The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-02-15
COMMON COLDS

of6tuoD t'o'P thtte''e 'ss'Ne 49,
name and considered OF such minor
Importance that vital statistics do
not record the enormous number OF
persons who are annually subjected
10 suffering, Inconvenience, and
economic loss thereby. Remark
able as IL may seem. the widespread
familiarity with this condition has
bred a contempt which hides its
seriousness, yet when the sum
total of the ravages committed by
common colds is made, IL becomes
evident that instead Of being a
group of trivial affections, common
colds must be classed as serious dis
eases.
The phrase common colds like
charity" covers a multitude oil
sanitary sins, and curiously enough,
the name has been applied to a
group of affections which far from
depending absolutely on cold, are
frequently the direct result OF liv-
ing in close, overhested surround
ings having lower relative
humidity than the dryest desert
known TO man.
The word cold means an acute
infection OF the lining membranes
of the nose, tonsils, throat and large
bronchial tubes. The process may
be even more extensive and amount
to a general infection Of the entire
body. All Of the breathing appara-
tus excepting the smaller terminal
portions in the lungs may be involv-
ed, and as a matter Of fact the dis
ease may, and often does, spread to
these, producing pneumonia. In
this connection it may be pointed
out that pneumonia kills more peo-
pie in the United States than any
other disease excepting tuberculosis
and heart disease. Many pneumo-
Mas begin as common cold. Colds
do not produce tuberculosis, yet,
unfortunately what is considered
as cold may be in reality the first
symptoms Of white plague.
The causes of colds are multiform
and not entirely understood. In
every case, however, they are de-
pendent upon the growth and acti'
witty of living germs which are al.
ways received from other people
It is true that almost everybody
harbors disease organisms in the
mouth and nose and that these, under
favorable conditions, will produce
cold in their host. But these germs
lin every case were received from
, some other person. In other words
colds are infectious. II used tocb'
thought that sitting in a draft Of
a prolonged stay in the swimming
pool would produce a cold. This Il
erroneous, but the chilling Of thu
body which the draft produces ant
the weakening of the vital forces
caused by too long swim, lower tn
powers Of resistance and PERM
. germs. which have been hithert'
harmless TO their host, to produce
their disastrous effects.
Il is not necessary to describe
cold. Everybody is familiar will
il in all its variations, from tn
simple ordinary coryza, which is
polite running at the nose, to tn
sore throat the aching chest, fever
and generally knocked OUT feel
ing. The cough, the sneeze, tn
headache and the varying degree
Of inefiiciency which a cold pro
duces are, alas, only too well know
Common colds occur in epidemic
0 and are distinctly contagious. The
sweep through an entire house
hold, an entire city, an entire stat
| attacking the young, the adolescen
the middle aged and frequentl
carrying of the aged, the weak an
the debilitated. Schools, factories
stores are suddenly crippled by ep
denies OF this sort and the conn
locations and serious disorders 70
lowing the disease add to the gret
economic loss produced in this wa.
Infection of the cavities beneath th
D cheeks and brows, ear disarrange
ments, chronic lung infection
rheumatism, heart disorders, kit
ney impairment and depressed v
d tality may all follow in the train
this widespread infection.
To prevent a cold, il is necessar.
first of all, TO keep the body resi-
lance at a high point Of efficienc.
This means that the body machiner
should be kept in good order at a
times. Good, wholesome food
proper amount, plenty of sleep, Oh