The Prevention of Colds
By Emma E. Walker, M. D.
It is said that a starving man never “takes cold,” but on the contrary that he who overeats is taking one of the surest ways of falling into that all too common pitfall of the overfed and overworked. Never shall I forget how this was first brought home to me. We were away at school, and on the arrival of a box of dainties my roommate never dared to eat much candy because, as she declared, she always caught a hard cold after such indulgence. At the time, I thought it was merely due to her imagination; but when we consider that a cold is really a disturbance of the equilibrium of the general circulation, it is easy to see how the overloading of the system with food can cause this condition. When one eats frequently, especially if the food taken is rich and highly seasoned, the digestive organs have little or no time to rest, and the drain on the digestive secretions is too great. More nourishment is taken into the body than can possibly be used. Thus an oversupply of material is thrown upon the organs, and has to be disposed of. This quickly causes an obstruction which results in a “cold.” One of our most noted physicians of this age has said that overeating kills far more people than does overdrinking. This is especially true after the age of forty. It is not by what man eats that he lives, but by what he digests and assimilates. All excess of food is not merely a waste, but is an element of danger, and brings about a condition of self-poisoning. A throat specialist compares the condition of the body at this time to a chandelier with five gas jets. If one jet is out of order, the other four have to do not only their own work, but the work of the fifth jet also. If a second one becomes stopped, then three jets have to do the work of five, and the gas sufficient for five comes out at the three openings. So it is when we have a “cold.” Blood that should be in other parts is directed to the mucous membrane lining the air-passages, in other words, to the internal skin, as it is called. The congestion of these parts results in an oversecretion of mucus. If the nose is especially affected, we say that we are suffering from a “cold in the head;” if the throat, then we have a “raw” or “sore throat;” if the vocal cords and larynx, then we are hoarse, and have an attack of laryngitis; if the bronchial tubes are bearing the brunt, we call it a “bronchial cold;” whereas, if the trouble penetrates to the tiny air-cells of the lungs, then it is that the dread pneumonia has seized its victim. In a great many cases of this disease physicians find by inquiring into recent doings of the patient that he has been somewhere in a crowd, such as at a lecture or the theater, where he has breathed and rebreathed impure air. For foul air is far more often the cause of “colds” than pure, cold air. Pure, fresh air taken into the lungs preserves the equilibrium of the circulation, while bad air does not supply enough oxygen to accomplish this. Doubtless many people “catch cold” from sleeping in close bedrooms, where the air is breathed over and over again. Likewise many colds owe their origin to a sedentary life which lacks the proper amount of exercise out in the open air. For no one can get just exactly the same pure air to breathe within four walls — although ventilation may be his hobby — that he can out in the open. It is now generally recognized that in many cases of “colds” microbes play their part. And just a word here about damp feet. It makes little difference if one gets soaked through out in a rain-storm, even though the feet become drenched, if he will only keep moving; for exercise keeps up the normal balance of the circulation, and as long as this is sustained, there need be no fear of catching cold. It is only when one sits down in damp clothing that the chill comes, because then the blood is directed away from the parts which are cold, and congestion takes place in the respiratory organs. Although the understanding of the prevention of a “cold” is far more important than a knowledge of its treatment, still most of us see days when we are glad to know something of the latter. The first twenty-four hours is the most telling time for effectual treatment, although later than this the symptoms of a cold may be alleviated. The old adage, “Stuff a cold and starve a fever,” is absurd; for a cold is actually an inward fever, and the more it is stuffed the worse it will become. A quick-acting laxative is the first step, for the body should be relieved of its waste matter. Heat used both externally and internally must be our chief reliance. In general, the hot foot-bath is preferable to a complete bath, for after the former, one is less likely to become chilled. Hot drinks, as lemonade or flaxseed tea, also help to restore the equilibrium of the circulation. The Turkish bath is excellent, but it has its limitations, as its efficacy depends entirely upon the individual. After the sweating process of this bath the body should be rubbed thoroughly until it is dry. A great relief for a simple “cold in the head” is the drawing of hot water into the nostrils and blowing it out again several times. In this way the nose is thoroughly cleansed and the membranes are strengthened. This may be done both morning and night. Rest is the best remedy for hoarseness. The primary cause of colds is found within the body, and not without. So long as one keeps strong his powers of resistance by avoiding fatigue, by following a careful diet, by taking sufficient exercise, and by the breathing of fresh air and the taking of daily baths, he can count himself immune from “colds.” —Emma E. Walker, M. D., in Good Housekeeping.