New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-19
OF COLDS.

Colds are generally a seasonable topic
in this region perhaps never more than
at this most delightful time of year. There
are summer colds and winter colds, and
of course capricious Spring has a varied
assortment all her own. But the autumn
nal cold is Sm gencJis, or SuOrum gen
e1unl, in its protean potencies. IT COM
bines In one INDUSTRIOUS Congeries Of ills
the colds of the hot weather which IS
waning and Of the cold weather which
is approaching and all the several and
separate rose colds, summer asthmas,
hay fevers and autumnal catarrhs IL
uses as its lethal stock I'm trade all the
vicissitudes of delayed furnace fires and
hclated changes of clothing and early
froStS and intrusive drafts. and even
employs the chromatic Splendor Of the
out-of-doOrs world 10 lure its victims 10
their doom. OF course, the sleeping sick
ness and pneumonia plague and others
are grave ills. But they are far away,
while the autumnal cold Is here, just
now.
And it may be that not the least of its
odiousness resides not directly in itself
50 much as in the patter Of those who,
happily for themselves hut lamentably
and little short of disaStrously for
others. are immune. and who are there
fore chartered libertnes Of admonition
and advice and diagnosis and prescrip-
ton. Nobody in the world ever knows
quite as much about q cold as somebody
who has none and never had one. And
as many such persons as there are. so
many different codes of advice and sys-
tens Of treatment are there. each
Of them more infallibe than all the
rest. Particularly in respect Of drafts.
Drafts OraculizeS one, ARE deadly"
THE only way to avoid colds declares
another, lis TO strengthen the body
against them by accustoming it 10
drafts Both of whom, together with
all the several and various others. have
some inkling Of truth, but in literal in
depreciation Of their dictG almost infal-
libby send their client-victims FAR astray.
The error is in supposing that any one
can keep from catching cold by dress or
housing or what not. just rs he can keep
himself warm i'm winter or dry i'm rainy
weather He cannot do 50. for the req
son that a cold is not caught in the SUD
posed fashions, but Is always the result
Of bacterial infection, and the mischiev-
Gus germs can enter the system indoors
as we'll as ont and in a dead calm as
well as in Il draft. One of these days
we shall probably have an auti-cold Sc
rum, incubation with which will cure
colds in those VINO have them and give i'm
munity TO those who have not: though
seeing that the cold Is the result of the
combined activities Of three separate and
distinct tribes Of bacteria, the copcoction
Of the lymph will be a complex task
Until then all that can be said Is that
decreased vitality invites and facilitates
the pernicious attentions of the bacterial
tTiplice while conversely. maintenance
Of robust vitality, particularly through
preservation of cquable Temperature Of
tie body by proper care OF its surface.
affords all possible protection, il not on
tire immunity. OF the effect on vitality
Of volunteer advice and prescriptions dis.
Cretion forbids MS 10 speak II would
not be well to incite tho victims OF colds
10 vengeance,