CATCHING COLD.
MANY great surgeons, we are told, doubt whether Surgery, as distinguished from Medicine, has many more triumphs to achieve. The rate of mortality from operations may be greatly reduced by new antiseptic precautions, science may discover either a cure for cancer or means of arresting its pro- gress for long periods, and a chemical solvent for a calculus is clearly within the range of possibility ; but of great triumphs for surgery, new and effective operations, it is said there will be no more. All that can be accomplished for the human frame in that way, it is said, has been accomplished. Whether this opinion is rash or accurate—and it sounds rash, for more per- fect local anaesthetics, and some conceivable improvements in the concentration of light, may give the surgeon new and un- suspected powers—nobody repeats it about medicine, or will repeat it, until a good deal more has been done in the way of conquering some very ordinary ailments. The diseases which produce death, especially the infectious diseases, have been studied with wonderful attention and success ; but the lesser complaints, which only take the comfort out of life—common dyspepsia, "nervous attacks," sea-sickness, neuralgia in its lighter forms, and above all, " colds " have hardly been assailed, and certainly not assailed successfully. The Doctors are very useful, but they have not removed or in any great degree pal- liated the misery of a hundred thousand households, in which, during a mouth like that just ended, with the thermometer racing up and down and an east wind blowing as if it would never stop, those who are "liable to catch cold" have head than it is, more especially when it has begun to thin, never known a moment's freedom from annoyance, rising and a down-draught on the head will give cold to those liable to occasionally to positive suffering. If they are not actually it quicker than any other form of local chill. The face does suffering from " colds "—that is, from malicious little attacks, not catch cold, but the skull does; partly, perhaps, because we which may become influenzas at any moment, and so make life habitually cover the head when exposed to the external air, and almost unendurable—they are expecting them, and either sus- partly because we do not wash it with cold water, as we do the pending the business of life by seclusion, or taking precautions face and hands. Dr. Wright aids another reason about reflex which, five times at least in ten, are irrational, and prove to nervous irritability, which is, we have uo doubt, soundi but ur t • too
be as useless as they are burdensome. Those who suffer thus technical for us. Our ancestors, who were much more are, no doubt, only a class, the majority of the population being cold than we are, curiously enough understood this perfectly, and free nucles ordinary circumstances from the liability, probably in their draughty halls and passages with unglazed windows through the continuous killing-out of the feeble ; but still, habitually wore their caps; and natives of India comprehend they are a numerous class, a refined class, and very ofteu a it, too, and if they feel a draught cover up the skull first of all
wealthy class, and in all those capacities they are deserving but among ourselves the bare head has grown into a super- of an attention from the profession which they do not, stition, The hat is put off iu the draughtiest of buildings,
that we see, receive. There is no question whatever connected churches, and public halls, and it is constantly laid aside Cu with household. hygiene upon which men of science have diffused railway journeys, when, if you are facing the engine, it is really so little trustworthy information. They have not even succeeded required ; while to wear a skull-cap iu a room is to announce in creating, as upon some questions of hygiene they have either that the wearer is past seventy, or is an avowed and done, a sound prejudice. We believe that more men under- confirmed invalid. Half the colds endured by people over fifty stand the general principles of household sanitation than would be avoided by the resolute wearing of a little cap when- understand how to • protect themselves against cold ; while ever a draught was blowing, and it is always blowing towards women, as a rule, know positively nothing about it, and a bright fire ; and many of the remainder by remembering that, after years of experience will encounter the predisposing next to a down-draught on the head, a draught on the feet is,
causes with ii sangfroid which will be pronounced admirable or to those liable to cold at all, the most certainly produc- lamentalle, according to the degree of alarm which their colds tire cause. In Loudon drawing-rooms, with their fold- create. They understand quite well that if they " get a chill" ing-doors ; in country houses, with their French windows ; they will have colds, but they are never fully convinced that a and in first-class railway-carriages, with their open space local chill will give one, even though the general sense of chilli- between the door and the floor of the compartment, a nese is absent, and never quite believe that the escape of A, draught along the floor is always perceptible, and does ten who is not liable, is no guarantee for the safety of B, who times the mischief which an open window seems to do. The is. Men who know their predisposition will walk into the true value of the rug in a railway-carriage is to keep out that wind in warm hats, and then sit in draughts without head- draught; yet the majority of people will use it as if it covering ; while women will wrap themselves up carefully were a gig-apron, protecting their knees, while their ancles in carriages, and then sit before open windows without the and legs are chilled, till they complain, as they descend, wraps, we have seen consumptive men carefully take off that their " feet are frozen,"—a phenomenon which they their comforters in draughty rooms, from a belief that they will sometimes attribute to the vibration, which has par- otherwise be chilly in the air ; they might just as well take tially preserved the circulation. In drawing-rooms, though them off for half their journey, and wear them for the remainder. folding doors can be protected and made draught-tight for a Very often there is a kind of obstinacy about the matter, arising, shilling, precisely the same mistake is made, and a whole family no doubt, from the fact that general experience is no guide ; just will cluster mind the fire in search of warmth, while a draught as there is an obstinate disbelief in the dogma that for the is lifting the carpet in little undulations, or, if it is too heavy, temperaments liable to cold, quinine is probably the only pro- racing above it towards the fire in currents perceptible by the tecting or curing drug, and certainly the most efficacious one. hand. And, lastly, not only do the head and ancles need pro- People of both sexes will try anything, from brandy-and-water tection, but with an immense number of those liable the mouth or rum-and-honey to coloured compounds of laudanum—of and nostrils also. No part of the body.is with such people so which, says Dr. Wright, in his pamphlet on the