812 



SUNSTROKE 



8UPERFCETATION 



giving mere details of such things as the Prophet's 

 mode of standing and sitting. Its <>1>ject is to make 

 needles all appeals to reason and conscience. In 

 legislation it is much less used than formerly; lint, 

 like the Koran, it is infallible and unalterable, 

 and its only independent expounders are the four 

 orthodox imams. Legislation merely means a 

 declaration by the Sheikh-ul IslAm ana his council 

 of ulema or doctors that this or that agrees with 

 the Koran or tradition. Reformation of law or 

 religion from within is impossible. 



Sunstroke (otherwise called Heatstroke, 

 Heat Apoplexy, Heat Asphyxia. Coup de Soleil, 

 Kiyt lii-iniis tropicus, and Insolatio) is a very fatal 

 affection of the nervous system, which seldom 

 occurs in Great Britain, except in extremely hot 

 summers, but is verv common in India and 'oilier 

 tropical countries. The symptoms of the disease 

 are liable to be greatly nxxlified in different cases. 

 Two contrasted forms are recognised. In the 

 cardiac the heart is chiefly affected, and the symp- 

 toms are weakness, faintness, dimness of si"lit, 

 giddiness, &c. Death may take place either sud- 

 denly or more gradually from failure of the circu- 

 lation. If recovery occur it is complete. This 

 form is said to occur only from direct exposure 

 to the sun's rays. In the cerebro-spimil form, the 

 commoner of the two, the symptoms usually come 

 on more gradually ; nausea and giddiness may be 

 present at first ; out the most striking feature of 



the disease is either wild delirium or c i, with a 



pungently hot skin and extremely high tempera- 

 ture 106 F. or upwards. Even those who recover 

 from this form of the disease are apt to suffer for a 

 long period, or it may IHJ permanently, from severe 

 headache, epilepsy, enfeebled mental power, or 

 other nervous disorders. Intermediate varieties 

 are also met with, forming links between these t o 

 extremes. The mortality from sunstroke i ;ilmi 

 50 per cent, of those affected. In the cases that 

 terminate favourably a gradual remission of the 

 symptoms takes place ; and when the skin liecomes 

 cool and moist, and sleep has been procured (phen- 

 omena which usually occur within thirty-six hours 

 of the attack), the patient may be regarded as out 

 of danger. 



Tin- predisposing causes of sunstroke are ( 1 ) an 

 unusually elevated degree of temperature; (2) 

 heavy or unduly tight clothing, particularly if it 

 interfere with the free expansion of the chest; (3) 

 a contaminated atmosphere from overcrowding ; 

 (4) all debilitating causes, such as prolonged 

 marches, previous disease, intemperate habits, \e. 

 Death sometimes occurs so suddenly that there is 

 little opportunity for treatment, but the general 

 indications in these cases are the cold douche, from 

 a height of three or four feet, keeping the surface 

 wet and exposed to a current of air, the exclusion 

 of light as far as possible, and the free employment 

 of stimulant*. In less rapidly fatal cases the outer 

 clothing should be removed, and the douche 

 applied, as before, over the head and along the 

 spine. Relaxation of the pupil is the first favour- 

 able sign. If the pulse lla^-s the douche must be 

 replaced by the mere application of cold to the 

 head, and it may be necessary to apply hot iKittles, 

 &c. to the extremities. The hair must I..- cut 

 short, and the nape of the neck blistered as s|>eedily 

 as possible. If insensibility recurs after an interval 

 of ten or twelve hours, a blister should 1,.. applied 

 Ifl the crown of the head. The extremities and 

 chest should l>e stimulated with ninstunl poultices. 

 Immediately after (lie employment of the douche 

 a strong purgative injection should l>e thrown up 

 the lower bowel. Under no circumstances should 

 there be any alwtraction of blood. If injurious 

 effects persist long after partial recovery, the 

 patient should be removed to a cooler climate. 



The preventive measures are of more importance 

 than the treatment. There has occasionally been 

 an extraordinary mortality from sunstroke in the 

 United States in very hot summers. 



Kan-worship. See SUN, p. oe. 



Siionnda. or the Inland Sea of Japan, separates 

 the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku from the main 

 island. Honshu. It is about 250 miles in length 

 from the strait of Sliimonoseki (q.v.) to Osaka, 

 greatest breadth about 00 miles, and is studded 

 with innumerable islets and rocks. The scenery 

 is most beautiful, but the navigation is difficult. 



Superannuation. See ('mi. SKIIVI> 



Supererogation. WOKKS OF (Lat. opera 

 gujtercrogatoria), a class of works which, in the 

 Roman Catholic system, are descri)>ed as not 

 absolutely required of each individual as conditions 

 to his eternal salvation. The doctrine is based on 

 the distinction between pritt-ejita and consilia 

 ri-iniifflicci, the former including the common duties 

 of all, the latter (called also 'Counsels of Per- 

 fection') establishing a merit. Roman Catholics 

 found this definition on the distinction between 

 what they l>elieve to be commanded and what 

 they hold to be only counselled, for an example of 

 which they appeal to the words of our Lord to the 

 young man in Matthew, xix. 21, which distinguish 

 one class of works which are necessary in order to 

 'enter into life,' and a further class" which must 

 only l>e done if we 'would l>e perfect.' Roman 

 Catholics do not profess to recognise in works of 

 supererogation any distinctive essential quality by 

 which they dill'er, whether in their physical or thefr 

 moral entity, from other works, and in virtue of 

 which, by their own nature, the individual may 

 found upon them a personal claim to reward. I 'or 

 works of supererogation, as for all supernal urally 

 good works, they hold that the assistance of ( 

 grace is indispensably necessary ; and they do not 

 ascribe to them any merit, except that which arises 

 from God's own free and gratuitous promise. In 

 one word, the only distinctive characteristic of a 

 work of supererogation lies in its not being sup- 

 posed to be prescrilied or commanded as alisoTutcly 

 necessary for the salvation of the individual, and 

 its being done for the sake of greater perfection ; 

 and the doctrine which teaches the possibility of 

 such works is, according to Catholics, a necessary 

 consequence of the unequal fervour and unequal 

 degrees of holiness which exist even in the class of 

 the virtuous servants of God. The main difficulty 

 comes in at the next step the claim that a further 

 consequence of this doctrine is that G<M! may 

 accept the superabundant works of one in atone- 

 ment for the defective service of another. Hence 

 in the theory of indulgences, alone w ith what 

 they regard as the infinite and inexhaustible 

 treasure of the merits of our Lord, Roman Catholics 

 also regard, although in a degree infinitely inferior. 

 the superabundant merits of the saints as forming 

 part of that 'treasure of the church' whic -i, 

 applied in the form of indulgences. See IMHI.- 



I. KM'K. 



Siiperfirtaf ion. or the circumstance of two 



distinct conceptions occurring in the same woman 

 at a considerable interval, so that two foetuses of 

 different ages the offspring |M>ssibly of different 

 fathers may co-exist in the uterus, is a subject of 

 great interest both in a scientific and in a medico- 

 legal point of view. Two centuries ago there was 

 a universal l>elief in not only the possibility but 

 the comparative frequency of this occurrence. 

 Early in the 19th century it was as universally dis- 

 believed ; and now again (owing to the investiga- 

 tions of various inquirers) we are returning to the 

 lielief of our ancestors. The cases described as in- 

 stances of siiperfo'tation may IM- arranged in three 



