Evening star., 1901-10-12
HOW TO CURE COLDS
But BEST OF ALL. EASY WAYS TO
AVOID THEM.
When the Worst Comes Adopt These
Remedies and Trouble VIII
Soon BE Over.
Written for The Evening Star.

the susceptibility of the system TO colds
While cold is in itself not very serious
every housewife breads having one Of her
family fall victim, for II is upon her
shoulders that the care of the patient de-
! wolves, and sufferers from colds are far
| from pleasant companions There is some
| thing about the affifction that dfsturbs the
temper of the most even-minded person in
the world.
| Children are especially troublesome under
such conditions, and are open to colds be-
cause of the violent exercise which they
take and their lack of judgment in cooling
| off. School rooms likely to be over
heated or drafty, and in the autumn, when
| the weather is so uncertain, ranging from
| an almost frosty day TO one of tropical
temperature, it takes a great deal more
| Judgment than youth can be expected TO
| command to escape the cold
| An ounce of prevention is better than a
| pound of cure. Therefore when the chill
| dren are not delicate they should be trained
| to take cold sponge bath in the morn
| Ing and accustomed to plenty of fresh ar.
| They should learn to sleep with the win
| doWS partly open and to keep the mouth
| closed when sleeping. Sore throats result
| from neglect Of the latter precaution.
The summer underclothing should not be
| taken off for a heavier kind and then put on
| again when a warm day comes. once
| donned, winter garments should not be
| cast aside. 1t is better to protect the body
| by altering the thickness of the outside
| clothing than to change the undergarments.
| symptoms of cold in a child usually he
| gin with a distressing case of "sniif'es'
The patient should be subjected a hot
| mustard bath and sent straight TO bed aud
| hot drink administered when the afflicted
one is snugly wrapped in blankets. Hot
| lemonade in which a 1easpo0nful of sweet
| spirits of inter has been stirred is valuable,
! especially when there is an indication of
| fever. If the cold is not better the next
! day summon the doctor.
| Some old ladies recommend fasting as a
! cure for cold. 1t will hardly serve for chill
dren, although older persons may find it
] satisfactory. Quinine is another old-fash-
| Toned cure. Three twO-grain pills taken on
| retiring is the adult dose.
In its early stages few drops of cam
| phor on a lump Of sugar sometimes hClp
| to cure a cold, When the mucous MEM
| brane of the nose is affected, the smiling
OF eucalyptus or lavender salts may af-
| ford relief
When the cold takes the form of innu-
| enza, the treatment should begin with
| hot bath lasting about five Minutes About
| an hour later, when the patient is in bed
wrapped in blankets, a powder consisting
| of eight grains of powdered inter. one
| grain OF opium and one grain of fpecac-
| uanha should be administered. An hour
| later a bowl of hot Cruel beef tea or a
cup of cocoa should be taken. If there are
| symptoms of sore throat, a borax or alum
gargle may be used. The borax gargle is
made with tablespoonful of powdered
boraX and a tablespoonful of glycerin dis
solved In half a pint of water. To make
| the alum gargle dissolve a tablespoonful
! of powdered alum and a tablespoonful of
tincture of myrrh in half pint of warm
water.
Home Treatment.
| A simple cold In the head may be often
| dissipated by the following treatment:
Take first some simple aperient. After that
| jump into warm bath. On stepping out
| of the bath rub the body vigorously with
| rough towels to set the blood in circulation
and then go to bed between blankets or
sheets which have been warmed When
! In bed, take dose consisting of sixty
mfnims Of sulphuric ether and ne-fifteenth
of grain of phosphorus. This should be
prepared by the chemist. The medicine is
taken in tumbler filled with cold water
To clear the noStriis a snuff consisting of
one grain of morphia mixed with one grain
of subnitrate of bismuth is helpful The
quantity is sufficient for occasional use
covering a period of six hours In the
! morning before rising hot coffee should be
taken.
A good mixture for coughs consists Of
three grains of tartar emetic dissolved I'm a
pint of boiling water to which four ounces
of molasseS, two ounces of vinegar and
another pint of boiling water are added.
The dose is two teaspoonfuls to two table,
spoonfuls taken every three to eight hours
according to circumstances.
Another cough remedy is prepared with
equal parts of tincture of blood root, sirups
OI lpeCdc ana SQulllS ana tlncture of ball
sam of tolu and paregoric. The medicine
is to be given whenever the patient coughs.
When cough medicine must be dosed TO
children and the old-fashioned horehound
candy which druggists sell is not success
ful, have the druggist prepare the following
mixture: Tincture of squills, two ounces:
camphorated tincture of opium, one-fourth
of an ounce; tincture Of tolu, one-fourth of
an ounce; wine of ipecac one-half an
ounce; oil of gaultheria, four drops; oil of
sassafras, three drops; aniseed oil, two
drops Take the medicine home and make
about five pounds of candy with sirup or
sugar boiled over the fire and mix the LIQUID
with 1t just as the. saucepan is about to
be taken from the fire The candy NAV be
deled out to the children judicfously when
they cough, and they will be found to relish
the medicine.
When the patient complains of pains a
poultice should be applied to the seat of the
trouble. Either mustard or lnseed is ex-
cellent for the purpose.
Often an intense thirst accompanies the
cold Nothing will allay the thirst more
satisfactorily than barley water, for the
beverage is nourishing well as cooling
To make it put two ounces OF the best
pearl barley into an enameled saucepan and
cover the grain with water. Allow Il to
boil for a few minutes and strain off tha
water, which should be discarded. Return
the barley to the saucepan and cover again
with quart of clear, cold water and allow
1t to boil two and one-half hours or until
the water is creamy. Then strain through
muslin and serve cold, sweetened to taste
A dessertspoonfui of lemon sirup NAV be
added.
To allay irritation In the throat adminis-
ter equal quantities OF glycerine and strain
ed lemon Juice a mixture of honey and
lemon juice. This should be taken in doses
of teaspoonfal when the throat is trouble
some. 1t will often check cough in it's
earliest stages.
Some one has said that ''the best pre-
ventiye against cold Is a calm mind, a we'll
clothed body and healthy circulation of
the blood" IT is protection worth trying
Children are more than likely TO take
cold at night when asleep. They toss about
so much that II is almost impossible to keep
them warmly covered. With a safe system
of ventilation assured by the use of screens
and careful adjustment of the windowe.
much of the difficulty may be done away
with and the children's slumber be undis-
;urbed by drafts. Drafts are the source
Of most autumn colds. IF