The sun., 1918-10-03

there are some poilens like the pollen
OF orchids that are never found In
dust. They cannot, therefore. be a
cause Of hay fever. When the ailment
arises under such conditions, that Is
when people have the symptoms after
visiting hothouses and gardens. the
effects are generally attributed to the
heat and the humid atmosphere. Ac-
cording to a very recent authority, DR..
Donald Macfie in a book on THE Art
OF Keeping WE'LL" the most frequent
ailment in temperate zones Is the
garden" cold, due to dust, which Is
harmless enough In other ways, but
Irritating to theSnose and eyes. and the
remedy he suggests is exercise In the
fresh air and bathing to raise the VI
tally Of the body. Strong, athletic men
seldom suffer from anything resem-
bling hay fever.
The relation of hay fever to health
and physique has engaged special at
tention on account OF recruiting. 1t
was stated in New York paper that
the war had caused a decline OF the
Incidence Of the ailment. This report
raised a smile in scientific circles, for
variations of hay fever are caused by
variations In the area of land under
cultivation. Hay fever should there
fore be on the increase. as crops, espe-
cially wheat, buckwheat, and oats,
have been larger, and farming has
probably been cultivated on a greater
scale. This brings up one of the most
curious facts about hay fever, that
farmers are remarkably free from It.
The same thing Is true Of men Of
good physique. There is no reason to
be afraid that the ailment will affect
recruiting.
From this point OF view every writer
on hay fever has recognized the
existence of q peculiar condition OF
constitution which gives proclivity
to attacks of the malady. This peculi-
arity Is generally regarded as one
which stands outside the pale OF those
constitutional conditions which give
a liability to other forms of disease.
Another point upon which most au-
thorities are agreed Is the fact that
hay fever Is an ailment which is al
most entirely confined to the educated
classes. It is supposed that the con-
dition of the nervous system which
mental training generates is one
which is specially favorable to the de-
velopment Of the disorder. In this
fact lies the explanation of the preva-
lence Of the disease among the edu-
Gated class.
The final results of the experiments
are Instructive. 1t seems to be settled
that hay fever Is not due to a poison
or germ, in any proper sense Of these
words. 1t is further known that the
dust or pollen which causes II Is rem
dered innocuous by water. and many
people feel better after the fall of
rain. 1t is indisputable that a sea
voyage and residence near the ocean
are the best remedies With it's other
peculiarities the ailment has evolved
paradox in treatment. II pollen is
the cause, the preventive serum made
by q German physician through treat
ing horses with extracts of pollen
should be beneficial II not curative. As
a matter of fact it has been a COM
parative failure.
The first recorded case occurred in a
physician. DR.. Bostock. who published
his experience in London In 1911. Since
that time almost every drug has been
tried. but it is said in the last re-
ports that tonics and sodium bicar-
Donate with quinine occasionally. are
the most beneficial. B.