Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-07-21
SNEEzINC TIME
WITH us AGAIN
Heat and Then Cool BreezeS
Cause SonOrOus SneezeS
About Town
COLDS PREVALENT DUE
TO CHANGES IN WEATHER

When heat waves and cool breezes
are hobnobbing with intervals of only
day or two to separate them. as is
the case just now with Wilmington,
the stacatto snort of the sneezer is
heard.
For over 10 days the temperature
registered was up in the high nineties,
but the torrid spell was broken and
the weather lately has been delight
fully cool. The indirect results have
been sonorous sneezee.
This is the season. also for hay
fever. and colds in the head are pre-
valent The drug stores are doing a
rushing business with cough medi-
cines, and some of the local physi-
clans have been forced to forego their
out-of-town trips.
For this season of the year." said
a doctor yesterday. there are moro
colds IN the head and cases Of hay
fever than / have ever known before
in my experience. The eneeze is the
sign of the cold, that the germ has
gotten into the system, and the best
thing that the patien can do when he
finds that he is sneezing is 10 take
immediate measures Of relief"
"Gesundheit," says the German
when his compatriot sneezes. The ex-
preston is part of the folklore OF
sneezing, and in this connection there
is great deal OF interesting informa-
ton which may be OF benefit TO the
ker-chooer."
The custom Of uttering a good wish
when a person sneezes dates from the
earliest times, and, according to au-
thorities, the habit originated from a
belief among the ancient that danger
attended sneezing. il being the habit
in those days for a person to offer a
short prayer to the gods, such as
Juniper. help me-" Afterward it be-
came the rule for the bystander to
offer prayer. this usually being in the
form of God bless you" for the ben
eft Of the sneezer. A person who
6neezed was at that time supposed
to be under the influence Of fairies
and demons, and the name Of God re-
PEELED all evil spirits, the benediction
of God bless you" drove away demons
and counteracted their influence
The custom of saluting the sneezer
claimed TO have derived from Prone
theus, who stole celestial fire to ami
mate his newly made figure Of clay.
Tradition asserted that as the fire
permeated its frame the figure sneez-
Cd which caused Prometheus to in
woke blessings on IT.
Among the children, although
wishes are not frequently made, the
superstition is observed in a little
rhyme, which is as follows;
Once, a wish.
Twice, a kiss
Three'b a letter.
Five's going away.
Skis coming back.
SCY5n'a a wedding
Fights a cake.
Mines marry an old man.
Among all the people the Sanitation
element is observed. Americans and
Englishmen use to a large extent the
German "Gesundheit" or 'Wohlsein'
instead Of the more cumbersome
God bless you" The French use
'Dien vous benisse," while the ital-
fans say Salute.
The prevalence Of sneezing now in
Wilmington is widespread, and as
The population Of the city is cos
mopoiitan one, all languages and eX-
pressions are heard. Still more set
tied weather and care on the part of
the sneezers may do away to a large
extent with the colds. hay fever and
other Kindred complaints. But in
the meantime don't forget to make
the wishes