing happiness
when they toll for riches and refuse to be
genial for fear they may relax their efforts
to obtain the means to buy happiness. Iney
might have many happy hours. In spite OF 2
predisposition to crossness, IL they would
only make up their minds 10 be cneerlul.
sarte maintained that if one puts himself in
the attitude that is characteristic OF any
emotion, he will really experience that emo
ton At least ii is true that If one puts
himself in the mental attitude of cheerful-
ness, simply resolves to be cheerful. he Will
overcome almost any degree of depression
1t is the best prophylactic in The world to
be cheerful. Even the most vruent bac-
terra cannot work as fatally in merry as
in a melancholy person.
1.-THE French doctors have discovered that
many diseases may be successfully treated
by music. The idea is as old as Plato. How
right Emerson was when he said that
amazing philosopher had clapped copyright
on everything in the world Of ideas. In the
Charmides of Plato there Is remarkable
account of the theory of such treatment
attributed by Socrates to Tamolxis the
Thracian god-king
Arnold found fault with the medical pro-
fessicn, and justly, for its ignorance OF the
relations of moral fault and disease We
are only at the beginning OF moral
therapeutics"