Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05
EFFECT OF HEAT ON HEALTH
GREAT WARMTH FOUND NOT
HARMFUL TO HUMAN LIFE.
No Basis for Belief That Stress on
Heart and Lungs increases
in Hot Weather.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
1t will doubtless surprise good many
persons who have suffered more or less
inconvenience from heat during the last
few days to learn that high temperature
is beneficial rather than harmful to hui
man life. This is the averment lately
made in London newspaper by an Eng
lish physician, DIR. ii. H. Riddle, and 1t
is unquestionably supported by a vast
amount of careful statistics and an i'm
posing array Of scientific authorities
There is no foundation for tile current
opinion that the heart and the lungs bear
most of the stress of hot weather. The
assumption seems to be based on a sup
posed analogy between y human being
and a dog, which latter VIGOROUSLY pants
when overheated. There is no such anal
ogy, for the reason that human beings
rely chiefly on their perspiratory system
to regulate the control of the tempera-
ture of the body, while the dog. not hav-
ing perspiratory glands comparable to
ours, has to make greater use of his
lungs in preventing his body temperature
from being too much Influenced by out
side conditions. The truth IS. as expert
ments in India have shown. that the or
binary Europeans breath rate is not in
creased but actually reduced about one
fifth during his first attempts TO accom-
modate himself to the heat of that coun-
try. The same experiments have shown
that the hearts action also is not aug
mented even in tropical temperatures.
The liver and spleen are the chief suf-
fererS, but even the congestion which
may be caused in these organs by high
temperatures may be left out of account
by those persons who are careful about
what they eat and drink.
Appetite and Digestion.
By those who argue against the health
fulness of heat waves much weight is
laid upon the loss Of appetite and the
impairment Of digestion. These phe-
nomena. according to DR. Riddle, are
blessings in disguise. If there is one
thing that medical men of all schools are
agreed upon it is that we eat too much.
If with the reduced activity of our d.
Sestive systems in high temperatures
our appetites were augmented. trouble
would be sure to ensue; but nature meets
the situation not only with a decline OF
appetite. but also with a repugnance for
the more indigestible varieties of food.
The mere fact that extreme heat impels
us to eat less al meals and drink more
water between meals is positive gain.
The most important effect of heat on
the human body lies, OF course. in its
action upon the skin the result being
that the eXcretions from the skin are
increase IN quantity TO an extent that
sometimes reaches ~ per cent above
the average in cool weather. Metchni-
koff. one of the greatest biologists OF
our day, has recently pointed out that
most of Us die simply because We cam
not rapidly enough get rid of the poisons
that accumulate i'm our. bodies. Ac-
cording to his theory the hope of attain
ing advanced age lies chiefly in keeping
our excretory systems in the best posi-
BILE working order. Among the systems
whose functions keep the body free
from auto-intoxication the skin. il is
we'll known. plays a most conspicuous
part. In our ATTITUDES during the greater
part Of the year. unless a man belongs
TO the small minority who get active
exercise daily, his skin and the glands
within ii lie practically dormant. Any
part of the body. however not actually
used tends TO degenerate. 1t is easy,
therefore, II see that the Inhabitants
of our northern states would gradually
lose the use Of one OF the most efficient
processes fer freeing our bodies from
accumulated impurities if our skins
never received any climatic stimulation.
A short spell of tropical weather eXcites .,
these glands and makes them take up
again their too little exercised functions.
The perspiration against which most
people rebel should be locked upon S
a sluicing out of myriads of tiny excre-
tory channels