OUR BABIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 528, 4 December 1928, Page 4

OUR BABIES

By

Hygeia.

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Pfunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to tain an ambulance st the bottom. COLDS: THEIR CAUSE. PREVENTION AND TREATMENT The following: remarks are extracts from an interesting article which appeared in a recent issue of “Life and Health,” under the name of “A Sydney Physician,” who says: In the past 50 years medical science has wrought wonders in eradicating disease. In civilised countries plague, yellow fever, and smallpox are almost unheard of. But in spite of the advance of medical science the common cold stands to-day as a rock of offence to the medical profession. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF COLDS? Colds are due to infection, although this infection is not always due to the same organism. Upon the surface of the body (skin and mucous membranes) there are millions of bacteria waiting, as it were, for a favourable condition to develop, so that they may implant themselves .. . While these organisms are present in the nose and throat, they do not gain entrance into the system until the resistance of the individual is lowered or the virulence of the bacteria is increased. This lowered resistance to colds is frequently associated with a sluggish circulation. Some individuals, by taking too good care of themselves, keeping every square inch of body surface wrapped m closely-knitted woollen clothes, allow the vasomotor system to become soft, as it were, like the man whose hands are not accustomed to the shovel, or the hothouse plant not accustomed to the weather. Exposure In these cases may be followed by disastrous results. All statistics reveal that colds are more common among men than women. This statement needs no comment. THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE ON COLDS In the United States the incidence of : colds is not greater in the changeable j i climate of an eastern winter than in I sunny California, or in the Northern j States, where the thermometer goes 10 j ! to 30 degrees below zero, than in the | mild climate of Florida. In autumn, when the nights are cold 1 and. days warm, respiratory infections are common. The extreme and rapid changes of temperature are seemingly responsible for this. THE DEFENCE OF THE BODY The defence of the body is dependent on the circulation. In the blood we find the whitecells, specially adapted to resist the invasion of microorganisms by actually engulfing and digesting them, or by giving off certain immune bodies which neutralise, as it ! were, the toxic products of bacteria. These protective bodies we find in the blood serum, and they are excreted in j the saliva, the tears, gastric juices, and ! nasal secretions. When saliva is not | excreted how quickly the mouth become** infected and foul. These lifegiving elements contained in the blood do not protect the body unless they ape evenly distributed to every tissue. This distribution is effected by the vascular system, the tone of which is controlled by nervous influences. Certain external conditions may actually shock the vasomotor system and cause unequal distribution of blood, resulting in congestion in one part and anaemia in another. If local anaemia occurs in the nose and throat, due to a stasis of blood in other parts of the body, infectious organisms or other toxins may gain entrance into the tissue. This is followed by congestion, which is so characteristic of the early symptoms of a cold. THE DANGERS OF A COLD Colds always decrease the efficiency of the human organism, whether in the mental or physical worker. The dangers of a cold in the head may be compared to a camp fire in the bush indry weather—slight changes may produce disastrous results. The air sinuses which connect with the nose and throat may become infected, and these sinuses may harbour the infection for months—tonsilitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and broncho-neu-monia may result. PREVENTION OF COLDS Observance of the following suggestions will help to prevent colds: Live an active, outdoor life as much as possible. Avoid over-dressing the body. Avoid chilling after perspiration. Be regular in habits of eating, aipd j avoid excessive eating of sweets j of any kind. Take a cool sponge in the morning, and follow this with friction until the skin glows. It is important to see that the alimentary canal is kept clear. In doing this we should, however, avoid the excessive use of purgatives. . . . THE RATIONAL TREATMENT OF COLDS No form of treatment compares with :he proper application of hot and cold water to restore the vascular tone. Excessive sweating should be avoided, as this tends toward weakness and fatigue. Warm the body till the skin shows a slight perspiration and the patient feels warm, then finish with cold water and friction. This may be accomplished in several ways. One may give a short foot or leg bath, accompanied by hot fomentations over the abdomen, chest or spine, long enough to dilate the skin vessels. This should bo followed by a cold application with friction. . . . The most common method of applying hot and cold water is by means of a spray. If a shower is used it is well for the feet to be placed in hot water. . . . However the treatment is applied, the skin should feel dry and warm, and should glow with an active circulation. Hydrotherapy is worse than useless when a patient’s skin is left in a cold, clammy condition, duo to improper application of the treatment. Therefore see that the treat- i ment leaves the skin warm.

FLUIDS Fluids should be used freely, as they maintain the volume of the circulation and also favour the excretion of toxins from the blood. Fruit juices should be used, as they contain organic acids, as citric and malic acid REST During an infection the bacteria give off toxins, which circulate through the body. These toxins cause changes in the protoplasm of the cells . . . which are not able to function properly. That is the reason why a person with a fever has a dry mouth, and the reason why there is loss of appetite, the bowels are constipated and the muscles weak. I? t condition it is important to give the body as complete rest as possible so that the cells may be able to recuperate properly. Physical rest is important; also give the patient food that is easily digested (and fluids in abundance- 1 . • • There is one muscle in the body which is apt to be injured if we do not take this precaution, and that is the heart. This is especially so after attacks of influenza. ... A cold on the chest that lasts more than a month is always dangerous to the individual. A ooctor should be consulted, and the lungs examined by a competent physician. ...