The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03
HOW TO TREAT A COLD.
When Simple Remedies Fail They
Must BE Reinforced.

1t is a fact that one catches cold by get
ting too hot and suddenly cooling off, The
man who throws his coat off when over
heated and sits in draught to cool off Is
inviting a visit from that bette noir of the
north. a cold The belle of the ball, in her V
corsage, all of glow, standing by the open
window, is signaling for cold, and pneu-
monia the forerunner of death, will speed
lily obey the summons. The man who hugs
the register and then goes out into the Bit
ing air is throwing a thousand doors open
for a cold, for the pores are relaxed and
cannot resist the entrance of the chilling
air. The man who thinks to keep healthy
by bundling up and Transforming himself
into a polar bear as far as wool and fur is
concerned, is taking through ticket for
cold Too much clothing is worse than too
little, because the system cannot resist
heat as well as it can endure cold. Heat is
enervating; it saps the vigor; but cold is
invigorating; it stimulates the vital forces
But suppose you have caught cold,
goodness knows how, how will you treat it?
Certainly not with whisky, it is to be
hoped; for if that is your plan, you may
have a cold all the time, thinking the rem
edy, contrary to the rule, better than the
disease. Having caught your cold, ninety
nine out of a hundred will say at once:
"Oh, let it alone! 1t will get well of itself!'
And the majority will emphasize their pre-
cept by their example. Some doctors, too.
will fOolishly join in the popular cry: ITS
only a cold" and look upon it a trivial
matter, neglecting that which may ter
inmate seriously, if not fatally. Such ad-
vice is homicide, and such practice suicidal,
for an ordinary cold is simple form of
fever, an external manifestation of in
ternal congestion and Inflammation, the
only difference between a slight cold and a
high fever being one of degree. for as a
smoldering spark may break into a devour-
ing fame. so a light cold may develop into
a consuming fever. A simple cold is often
the starting point of a long and wasting
disease never to be cured and ending only
with life. 1t is, so to speak, the entering
wedge of death. once the thin. edge is en-
tered the ''house of life" is easily broken.
A person who has become suddenly
chilled presents blanched appearance, due
10 an unequal distribution of the blood. In
ternal organs are oversupplied with blood
while the blood vessels Of the skin are con-
tracted and comparatively empty. The rea-
son is plain. Cold contracts the arteries,
and these being diminished in size less
blood flows through them. Consequently,
the internal organs, the lungs especially,
or the brain, oftentimes, become engorged
with blood; they are in state of active
congestion. and if the normal equilibrium
of the circulation is not quickly restored,
this will become a focus of disease, the
active congestion will become passive, and
Inflammation will ensue The blood de-
barred from its natural course becomes
laden with impurities and poisons the sys-
TEN instead of relieving it of waste prod
ucts and nourishing it. The skin refuses to
perform its functions of health and the
process of radiation by the aid OF which
nature keeps the body temperature equal,
is retarded; consequently, the heat of the
blood rises and fever results. As soon as
the skin resumes its normal functions and
the nervous system regains control OF the