Semi-weekly herald., 1912-05-09
CAUSE AND TREATMENT OF
COLDS.

tnlS is why so many persons neglect
the little infliction to let the cold take
care of itself. But generally sudden
cold is a very serious matter and
more deaths have been caused by
them than from almost any other
known source. A strong and vigor-
Gus man may take cold that quick
ly develops into pneumonia that will
kill him in few days, and delicate
young persons may contract appar-
emily slight colds that in the end pro-
duce bronchitis, pleurisy or consump-
ton. Sometimes the mere entering Of
a cold atmosphere, when the person
is very warm, or to enter warm at
mosphere when one is very cold, may
bring on the trouble. And the colds
acquired in these ways are generally
the most dangerous. Every sensible
person knows, towever, of these dan
gers and knows, also, that the sud
den removing of wraps, because one
feels little discomfort after becom-
ing overheated, or the failure to place
about ole something of a wrap after
violent exercise that has caused much
pelspiration, is nearly sure to bring
cp cold. A stableman, who knows
tl, least little thing about his bust
ness, would not fail to blanket horse
other severe exercise, and even an
amateur athlete knows better than to
sit around without having put on a
sweater or something of that sort,
after athletic work. And yet many
woman has come out of heated ball
room, where she has been dancing
foI hours, and by sheer carelessness
in the matter of removing her wraps,
has rushed into the embrace of dead
ly pneumonia.
In short, colds are like nearly all
diseases in the matter of incurring
them; they can be avoided if proper
care is observed, and as has so often
been said in these lectures the first
and very best rule as to health, is to
avoid disease by care, cleanliness and
common-sense.
However, having caught" your
cold, the next thing to do is to try
at once to relieve yourself of it, This
is not to be done by entering hol
room, all at once, and doing things
that change your temperature too sud
denly. Such proceeding is liable to
aggrevate the situation. Occupy a
room where the temperature is about
10, avoid draught there, even
warm one. But have the air pure
and dry. If the air is too dry, place
a vessel with a little water on the
stove or fire, that the atmosphere may
be somewhat moistened.
The best thing to do is to take
some energetic exercise. Then, after
having become accustomed to the at
mosphere Of the room, place the feet
in hot water. Use a tub, or vessel
deep enough to allow the limbs to be
bathed in hot water above the knees.
From time to time have the hot wa
ter renewed, or kept to such degree
OF heat as can be borne. Keep the
feet in this bath from twenty to thr-
ty minutes, or longer, then withdraw
them while the water is yet hot; dry
the feet and legs, thoroughly, and
wrap them in a hot woolen blanket
and get into bed. When the feet and
limbs have been clammy, as well as
cold, before the bath, as well as
to add to the hot water reasonable
quantity of vinegar or acetic acid 1t
is highly beneficial to rub the feet and
legs, after they have been dried and
before wrapping them in the hot blan-
ket with hot olive oil.
While the footbath is being taken,
if the chilliness perseveres take hot
drinks, lemonade, ginger tea, or even
hot water, plain. Never take any
thing in the nature of alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol in all its forms is poisonous
and is false stimulant. 1t should
particularly be avoided when one is
being doctored for cold.
When the cold is deep-seated use
hot water bottles at the feet, or hot
irons, the object being to attract the
blood to those extremities and away
from the overcrowded organs above.
Sometimes it is needful to place cold
wet towels over the spine and on the
chest, covered with dry towels, of
course. Let the diet be light and keep
the bowels open. Do not use strong
physics for this purpose but enemas
of hot water, if the patient is inclined
to be constipated. Keep indoors for
several days after the cold is broken,
and always be careful to avoid ex-
tremes of heat or cold and all damp
ness.
All readers of this publication are
at liberty to write for information
pertaining to the subject of health
at any time. Address all communi
cations to the Home Health club, or
Dr. David H. Reeder, LaPorte, Ind, !
with name and address in full and Mt
lerst a cents in postage.
HOME HEALTH CLUB.