Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-18
%FEEDACOLD, STARVE
How Far This Ancient Advice Nay Be
Followed with Safety,
AsoNAsLE SUGGESTIONS FOR ATHLETES
fiEin and Sea of the Trouble
Remedies wIthin Reach-Bet-
ter Than Cure f.
Prevention.

"a
Long ago sydenham said that disease
vas an effort Of nature to restore health.
But We do not treat a cold as n Il we're
Of this character; we regard II usually as
a thing to be stopped rather than to be
helped along gently In It's own direction.
That is a wrong policy altogether.
There is an old proverb, Feed a cold
and starve a fever" This has led many
people to take a heavy meal when a cold
IL on them, and such a heavy meal may
have so stimulating an effect upon the
system that the system will be put into
Forklng order for a short time, and then
may be able to go on by itself. But the
original proverb was not a The
Nrst part Of IT was a condition. II you
BED a cold you will have to starve a fever
tAter on. That was the real sense and the
PEAL advice conveyed by 1t was "starve a
aold.-
This gives US the best, or at least the
most economical means Of prevention and
eure. When we have q cold the balance
Of nature has somehow been upset. The
sold generally starts from the stomach.
Give the stomach a rest-fast for a day or
two, or for several meals-and probably
the cold itself will disappear. 1t is doubt
ful Whistler the mischief has ever come
merely from a draft or merely from
weakness. II is probable that there
always must be some ~clogging OF the sys-
tenn as well. AS a rule. some shock, some
chill, throws back the polsons upon the
system instead of letting them work them
selves out through the pores Of the skin,
which are so many mouths for the purpose
ri breathing out. The primitive animal
breathed out and breathed in all over him
and so do we. For we should look upon
our whole surface as covered with mouths.
Paint q dog a. over with some air-tight
mixture and he will soon die, not from
the poison Of the mixture, but from the
poisons from his own tissues. It is essen
= Ial, therefore, II we would cure a cold, to
Remove the ~closging cause or to let nature
Femove It. and, meanwhile to open the
pores OF the skin.
Heat In Curing a Cold.
30 we come TO the second cure. namely,
heat or warmth. This can DO produced by
exercise, by massage, by Turkish or Rus
sian baths. by warm baths. by congresses,
by wrappings In blankets on wet packs;
only let such helps be followed by cool or
cold water and friction. to close the pores
Of the skin again, and to harden them
against a fresh cold. The water should al
ways be soft; distilled water will take up
more impurities than hard water. II this
cannot be obtained. then let some bath salt
or else some bath oatmeal be added. Not
one person In q thousand knows the value
Of soft water as contrasted with hard. Let
the body be soakedNn the warm water. and
let It be rubbed. Afterward Il must repeat)
lot q cool or cold application. together with
the friction Of exercise, restore the circula-
tion and invigorate the nerves.
This. one would say, was surface work,
whereas the trouble Is In the stomach.
We should not add a weight Of food to
overtax the nervous system. which Is al
yeady heavily handicapped by having to get
rid Of excess. We should do what We can
TO wash out the stomach with water. not
taken together with food, but perhaps taken
with lemon juice or juice boiled from fruits
or vegetables.
There are some who. after drinking two
glasses Of hot water. will apply the stom
ach tube to remove the contents Of the
tomech. This is not to be confused with
the stomach pump, q far more unpleasant
mechanism. The stomach tube is flexible
and zmali. II goes down the throat, II
skillfully manipulated. without dificulty
and without discomfort. Then ono closes
the mouth. breathes deeply and the con
tents OF the stomach come up naturally
without the violent strain OF nausea.
Those who object to this can flush the
organs from below with the enemia; the
quantity OF water. which should be warm
and mixed with oil and the purest soap
can be gradually increased.
Prevention Better Than Cure.
This, again, is remedial. How much bet.
ter Il would be not to let the causes enter
the system at ALL 1t Ia so weak and mega
tive TO have to shun drafts. or even
fresh air. He is better OF who recognizes
the drafts as something refreshing. And
->rhere Is no doubt that careful attention &c
diet will put nearly. II not quite. everyons
In this positive and masterful position.
OF drink re shall say nothing. excspl
that stimulants should be avoided. o.
food we shall say little; the problem Is 50
immense. But acid and fermenting foodi
should be avoided. because OF their tend
ency TO produce fever or . feverish condi'
tiOn.
The flesh Gods are acid. Thsy contain
nrie acid and other chemicals, which, unde
certain conditions. are deadly poisons. Uri'
acid is one Of the results OF the wearini
cut OF the tissues by the animal during IL
movements and during It's life. Animal
cannot live without destroying themselves
Flesh foods also contain in many case
the causes Of fermentation. You may max
cider terment, not merely by yeast bu
also by a piece Of meat put in II.
But It Is a mistake to give up meat ant
70 substitute no staple or basis for II
What this basis shall be We cannot say
II wheat were properly prepared and no
deprived Of its most precious parts I
might form one Of the best foundation
Of Diet Graham bread or graham biscuit
will be 8 good instance. Or perhaps mile