Mexico weekly ledger., 1907-08-01
What the Proper Treatment fol
sunstrOke is and why the Ameri-
cans Suffer With it More Than
Those In Tropical Coun-
tries

Every summer about 800 Americans
die Of sunstroke and twice or thrice
as many more are permanently affect
ed by il. IB effect at its miidest is
observed as 6 recurring headache,
partial deafness or soue minor but
chronic and annoying ailment. AT
its worst 1t is manifested as paralysis,
epilepsy, meningitis, insanity or some
serious functional disorder OF the
heat Therefore IL is plain that a
sunstroke, even when 1t does not XIII
out Of band, is a very dangerous thing
and that it pays TO take elaborate
precautions to avoid II.
SunstroKe is one OF the Oldest Of
recognized diseases, and at least two
cases are described in the Bible. 1t
is caused in the great majority OF in
stances by muscular activity at a high
temperature.
In all cases the stroke is caused by
the fact that the victims body has
become incapable Of getting
rid Of heat as fast as it is gener-
ated or absorbed. Ordinarily 50 per
cent Of the heat that enters the body
is radiated by the skin.
But on q very hot day, when the
temperature Of the surrounding air is
greater than that Of the body, this
radiation almost ceases. Then. IL
the bodily temperature is raised by
muscular effort, the extra heat begins
to cause trouble.
The usual result is dizziness and a
feeling Of weakness, and these mani
festations commonly cause muscular
effort to be suspended and so the i'm
minent sunstroke is avoided. But the
foolish person who insists upon SHOW
cling dirt or chasing a golf ball after
Nature has warned him to seek rest
In the shade does not escape so easily.
Instead Of a slight attack Of dizziness,
he suffers a sunstroke, and as q rule
dies OF it.
Anything which i~nterferes with the
proper operation of the thermal fly
wheel In the medulla oblongata in
creases the likelihood Of sunstroke.
Alcohol is one such thing. The
man who has swallowed a glass OF
whisky is four or Eve times more
liable to sunstroke on a hot day than
the man who has stuck TO limeade or
cold water.
The usual symptoms OF coming sun
stroke are dizziness, pains in the head
and q feeling OF oppression The VIC
tim has a sensation OF s~uffocation and
very often this forces him 10 stop
work and seek rest in some cooler
place. II he does not do so nausea
commonly follows and after that in
sensibility.
In fatal cases these symptoms grow
more and more pronounced until
coma superyenes and the patient
dies. In those cases fated to end In
recovery the fever slowly goes down,
the pulse grows slower, the heavy
breathing tease and consciousness
returns. AS a rule the crisis comes In
from q TO 50 hours.
Ii is obvious that the first thing to
do In q case Of sunstroke is TO reduce
the temperature OF the patient
In consequence the hospitals OF the
big cities now treat sunstroke with
ice. The patient is carried to a cool
place and flooded with ice water. His
head Is bathed, his whole body is
sponged and water is forced into his
mouth.
When a hospital is not at hand this
treatment should be begun at once,
on the spot. Carry the patient TO a
cool place as quickly as possible and
open bis clothes. Then pour cold
water over bis body and apply ice or
water to his head.
Have no fear OF using too much. Let
the water be as cold as possible and
let 1t be used unsparingly. 1t is i'm
possible to have 1t too cold and i'm.
possible to apply 1t too quickly or too
generously. Whenever feasible the
patient should be stripped to the
SKIN.
Meanwhile see that he does not suf-
fer for want Of fresh air. One OF the
most alarming symptoms Of sunstroke
is q sort Of asphyxia or suffocation.
The tropical white man takes elaborate
precautions 10 avoid sunstrOke, and
in most cases is successful. He never
walks In the sun, and all Of bis exer-
else is taken n.the cool Of the even
Ing.
II he has to make a Journey, even
though It be one OF no more than two
city blocks, be rides. II he feels op
pressed, be stops work at once and
rests In some cool place. II he is III
he keeps to his room. And bis clothes
show that he has the power OF the
sun ever In mind. Instead Of blue
Serges be wears white duck morning,
noon and night. Instead Of narrow
.rimmed straw hats, he years rOomy
white pith helmets. |,
Instead Of high stiff collars and
heavy crayats he wears a flowing scarf
about bis neck. lnstead OF clumsy
black leather shoes he wears slippers /
1f white canvas.
His house is cool on the hottest
lays, for Its ceilings are high, its roof !
)verhangs, 1t has j~alousies instead Of !
glass windows and It is bare OF thick I
and other useless furnish I
ngs. Arising in the morning be takes 4
cold shower bath and eats a yery q
light breakfast. '
At noon he eats an even lighter 4
neal, and after arising from the table
axes 9 short rest. In the cool Of the