The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-02-17
Your Health
February, March
Peak Seasonal
Cold Incidence
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, NJ. L

BY LOGAN CLENDENING, NJ
THE PEAK seasonal incidence
Of colds is February and March. |
will give all the facts about the
common cold known to the medical
profession.
Defnition-"The common cold,
a mild afebrile epidemic rhinitiS
occurring principally during au-
tumn and spring months IS . dis
ease entity characterized by copi-
Gus, mucinous nasal discharges
and, unless complicated, recedes
spontaneously within two or three
days. The etiologic> agent is .
virus"
Nose Inflammation
That is a quote and | translate
II means a cold is an Inflammation
Of the nose without fever and dur
ing its height a good deal Of stuff
Of one kind or another runs out or
Is blown out Of the nose. II no
complications, such as sinus infec-
ton or bronchitis, occur you get
over it in two or three days. The
cause is a virus which is neither a
germ, nor a poison, fish, or a good
red herring, which nobody has ever
seen and is about as definite as ma
lignant animal magnetism.
| am quoting the highest medi-
cal authorities and there is no use
writing me and saying colds last
more than two or three days, and
that they are accompanied by fever
and are always complicated by
bronchitis or something. Who am
to go against the highest medical
authority?
Prevention Of Colds
Vaccines have not proved of any
value either hypodermically or by
mouth. Since we have not isolated
the cause, the virus, it would be
pretty hard to make a vaccine Of it.
lngestion of vitamins and pur-
suing a hardening process, such as
taking cold baths, have proved
equally futile.
Nasal sprays apd prophylactie
sulfonamide dosage does more
harm than good.
The highest medical authorities
think that air disinfection Of homes
and Offices by aerosals, antiseptic
chemical and ultra violet light do
some good. The cost Of installing
apparatus Of this kind in your
home is about $25, 100000.
Treatment Of Colds
The best remedies are codeine
and papaverine, and they are sim
ply symptomatic in that they make
you feel good.
Steaming relieves the conges-
ton Of the mucous membrane.
Adrenalin, benzedrine, or ephed-
rim will open up the nasal passages
and let you breathe better for a
while.
Sudden temperature changes Of
the surface Of the body make for
discomfort and also tend to in
crease the hazard of complications,
so rest in bed is very good plan.
(Note: | am happy to have the
highest and latest medical author
tiles say this because il backs up
what have been saying and writ
ing for twenty years, that the only
effective way TO shorten the course
OF a cold is to 60 TO bed until it is
all over.)
additional note: The highest
medical authorities say nothing
about the ancient remedy Of rock
and rye. | saw a very eminent
medical authority the other day
who was treating his cold in what
we will euphemistically call res
taurant by a series Of doses Of
something resembling rock and
rye, and ! said to him, when are
you going to stop the treatment"
and he answered, when it occurs
to me to ask, DO colds exist ?'")
Conclusion: Colds aren't so bad.
Why not accept them instead Of
taking all the trouble and expense
in bullheaded attempt to pre-
vent them or head them off? Two,
or three, or four, or FIVE days in
bed will be good for your soul.
And the papaverine and rock and
rye will make you feel detached.