The Washington times., 1901-07-02
TO AVOID HEAT STROKES.
DR.. William c. WOOdward's Views
on Timely Subject.
The Warming md Cooling of the
Body by Natural Methods-WOrk
should Re Moderate on Hot Days
Detecting Symptom, of Exhaustion

Body by Natural MethOds-WOrI<
should BE Moderate on Hot Days
| Detecting Symptom, of Exhaustion IA
At the request of The Times. DR.. William
lC Woodward the District Health Officer,
has contributed his views on the subject
| of the proper care of the body in hot
weather. He shows how the body is nat
| urally heated, and how the rigors Of a
| warm climate may be withstOod by proper
| attention to clothing, food, drink, and
| exercise. DR.. Woodward's advice will be
| found particularly valuable in the eX-
tremes Of heat by which Washington is
| occasionally visited in summer. he says:
1t is 4 matter of common knowledge
that in health. the temperature of the
human body remains practically uniform.
| no matter what may be the temperature
| of the air or other medium surrounding
it This results from the nice adjustment
| of the amount of heat generated WITHIN
| the body, and the amount of heat given
| off by 1t. Every manifestation OF lie
means practically the generation of heat
| Muscular effort, the energy devoted TO
| the digestion and absorption of food, ana,
| in fact even mental effort, contribute
| toward the generation of this heat. 1t Is
radiated from the surface of the body
| and given off, to a certain extent, In
| the process of warming such cold sub
stances as are taken into the stomach,
ana, when the atmosphere is cold and
| dry. by the heating and moistening of
the air before it enters the lungs. The
great channel, however, through which
heat leaves the body is the skin. In hot
weather the surface is relaxed and the
amount of blood circulating at the sur
| face is larger 1t carries to the surface
the heat, generated largely in the interor,
| and there it is gotten rid of by radiation
by condUction, and by the cooling which
results from the evaporation of persptra-
ton or sweat
THESE preliminary remarks are neces-
sary to proper understanding of the pre-
cautions to be taken TO maintain health
during hot weather. Such precautions
may be classed under two heads: First,
means to diminish the amount of heat
generated, and, second, means to favor
the dissipation of heat. The available
means under the first head are compara-
lively few. and may all be summed up as
simply avoidance of excessive activity;
abstinence, as far as practicable, from
muscular or mental work, and avoidance
of undue tax on the digestive apparatus.
AS the dissipation of heat is continuous
process, work. if done slowly and contin-
uously. may do no harm; the small guam
tity of heat generated is disposed of
through the usual channels. A sudden
effort, especially if continued may, how
ever. be sufficient to upset the balance
and cause h at stroke or heat exhaustion,
even with fatal results. The moral is,
then, to work as little as is necessary,
quietly and gradually. spreading it over
as much time as is practicable.
The precautions TO be taken under the
second head, that is to promote the dis
Sipation of heat, are equally important,
but must be employed with caution. The
loss of heat by conduction can be accom-
pished by means of cool baths, or
cold baths If one is strong enough TO
stand them These afford, however. but
temporary relief. The drinking or eating
of cold substances has slight effect
toward the same end, but is as is well
known, open to certain objections. 1t
may disturb the circulation and interfere
with the digestion. The amount of heat
too. which can be dissipated from the
body IN this way is small. The frequent
drinking OF cool water or acidulated |
drinks. especially between meals, tends !
somewhat to abstract heat from the sys-
tenn, although the amount so abStraCted /
is not considerable, but has a more i'm |
portant function in encouraging the activ- |
ity of the sweat glands and favoring the !
cooling OF the surface by evaporation. |
The surface of the body is, after all. the !
place TO which we must look for the dis |
sipation of heat.
1T is needless to tell even the most |
Ignorant that they cannot expect heat |
TO be satisfactorily given off from the /
surface II all the time that surface is |
exposed 70 direct heat from the sun or |
other sources. Neither can they expect |
evaporation TO take place rapidly if the /
greater part of the surface is covered |
with closeIy-fitting. almost air-tight |
fabrics Avoiding direct exposure to |
heat, and favoring the free circulation Of |
air about the entire body by wearing |
thin, porus, loose clothing accOmpIishes |
all we can hope to accomplish toward
getting rid OF heat from the surface
The whole subject Of the avoidance Of |
heat strcke may possibly be summed up
IN the avoidance Of excessive activity of |
all kinds. the avoidance of direct exposure
to heat, the free drinking of cool water
the use of easily digested food in moder-
ate quantities, and the wearing of thin,
porous, loose clothing.
The ordinary signs of heat stroke have
been gone over so often that they are by
this time familiar even to the average lay
man. The difference between heat stroke !
and heat exhaustion. are of vital impor-
tance, requiring, as the two conditions
do, diametrically opposite treatment. II I
must be remembered that both of these !
conditions are more liable to come oh
when the air is stil. and especially when
1t is moist. when the atmosphere is in
common language, 'c,ose. The eXplana-
ton is simple. The absence of circulation /
Of the air and the presence of moisture
interfere with the cooling of the body.
During weather of this character it is
especially important that the precautions
above be observed.
AT any time during hot weather hot.
dry skin should be accepted as a warning
Of possible danger. If it is accompan-
led with faintness and dizziness and a
sense of exhaustion, il is time 10 quit
work altogether and unless these condI-
tons soon pass off. to seek medical asss-
tance. The application Of cold water to
The surface, the use of cool drinks. and
the exposure of the surface Of the body
to currents OF air are measures which
can be safely adopted pending the arri-
val Of the physician. The presence Of a
cold clammy skin after exposure TO un-
due heat may also, when accompanied
with a feeling of vertigo and faintness,
mean danger. being more or less sugges-
live of heat exhaustion.
In this condition, pending the arrival
IF the physician. the use of warm drinks
and the application of warmth to the sur
face of the body are helpful Safety lies
n the immediate removal of the patient |
rom the conditions which have led to the |
attack and the Institution and mainte-
lance Of proper treatment"
|