MANUAL OF THE NiLAGIRI DISTIITCT. 53 



be possessed of such a knowledge of hygiene, or preventive CHAP. IV, 

 medicine, as will enable him to preserve intact that measure of PART II. 

 health with which he may be endowed. If this be true with regard physical and 

 to the healthy and the strong, of how much more importance is Medical 

 it that the invalid should not only be acquainted with rules for ^ '""^''''' ^' 

 his guidance,, but be prepared to act up to them ? The following 

 notes on preventive medicine as applicable to visitors to this 

 sanitarium may therefore prove useful to those who may be 

 unacquainted with the peculiarities of this hill climate. 



The ascent to Ootacamand being usually made in from five to 

 ten hours, according to the mode of conveyance, the visitor finds 

 himself suddenly transported from a climate with a temperature 

 of 85° F. or more to one whose mean temperature reaches only 

 56° F. To be unprepared to meet this sudden change is merely 

 to invite disease or such a derangement of the principal functions 

 as will incapacitate the traveller from deriving benefit or pleasure 

 from his visit. Wai'm clothing should therefore be used as soon 

 as a change of temperature is sensibly felt, and in the case of 

 young children their flannel under-clothing had better be put on 

 before the journey up the ghat is commenced. In case any 

 portion of the journey up the ghats be made during the day-time, 

 it will be necessary to guard against the action of the sun's rays, 

 which are here, owing to the stillness of the atmosphere, often 

 very powerful. As several tempting streams pass the ghat road, 

 the possibility of fever resulting from their use should generally 

 be known. It is better thei^efore to come provided with a few 

 bottles of sodawater or cold tea. Those who are in a weakly 

 state, but whose destination is Ootacamand, should halt a few 

 hours for rest and refreshment at Coonoor. 



On arrival at Ootacamand it will be well to see that bedding 

 is suitable and sufficient and that the sheets are well aired. It 

 is necessary to point out this latter as an occasional cause of 

 illness, for, from the difficulty experienced in drying linen, &c. 

 during wet weather, clothes are often found to be quite damp on 

 being brought from the wash. The windows of the sleeping 

 apartments should be always kept closed at nights. Some people 

 keep them open, thinking that, as they have done so even in 

 England, they can do so here with impunity, but the cases are 

 different, for here, in addition to cold and damp, we have occa- 

 sionally malaria. Unoccupied houses are often damp and close ; 

 fires lighted for a day or two previous to occupancy will help to 

 remove these defects. 



The cold moist state of the atmosphere during tbe monsoons does Precautions 

 not appear to be prejudicial to the European residents or invalids '° '^■j'^P 

 when sufficient attention is paid to the judicious adaptation of ^'^^ 

 clothing to the state of the weather. In consequence of the 



