Evening star., 1947-02-25
This and That
By Charles E. TraceUeH.


signs OF an oncoming common cold.
These included, some may recall, such
things as increased irritability, desire
for breadstuffs and candy, and q SEEM
ing slow passage of time.
"Once you realize that these things
are happening to you," we asked Jones,
what do you do about it?"
Nothing" said Jones. "You didn't
expect human being to do anything,
did you?
eff or any one else ever did the
right thing, or completely lived UP to
and a great deal of fun would have
gone out Of life. '~-@
II have always felt sorry for heroes.
Siegfried must have been q terrible
bore, both to himself and others. 'T
"I am sure just ordinary people get
along the best and have the most fun
in life. never see statues or paint
ings of George Washington without
thinking how terrible his life must have
been. You can see 1t all in his grim
face.
"The heroes, alone of mankind, prob
ably did what they knew they should
do. That was what made them heroic.
But the rest of us take full advantage
of our common humanity, and stead
fastly refuse to take the steps we ought
to take except when some one pushes
us down them.
$50 you can understand that no mat
ter how many warnings I have of an
impending cold, I seldom take advan-
tage of them.
'It is easier and much pleasanter to
stuff ones self with bread than to fight
against it.
Although I know that If eat more
bread and candy than usual 1t unmis-
takably reveals that I am faced with
cold, go right ahead.
Il not only fail to cut down on these
foods, but I actually eat more than
usual!
Although I realize the trip down
town bores me by seeming twice as long
as usual, do nothing about it when I
get home.
You probably want to know what I
or any other intelligent person should
do in such a case.
with the understanding that sell
dom do so myself, let me point out the
following program. am quite sure it
would help If any one would follow it
out.
"In the first place, he who suspects
the incidence of a common cold should
go on liquid diet.
HE should take a laxative, keep
warm, and get plenty of sleep. He
should take his temperature in the
morning, and If ne has fever, he
should remain in bed instead of going
down town and exposing everybody
else.
"If he stays abed, he should not read.
This is great temptation for book
lover. The maximum of opportunity and
the minimum of inconvenience are on
his side.
"If he does not resist, however, his
eyes will suffer and add two more vic
Tins to the role Of sufferers which
already include nose, throat, ears
chest and others.
Il know what I am talking about on
this score, at least, for one winter took
advantage of several days in bed with
a cold to catch up on reading Henry
James.
This writer up to that time had been
virtually as unknown to me as to most
Americans today. In my three days I
caught up with him, and am glad of
it, but nearly ruined my eyes in doing
It. The eyes are so close to the nose,
that great focal center of infection in
a cold, that they are bound to suffer
whether they show it or not. Pro-
longed reading is sure to wreck them
for the time being.
Good eye drops will soothe them but
several days may be required. In the
meantime one suffers from red burning
eyes, whereas they would have been all
right without reading.
Detective stories are just as bad as
Henry James. There is not a bit Of
difference.
IT have been surprised at the number
Of people who do great deal of bath
ing but never seem to wash out the
eyes. The drops used should be pre-
scribed by an oculist. none other
When the eyes feel upset, they are
life saver.
It hope none of your readers refuses
my words of wisdom simply because I
fail to follow them myself. But I am
afraid that is the reason always have
plenty of advice to give away. Nobody
ever takes any Of I'll"