Evening star., 1928-01-29

The time OF year is at hand when
the average individual will do well to
lay in an extra supply OF handker-
chiefs and take a peep into the medi-
cine closet In the bathroom to make
sure that 1t is stocked with his ia
vorite remedies for the malady that
Is about to descend upon him. 1t IS
the time, too. when the wide-awake
druggist takes care that he Is ade-
quately supplied with all the specifics
for this malady and Is prepared to do
rush business.
1t is the time when the sneezing
begins. when the eyes water. when the
nose does what nose shouldn't do
runs and gets all red-and when the
head feels like the morning after a
stormy night, bones and joints ache
and voices grow husky and hoarse,
oftentimes fading away 10 mere whis-
pers
In other words, February marks
the beginning of the first period Of
the year during which people are most
likely TO have colds The other period
begins about October /.
Little as doctors and other scientists
have learned about colds. they know
that much. Also they know that the
average person is allotted two hard
colds OF the common or garden va
riety each twelvemonth They have
acquired this information from ex-
perience and statistics. however. rather
than from their knowledge Of what
causes a cold. what it really Is. and
what should be done about 1t.
OF course. there are some superior
people who never have colds. others
10 whom life Is just one long snifiie.
and a minority who manage TO strug-
gle along with only one cold a year.
But the doctors have found that the
average Is two per capita annually. and
that as rule the periods when most
people have the most colds are those
beginning February ] and October l..
Equally. OF course. all doctors know
how to treat colds. and. with the right
kind Of cooperation from their pa
tients. are usually successful. but. still
and all. the cold remains one OF the
great mystery maladies of mankind
that therapeutics has not yet solved.
Five-Year Study TO Be Made.
However. the mystery Ia 10 be solved
IL science can turn the trick. The cold
bug or germ. IL there is such n thing,
Is 70 be chased to It's lair. captured
dissected and studied until everything
is known about IL that can be known
Francis p. 0arvan. president of the
Chemical Foundation. has established
THE John J. Abel Fund for Research
on the Common Cold" and the medical
authorities Of Johns Hopkins University
are TO make u nve'year study OF the
subject.
This work will be directed by a com
mttee OF which DR.. Lewis II. Wood.
dean Of the Johns Hopkins Medical
School, Is chairman. the other members
including DIR. william II. Howell, dean
Of the School OF Hygiene and profes-
sor OF physiology: DIR. Carroll q. Bull.
professor OF immunology; DIR, Warfield
T. LOngcope. professor Of medicine and
physician in chief Of the hospital: DR.
Wade II. Frost. professor Of epidemi-
oogy, and Or. Samuel J. Grove, head
of the nose. throat and ear department
of the hospital.
Everything that science can do will
be done TO ascertain the exact symp-
toms of the common cold. what causes
IL, how or why 1t Is communicated
from one person 10 another, and what
treatment Is most efflcacious II Is
hoped that the study will lead to q
discovery whereby man can be made as
immune 10 colds as he now Is 10 typhoid
fever diphtheria or any one OF several
other diseases.
How little Is actually known about
the cold Is shown by the fact that there
Ia no accepted definition OF cold. One
authority says:
Catching cold is process Of dis.
turbed equilibrium OF the blood vessels
II In usually due 10 excessive eyapora-
ton from the skin caused hv drafts Of
air, 10 which Is added contraction OF
the blood vessels Of the periphery OF
the body with consequent engagement
and congestion In some internal organ ="
II you do not care for that definition.
or do not know what II means YOU NAV
accept the theory Of other authorities
that wa catch cold by breathing In or
otherwise acquiring u cold germ on
one thing all authorities are agreed 49,
the common cold IL u dangerous thing
To trif1e with, for II predisposes to more
severe affections such as pneumonia, In
fiuenza, iaryngitis. tonsliitis and what
not, There IL an old saying 10 the effect
that II you treat Il cold you will get
rid OF II IN two weeks. and that II YOU
let II alone II will last fourteen daya.
but doctors say that no one with COM
mon sense lets common cold alone.
Colds Are Expensive.
This most common OF ailments 10
which man In heir Ii decidedly en-
penslVe and II presents an economic
problem as well AZ one tor science
Ia tackle, Colds cost the United States
tremendous sum IN the course of u
year
The first item Ii the eXpenae ot
curing or treating them, The Nations
annual drug bill runs Ia sh00, 900 900
and considerably more than half ia
Tor cold remedies. ot which your urug~
alst can oiIer YOU youi choice Ot soiIle