HOW TO FACE THE COLD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2221, 30 June 1891, Page 4

HOW TO FACE THE COLD.

The excessive cold through which we; have just emerged (says an English paper) gives considerable appropriateness to X>r Richardson's paper an “ Cold and Mortality,” which appears in the last number off the Asclepiad. He says that if the: temperature falls suffieently to double the mortality ef men at the age of thirty, it would mul tip by the mortality: of men at eighty-four sixty-four times. That is to say, if of a thousand at the age of thirty two men die instead of one, sixty-four men instead of one would die out of the thousand of sixty four years of age. The way in which cold kills a man is in the first place by robbing the body of its reserve force; secondly, it ©xydises the blood. The perfect: combination of oxygen, and carbon in the blood is essential to active life, and in the contest clash of the moleeude of carbon and the melecude of oxygen in the blood lies the manspring of all animal motion.,. When: the temperature falls this combination; becomes less effective. Thirdly, cold; causes the soft' parts of the body, including the blood vessels of the lungs, to shrink to that the operations ) of the body are mechanically as well as chemically suppressed. . One of the worst things when, you have been chilled is to warm yourself suddenly., Bronchitis and pneumonia frequently j result from warming yeurself when: you have been chilled oat of doors, j Dr Richardson gives the following j directions for keeping yourself alivej in cold weather : | 1. Clothing is in first thing to at-! tend to. To have the body, during! variable weather, such as now obtains,! well enveloped from head to foot in; non-conducting substance is essential ;< who neglects.this precaution is guilty; ot a grievous erroi,.and who helps thai poor to clothe effectually does more; 1 for them than can hardly be eon-: vinced without careful attention to the; subject we have discussed. ; 2. In sitting-rooms and in bed-i rooms it is equally essential to mam-' tain an equable temperature ; a fire in; a. bedreom is of first value at this* season. The fire sustains the external! warmth, encourages ventilation, and! gives health no less than comfort. 3. In going from a warm into a cold; atmosphere, in breasting the wave ef low temperature, no one can harm by! starting forth thoroughly warm. But; in returning from the cold into the: warm, the act should always be, accomplished gradually. This important rule may readily be carried in mind by connecting it with the fact that the only safe mode of curing a, frozen part is to rub it with ice, so as to restore the.temperature slowly. 4. The wave of low temperature requires to be met by good, nutritious, warm food. Heat-forming foods, such as bread, sugar, butter, oatmeal, porridge, and potatoes, are of special use now. It would be against science and instinct alike to omit suok food When the body requires heat. 5. It is an entire mistake to suppose that the wave of cold is neutralised in any sense by the use of alcoholics. When a glass of hot brandj-and-water warms the cold man the credit belongs to the hot water, and any discredit that may follow to the brandy. So far from alcohol checking cold inaction it goes with it, and therewith aids in arresting the motion of the heart in the living \ animal, because it reduces oxidation. 6. Excessive exercise of the body f and overwork either of body or of mind, should be avoided, especially during those seasons when a sudden |;fall of temperature is of frequent, ' occurrence. Eor exhaustion, whether physical or metal, means loss of motion ( in the organism; and loss of motion is the same as loss of heat.