182 THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



innocuous in the case of a strong, healthy man. The very young, the very old, the 

 anaemic, the cachetic, the convalescent, and the licentious, are all more prone to catch 

 cold than others. Whatever lowers the general tone of the system predisposes to the 

 occurrence of this, the commonest of all disorders. Drunkards suffer greatly from 

 colds and their consequences. Many people when exposed to cold, take wine or 

 brandy, or spirit in some form or other, with the view of keeping out the cold. This 

 is an injudicious measure, for as soon as the primary stimulating action is over, there 

 is a reaction, with increased depression, and the person is more than ever likely to 

 suffer from exposure. It has been shown experimentally that alcohol depresses the 

 temperature of the body, and so, far from keeping out cold, it lets it in. There is no 

 objection to taking a moderate allowance of alcohol when the exposure is over, for 

 the stimulating effect may be beneficial, and by the time the reaction sets in, the 

 patient will have changed his things, and will -be warm and dry, and not likely to 

 suffer in any way. Practically, what it comes to is this, that if you have to take a 

 long walk in the rain, you should not stop half way to have a glass of grog, but there 

 is no objection to your having something to drink when you arrive at your 

 destination. Puddlers, and other workers in iron-furnaces, find that they can work 

 better, and that they suffer less from colds and their consequences, if they dispense 

 entirely with alcohol. The Arctic voyager knows, too, that he can withstand the 

 rigours of the climate better without his grog than with it. 



A cold is called in scientific language a catarrh. It consists essentially of 

 inflammation of the mucous membrane of some portion of the air -passages. When 

 it is confined to the mucous membrane of the nose, it is spoken of as a cold in the 

 head. When it is attended with much watery discharge from the nose, the complaint 

 is called " coryza," and when with much pain over the forehead " gravedo." If the 

 disorder should extend into the lungs, the patient is said to have a " cold on his chest," 

 or from one of its most prominent symptoms, " a cough," or in other words a " slight 

 attack of bronchitis." The inflammation often enough travels from one part of the 

 mucous membrane to another. Beginning for example in the nose, it gradually creeps 

 down into the wind-pipe and lungs. Sometimes it passes from the throat up towards 

 the ear, and produces deafness, or clown the gullet to the stomach, causing qualmish 

 and other uneasy sensations, and loss of appetite. 



General directions for the treatment of a cold will be found under Acute 

 Bronchitis (p. 154). 



Medicinally, the best treatment for a cold is aconite, and the earlier it is given 

 the better. A tea-spoonful of the aconite mixture (Pr. 38), should be given every 

 hour or two hours, according to the severity of the symptoms. If there is not much 

 fever, a still smaller dose may be taken. The patient had better go to bed and keep 

 quiet ; he should not take much food, but may drink freely of water if thirsty. This 

 treatment may be continued for from six to twelve hours, or even longer. If the 

 skin becomes moist the other symptoms usually quickly disappear, and a few more 

 doses of the medicine will effect a cure. This treatment is very simple, and is usually 

 successful. It is especially useful at the begining of a cold, and is, in fact, applicable 

 to the commencement of any acute illness. It is, it will be seen, somewhat different 

 from the treatment recommended when speaking of acute bronchitis. The explanation 



