Broiling Heat in England.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 248, 19 October 1893, Page 6

Broiling Heat in England.

Medical Opinion,

The continued excessive heabis producing its natural result in cases of heat-stroke and hent-exhaustion, says the ' British Modieal Journal.' Whether those two conditions, 'the one with lowered temperature, the other with hyper-pyrexia, are the direcb result of hean, or whether, as seems more probable, they are due to poisoning by ptomaines or by some product of abnormal metabolism or excretion consequent on the lessened difference between the internal and external temperatures, in the one cafe affecting principally the heart, in the other the nervous system, we will not atop to inquire ; the points of importanco are that in the cases of heat-stroke the symptoms, as separate from the history are chiefly distinguishable frbm apoplexy and opium poisoning by the high temperature, and that the, free use of cold is essential in treatment, In India a patienb attacked with cerebral hemorrhage on a hot day runs a fair change of being treated for heat-stroke, if there be no one-sided paralysis, whereas in England the converse would be tho case unless the thermometer be carefully used. The cardiuc casos are often hopeless from thmr suddenness, and would seem to be due to some inhibitory, poesibly poisonous, influence on the cardiac ganglia. . These severe forms, howevar, are but extreme examples of what has been described as heat-exhaustion, a condition in which much may be done by timely rest in cool air, moderate stimulation, friction, and, probably, where it can bo obtained, the inhalation of oxygen_ which, when kept in the compressed form,_is neceasarilycoolsd byexpansion before beingusod. A considerable number of cases of fuintness and of heart failure come under notice awoiig stout people in hob weather, which, although one might hesitate to call them so are really casos of heatexbaustion ; those people have only just enough heart power for ordinary occasions, ar.d are readily bowled over by the heat, so thac although when they come raider treatment they are found to be suffering from heart disease, •probably of old standing, the final cause of

their breakdown musb, ie a certain number of easea, be attributed to that self-poisonino; whatever its nature may be, which is produced by prolonged exposure to, und especially exercise in, excessive heat). Among the secondary and even more common ovils produced by the hob weather, are the results of the greatly increased tendency to decomposition of articles of food. Diarrhoea fortunately is often produced, but where that does nob occur, flatuience.oppression of the heart, and all the minor symptoms of ptomaine poisoning aro apt to occur in hot weather, purely horn the fermentation of fouti which has been eaten in a state of iiicipiont but undetected decomposition. The übnormul heat of the pant fow days, saya tho London correspondent of Auguab lHth, has fallen heavily upon the 'bus and tram horses of the metropolis, arid numerous caaetj of breakdown havo been reported at tho headquarters of all companies. As the purchaßoand maintenance of the horaea is ono of the heaviont charges which tho companies havo to meet, great caro is always taken of the cattle, and io view of the abnormal heat experienced in the metropolis since Monday, on many lines the horses, inatead of doing two consecutive journeys, as ia the custom, make one journey, and then rost for a few hours before completing their May's work. Thiß change baa been found very bonelicial in keeping up tho stamiua of the horses. In Essex the heat on Augusb 17th was in. tonse. Tha thermometer roue to 90deg. in the nhade, this being the greatest heat that has been experienced since the tniddlo of AuguHt 1887, when 92deg. of heat) were registered in the shade. The local medical pructitioners have numerouß cases of Himsbroko under treatment. The death-rate in tho country huH boon unusually high during tiie past two months. Children have been tho greatest victims, and the principal fatal corapluints are diarrhura and similar affectiona. Ou tho southeast coast on August 17th, although tempered by a light breeze from tho seuward, tho heat was intense. A correspondent ab Calais, where bho soil is sandy and uuturally retains the- heat, writing efcates that the heab is tropical thoro, aud quite beyond nnytbing previously known. Tho thormometer waa 97 in the shade. The weather waa intensely hob again in the south of Lincolnshire on August 17th, the temporsturo being over eighty. Tiio weather ia proving very trying to tho men engaged in the work of harvesting the crops, they being fully exposed to the great heab. With a view of completing tho work ns Bpeedily as possible, many of tho men in tho Fen districts are working oaily in the morning, and also far into the evening, lb is a long timu since such oppressive weather waa experienced in tlio Fen districts.