A Cold.

Otago Witness, Issue 3097, 23 July 1913, Page 68

A Cold.

Probably every reader of this column, (says a Home exchange) has at some time of His life, experienced the effects of a cold; and some persons, unfortunately, arc very lirjyle to a recurrence of this unpleasant affection on the slightest provocation or indiscretion. It may be uscful to remind the reader of certain conditions of the system which render those who are more than others predisposed to the frequent recurrence of catarrh, susceptible to its influence, in order that they may, if possible, avoid placing themselves in those circumstances. Causation.— It is a matter of everyday experience that a catarrh or cold is induced by any debilitating influences, however brought about. It may be by previous illness, or by overfutiguo in following too closely the legitimate occupations of daily duty, or excessive study, or undue bodily exertion in pastime, as football, cricket, tennis, dancing, ail of which excellent in themselves, when carried to the point of exhaustion, and more especially when the body at that moment, bathed in perspiration, is suddenly exposed on the return home to the sharp, keen air of a frosty day, or the chilling atmosphere of a damp, muggy night, almost inevitably initiate a cold. Change of Clothing.— Another fertile cause of cold attacking susceptible individuals is the imprudent change of dross. This is almost sure to be the penalty which young persons have to pay who discard some of the underclothing in the ea r ly spring. Feeling oppressed, they beecjmo intolerant of a little warmth, and cast off the protecting under-garment, forgetting the chilly month of April and the ■changeful May have to bo passed through before wo in this climate can with impunity adopt the lighter dress of summer. The old proverb is ns applicable now as over:— Lot May be in and out Before you e’er put off a clout. The fact is that no one should, oven in summer, dispense with the use of flannel next the skin, or som-o substitute such as merino. It is as important at that period of the year as in winter. Children. — Another cause —especially in the case of children —is the exposure of their warm bodies, when asleep, to the cool air of the bedroom. They unconsciously throw off the bedclothes, and if these are not speedily rep'aced, the result frequently is a cold. But why do children throw off the bedclothes? It is more rational than it seems. Through the ovor-solicitudo of the mother or nurse, who knows the susceptibility of the little one to take cold, the child is laden with an unnecessary supply of blankets, and very probably is at the same time enveloped in'a flannel nightdress. Thus the child is oppressed with heat, and naturally endeavours to get rid of some of its burden by tossing off the clothes as often as they are replaced. Ovcrclothing is really as much to be deprecated as the reverse. Symptoms. — In so very common an ailment as ” a cold” there is hardly need to describe its symptoms. Everyone knows from his own experience the feeling of languor and discomfort which is discovered at the outset of a catarrh, the chilliness, the feeling of cold creeping down the back, the heaviness, and occasionally the pain in the forehead, the d flicultv of breathing through the nose, the “ stuffed head,” as it is called, and the accompanying nasal twang of voice. Soon there follows a thin acrid discharge from the nostrils, the eyes are heavy and watering, and towards evening a little feverishness sets in. with increased pulse. The catarrh may either stop there or may pass to the throat, giving rise to pain, hoarseness, sore throat, and cough ; or extending further into the windpipe, there is now discovered some difficulty in breathing, a sense of tightness or rawness under the breastbone, and perhaps some wheezing. The cough is painful, dry. harsh, and frequent, being kept up by a fooling of something irritating or tickling the windpipe. Soon, however, the cough brings up some mucus, and with this expectoration there is usually experienced a sense of relief from the constriction and rawness in the ohest. The discharge front the throat and nostrils gradua'ly changes in character, becoming thicker, less acrid, and more abundant, and with this change all the other symptoms abate in severity, ami in four or five days the sufferer is comparatively well again, though perhaps ho mav be left a little weaker than usual for a few days more. Result.— This is the ordinary course of a common cold when it attacks a robust, healthy man, The usual termination is in recovery. But, unfortunately, is not only the strong individual who afe the subjects of catarrh; it also lays hold of the delicate and weakly persons. The termination of a catarrh in their case is by no means so rap'd, nor so satisfactory. It may only prove to some of them to be the prelude to much more serious and lasting disease. By far the most common 'are bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Treatin' nt.— Now, if this be a possible termination of so minor an ailment as a common cold, it behoves everyone to take some trouble to got rid of it. Let no one ignore a S’rnple cold if he be wise, more especially if there be any delicacy in his constitution. Neither let anyone attempt lo “ walk it off.” ns the saying is. Bv so doing he is only still further exhausting his strength, which is already ‘weakened by ! ho inflammation of his mucous mcmhranv's, and thereby rendering recovery more tedious. If from experience gained from former attacks the patient bo aware that he has caught cold, then occasionally it may be arrested, in the first stage, by taking, at the outset, a hot bath on .retiring to rest, followed by a hot think, such as a basin of hot gruel. It is better to remain indoors, or oven in bed. for flic day. Should, however, this plan fail, or the ailment have progressed too far. and the patient complains of soreness in the chest, with cough and feverishness, then he must keep to bed for some days. Laxative medicine will ptobably be necessary, and the diet should he light. As a rule poultices are not required for the chest, although warmth may be .secured by cotton wool. Warm diluent drbdcs am to be given, such as gruel, to promote gentle perspiration and to relieve the severity of the cough. Ipecacuanha wine, in 10 to 15 drops in water, every four

hours, will •be found useful in promoting the expectoration. Lastly, the true remedy against this very unpleasant ailment is obvious enough from what has been said above—avoid the cause. The most effectual means of enabling one to resist a cold is to keep the body in the highest state of health.