subject, most sensitive as the membrane of the nostril, which men never quack remedies for cough are made—rather than swallow ado- protect, and women protect only with a veil, often utterly glide quantities of the nasty and expensive bark, which, never- useless for its purpose. It is from the gradual thickening of to causes with ii sangfroid which will be pronounced admirable or to those liable to cold at all, the most certainly produc- lamentalle, according to the degree of alarm which their colds tire cause. In Loudon drawing-rooms, with their fold- create. They understand quite well that if they " get a chill" ing-doors ; in country houses, with their French windows ; they will have colds, but they are never fully convinced that a and in first-class railway-carriages, with their open space local chill will give one, even though the general sense of chilli- between the door and the floor of the compartment, a nese is absent, and never quite believe that the escape of A, draught along the floor is always perceptible, and does ten who is not liable, is no guarantee for the safety of B, who times the mischief which an open window seems to do. The is. Men who know their predisposition will walk into the true value of the rug in a railway-carriage is to keep out that wind in warm hats, and then sit in draughts without head- draught; yet the majority of people will use it as if it covering ; while women will wrap themselves up carefully were a gig-apron, protecting their knees, while their ancles in carriages, and then sit before open windows without the and legs are chilled, till they complain, as they descend, wraps, we have seen consumptive men carefully take off that their " feet are frozen,"—a phenomenon which they their comforters in draughty rooms, from a belief that they will sometimes attribute to the vibration, which has par- otherwise be chilly in the air ; they might just as well take tially preserved the circulation. In drawing-rooms, though them off for half their journey, and wear them for the remainder. folding doors can be protected and made draught-tight for a Very often there is a kind of obstinacy about the matter, arising, shilling, precisely the same mistake is made, and a whole family no doubt, from the fact that general experience is no guide ; just will cluster mind the fire in search of warmth, while a draught as there is an obstinate disbelief in the dogma that for the is lifting the carpet in little undulations, or, if it is too heavy, temperaments liable to cold, quinine is probably the only pro- racing above it towards the fire in currents perceptible by the tecting or curing drug, and certainly the most efficacious one. hand. And, lastly, not only do the head and ancles need pro- People of both sexes will try anything, from brandy-and-water tection, but with an immense number of those liable the mouth or rum-and-honey to coloured compounds of laudanum—of and nostrils also. No part of the body.is with such people so which, says Dr. Wright, in his pamphlet on the subject, most sensitive as the membrane of the nostril, which men never quack remedies for cough are made—rather than swallow ado- protect, and women protect only with a veil, often utterly glide quantities of the nasty and expensive bark, which, never- useless for its purpose. It is from the gradual thickening of
theless, as against fever, they would trust implicitly, this membrane that habitual snuff-takers derive their exemption " Practically," a very experienced physician tells us, " there from head-colds—by the way, has Dr. Wright authority for his are for people with constitutional liability to catch cold just word, " the sniffles," or is it local P—and it is through the nose two efficient remedies, and as a rule, unless really ill they will that horses and dogs are believed to catch their very severe take neither. One is to confine themselves for forty-eight hours colds.
to a, single room with an equably warm climate, and the other We have throughout this paper repeated, rather wearyingly, is to stupefy themselves with quinine. Most people reject our reserve about " those who are liable," because it is the very the former, because confinement is inconvenient or irk- essence of the matter. The etiquettcs of protection against some ; and will not hear of the latter, because quinine cold are settled by the majority, and the majority, up disagrees with them,' or gives them headache,' or makes to a certain age, are not liable to cold from draughts, unless them giddy, or is quite too disagreeable, worse than they are unusually out of condition. They have healthy skins, the cold,' Consequently, they bear the annoyance or swallow they live habitually out-of-doors, or they are strong enough rtvbbish, until the cold has run its course, and they are quite to stand the daily douche of cold water which makes those who ready, if circumstances are favourable, to catch another." It can bear it insensible to draughts. They therefore settle that is of no use arguing with people who hate quinine, any more the true way of avoiding cold is to face its causes, and "harden than it is to lecture people who hate cod-liver oil; they either yourself," which is perfectly true for them, and perfectly false will not take it, or they take it in quantities which do them uo for their victims ; and they denounce all wrappings, and sort of good. Perhaps, however, they may not be annoyed especially all unusual wrappings, as "effeminate," "coddling," by a few hints on preventing colds, which they will all say and the like. They have extinguished the skull-cap, the they know perfectly well, but which will cause no particular woollen veil, and the " comforter," and they prevent the inconvenience. One, which Dr. Wright puts in the forefront of general resort to sand-bags and indiarubber edgings for his recommendations, is that a chill caught in bed is just as bad folding-doors and French windows. They " want the air," as a chill caught out of it. All parents know that little children they say, and never can imagine that they may be selfish in catch most of their chills from insufficient covering, but that does wanting it. They have a moral Popishness about them, as
not prevent grown-up persons from using a regulation quantity bad as that of the early-risers. Air, even very cold air, injures of blanket, without reference to a thermometer, sleeping without very few people indeed, though, curiously enough, the unedu- flannel coverings, and walking about in dressing-gowns which cated, who have only instincts and not knowledge, are of a dif- are neither silk nor wool, and therefore no protection against ferent opinion ; but currents of colder air, popularly called chills at all. Another is, that so far from the head " draughts," do injure a minority with sensitive skins or relaxed not being liable to cold in a draught, it is very specially membranes very much indeed. If the draughts could be kept liable. The hair seems to be a better protection for the off at will in a month like the one which has made Lord Beacons- field so ill, there would be fewer victims of consumption, and a great deal less of the habitual English misery from " colds."
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